(3)
"Ugh, so sour."
Shane frowned, making a face as if he were about to spit out the raspberry in his mouth.
Fern shot him a glance from across the table.
"Mr. Shane, fruit is essential for nutrition. You can't be picky."
"..."
Shane's half-open mouth slowly closed again as he forced himself to swallow, stiffening his neck.
Fern handed him a piece of dried at next.
He took it with a bitter expression, nibbling it little by little... he had no choice—his teeth were already aching from the sourness, he couldn't bite properly...
"Lady Frieren, don't secretly throw it away. I can see you."
"Sorry..."
Under Fern's strict supervision, the al ended with perfect nutritional balance.
After eating, Shane quietly leaned closer to Frieren and whispered.
"Hey, Frieren, don't you think Fern's been angry since last night?"
Frieren nodded.
She grabbed her white ponytail and showed it to him. "She didn't even help tie my hair this morning..."
Shane glanced at it.
He had thought Frieren's hair had just exploded from sleep, but it turned out she tied it herself. No wonder it looked so sloppy.
"But why?"
The two muttered quietly, completely clueless.
Over the next few days, Fern beca increasingly strict with both Shane and Frieren. At the sa ti, she grew stricter with herself—aside from traveling, she spent nearly all her ti ditating, training diligently.
And she often went an entire day without speaking.
Shane and Frieren grew uneasy. What's wrong with this kid...?
After several days of high pressure, Shane finally couldn't take it anymore. "Is she asking for attention? Wants praise or sothing?"
Frieren stroked her chin, deep in thought.
"I rember Heiter ntioning that when young girls reach a certain age, their personalities beco a bit... awkward. It's called..."
"Puberty?"
"That sounds right."
Shane looked toward the distance, where Fern was quietly ditating. "Could it be she's lacking friendships with people her age and feels lonely?"
"Then I guess that's our fault. We're both way older than her."
"Don't drag into that. I'm not that much older."
"Really? Why do I feel like you're actually the sa age as ?"
"..."
Shane was speechless.
Who's the sa age as you, you ancient relic? I'm still in my pri.
After convincing themselves they had found the problem, Shane and Frieren began their daily praise routine.
When Fern lit a fire, Shane clapped and praised her excellent control of the fla. When Fern washed the dishes, Frieren clapped and copied Shane, praising how clean they were...
And sohow, despite their efforts, Fern seed to get even angrier.
"Are you two... mocking ?"
Shane: "..."
Frieren: "..."
Just as they were at a loss for what to do, a few bees suddenly flew past them.
Shane's eyes lit up!
Frieren and Fern noticed as well. The two mages instantly summoned their staffs.
In this world, honey was a very precious food. Not only was it the best ingredient for desserts, but it was also a prized item among nobles for social exchange.
Whoosh—
Without hesitation, Frieren cast a tracking spell on the bees.
Following the faint blue glow of the magic, the three of them pushed through dense bushes until a massive towering tree appeared before them. Hanging from it was an enormous wild beehive, far larger than expected, with black-and-yellow bees buzzing around it.
"It's already early autumn. Bees will prepare for winter. A hive this big must have a lot of honey stored."
A hint of excitent flashed in Frieren's eyes.
She raised her staff to cast a spell, but Shane quickly stopped her.
"Wait, what kind of magic are you planning to use?"
"Hellfire Magic?"
"..."
Against a few tiny bees? That's a bit excessive.
Fern tilted her head back, her brows slightly furrowed. "It's so high. Without magic, it'll be difficult to collect."
Shane rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward. mories of knocking down wasp nests from his past life surfaced—this height was nothing.
He pulled out a kunai, loosened his wrist, and recalled the way Eisen had taught him to apply force. He aid at the point where the hive connected to the tree.
Whoosh—
The kunai flew out, striking perfectly!
The hive was instantly cut loose. At the sa ti, the trait [Flashbang] activated.
A blinding white light burst forth. In an instant, a thick layer of bees dropped to the ground, their wings twitching as they temporarily lost the ability to move.
A three-second blindness window!
Shane activated [Sprint], dashed forward, grabbed the fallen hive, turned around, and pulled Frieren along as he ran.
Fern: "..."
Buzz—buzz—
The furious bees searched wildly through the forest for their enemies.
anwhile, the three culprits stopped not far away, safely nestled within the Goddess's Barrier, cutting open the massive hive.
Golden, thick honey slowly flowed out through the cracks, its sweet aroma instantly filling the air, making their mouths water.
Honestly, bought honey couldn't compare to stolen honey, and stolen honey couldn't compare to honey taken by skill.
This honey, taken by ability alone, tasted especially sweet.
"Feeling better now?" Shane took the chance to ask Fern.
Fern glanced at him, then at Frieren, who was looking at her with concern. She shyly looked away.
"I'm not angry."
As she spoke, she recalled their battles—against the Gargoyle, and even against Qual. It felt like she hadn't contributed much at all.
"Lady Frieren and Mr. Shane, both of you are like geniuses. No matter how hard I try, I can't keep up with your pace. It makes feel... embarrassed. Especially you, Mr. Shane—you learn everything so quickly. Both Mr. Heiter and Mr. Eisen think highly of you."
"I... I just..."
Shane imdiately understood.
The girl was sensitive. She'd taken a hit to her confidence.
He exchanged a glance with Frieren. The two of them sat down on either side of Fern.
Frieren gently patted Fern's head, her voice soft. "Fern is amazing. You're already doing very well. As long as you keep practicing, you'll definitely beco an outstanding mage."
Shane nodded. "Yeah. Genius stuff is all nonsense. You're the one improving the fastest. I just... have a bit more experience than you."
The two patiently comforted her.
Breathing in the sweet scent of honey, Fern felt her heart gradually fill with warmth. Looking at the two of them—nervous and awkward—she couldn't help but smile.
"That's more like it. That's how you're supposed to praise soone. From now on, stick to that."
With that, she held a large chunk of honeycomb and took a satisfied bite.
Frieren: "..."
Shane: "..."
Why does it feel like this little girl just got more cunning?
After enjoying the honey, the three retrieved the kunai and set off again, continuing through the forest.
Not long after, a massive canyon stretched across their path.
The distant mountains looked as if they had been cleaved apart by an enormous blade, leaving a bottomless chasm that split the earth, its rock walls steep and sheer.
Boom—
A dull, heavy sound echoed from afar.
At the far end of the chasm, clouds of dust rose into the sky.
"Soone... is splitting a mountain?"
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