The Angry Big Puffshroom and the Glum Big Tomato

Shinshi Era, year 29.

After saying goodbye to Sein, Rienta and his three companions arrived in the Lant Region of the Northern Lands.

After entering the town.

The conspicuous Clock Tower in the distance reminded Frieren that she had been here with Himmel before.

He had even bought her a gift.

Now that she had returned to this city, the person at her side was her own disciple instead.

The group had just settled into an inn.

Rienta was about to ask Frieren and the others to go out and try some local specialties.

But he saw Stark leave Frieren's room, looking aggrieved and muttering that he wanted to go back to his master.

Frieren came chasing after him and saw Rienta outside the door, so she invited him into the room.

Inside, Fern was sitting on the bed, silently sulking.

Seeing this, Rienta asked in confusion, "Lady Frieren, what's going on?"

"It's your and Fern's birthday today, but Stark didn't prepare a birthday present for Fern, so she got angry."

Looking helpless, Frieren sat down beside Fern and said, "To be honest, Fern, I think you went too far today. You didn't give Stark a chance to explain at all."

Seeing no sign that Fern was calming down, Rienta began to sweat.

On Stark's birthday, Stark had asked him when Fern's birthday was.

Judging by the dreamy yet determined look on Stark's face at the time, he couldn't possibly have forgotten.

The problem was, Rienta really had forgotten.

"Ahem, so that's what happened. Haha."

"Don't worry, Fern. I'll go give Stark a good talking-to right now."

With that, Rienta prepared to slip out of the room.

But the elf, usually so oblivious, was unusually sharp at this moment.

"You didn't prepare anything either, did you, Rienta?"

Frieren's words stopped Rienta in his tracks as he was about to sneak away.

What had originally been a matter between the young couple had, with a single remark from Frieren, brought the conflict straight to him.

He turned around to find Fern scrutinizing him.

Knowing he couldn't escape now, Rienta said awkwardly, "...I'll go buy one right now."

"Hmph, I knew it." Looking displeased, Fern shot Rienta a fierce glare at the door.

There was no point in running now, so Rienta sat down on a chair in the room.

To keep the two from misunderstanding each other, Rienta decided to tell a white lie.

He cleared his throat and explained to Fern with a serious expression, "Stark asked me when your birthday was before. I'm sure he remembered."

"But our journey didn't give him time to prepare in advance. He probably planned to buy a present once we reached town."

"I don't know what you said just now, but for someone like Stark to say he wanted to go back to his master, you must have said something really harsh."

"At Stark's age, everything you say and do can affect his mood."

"How about giving him a chance to explain?"

Hearing this, Fern thought back carefully on what had happened earlier.

After hearing that Stark hadn't prepared a present, she really hadn't given him a chance to explain.

For a moment, she fell silent.

"I'll go apologize to Lord Stark."

Realizing that she really had gone a little too far, Fern left the room as well.

Only Rienta and Frieren remained in the room.

"Why do you sound like someone speaking from experience, Rienta?"

Frieren looked in surprise at Rienta, who had breathed a sigh of relief.

"Because a girl I liked misunderstood me in a dream, too."

"?"

By throwing money at the problem, Rienta secured the use of the inn's kitchen.

After going out to buy the ingredients he needed, he began looking for a shop in town.

The present he had given Stark had been custom-made, and he planned to have this one made to order as well.

After discussing what he wanted with the shopkeeper, he returned to the inn.

He happened to run into Fern at the entrance.

Seeing how conflicted she looked, Rienta went up to her and asked, "What's wrong, Fern? Couldn't you find Stark?"

"No, he's over by the plaza."

"..."

Stark had already told Rienta about the gift Fern had given him before.

How similar Fern's conflicted expression was to the one she had worn back then.

"Fern, there are lots of things other people can't understand unless you say them."

"Like when you gave Stark that present before. Didn't you tell him about it directly?"

"That guy's still a kid. He's not very good with words."

"But now that your positions are reversed, how come you're still the one struggling with it?"

Fern said, "...I understand."

"Then I'll head back to the inn first."

Rienta had already said plenty. There was no need for him to be too blunt about a matter between Fern and Stark.

After returning to the inn, Rienta cautiously poked his head out and saw Fern walking toward the plaza.

He hurried upstairs to find Frieren and asked if she was interested in seeing what youth looked like.

Frieren said she was very interested.

And so, the two used Flight Magic to hide on a rooftop near the plaza.

In the plaza.

Fern walked toward Stark, who was staring absentmindedly at Himmel's statue.

Before she could apologize, Stark spoke first. "I'm sorry!"

"I actually wanted to pick one out with you. I didn't know what you liked, Fern."

"I was afraid saying that would upset you, so I couldn't bring myself to say it."

Hearing his answer, Fern smiled faintly.

The lingering displeasure in her heart vanished completely, and she said, "Why would that upset me?"

Then Fern looked at Stark earnestly. "Lord Stark, I'm sorry. I was the one who went a little too far."

"It's okay. I'm used to it." Seeing that Fern was no longer angry, Stark breathed a sigh of relief.

Fern said, "...I'm really sorry."

By now, it was nearly evening.

Stark's earlier gloom had vanished completely as well.

He said to Fern, "Come on, Fern. Let's go pick out a present."

"Okay!"

Happy to hear his invitation, Fern jogged a few steps to his side.

The two headed toward the street.

On the rooftop.

Watching the scene, Rienta didn't know what they had talked about, but judging by how things looked now.

"They've made up, right, Lady Frieren?"

"I think they're fine now."

Watching the two walk away, Frieren patted Rienta on the head.

"You're quite capable, Rienta. You're a mature adult already."

Rienta said, "..."

He hadn't really wanted to get involved either, but Frieren, their leader, understood nothing about this sort of thing.

As the only person in the party who could be said to have experienced youth, he could only bite the bullet and step in.

His desire to watch the drama thoroughly satisfied, Rienta only remembered the present he needed to prepare when Frieren reminded him.

He had originally only planned to order a custom-made bag.

But when he passed a dessert shop, he remembered that Frieren had taken the two of them out for desserts on their last birthday.

So he bought the ingredients to make a cake along the way.

He hurriedly took his leave of Frieren and went to the shop to collect the present he had ordered.

Fern and Stark would probably be back at the inn soon.

He didn't know if he had time to make the cake.

One day, several years earlier.

A cabin on the outskirts of the Holy Capital of Strahl.

Rienta and Fern had gone to bed early because of their training.

Frieren and Heiter sat outside the cabin, admiring the brilliant night sky.

"You've changed, Heiter. You've become like an adult."

"Do you know you're talking to an old man?"

Heiter looked somewhat helplessly at his body, which had grown so old.

He explained to the elf, "People naturally become more mature as they grow older."

"Is that so?"

Frieren, who was already over a thousand years old, didn't quite understand.

Heiter continued:

"I can't speak for anyone else, but as for me, I haven't changed inside."

"I'm just trying to act like my ideal of an adult. I'll probably keep up the act until the day I die."

"Those two children need an adult by their side as someone to lean on, especially Fern."

"For that child, there has to be someone by her side to praise her and guide her."

Frieren was silent for a moment, then asked, "Who will praise you, Heiter, for playing the adult until the day you die?"

Heiter the priest chuckled and said, "That's what the Goddess is there for, though I won't receive that praise until I reach Heaven."

Frieren walked over to Heiter thoughtfully. "Then I'll praise you while you're still here."

"I see."

Heiter was a little curious how Frieren, who didn't understand human emotions, would praise him.

Until.

Frieren placed her hand on top of Heiter's head and gently moved it back and forth.

"...Not bad."