At the top of the Magic Association tower, on Serie's exclusive seat.
Behind her was a mountain of magical tos. Because the materials used were of the highest quality, there was no scent of decay; instead, a faint fragrance lingered in the air.
Serie sat cross-legged on the wide chair, one hand propping up her chin, her elbow resting on her knee. An open grimoire lay on her lap.
But at this mont, the elf's attention was not on the book.
Her brows were slightly furrowed as she looked out the window. The sun was setting, painting the horizon a brilliant orange-red—a scene as beautiful as ever.
But her mood was far from tranquil.
It had been a full week.
That guy had disappeared for another full week.
Rhodes.
The man she would call her husband in human terms. An elusive man who had been disappearing frequently of late.
Moreover, the frequency of these disappearances was increasing, and the duration was getting longer.
Every ti he returned, his mana was significantly depleted, sotis even carrying traces of teleportation magic, and his eyes were full of exhaustion.
In the past, he would occasionally leave to run errands for her or handle other matters, but he had never been gone for more than a day, let alone spend the night out.
Yes! In human terms, this was "spending the night out"!
Now, Serie and Rhodes were living together.
They slept in the sa bed. Every night, that man would hug her like a body pillow, sotis even nuzzling her.
At first, Serie wasn't used to it. But as ti went on, she had grown accustod to having his reassuring presence beside her as she slept.
However, recently, she had been sleeping alone again.
This made the elf very unhappy. And absolutely not because she felt lonely or anything like that.
Simultaneously, an inexplicable unease quietly welled up in her heart.
Was his constant disappearance recently due to the increasingly tense situation in the North? Or was it because of that prophecy regarding her future?
She continued to prop up her small head, waiting for the man to return.
When the door was pushed open gently and Rhodes walked in bathed in moonlight, he saw Serie sitting on the chair, her golden eyes watching him quietly, as if she had been waiting for a long ti.
"You are back?" Her voice betrayed no emotion, flat as usual.
"Mn." Rhodes responded, subconsciously wanting to head to their room. "I am a bit tired. I will go organize my notes first..."
"Rhodes." Serie suddenly called out to him.
Rhodes's footsteps paused.
He turned around, forcing a relaxed smile onto his face. "What is it, Serie? Is there so trouble in the Association that needs handling?"
"You have been disappearing frequently lately." Serie didn't take his bait, looking him straight in the eye. "Another week without seeing you. Where did you go?"
"Ah... just so old personal business that needed sorting out." Rhodes tried to be vague, subconsciously avoiding her gaze. "You know how unreliable Norne was. There are always so historical loose ends."
Serie said nothing. She just looked at him quietly. But that calm gaze carried more pressure than any interrogation.
The smile on Rhodes's face gradually faltered.
He knew Serie. She usually seed indifferent to many things, but once she got serious, perfunctory answers and lies were aningless.
He sighed. He had intended to tell the elf only after he had news, but it seed he had to advance the schedule.
"Alright..." He rubbed his forehead and walked over to sit on the armrest of Serie's chair. He was silent for a mont, seeming to think about where to start.
Serie waited patiently, not rushing him.
"I am looking for sothing. Or rather, a sword."
"A sword?"
"Yes. The legendary Sword of Salvation, Estorion." Rhodes explained slowly.
Serie nodded. She knew the na. In the ancient texts of the elven race, there were scattered records about it.
It was said to be an artifact forged by the gods—or the will of the world—long before the demonic calamity descended. It was a Sword of Salvation in the truest sense.
But its existence was too epheral. No race had ever held it; it was more like a symbolic legend.
"Why look for it suddenly?" Serie realized things were definitely not that simple.
Rhodes took a deep breath. "My research... regarding the essence of Life Magic... progress is much slower than anticipated."
"At the current rate, I fear it will take at least another hundred years before I can touch the core mysteries."
After all, it was magic related to the gods. Even with Rhodes's talent for [Creation], completely deciphering it would take nearly a century.
His tone carried a trace of anxiety. "In the past, I had all the ti in the world. Reincarnation magic allowed to research indefinitely until the day I succeeded. But... things are different now."
His gaze fell on Serie. "A new Demon King has appeared. And... that prophecy..."
"I cannot pretend it does not exist."
"Whenever I think of that possibility, I cannot sit here peacefully, waiting for a hundred years to slowly pass."
"So you need power. And you need it now." Serie understood his intent. "You want to rely on an external object? Do you believe Estorion can counter that Demon King?"
"Not entirely counter." Rhodes shook his head. "What I want to do more is seal her. To thoroughly seal that terrifying, corrosive divine power inside her body that acts like a natural disaster."
"Relying on Org, Athos, and The Light of Ersten alone might be enough, but I want to be safer. So I plan to add the power of Estorion."
"Using the power of four Holy Swords to construct a massive sealing magic circle to seal that Demon King away completely. That is the fastest solution I can think of right now."
Serie looked at Rhodes, understanding everything.
So all this ti, he had been running around and taking risks for this.
Not for himself, but to deal with the approaching threat, and even more so... for that future where she died.
The slight unhappiness in her heart from being kept in the dark vanished instantly, replaced by complex emotions.
She let out a soft breath, breaking the silence.
"I understand." Serie nodded, her voice softening. "I will help too. Regarding the legend of Estorion, perhaps there are so clues in the Elven Kingdom. I can go there and search."
"Do not go. Let Ela go. Using teleportation magic won't take too much ti." Rhodes interjected hurriedly.
"..."
Serie knew Rhodes was worried that her leaving would make the future co true. She wanted to argue, but ultimately gave up.
"Fine."
She would listen to this man.
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