Would You Be Interested in Teaching?

"You're haggling over even this little bit of money... Don't tell me... are you short on cash right now?"

"Huh!?..."

Frieren put on an expression as though she had been startled.

"That's so creepy..."

"Huh???"

"Can you use Mind-Reading Magic? How do you know me so well?"

"You don't need to learn that kind of magic to figure that out... Have you always been this hurtful when you talk...?"

"I think people say that about me a lot..."

Galan felt as though he had taken another blow.

Over the better part of the day, his psyche had suffered such a tremendous shock that it was already riddled with holes.

"Well, anyway, thanks for selling me the Wolf-Tail Grass... Oh, speaking of which, do you have a Dark Dragon's horn?"

"There's no way you'd buy something like that from a pharmacist..."

"True..."

She carefully packed away the herbs she had bought in the suitcase she carried, then turned to leave.

"Hey."

"Hmm?"

Frieren turned around, looking a little puzzled as to what else the man wanted.

"Do you actually have a Dark Dragon's horn at home?"

"No... I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in being a tutor... Uh... kind of like taking on an apprentice, teaching her magic and things like that..."

The idea had just occurred to Galan.

Since Lia was an elf too, having Frieren, another elf, teach her might be a good choice. After all, he felt a little bad about always troubling Duncan.

Watching Duncan get up as early as they did every day and diligently teach Lia all sorts of skills and theoretical knowledge, Galan was inexplicably moved.

Even though he had been pushed into becoming a teacher, he wasn't slacking off at all.

That was the kind of responsible person Duncan was. He devoted himself to the things he cared about and pursued his goals relentlessly—the sort who swore he wouldn't stop until he achieved them.

No matter how many times he failed and fell, he would struggle desperately until the very end.

But that was exactly why he made life so exhausting for himself...

"No."

"Huh? That's a quick answer. Why?"

Galan was stunned. He hadn't expected Frieren to reject him so decisively. She didn't seem to have given it any thought at all, even though he hadn't said he wouldn't pay her.

"Because it sounds like a lot of trouble. I have less than five years before I have to return to the Empire, and I don't want to take on an apprentice either."

Frieren remained expressionless, showing no sign of an emotional reaction.

"Less than five years?... That's still a long way off, isn't it? Not even a few months?"

Galan couldn't quite understand an elf's sense of time.

Nearly five years. He could already imagine Reed with a whole lot more gray hair five years from now, his kid running around calling him Dad.

"Five years? That really goes by fast."

Frieren held two fingers up before her eyes, as though indicating an extremely narrow distance.

"Well, it might pass in the blink of an eye. After all, my journey with Himmel and the others was short too, and come to think of it, ten years have passed since then..."

Galan stared blankly at Frieren, his thoughts racing.

Yes.

The Frieren before him now was unlike the one after Himmel's death, as though they were two different people.

Frieren had yet to experience the event that truly changed her life, the event that would make her understand just how short human lives were.

To elves, whose lives were so long as to be almost endless, a human lifespan was like the morning dew, beautiful but fleeting.

But she would understand someday.

The Frieren of that time would awkwardly care for and cherish the companions at her side, thinking of Fern and Stark at every moment.

Countless partings over thousands of years had failed to open the elf's heart, but after the death of the human hero named Himmel, her tears finally burst forth, stirring in her the desire to understand others.

It seemed he really had made a foolish offer just now...

"Besides, training a mage takes a great deal of effort. Even if I agreed, staying for only a few months wouldn't do much good. You can go to the Magic Association and find another talented mage."

"Yeah, I understand."

Seeing Galan smile at her openly and let the matter go, Frieren said no more. She turned around and walked away with her suitcase.

"Safe travels, Lady Frieren."

"Mm."

She didn't look back, but her voice still drifted to Galan's ears on the wind.

A change in a person's character or understanding always came with a deeply painful experience. Just like a parent's lectures, no matter how many times they were repeated, they couldn't compare to a single, unforgettable personal experience.

Frieren, I hope things will be different the next time we meet...

"Galan, you're back so late again today... Huh! Why do your face and clothes stink so badly?!"

When Galan opened the door and came in, Lia had meant to rush over to him, but halfway there, a smell of feet mixed with drunken vomit reached her.

"So you fell into a cesspit... Sorry, Galan, I misjudged you..."

"Hey, don't let your mind go to weird places like that. I've already done my best to suppress Glenn's foot odor..."

Galan gritted his teeth in resentment. That brat Glenn had really ruined his good name.

So when Glenn had boasted about his precious boots that had gone into battle with him for years, he had also meant that he hadn't changed them in all those years...

It wasn't just his feet; an astonishing stench came out of those boots too.

So the thing you needed me to treat most wasn't the poison, but your athlete's foot?

"Galan."

Duncan came out of the kitchen, carrying a bowl of washed mushrooms.

"I'm not good at cooking either. Back in the Empire, I ate dishes brought to me by chefs. We'll have to leave dinner to you today."

"But doesn't Lia know how to cook? Can't she do it?"

"Ehh—but I'm already exhausted today."

Lia looked tired, her whole body sprawled limply across the carpet.

"I practiced all day again today. I really don't have any strength left... Besides, I still have to read History of Magic tonight. It wouldn't be good if I got so tired I fell asleep while reading."

As she spoke, she stuck her tongue out at Galan, looking quite impish.

Seeing the girl act spoiled again, Galan slapped his forehead and resigned himself to his bad luck.

How did I end up bringing home such a little treasure? So if I hadn't come back today, neither of you was going to cook, huh?

"Just my luck today... No, I've had bad luck all day."

He let out a long sigh and finally walked into the kitchen, thoroughly unwilling, while Lia's cheers rang out behind him.

When had he inexplicably grown used to this kind of life?

As he watched the firewood glow red and prepared the ingredients, Galan thought silently that the days when he had gone everywhere alone seemed a long time ago.

He had thought he was destined never to live like a normal person in this world.

But now, it seemed living a peaceful life wasn't as difficult as he had imagined.

If he went back to those early days, he would probably have a hard time adjusting.

"Looks like I've changed too..."