Frieren's Fame

Shinshi Era, year 28

The party arrived at Val, a fortress city in Riegel Canyon.

It was the last city on the way to the Northern Lands.

Rienta had already exchanged most of the treasures in the Red Mirror Dragon's lair for gold coins.

There were over two hundred Larsi Gold Coins in all.

That was a real windfall. After all, an ordinary noble's assets amounted to only around twenty Larsi Gold Coins.

Rienta and his companions splurged in the city, but when they prepared to continue north, the captain of the guards stopped them.

"Because monsters have been so active in the Northern Lands, no one is currently permitted through this checkpoint."

"Then may I ask when passage will be allowed?"

"Who knows? It's been closed since I took office."

Fern hadn't gotten a definite answer, and her mood sank.

Since cities were protected by barriers, they couldn't use Flight Magic to go straight over the walls.

Rienta and the others had no choice but to leave.

Frieren, on the other hand, said with unusual delight:

"At last, I can take my time studying magic."

No sooner had she said it than she noticed Fern beside her puffing up like a big puffshroom. She spoke a little sheepishly:

"...What? I can't help it if the checkpoint's closed..."

"Let's split up here. Rienta, come with me to check in at an inn."

Rienta took out some gold coins and handed them to Fern and Stark:

"Go get yourselves some sweets. We'll meet at the inn later."

Fern accepted the coins without ceremony and nodded silently.

Stark took his share as well and looked at Fern, who was silently sulking:

"Would you like to go together..."

"All right, I'll go by myself."

Stark left too.

Now that Rienta had Projection Magic, he no longer needed to have weapons made separately. Since they couldn't continue their journey, they might as well rest for a few days.

"Go have a look around, Fern. I'm going ahead."

He waved to Fern, who was still standing there, then hurried a few steps to catch up with Frieren, who had gone on ahead.

After booking two rooms at the inn, Frieren said she wanted to buy a few things at a magic shop and left.

Rienta also planned to buy some more daily necessities. Although he had already stocked up on quite a few, things were always a little different in the wilderness than in a city.

After finishing his shopping, Rienta picked up some local snacks and strolled back toward the inn.

In an alley, he spotted Frieren hiding from something.

Puzzled, Rienta walked over to Frieren, who was clutching a stack of books, and asked, "Lady Frieren, what are you doing?"

"Shh." Frieren gestured for Rienta to lower his voice and hurry up and hide too.

"Keep it down. I think someone's after me."

Just then, Fern and Stark spotted the two of them in the alley on their way back to the inn.

Rienta repeated what Frieren had said.

Stark cautiously watched the several squads of soldiers outside the alley. The one leading them was the captain of the guards who had stopped them earlier.

"What on earth did you do...?"

"I don't know either." Frieren was a little bewildered herself. "I only visited a few magic shops."

As they spoke, the captain of the guards spotted them, and Rienta was already preparing to draw a weapon.

But the captain immediately knelt before Frieren. "My sincerest apologies, Lady Frieren."

"Wait, I have a bad feeling about this." Frieren looked uneasily at the guard before her.

An elderly man dressed like a noble also entered the alley and bowed to Frieren.

"The captain of the guards was discourteous to the four of you. As acting city lord, I offer you my apologies."

Frieren's sense of foreboding grew stronger, and she spoke with a hint of urgency. "You don't need to worry about it."

"The guard was only doing his job, and I'm not in much of a hurry... In fact, I'd like to take my time..."

The acting city lord hadn't heard what Frieren said at all.

All he knew was that Frieren, the mage from the hero's party that had defeated the Demon King, was worried about the Northern Lands, which were fighting remnants of the Demon King's Army.

She wanted to head north to eliminate the Demon King's Army, but his own men had stopped her. He continued speaking without regard for what she had said:

"Your concern for the Northern Lands is truly admirable."

"Please rest assured, you and your companions may pass through the checkpoint freely."

Frieren's fears became reality. The books she had just bought at the magic shop fell from her hands as she stared at the acting city lord in shock.

Frieren's leisurely time had lasted less than half an hour.

Rienta felt like laughing, but he held it in.

After they checked out of their rooms at the inn, the acting city lord held a grand farewell ceremony for them.

As Val was a fortress city connected to the Northern Lands, its residents had grown up listening to stories of the hero.

Upon hearing that the mage from the hero's party was heading north, the residents offered Frieren and her companions the warmest send-off they could.

The guards on either side of the city gate stood straight, while the residents behind them showered the party with flower petals from time to time.

Fern said happily, "I didn't expect it to be this easy. Could we have just given them Lady Frieren's name from the start?"

Now it was Frieren's turn to look dejected. She said flatly:

"I thought it wouldn't help even if I told them."

"I wanted to stay a few more days..."

Rienta finally understood that saying.

Smiles don't disappear; they just move from one face to another.

Frieren looked at the crowd a little uncomfortably and said:

"Besides, I'm not very fond of this kind of fanfare."

"It's a little overwhelming."

Stark, on the other hand, was happy to see it and asked:

"Master set out to defeat the Demon King like this too, didn't he?"

Frieren looked at the city gate as it slowly opened and recalled the scene from those days.

There had been four of them then, too.

But back then they had set out to defeat the Demon King, while now they were going in search of Heaven—Aurevole.

To talk to Himmel.

"More or less," Frieren said softly.

Amid the petals filling the sky, the tightly shut city gate opened.

Rienta and his companions resumed their journey.

"I really want to study magic."

Frieren felt a little helpless. She hadn't expected to be recognized.

"You're still going on about that."

Fern spoke with some resignation as well.

She and Stark had spent a long time asking around so they could leave sooner; they had even asked the merchants.

Stark chimed in, "Fern and I spent ages trying to work something out. It was hard work, right, Fern?"

"Yes," Fern agreed.

Rienta: "..."

He hadn't expected Fern and Stark to have gone looking for a way to leave.

He had originally sent Fern and Stark off to eat something for a change of mood because he was afraid she was unhappy.

"So that's what you went to do. The snacks here are pretty good, though."

"I tried them, and I ran into Lord Stark at the dessert shop."

Rienta: "?"

He knew the two hadn't left together, but they had still managed to run into each other. Rienta's feeling that those two were destined to be a couple grew even stronger.