Chapter 370: Not Repulsive
Solitär-Flamme's cooperation was within Flamme's expectations. In fact, since arriving at the Magic Association, she had been surprisingly cooperative.
Whether it was being imprisoned in the basement at the beginning, unable to leave, or having her range of activity restricted like before, she had no objections.
She was like an emotionless entity waiting for Rhodes to personally input human emotions into her.
Putting aside her thoughts, Flamme carefully clasped the bracelet onto Solitär-Flamme's slender wrist.
The moment the bracelet touched her skin, a faint light flashed across its surface, then dimmed, looking like an ordinary accessory.
But Solitär-Flamme could clearly feel the mana flowing in her body instantly become heavy, as if bound by layers of invisible chains. Only an extremely faint trace continued to circulate slowly.
This amount of mana wasn't even enough to cast a basic illumination spell. It was a sure-kill item against mages, and even demons were no exception.
Of course, some demons leaned toward the warrior type, so this magical item couldn't restrict them completely, but Solitär-Flamme clearly didn't belong to that category.
"Done." Flamme checked the bracelet's status and confirmed it was correct. "Now, you can leave the Association with us, but you must stay by our side at all times. You cannot act freely or have excessive contact with others without permission. Understand?"
"Understood." Solitär-Flamme nodded again.
She moved her wrist, adapting to the weak feeling of having her power stripped away. This wasn't comfortable for someone used to the presence of mana, but it was within an acceptable range.
Thus, this peculiar team of four left the Magic Association.
Sunlight, noisy human voices, and various unseen existences rushed toward them, instantly swallowing Solitär-Flamme's vision.
Her black eyes widened slightly. Although her face remained expressionless, her gaze began to sweep constantly over everything around her.
Clearly, she showed intense curiosity about these unseen existences.
Seeing this, Frieren subconsciously raised her small hand, looking ready to cast a spell.
She knew demons loved eating humans the most. Seeing Solitär-Flamme staring curiously at the humans on the street, her first reaction was that the demon was getting hungry.
However, Flamme held her hand, stopping her casting motion.
"Relax. She is different from other demons."
Hearing Flamme say this, Frieren lowered her hand silently.
Where is she different?
Frieren couldn't understand.
In her view, all demons were the same—existences that must be killed!
If she encountered a demon she couldn't kill immediately, she would seal them, then kill them later when she deciphered their magic.
Not like now, leaving a demon alone because of some so-called "difference."
Whether it was Lord Rhodes or Lady Serie, why were they so optimistic about her? Believing she would be the start of a brand new future for humans and demons?
Frieren genuinely wasn't optimistic about this future.
However, Master Flamme looked forward to this future immensely. This was the first time Frieren had a different thought from her teacher.
Frieren was led by Flamme's hand, feeling somewhat sullen, only occasionally attracted by some novel magical materials or items on the street.
Olivia maintained a calm posture, her gaze gently surveying the surroundings. But Solitär-Flamme could feel part of Olivia's attention resting on her vaguely, carrying a sense of surveillance.
Like before, Olivia had also shrunk her wings, hiding them under her cloak.
Otherwise, just her special identity as a Sky-Winged would attract attention wherever they went, making a leisurely stroll impossible.
But even so, they inevitably attracted quite a few gazes.
Some were mages who knew Flamme's identity and cast curious looks; others were simply drawn by the group's appearance.
Flamme walked in front, leading Frieren to browse the shops along the way while occasionally glancing back at Solitär-Flamme. Seeing her following quietly without any unusual movements, Flamme felt slightly relieved.
Their destination was the largest commercial district in the West District.
As they got closer to the destination, the flow of people became denser. It was Solitär-Flamme's first time seeing so many humans.
No! Not just humans!
There were also quite a few dwarves and elves, and even many other races.
Solitär-Flamme observed all this silently.
She saw Flamme stop at a stall selling magical materials, skillfully selecting, bargaining, paying, and chatting with the stall owner.
Even the powerful and mysterious Olivia stopped at a stall selling trinkets. She picked up a brooch, examined it carefully, put it down, and shook her head with a smile at the stall owner.
But then Frieren suddenly appeared beside her, bought the brooch without a word, and handed it to Olivia.
Everyone performed actions completely different from what she usually saw, especially Olivia, who exceeded her expectations.
"Solitär-Flamme," Flamme's voice pulled her back from her observations.
They were now standing at a relatively spacious street corner. Flamme handed over a small bag emitting a sweet, greasy aroma. "Try it? This is a freshly baked honey cream pie, one of the capital's specialties."
Solitär-Flamme looked at the bag of obviously human food, then at Flamme, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes. "For me? Why?"
"Mn... because I want you to taste it." Flamme smiled, a meaning Solitär-Flamme couldn't understand in her eyes.
What does this mean? Did she poison it?
Solitär-Flamme dismissed this thought immediately.
Because it was completely unnecessary. If Flamme wanted to kill her, she didn't need to go through such trouble. Moreover, she could clearly see Frieren forcibly taking quite a few pies from the bag in Flamme's hand and stuffing them into her mouth.
Flamme only showed a slightly helpless smile at this. Clearly, there was no problem with the food.
Just as she said, she simply wanted Solitär-Flamme to taste it.
Solitär-Flamme hesitated, then accepted it.
There was still a trace of heat. The warmth transmitted through the packaging to her palm, causing somewhere in her body to start heating up as well.
Imitating Frieren, she took a small, careful bite.
Crispy crust, sickly sweet honey filling, mixed with the aroma of cream instantly filled her mouth.
She tried to analyze the materials used, but an unfamiliar feeling, difficult to describe in words, began to emerge along with this overly direct sweetness.
This wasn't food necessary for her survival. It might even be harmful to the fragile human body.
But—Flamme was watching her.
Frieren also stole a glance at her, seemingly curious about her reaction. Olivia stood slightly further away, also watching her.
She swallowed the food in her mouth and evaluated objectively, "I feel the sweetness inside is too high. Theoretically, it has no benefits for human health."
Flamme burst out laughing. "Who asked about health! I asked, how is the taste? Do you like it?"
Like?
Solitär-Flamme looked at the golden pie in her hand and took another small bite.
The sweet, greasy feeling returned.
"I cannot understand what 'like' means," she answered truthfully. "But... I do not find this food repulsive."
Flamme shook her head with a smile. "Alright. Not repulsive works too."
Seeing this scene, Frieren muttered softly, "Even though she is just a demon."
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