Farewell

"Heiter! You're here!"

"Uncle Heiter! You're here!"

"Grandpa Heiter! You've arrived!"

"Grandpa Heiter is late this month. It's someone's birthday today, and they were really looking forward to receiving a present..."

"Oh... Grandpa Heiter isn't coming."

Eighty years have passed since the hero Himmel successfully defeated the Demon King.

Thirty years have passed since the passing of the hero Himmel and the sorceress Ruby. The era of Simmel's passing and the beginning of Simmel's origins have begun.

This is the first year since Heiter passed away.

Just kidding, it didn't happen::ೖ(⑅σᴗσ)ೖ::.

In early spring of the second year after the hero Himmel successfully defeated the Demon King.

The air in the Royal Capital still carried a hint of winter chill, but the sunlight had already brought a touch of warmth. Icicles dripped from the eaves, melting and striking the bluestone slabs with a crisp sound.

Inside the hotel room, morning light streamed through the window, casting warm, dappled patterns on the wooden floor.

Lowell had just held a peeled, glistening grape to Frieren's lips, watching her take a small bite with her own hand, her emerald eyes narrowing with satisfaction, like a cat whose fur had been stroked.

At that moment, Heiter pushed open the door and walked in.

He was still wearing his priest's robes, but his complexion was rosy, and the faint smell of alcohol on him was gone. He looked energetic, and even his signature hearty smile seemed more refreshing. He was much better than the drunken monk who was almost an old man a year ago.

"Hey, Heiter, I've been waiting for you." Lowell clapped the juice off his hands and casually tossed out a piece of news, "I have something to tell you, the Hearth House is disbanding."

Heiter's smile froze instantly, his steps halting. He paused for a second before reacting, his brows furrowing immediately. "What's wrong? Lowell, what happened? Is something wrong with the children?" His voice carried a barely perceptible tension, and his hands unconsciously clenched.

For the past year, he has visited the children at the Hearth House every month without fail, and has long regarded it as another home.

He himself was an orphan, and his love for children came from the bottom of his heart. That was almost his strongest anchor outside of the Hero Party.

Upon hearing the word "disband," my heart sank.

Seeing that Lowell didn't answer immediately, Heiter became a little anxious and quickened his pace. "Is it... that you don't have enough funds? I recently got promoted as a priest, and my allowance has increased, plus I've quit drinking this past year and saved up some gold coins..."

As he spoke, he subconsciously reached for the money pouch at his waist, his face showing genuine concern and even a hint of panic. "Why don't you take this to tide you over..."

He seemed to be ready to hand over all his possessions the moment Lowell nodded.

"Pfft." Frieren, who was sipping her floral tea nearby, couldn't help but chuckle. She shook her head, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "A wicked sense of humor, you always like to do this. Is it fun to scare him?"

Heiter glanced at Frieren, then at Lowell's barely suppressed smirk, and suddenly realized what was going on. He clenched and unclenched his fists, both amused and exasperated. "Oh--! You two teamed up to trick me! Didn't you!" He breathed a sigh of relief, but lingering fear remained on his face.

Frieren put down her teacup, glanced at him with her emerald eyes, and said with a rare hint of teasing, "I didn't expect you could actually quit drinking. The wine-and-meat monk has become a tea-drinking hermit? It doesn't seem like you at all. Looks like those kids are more effective than the Goddess's teachings."

Upon hearing this, Heiter's face lit up with a smug look. He was about to puff out his chest and utter some boastful words like "That's only natural," when Lowell slowly interrupted him:

"Hmm... I wouldn't say I'm completely lying to you." Lowell's joking expression faded, but a glint of something unreadable remained in his eyes. "The Hearth House is indeed disbanding."

Heiter's heart, which had just settled, jumped again. He looked at him in confusion. "What? What happened?" He looked at Lowell, then at Frieren, trying to find the answer in their faces.

Lowell stood up, stretched, walked to the window, and looked out at the street scene of the Royal Capital:

"Don't rush. Anyway, come with me. It's your monthly visit to the kids anyway." He turned around, backlit, with an expression on his face that Heiter couldn't understand—a mixture of relief and a sense of triumphant ease.

Frieren picked up the last cookie, skillfully stuffed it into Lowell's mouth before he could close it, and then got up with a "whoosh".

Heiter was full of suspicion, but seeing that Lowell didn't seem to be joking, he had no choice but to suppress his confusion and unease and follow them out of the inn.

A carriage was already waiting outside. The three of them boarded the carriage, and the wheels made a regular "clattering" sound as they rolled over the stone road, heading north.

Heiter sat in the car, his brows slightly furrowed. He kept glancing out the window, then at Lowell across from him, who looked calm and collected, even peeling oranges for Frieren and carefully removing the white pith. He felt like a cat was scratching at his heart.

The first year after the hero Himmel successfully defeated the Demon King.

The Northern Frontier are already covered in snow, but the Royal Capital of the Nasser Kingdom, Nod-Krai, seems more vibrant than ever since the arrival of peace.

Inside the palace, a warm and inviting atmosphere prevailed. Lowell and Frieren sat in King Anthony's study. After more than a year of recuperation, the monarch, who had once been on the verge of national ruin, looked much better, and the heaviness between his brows had been replaced by a hopeful busyness.

"Your Anthony, how is the matter I asked you about before progressing?" Lowell asked casually as he accepted the hot tea served by the servant.

Anthony waved his hand gently, his expression serious but his smile genuine.

"Lord Lowell, you're too kind. There's no need for such formalities. Just call me by my name. As I've said before, if it weren't for your and everyone else's help, the Nasser Kingdom would have ceased to exist long ago, and I myself have little attachment to this throne."

"Not only has the kingdom survived, but with your advice and assistance, it has become the fastest-growing nation among the Northern Countries. I am deeply grateful. I have naturally done my utmost to fulfill your requests."

Lowell smiled. "Well, alright then, Anthony, just call me Lowell, no need for all that. Speaking of which, in this era of rampant aristocratic culture and emphasis on social status, it's quite rare to find a king as pragmatic as you who doesn't care much about empty titles. It reminds me of a certain country that once proclaimed 'equality for all'."

He can transform back into the Demon King at any time if he wants. Theoretically speaking, the Demon King, being the only king of the Demons, actually has a higher status than the kings of the Human race kingdoms.

Anthony didn't respond to that question, but simply smiled gently yet seriously, stood up, and gestured for them to see him. "Shall I take you two to see him?"

The three left the palace and traveled by carriage to a secluded spot on the outskirts of the Royal Capital.

A large, uniformly styled new complex of buildings comes into view, its white stone walls gleaming in the winter sun, and the faint, vibrant sounds of activity emanating from within, creating a picturesque scene against the backdrop of the snow-covered mountains and forests.

Anthony led the two men along, introducing them as he went, his tone tinged with pride:

"According to your previous plan, this [Continental United Academy] has been initially completed... Hmm, I always felt that the [Honkai Academy] you mentioned earlier had a rather unlucky name."

He smiled helplessly, clearly not approving of Lowell's taste in naming.

"Look, over there is the tallest main building, [Canaan Tower]. In the future, it will mainly teach core courses such as magic theory, elemental control, and magic refinement. Of course, it will also include the most basic general education."

He pointed to a magnificent building whose top seemed to be inlaid with huge crystals.

He was actually a little puzzled. This was the Northern Countries, not the Southern Lands, so why was it called "Canaan" instead of "Canaan North"? But it didn't matter.

"Over there is the [Star-Torch Corridor]. The future plan is to mainly conduct research and development on magical artifacts. There is also a dedicated deep meditation room next to it, striving for quiet and undisturbed conditions. The first professor there is already, named Mo Ning." He then pointed to another building connected by several corridors.

"This is [Eden Institute], designed to train future diplomats, local leaders, and promising family heirs, but it also accepts some exceptionally talented commoner students. The focus here is on cultivating knowledge and social skills such as etiquette, history, and debating." It was an exquisitely designed building with a courtyard garden style.

"That's the [Akademiya], envisioned to have multiple schools of thought, specializing in the most profound and mysterious fields of knowledge such as the nature of elements, ancient languages, and lost alchemy. This place may one day become an academic mecca for the continent's top mages."

"And over there, that's the area of the [St. Freya Order], mainly used to train warrior monks, priests, and knights of unwavering faith, emphasizing the unity of mind and body and the cultivation of faith and the path of blessing..."

Anthony meticulously explained the functions and visions of each college district, clearly having poured immense effort into it. Pointing to the cluster of buildings standing silently in the snow, seemingly brimming with endless possibilities, his tone was full of anticipation:

"I hope this place will become a cornerstone for gathering talent, passing on knowledge, and safeguarding peace. This is largely thanks to your initial advice and the valuable start-up capital gained from defeating enemy nations like Marcus."

Lowell gazed at the nascent academy, his eyes distant, as if piercing through time and space, seeing a school that once resounded with the clamor of "fighting for all that is good in the world."

"A name is just a label. What matters is what it can do in the future," he said softly, as if answering Anthony, yet also as if talking to himself.

The snow continues to fall silently, covering the footprints of the past and also silently nurturing the new buds that will break through the soil in spring.

A snowflake swirled and landed in Frieren's outstretched palm, Melt instantly and leaving only a cool sensation.

Her emerald eyes reflected the snow and the hazy outlines of the buildings, as serene as a painting.