The door was opened by an elegant and captivating young woman.
Her skin was as flawless as white jade, and her long, golden hair flowed smoothly down her shoulders. A navy-blue ribbon tied her hair into a single ponytail at the back, giving her an air of dignified confidence. Her bright emerald-green eyes sparkled with intelligence and depth, while her delicate features needed no adornment to highlight her natural beauty.
The most striking feature, however, was the golden cowlick on top of her head that stood upright defiantly. It gave the inexplicable impression that pulling on it would lead to something… catastrophic.
"Eh? Frieren? Am I seeing things? You're actually here?" The golden-haired girl's face lit up with delight upon seeing Frieren. "It's been so long since you last visited. I almost thought you'd forgotten about me."
Frieren smiled faintly in return.
"It hasn't been that long. Wasn't it just forty years ago?"
"Not forty years. The last time we met was twenty-eight years ago… at Himmel's funeral. I saw you then."
"Hmm? You were there too?"
Conversations spanning decades… Fern and Stark, standing to the side, couldn't quite get used to such time-laden exchanges.
A short while later, the group was ushered into the cozy wooden cabin, where they sat around a small table.
"I see… so Fern, who was taken in by Heiter and became Frieren's apprentice, and Stark, Eisen's apprentice…"
Frieren gave the golden-haired elf a brief introduction to Fern and Stark. Both of them, curious about the identity of this enigmatic elf, turned their attention to her.
"Her name is Aesc," Frieren explained. "Like me, she's an elf. She traveled with me, Himmel, and the others for a time."
Fern and Stark stared at Aesc in surprise. Sensing their curiosity, Aesc coughed softly and smiled.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Aesc. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Fern and Stark."
Fern: "It's an honor to meet you, Lady Aesc."
Stark: "Hello."
What polite kids, Aesc thought, her smile growing warmer.
"Lady Frieren, I didn't know you knew other elves," Fern remarked, her expression as neutral as ever as she turned to Frieren.
Frieren nodded. "I don't interact with most elves. We tend to lack emotional connections, and given our long lifespans, we have thousands of years to waste. The world is small enough that we inevitably cross paths now and then, but we rarely stay in contact… Aesc is an exception."
"I suppose you could call me half an apprentice of Frieren's," Aesc interjected, resting her chin on her hand. Her emerald eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled mischievously. "I learned a lot of magic from Frieren. She has quite the collection of spells—most of which seem useless at first glance, but they're so interesting that you can't help but think, Oh, so magic can be used like this too."
"Why 'half an apprentice'?" Stark asked curiously.
"Because Frieren refused to officially take me as her student," Aesc replied with a wry smile. "She said teaching apprentices is a waste of time and only slows her down."
Pouting slightly, Aesc added, "And yet she was willing to do farm work for days just to confirm that a magic tome was a forgery… but teaching an apprentice is somehow too much trouble?"
"The one who insisted on doing farm work was Himmel," Frieren countered. "Even Heiter asked him why a hero wasn't out hunting monsters instead of planting cabbages."
"If we're talking about wasting time, you and Himmel were equally guilty," Aesc teased.
The two elves began to bicker lightly, completely ignoring the bewildered Fern and Stark, who exchanged helpless glances.
As evening descended, the fiery sunset gave way to a starry night sky.
"Since it's just me living here, my meals are always simple… but I hope this is enough to satisfy you," Aesc said, placing the final dish on the table. She smiled as the three visitors dug into their dinner with gusto.
"This is delicious, Lady Aesc," Fern said calmly, offering her praise.
"Yeah! When I heard there'd be no meat, I was worried, but… who knew vegetarian dishes could taste this good?" Stark chimed in enthusiastically after swallowing a large mouthful.
Frieren added, "You still dislike meat, don't you, Aesc?"
"What can I say? I just can't handle greasy foods."
After dinner, Aesc began clearing the dishes, only to find Frieren following her into the kitchen. Aesc turned and gave her an amused look.
"What's this? Are you here to help with the dishes?"
"No."
"Ah, I figured as much…" Aesc sighed dramatically, though she wasn't truly surprised. "Still, I can't help but feel a little disappointed."
"I'm here for magic," Frieren said, her expression showing the faintest hint of amusement—a rare sight. "You've had plenty of time to collect interesting spells, haven't you? Teach me. I'll trade you some of my own magic in return."
Feigning a wounded expression, Aesc replied, "I'm sorry, but you just hurt my feelings. My affection for you dropped by 10%. At this level, I'm afraid my 'Magic Exchange' feature is unavailable."
"…How about a spell that cleans dishes perfectly in an instant? Would that raise your affection back to maximum?"
"Just kidding!" Aesc laughed. "You're half my mentor, after all. My affection for you is maxed out. Just say the word, and I'll hand over whatever magic you want."
A short while later, Aesc watched in amazement as the dishes floated in midair, gleaming as though freshly bought. Her green eyes sparkled like little stars.
Finally free from the endless cycle of dishwashing, Aesc hummed a cheerful tune as she led Frieren to her room.
Aesc's room wasn't large but felt cozy rather than cramped. Aside from a bed, the only other notable features were two rows of bookshelves. The shelves were spotless, and every book was neatly arranged, a testament to Aesc's care for her collection.
The moment Frieren stepped into the room, her eyes locked onto the bookshelves.
"You still like keeping your books as close to your bed as possible, I see."
"Well, don't you think reading in bed is the best?" Aesc quipped.
While Frieren lingered by the doorway, Aesc walked straight to one of the shelves. Without even looking, she pulled out a small stack of books and handed them to Frieren.
"Here you go—handpicked just for you. I'm sure you'll love them."
The stack included over twenty titles, with names like 'Magic That Prevents Choking on Water,''Magic to Avoid Burning Your Tongue While Drinking Tea,''Magic to Keep Skirts at a Perfectly Ambiguous Length,''Magic to Make Tofu Taste Like Meat,' and 'Magic to Automatically Identify Edible and Inedible Foods.'
Frieren's face lit up, her smile a mixture of delight and anticipation.
"These are legendary-level spells. As expected of you, Aesc—your taste is impeccable."
"Ah, but there's a caveat," Aesc added. "The food-identifying spell determines edibility based on whether it causes pain. So, unfortunately, spicy foods like chili peppers are marked as inedible."
"Ah, I see. That makes sense—spiciness is technically a form of pain, after all," Frieren mused thoughtfully.
---
T/N: c-castoria? (NOPEEEEEEEEEEEE)