Setting Out

On the way back to the hotel.

"Speaking of which," Fern began, her voice clear in the quiet night breeze, "Couldn't Lord Lowell just use his Future Prediction? Knowing Mr. Sein's weakness, he could persuade him directly, right? It's not a bad thing, after all; you said he wanted to be an adventurer. Or is it that the future you see requires living here and spending time grinding away?"

Lowell strolled along leisurely, hands behind his head. "Using Future Prediction is so boring. Not only am I useless, but I've also temporarily sealed away many memories of the future I've seen. The feeling of the unknown is what's interesting; that's what adventure is all about."

"Hmm," Fern thought for a moment, "Perhaps. But in that case, without Future Prediction, won't we encounter unmanageable dangers?"

"You're being too cautious, Fern," Lowell chuckled. "Don't be so insecure. Even without the Future Prediction, I'm still me. Those who can Future Prediction are few and far between. And those who don't have that magic—do they just die like that? Of course, your safety is my top priority."

He paused, then continued explaining:

"My Future Prediction used to be more like a kind of Prophetic Dream Magic for Serie —vague and uncontrollable. That's why I was accidentally ambushed by Grausam once, which was quite troublesome. But now this ability has improved; I can see fragments of specific people or events more precisely, or sense general dangers in advance... It's much more convenient. So, safety is almost 100%. In that case, it's naturally more interesting to choose unknown adventures."

"After all, the most interesting thing about magic is the process of seeking it, and the meaning of the journey lies not in the destination, but in the process."

"I see." Fern nodded.

"Even so, you can't let your guard down with your usual magic probing," Frieren added lazily from the side. "Fern, don't slack off."

"Of course not, Lady Frieren," Fern replied softly. "Then I'll go and purchase some supplies first."

"Master."

"Kindness..."

"..."

"Master."

"Hmm~"

"..."

"Master."

"Lady Frieren." Fern, who had returned unnoticed at the doorway, spoke, breaking the silence between the two.

"Hmm?" Frieren looked up.

Fern entered the room and placed the cloth bag she was carrying on the small table. "Why do you call Lord Lowell 'Master'? Are you two partners?"

He said he wanted it.

Fern's gaze shifted to Lowell, her eyes revealing no emotion. "He wants you to call him that?"

Lowell touched his nose, his gaze slightly unfocused.

Frieren lowered her head, her voice softening and becoming slightly muffled. "I said no."

"Then what?"

He insisted.

"Does he insist that you do this?"

"Kindness..."

Fern turned his gaze to Lowell, saying nothing, simply watching him silently.

Lowell felt that calm yet penetrating gaze and coughed twice.

"Ahem, well, I did teach Frieren a lot of her magic, from this to that, from that to this... Logically speaking, calling her 'Master' is... normal, right?"

"But you two are currently in a relationship, right?" Fern said calmly.

"Kindness..."

"Abnormal."

"No, let me tell you something... no, let me explain..." Lowell tried to salvage his image, "It's a kind of... um... playfulness. Yes, playfulness between partners, a sign of intimacy, um, yes, look at Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu..."

Frieren blinked her emerald eyes, seemingly finding the idea amusing, and nodded slightly. "Hmm, spice."

"Look, Frieren agreed too." Lowell immediately pointed to Frieren.

Looking at Frieren's "whatever he says goes" attitude, and then at Lowell's slightly guilty expression, Fern sighed softly.

"I understand," Fern said. "So, Lady Frieren, his bribe is this magic book you're looking at?"

Frieren held the book and didn't say anything.

"It's not what you think!" Lowell tried to emphasize.

"What do you mean?" Fern countered.

"..."

Lowell was defeated.

Fern looked at the two of them, sighed softly, picked up the clothes and went into the house, where he began to sort them by category.

"Lord Frieren."

"Kindness?"

"Next time Lord Lowell makes such a strange request, you can refuse."

"Oh."

For the next few days, they stayed in the village. Lowell tried to invite Sein a few more times, but the result was the same; he always made excuses to avoid it. Sein continued to lose his clothes at card games every day, which Lowell would then return to him.

Poor kid, what decent person would play cards with someone who's cheating?

Well, people say the unknown is what's interesting, but Lowell doesn't want to lose everything except his underwear.

He's not very good at gambling.

Adults are just dirty and hypocritical, he thought matter-of-factly.

On the day of the Harvest Festival, the square was bustling with activity.

The three found Sein's brother quietly wiping the statue of the Goddess in the church's backyard.

"So," Lowell leaned against the doorframe, "Does that guy have any particular hobbies? He's so stubborn, you know. Maybe if we knew his hobbies, we could find a way to deal with him."

Sein's brother stopped what he was doing, thought for a moment, and said, "Smoking, gambling, drinking..."

"We've seen all of that," Frieren, eating a small cake.

He thought for a moment longer, "Hmm... and... maybe an older sister? I remember he seemed to like mature and gentle women; I think that's why he wanted to become an adventurer."

Fern immediately showed a look of disgust. "This is completely a broken monk now, his purpose is so despicable."

Just then, Sein emerged from the small door again, holding a sickle smaller than a dagger, looking helpless. "Brother, this new sickle is way too small! How are we going to harvest wheat like this?"

The older brother, without changing his expression, said, "Frugality is a form of self-cultivation; it starts with small things. It can hone your patience and skills."

"This has become so frugal that it's lost its practicality. Is this another performance art piece...?" Sein, rubbing his forehead.

Lowell watched this scene and scratched his head. He really couldn't think of a good idea. He couldn't very well use Transformation Magic to turn into an older sister and seduce her, could he? He could, but just thinking about that image... he decided against it.

Ultimately, he decided to use the most direct method.

"Tsukuyomi," he whispered.

Sein swayed slightly, his eyes became somewhat vacant, and then he began to speak to himself:

"Ten years ago... that Gorilla Warrior guy... extended his hand to me, saying something like, 'It's just a trip to the Northern Countries. It's okay if you can't decide to become an adventurer now. I'll go first, and I'll come back for the Harvest Festival in three years. Then you can come and adventure with me.'... His name was 'Gorilla Warrior,' and I was 'Goatee Priest'... Haha, but he didn't come back for the Harvest Festival seven years ago..."

He paused, his voice lowering, "And... I accidentally overheard my older brother talking to Bishop Heiter over ten years ago... Bishop Heiter said his talent was enough to make him a priest in the Royal Capital. But my brother said, 'I can't take away that child's homeland, as his brother'... He chose to stay here to take care of me... How could I abandon my brother and go off to pursue some adventure... My brother has always stayed here for me... Wait, what am I saying..."

The effects of Tsukuyomi wore off, Sein snapped out of his daze, blinking somewhat blankly before giving a wry smile, "So you said it... Anyway, that's how it is."

"Sein... you've been thinking about this kind of thing?" He put down the rag, walked up to Sein, and looked at his younger brother.

"Snap."

He raised his hand and slapped Sein lightly.

Sein covered his face.

"You bastard! Don't compare me to someone like you!! I..."

The older brother's voice was trembling with emotion, tinged with barely concealed heartache and anger. "I've never regretted my choice! I'm a monk in this village, here to protect everyone, and I'm perfectly content with my life! Unlike you... unlike a man like you who's constantly caught in a cycle of regret and avoidance! And what about you? How long do you plan to regret it? Are you planning to... use me as a burden on your adventures!? My dream is to protect everyone in this village! And you!?"

He took a deep breath. "Starting tomorrow, you are not allowed to go home anymore. Until you become a great adventurer you can be proud of."

After saying that, he turned around abruptly, strode back into the church, and closed the door.

Sein covered his face and stood there blankly.

After a long pause, she whispered, "Um... don't misunderstand, my brother is very gentle... he's never hit me. Is that right...? But... it's too late, ten years... that Gorilla Warrior guy, he's probably long gone..."

"So what?" Lowell stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. "You're giving up without even looking? The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago, the second best time is now. For the past ten years, you've been thinking, 'What if I had held his outstretched hand back then?' But if you continue like this now, ten years from now, you'll be thinking, 'What if I had gone with Lowell and the others ten years ago?' Sein, life can't go backwards, but you can seize the present."

"Yes, it's only been ten years, Sein," Frieren interjected.

Sein looked up at Lowell, then suddenly laughed, a smile tinged with relief and a hint of self-deprecation, "Haha... really? Although you're not exactly an older sister, you... haha, sometimes you're quite charming."

Lowell put his hands on his hips and said smugly, "Hmph~ Of course! Otherwise, why would my Frieren choose me?"

"Lord Lowell can be quite serious and reliable at times," Fern said softly from the side.

Lowell's expression fell. "... When have I ever been inappropriate?"

Sein took a deep breath of the cool night air, then slowly exhaled, as if expelling years of pent-up hesitation. He looked at Lowell, his eyes finally clear and resolute. "Alright... I understand. We'll wait until the Harvest Festival is over."

The Harvest Festival lasted for three days. On the morning of the fourth day, at the entrance of the inn...

Sein stood beside his brother, carrying a simple bag. The older brother silently stuffed a bag of dry food and a small purse of coins into Sein's luggage.

"Be careful on the road." The older brother's voice was still flat, but his eyes softened considerably.

"Okay." Sein nodded. "Take care, brother."

Without saying anything more, the two brothers patted each other on the shoulder.

Sein turned and walked towards Lowell and the other two who were waiting to the side, a genuinely relaxed smile on his face, the first one in ten years. "Alright, everyone, sorry to keep you waiting, but... my purpose in traveling is to find that guy, the Gorilla Warrior, so I'll only be traveling halfway with you."

Lowell smiled. "Welcome. Let's go."

The rising sun cast golden rays onto the path at the village entrance. The four figures, bathed in the morning light, embarked on a new journey.

Frieren took a few steps, then, remembering something, whispered to Lowell, "That magic book that Make Pancakes Without Watching..."

"Don't worry, his brother gave it to me last night." Lowell also lowered his voice.

Frieren nodded in satisfaction. "Hmm."

Fern watched the two whispering figures, sighed softly, and then said to his new companion, Sein, "Mr. Sein, nice to meet you. Also, please try to avoid gambling during the journey."

"I'll try my best... By the way, where is your destination?"

"It wasn't like that before, but a while ago Lord Lowell said he wanted to go to Aureole to see his deceased disciple."

"Is that a place you need to go to specifically? Isn't that the kind of place people go to after they die?"

"Is Mr. Sein also qualified to go?"

"... Why is this child so aggressive?"