For Shichen, only a little over twenty years had passed, counting the ten years spent defeating the Demon King and the more recent stretch. Not even thirty in total.
But for Serie, it really had been centuries.
She had been living in this world the entire ti. Shichen, on the other hand, jumped between worlds and through ti.
No matter how long it had been for her, for him it was only a mont.
There were two people in this world who had never left with him.
One of them was Serie.
It wasn't that she didn't want to. She was just being stubborn, and Shichen had decided to treat that stubbornness by leaving her here for a few hundred years.
She was an elf. Ti passed over her like wind over water.
Elves really did have almost no sense of ti, so Shichen hadn't felt guilty at all about leaving her here for centuries.
"That's because you wouldn't leave with ." Shichen looked at her, completely unashad.
"I was just… forget it. Don't you feel even a little guilty? You didn't co see once," Serie said, annoyed.
"I'm here now, aren't I?" Shichen lifted her into his arms like a child, one hand under her.
"Put down!" Serie struggled.
Shichen smacked her lightly. "Stop it. There's no one else here."
"…Fine." Serie's face went flat again, trying to keep up her usual arrogance.
Shichen, not wanting to show favoritism, gave her the other side a matching pat and asked, "So why did you co to on your own just now?"
Serie shifted in his arms, suppressing the strange feeling in her chest, and found a more comfortable position. She still didn't look at him. "What's wrong with that?"
"Couldn't hold out anymore?"
"No."
"Heh. That's what you get for being stubborn. Wouldn't it have been better if you'd just left with earlier? Didn't you want to see what the other worlds are like?"
"I was just trying to be reserved, and you actually left!" Serie finally snapped and told the truth.
"And so what? I'm not going to indulge you. How old are you, exactly?"
"Are you saying I'm too old?" Serie suddenly asked.
"…Why would you even ask that?" Shichen stopped and looked down at her.
"Just answer."
"I don't care about age. I only care about appearances."
"Exactly. You're into lolis—especially the legal kind. Like ."
"Stop talking nonsense." Shichen gave her another light smack.
"It's just that the girls I like happen to be legal lolis."
"Right. I almost believed you." Serie sneered.
"I think your ass is really asking for it today. I already told you not to use that tone with ." He gave the other side another slap, a little firr this ti.
"Mm…" Serie stiffened slightly, but tilted her chin up stubbornly, eyes turning hazy. "And what are you going to do about it?"
"Looks like I need to discipline you."
"Go ahead. Like I'm scared of you."
"Where's the bed?"
"Isn't it right there?" Serie pointed ahead.
Among the flowers stood a dreamlike bed, completely covered in blossoms.
"So you'd already prepared it." Shichen smiled and carried her over.
"Hmph. Let's see how you plan to 'discipline' ."
"Don't cry later."
"I won't."
She broke that promise very quickly.
Before long, she was whimpering and tearful.
And Shichen showed her absolutely no rcy.
Today, he was going to make her cry as much as he pleased.
A few tears every now and then weren't a bad thing.
…
Early the next morning, Shichen went to the hotel where the others had checked in.
Fern was already awake.
She and Frieren had a room together.
He could sense Stark's and Übel's presences in the nearby rooms.
"Fern, I'm back." Shichen opened his arms to her.
"Oh." Fern walked straight past him with a perfectly calm face.
"Fern~" Shichen caught her in one motion and pulled her into his arms. "Still angry?"
"No." Fern looked away.
"That's very obviously a yes." Shichen smiled and kissed her forehead.
Fern's expression softened a little. She looked at him. "Did Shichen-sama have fun last night?"
"Fun? Of course not."
"Don't lie. Frieren-sama already told all about your relationship with Serie-sama."
"?" Shichen stared at her.
"Frieren-sama told everything."
"..."
Frieren's ass was itching too, then.
"Fern, hear out."
"Shichen-sama only ever bullies —mm!"
Before Fern could finish, her eyes widened.
Shichen's face was suddenly right there.
He'd silenced her with a kiss.
Looking into his brilliant eyes, Fern's expression softened, and she closed her eyes.
How could she really be angry?
Shichen smiled against her lips. He knew "kiss therapy" worked.
He closed his eyes too, and the two of them enjoyed the quiet of the morning together.
When they finally parted, Fern was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling.
Shichen felt every bit of it clearly.
There was no point pretending otherwise—he'd experienced all of her without any barriers before, and had morized every line of her body.
"So? Not angry anymore?"
"Mm, not angry anymore…" Fern said sweetly, smiling brightly.
She really was easy to win over.
"Last night was my fault. Serie wouldn't let leave."
"It's okay. You and Serie-sama haven't seen each other in so long," Fern said, thoughtful as always.
"Fern really is the best." Shichen hugged her, moved.
"But Shichen-sama, you didn't stay with last night. You promised I'd sleep until the third day."
"Tonight. Definitely."
"Tonight…? It could also be right now." Fern lifted her gaze, her eyes shimring.
"Now? Isn't that a bit much? We still need to register at the Magic Association."
"It's fine. Just for a little while~" Fern was already past the point of holding herself back.
"Alright then. We'll make it quick."
"In that case… I'm tying my hair into twin tails."
"..."
Close to noon, Shichen brought Frieren along and called Stark and Übel to go eat.
Sleeping until morning had beco completely normal by now. Stark was used to it and didn't think much of it.
"Big bro, you're back."
"Yep. Let's get lunch, then go register at the Magic Association. Übel, you coming too?"
"Sure… haaah." Übel yawned. She still hadn't slept enough. That bed had been too comfortable.
"Frieren, you're signing up too. Don't forget—you promised you'd shock everyone." Shichen patted the backside of the sleepy Frieren slumped on his back.
"Yeah, yeah…" Frieren didn't even open her eyes.
"Let's go."
"Mm." Fern walked beside Shichen, steps light, face smiling. Her cheeks were still a little flushed, but no one thought much of it.
After a casual al, Shichen took Frieren and the others to the Magic Association.
The building was incredibly lavish, almost like a palace.
Mages held very high status now.
And when status got too high, being dragged back down was only a matter of ti.
Unfortunately, the mages of the present still hadn't thought that far ahead.
Shichen had co out of this place that very morning, so he was already very familiar with it.
The main hall wasn't crowded. He led the group to the front desk to handle their registration.
Fern and Übel registered smoothly.
Frieren ran into a problem.
She didn't even have proof of being a fifth-class mage.
But there was no need to go through all that hassle.
"Miss, do you recognize her?" Shichen asked the receptionist directly.
"Huh? I… I… she looks kind of familiar…"
"Then that's enough. She's Frieren—the mage who helped defeat the Demon King. She doesn't need extra proof, does she?"
"Frieren-sama?! B-but… regulations…"
"…Forget it. Let's just get Serie."
Shichen reached to the side. Space rippled—
and a sleepy Serie got dragged right out of it.
~~~
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