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"Mr. Shane, wake up—we've arrived."
Shane opened his eyes to the sight of a lush, primitive forest stretching endlessly before him.
He rubbed his temples. Stripping away [Dual Blade Style (Gold/Legendary)] last night had taken a heavy toll—his head was still buzzing.
The group stepped down from the carriage.
Frieren walked at the front, a faint smile on her lips. "The Voll Basin… it's been a long ti. I feel nostalgic."
The three behind her exchanged glances.
Whenever the word "nostalgic" ca out of Frieren's mouth, it usually ant a very, very long ti ago…
"Don't tell you an the prehistoric era?" Fern teased.
"Are you being a bit conservative?" Shane added as he followed.
"Mm…" Eisen nodded in agreent.
"I'm not that old," Frieren shot back.
————
They had co here to find the "Notes of Great Mage Flam."
According to Eisen, Heiter had once deciphered Flam's biography stored in Holy City, Strahl and had already pinpointed the location of the original notes—sowhere within this basin.
Shane vaguely rembered that the ruins were protected by a massive tree…
Sure enough, after a brief discussion, they began searching for large trees under Frieren's guidance.
As Flam's disciple, Frieren recalled that when she and her master left this place to travel the world, Flam had cast a protective spell on a small sapling. According to her, once the tree matured, it would be enough to safeguard the residence for a thousand years.
And so, the group began crossing mountains and valleys.
Eisen truly lived up to his title as humanity's strongest warrior—lifting boulders as easily as picking up a bun. Following behind him, Shane and Fern could only turn into wide-eyed spectators.
During the search, Eisen occasionally took the initiative to talk to Shane.
"A warrior's training focuses on strength. A swordsman is different—agility cos first."
Shane nodded.
Eisen picked up two small stones and handed one to Shane. "You also need precise control over force and angle. Now, try this."
As he spoke, Eisen flicked a stone toward the water.
Plop, plop, plop, plop, plop…
The stone traced a perfect arc, skipping across the surface again and again.
Twenty-one tis.
Shane was stunned.
He mimicked Eisen's motion and threw his own stone.
Plop.
It sank imdiately.
Eisen didn't laugh. Instead, he patiently explained the angle of wrist movent and the timing of release…
That night, the group gathered around a campfire, listening as Frieren and Eisen recounted stories from their journey to defeat the Demon King.
Fern especially loved the parts involving Heiter.
But Eisen always spoke only briefly before deliberately steering away, leaving Fern frustrated.
Frieren secretly told Shane that it wasn't because Eisen didn't want to talk—during their adventures, Eisen had always been at the front lines, while Heiter stayed at the rear. The two weren't particularly "close."
"And yet, they still wrote letters to each other often…" Frieren sighed.
Shane looked at the aging look in Eisen's eyes and smiled faintly.
Clearly, Frieren still didn't understand human emotions—especially the friendship between n.
Ten years of fighting side by side could outweigh all forms of "closeness" in the world.
Aside from the stories, what surprised Shane most was Eisen's sleeping posture.
That guy slept just like Frieren…
'Is that a trait of long-lived races?'
Shane suddenly felt a bit sorry for Himl. A drunk and two slobs… those ten years must have been rough.
A few days later, after Shane finally managed to throw a stone that skipped more than twenty tis—
Fern found the ruins.
"Lady Frieren, there's a large tree to the west. It seems to have swallowed the ruins."
Following her direction, the four of them headed toward it.
Along the way, Frieren asked Eisen why he was so determined to find Flam's notes.
Eisen's expression carried a trace of sadness. "Because I find it regretful."
"Hm?"
"Whether during our journey or after it ended, Frieren… you never thought those ten years were particularly important, did you…?"
Frieren fell silent.
"But after Himl died, after Heiter died, and now that I'm nearing death myself… you've finally started wanting to understand humans. To understand us."
"Frieren, I find that regretful."
"Our lives are too short. We can't walk beside you forever."
"When ti passes… when nothing of us remains in this world… what will you do then, Frieren? At that ti, will you cry like Heiter said?"
"So Heiter and I talked it over. While we're still alive… we wanted to help you."
"It's said that in Flam's notes, there's a record of her speaking with the dead. I hope that, when the ti cos, it will be useful to you."
At that, Frieren finally spoke.
"That's just a legend, Eisen."
"Every kind of magic begins as a fantasy."
Her face remained expressionless, and Shane couldn't tell what she was thinking.
Soon, the massive tree that had swallowed the ruins appeared before them.
Fern sensed the powerful protective barrier surrounding it—the magic left behind by Flam, spanning a thousand years.
Frieren stepped forward, raising her hand to touch the tree. A faint trace of lancholy lingered in her gaze.
"A thousand years have passed… and in the end, I still can't escape the palm of my teacher's hand…"
mories flickered before her eyes.
Flam's smile. Flam's strictness. Flam's sorrow…
And the words she left behind:
"Frieren, I have a feeling… soday, sothing will make you want to understand humans. When that happens, you'll probably cry, haha. When that day cos, return here."
"Your teacher will help you."
"I, the Great Mage Flam, will help you…"
In an instant, golden light spread from Frieren's hand. Countless magical particles surged around the tree, glowing brilliantly.
The roots ca alive, stretching aside and revealing a hidden door sealed for a thousand years.
Rustle, rustle…
Inside the small house, a notebook floated quietly in the air. Its pages turned on their own before settling on one page—
"At the far northern edge of the continent, I arrived at a place known to the people of this world as 'Heaven'—the Land Where Souls Rest. Countless souls gather there. I spoke with comrades from the past. This once-in-a-century discovery will surely bring revolutionary progress to our study of the soul."
Frieren stared at the text, her brows slightly furrowed.
"The northern edge of the continent… Ende… isn't that… the Demon King's Castle…"
Eisen stepped forward.
"Isn't that perfect? Your destination is there anyway. When you get there, say hello to Himl and Heiter for ."
Hearing that, Frieren gently stroked the notebook's cover and smiled faintly.
"Alright."
————
When they left Eisen's hut, Shane prepared a gift for him as thanks.
Eisen accepted the two thick books.
He opened the first.
It was an album Shane had created using Image Recording Magic, based on what he rembered from the dwarven ruins.
Looking at the dwarf general who resembled him so much, Eisen felt a wave of emotion.
But when he opened the second book, he froze.
A flash of disbelief crossed his aged eyes. The content, deliberately written in the dwarven language to prevent prying eyes… the striking illustrations…
"This is…"
Back on the carriage, Fern curiously asked what Shane had given him.
Shane grinned.
"Of course… the friendship between n."
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