Chapter 17: Fingal's Extraordinary Ability
Flamme asked with a hint of concern, "Are you alright?"
The elf's figure was graceful, her slender body wrapped in a plain white dress, silver hair flowing like moonlight down to her waist, pointed ears trembling slightly with liveliness.
Her small nose tip seemed adorned with morning dew, emerald green eyes bright and profound like gemstones, every movement carrying an air of elven elegance... Well, actually, she was a bit petite, flat-chested, and currently lying on the ground panting awkwardly.
Of course—small can be cute too.
Her name was Frieren, the future Magic user who would defeat the Demon King—though as previously noted, for now she was just a homeless wanderer.
"I'm fine, just a bit tired... I probably won't be able to fight at full strength next time, sorry."
Frieren rubbed her sore eyes; her Mana was nearly depleted.
Her tone, much like her face, remained perpetually emotionless.
"There's a human town ahead. Let's rest there for a while... We've been fighting too frequently lately. It's time we found a place to recuperate."
Flamme thought it couldn't be helped—even she was feeling exhausted by now.
"Alright, let's rest for about forty years then... I've been so tired lately."
Frieren yawned, feeling somewhat sleepy.
"...?"
What's with this "ten days to half a month" phrasing of yours? This is decades we're talking about.
"Your elven sense of time is truly absurd."
Flamme didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She was only in her early thirties—resting here for decades would turn her into an old granny, an obaa-san.
But they really did need rest.
She massaged her aching forehead; her energy was nearing its limit.
She and Frieren had been frequently pursued by Demons lately because the Demon King had ordered his subordinates to eliminate the elves—and Frieren was the only one who escaped. As her master, Flamme naturally took on the responsibility of protecting her.
Their current plan was to flee north, aiming to temporarily seek refuge with Flamme's master who lived in seclusion in the north, where Frieren would be safer.
As for now...
"We're almost out of money, Frieren. You never seem worried about such things... Don't elves use money?"
Flamme sighed while looking at her expressionless disciple. This child truly had no common sense about daily life.
It feels less like I've taken on a disciple and more like I've adopted a daughter... Is that just my imagination? I'm not even married—is this what hitting thirty feels like?
A faint melancholy washed over Flamme. Still unmarried at thirty... When my mother was thirty, she could already cook meals.
But this gloom quickly faded—she was a resilient person, never one to halt her progress toward a goal.
"Yes."
Frieren nodded. Elves like her indeed rarely used money, their societal relations still rooted in a barter system.
"Well... Actually, I took on a commission and have a bit of money now—a full two gold coins."
"Oh, that seems like quite a sum."
The two walked side by side along the path. Just as they were about to leave the forest, Frieren suddenly thought—Hmm, what kind of client would be so generous? She grew curious. Come to think of it, did Flamme want me to ask about this?
Only then did it dawn on her.
"So, what exactly is the commission?"
"...?"
A question mark seemed to materialize above Flamme's head. Her reaction was so delayed! This girl... is utterly detached from worldly matters.
What will become of her if I'm no longer around?
"There's been a rather peculiar phenomenon here... The nobles of the empire suspect that Demons are raising humans like livestock."
"Raising humans... Are Demons that kind of creature?"
Frieren felt this conflicted with the knowledge Flamme had instilled in her about Demons. They wouldn't have such intentions—raising creatures felt more like something humans would do.
They excel at slaughter and plunder.
"Hard to say... Perhaps the empire's nobles are deceiving me. When will people ever stop fighting over such meaningless things?"
Flamme's lovely face darkened slightly.
It was a chaotic era, and the northern nations were the most turbulent region on the continent. Perpetually cold climates led to poor harvests each year, and tragically, these lands were also ravaged by constant warfare, plunging the people into true misery.
Not to mention the rampant Demons.
Flamme was a rare Magician, recently earning epithets like "The Great Mage Flamme" and "Orange-Haired Priestess." It was only natural others sought to exploit her.
What was sorrowful was that the brutality of human wars even surpassed the racial conflicts between humans and Demons. Victors would commit atrocities—pillaging, violating, even massacring entire cities—yet Flamme could do little about it. Her power had limits.
"...I don't really understand such things."
Frieren shook her head, finding humans utterly perplexing.
"Never mind... Let's investigate it anyway. We can rest for a while too—we need to replenish our supplies."
Flamme resolved to uncover the truth. Unexpectedly, she found answers almost immediately.
For they witnessed a group of humans cooperating with monsters—an inconceivable sight, as commanding monsters was typically the domain of Demons.
"It seems it's true after all..."
"Monsters hunting alongside humans?"
"Incorrect, is it humans raising Demons or Demons raising humans... No no no, if it were Demons raising humans, they wouldn't be so kindly helping with magical beasts."
Flamme stared intently at the human battling the black bear from a distance, her brow tightly furrowed. Could it be that humans were raising Demons? No... her intuition told her this seemed more like collusion between humans and Demons.
This wasn't a good sign. Demons couldn't be trusted. Had they been deceived by the Demons?
She slightly clenched her fist.
...
Shifting focus to the human fighting the black bear—they were a hunter squad from Follich who also served as guards.
Captain Fingal declared he would single-handedly take on this terrifying creature! After three months of training, his body had clearly thickened, transforming his previously average build into a more athletic physique.
"Haha... ha... I can see it!"
"Get out of my way! Don't disturb me!"
Fingal dodged the bear's swiping paw and shouted excitedly—he had truly become stronger!
He had even awakened abilities related to time!