Flower Field Magic

Ruby pouted, her green eyes sparkling. She looked first at Himmel, then turned a particularly serious gaze on Frieren, who held a staff and was clearly a fellow mage.

"Hey!" She planted her hands on her hips, trying to hold her pose, but her slightly flushed cheeks betrayed her discomfort. "Even though Lady Ruby could have handled it all by herself... you helped, so thanks!" Having said that, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief, as though she had completed a difficult task.

Are tsunderes still in fashion? Lowell thought.

Frieren shifted her gaze from the demon officer's corpse to Ruby, her expression placid. "Mm," she replied, accepting the thanks and putting an end to the subject. "You're welcome."

Meanwhile, Himmel had gracefully slid his sword back into its scabbard. He turned to Ruby with a bright, rather earnest smile, as though reciting some kind of oath. "There is no need to thank us, fair mage. Ridding the world of evil is our duty. It was also an honor to witness such masterful magic."

The somewhat solemn, even slightly chuunibyou lines were unexpectedly not ridiculous when paired with his handsome face and sincere gaze. Ruby's eyes widened slightly as she listened, and her cheeks grew a little redder. As though she had found something that resonated with her, she murmured, "...Your duty, huh? That sounds pretty good."

Then her attention returned entirely to Frieren, her curiosity thoroughly overcoming her awkwardness. She walked a few steps over to Frieren and looked up at her, as though assessing a rare magical material. "I'm Ruby! What are all your names?"

Himmel gave a slight, graceful bow. "I'm Himmel, a traveling hero and handsome man, on a quest to defeat the Demon King." He stepped aside and gestured. "These two are my companions: my childhood friend Heiter, a priest, and Eisen, a very dependable dwarven warrior."

Heiter waved cheerfully, while Eisen merely gave a steady nod.

"Mage, Frieren." Frieren's answer was as concise as ever.

"Unemployed drifter, Lowell," Lowell added from the side, giving his name in a casual tone.

Once they had exchanged names, Ruby's focus became clear at once. She leaned toward Frieren, a smug look on her face that said, "I've found a kindred spirit, so let me give you some pointers."

"Hehe~ Frieren, that's a lovely name~" she said first, with an air of great importance. Then she changed tack, raising an index finger and wagging it. "You look pretty capable too. That shot just now was very precise! But—" She deliberately drew out the word. "As a mage, it's not enough to know only attack magic! True magic is found in everyday life, and it can bring beautiful things into the world!"

With that, without waiting for Frieren to respond, she confidently raised a small hand. Magic flickered at her fingertip.

"Watch closely!" she called in a clear voice, her expression intent.

A delicate little blue flower quietly bloomed at her fingertip, its petals bearing dewdrops formed from magic that glimmered in the sunlight. She carefully tucked the Cecilia Flower into her red curls, then puffed out her chest, her face full of expectant eagerness that said, "Come on, tell me how amazing I am."

"Look! This is a Cecilia Flower, made with Flower Field Magic! Romantic, isn't it~?" she boasted, her eyes astonishingly bright. "I had to pester Lady Serie for a really, really long time before she reluctantly agreed to teach me! What do you think? Call me Lady Ruby as payment for sticking your nose in, and if I'm in a good mood, maybe I'll teach you~"

She spoke rapidly, showing off like a child, as though presenting a treasure.

Frieren watched her quietly, looking at the little blue flower trembling at the end of her hair, her expression barely changing. Just as Ruby thought Frieren had been awed by her "profound" magic, Frieren merely lifted the hand holding her staff slightly.

There was no incantation, no showy gesture.

In an instant, a dazzling sea of blue flowers silently spread outward from Frieren's toes like a tide! Cecilia Flowers bloomed in clumps and clusters, instantly carpeting the entire nearby stretch of land ravaged by battle and extending as far as the eye could see. A breeze swept through, sending waves across the flowers, and their rich fragrance replaced the earlier smell of burning, as though the battlefield had instantly become a peaceful flower field.

The scale of the sea of flowers, the instantaneous control of magic, and the ease with which Frieren had accomplished it stood in stark contrast to the single little flower Ruby had so carefully produced at her fingertip.

The smug smile on Ruby's face froze instantly. Her eyes went round, and her mouth fell slightly open without her realizing it. She looked at the incredible sea of flowers before her, then at Frieren's impassive face in disbelief, and finally reached up instinctively to touch the lonely little flower in her hair.

"Huh... ah...?" She uttered a few meaningless syllables, her brain seemingly having crashed.

As though she had merely done something trivial, Frieren turned to Lowell, her tone as flat as ever. "Lowell, let's go..."

"Nooo—!"

Before Frieren had finished speaking, Ruby lunged at her like a startled little rabbit and wrapped her arms tightly around Frieren's arm, practically hanging from it. The tsundere attitude and restraint she had shown moments ago were instantly thrown to the winds, replaced by the fervor and urgency of someone who had discovered a priceless treasure.

"Don't go! Don't go! Frieren... Lady Frieren! Lady Frieren!" Ruby tilted up her little face, her green eyes full of starry admiration, her voice urgent and sweet. "Teach me! Please teach me! How did you do it?! That's amazing! You made more than Lady Serie did! And they're prettier! Please! Teach me! Ruby... Ruby will study hard! I'll call you my lady! I can call you that all the time!"

She clung to Frieren's arm and shook it back and forth like an affectionate kitten, looking nothing like the mage who had called herself "Lady Ruby" moments earlier.

Frieren frowned slightly as Ruby shook her and tried to pull her arm free, but Ruby held on for dear life. She looked helplessly at Lowell, her eyes conveying, "I think I've gotten myself into trouble."

Lowell stood nearby, watching the "little red koala" hanging from Frieren's arm, his expression as gentle and faintly languid as ever. He didn't intervene, merely lifting the corners of his mouth slightly, as though to say, "You deal with it yourself."

Himmel and his companions watched the sudden scene as well. Heiter couldn't help laughing aloud, and Eisen gave him a light nudge with his elbow. Himmel maintained a polite smile, his gaze showing a hint of understanding and amusement.

Sunlight fell over the boundless sea of blue flowers, and over Ruby, who clung tightly to Frieren, chattering and begging without end. The grim atmosphere left by the battle that had just ended had now been replaced by a somewhat chaotic yet strangely warm awkwardness.

Frieren looked down at Ruby, who gazed up at her imploringly, and narrowed her eyes in resignation. She let out a soft sigh.