Farewell

The study was very quiet.

Gluck sat in a large armchair, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers. The ash was long and about to fall off. He stared blankly at the family crest tapestry on the opposite wall.

Lowell leaned back on the opposite sofa, one leg bent and his arm draped over his knee.

"Gluck," he began, his voice languid, breaking the silence, "I say, let's not be so old-fashioned."

Gluck turned to look at him.

"You see, although you've made quite a few mistakes in the past," Lowell continued, gesturing casually with his finger, "It doesn't have to be that Duncan has to send you to jail."

He stopped and looked into Gluck's eyes.

"Think about it."

"First, Duncan personally sent his father-in-law to prison? Lektüre also lost her father? And then, when Lektüre gave birth, did he tell her that her grandfather was in prison?" He started to use Moral Blackmail.

Gluck remained silent.

The cigar ash finally broke, falling onto the book on his lap, spreading into a small clump of grayish-white. He didn't brush it off, but just watched it quietly.

Lowell shifted to a more comfortable position.

"Oh dear, politics is inherently dark. Let me tell you, with great power comes great responsibility..."

"Huh? I remember you said you didn't agree with the saying 'With great power comes great responsibility'?"

Fern's voice came from the doorway. She entered carrying a tea tray, gently placing the teacups on the small table between the two of them with steady movements. Her pale purple eyes lifted, glancing at Lowell.

Lowell's expression froze for a moment.

"... cough cough."

He gave me a "why are you trying to sabotage me?" look, coughed twice, and scratched his hair.

"Can't I be hypocritical?" he retorted confidently, then turned to Gluck, "Anyway, let's look at it from both sides. Now that you're in this position and have this power, it's far more meaningful to use it to do something practical that benefits Weise than to go in and repent."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Think about it, what if you step down and go to jail, and a nobleman with cerebral palsy comes to govern Weise? Wouldn't the people of Weise suffer just the same way? Wouldn't the people of Weise want to see you lose your current lord who is good to them because of past mistakes?"

Gluck's eyes flickered.

He slowly raised his hand, brought the cigarette to his lips, and took a drag. The smoke rose and swirled slowly in the light.

"... So what do you mean?" he asked.

"Of course we'll keep going!"

Lowell sat up straight, his tone resolute.

"Focus on the present. Don't worry about what someone did in the past. If they're a good person now, then they have value. If they truly feel guilty and need to be punished, then they should continue to shine in their position for the rest of their lives. Why insist on being severely punished by law? Aren't laws made by people? Do I have to overthrow the emperor, become emperor myself, and change the laws before you're satisfied? What's wrong with killing those stupid nobles?"

"Believe me, morality resides in everyone's heart. You are now working for Weise's good, and that's enough. If you believe you are guilty, then atone for your sins with your actions. That's far more meaningful than sitting in prison indulging in self-pity."

Gluck remained silent for a long time.

The only sounds in the study were the faint crackling of the fireplace and the distant, indistinct chime of a clock somewhere in the castle.

He slowly stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. The embers were extinguished on the porcelain surface, leaving a ring of charred marks.

"... I must say, Mr. Demon King's eloquence is truly extraordinary."

He looked up at Lowell, his voice tinged with self-mockery and a hint of relief.

"Indeed... I didn't think things through. I thought that since Duncan is now Court Magic, he could Judgment me as I deserved..."

He shook his head.

"Alright, fine. Let me be the lord of Weise one more time. But—"

He turned his head and looked out the window. From there he could see a corner of the courtyard, where Macht was standing quietly under an old oak tree, talking to an old servant.

"Macht's matter is difficult to handle. After all, he's kept Weise in Goldification for fifty years... The Empire won't accept it so easily, and I can't bear to lose my old friend."

"What's so difficult about it?"

Lowell leaned back on the sofa, speaking casually.

"Don't you know those people in the Empire? They always prefer to avoid trouble. Even if you insist that Duncan pursue the matter relentlessly, they can simply say, 'Lord Gluck was also misled by the Demons,' and you can walk away unscathed and continue being your lord."

He raised his hand and pointed to Macht outside the window.

"As for Macht, the Empire is too busy trying to win over someone of that level of combat power to resort to force. Besides, I'm here to vouch for him."

He smiled, a smile that carried an undeniable air of authority.

"No one will be so ungrateful. Even if they are, I'll make them 'come to their senses'."

Gluck looked at him for a few seconds.

Then, he sighed softly, a sigh tinged with complex emotions.

"Is that so? So that's the Demon King's strength. He may appear to have no power, but in reality, this power to do whatever he wants surpasses even that of real power."

"It's alright."

Lowell waved his hand, his tone relaxed.

"Your wish that 'the evil deeds of the Weise nobles will be exposed' will come true. Justice will be served. But you will remain in this position—not because justice has failed, but because you are required to stay and atone for your crimes."

He looked at him, his gaze calm and earnest.

"If anyone has any objections, let him come to me. I'll talk to him and reason with him."

Gluck remained silent.

He picked up the cigarette pack again, took out another cigarette, and put it in his mouth. He struck a match, gathered the flame, and lit it. He took a deep drag and slowly exhaled bluish-white smoke.

The smoke swirled in the sunlight, blurring the expression on his face.

"... Is that so?" he said softly. "This domineering attitude, so matter-of-fact, is somewhat like that of a legendary Demon King. This Demon King is the least like Demon King."

He raised his eyes, his gaze passing through the smoke and landing on Lowell's face.

"Me, my daughter, Duncan, thank you. We are extremely grateful for your help in rescuing Duncan from Weise."

Lowell was about to speak.

"Lord Lowell."

Fern's voice came from the corridor, a little faster than usual. She pushed open the door, her face expressionless, but a clear hint of helplessness lingered in her pale purple eyes.

"Lady Frieren, she..."

Lowell stood up instantly.

"What's wrong with Frieren? Don't worry."

"She... on the street..."

Fern didn't finish her sentence.

Lowell sensed Frieren's magic and vanished instantly.

The main street of Weise.

The sun was shining brightly, making the stone pavement appear white. The aroma of freshly baked goods wafted from the bakeries along the street, and the rhythmic hammering of the blacksmith's hammer echoed through the shop.

In the middle of the street, there was a small mountain piled up, surrounded by a group of people.

A small mountain, over ten meters high, was made entirely of all sorts of magical tools, spellbooks, scrolls, and bottles. The gold lettering on the spines of the books gleamed in the sunlight, the metal parts of the magical tools reflected dazzling light, and the edges of the scrolls trembled gently in the breeze.

At the very bottom of the hill, a few silvery-white hairs peek out, along with a hand reaching out, gripping a thick, heavy book.

Lowell appeared on the street, looked at the "mountain," and remained silent for two seconds.

"What's going on here?"

"Lowell, save me..."

Frieren's voice came from the bottom of the hill, muffled and with a hint of forced calm.

"I bought too much stuff; my spatial magic is overflowing..."

Lowell walked to the "mountain," squatted down, and looked at the exposed hand and the strand of silver hair.

"... Tsk, you call that 'a bit too much'?"

He raised his hand and waved it gently.

The entire hill vanished instantly, as if it had never existed. All the magical tools, books, and scrolls were stored in his alternate dimension.

Only Frieren remained sitting on the ground, clutching tightly an ancient magic book—clearly her most prized possession, larger than her face. Her silver hair was slightly disheveled, and her robes were speckled with dust. She blinked, her emerald eyes fixed intently on Lowell.

"Because the spellbooks here are really rare," she explained. "After all, this is a city from fifty years ago... the versions are very old, and many versions can't be found anymore."

Lowell reached out, pulled her up, and brushed the dust off her robe.

"Okay, of course you can buy it, but be careful not to get hurt by falling debris."

"Okay, okay, I got it," Frieren, hugging the book and smiling. "I'm not so weak as to get hurt by a magic book. I can get out even if you're not here, though I might get blown into curly hair."

"So what? 'There's a kind of coldness that only your mom thinks you feel,' and 'There's a kind of weakness that only your Demon King thinks you are.' Besides, if you come out by yourself, won't you blow up a bunch of precious books? You'll regret it later."

"Hehehe..."

Frieren stuck out her tongue, hugged the book in her arms even tighter, and a satisfied cat-like smile appeared on her face.

In front of the castle gate.

The sunlight slanted across the stone steps, casting long shadows.

Gluck stood at the front, leaning on a cane, his goatee neatly trimmed. Duncan and Lektüre stood to his left, while Macht stood silently a step behind him on his right, offering a slight support.

The four faced Lowell and his group, who were about to leave.

A breeze blew in from the courtyard, carrying the scents of green grass and distant flowerbeds, and ruffled the hem of my clothes.

I won't say much more about goodbye.

Lowell spoke, his voice carrying clearly through the empty doorway.

"Duncan, we had dinner together last night. Before you leave, let me give you a final gift."

He walked up to Duncan, reached out, and gently patted Duncan on the shoulder.

The movements were casual, like farewells between old friends.

But the moment his palm landed, a gentle yet immense flow of magic quietly surged in.

Duncan's body trembled slightly.

Then, change began.

The gray hair, starting from the roots, quickly returned to a rich, dark brown. The wrinkles at the corners of the eyes seemed to be smoothed out by an invisible hand, and the deep nasolabial folds faded and disappeared. The skin became firm again, radiating a healthy glow. The spine unconsciously straightened, and the whole person's posture exuded a restrained energy belonging to the prime of youth.

In just a few seconds.

Standing there was Duncan, who looked to be in his early twenties and was dressed in a well-fitting casual outfit. Only his eyes still held the composure and depth honed over the years.

Lektüre stood to the side, her pale golden eyes slightly widened, and she covered her mouth. Gluck's fingers tightened on his cane. Macht watched quietly with his purplish-red eyes, his face expressionless.

Duncan looked down at his hands, which had regained their youthful appearance. His fingers were long and slender, his skin smooth, without the blemishes or wrinkles of time. He clenched his fist, then released it.

"..." In the end, he said nothing.

Goodbye, and I wish you happiness.

Lowell smiled, took a step back, and returned to Frieren's side.

"Oh, right," he added, as if remembering something, "we should meet again in the Empire. But—"

He glanced at Duncan, then at Lektüre, who was clinging to his arm and looking at him with sparkling eyes, and the corners of his mouth curved into a deeper smile.

Remember to spend quality time with your wife...

"Forget it, you don't need me to remind you of that now."

He turned around and waved to the four of them.

"Let's go."

Frieren, clutching her large, gilded magic book, nodded to the group. Fern bowed slightly. Methode stood with her hands folded in front of her, a gentle smile on her face. Liletta stood silently at the back, her golden eyes calmly sweeping over everyone.

The five turned and walked along the tree-lined path in front of the castle toward the city gate.

His steps were neither hurried nor slow.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on them. A breeze blew, ruffling the hems of their clothes and the ends of their hair.

Gluck stood there, leaning on his cane, watching their receding figures. Smoke from his cigarette rose slowly between his fingers.

Duncan and Lektüre stood side by side. Lektüre's hand gently clung to his arm, her eyes shimmering with tenderness.

Macht stood silently, his crimson eyes gazing into the distance, empty and calm.

At the end of the tree-lined avenue, the city gate came into view.

Their figures disappeared into the bright daylight outside the city gate.

Only the wind remained, still blowing through the empty castle courtyard, brushing against the stone steps, and skimming the treetops, making a long, rustling sound.

It was like waking up from a long and heavy dream.

The world I woke up to was still the same color.