Frieren: Understand Humans, Aura!

Serie watched Kritobi leave, her expression indifferent.

Appointing that demon, Aura, as the chief examiner had been a last resort, a decision born out of necessity rather than choice. At the time, the human examiners had been overly lenient, sparing candidates too much. Unexpectedly, Aura not only met the rigorous standards required but surpassed them, proving to be far more effective than anyone could have anticipated.

"But that probably wasn't your intention, was it, Aura?"

Serie grinned, she really found it funny.

In her long life, Serie had encountered countless demons, many of whom were foolish or brutish. But Aura was different—her foolishness was of a refined, almost charming sort, unlike anything Serie had seen before.

Ah... no, calling her stupid wouldn't be quite right.

Aura was actually very wise - Serie also agreed with this.

Aura's harsh treatment of human mages and her nearly brutal exam designs had resulted in human mages displaying unprecedented combat skills on the battlefield, significantly reducing their casualties in battles against demons.

If any human were to do this...

Even if Serie did it herself, she had no confidence that she could do better than Aura.

She doubted she could have done it better than Aura.

"Aura, you are so smart."

"But you don't understand humans."

"When you can truly understand humans, you might become their greatest enemy."

Serie sighed. She was also amazed, not just at the creativity of this purple-haired demon, Aura, but at the sheer brilliance of the ideas that emanated from what appeared to be a seemingly mentally ill head.

Perhaps this was what humans meant by "great wisdom appears foolish." It was a concept that seemed to fit Aura perfectly—a being whose seemingly erratic actions masked a deeper, more profound intelligence.

Serie found herself looking forward to that day - when Aura can truly understand humans, what kind of wonderful expression will she have on her face.

A tiny ripple stirred in Serie's heart, a rare disturbance in the calm sea of her emotions. However, this ripple was quickly smoothed over by the long passage of time.

This huge palace, though grand, felt vast and empty, with only her presence to fill it. Apart from that, there were densely packed books lining the walls, creating a labyrinth of knowledge and history.

Serie's body floated effortlessly up to the middle of the towering walls of books. She moved slowly along the circular path, her eyes scanning the spines of countless volumes, as if searching for something specific.

Finally, she found it—a plan that had been abandoned many years ago, tucked away in a small gap between the books.

Continental Magic Association

During Serie's long life, countless ideas had come to her, including the concept of creating a unified organization for all mages on the continent.

But it was too troublesome.

She hadn't planned on pursuing this idea. It was an intriguing thought, but not one she deemed worth the effort.

"However, if a lovely disciple begs me to do it, maybe I will relent." 

Serie had never met a disciple who made such a wish to her.

"But in the end, it was a hateful disciple who helped me accomplish this?"

Because of Aura's presence, the prerequisites for establishing the Continental Magic Association have been met: widespread reputation among all mages and authority recognized by all countries.

Now, what had once seemed like a daunting plan could be easily realized. The foundation had been laid, and all that remained was to build upon it.

"Aura, among my disciples, although you are not the smartest one, you are indeed the most satisfactory one."

"Puff hahahaha——

Serie couldn't help but laugh, a sound that echoed through the empty halls of her palace. She hadn't been so happy for hundreds of years. The irony and the unexpectedness of the situation delighted her.

"How many millennia has it been since something this interesting happened?"

"I'm really looking forward to seeing the expression on Aura's face when I announced the candidate for the president of the Magic Association."

The anticipation of Aura's reaction brought a mischievous gleam to Serie's eyes, a spark of joy in her otherwise serene existence.

——

"Have you heard? Lady Serie is establishing the Continental Magic Association to unify all human mages."

"It's true. The king has issued a decree, officially recognizing the existence of this organization."

"Oh my goddess, has the number of human mages reached this level?"

"It's enough to establish an independent organization."

"..."

As Serie expected, she and her disciples' reputations had reached a peak.

This was largely due to the widespread acceptance of the magic level exams, with 90% of renowned mages having received their credentials through Serie's exam system.

This led most humans to associate the new Continental Magic Association with the pinnacle of magical achievement.

Many mages flocked to join the Continental Magic Association, with 70% joining at regional branches across the country.

The purpose of these magicians joining the Continental Magic Association, in addition to wanting to obtain more magical knowledge from the oldest legendary elven mage, Serie, is also to receive guidance from the world-renowned examiner Lady Aura.

After all, Lady Aura's feedback always hit the mark. It was as if she had fought against the demons tens of millions of times. Lady Aura knew the demons' fighting methods very well and could use them with ease.

It was as if she were a demon herself!

Receiving guidance from Lady Aura always brought great benefits.

Being recognized by Chief Examiner Aura was considered the highest honor among human mages.

——

At the headquarters of the Continental Magic Association.

It was late at night, but in Serie's palace, candles were burning everywhere, the light was not dim, illuminating the entire spacious palace.

Serie and her followers gathered around a large rectangular table, waiting in silence. The room was filled with some of the most powerful and influential mages from across the continent, all there to discuss matters of great importance.

Aura huddled in a corner, incredulous that a demon like her was involved in such a significant decision concerning all human mages. Despite her attempts to remain inconspicuous, her presence was keenly felt by everyone in the room.

Although... only Zanze and Serie knew her identity as a demon.

But Aura still curled up in the darkness, trying her best to eliminate her own presence.

"Chief Examiner Aura, hello," greeted one of the mages, breaking the silence.

"Hello--"

"Lady Aura, I'm a first-class mage you once examined. Do you still remember me?" Another mage approached, seeking recognition.

"Hello--"

"Lady Aura, do you think there are any omissions in this resolution regarding the subjugation of the demons?" Yet another mage posed a question.

"Hello, hello... you get out of here!" 

"Lady A—"

Aura's eyes were filled with fear and her nerves were tense, like a goldfish that had been taken out of the fish tank and placed on the cat litter. Any slight movement would make her jump.

She didn't understand why these humans came around one by one and asked her questions.

Couldn't they just leave her alone?!

'Please, please stay away from me! I don't want to be stared at by humans like this!! Why are you looking at me like that?!'

'Am I some kind of highly respected human hero??'

She couldn't fathom why they treated her with such reverence and curiosity, not knowing how much she wished to disappear from their view.

"Ahem—"

Zanze coughed lightly, and unlike Aura who sat at the bottom seat, she sat down to the right of Lady Serie, who was in the main seat. She also looked at Aura with a puzzled look, who was not sitting in the first seat to Lady Serie's left.

But if Aura chose to sit there, she must have her reasons~

Zanze didn't press the matter.

She coughed, reminding all the mages to be quiet, as Lady Serie was about to announce important matters of the Continental Magic Association.

"The Continental Magic Association was officially established a week ago, marking a momentous day in the history of human magic."

"However, the position of association president has yet to be decided. I know many of you want me to take the role."

"But I'm not interested." she declared with a casual wave of her hand, as if dismissing the notion entirely.

Serie remained as indifferent as ever, her demeanor aloof and detached. 

She paid no heed to the human mages who followed her.

Rather than saying that she spent a lot of effort to establish the Continental Magic Association, it would be more accurate to say that this immortal elf, at a boring moment in her endless life, casually built a toy with the materials around her just for fun.

Serie appeared completely uninterested in the development and future of the Continental Magic Association.

——At least on the surface.

"Who is the greatest contributor to the establishment of the Continental Magic Association? I believe you all know better than I do."

"Her contribution to the standardization of human magic is far greater than mine. I am merely an honorary initiator."

"The true credit for spreading the three-tier magic system across the human nations doesn't belong to me but to her reputation."

Serie glanced around the table, and the top human mages gathered there nodded in agreement. Even Zanze, after a moment of thought, reluctantly nodded.

Everyone's eyes were silently focused on one place, a woman wearing a tall hat, curled up in the corner.

"Uh uh??"

Aura, who had been completely focused on diminishing her presence and hadn't been paying attention to what Serie was saying, suddenly noticed a lot of inexplicable gazes directed at her.

Her eyes suddenly widened.

Why is everyone looking at me? Does this have anything to do with me?

————————————

Can you guess what surprise Serie has planned for Aura? (─‿‿─)

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