Hamburg Steak

Afternoon sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting dappled spots of light across a forest clearing. The party had left the dungeon and set out along a soft woodland path, the mood lazy and relaxed.

Ruby sat on a smooth boulder, swinging her little legs above the ground. Her lips were pushed out in a mighty pout, and even her red curls seemed to droop.

"Sigh..." She drew out a deeply resentful sigh. "We found that impressive-looking Barrier Magic Book on the first floor, but then, in the deepest part of the dungeon... there was nothing but a pile of old bones! I thought there'd be sparkling treasure!"

The "old bones" she meant were currently cradled in Frieren's arms like a treasure. It was an intact Dragon Skull, larger than Frieren herself, ghastly white and rather frightening with its deep eye sockets.

Frieren, however, paid it no mind. As she walked, she gently brushed the dust from the bones with her fingertips, a satisfied gleam in her green eyes. She even hummed a livelier tune, as though she were holding some priceless treasure.

Himmel, walking in front, looked back at her words. His blue hair shone healthily in the sunlight, and a brilliant, unclouded smile lit his face:

"Ruby, how can you say that? The true rewards of an adventure can't be measured by treasure alone! Those moments when we fought side by side, the wisdom it took to solve the puzzles, and..." He paused, a hint of pride appearing on his face. "Those magnificent, imposing and beautiful move names we came up with together! Those are the greatest memories and riches of all!"

Ruby tilted her head and thought about it. Names like "Scorch the Eight Wastelands: Red Lotus Karmic Fire: Vortex Burst Super Invincible Flame Art" came to mind, and they did seem much more exciting than a plain old "Big Fireball." Her little face brightened at once, and she nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Himmel's right! The journey is what matters most! And the names really are cool!"

"Hahaha!" Heiter took a swig of wine and laughed heartily beside them. "That's right! As long as we had fun! Besides, that Dragon Skull looks pretty impressive!"

Eisen nodded silently, his gaze sweeping over the Dragon Skull in Frieren's arms. He seemed to be assessing its bone density and possible uses (perhaps polishing it into armor?).

Lowell walked beside Frieren, surveying the changing trees around them. "Judging by the trees and the terrain, we should be near the Graf Granat Earl Territory, shouldn't we?"

Frieren finally took her attention off the Dragon Skull for a moment. She blinked and replied, "Mm, I think so."

As if suddenly remembering something, Lowell rubbed his chin and spoke with a hint of nostalgia. "I remember a really good barbecue place around here, near the border outpost. Their Hamburg Steak is made with top-grade beef mixed with herbs, and it's especially juicy..."

Before he had finished, Frieren's movements as she held the Dragon Skull stopped abruptly, and her ears twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Hamburg Steak..." she repeated, an almost imperceptible trace of longing in her voice. But then her gaze slowly shifted to Ruby, who was happily swinging her legs nearby, and her eyes flickered.

Ruby felt that gaze and her heart skipped a beat. She instinctively clutched the little embroidered purse at her waist, her face instantly full of wariness, and shook her head like a rattle drum. "No! No! Absolutely not this time! Lady Frieren! I've more or less learned Flower Field Magic already! And, and we haven't gotten any decent commissions since we left my house, so my spending money's getting tight too! You'll have to find a way to earn money yourself!"

Frieren said nothing. She merely looked away in silence and turned to Lowell, fixing him with her green eyes. Her gaze conveyed a clear message: "Think of something."

Lowell received Frieren's signal for "help" and looked at Ruby, who was guarding her purse like a little beast guarding its food. He thought for a moment.

Then he reached up to rub the space between his brows and spoke slowly, his voice tinged with emotion:

"Sigh, Frieren, I told you long ago not to teach all your best techniques so quickly. Look, you taught her your magic so quickly, and it hasn't even been that long, but the saying 'teach the apprentice and starve the master' has already come true, hasn't it? All the master wants is a barbecue meal, and the apprentice can't even bear to show her that much consideration. People just aren't what they used to be, and the world has grown cold..."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, carrying an inexplicable air of "heartfelt anguish." In the quiet forest, it carried especially well.

Ruby's face flushed red at once. "Huh?! No... I... it's not that I can't bear to! But... but..." Flustered, she stumbled over her words. She wanted to argue back, but something about what Lowell said also seemed wrong, and she couldn't find the right words for the moment.

Lowell struck while the iron was hot. He walked over to Ruby and patted her head, wearing a gentle "I'm doing this for your own good" smile. His words, however, only made her more conflicted. "Ruby, think about it. Lady Frieren has worked so hard teaching you magic all this way. Now she has just one tiny wish. As her disciple, shouldn't you... hmm? Make a little contribution? Otherwise, wouldn't that be awfully heartless?"

Ruby looked at Lowell's "kindly" smile, then caught sight of Frieren's lips, pressed slightly together despite her expressionless face (she swore that was definitely an expression of hurt!). Then she thought about how she really had learned such useful magic from Frieren, and had even just gotten inspiration for super-impressive move names from Lowell...

A feeling that mixed guilt, helplessness, and "somehow I've been talked into a corner" welled up inside her. Her little shoulders slumped, and like a defeated young rooster, she muttered weakly:

"...Stop, stop, stop! Don't say any more... I'll treat you, okay? I'll treat you..." She patted her purse in grief and indignation, as if she could already hear the silver coins crying.

Lowell withdrew his hand in satisfaction, winked at Frieren, and then summed it up for Ruby with a perfectly straight face. "Good, that's right. Remember this trick. It's one of the 'Thirty-Six Dirty Adult Stratagems'—Moral Blackmail."

The corners of Frieren's mouth curved upward by one almost imperceptible pixel. Her grip on the Dragon Skull tightened, and she was visibly more cheerful. Even her steps grew lighter, as if she could already smell the Hamburg Steak.

Watching the scene of "one willing to strike and the other willing to take the blow," Himmel couldn't help chuckling and shaking his head. Heiter, delighted to watch the commotion, laughed out loud. "Little Ruby, you're still too young!"

Eisen remained silent, but as he watched Ruby's aggrieved yet resigned little face, the corners of his mouth seemed to twitch ever so slightly.

Mina seemed to be assessing the feasibility of this transaction: Hamburg Steak... in exchange for magic...

The party continued onward. At the end of the forest path, the outline of a distant border town seemed to be coming into view, wisps of cooking smoke rising above it. Ruby, meanwhile, silently calculated how many copper coins she would have left after treating everyone to barbecue, and vowed that next time she would definitely resist this "Moral Blackmail"!

...Probably.