The Fork in the Road

The carriage moved slowly and steadily along the dirt road heading north.

The wheels rolled over the gravel, making a regular, slightly muffled sound. The wind swept across from the north, carrying a dry and sharp chill that kept trying to seep into the gaps in the carriage.

Frieren curled up in the inner part of the carriage, wrapped herself in a thick blanket, and only her small face was visible. She squinted, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly from the cold air seeping in from the window.

"It's so cold..."

The voice was muffled, carrying an undisguised disdain for the low temperature.

Fern sat beside her, carefully combing Frieren's slightly disheveled silver-white hair. Hearing this, she didn't stop her work, her voice steady.

"Alright, alright, Lady Frieren, just bear with it a little longer. Once we get to the hot springs, we can warm up properly."

"Snort..."

Frieren let out a syllable of displeasure through her nose, her cheeks puffing out slightly.

"Damn it, that underground cave really turned out to be completely empty in the end..."

Fern straightened a tangled strand of hair and deftly braided it with her fingertips.

"Isn't there already Anti-Magic Ore?"

"No the same..."

Frieren pouted, her emerald eyes gazing out the window at the desolate scenery beneath the leaden-gray clouds, a hint of resentment lingering in her voice about "returning empty-handed."

"Treasure chests and magic books are the true romance of travel..."

Fern didn't reply, but skillfully tied the braided hair with a ribbon. She tilted her head to check it was neat, then gently patted Frieren's shoulder.

"Alright, Frieren, be good..."

Before she could finish speaking, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

The voice of a woman driving the carriage came from outside the carriage, muffled by the sound of the wind.

"Gentlemen, we've reached a fork in the road. It's getting late, and there's an inn that also serves as a tavern over there; it looks fairly decent. How about we rest here for the night?"

Lowell lifted the front curtain and peeked at the sky.

The leaden-gray clouds hung low, seemingly pressing down on the mountain ridge not far away, leaving only a blurry, heavy, dark blue silhouette of the distant mountains. The chill in the wind intensified, carrying a dampness that threatened rain and snow.

"That's fine too."

He replied and retreated into the carriage.

"Let's stay here for now. Traveling at night in this weather is unbearable."

The group got off the car.

A cold wind immediately rushed towards them without any buffer, like an icy blanket suddenly covering their faces, carrying the dry, biting scent unique to the wilderness. Frieren wrapped her cloak tighter, almost shrinking into a ball. Fern also shivered slightly, subconsciously raising his hand to pull his collar up.

At the crossroads stood an old wooden road sign, its color faded and peeling from wind and rain. The directions were marked on it in a rough, crooked hand.

Frieren walked up to the road sign, tilted her head back, and scanned the words on it with her emerald green eyes.

"Kindness..."

She murmured softly, exhaling a small puff of white mist.

"The Northern Plateau is on the right. The road on the left leads to the Inotraru Port."

She turned her head and looked at the two-story stone and wood building standing not far from the intersection. The walls were thick, and the chimney emitted intermittent smoke. Under the gray sky, it did look like a good place to shelter from the wind.

Let's find a place to stay first.

She made her conclusion and started walking towards the hotel entrance, her pace slightly faster than usual, as if she wanted to escape the omnipresent cold wind as soon as possible.

"It's a main road after all, looks like we won't have to sleep outdoors."

Fern followed, his gaze sweeping over the wisps of smoke rising from the inn's chimney, quickly torn apart and dispersed by the cold wind in the twilight.

"Indeed. Maybe we can take a bath now. I was thinking of doing so, but the water was too cold... I hope the fire in the stove here burns brightly."

Lowell, who was walking ahead, had already pushed open the heavy wooden door.

A warm, comforting aroma, a mixture of steaming food, the scent of beer, the smoke from burning firewood, and the warmth of many people, wafted over, instantly shutting out the chill behind them. The noise inside seemed to quiet down for a moment with the arrival of the new guest.

Several pairs of eyes turned towards them.

Then, a slightly surprised, cheerful male voice rang out.

"Yo!"

Four people were sitting at a square table by the window.

Wirbel stood up, flashed a bright smile that betrayed the weariness of a long journey, and waved vigorously in their direction.

What a coincidence!

Ehre, who was next to him, also looked up, her face expressionless, and simply nodded slightly as a greeting. Scharf and Stoltz also looked over, and a friendly smile appeared on Stoltz's composed face.

"Haha," Wirbel continued, his voice still clear in the slightly noisy tavern, "The plans have changed. In the end, we've decided to go by water. The Demons on the northern border have been acting strangely lately, like they're brewing something again. I need to hurry back."

Ehre picked up her cup, took a sip, put it down, and replied in a calm tone, her voice not loud, but just loud enough for them to hear.

"Wirbel was just fussing about being seasick."

Wirbel's smile froze for a moment, and he awkwardly raised his hand to touch his short, spiky hair.

"Hey, Ehre... there's no need to report such details, is there?"

Fern had already approached, her pale purple eyes calmly sweeping over Wirbel's face, which clearly bore the marks of travel, her voice devoid of any emotion.

"... Wirbel- senpai is already a man in his thirties, isn't he? Still arguing about something like this? Honestly, he's acting like a child."

Wirbel choked for a moment, then burst into laughter, the initial awkwardness turning into casual conversation between acquaintances.

"What? You've got a sharp tongue, junior." He puffed out his still-muscular chest, trying to regain some composure. "I'm not some old man; not long ago I was a young man in my twenties..."

Fern tilted his head slightly, thought for a moment, and said in a statement of fact.

"Sein often says the same thing."

Wirbel paused for two seconds, then burst into laughter as if something had tickled his funny bone.

"Haha... Really? It seems that no matter how old a man gets, his persistence in certain aspects is pretty much the same."

Lowell walked to the table, glanced at Stoltz, who had been silent but with a gentle gaze, and then at Wirbel.

"How's it going with Stoltz? You guys have a good teamwork."

Wirbel nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

"Of course! He's so reliable." He patted Stoltz's broad, sturdy shoulder beside him. Stoltz simply crossed his arms, a calm and confident smile on his face, and said nothing.

"On the northern front, where reliable vanguards are always lacking," Wirbel continued, his tone becoming more serious, "His presence has greatly lightened the burden on our Nasser Empire, and on me as captain."

Lowell smiled and sat down on the empty bench. Frieren and Fern also sat down, near the warm fireplace.

The innkeeper's wife quickly came over; she was a middle-aged woman with rosy cheeks and nimble hands. She added tableware, a few simple hot dishes, and some hot drinks.

The food wasn't fancy, but the portions were generous and piping hot. The meat in a large earthenware pot of stew was cooked until very tender, the bread was freshly baked with a crisp crust, and the hot cider emitted a sweet aroma.

The group chatted over their meal, mainly about recent events. Wirbel shared some scattered intelligence about the Demons' unusual activities on the northern border. His tone wasn't relaxed, but he wasn't panicked either; he was simply stating the facts. Stoltz occasionally added a sentence or two, keeping it concise. Ehre and Scharf listened quietly most of the time.

Frieren sipped her hot soup, her eyes narrowed, and a slight blush rose to her cheeks from the steam. Fern, on the other hand, focused on the food on her plate, eating politely but quickly; the warm dishes clearly helped to dispel the chill.

After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms.

The room was small and simply furnished, but the bed was clean, and a fire was burning in the fireplace, its orange flames flickering and casting shadows on the wooden wall, stubbornly dispelling the increasingly biting chill of the northern night. Most satisfying of all, the landlady had prepared plenty of hot water for a bath.

The night passed without incident, save for the ceaseless wind outside the window, sometimes howling, sometimes whistling, and the occasional reassuring crackling of the Burning wood in the fireplace.

The next morning.

The sky remained overcast with thick, leaden clouds, but the wind seemed to have paused, leaving only a chilling stillness.

Fern and Frieren were noticeably better, their faces regaining their usual color.

The group met up with the woman who was driving the carriage at the inn's entrance. The woman had already harnessed the carriage and was checking the harness, exhaling large puffs of white breath from her mouth and nose.

Lowell walked over.

"It's time to say goodbye, big sister." He said in a gentle tone.

"We're heading north to the plateau. You could give Wirbel and the others a ride to the port along the way. Thank you."

The woman quickly waved her hand, her face bearing a simple smile reddened by the cold wind.

"Not at all, you're too kind. I feel much more at ease traveling with two First-Class Mages. And now there's another First-Class Mage..." She glanced at Wirbel, who was walking out with his bag on his back.

"Instead of saying I'm grateful, I should be thanking you all because I have such excellent, free bodyguards..."

Lowell smiled, said nothing more, and counted out a few extra silver coins from his purse, handing them over. The woman declined for a moment, but ultimately accepted them gratefully.

Over there, Fern was whispering something to Ehre, probably a brief magical exchange. Frieren, completely wrapped in a thick cloak, only showed half her face, casually waving at Wirbel and the others.

"You're gone."

"Oh!" Wirbel waved back, his voice particularly clear in the chilly morning air. "Be careful on the road! The Northern Plateau is dangerous, so be careful too... Hmm, never mind," he paused, a slightly helpless yet amused expression on his face, "It seems a bit strange for me to remind you to be careful. You should be more concerned about the monsters of the Northern Plateau, don't overdo it."

A simple farewell.

The carriage slowly started moving towards the eastern fork in the road, its wheels rolling over the frost-covered earth. Lowell and his two companions turned north, stepping onto the slope leading to the plateau.

Their figures split into two at the empty crossroads, growing farther and farther apart until they finally disappeared into the vast, seemingly endless morning mist of the wilderness.