A chance encounter

The snow underfoot began to Melt slightly in the afternoon sun, making a soft crunching sound as I stepped on it.

Fern looked at Lowell.

"So, Lord Lowell, are you heading to the Northern Plateau this time?"

Lowell stroked his chin.

"Hmm... We're already here, so the academy isn't far away."

"Let's go back to the academy and replenish our supplies. Otherwise, we'll be stuck eating those hard, dry breads again when we get to the Northern Plateau."

Upon hearing this, Frieren immediately nodded, a clear look of agreement flashing in her emerald eyes.

"Really..."

She spoke softly, her voice still carrying a hint of lingering fear.

Fern thought for a moment.

"Well, that's good. It's been a long time since I've seen Father and Mother."

"Then it's settled."

Lowell made the decision.

The three changed direction and headed towards Nod-Krai, where the Continental United Academy was located.

A few days later.

The scenery along the road gradually changed from snow-covered mountains and forests to rolling hills and dense broad-leaved forests. The weather warmed up considerably, the chill in the wind faded, and it carried the fresh scent of sprouting plants.

As they passed a clearing in the woods, they saw a caravan resting.

There were seven or eight horse-drawn carts, all covered tightly with thick rainproof cloths. The packhorses pulling the carts were grazing on the newly sprouted grass nearby. The workers sat in twos and threes, drinking water and wiping the goods.

The leading merchant was an elderly man with white hair, his face etched with the marks of time, and his skin a dark brown from years of travel. He wore an old hat with worn edges, the brim pulled low, but when his eyes moved in the shadow of the brim, they revealed a calm composure born of experience.

He was leaning against a carriage, squinting at the passersby. When his gaze swept over Lowell and his two companions, his eyes paused slightly, then seemed to brighten.

He straightened up, dusted off his robes, and walked towards the three of them.

How many are there?

He spoke, his voice a little hoarse but strong, and a familiar smile spread across his face.

"It's been a long time! You two haven't changed at all."

Fern stopped in his tracks, his pale purple eyes calmly looking at the old man who had taken the initiative to speak, then glancing at Lowell and Frieren.

"Hello."

She responded politely first, then turned around and asked softly.

"Is this someone the two adults know?"

Frieren blinked, looking at the approaching old man, a thoughtful expression on her face, her emerald eyes filled with pure confusion.

"Well...?"

Lowell also sized up the other man, especially his old hat and the shrewd eyes beneath the brim.

"Kindness...?"

He drew out the words, as if recalling something.

The old man approached, suddenly cleared his throat, straightened up, put one hand on his hip, and Imitation wielding a weapon with the other, trying to make a fierce expression on his face, but it looked somewhat comical given his full head of white hair and wrinkles. He lowered his voice and shouted in a deliberately Imitation, gruff tone:

"Hey! I planted this tree, and I opened this road! If you want to pass, leave your toll!"

Lowell paused for a moment, then exclaimed "Ah!" and pointed to the hat on the other person's head, a look of realization dawning on his face.

It's you!

Lowell's eyes lit up, then he smiled.

"I remember this hat! You were one of that idiot bald guy's henchmen decades ago, weren't you? You were wearing this hat back then."

Upon hearing this, Frieren looked at the old man more carefully, then let out a soft "Ah" and nodded.

"Ah, yes, that's true. I think there is such a thing."

The old man stopped Imitation the pose, chuckled twice, and his feigned fierceness vanished instantly, reverting to his shrewd old businessman demeanor. He took off his hat and scratched his head.

"I never expected to run into a few more people; it's truly fate." He said with a touch of emotion, "What happened back then... I apologize for making you laugh."

Lowell smiled too.

"What, you really switched to a different business? Looks like you're doing quite well? You're not a shady dealer, are you?"

The businessman put his hat back on, his smile now showing more composure.

"How could that be? It was all thanks to your mercy back then. After I went back, I realized that living on the edge couldn't last, so I took a few brothers and used the little capital I had saved to start a legitimate business. With my fairly sharp mind, we saved little by little and made our current little fortune."

He pointed to the convoy behind him, his tone tinged with emotion, but also with a hint of barely perceptible pride.

"Being able to get on the right path, earn money steadily to support my family... Yes, I have a partner now too. This is better than anything else; it was something I never dared to dream of before. Looking back, I really owe it all to your advice. Otherwise, I might still be starving on some mountaintop, or maybe I'd be rotting away in some ditch by now."

He looked at Lowell with a sincere expression.

"It's fate that we've run into each other. If you don't have anything urgent, would you like me to treat you to a simple meal as a token of my gratitude?"

Lowell raised an eyebrow, a familiar, slightly mocking smile appearing on his face.

"Great, I've been a professional freeloader lately, I'm so experienced, I've lost count of how many meals I've freeloaded."

He looked the businessman up and down.

"Are you sure you can handle it? I remember that town up ahead is quite expensive. Don't force yourself just to save face. If one meal wipes out half of your hard-earned money, I won't feel comfortable accepting your thanks."

Upon hearing this, the merchant not only did not show any fear, but smiled confidently, his shrewd eyes gleaming.

"Don't worry. I can easily afford to treat you all to a meal, and I'd be happy to do so. Besides, whether it can bankrupt me... I'd really like to wait and see."

The town wasn't far; we arrived in no time.

There was an old locust tree at the entrance of town. When Frieren passed by, she paused slightly, her emerald green eyes sweeping over the trunk.

The group followed the merchant and easily found their way to a fairly bustling street in town, stopping in front of a restaurant that looked quite old. The wooden signboard was faded by wind and rain, but the lettering was still legible.

Lowell looked up at the sign, then at the restaurant's street-facing window, and turned to Frieren with a smile:

"Frieren, remember? You used to extort money from Ruby for her sundae here."

Frieren was looking around at the restaurant's facade when she heard this. She turned her head, raised her chin slightly, and revealed a hint of smugness.

"Hmph... That's hardly extortion; it's clearly an equal exchange."

Her tone was matter-of-fact.

"That's tuition. I taught her the trick to the Flower Field Magic color-changing technique. It was a very good deal."

Fern stood to the side, blinked upon hearing this, and a hint of curiosity flashed in his pale purple eyes.

"Is that so?"

She spoke softly, then looked at Frieren.

"Come to think of it, Lady Frieren has never asked me for tuition fees."

Frieren looked at her, her expression completely natural.

"They're different."

She explained.

"Ruby the only daughter of the Duke of the Kingdom, and her family is very wealthy. Moreover..."

She paused, her gaze lingering on Fern.

"Hasn't Fern been taking care of me all along?"

Fern thought for a moment.

"Lady Frieren, didn't you have Lady Ruby take care of you before?"

Frieren immediately curled her lip, her face showing a mixture of "how could that be?" and "can she even do it?"

"She?"

"Except when he's reading a magic book, he's always so energetic and noisy. Does he seem like someone who can take care of others?"

Fern thought about it seriously for a moment and nodded.

"Yes, that's true."

The businessman standing to the side remained silent, only watching their conversation with a gentle smile on his face. His eyes moved between the three of them, revealing a calm and observant quality that comes with the passage of time.

Lowell noticed his silence and turned his head.

"You've become quite silent compared to before?"

The businessman smiled and waved his hand.

"As people get older, they naturally talk less. And..."

He paused, and a newfound clarity appeared in his smile.

"I now understand better when to speak and when... it's best to just listen quietly. Besides, listening to a few people chat is quite interesting."

Lowell looked him over, observing his current calm and shrewd demeanor, and nodded.

"You're really starting to look like a successful businessman. Not bad, not bad at all. Lay down your butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot."

As they talked, the group entered the restaurant.

The interior decor is much newer than it was years ago, and the tables and chairs have been redesigned, but the layout remains largely unchanged. It was afternoon, and the shop was quiet with few customers.

It seems that only the signboard outside remains unchanged.

Frieren looked around.

"Hmm, she looks... a bit different than before."

She had barely finished speaking.

From a table near the window, a voice, devoid of emotion yet possessing a naturally soft and gentle quality, drifted over.

"Yes, it really is these three."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was clear in the quiet restaurant.

Immediately afterwards, a more energetic and delighted, clear voice rang out from the other side of that voice.

"Oh! Master! Lady Frieren! And Fern!"

The group looked in the direction of the sound.

Two people were sitting at the table by the window.

One of them was Linié, dressed in Gothic Lolita fashion, with pink twin tails and a calm expression as if she were in a daze. She was holding a half-eaten red apple in her hand. She clearly heard the commotion, but she didn't turn around at all, just focused on eating the apple.

The other was Lupa, who suddenly stood up from her chair, waving vigorously in their direction with a bright smile. Her pink twin ponytails were a little messy, as if she had just run, and her heterochromatic eyes were full of excitement.