In Frieren as a 1000 years old Demon

The fourth year living in the imperial capital.

The first year of teaching Frieren in place of Furame—

In the valley atop the Celestial Vein Dragon's back:

Agusheed looked disappointedly at Frieren, who had once again failed to control her magic power and spells, falling from twenty meters in the air.

"Stupid disciple."

He sighed and snapped his fingers, suspending Frieren just before she hit the ground.

For this disciple who had shown little progress in magic after nearly a year of study,

Agusheed mercilessly evaluated:

"I take back all my previous praise for you, Frieren..."

Under Frieren's 'here we go again' expression,

Agusheed repeated the criticism he'd voiced hundreds of times:

"Frieren, you have no potential to become a Grand Mage."

╮(￣﹏￣)╭

Floating midair, Frieren showed no trace of a student being scolded by her teacher:

"Learning flight magic within a year... that's completely impossible—"

The little mage weakly lowered her head:

"You're clearly making unreasonable demands..."

"Even ignoring the vast difference between demon and human magic systems, just the incredibly complex spell structure of flight magic—"

"Even those ancient [Sages] from the mythic era couldn't have learned flight magic from scratch in just a year..."

Hearing Frieren's protests, Agusheed shook his head.

"No excuses."

He directly cited a living example:

"Furame grasped the basics of flight magic in just half a year."

"In comparison, I gave you twice as much time as I gave Furame."

Frieren: ...

"Furame is the greatest human mage since the Age of Gods, using her as a benchmark is completely unfair..."

Frieren quietly complained about Agusheed's harsh standards.

Agusheed lowered Frieren from midair, gently placing her before him.

"Using Furame as a benchmark is unfair—"

"That very mindset is your biggest mistake, Frieren!"

Agusheed's tone grew uncharacteristically stern.

Seeing Frieren visibly startled by his sudden severity, he continued:

"Remember the question you asked me about a year ago?"

"['Can you teach me to become strong enough to kill you?']"

"My answer then was—['That depends on whether you have the talent and dedication to support that ambition.']"

"Yet after a year, you've made no progress, showing no potential to surpass the Great Demons."

"Tell me, Frieren, do you think your efforts this year have lived up to your ambition of 'surpassing all Great Demons'?"

This time Frieren didn't evade.

Her dedication to magic was something she'd never let anyone deny.

She raised her head, meeting Agusheed's gaze:

"I believe they have."

A simple answer.

But Frieren was certain her year's efforts justified it.

Surprisingly, Agusheed didn't refute her, instead nodding in acknowledgment.

Yet immediately he posed another question:

"Then, Frieren, if your 'effort' isn't the problem, tell me—where does the problem lie?"

"Is it that I lack sufficient talent?"

"No, quite the opposite—you have remarkable talent for magic."

"If not effort or talent, then you're saying I have some other flaw?"

Following Agusheed's logic, Frieren finally pointed at herself.

This time, Agusheed answered bluntly:

"Indeed, Frieren, you've maintained tireless dedication to learning magic."

"And your natural talent for magic far exceeds ordinary people."

"But—"

"You lack the most crucial, most fundamental quality a mage needs—"

"Mindset."

Agusheed slowly spoke these words to Frieren.

Seeing her confused expression, he continued explaining:

"Imagination is magic's foundation; magic is imagination's ultimate manifestation."

"Tell me, Frieren—can you currently imagine yourself mastering flight magic?"

Frieren answered honestly:

"I can't, because magic is based on imagination, not unrealistic fantasy."

"Given reality, I know I can't master such profound magic in a short time."

"Just like how ordinary people know they can't crush diamonds barehanded."

Agusheed didn't immediately refute her, but extended his hand.

Before Frieren's eyes, he began casting spell after spell:

[Killing Magic]

[Teleportation Magic]

[Elemental Transmutation Magic]

One after another, spells unique to demons—magic that seemed like fairy tales to modern humans—flowed from Agusheed's hands.

Finally, he included his own [Slash Magic].

The barrage of spells flattened a small hill on the Celestial Vein Dragon's back.

Amidst the swirling dust, Agusheed asked Frieren:

"Can you imagine yourself countering any of these spells?"

"Any single one will do."

Frieren's small hands clenched unconsciously. After long consideration,

She shook her head and answered:

"I can't. I couldn't counter any of them."

"These spells all come from Great Demons I once knew. Frieren, can you imagine defeating them?"

"Similarly impossible. The gap is too vast."

Agusheed scoffed at Frieren's words.

Then he repeated her phrases:

"'Impossible,' 'the gap is too vast'—"

"After one glance, you abandon imagination because the gap seems too large."

"Frieren, this is what you lack—the most basic mindset of a mage."

Agusheed waved his hand lightly, conjuring a windstorm to disperse the dust.

Under the setting sun's glow, he rebuked with unprecedented severity:

"Frieren—"

"It's not inability to imagine that makes you quit—it's your quick surrender that prevents imagination."

"Continue like this, and even after a thousand years, you'll never defeat a single Great Demon!"

Frieren neither refuted nor responded.

Because although she thought Agusheed's "mindset" was unrealistic,

His overwhelming power left her unable to argue.

So Frieren could only clench her fists and stare at the visibly angry Agusheed.

"Furame and Seri Ai never taught me these absurd theories of yours."

In the end, Frieren could only counter using Furame and Seri Ai.

But Agusheed dismissed this contemptuously.

Furame?

Her teaching methods could mass-produce high-level mages, but never nurture the exceptional ones.

Seri Ai needed no mention—her laissez-faire approach only worked because of Furame's innate talent.

Seri Ai was purely riding on others' coattails.

Without pause, Agusheed retorted:

"That's because neither was qualified—they never identified your core issue."

"And if you think Furame or Seri Ai could teach you better than I can..."

"Then go find them—"

(｡•ˇ‸ˇ•｡)

The little mage grew properly angry now.

Frieren stepped forward and lightly kicked Agusheed's shin.

Then she shouted angrily:

"If not for Furame, why would I want to learn magic from a demon?!"

Having said this, she stomped on his foot for good measure.

After this outburst, she turned and ran toward the castle at the center of the Celestial Vein Dragon's back.

Agusheed didn't pursue her, merely standing still as he watched Frieren's retreating figure.

"What a stubborn... foolish disciple..."

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