Midnight Conversation

Fern saw Stark stop and asked in confusion,

"You don't want to fight the dragon, do you? Then why keep training?"

Stark held the man-height poleaxe in one hand and said softly,

"When I first came to this village, everyone lived a lifeless existence in fear of dragons. Now they smile happily, and they keep saying that as long as Lord Stark is here, the village will definitely be fine."

"Even though I haven't done anything, the village hasn't been attacked by dragons simply because the dragon doesn't want to come."

Rienta thought that if Stark was the protagonist, this anime must be called "The Warrior Is Overwhelmingly Strong Yet Excessively Cowardly."

Reaching out to stop Stark, who was about to leave, Rienta asked, "Stark, do you really think the dragon isn't coming just because it doesn't want to?"

Stark stopped his departure and looked at Rienta in confusion.

"What else could it be?"

Rienta stepped aside, letting Stark look at the rift valley he had made with his own hands.

"Is it possible that it was scared off by the commotion you made while training?"

Stark: "??"

Fern also spoke up, "If the dragon really comes, will Lord Stark fight it?"

Stark had not yet recovered from Rienta's question and said instinctively, "Not even if I die."

The three of them fell silent for a moment.

The night wind blew into the rift valley, lifting Stark's hair and revealing the scar.

"But," Stark's somewhat trembling hand tightened around the axe handle: "The people in the village treat me like a hero."

"It's only natural to protect them as a hero."

After saying this, Stark let out a long breath and continued:

"Though that's what I say now, I might end up running away in the face of battle."

Rienta stepped forward and threw an arm around Stark's shoulders, saying:

"That's because you haven't experienced my healing magic yet, Stark."

With that, Rienta looked at the scar on Stark's head.

"I can try to remove this scar you got from fighting the Dark Dragon for you."

Stark unconsciously touched the scar, and although tempted, he still said:

"Let's go outside first."

After the three of them sat down outside the rift valley, Stark said:

"The scar on my forehead wasn't from fighting the Dark Dragon, but from an argument with my master."

"Thinking back now, that should count as Master's first time beating me; Master probably lost all hope in me."

"In the end, Master never acknowledged me even once."

Hearing this, Fern took Stark's hand and looked at the calluses formed by long hours of exercise.

Stark glanced at Rienta in some confusion, looked at Fern, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Rienta was also somewhat at a loss, not understanding what Fern wanted to do.

Fern said softly, "I believe that Lord Stark won't run away."

"How long have we even known each other? What do you know about me?" Stark pulled his hand back.

Seeing Fern suddenly start talking about her own embarrassing past, Rienta had an epiphany.

The gentle and considerate mage Fern encounters a cowardly yet powerful warrior, and after a heart-to-heart conversation, the warrior readily joins the party to go on adventures together.

Oh no, the cabbage is about to be gored.

Rienta's gaze suddenly carried a hint of scrutiny as Rienta looked at this suspected protagonist.

So far, Stark was not worthy of Fern in the slightest.

The conversation between Fern and Stark also reached its end.

...I believe there is not a shred of falseness in Lord Stark's determination to protect the village.

After Fern finished speaking, Fern looked at Rienta, whose gaze was somewhat peculiar aside, and said:

"Let's go back, Brother Rienta."

"Yeah."

Rienta still didn't meddle in the matter, left together with Fern, and no longer brought up the matter of removing the scar for Stark.

Stark watched the two leaving, and Fern's final words kept surfacing in his mind.

"Determination, huh..."

Early the next morning.

The three of them arrived at the cliff where Stark had been training, but did not see Stark.

"He's gone."

"Did he run away?" Frieren looked at the empty cliff and said, "And here I actually had some expectations."

"There's no help for it, Rienta, Fern. We have no choice but to play catch with the dragon."

"Fern?"

Fern hugged a tree with lightning speed, while Frieren grabbed Fern by the waist.

The two of them and a tree fell into a bizarre tug-of-war.

Rienta ignored their antics and instead pondered whether Stark was truly the protagonist.

"Frieren." Stark walked out of the forest, interrupting the tug-of-war between the two and the tree.

"We just need to stall the Red Mirror Dragon for 30 seconds, right?"

Frieren looked at Stark and said, "You're late."

Stark looked seriously at Frieren: "Can you promise me one thing? Even if I die in battle halfway through, you must finish off the dragon."

"I promise you this." Frieren first agreed to Stark's request, then turned to ask:

"But why would you go to this length for the people of this village?"

Stark chuckled softly.

Frieren: "What?"

"Nothing." Stark looked at the elf before him: "I just think your question is a bit strange; I've lived in this village for three years."

"So short."

"It's super long, okay."

Seeing that the topic was getting a bit strange, Rienta quickly said, "Well then, let's head over to the Red Mirror Dragon's place first and discuss the battle plan."

None of the four were ordinary people, and within a quarter of an hour they reached the cliff edge of the canyon where the Red Mirror Dragon nested.

Stark looked at the Red Mirror Dragon in the canyon, his hands trembling involuntarily, but still said aloud:

"Then let's begin."

The basic battle plan had already been discussed on the way: Stark was responsible for attracting the Red Mirror Dragon's attention, Rienta was responsible for protecting Stark, and Frieren and Fern were the primary attackers.

Fern looked at Stark's trembling hands and said, "Your hands are shaking."

"I'll still be scared when I'm supposed to be." Stark's voice did not tremble a single bit.

Frieren chuckled upon seeing this, the Stark before her reminding her of Eisen, who was also a warrior that would tremble before battle, but Eisen was also a very strong warrior.

Stark heard Frieren's chuckle, looked at Frieren, and said, "There's nothing funny about this."

"You're a lot like your master." Frieren replied: "But your master also said that being scared isn't a bad thing; it's precisely because you're scared that you can support your master all the way through."

Stark stopped talking, took down the poleaxe slung behind him, descended the cliff, and walked toward the Red Mirror Dragon.

Standing before the Red Mirror Dragon, Stark's heart gradually calmed down, his hands stopped shaking, and he gripped the axe handle tightly.

Is that so...

Master felt fear, too.

What I need to do now is solidify my determination!