Serie held Uzumaki Naruto’s wrist and walked forward at a moderate pace.
“Master, where are we actually going?” Uzumaki Naruto tilted his head to look at her, “Also, do you know where Konoha Village is?”
Serie glanced to the side.
Uzumaki Naruto was looking up at her with anticipation and a hint of unease in his eyes.
Like a rescued kitten.
Serie had lived for a thousand years and had seen all kinds of situations, but at this very moment, she somehow couldn’t bear to tell the truth.
Those images seen from memory magic.
Land of Fire, Konoha Village, Ninja Academy, Ninjutsu, Chakra…
Having lived for so many years, she had never seen such information in any ancient texts or maps.
Serie could be almost certain that it was not a place that existed in this world at all.
She was silent for a few seconds before speaking, “We are going to the nearby magical city of Äußerst.”
“Eh?”
“That is a city surrounded by lake water,” Serie said, “I established the Magic Association there.”
Uzumaki Naruto blinked, “Magic Association?
What is that?”
“A place that teaches people magic and issues subjugation quests.” Serie released his wrist, put her hands behind her back again, and walked forward like she was taking a stroll, “I will take in disciples and impart magic.”
Uzumaki Naruto followed beside her with a puzzled face and asked softly, “So…
I can’t go back?”
Serie glanced sideways at him.
A trace of disappointment flashed in the boy’s eyes, but that disappointment was quickly hidden by him, turning into an unnatural smile.
“Master, you haven’t answered me yet.”
Serie sighed, “The possibility of returning to your Village is very slim.”
Uzumaki Naruto’s footsteps paused for a moment.
“But I didn’t say it’s completely impossible,” Serie continued, “If you can become an excellent Mage, perhaps you can find the connection between the two worlds and find the way back.”
Uzumaki Naruto stood in place, clenched his fists, and then quickly caught up, “Master, how excellent is ‘excellent’ as you said?”
“More excellent than all Mages.”
“Ah?”
“What, scared?”
Uzumaki Naruto shook his head vigorously, “Not scared!”
A hint of a smile appeared on the corner of Serie’s mouth.
After walking for a while and keeping quiet for a moment, Uzumaki Naruto couldn’t help asking again, “Master, then why did you establish that Magic Association thing?”
Serie’s pace slowed down.
The setting sun dyed her long golden hair a warm orange, and her long shadow fell on the grass.
She looked ahead into the distance, her gaze seeming to pass through something invisible, “There was a hero named Himmel who killed the Demon King.
Since then, the demon race collapsed, and the war ended.”
“This world has welcomed peace.”
“Sounds like a good thing, right?”
Uzumaki Naruto nodded, “World peace must be great, right?”
“But in times of war, Mages honed themselves on the edge of life and death, while now…” Serie’s voice lowered, “With peace lasting too long, young Mages haven’t experienced those things and lack the resolve to risk their lives.”
Uzumaki Naruto listened with a half-understanding look.
Serie turned her head to look at him, “I hope modern Mages can reach the heights of the past.”
Uzumaki Naruto was silent for a while, then grinned and said, “Although I don’t quite understand, and it sounds really difficult.”
“Mhm.”
“But since it’s Master’s idea, I will definitely do my best to realize it!”
Serie glanced at him, and the arc at the corner of her mouth slowly widened a bit.
But the next moment, Uzumaki Naruto’s shoulders slumped, and his voice became smaller, “Master, but…”
“What?”
Uzumaki Naruto lowered his head, “My grades at the Ninja Academy are at the bottom.”
“Everyone calls me a loser, saying I can’t do anything right.”
“I can’t even practice the most basic Clone Technique well.
I seem to…
not be able to do what Master said.”
Serie stopped.
Uzumaki Naruto also stopped, still lowering his head, not daring to look at her.
“Uzumaki Naruto.”
“Yes…”
Serie turned around, stood facing him, and said in a very serious tone, “Raise your head.”
Uzumaki Naruto was stunned for a moment, and slowly raised his face.
Serie was looking at him, her eyes bright and sharp, “Oh, my foolish disciple.”
“Ah?”
“The Third Hokage manages an entire Village, yet he cannot see your talent.”
“You are a sealed precious sword.
Only a true hero can pull you out, and he…”
Serie extended a finger and pointed at Uzumaki Naruto’s chest, “He cannot see it.”
Uzumaki Naruto’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
“So you remember this well,” Serie’s tone softened a bit, “I, the great Mage Serie, am the hero who discovered the value of your sword, and I will make you stand at the pinnacle of Mages!”
Uzumaki Naruto’s eyes lit up, and he straightened his body, “Yes!
Master!”
Serie withdrew her hand, turned around again and walked forward, “Let’s go.”
“Mhm!” Uzumaki Naruto followed closely with brisk steps.
The two walked for about ten minutes, and the roadside gradually became lively.
In the distance, a large expanse of water could be seen, shimmering in the setting sun.
In the center of the water was a city, with white buildings layered on top of each other, surrounded by lake water.
At the edge of the city, huge stone bridges connected to the shore, with pedestrians coming and going on the bridges.
“Wow!” Uzumaki Naruto stood in place, opening his mouth wide to look into the distance.
Serie said, “This is Äußerst.”
“How pretty!” Uzumaki Naruto widened his eyes, “Even better than the scenery of Konoha Village!
Konoha is full of trees and mountains, why is there water everywhere here?”
“Because it is a city in the lake.”
Uzumaki Naruto spun around in place, looking left and right, suddenly pointed ahead, and shouted, “Master, look!
That person is so weird!”
Serie looked in the direction he pointed.
A man and a woman were standing at the bridgehead, walking side by side towards the city.
The man was tall and thin, wearing a dark robe, with a monocle perched on his face.
Uzumaki Naruto pointed in that direction, full of curiosity, “There are also people wearing glasses in Konoha Village, but they all have two lenses and frames resting on the ears.”
“How come his only has one lens?
And it doesn’t fall off?”
Serie reached out to touch her forehead, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.
“That is a monocle,” she said, her tone carrying a feeling of trying to maintain patience, “My foolish disciple, there are still many people wearing monocles in this world, and this is nothing unusual.”
Uzumaki Naruto nodded blankly, “Oh…
So that’s how it is.”
He scratched his head and glanced over there again.
However, Serie did not look away for too long.
She stared at the man wearing the monocle, her eyes narrowing slightly.
The magic power fluctuation on this person was very strong; he was not an ordinary Mage.
At this time, the two people walked a bit closer.
“Duncan, I heard there is a lot of delicious food in this city.” The woman was tall with her hair coiled up at the back of her head, turning her head to speak to the man beside her, “Let’s go find a restaurant most worth tasting.”
Duncan turned his head to look at her with a gentle gaze, “Lektile, I will always stay by your side, so we can eat all the delicious food in the whole city if you want.”
Uzumaki Naruto stood close and heard these words, turning his head to look at Serie, “Master, do you know that person named Duncan?”
Serie withdrew her gaze and shook her head, “I don’t know him.”
“But he seems to have that kind of…
magic power you mentioned?”
Serie glanced at him, “You can perceive magic power?”
“I don’t know if it counts…” Uzumaki Naruto scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, “I just feel that person is a bit different from the people around him, I can’t tell how.”
Serie stared at him for two seconds, and the corners of her mouth curved up again.
“Master, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Serie withdrew her gaze, walked towards the direction of the bridge, “Let’s go, entering the city.”
Uzumaki Naruto quickly followed, walking beside her while looking around.
The bridge deck was very wide with stone railings on both sides, carved with patterns completely different from the style of Konoha Village.
The lake water under the bridge was crystal clear, and fish could be seen swimming around.
Uzumaki Naruto leaned on the stone railing to look down, “Master, Master, there are so many fish in this water!
Can we catch them and grill them to eat?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Serie did not answer and silently accelerated her pace.
Uzumaki Naruto chased from behind, “Master, wait for me!”