Early the next morning.
Shane deliberately got up early.
Today, he planned to visit the city's Adventurers' Guild to check nearby dungeon information and start planning his "scavenging business."
"Good morning, Mr. Shane. The usual?"
The beautiful innkeeper stood behind the counter, smiling like a blooming flower as she held out warm milk and bread.
Shane took them naturally, adding a bit of praise along the way. "Thank you, my beautiful lady. This is the most perfectly ward milk I've ever had. You must be the best milk warr in all of Gostan City."
Such a simple complint made the innkeeper laugh sweetly.
After asking her to wake Frieren before lunch and deliver breakfast to her room, Shane left the inn.
He strolled leisurely down the street, observing the surrounding shops while calculating possible ways to make money.
After looking around, nothing seed particularly suitable for him.
"Hahaha, Ubel is going to be a bride!"
"Going to be a bride, going to be a bride!"
"Waaa… I don't want to be a bride… waaah…"
Turning a corner, the sound of children's laughter reached his ears. Shane looked over.
He had unknowingly walked back to the tailor shop where he had hidden that night.
Not far from the shop, near a wall, two boys around eight or nine years old were circling a girl of the sa age with green hair, laughing mischievously.
The girl was none other than the tailor shop's little sister, Ubel.
Colorful ribbons were draped all over her head and body—the boys' handiwork.
It was obvious she didn't like being called a "bride." She looked extrely wronged, clutching a cloth doll in one arm while rubbing her eyes with the other, crying softly.
Her sobs were faint, as if she was trying hard to suppress them so others wouldn't hear.
Shane sighed.
This kind of scene—young boys teasing girls they liked—he hadn't seen it in years. It was oddly nostalgic.
He stepped forward, grabbed one boy in each hand, and stopped their antics.
Squatting down, he began to lecture them seriously:
"You can't do that! When you like a girl, you should treat her gently. You can't use this kind of thod to get her attention—it only ruins how she sees you."
With just that sentence, both boys froze.
A few seconds later, their faces turned tomato-red, and they started stuttering.
"W-Who likes Ubel? I don't! I don't like her!"
"Yeah, neither! I-I don't like crybabies!"
After saying that, they shoved Shane away and ran off in a flash.
'Don't like her? Yeah! Sure.' If they stayed any longer, their faces would've started steaming.
Shane couldn't help but smile.
Boys at that age were always like this. Instead of expressing their feelings directly, they teased the girls they liked. The more they liked soone, the harsher the teasing. And when the girl got angry and scolded them, it felt like a reward.
No matter the world, boys were the sa when they were young—simple and honest.
"Alright, the bad kids have been chased away. Good girl, don't cry anymore."
He smiled gently and comforted the girl. "Next ti soone makes a joke you don't like, you should say it out loud bravely. Just crying won't help."
Seeing Shane stand up for her and speak so kindly, Ubel finally stopped crying.
She lowered her head shyly, fiddling with her doll as she spoke in a muffled voice, "I want to yell at them too… but if I do, my sister inside will get worried and co out right away."
"Then she won't be able to focus on her work anymore."
What a thoughtful little girl.
Compared to those mischievous brats, soft and gentle girls like her were much more endearing.
"It's good that you care about your sister, but you shouldn't always endure everything yourself. If you get hurt and your sister finds out later, she'll definitely feel guilty and sad."
Shane helped remove the ribbons from her body, patiently guiding her.
The girl pursed her lips stubbornly.
"…If I could use magic, that would be great. I'd just cut these annoying ribbons apart. Then they wouldn't dare bully anymore."
Well, kids loved to fantasize.
Hmm?
Wait… why does that magic sound familiar?
[Magic That Can Cut Almost Anything]
Shane suddenly realized who this green-haired girl was.
Ubel!
The Conceptual Monster—Ubel!
A magic that could cut anything!
As long as Ubel believed sothing could be cut, it would be cut—no matter how hard it was, what material it was made of, even a person… as long as she believed it could be cut, it would be.
He abruptly stood up, staring at the little girl in disbelief.
He couldn't imagine how this obedient, considerate child would grow into a being that cut down anything in her path.
A pair of dead, emotionless eyes—practically a demon wearing a human face.
Thinking of that, Shane unconsciously took a step back.
"Uncle, what's wrong?"
The girl tilted her head, hugging her doll, her eyes filled with innocence.
Shane swallowed.
After calming himself, he decided to say sothing—anything—to try and nudge her future, even just a little.
"If you ever have magic that can cut anything, you must be careful how you use it."
"Why?"
"Because magic is powerful, but also dangerous. If you can't control it, what if you hurt soone? If they tease you, it's enough to teach them a lesson. But if you accidentally hurt or kill them… your sister would definitely be heartbroken."
"Then as long as I control it… like this much." She stretched out her hand to asure. "Three ters—no, five ters. If I only cut from that far away, would that be okay?"
"…Even if you can control it precisely, you should think first. Think about why they're acting that way. What are they feeling? Maybe they're just joking. Anyway… try to understand others a bit before making decisions."
"Understand others… think about their feelings…"
Ubel frowned, tilting her head as she tried to process his words. She didn't fully understand them.
But since the kind uncle said it, it must be right. She should think about it carefully.
Seeing her expression, Shane finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
As long as she was willing to think, it was enough.
Thinking of the future "cold killer" and comparing it to the soft little girl before him, Shane shivered.
'I hope your personality improves at least a little in the future.'
…
The Adventurers' Guild in Gostan City was far more impressive than the ones Shane had seen in small towns before.
Inside, there was a dazzling array of magical items, weapons, and equipnt.
As he entered, he happened to run into a team selling their loot.
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