Frieren: Understand Humans, Aura!

Flamme heard the sound and walked in and took Aura out.

At this point, the restraints that had bound Aura's hands and feet were loosened, allowing her to stand and walk. However, she still had shackles on her wrists and ankles. If they were just ordinary iron chains, Aura would have broken free long ago, but these shackles were inscribed with magical runes, similar to the anti-magic spells Flamme had used before.

As Aura followed Flamme, she appeared to comply on the surface, but in reality, her eyes were darting around, secretly eyeing passing human mages. She thought about kidnapping someone to threaten Flamme and Serie, hoping to force them to release her.

But after estimating the magic she could still summon, and the strength her demon physique could unleash, it was clear that she couldn't even break free from the shackles on her wrists and ankles.

Let alone close the distance to ambush a human mage ten meters away in just a few steps.

"Flamme, where are we going?"

While walking from Serie's palace to the "prison" where Aura would be held, they encountered

a group of human mages, their robes marked with insignias denoting rank and specialization. As Flamme came into view, some of them bowed respectfully from a distance, while others—likely assistants to higher-ranking mages—hesitated as though they had urgent matters to report.

"Lady Flamme, a moment—" one of the younger mages began, stepping forward.

Flamme raised a gloved hand sharply, cutting him off mid-sentence. Her voice was curt, leaving no room for argument. "Stay away. All of you."

The mages exchanged uneasy glances but obeyed, retreating a few steps. Their curiosity, however, was palpable.

Their eyes drifted toward the hooded figure trailing behind Flamme. Aura was shrouded in a grey, hooded robe that obscured most of her form, save for her bare feet and hands, which peeked out from beneath the fabric. A hint of her chin was visible, pale and unblemished, but it revealed nothing of her true nature.

Some of the mages murmured among themselves, speculating about the mysterious figure.

"Who is that?"

"An experiment, maybe?"

"Could she be dangerous?"

The questions lingered, but none dared to voice them aloud in Flamme's presence. Those who had worked in the Continental Magic Association for any length of time knew better than to pry into the affairs of top-ranking mages. Such figures often dabbled in dangerous experiments—automaton techniques that had gone awry, or research into infectious curses that could turn the curious into victims.

"Damn, if only that person had gotten closer..." Aura's eyes, hidden under her hood, were filled with frustration as she glared at Flamme, who was shooing people away.

As long as... as long as she got within three steps, Aura was confident that she could surprise Flamme with her speed and overpower a non-combatant human, breaking their neck easily with her strength. Then, she could escape.

But... Flamme was too alert.

Still, this only meant that the mages here weren't as heavily armed with magical items as Flamme was. Even if their magic reactions weren't as fast, their accessories, like bracelets and earrings, would likely shield them from attacks.

So, if these weak "snacks" got too close... just a little bit closer.

Aura salivated as she eyed the retreating crowd, her teeth bared in a white grin, instinctively reaching out her hand.

But just then, she heard a cough behind her and quickly withdrew her hand, pretending nothing had happened.

It wasn't until Flamme had led her further away that the human mages they had passed began to whisper to each other.

"Did I offend Flamme just now? I think I heard her cough to warn me."

"I heard it too. It was probably nothing."

"But I clearly felt a cold chill. Wasn't that a warning from Flamme?"

"I felt it too. Haha, it was like someone was going to eat us."

"Could Lady Flamme have a hobby of using humans for forbidden experiments?"

"Oh yes, you have been chosen as a test subject. You will be fed to the monster raised by Lady Flamme tonight."

"Hahaha..."

The young human mages laughed and joked as they walked away.

This place felt different from the tense atmosphere at the border. After all, the Continental Magic Association was based in the inland city of Kribi. If demons invaded this area, the sense of war would soon be felt by these young mages, and humanity would be on the brink of extinction.

——————

They walked down the street, stopping intermittently. This time, no one else was escorting Aura—only Flamme, and it wouldn't be right to call it an escort. Flamme was simply guiding Aura along the street, continuing past the headquarters of the Continental Magic Association without stopping, heading toward a residential area on the edge of the city.

The buildings gradually became shorter, and the crowd thinned. The towering clock tower and skyscrapers disappeared, replaced by one- and two-story houses.

Aura had only been away from Kribi for five years, but the buildings around the Continental Magic Association had changed dramatically, almost as if they had all been torn down and rebuilt. They were taller and grander, and the population had grown five or six times since Aura had left.

It wasn't until they reached the outskirts of Kribi that Aura began to feel a sense of familiarity. She subtly pulled back part of her hood to reveal her purple eyes, glancing around at the low buildings. This place resembled the house she had once lived in—grass lawns, stone houses, and tall pine trees that hadn't been felled.

Flamme glanced back at her and, seeing that Aura hadn't revealed her horns, didn't seem to mind.

After winding through nearly half the city, Flamme, instead of treating it like an escort mission, seemed to be guiding Aura as if she were a new resident of Kribi, showing her around. Finally, Flamme stopped in front of the "prison" where Aura would be kept.

"Uh, here?"

Flamme pushed Aura to her cell, and Aura lifted her hood, looking up in disbelief. Then, she turned back, giving Flamme a puzzled glance.

Aura had thought Flamme was going to lock her in the dungeon or something. After all, dealing with Aura—the mighty Seven Sage of Destruction, a great enemy of humans—required extreme caution.

Aura had never expected a cell that allowed sunlight.

In her imagination,

If human mages were harsh with demon prisoners, they might hang her up in public for display.

If they were a bit gentler, they'd at least give her a place to shelter from the wind and rain. The bed would be just the ground, and the only thing to cover her would be a pile of straw. In such a cell, she'd probably be cramped together with rats and cockroaches.

Aura didn't mind having little animal companions, though. If humans rationed her food, maybe she'd rely on her little animal friends to fill her stomach.

But... the independent house in front of her definitely wasn't what she'd imagined.

"This is a cell?" Aura tilted her head, widening one eye as she looked at Flamme.

"Yes."

"Does it have a private bathroom?"

"Yes."

"Is there a kitchen?"

"Yes."

"There are bookshelves in the bedroom?"

"Yes."

"Isn't this the house I used to live in Kribi?!"

Aura slapped the wall loudly. Faced with such an odd situation, she didn't dare enter immediately, worried that it might be some human trap.

"That's right," Flamme replied, turning around with a scornful look, as if seeing a fool.

Aura stared at Flamme for a long time, then peeked inside the house again, but didn't find anything wrong.

Seeing Flamme's look of "this is the cell, hurry up and go inside," Aura started to doubt herself.

"…I've been living in a cell this whole time and didn't realize... Could I really be an idiot?" Aura muttered to herself, finally stepping into the house.

"Pfft—"

After Aura entered the room, Flamme couldn't hold back her laughter and closed the door behind her.

Then, using magic, Flamme reinforced the walls slightly, checked the windows to ensure they were sealed, and left, leaving Aura alone in the room.

Flamme knew Aura wouldn't stay calm, but she couldn't keep watching her. To track Aura, Flamme had already missed several Magic Association meetings. A pile of requests for border mage transfers that she was responsible for were pending approval. Although the president of the Magic Association had covered for her before, some of the first-class mage transfers at the border could only be decided by Flamme, the frontline Great Mage.

Flamme made sure Aura's suppressed magic wouldn't break the walls and hurriedly left. She decided to leave Aura alone for the night. Tomorrow… tomorrow, someone else would come to take care of Aura.

Inside the house, however, Aura didn't try to destroy the walls and escape, as Flamme had expected.

Aura was smart. A quick glance at the mana traces on the walls told her that Flamme had set something up.

Since Flamme had already prepared, could Aura still hope to break the magic, considering her half-disabled current state? Was she really going to solve this magic that even a future Aura—who might face Flamme's barrier a thousand years from now—couldn't?

Of course, there was hope!

Did you think Aura became the Seven Sages just because of strength? Without firm will and unyielding perseverance, what could she rely on?

Aura fiddled with the door lock for a while before finally making the most rational decision.

Give up!

Aura became the Seven Sages through wisdom, not through brute strength.

Of course, there was also a bit of talent involved.

But most of the time, it was her sharp thinking and rational judgment that solved problems.

Now, Aura's wisdom told her that if she couldn't resist, she might as well enjoy it.

Aura, dragging her handcuffed hands and feet, entered the kitchen and brought out all the fruit, jerky, and bread she could find. She sat down and ate greedily.

After eating, she burped and immediately collapsed onto the floor, falling asleep.

Having become accustomed to rough living conditions, Aura didn't mind the dirt on the floor. She curled up in a corner of the kitchen, surrounded by leftover bones, fruit peels, and bread crumbs, closing her eyes.

As for anything else, she'd think about it tomorrow. Aura's wisdom for today had run out.