Luck Magic

Northern Countries, Kura Region.

The night wind, carrying a biting chill, howled past the small wooden cabin in the woods.

Inside, the fire in the fireplace flickered weakly, barely dispelling the chill. Fern huddled on the mattress, covered only by a thin blanket, shivering slightly. "It's so cold..."

Beside her, Frieren was fast asleep, having completely wrapped herself up in the thick blanket that originally belonged to the two of them, leaving only her messy silver hair showing, like a pupa, with drool hanging from the corner of her mouth (¯¯).

Fern looked at her master's unconscious sleeping face, sighed softly, and ultimately did not wake her. She simply wrapped the few remaining blankets around herself tighter, trying to ward off the cold.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Fern had already packed her things and was carrying Frieren, who was still sleepy and dozing on her back, as she walked unsteadily along the frost-covered forest path.

"Mmm... smells so good..." Frieren sniffed, mumbling sleepily.

Fern adjusted his carrying posture, glancing somewhat helplessly at Lowell, who was strolling leisurely beside him. "Really... and besides, Lord Lowell, aren't you the one who usually carries Frieren?"

Lowell, with his hands behind his head and his black hair fluttering slightly in the morning breeze, smiled and said, "Well... it's nice to have some time to enjoy with my master, you should thank me."

"What kind of enjoyment is this?" Fern complained softly, taking a slight breath. "It's so tiring... and last night Lady Frieren took all the blankets..." Despite saying this, she showed no intention of putting the person on her back, supporting him steadily with both hands.

Frieren seemed to wake up a little, rubbing her face against Fern's back, her voice still nasal from just waking up. "I'm sorry... that's why I could have asked Lowell to bring out another blanket..."

"No," Fern immediately objected, her tone serious. "There are very few rivers around here, making washing difficult. If we get our only spare blanket dirty, it will be a real problem if it rains in the next few days."

"So who's the master and who's the disciple...?" Sein.

Without turning her head, Fern said calmly but firmly, "Lady Frieren is of course my master. But it is my responsibility to take care of Lady Frieren's daily life."

Just then, Lowell, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and shaded his eyes with his hand, looking at a valley in the distance shrouded in strange mist.

"The magical fluctuations in the valley ahead are quite unusual; it seems to be a secret realm."

"Hmm!" The previously listless Frieren instantly raised her head, her emerald eyes lighting up, all sleepiness gone. "A secret realm?"

"Huh? You like secret realms that much?" Sein, somewhat surprised.

"Yes. Because there are usually treasure chests in secret realms, and Lady Frieren loves opening treasure chests the most," Fern explained.

Frieren had already jumped off Fern's back, rubbing her hands excitedly. "Hehe~ I see it! The magic book is beckoning to me! The treasure chest has endless possibilities..."

The entrance to the secret realm is hidden behind a waterfall. Passing through the curtain of water, you'll find a hidden world inside. The light is dim, and the air is filled with the scent of damp moss and ancient stones.

The journey ahead was quite a test of patience. They needed to precisely avoid traps that suddenly collapsed on the ground and defeat Gargoyles disguised as stone statues. However, it wasn't difficult for the group. Even Fern had solved many mazes before, and he skillfully drew a map with magic by lightly tapping his palm in the air.

Finally, in the deepest part of the secret realm, in a relatively open cave, they encountered the demon guarding the gate.

It was a gigantic monster, twenty or thirty meters tall. It had no fixed shape, seemingly composed of countless viscous shadows and silt, its torso densely covered with dozens of eyes of varying sizes. These eyes moved erratically, emanating a nauseating malice. When the monster moved, it made a slippery, teeth-grinding, sticky sound.

"Uh..." The moment Fern saw the monster, his face paled slightly, and he instinctively took half a step back. A clear look of disgust and fear flashed in his pale purple eyes. "So... so ugly..."

Frieren glanced at the monster, then at Fern, blinked her emerald eyes, and patted Fern on the shoulder. "Hmm, an opportunity to gain experience. Fern, it's up to you."

"Eh? I..." Fern looked at the monster that was dripping slime and had countless eyes rolling around, his throat moved, clearly showing his strong resistance.

Lowell nodded, his tone relaxed. "That's right, overcoming the fear of 'ugliness' is also part of a mage's training. Go ahead, Fern, we'll back you up."

"Really? Then good luck, Fern! Just think of it as hitting a really big, moving... uh... rotten potato?" Sein encouraged.

Fern took a deep breath, suppressing her discomfort, and gripped her staff tightly. She knew this was training, but the appearance of that monster was pushing her limits. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her gaze was resolute.

The battle was far from easy. The monster's attack methods were bizarre; its eyes could shoot out magical rays, and its viscous body could neutralize most Ordinary Attack Magic. Fern had to concentrate intensely, constantly dodging and searching for the faint core that could be seen peeking out from between the monster's rotating eyes.

"Compress... penetrate!" She silently recited the key points taught by Frieren, highly condensing her magic power into a slender yet extremely sharp beam of light, which precisely pierced the gap in a huge eyelid that had just closed in the center of the monster's body.

"Pfft!"

The monster let out a sharp, piercing wail, its massive body trembled violently, and finally, its form dissipated into the air.

Fern breathed slightly, wiped the sweat from his brow, and a look of relief appeared on his face.

"Well done, Fern," Frieren said approvingly.

"Indeed, to remain calm in the face of something that drains your sanity like that is impressive." Lowell also gave a thumbs up. "Although this guy is relatively weak among the gatekeeper monsters, he still has the strength of an ordinary First-Class Mage. You dealt with him relatively easily."

After defeating the monster, at the end of the cave, as expected, stood three rather ancient-looking treasure chests side by side.

Who would come if there were no treasures?

Frieren's eyes lit up, and she couldn't wait to step forward and open the first one.

"Wait a minute, Frieren," Lowell stopped her, reminding her, "Remember that spell in the magic book that merchant gave us a while ago, the one that 'Become Lucky for a Short Time'?"

Frieren paused, then suddenly realized, excitedly putting her hands on her hips. "Oh! Right! Luck Magic!"

She immediately closed her eyes, concentrated, and traced simple lines in the air with her fingertips while softly chanting an incantation. A barely perceptible golden halo flashed around her.

"Hmph~" Feeling the so-called "lucky blessing," Frieren's face was filled with a confident smile. She rubbed her hands together with a sense of ritual and walked towards the first treasure chest.

She carefully placed her hand on the lid of the box, took a deep breath, and then suddenly flung it open!

There were no traps or monsters inside the treasure chest. Inside lay several ornaments that shimmered with a faint magical glow and an antique-looking armlet, which, although they looked quite old, were well-preserved and of moderate value.

"Hmph!" Frieren picked up a ring inlaid with a sapphire, proudly dangled it at Lowell, and slightly raised her chin. "See, the Luck Magic really worked!"

Lowell clapped enthusiastically, his tone exaggerated with admiration. "Wow! As expected of my Frieren, blessed with Luck Magic! You're amazing!"

Frieren carefully put away the treasure with satisfaction, then turned her gaze intently to the second treasure chest. She did the same, opening it once again with great anticipation.

There were no glittering treasures in the box, only a slightly worn parchment book. Frieren picked it up, quickly flipped through it, and her emerald eyes instantly lit up. "It's a magic book! 'Portable Shaved Ice-Making Technique'... Hmm! Although it looks simple, summer is coming soon, this is so useful!" She hugged the book to her chest with satisfaction.

Now, only the third treasure chest remains.

Fern looked at the last treasure chest and cautiously reminded her, "Lady Frieren, generally speaking, in these kinds of secret realms, one out of three treasure chests is bound to be Mimic, right? Shouldn't we be a little more careful?"

Frieren was currently overwhelmed with joy from opening two boxes and finding something she'd found. She wagged her index finger at Fern, her face beaming with undisguised smugness. "Hmph~ Fern, you're too cautious~ I cast Luck Magic on myself~ Goddess Luck is on my side!"

As she spoke, she strode confidently toward the third treasure chest with a swagger that seemed to say, "I don't care about anyone else."

However, the instant her fingers touched the lid of the box—

"Crack!"

Fleeting.

"Wow?!"

Frieren's smug smile froze instantly, replaced by terror. She had no time to react before her upper body, along with her arms, was swallowed whole by the Mimic's gaping maw!

Only a pair of legs remained outside, kicking and thrashing helplessly.

"It's so dark! It's so dark! Help--! It's so scary, so scary... Please help me--!" A muffled cry of panic and helplessness came from inside Frieren Mimic.

Lowell: "..."

Fern: "..."

Sein "..."