Old Shadows
"It seems you have quite the potential to be a teacher."
Seeing Lia's reaction, Galan turned to look at Frieren with a surprised expression on his face.
He praised her without reservation.
In just one day under Frieren's guidance,
From Lia's battles, Galan noticed many differences compared to the past.
Others might not notice.
But Galan was an excellent warrior
He was able to keenly perceive subtle changes in Lia during the battle, from her initial stealthy ambushes to her later decisive annihilation of monsters.
This is something the old Lia would never have done immediately.
Based on what Galan knows about her, she'll most likely foolishly walk right up to the monster and have a straightforward one-on-one fight...
That kind of combat style is no different from that of humans and machines; it turns the advantage of the enemy being in the open while we are in the dark into an encounter battle.
Her current cautious yet decisive character is clearly the result of Frieren's efforts.
I really don't know what kind of grueling training she went through that afternoon.
That's why they've made such great progress in such a short time.
Although a day is not enough time to make any major changes.
Even making some small changes is already quite remarkable.
This ability to adapt to changing circumstances during battle is a skill that was difficult to develop through the kind of academic teaching that Duncan in the past.
However, this cannot be blamed on Duncan. After all, Lia's foundation was already there. Even if she had a strong Mana foundation and good talent, it was impossible for her to suddenly master the basics without any systematic training and then reach the top in one step.
Duncan's ability to train her into a fledgling Mage within this timeframe is a testament to his teaching skills.
As for skipping this process and directly training Lia's combat skills, that would be asking too much of him.
Frieren didn't speak, but just hummed twice before putting her hands on her hips and giving a half-smile.
It seems she really wanted to maintain her composure in front of the two of them.
But the barely suppressed upturn of her lips betrayed her smugness.
He's clearly an old man who's lived for a thousand years!
Can't you cultivate a more sophisticated persona?
"It seems there are differences even among Elves... By comparison, Frieren is quite easy to please..."
Galan murmured to himself.
The towering pillar of fire dissipated into the air a few breaths later as Lia withdrew her Mana. The ground where the monster had stood was now just a scorched patch of earth.
The vanquished monsters had long since transformed into Mana Particles, dissipating into the world along with the magic.
Seeing that the mission was complete, Lia didn't linger any longer and quickly flew back to where the three of them were.
Upon landing,
She ran excitedly to Frieren's side.
His face clearly screamed, "Please praise me!"
"Hmm--It's not badly dried."
Frieren didn't act haughty at all; she gently stroked her head and praised her in a tone as if she were coaxing a child.
"However, you can't stop training in suppressing Mana in your daily life. I'll be keeping a close eye on you from now on—"
Until you can maintain the Mana's stability under any circumstances.
"Huh!?"
Hearing this, Lia, who had initially felt somewhat smug, felt a pang of distress again.
It seemed to them that this was something that was simply impossible to do.
"Frieren, why do I have to go to that extent?"
She was somewhat puzzled as to why she would completely conceal the Mana she had painstakingly cultivated.
Shouldn't the Mana honed through rigorous training be a symbol of honor?
"This is to deceive the Demons."
"Hmm?"
Lia still didn't understand the intricacies of the situation.
His face was full of question marks.
Seeing this, Frieren sighed helplessly and had no choice but to explain the whole story to her.
Just like how Flamme treated her back then.
"Thanks to your help, these monsters were finally defeated."
The old man rubbed his aching back as he went downstairs again, and smiled wryly.
He had set off full of energy, intending to do his part for the group.
In the end, this whole group of monsters was dealt with single-handedly by an Elf girl, which made him feel inexplicably ashamed.
But Galan, who saw through the old man's thoughts, really wanted to say something:
"Don't underestimate her just because she's young. By seniority, you should call her Great-Grandma—and she's known for her longevity."
Time waits for no one, but it does for the Elf; please don't get hung up on this.
The four chatted idly, one sentence after another, as they walked back towards the farm.
But after taking only a few steps, Frieren broke away from the conversation and stopped walking.
Upon seeing her unusual behavior, Galan immediately became alert.
Looking back into the strangely eerie forest, he seemed to sense something unusual.
It seemed as if something else was approaching. The scorched earth burned by Lia still emitted traces of Mana.
Could it be that the commotion just now attracted other monsters?
He calmed himself down and pushed his five senses to their limits.
Trying to find that discordant element in the empty night.
"I haven't seen Elf for many years since the Demon King issued the order to slaughter Elf..."
Suddenly,
An unfamiliar voice came from the darkness of the forest, reaching everyone's ears.
The group turned their gazes and saw the owner of the voice slowly emerge from the shadows of the woods.
Her steps were light and graceful, as if she were walking on a red carpet.
He was wearing a somber black overcoat.
The strange, distinctive horns on its head were particularly conspicuous in the moonlight.
It turned out to be a Demons.
I didn't expect to see two of them tonight.
His face was as stiff as his tone.
It looked like a corpse that had been dead for a long time, and it was a chilling sight.
A formidable Mana emanated from his body, like a demonic claw, pressing down on the four of them.
... there's something, but not much.
For Galan has experienced many big events,
After sensing that Mana, I wasn't too nervous anymore.
Compared to the ones I've seen before,
Demons of this level are nothing new to us.
I've beaten people stronger than you, so who do you think you are, you little bastard?
Of all the fighters I've faced before, Charas Flag were far more intimidating than this one.
Moreover, the opponent's opening statement, so classic and succinct, seemed to have already maxed out their buffs.
He glanced at Frieren beside him.
Seeing the calm expression on her face, it seemed that she had already sensed the Demons, but had not warned her beforehand because the demon did not intend to attack.
"Don't be careless; you can't judge an opponent's strength solely by the amount of Mana they possess."
Frieren seemed worried that Galan was underestimating his opponent, so she offered a word of caution.
Although she didn't think the Demons would resort to any underhanded tactics like suppressing Mana, some Demons possessed powerful magic they had developed themselves—like the [Elder Sage of Corruption]—and their combat strength was not to be underestimated.
Therefore, you must never underestimate your opponent if you don't know their hand.
This is also Flamme has always taught her.
Frieren picked up her Staff and, together with the others, assumed a fighting stance.
They were prepared for the battle that could break out at any moment.
Unbeknownst to them, the old man stood frozen in place as if he had lost his soul. His gaze had been fixed on the Demons's figure ever since it was revealed.
The surface of his eyeballs was covered with a spider web of ferocious, terrifying blood vessels, and his breathing quickened involuntarily. The capillaries in his hands, gripping the hunting bow tightly, bulged wildly on his skin.
That was a strength that shouldn't exist at his age, but when he recognized that face that had appeared countless times in his dreams, that surging power driven by anger surged through his entire body once again.