“…That’s underhanded.”
“That’s why I won,”
Flamme says shamelessly.
“What would you have done if I hadn’t saved you?”
“I could have managed that height on my own. Your downfall was losing your composure in the face of an unexpected event and underestimating my true abilities.”
Frieren is left speechless.
It’s a despicable fighting method. But the more despicable, the more effective. That’s something Frieren has learned all too well from observing Flamme’s lifetime of deceiving the demon race.
Will the day come when I can defeat this person? While thinking about that, the ropes that had been restraining Frieren body were untied.
Flamme placed her hand gently on Frieren’s head.
“Listen, Frieren. When fighting demons, you must be ruthless. But kindness is an absolutely essential element for building an era of peace. You lost the mock battle, but the fact that you tried to save me wasn’t wrong.”
“…So what should I have done?”
“Be good. That’s all.”
Alright, let’s go home for a meal.
With those words, Flamme started walking towards the house. Frieren brushed the sand off his behind and followed after Flamme.
“I really don’t have any good memories, do I?”
“But that was a good lesson just now, wasn’t it?”
Flamme immediately retorted.
It was certainly a valuable lesson. Frieren was sure she wouldn’t forget it.
“But it’s not like it was a fun memory, you know?”
“So when do you have fun? When you’re sticking your head in a mimic?”
“It’s not like I’m enjoying being eaten by a mimic. If there’s a chance of treasure, I should open it even if it’s a 99% chance of being a mimic, right?”
“You’re weird.”
“I don’t want to hear that from master.”
Frieren replied with a sarcastic tone, but Flamme just snorted and brushed it off.
“What about you, master?”
“How about what?”
“What do you enjoy doing?”
Hmm, Flamme folded her arms and looked pensive.
“I might have fun researching magic.”
“You’re always holed up in your room, after all.”
“I was even surprised myself when I went a whole week without sleeping.”
“That’s beyond the realm of fun already…I like magic too, but not to that extent.”
“You’ve also gone out saying you’re ‘just going to look for some summoning materials’ and then not come back for about a year, right?”
“That was only a year.”
“From a human’s perspective, being out for a year is at the level of being called a journey.”
Frieren tilted her head.
Living with Flamme, Frieren didn’t feel much of a racial difference, but their sense of time just didn’t align at all. For example, when putting off chores like cleaning the room or washing the bedding, Frieren would casually try to put them off for five or ten years. And Flamme would often scold him for that.
“What was life like in the elven village?”
“Not much different from now. The discrepancies arise just from living with other races.”
“How do you handle cleaning? Even if you live a long life, the speed of getting dirty doesn’t change, does it?”
“Everyone properly cleans when it gets dirty.”
“…So your laziness isn’t a racial problem, it’s just your personal disposition.”
“Seems that way.”
“If you’re aware of it, then fix it.”
It was a harsh criticism. Without room for rebuttal, Frieren just closed his mouth dejectedly.
If a lecture were to start, it would be troublesome. Trying to change the subject, he searched for a new topic.
“…Come to think of it,”
Suddenly, she remembered something.
“There was something else master taught me, aside from battle.”
“Oh, was there?”
“Yeah. Well, I don’t think it’s very useful, but…”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
This was when Flamme was still youthful.
Frieren spent the majority of her days training, but she also received some classroom instruction. Of course, Flamme was the one teaching. From lessons to deepen her understanding of the magical system to guidance on tactics, there was much for her to learn.
“It’s not just about being strong.”
On that day too, Frieren was in the room Flamme used for her research, receiving a lecture.
“Our enemies are demons, but we can also end up in conflict with other humans. In those situations, what’s needed is not magic, but dialogue. If we try to solve everything with brute force, a peaceful era will never come.”
A peaceful era – that was a phrase Flamme often uttered. She was probably referring to the time after the war with the demons ends. Just when that would be, who knew – it seemed like a distant future to Frieren as well.
“You should at least learn basic negotiation skills, but you don’t know much about humans, and you’re not the type who can maneuver skillfully.”
“Well, I won’t deny that.”
“So here’s what I’ll teach you.”
Flamme grinned mischievously.
“A secret technique that can easily charm anyone.”
“Is there such a thing?”
“Yes. But don’t overuse it, okay? The more you use it, the more the effect will diminish.”
Flamme stood in front of Frieren, unusually excited. It was as if she was about to teach her a finishing move.
“Alright, first place your left hand on your waist, and touch your lips with the fingers of your right hand. You try it too.”
Following the instructions, Frieren took the same pose as Flamme.
…It was kind of a silly-looking pose.
“And then, do this.”
She blew a kiss with her right hand.
“ …… “
“ …… “
“…What’s this?”
Flamme lowered her hand and became serious.
“It’s a charm.”
Charm… While Frieren knew the meaning of the word, it sounded like a foreign term to her.
“If you use this technique, even stubborn people will start listening to what you say.”
“Really? I don’t really get it at all.”
“Whether it works or not depends on the individual. It also doesn’t apply to children.”
Frieren furrowed his brows. She felt like she was being treated like a child. But getting angry would just prove that she was a child. She had to behave like an adult here.
“Well, I’ll give it a try if I get the chance.”
“Some people might even be affected too much, so be careful.”
“Understood.”
And that’s how Frieren learned the art of the air kiss.
“How can you remember such a thing?”
“Flamme said in disbelief.
“But I haven’t tried it on anyone yet.”
“Keep that one in your back pocket.”
She added jokingly, with a hint of seriousness in her voice.
Suddenly, Flamme had a nostalgic look on her face. She quietly lowered her eyes and muttered to herself.
“Seduction, huh… It’s ancient history now.”
Even if it was ancient history, it was only a few decades ago.
But as Frieren looked at Flamme, she noticed that Flamme had aged. Her physical vitality had diminished, and her vibrant glow had faded. But this ‘aging’ didn’t seem as bad as Frieren had thought. Somehow, he could sense it just by looking at Flamme.
What does it feel like to grow old?
Maybe it’s a concept she’ll never fully understand. It’s not that she envies it, but she can just feel that it’s different from her own experience.
“But still, we’ve been through a lot, haven’t we?”
Flamme said, lost in her thoughts.
“Though, it’s mostly been unpleasant memories.”
“That’s true. It’s been nearly fifty years since we met, but… looking back, it went by in a flash.”
“Well, fifty years is not that long, after all.”
“Yes, just fifty years.”
Flamme chuckled.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped, and Frieren’s body leaned forward due to the inertia.
They must have reached their destination. But looking outside, all she could see was a vast, unchanging grassland. There were no villages or buildings in sight. Puzzled, she wondered why they had stopped here, when-
“Well then, I’ll get off here.”
“Huh?”
Flamme opened the door and got down from the carriage.
Frieren tried to follow, but Flamme stopped her, saying, “Wait a moment.”
“You have somewhere to go, don’t you? What are you going to do if you get off here?”
“Do? But…”
“Just stay on the carriage.”
“Where are you going, Master?”
“You’ll find out eventually.”
With that, Flamme firmly closed the door, and the carriage started moving again.
Through the window, Frieren saw Flamme’s gentle smile.
“Well then, goodbye, Frieren.”
“Ah…”
Frieren watched as Flamme’s figure disappeared from view.
Once she was out of sight, Frieren leaned back against the seat.
She felt a bit abandoned, even though it was she who was being left behind.
Anyway, where is this carriage headed? She still can’t remember. Asking the driver would be the quickest way to find out, but…
“Well, whatever.”
Flamme’s words are always right. If she says Frieren will find out eventually, then that’s what she’ll believe.
Frieren leaned against the wall and decided to take a nap.
“–Wake up. Wake up, Frieren.”
In her drowsy state, she heard a voice.
There was a rattling sensation, as the carriage was still moving. They hadn’t reached their destination yet. Then, who was calling her?
Squinting her eyes open, she saw the face of a young man peering at her. Blue hair, a stern gaze, and a mole.
It was the Hero Himmel, sitting in front of Frieren and looking at her with a gentle expression.
Frieren blinked her eyes. She remembered falling asleep after parting ways with Flamme. But what happened after that, she couldn’t recall.
…No.
Flamme had died nearly a thousand years ago.
So that was just a dream.
It was a strange dream. Feeling a faint nostalgia lingering in her heart, Frieren closed her eyes again.
She still didn’t want to wake up.
“Hey, don’t go back to sleep. Wake up, Frieren.”
Himmel called out to her, gently shaking her shoulder.
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