Central Lands, Größe Forest.
Three people walked along a narrow path winding through the mountains and woods, chatting idly as they went.
"No wonder the legacy of [Sage] disappeared after the Unified Empire… your thod of cultivation really does require an enormous amount of resources."
"After the Empire declined, humans and demons fell into a prolonged war. At one point, humanity was on the brink of extinction. Survival itself was already a problem—how could anyone spare the resources to cultivate sages…"
Fern lowered her head, thinking.
This was the first ti she had ever heard Shane and Frieren talk about matters related to [Sage].
In the past, she had only seen a few scattered texts on Heiter's bookshelf about the Great Sage Ewig from the Mythical Era.
Back then, she hadn't read them very carefully.
She had simply thought that sages were incredible—capable of creating unimaginable magic formulas and crafting powerful magical tools. She rembered that the Great Sage Ewig had once created the famous "Stone Bracelet of Servitude."
But from Shane's description, the growth of a [Sage] really was slow and resource-intensive.
As for Fern's conclusion, Shane had already guessed the sa. The disappearance of [Sage] after the Empire likely had a lot to do with the human-demon war.
Of course, aside from the war, it probably also had sothing to do with that "Mad Sage, Sharl."
"Mr. Shane, then when will you beco a [Great Sage]?"
Shane fell silent.
"…I see."
See what exactly…
As they spoke, a small village appeared ahead on the road.
The wooden archway at the entrance had a na written in ink, but it had faded so badly that the strokes were no longer legible.
Frieren tilted her head up and carefully examined it before confirming that this was their destination—a village near the seal of the Sage of Corruption, Qual.
The village was quiet.
Only a few elderly n sat in a corner of a house, basking in the sun while chatting leisurely.
One particularly short old man noticed them, squinting as he looked their way.
The three of them walked over.
"Excuse , I'd like to ask sothing…" Frieren began.
Before she could finish, the short old man interrupted her.
"Could it be… you are Lady Frieren?"
Frieren blinked in confusion. "You know …?"
The old man stood up from his stool, brushed off his pants, and without answering, walked ahead with a mysterious air.
"You're here to ask about the seal of the Sage of Corruption, Qual, aren't you? Co, I'll lead the way."
Under his guidance, they left the village and continued along the mountain path.
Along the way, Frieren asked how he knew about the seal. The old man didn't hide anything—he said that before his death, the Hero Himl would co every few years to check on it, reassuring the villagers that when the seal's ti ca, Frieren would naturally return to deal with it.
"The Hero was truly responsible."
The old man sighed.
Frieren nodded. That did sound like sothing Himl would do.
"Though, Lady Frieren, you're a bit heartless. You didn't co to check on it for so long. Weren't you worried sothing might happen to the seal?"
At that, Frieren felt a little guilty.
"…Sorry about that."
Shane couldn't help but smile.
Elves and humans perceived ti differently.
Humans tended to asure their worries in small units of ti. With limited lifespans, they planned carefully.
Elves, on the other hand, were indifferent to ti. Delaying sothing for a hundred or two hundred years didn't matter. Even ignoring sothing for a thousand years wouldn't necessarily be a problem—their ti bordered on eternity.
Shane even suspected that if the seal didn't have a ti limit that allowed Qual to escape, Frieren might have put off dealing with it for a very, very long ti.
The sun gradually sank below the horizon.
After a long trek, the three of them finally arrived at the place where Qual was sealed.
The towering, massive Corrupt Sage stood like a giant stone statue, alone atop the mountain. The setting sun cast its final light across the seal, leaving half of its body bathed in a golden glow while the other half sank into darkness.
The mont Fern saw Qual, she clenched her robe nervously and instinctively moved closer to Shane.
Shane gave her a reassuring look.
Frieren stepped forward, looked up, and examined the seal before reaching out to touch the petrified surface.
Crack… crumble…
Small fragnts of stone fell from the seal. It was clear that the seal had beco highly unstable.
"We'll break the seal and take care of it tomorrow." She turned to Shane and Fern. "Let's camp nearby tonight."
Shane nodded. He had no objections—it would save them another trip up and down the mountain.
———
Night fell.
The three of them sat around a campfire.
Not far from their campsite, the towering silhouette of Qual lood faintly in the darkness.
Fern hugged her knees, staring blankly at that shadow in the distance, lost in thought.
Shane handed her an apple.
"Scared?"
"Aren't you scared, Mr. Shane?"
"Of course."
"Then why—"
"What's the point of being scared?"
"…?"
Fern was speechless. Could he not pause like that when talking?
Shane took a bite of his apple and nodded toward Qual in the distance.
"Back in the Southern Lands, Frieren and I once cleared a dungeon in a town. Inside that dungeon… there were nine Quals."
"Nine?!"
Fern's breathing quickened.
Frieren had already told her the story behind Qual's sealing. She knew how powerful he was—so strong that even Frieren's party hadn't been able to defeat him back then.
Heiter had also said that Qual was one of the top mages in the Demon King's army. That encounter had left them severely injured. If they hadn't retreated in ti, the Hero's party might have been wiped out entirely.
The "Killing Magic" of the past—the very sa magic she now used as [basic attacks]—had been invented by Qual.
And tomorrow… she would have to face such an enemy.
"Nine Quals… Mr. Shane, how did you defeat them back then? Tomorrow… can I really do sothing like that?"
Shane took another bite of his apple and smiled.
"Of course. Don't underestimate your training."
"The skills you've built through relentless effort will never betray you. Fern, have confidence in yourself."
"But…"
Fern hesitated.
Was this really sothing that confidence alone could overco?
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