Frilian: Starting by inheriting the title of the Southern Hero

Chapter 48 Choice

What are the current public opinions regarding Celia's disappearance?

Lynn picked up her teacup.

Duncan interlaced his fingers and rested them on his chin, saying, "Currently, apart from a very few core members within the association, everyone else believes that Celia is dead."

"...At the ball that night, nobles from all over witnessed Celie being beheaded."

"...Even Falshu and the others thought so at the time."

"So what's your basis for believing that Celia is simply missing?"

"It's all thanks to one sentence from Frilian."

Duncan said, "Frilian said that shortly afterward, Celia contacted her through a precognitive dream, saying she was going to Endy's Demon King's castle to confirm something."

"Demon King's Castle?"

Lynn frowned. "Could he have gone to become the Demon King?"

"This is not the time for jokes."

Although Duncan reprimanded him verbally, his tense shoulders relaxed slightly. "Falshuu originally wanted to lead the team to Ende himself to find out what Seria wanted to confirm. But the Association is like a leaky sieve right now. If he leaves, this mess will be left entirely to Lylene. It just so happens that Frilian's destination is the northernmost Soul Resting Land, so Frilian suggested that she would go to the Demon King's Castle to check the situation on the way."

"Speaking of which, there's something even more troublesome now."

Duncan opened a drawer, took out a document that looked like a battle report, and pushed it in front of Lynn. "The demons in the northern kingdoms have been very active recently, which is very unusual. Maybe it's related to what Celia wants to confirm."

Lynn flipped through the report, his brow furrowing slightly: "Is it related to the demons?"

"To be more precise, it's related to magic."

Then Duncan posed a question, "Young Lynn, are you familiar with the process by which demons are born?"

Lynn shook her head.

In this world, demons are bloodthirsty monsters, a type of magical beast that can speak human language—this is common knowledge.

As for how it came into being, it wasn't mentioned in detail even in the original work.

"In fact, even the Continental Magic Association doesn't have a definitive answer to this question yet."

Duncan continued, "The appearance of demons can be traced back to the mythical era. In every era, there are times when demon armies run rampant, and there are always heroes who step forward to defeat the demons and bring peace to the world. But before long, they will come back again."

"...The Empire's magic research institutions have discussed and studied the phenomenon that 'after a demon dies, its corpse will turn into magic particles.' No one knows where those magic particles go to this day. There is only one hypothesis proposed on this point: the conservation of magic."

"...If the total amount of magic in this world is fixed, and when a demon dies, the magic returns to the world, and after some kind of cycle, this magic will gather again, giving birth to new demons, or becoming the source of power for mages, is it possible that I am involved in such a situation?"

Lynn's eyes narrowed.

This sounds familiar.

On Earth, this is called the law of conservation of energy.

Energy cannot be created or destroyed out of thin air.

It will only transform from one form to another, but the total energy will not change.

If this theory also holds true in the magical world, then there's a big problem.

No one has yet witnessed the extent of Celie's magical power.

This is similar to a Nascent Soul stage monster in a cultivation novel, whose single killing move can drain the spiritual energy of a lower plane.

Was the assassination of Celia intended to destroy all life?

Unfortunately, these are just guesses. Whether the magic is due to a limitation of imagination or is truly due to magical power, it needs to be confirmed.

Otherwise, it's all nonsense.

"It's getting more and more complicated, so I'm not getting involved."

Lynn pushed his teacup away a little. "After all, two years have passed in the blink of an eye. I have no idea how the situation has changed in those two years. To blindly jump in would be suicidal."

Duncan stroked his beard, a wry smile on his face. "Indeed, information asymmetry is fatal. The Empire appears calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging beneath, especially now that Celia's whereabouts are unknown. Various forces are stirring. Your decision to stay out of it is the wisest course of action."

Thank you for your understanding.

"So where are you planning to go?" Duncan changed the subject.

"The Land Where Souls Rest".

Lynn stood up and straightened his clothes. "I have people I need to see and things I need to say. I'll leave these troublesome matters to you big shots."

Even after two years, the desire to see his mother did not fade; on the contrary, it became even stronger because of this absurd sense of time displacement.

"In that case..."

Duncan turned to the girl who had been standing behind him. "Laofen, now that Lynn's back, are you planning to stay here, or go on a trip together?"

Laofen looked down at the carpet at her feet, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, revealing a clear sense of inner turmoil.

On one hand, there's the stable life she's gradually gotten used to over the past two years, and the respected role of an assistant to a court magician.

On the other side was Lynn, who had saved him once in the Tomb of the Fallen King, then disappeared for two years, and now suddenly reappeared.

For a moment, she really hadn't figured out what to do next.

Lynn looked at Raofen quietly.

Two years had sculpted her chubby cheeks, making her look more mature than before.

She now has her own life and responsibilities to bear.

This is a good thing.

Lynn looked away and softly called out, "Laofen."

The girl suddenly looked up, her beautiful eyes filled with a hint of panic.

"You can stay in the palace."

Lynn wore an indifferent expression. "I'm going to the Land of Souls for personal reasons. It's a long journey, and I might encounter some dangers. You can learn a lot by staying by Grandpa Duncan's side."

After saying that, he looked at Duncan and said, "Old man, I wish you a long and healthy life. I hope we will meet again someday."

Duncan didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.

Lynn didn't linger and turned to walk towards the door.

……

The streets of the capital are just as bustling as they were two years ago.

Lynn walked slowly.

Suddenly, I heard hurried footsteps behind me.

It wasn't the regular sound of walking, but the sound of running accelerated by magic.

Lynn stopped walking, didn't turn around, and just smiled helplessly.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in the palace?"

After saying that, he slowly turned around.

Before my eyes, the girl's brown bun was blown into a mess by the wind, and the hem of her mage robe was still swinging violently.

"I resigned."

Laofen pursed her lips. "Old man Duncan also said that young people should go out and travel more."

Lynn looked into her bright eyes and smiled gently.

Time has changed many things, but some things seem to have never changed.

"Since you've resigned, there's nothing I can do about it. But let me make this clear: if you complain of being tired on the way, I won't carry you."

"Who wants you to carry it?"

Laofen pouted, "You can't keep up with my high-speed movement."

Lynn smiled, and the two walked side by side for a while.

"Laopen".

"Um?"

"Happy birthday."

Laofen paused for a moment, then her eyes widened. "Huh?"

"Although it's two years late."

Lynn stopped and looked at her. "But it's not too late to make up for it, is it?"

Laofen blinked, and a smile slowly spread across her face.

"Okay! Thank you!"

He quickly stepped forward, met Lynn's gaze, and asked, "What about the gift?"

"I'll owe you for now."

……

Inside the palace, Duncan stood by the window, watching the two young men's retreating figures until they disappeared from sight.

"It's good to go and see more of this vast world."

The old man gazed northward, his eyes gentle. "Don't be like me, waiting until I'm old to finally decide to visit the graves of important people."

After saying that, he turned around and sat back down at the table piled high with documents.