The Latter Half

"Do you have some kind of unusual taste? Do you really like buying things like..."

"Hm?"

"Never mind..."

Seeing Frieren clutching the Pottery Jar she had just bought, a rare look of excitement on her face,

Galan swallowed the rest of his words.

Do too much to spoil other people's moods, and you were bound to get your comeuppance.

"Speaking of which, how did you suddenly show up that day?"

Since they had run into each other by chance, Galan also wanted to ask about what had happened at Windmill Village that day.

"Well—it's complicated. Anyway, I just happened to be passing by..."

For some reason, Frieren's answer sounded rather unconvincing.

Like a student caught daydreaming in class and suddenly called on by the teacher to answer a question.

"Don't tell me... you got lost?"

At those words, Frieren, who had been eagerly studying the patterns on the replica Pottery Jar

and trying to glean some valuable information from them,

visibly froze.

Then she looked at Galan with a very strange expression.

As if she were looking at something terrifying.

"...So you really can use Mind-Reading Magic?"

"No... I really can't use magic..."

Galan helplessly explained himself again, though she still looked unconvinced.

"I just happened to run into a Mimic in a nearby dungeon."

"I accidentally released too much mana trying to break free, and all the maps I had on me were blown away."

"Afterward, I followed the direction I remembered, but ended up walking back here and happened to run into you..."

Now that Frieren mentioned it, Galan did notice that her hair was disheveled in many places.

Her once-smooth white hair had acquired quite a few curls,

and it seemed the explosion had had much the same effect as a perm.

Frieren looked Galan over

and suddenly noticed the Staff wrapped in white cloth on his back.

She looked curious.

"Why aren't you resting and recovering? Did you come out to buy a Staff?"

"It's for someone else."

At the mention of it,

Galan thought for a moment, then carefully took the Staff off his shoulder.

He unwrapped the white cloth from the ebony, took it out, and handed it to Frieren.

"Could I ask you to take a look at this Staff? From your perspective as an elf, I mean."

Since both of them were elves, he thought her opinion should be very useful.

Frieren said nothing.

After a quick look, she took the ebony Staff from his hand with a hint of curiosity.

Gentle mana flowed from her fingertips into the Staff,

washing over the piece of unicorn horn at its core.

At first, the Staff showed no particular reaction.

But as the mana washed over it again and again, both Galan and Frieren faintly sensed a slight stir from it.

A faint light flashed,

and the Staff suddenly trembled a few times, as if it had come to life.

But as soon as Frieren withdrew her mana, the reaction and the light vanished.

The ebony Staff lay quietly in Frieren's hand,

as though it were nothing more than a finely crafted wooden staff.

"Such impressive craftsmanship... The last time I saw a Staff that could resonate with mana was hundreds of years ago..."

Frieren looked astonished, even more so than when she had seen the Pottery Jar earlier.

It seemed Oris's craftsmanship truly lived up to its reputation,

to have earned such praise from an elf who had lived for nearly a thousand years and seen so much.

"I see."

Seeing her give it such high praise, Galan felt inexplicably happy for a moment, and a little more confident.

"The core is actually unicorn horn... That's rare..."

"Even in the north, these creatures can hardly be found anymore..."

Though Frieren marveled at the Staff's exquisite craftsmanship, she returned it to Galan after only a few looks.

She felt no desire to claim it for herself.

Leaving her status and experience aside,

given her strength, a Staff could no longer provide much of a boost.

Besides, for a mage, only their own Staff was truly suited to them.

"Hmm... It's very receptive to mana. At least, I didn't sense any rejection."

"The movement just now was the Staff reacting to the surrounding wind elements. It seems the craftsman used the unicorn's characteristics to strengthen the Staff's wind attribute."

"All in all, whether you intend to give it to a beginner or an experienced mage, it's an excellent Staff."

Frieren crouched down and picked up the Pottery Jar she had set on the ground, giving her assessment.

"Thank you... And thank you for saving us before, too. Without you, we might all have died there."

"It's all right."

In response to Galan's thanks, she gave him a faint smile and turned to leave.

"Frieren."

"Would you be willing to take on an apprentice?"

At those words, Frieren stopped in her tracks.

She turned to look at Galan, a puzzled expression on her face.

"I remember you asking me that last time..."

"I mean, if we traveled with you, could you give my friend some guidance along the way?"

There was a trace of expectation in Galan's eyes.

Ever since learning that morning that Duncan would be leaving soon, he had been planning to find another teacher for Lia.

Now that the opportunity had presented itself again, he still wanted to try.

After all, he had already planned to head to Frieren's destination himself.

He wanted to see the Half-Century Meteor Shower in five years

and witness that historic day...

That was the end of this story,

or perhaps the beginning of it.

A strange look appeared on Frieren's face.

"Why are you so set on having me as a teacher?"

"There should be plenty of excellent mages in Rogley, shouldn't there?"

Galan, too, became unusually serious.

"You're the best mage here, Frieren."

"Besides, I was already planning to go to the Royal Capital, so we'd be heading the same way."

"With me in the vanguard, your journey would be much safer too, wouldn't it?"

Hearing that, she looked hesitant.

Galan's final words were undoubtedly his strongest bargaining chip.

Indeed, having a warrior in the party would undoubtedly make her journey much safer.

Besides, there was still a long way to go from the Northern Countries to the Royal Capital.

There was no telling what might happen on the road.

Moreover, he wanted no payment, only for her to teach magic...

"Hmm... All right, then."

"If it's just guidance in magic, I don't mind."

Seeing that Frieren had finally agreed, Galan couldn't help feeling delighted.

"I'm going to stock up on some more supplies. We'll leave in three days."