The Third Time

The afternoon sun in the Southern Islands cast lazy dappled light through the hotel window frames onto the room floor. The air was filled with the salty, damp scent of the sea breeze and an almost stagnant tranquility.

Frieren was crouching in the corner of the room, intently organizing her suitcase, which seemed capable of holding the entire world.

The room was filled with a dazzling array of items, from ancient magic scrolls to all sorts of oddly shaped pebbles. She picked up an object that looked like an ordinary pebble, examined it closely against the light, and her emerald eyes sparkled with a satisfied smile.

Lupa sat on a chair not far away, tending to her spear, her pink twin tails swaying gently as she wiped it.

Linié stood quietly by the window, gazing at the azure sea outside. Her deep blue eyes reflected the shimmering light, like two bottomless pools of still water.

Lowell leaned against the window frame, his dark hair gently ruffled by the sea breeze; everything was as peaceful as a still life painting.

Until the innkeeper's little daughter, who was about seven or eight years old and had an excessive curiosity, slipped in like a nimble cat.

She opened her big, dark eyes, her gaze lingering on Frieren's pointed ears and long silver hair before finally settling on Frieren's face, which looked even younger than her sister's.

"Sister," the little girl's voice was clear and innocent, "You're so pretty! How old are you?"

Frieren looked up from her "treasure trove," blinked, and, seemingly used to such direct questioning, replied calmly, "Probably... over a thousand years old. I can't remember."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The little girl's mouth opened into a round "O" shape, her small face filled with disbelief.

She counted on her fingers, and it was clear that the number was far beyond her comprehension.

Then, as if she had discovered some earth-shattering secret, she blurted out in a tone tinged with sympathy and surprise:

"Wow! Over a thousand years old! That's... that's incredibly old! Much, much older than my great-great-grandmother!"

"Thump."

A very faint sound, like something snapping, didn't come from an actual object, but rather from the atmosphere.

Frieren's hand, holding the pebble, froze in mid-air.

She slowly, very slowly turned her head to look at the little girl. Her emerald green eyes blinked blankly for a moment, and then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, a thick layer of moisture quickly filled her eyes.

The next second--

"Wow--!"

A deafening cry suddenly erupted, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly shattering the silence of the room. Frieren, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, burst into tears, her once fair face quickly turning red, wailing incessantly.

Almost at the same time, Lowell suddenly stood up straight.

"You little bastard! I'll kill you!"

His voice carried an almost palpable anger, as if he were about to rush forward and teach the little girl a real lesson.

"Calm down! Master! Children say the darndest things! She's still a child!" Lupa dropped her spear, rushed forward, and hugged Lowell from behind, her pink twin ponytails slightly disheveled by the sudden movement.

While pulling Lowell along to prevent him from doing anything, she anxiously winked at the terrified little girl, signaling her to run.

"Can a child just spout nonsense?! This brat..." Lowell exploded like a firecracker, seemingly trying to break free from Lupa's grasp. "My Frieren isn't old at all! She's in the prime of her youth! She's the youngest and most beautiful!"

The little girl was so frightened by the scene that she cried out "Wah!" and ran away in a flash.

Lowell's chest heaved a few times, as if forcibly suppressing the nameless anger within him. He ignored the little girl who had run away, turned around, and strode quickly to Frieren was crying so hard she was practically curled up in a ball.

He knelt down, frantically wiping away Frieren's tears with his wide sleeve, his voice instantly switching from fury to gentleness. "Alright, alright, don't cry, don't cry... She's just being silly, talking nonsense..."

Frieren cried even harder, sobbing and mumbling her accusations, her shoulders shaking. "The third time... Waaah... She said I'm old... The third time someone said I'm old... Waaahhhh..."

Lowell stiffened slightly, a "this is troublesome" expression on his face. He sighed, gently pulled Frieren into his arms, patted her back, and looked up at Lupa, who was still clinging to his waist, and said:

"Go buy some food, the sweetest kind of pastries, and buy a lot. This is the third time Frieren has been told this; she's very sensitive to this number... She'll never forget it no matter how many times it happens. Based on past experience, she'll probably cry for three days and three nights... I have to stay here with her."

Lupa then let go of her hand, breathed a sigh of relief, and nodded quickly. "Okay, I'll go right now!" She turned and ran outside, her movements swift.

Linié, who had been standing quietly by the window, walked over at that moment.

She glanced down at Frieren, who was sobbing uncontrollably, then looked up at Lowell, who looked distressed. Her deep blue eyes remained expressionless as she asked earnestly in her characteristically calm and even voice:

"Should we go and kill her?"

She was referring to the little girl from earlier.

Lowell was taken aback by the blunt suggestion, and waved his hand with a wry smile, "Don't imitate me... just pretend you didn't hear me. Don't Imitation everything; that was just something I said in anger."

He rubbed his temples, looking at Frieren, who was sobbing in his arms, and said with heartache, "Anyway, let's try to cheer her up first..."

"Oh."

Linié nodded as if she understood, then squatted down and silently took out a bright red, flawless apple from her pocket and handed it to Frieren.

Frieren looked at the apple through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, sobbing, but didn't take it.

Seeing this, Lowell quickly took the apple and coaxed softly, "Look, Linié gave you an apple. It's very sweet. Would you like to try some?"

Frieren buried her face in his chest, shaking her head violently, her muffled voice thick with nasal congestion. "... No... she said I'm old... waaaah..."

Linié blinked her deep blue eyes, seemingly engaged in complex logical calculations. After a moment, she spoke again, stating, "According to the records, you said that sweets can stimulate Dopamine secretion and produce a feeling of pleasure. You suggested replenishing sugar."

Lowell: "..."

The logic is sound, but bringing this up at this time...

Forget it, asking Linié would only cause trouble anyway; I can't exactly let her get close to Frieren.

He sighed, and could only hug Frieren tighter, gently rocking her, "Never old, never old, our Frieren will always be young and beautiful..."