A Thousand-Year Investment

The journey south seemed particularly long and leisurely under the warm spring sun. On this day, the three of them came to a quiet riverbank covered with unknown white wildflowers and decided to rest for a while.

The river flowed gently, making a soft murmur. Frieren found a flat patch of grass under the shade of a tree, sat cross-legged, closed her emerald eyes, and quickly entered a deep meditative state. Her aura merged with nature, and she became oblivious to the sounds of the outside world. Her long silver hair spread across the grass, reflecting dappled sunlight.

Lowell sat lazily under an old tree not far away, his black hair falling over his forehead, his eyes half-closed as if he were half asleep, enjoying this rare peace. He took out an apple from his personal space and took bites of it intermittently, the juice sweet. It was hard to tell whether he was eating or sleeping.

Flamme didn't rest. She sat on a smooth rock, her long orange hair flowing like honey. She was intently writing and drawing in a thick notebook, mostly blank pages. The quill pen tip made a soft rustling sound as it glided across the paper, as if she were recording her travel experiences or perhaps deducing some magical construct that had suddenly come to mind.

Lowell's gaze drifted lazily over Flamme and the notebook on her lap, a thought suddenly flashing through his mind. He finished the last bite of his apple, tossed the core aside, and the core arced through the air before landing precisely in a distant bush. He then cleared his throat and spoke in a tone that was both nonchalant and calculating:

"Hey, Flamme, can I ask you something? You're basically just killing time anyway, why don't you write more spellbooks? And keep some diaries, essays, and stuff like that too."

Flamme paused, her quill pen still in her hand. She raised her azure eyes, pondered for a moment, then a hint of amusement flickered in them. "Oh? Suddenly bringing this up? Wanting me to leave behind more spellbooks? And a diary?" She tilted her head, her orange hair cascading down. "What, is the former Demon King planning to become an antique dealer?"

"That's right!" Lowell slapped his thigh, a look of "How can you be so smart?" appearing on his face. He sat up straighter and began to describe it vividly. "Just think about it! You're going to be the future 'father of human magic,' the 'legendary Great Mage,' the 'legendary figure from fairy tales'! Your handwritten magic books and diaries—can they be ordinary antiques? They're super antiques! They're cultural relics! They're treasures containing supreme wisdom and historical significance!"

He got more and more excited as he spoke, his eyes shining. "A thousand or eight hundred years from now, if I'm short on money and too lazy to make any, I can just pull out a book and show it off... tsk tsk tsk, I'll instantly become a millionaire! As for you, just think of it as organizing your knowledge, reviewing the old to learn the new, it's good for your mind and body! You write an original manuscript, and I'll use magic to copy a hundred copies... hehe, that's wonderful, absolutely wonderful!" He seemed to already see mountains of gold and silver beckoning to him.

Flamme was amused by his undisguised "business plan," a sly smile curving her lips as she blinked her azure eyes, "Oh? Really? I'll be... that great in the future? That sounds incredibly flattering."

She put down her quill, placed her hands clasped on her knees, leaned forward slightly, and wore a smile that was a mixture of innocence and calculation, like a little fox who had just discovered an interesting toy. "So, since my 'antique' will be so valuable in the future, I wonder what kind of 'reward' I can get in advance? I can't expect this 'future great man' to work for free, can I? At least I should get some 'fees' in advance? Like... next time I pass through town, I'll order three of each of the signature desserts?"

Upon hearing that "returns" were expected, Lowell immediately adopted a "that's not very interesting" expression and began counting on his fingers:

"Hey, that's not how you do it, Miss Flamme! What you've written is basically just a pile of paper and ink, worthless these days! Think about it, I'd have to save it for a thousand years! A thousand years! Even at an annual interest rate of three percent, that's not unreasonable, is it?"

I'm investing 100 copper coins in you now, and with compound interest, in a thousand years that would be... well... approximately 676 trillion copper coins! Even if your magic book is valuable, can it sell for that much? All the money in the world probably wouldn't amount to that much! This is a venture capital investment, and a super long-term one at that!

Flamme was stunned by the long string of numbers, then chuckled and shook her head slightly, "One hundred copper coins... a thousand years later... six hundred and seventy-six trillion? Demons... so good at... math? Or this kind of... compound interest calculation spanning millennia?"

Her tone was laced with disbelief and mockery. "It seems you'd be more than capable of being the Minister of Finance in a unified human kingdom, if not the Demon King."

She waved her hand, feigning a lack of interest. "But since there's no real benefit to be gained right now, and I still have to put in the effort to write... sigh, it's so troublesome, I'm not motivated at all." She pretended to close the notebook, the quill pen twirling deftly between her fingers.

"Hey, hey, hey, no!" Lowell quickly stopped her, her eyes darting around as she changed tactics, her tone becoming "earnest," "Alright, alright, talking about money hurts feelings. Then you can think of it as... leaving Frieren a memento? You see, we've known each other for so long, and you even taught her magic, so you're practically her mentor. Maybe she'll think of you occasionally in the future? Looking at the manuscripts you left behind will be a memory, won't it?"

He pointed to Frieren, who was meditating beside him, completely unaware of this "millennial deal."

Lowell continued his silver tongue, "Besides, you don't have to give us all of it! You can keep some as 'family heirlooms,' and the rest... hide them! Hide them in dangerous labyrinths, bury them under remote ruins, or secretly give them to some lucky ones... Have you heard that saying? 'Want my treasure? If you want it, you can have it all! Go find it! I've left everything in the world there!'"

Lowell, Imitation a certain heroic tone, waved his arm. "When you're about to die and feel the time is right, just say, 'Want my spellbooks? Go find them! I've hidden them somewhere on this continent!' Then, 'bang!' ignite the Human race's passion to find the spellbooks and their yearning to become Great Mages! Just imagine how exciting that would be! The whole continent would boil over because of your legacy!"

Flamme's previously indifferent eyes suddenly lit up when she heard the idea.

A "this is a good idea" look appeared on her face. "This... treating magical knowledge as a treasure trove, making people pursue it... it does seem... likely to arouse people's enthusiasm and interest! It's more interesting than simply opening a Magic Association and taking on apprentices, as I originally thought... hmm..."

However, even if I were to teach them personally now, their apprentices might not necessarily become successful. Ultimately, magic relies heavily on talent, and magic is always evolving. A thousand years from now, my ancient magic will probably be obsolete...

"Oh dear! You underestimate yourself! A mere thousand years, and you call that iteration? Don't be ridiculous. Even a thousand years from now, few can break the barrier you casually set up." Seeing her interest, Lowell pressed on, "Trust me, remember to encrypt it too! Don't let anyone decipher it too easily! The harder something is to obtain, the more people will cherish it, and the more they'll think your magic is unfathomable! And there's more..."

He lowered his voice, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "You could make the cover or the first few pages of some magic books look exactly like the real thing, making people excited as if they'd discovered a priceless treasure. But then, when they flip to the crucial part, or the last page, it would have words written in the largest print: 'The most precious treasure is actually the adventure and camaraderie you shared with your companions,' or 'Knowledge is important, but the scenery around you is even more precious.' Wouldn't that be even better? Guaranteed to send the person who finds it on a rollercoaster of emotions, plummeting from the clouds to the depths of despair, and then plunging them into philosophical contemplation!"

Flamme imagined the scene and couldn't help but chuckle, her shoulders shaking slightly. "Hmm... hahaha... it seems quite interesting, something that would make people both love and hate me... However, if things were done this way, my future reputation would probably become quite... subtle." She seemed to already foresee the way future generations of mages would both admire and resent her.

Lowell chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. "Hey, hey, that's not right. Imagine a dwarf spending their whole life finding Emperor's Wine only to discover it's awful – they'd be thrilled! Besides, who cares! Reputation is all about your attitude! Are you the 'founding father of human magic in fairy tales' or this living, breathing human girl who loves flowers, collects all sorts of interesting trinkets, and likes to joke around and play pranks?"

He paused, then added, "I think the latter version of you is much more adorable and genuine. Don't wear a mask of nobility for the sake of greatness; it's exhausting. I know exactly what kind of person you are."

Flamme covered her mouth, and finally nodded forcefully, a determined, bright, and slightly mischievous smile spreading across her face, "Sounds pretty good! Suddenly it seems much more interesting! Hmm, although you and Master have very different personalities, but... there seem to be some inexplicable similarities."

She picked up her quill pen again, gazing at the blank page. She seemed to already see the grand spectacle of countless adventurers rushing about a thousand years from now, searching for the "treasure" she had left behind. Her smile deepened. The pen fell, and she began to write earnestly. Perhaps the opening line would be. "On how to create a little trouble and surprise for the world a thousand years from now with minimal cost..."

"Serie? Me and her? The same?" Lowell scratched his head, looking at him with a "you're kidding" expression. "How am I the same as her? She's written as a magician, but reads as a battle maniac. She has the body and face of an adorable loli, but she Tenten wears slanted glasses. Whenever she encounters a magician who interests her, she shows that hunter's sneer, that smile of delight at seeing her prey... like someone who plays with vectors."

I don't want to see her. I know I can't pretend in front of her. She'll just say, "Welcome to the Confrontation Lane," and force me to PK with her in the Royal Capital. I don't like fighting... You're not saying I care about you just like she does, are you? That girl is such a tsundere. Don't be fooled by her seemingly indifferent attitude and her attempts to crush your dreams. She'll never forget you, even years after you're gone. She might even secretly drop little pearls when no one's around."

"... Really? It's really hard to imagine Master acting like that," Flamme paused, a hint of warmth flashing in her eyes. "I can definitely feel her concern for me, but she strongly disapproves of my idea of making magic accessible to Human race. She considers it 'the blasphemy of genius by the mediocre,' and 'mages should be a select few elites'... However, we're going to find her anyway, to introduce you to her. I believe Frieren is a potential mage qualified to defeat the Demon King in the future."

"I'm not going," Lowell shook his head vigorously. "I don't want to wrestle with that woman, and defeating the Demon King... who knows? Frieren, as an elf, doesn't have the same burning desire for revenge as humans. She won't rush off to avenge Demons village just because it was destroyed. Even if it takes a thousand years, it doesn't matter. If the Demon King is defeated by someone else, she probably won't have any regrets about 'not being able to take revenge herself,' and might even find it easier. She'll be willing to slack off and do nothing, just like me."

"Are you sure you don't want to go?" Flamme raised an eyebrow, waving the notebook in her hand. "I don't really like taking notes..."

"..." Lowell was speechless for a long time before finally saying sullenly, "Fine, let's meet then."

Throughout, Frieren remained quietly in meditation, as if the surrounding discussions about her "thoughts," the grand "prank" of the future, or Serie were irrelevant to her. Only the breeze ruffled her silver hair, carrying the whispers of the distant river.