A Clear Heart

Fern smoothed the wind-blown ends of her hair and looked at Lowell with her pale purple eyes.

"So, Lord Lowell, what did you mean when you said 'we'll talk about it later'?"

Lowell thought for a moment.

"Um... Fern, I meant..."

He glanced at Liletta was following behind, still steadily reciting something.

"Fern, when you were about to kill her, didn't you feel even a little hesitation or discomfort?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Fern replied, "No."

Lowell clicked his tongue softly.

"Fern is really strong. On the surface, she's like a quiet and harmless little cake, but in reality, her mental fortitude is incredibly strong... She's as firm as a rock inside... It's not surprising, though. When she's disciplining us, that mushroom-like aura is already showing."

Fern pouted, the corners of his mouth curving downwards slightly, and he waved his two little fists in dissatisfaction.

"It doesn't resemble a giant mushroom at all. But do you mean that you, and Lady Frieren, hesitate and feel uncomfortable when ending the lives of Demons?"

Lowell remained silent for a moment.

"You should remember that I told you I could 'see' fragments of the future. One of those futures..."

He casually raised his hand.

Ripples spread across the air before my eyes, like waves on water. Then, a clear image appeared in mid-air—

Solitär stood there, her dress torn in several places, stained with dust and dark dirt. She raised her hand to wipe her eyes, leaving a dark red mark on her fingertips, but her eyes shone brightly as she stared intently at Frieren in front of her.

"That's great... Frieren, there's something I'd like to ask you, is that alright?"

Frieren stood not far away, her staff on the ground to support her slightly trembling body. Her breathing was a little heavy, her silver hair was somewhat disheveled, and her emerald eyes calmly met her gaze.

"You're such a chatterbox, you're such a waste of time."

As she said this, her fingers gripping the cane tightened silently.

It's good to have some time to recover. Her injuries look serious, but my situation is... worse.

Fern stared at the scene in the sky.

"Ah, it's Lady Solitär and Frieren?"

Lowell nodded.

"Yes, this is a fragment of a future that has long since deviated from its original course and will never come true. In that future, Solitär was an enemy to be eliminated, not a partner in this life."

Frieren had somehow joined them, her emerald eyes fixed on the illusion with a keen interest.

"Hey... this is interesting."

Lowell smiled.

If you find it interesting, keep watching.

In the scene, Solitär coughed softly twice, but the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.

"I know very well... that humans are incredibly powerful as social animals. They possess wisdom, courage, creativity... and can continuously evolve by communicating and sharing with each other. These are wonderful qualities that most of our Demons lacks."

Her voice was gentle, even tinged with appreciation.

"Of course I'm not so arrogant as to think the day I'm defeated by humans won't come... I've always been very interested in studying the Human race. So, I've made a decision."

She paused, her tone softening, taking on a deliberately theatrical quality.

"When that day truly comes, I will kneel down, weeping and begging for forgiveness... If that day is today, and you are the one who will kill me, please tell me... how you feel..."

Frieren looked at her silently, her face expressionless.

Solitär clasped her hands together in front of her, her fingertips slightly curled, as if in a gesture of genuine repentance. Her emerald eyes shimmered with tears, and her tone was mournful.

"I'm sorry, Lady Frieren, I don't want to die... I will change my ways. I just want to be your friend, but I really don't know how... Please forgive me, I will never do it again..."

Frieren's eyes dimmed for a moment, then immediately brightened again.

"Give me a break. I'm sick of that excuse."

Solitär blinked, the sorrow on her face receding like the tide, replaced by a smile that mixed with a faint regret and a deep sense of inquiry.

"Oh, I see. That's a pity."

Her voice returned to its usual tone, tinged with regret.

"Then it seems... in a spiritual sense, you are no longer 'human' at all."

Frieren raised her eyes, her expression slightly somber as she looked at her.

Solitär smiled, a bright smile, but devoid of warmth, filled only with the pure curiosity of someone observing an experimental subject.

"When an individual with a human appearance and speaking human language begs you to prolong their existence, can you kill them without hesitation...?"

She tilted her head slightly, and strands of hair slipped down her shoulder.

"Between the two of us... who is less 'human'?"

Frieren's eyes narrowed slightly, a clear chill flashing in her emerald pupils. Killing intent gathered, but she suppressed it tightly, preventing it from erupting. Instead, it transformed into an even heavier pressure that permeated the air.

Solitär was even happier, her body even leaning forward slightly in excitement.

"That's amazing... it's really amazing... look at that expression..."

She urged him on, her voice soft.

Please tell me how you are feeling right now.

Frieren met her gaze for a few seconds, then let out a soft, long breath. The ripples that had been stirred seemed to subside, her eyes regaining their calm, even revealing a hint of weariness.

"As expected, this hardly qualifies as a conversation, Solitär."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear.

"Of all the Demons, you are the most adept at manipulating people's hearts. However, right now, you are furthest from the so-called 'coexistence.' All you do is provoke the animals in the cage and observe their reactions."

Solitär remained unmoved, still smiling.

"And then? Can you tell me your thoughts?"

Frieren paused for a moment.

Then she spoke, her voice flat and monotone.

"... I'm glad. It's a cruel and ruthless Demons like you who's fighting me."

She looked up at Solitär.

"It has been a long time since I... could end my opponent's life without feeling any remorse."

The image rippled and then disappeared like water.

The surrounding wilderness became clear again, and the wind howled.

Fern stood quietly, her pale purple eyes reflecting the fading light of the sky. After a few seconds, she spoke softly.

"Hmm... thinking about it carefully, doing something like this probably doesn't feel good at all?"

Lowell nodded.

"Yes. Ending a life is never an easy thing. Even with Aura in that timeline, Frieren felt the same way when she did it..."

"In some places, an execution requires three people to each press a button, but only one of them actually takes effect. This way, no one knows for sure who ended the prisoner's life, even though they are clearly executing a criminal who deserves to die."

He looked at Fern.

"And what we face are lives that will weep and beg for mercy before us, even if we know full well the enormity of their sins..."

"Even the hero Himmel hesitated before he first considered killing Mina, that Demons girl. And we, even elves whose emotions are less intense than humans, even I, Demons who can be considered heartless, still feel a heavy weight. It's as if this is something etched into the very bones of many lives, Fern."

He smiled, a smile that held a hint of helplessness, but also a touch of approval.

"It's not that you're not human. It's just that your steadfast and unwavering resolve is rare and powerful. You know, many people have lost their lives precisely because they couldn't bring themselves to kill Demons. Of course, it's also possible that you haven't truly killed a human or Demons yet, only slayed monsters, and don't know what it feels like afterward."

Fern thought for a moment.

"Is that so? I just feel that any threat that needs to be eradicated should be completely eliminated."

She looked at Lowell.

"I'll take that as a compliment. So, have neither of you gentlemen ever taken a life with your own hands?"

Before Lowell could say anything, Frieren spoke first. She crossed her arms, her emerald eyes gazing at the distant horizon, her tone flat.

"I haven't killed anyone. Lowell did most of it."

Lowell scratched his head, not denying it.

Fern looked at him.

"Is that so? Is it because..."

Lowell was silent for a moment. The wind swept across the wilderness, carrying a chill.

Then he spoke, his voice lower and slower than usual.

"Okay. I'll take care of it."

He turned his head and looked at Frieren beside him. She was still gazing into the distance, her profile serene in the twilight.

"I will bear the burdens that must be borne. I will stain my hands with blood."

He withdrew his gaze, quietly looked at Frieren for a moment, and a slight smile curved his lips.

"Frieren's hands... should always be clean, used to hold her favorite magic books, touch her curious treasure chests, or occasionally... ruffle my hair."

"Frieren's heart should always be clear and bright, like the deepest mountain lake, reflecting only starlight, flower fields, and those strange but joyful magic spells she has collected."

That's enough. Her hands, her heart, will always be clear and bright.

Fern listened quietly.

As dusk settled, the last rays of light sank behind the distant mountains. The wilderness was enveloped in a hazy, deep blue, with only the sound of the wind remaining.

After a while, Fern nodded slightly.

"Kindness."