The Statue Returns

"Lady Frieren, don't be sad because of me. My Godfather said it's just a nap."

Fern weakly reached out, wanting to wipe away the tears from Frieren's eyes.

"Fern, waaaaah."

Frieren buried her face in Fern's arms, her tears soaking Fern's clothes. She was so reluctant to part with Fern at that moment. She didn't want to stare blankly at the statue anymore; she wanted the living Fern standing in front of her, embracing her.

"Junior Sister, Fern is very weak right now."

Li Yan anxiously grabbed Frieren, not wanting her foolish Junior Sister to accidentally hurt Fern, knowing that Fern's body was very weak and couldn't withstand any hardship.

"Waaaaah, Fern, don't go."

Frieren choked back tears, her little face filled with sadness.

"Lord Frieren..."

A moist look appeared in Fern's eyes. She gently stroked Frieren's head, a hint of worry in her expression. "Godfather, Frieren can be a little childish sometimes. You must pamper her and not let her be sad alone."

Hearing Fern's weak voice, Li Yan's heart melted. No matter what Fern said, he nodded heavily. He was willing to agree to anything as long as Fern could be a little happier.

Time passed slowly, and as if knowing she was about to fall into a deep sleep, Fern gently stroked Frieren's head and said, "Lady Frieren, may I have a word with my Godfather?"

Li Yan was slightly taken aback. Frieren nodded blankly, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her small hands, and walked out of the room, turning back every few steps. She gently closed the door, and at the doorway, Serie leaned against the wall, staring indifferently at the ceiling.

"Godfather... I know my own body. I might turn into a statue like Lord Heiter. Even if I become a statue, Godfather still have to come and see me, okay?"

Fern winked playfully and reached out to gently pinch Li Yan's cheek.

"I will, Fern. You've always been afraid of the dark, so I'll fill your statue with sparkly stars, and your favorite Little Bears, kittens, and puppies. They'll sleep with you."

Li Yan spoke gently, quietly feeling Fern's caress on his face.

"It's so funny that my Godfather said those things when he turned into a child. I've always loved my Godfather, no matter what Godfather looks like, I will always, always love Godfather."

Fern whispered softly, a mysterious blush on her pale face. Even the venom of 'Colorless Funeral' couldn't conceal her feelings at that moment.

"I love Fern more than anyone else. Fern will always be my most beloved daughter."

With tears welling in his eyes, Li Yan gazed tenderly at Fern. Seeing Fern's weak state, he blamed himself for his incompetence, for his lazy lifestyle after Immortality, and for not protecting Fern better.

"No, Godfather, my feelings for you aren't the kind of feelings you have between family members."

Fern closed her eyes, feeling sleepy, and after a while, she struggled to open them again. Weak, she leaned close to Li Yan and whispered a short, clear sentence in Li Yan's ear.

A touch of white lips, like a dragonfly skimming the water, rippled across the lake. Li Yan's eyes widened, while Fern slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep again. The 'Colorless Funeral' plunged him into an endless slumber, subjecting him to the twists and turns of his dreams.

Fern fell asleep again. Li Yan walked out of the room dejectedly, pushed open the door, and saw Frieren and Serie leaning against the wall, staring calmly at the ceiling, as if the antidote to the 'Colorless Funeral' venom could be written on the ceiling.

Seeing Li Yan leave the room, Frieren bit her lower lip and asked, "Senior brother... is Fern asleep?"

Li Yan didn't speak, but calmly patted Frieren's head. Perhaps it would take hundreds or thousands of years for Fern to awaken.

The Lionheart Kingdom was unified, and dozens of Kingdoms were assigned numbers, namely Lionheart Region 2, Lionheart Region 3, and so on up to Lionheart Region 25. Every resident had to undergo identity verification and be issued Lionheart ID Card.

The contemporary Lionheart King sighed as he looked at the vast world map, feeling a headache coming on. Lately, he had been constantly afraid that his ancestor would come and hang him up and whip him, but it seemed that his ancestor hadn't had much time lately and had forgotten about him. His Lionheart Kingdom had become Kingdom that ruled the world, and he was somewhat panicked. He knew his own abilities very well, and he really didn't have the confidence to govern the entire world.

"Little lion, come here."

Li Yan looked at the Lionheart King, who was standing in front of the world map in a daze, and called out to him.

"Ah? Ancestor!"

Lionheart King snapped out of his daze and hurriedly approached Li Yan, habitually lowering his head as if afraid of being beaten if he didn't.

"Now that the world is unified, the next step, besides defending against the Demons' attacks, is to regulate these special economic zones. I'll give you three areas to focus on developing. The first is mechanical technology, the fusion of magic and machinery, to create Mana Armor, Mana Mecha, Mana Aircraft Carriers, and Magic Spaceships."

Listening to his ancestor's wildly imaginative words, the current Lionheart King swallowed hard. Although he didn't understand what his ancestor was talking about, it all seemed very impressive.

"Secondly, Potion-Making. We should vigorously establish Magic Potion Making and recruit students worldwide. I refuse to believe that with the combined resources of the entire nation and the world, no genius can develop an antidote for the Colorless Funeral."

Li Yan's face showed a hint of anger. His precious Fern was not even twenty years old yet, and had actually stepped into the statue to save her life.

"As for the third aspect, we will vigorously establish magic academies and Churches, and dedicate ourselves to interpreting the Goddess Magic within the Holy Scriptures."

Lionheart King listened attentively, nodding occasionally in agreement. He felt that he was walking on thin ice, and that he might leave behind the reputation of being the greatest King in the world.

"Then... Ancestor, what about the Demons?"

The Lionheart King raised his concern: although the Demons Demon King was dead, the old demons lurking in other places were still a significant threat.

"The Demons are no match for us; they're just rotten fish. We'll gather a portion of our forces to guard them. When our mechanical, technological, and magical hybrid emerges, they'll be the perfect testing ground."

Li Yan spoke with disdain. He never took the Demons race seriously. A Demons group focused solely on magic would never have a chance to rise to power.

Developing technology in the world of Frieren was a unique idea of Li Yan's. Since he was Immortality, time was of little value to Li Yan, which would allow him to research the Gundam Mecha he had longed for most in his previous life.