Morning

Early the next morning.

As dawn broke and the mist in the mountains and forests had not yet dissipated, the chirping of early birds could be heard from afar inside the wooden cabin.

Fern had already made the bed, relit the fire, and was heating a simple bowl of oatmeal porridge in a small pot she had brought. The aroma of the food mingled with the smell of firewood, spreading through the cool air.

"Lady Frieren, Lady Lowell, breakfast is ready, please get up."

Frieren was wrapped in a blanket, only her messy silver hair and half of her face flushed from sleep were visible. Her eyes were still closed, and she mumbled an "Mmm," but her body didn't move.

After a few seconds, she slowly stretched a hand out from under the covers, pointing it towards Fern, her fingers unconsciously grasping at the air.

"Hey me..."

His voice was heavy with sleepiness, soft and weak, yet self-righteous.

Fern stared at the outstretched hand and remained silent for a moment.

"... kindness?"

She blinked her pale purple eyes, seemingly a little taken aback. Usually, while Frieren was lazy, she would at least sit up by herself.

But she didn't ask any more questions. She just turned around, ladled out a small bowl of warm oatmeal porridge, broke off a piece of slightly charred bread, and went back to the bedside.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, scooped up a little porridge with a wooden spoon, carefully blew on it, and brought it to Frieren's lips.

Frieren closed her eyes, opened her mouth naturally, and took the spoon into her mouth.

The chewing motion was slow and deliberate, like a cat that hadn't fully woken up yet.

I fed him a few mouthfuls of porridge, and then a small piece of bread.

Frieren chewed, groggily opening her eyes a crack. Her vision was still blurry as she watched the hand carefully breaking off a piece of bread in front of her, and blinked.

Then, as if she sensed something, she slowly turned her head and looked up along the hand.

He was met with Lupa's smiling face, which had somehow gotten close to him.

Her pink twin ponytails were a little messy, and her bangs were slightly damp with sweat, clinging to her skin. Her cheeks had a healthy flush from exercise, and her heterochromatic eyes were bright and sparkling, staring at her intently.

She wore a white bodysuit paired with gray-black armor, and a deep red cloak draped over her shoulders, her shoulder armor still damp with bits of grass and dew from the forest. She exuded a vibrant, energetic aura, as if she had just finished her morning exercise.

"Hehe, it's been a long time since I've seen Frieren. It reminds me of the old days."

Lupa laughed, her voice clear and bright, filled with undisguised joy. She broke off another piece of bread and held it to Frieren's lips.

"Come on, ah--"

Frieren glanced at the bread at her lips, then at Lupa's smiling face, her emerald eyes fully clearing. She showed no particular expression, simply opening her mouth naturally, biting into the bread, and mumbling a reply as she chewed.

"Hmm...? Lupa."

She shifted her body, trying to sit up. Just as she managed to prop herself up a little, a pair of hands gently pressed down on her shoulders.

Linié entered at some point and silently sat on Frieren's back. She was still wearing that exquisite pink gothic dress, her expression calm as if she were in a daze.

But those small hands had already placed on Frieren's shoulders and began to knead them gently. The movements were practiced, the pressure even, and the fingertips carried a slightly cool body temperature.

Frieren comfortably squinted her eyes, relaxed her body, and slightly adjusted her posture to allow Linié to exert more force, continuing to eat the bread that Lupa fed her in small bites.

Lowell also woke up and was leaning against another bunk, watching this scene. He raised his hand to rub his still slightly messy black hair, a nostalgic smile on his face.

"It really feels like going back decades."

Fern stood to the side, still holding the half-empty bowl of porridge, watching this all-too-natural "morning service" scene. Her pale purple eyes blinked calmly, and she remained silent.

But for some reason, she pouted.

The simple breakfast was finished quickly.

Outside the wooden cabin, the morning mist had mostly dissipated, and sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting dappled patterns of light on the damp ground.

Lupa excitedly stretched her arms and legs, grabbed the long spear that was much taller than her leaning against the side, and casually twirled it in the air. The spear tip cut through the air, emitting a soft hum.

"Whoa! Let's go clear the way!"

She turned and called into the house, her heterochromatic eyes gleaming with eager anticipation.

"Last night, Linié and I inquired around the village, and there are indeed signs of monster activity in this area, though not many. We tested them last night and this morning, and their strength is not bad."

As she spoke, she pointed towards the depths of the mountains and forests.

"However, Linié sensed the presence of monsters further ahead, so let's head there first!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already grabbed her spear and, with a few light leaps, disappeared into the dense forest ahead. Her movements were as swift as a cheetah, exuding a pure sense of exhilaration from speed and power.

Linié followed silently, her pink skirt disappearing into the shadows of the trees without making a sound.

Fern tidied up the simple tableware, walked to the door, looked in the direction where Lupa and Linié had disappeared, and said softly.

"Lady Lupa and Linié Line are really working hard."

When I woke up this morning, I saw that their beds were empty. The blankets were neatly folded.

Lowell also walked to the door, put his hands in his pockets, and watched the birds startled into flight from the woods.

"Yeah, I guess it's passion."

"Neither of them seems to have any motivation for 'responding to expectations,' 'repaying kindness,' or 'avenging.' They're both just battle maniacs."

Fern thought for a moment.

"Well, Lady Lupa is one thing, but she's so energetic, it's like she'll never get tired. She looks like a warrior, judging from her attire and personality, like a gladiator from a novel, carrying that kind of long spear. She definitely seems to love fighting."

Her gaze shifted to the direction of the woods where Linié had disappeared, a hint of confusion on her face.

Pink twin ponytails, an elaborate gothic dress, a fair, expressionless face, always quietly munching on an apple...

By all accounts, he doesn't seem to fit the description of a "battle maniac."

"Linié Line also enjoys fighting?"

Lowell smiled upon hearing this.

"Don't let her seemingly innocent and guileless appearance fool you; she looks like a delicate doll, but deep down she loves fighting."

"Perhaps Demons are inherently inclined to perfect a particular type of magic," Lowell continued. "Her 'Mimicry Magic' works by Imitation the flow of magic within the bodies of those she observes during combat, perfectly replicating their moves. And some of these moves require a certain level of physical strength."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of amusement that he himself found amusing.

"Demons are all made of magic, yet she can become stronger by training both her magic and her body... It's hard to explain with common sense. Although it may sound unbelievable, the two of them might now be able to rival Himmel."

Fern turned to look at Lowell, a hint of surprise flashing in his pale purple eyes.

Is it really that strong?

"Who do you think they are?" Lowell crossed his arms, a smug and self-satisfied look on his face. "They're all my protégés. Lupa is a proper apprentice, and I've also given Linié a lot of pointers."

"As for strength... you know my strength. And the way I train them is quite unique."

"Himmel's talent might be slightly higher. But in terms of combat power they can currently exert, they are indeed... not that far behind."

"Also, regarding talent, let me correct something. There's a common view among humans that 'Human race are more talented than long-lived species,' based on the fact that elves and Demons have long lifespans, yet humans often rival them..." He shook his head, "But this view is somewhat one-sided."

"Elven race are generally aloof, and those as passionate about fighting and advancement as Serie are rare. Demons are even more so... Although a hierarchical system exists, such as Demon King → Scharlach → Seven Sages of Destruction / Great Demons /General → Demons, the management is chaotic, with each faction acting independently. In addition, most Demons only like to study one type of magic, so apart from anomalies like Solitär, they are almost all working in isolation."

"Human race's strength lies in its civilization and its heritage, in the convergence and sharing of knowledge. When one person understands one thing, another understands another, and they exchange ideas, the whole race moves forward. Why were humans able to improve upon the ancient Qual's centuries-old Killing Magic in just a few decades? It's because countless people followed one another, gathering their individual sparks into a light that illuminates the path."

"Therefore, in terms of innate magical talent, humans are not superior to Demons or elves. Their unique strengths lie in creativity, emotional richness, and collaborative wisdom, allowing them to progress rapidly within their relatively short lifespans compared to elves and Demons."

"Existences like the 'Seven Sages of Destruction' are still considered 'peaks that are difficult for humans to reach' in terms of magical expertise and power. Apart from a very few outstanding individuals like the Hero of the South and Himmel, and individuals like Lupa been trained by me in special ways, their overall combat strength still surpasses that of the vast majority of top human powerhouses."

"For Demons, magic is like their own hands and feet, so in terms of magical talent alone, Demons far surpass humans. This is one of the reasons why Linié is so strong now. A natural talent encountering a senior like me with the best training methods naturally gives her a significant advantage."

"As for warriors... even if Eisen wasn't the Strongest of Humanity warrior before, he wasn't far off, but compared to some of the top Demons generals, he was still a ways off."

Fern listened quietly, her pale purple eyes gazing into the depths of the forest, where the faint sound of a tree falling could be heard again, mixed with Lupa's seemingly cheerful, clear shout. The wind rustled through the treetops, bringing the cool scent of grass and trees in the early morning.

After a while, as if she had suddenly thought of something, she blinked, looked at Lowell, and asked in a calm and serious tone.

"So, are they stronger than you now?"

Lowell: "?"

He paused for a moment, seemingly not expecting Fern to ask that question.

Then, he chuckled, shook his head, and spoke in a relaxed tone.

"I guess there probably aren't any."

He paused, as if weighing his options, and added, his gaze drifting towards the depths of the forest, where the faint thuds of trees falling could be heard.

"They're still a little short."

Frieren, who was taking small sips of water from her water pouch beside him, pursed her lips upon hearing this but remained silent. Her emerald eyes glanced at Lowell before looking away.

Fern seemed quite interested in this "little bit".

"Almost?"

"Hmm, almost."

What's missing?

Lowell chuckled at her persistent questioning. He stroked his chin, looked up at the rising sun, then at the dense forest ahead where the sounds of battle were coming from, as if seriously considering the answer.

"Hmm... let me think..."