Wreath

In the underground training grounds, silence returned after the elven mage's departure. Only the lingering magical energy in the air and the slowly melting ice crystals on the ground testified that the intense battle had just ended.

Qual's massive, completely frozen body, resembling an eerie dark purple sculpture, was suspended in the air by an invisible force, departing with the elven mage in a somewhat comical manner.

Lowell's gaze swept lightly over the elven mage's retreating figure as she disappeared at the end of the passage, a faint glimmer of understanding mixed with some distant memory flashing in his dark eyes.

"'The Rebellious Witch' Minusi?" he murmured to himself, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible to himself. "Strange, she... well, that's right, we're still a long way from that point in time. She might not be that 'Rebellious Witch' yet."

He turned to look at Frieren, who was standing beside him, lost in thought, lightly touching the lingering chill in the air with her fingertips, and casually asked, "Do you know her?"

Frieren's emerald eyes shifted away from that chilling gaze, and she calmly shook her head. "I don't know her. She's probably someone Serie knows. Should we go ask?"

"No," Lowell said casually, withdrawing his gaze. "It's unimportant, none of our business."

His gaze shifted to the eight mages who had just finished their battle and were now recuperating and adjusting their robes.

One of them was the same mage who had previously provided support from the perimeter and was mainly responsible for controlling the situation and preventing casualties. His aura was calm, and his magical energy fluctuations were smooth. Clearly, he held a higher position and was more composed among these people. He met Lowell's gaze and nodded slightly in greeting.

Lowell walked toward him.

The mage also noticed Lowell and his group. He straightened his slightly wrinkled mage robes, his face expressionless. His gaze swept over Lowell, Frieren, Lupa, and Linié, finally lingering briefly on Solitär. A look of understanding flashed in his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal.

"It's Lord Lowell, right? And Lady Frieren, Miss Lupa, Linié," he nodded slightly in greeting, his tone neither humble nor arrogant, "And this... this Demons lady we're meeting for the first time."

He saw right through and pointed out Solitär's Demons identity, yet showed no hostility, as if simply stating an objective fact. "Lady Serie previously instructed that if you were to visit, you were free to do as you pleased."

Lowell wasn't surprised, and simply nodded. "Thank you. Where is Mina?"

The mage turned to the side and pointed to an inconspicuous wooden door embedded in the stone wall to the side of the training ground. "She's resting in that room over there."

The group followed instructions and walked towards the door. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, the scene before them was like entering another world compared to the grim atmosphere of the underground training ground.

Behind the door lies a meticulously maintained small indoor garden. Sunlight streams softly through a magical skylight high above, illuminating the lush, exotic plants and winding pebble paths. The air is moist and fresh, carrying the fragrance of earth and flowers. In the center of the garden is a small clearing covered with soft turf.

Mina is right there.

She remained expressionless, sitting quietly on the grass. Accompanying her were two gentle, older-sister-like women dressed in casual clothes. Although their attire was simple, the concentrated magical energy emanating from them silently spoke of their strength.

They were keeping Mina, speaking softly, their fingertips gently touching the herbal illustrations spread out on their laps. Mina listened, occasionally nodding very slightly, but mostly remaining silent.

It is worth noting that the magic used to disguise her horns on her head had dissipated, revealing a pair of horns that were slightly darker than her hair. She also had no shackles or magical restraints on her body, and seemed completely free to move, sit, or lie down.

Most strikingly, she wore a simple yet vibrant wreath woven from wildflowers on her head.

Mina noticed someone entering, raised her head, and calmly swept her gaze over Lowell and the others. There was no ripple in her pupils, neither the joy of reuniting with an old acquaintance nor the wariness of meeting Demons. She simply glanced at them indifferently before lowering her head again, her gaze returning to the few fragrant herbs, as if they were merely birds that had accidentally skimmed across the water's surface, leaving no trace.

Lowell's gaze lingered on the wreath for two seconds, a faint, complex emotion flashing across his eyes before settling into a knowing calm. He asked nothing, simply and naturally tugged at Frieren's sleeve, then turned and walked towards the door.

Let's go.

Frieren blinked her emerald eyes with a hint of confusion. As he led her outside, she couldn't help but glance back at Mina and the wreath in the garden, and asked softly, "Weren't you going to ask something? About her situation here?"

Lowell continued walking, his voice low and calm, carrying an unspoken understanding:

"No need."

He paused, his tone calm yet resolute, as if the wreath had already said everything:

"The flower wreath on her head was braided in the exact same way as the one the Village Chief's daughter had given her."

Upon hearing this, Frieren paused slightly, her gaze returning to the garden that appeared exceptionally tranquil in the sunlight. She then understood what was happening, asked no further questions, and simply gave a soft "hmm" before following him away from this world where only the whispers of flowers and grass remained.

Lupa and Linié exchanged a glance and silently followed. Solitär, however, took one last look at Mina and the two mages in the garden with great interest, a playful smile curving her lips, as if she had collected a new sample for observation, before turning away gracefully.

At the very least, Lowell believed that Mina's earlier statement, "I just want a peaceful life," was true.

Dogs were domesticated from wolves, humans evolved from apes, and Demons are not immutable either.