Parting

The morning light once again bathed the stone streets of this Northern Frontier town. The fierce battle and sorrow of yesterday seemed to have been swept away by the cold wind, leaving only a sense of tranquility after the disaster. Earl Shuralk acted swiftly and decisively. Early the next morning, he summoned the best stonemasons in the town to the relatively open square in front of the castle.

"My esteemed benefactors, I would like to express my gratitude. Please be sure to have the craftsmen sculpt statues of you to commemorate your merit in eliminating the Yeti scourge and protecting this region." The Earl's voice was loud and clear, carrying the straightforwardness characteristic of northerners.

However, unlike the enthusiastic or performative atmosphere of similar occasions in the past, this time the atmosphere in the group was somewhat quiet.

Himmel looked at the stone the craftsman had brought over. His handsome face still wore a gentle smile, but deep within his blue eyes, the eagerness to "consider which posture best displayed the spirit of a warrior" had diminished, replaced by a more mature composure. He pondered for a moment, then nodded to the craftsman, his tone calm. "Thank you for your trouble. The usual standing posture with sword in hand will suffice."

Ruby, standing to the side, was unusually quiet. Normally, she would have been jumping around, planning how to make her statue both cute and majestic like a magician, and might even have argued with Himmel about who should stand in the center.

At this moment, the red-haired little mage simply stood silently beside Himmel, her large emerald eyes gazing at the still- Melt snow at the edge of the plaza, her gaze somewhat distant. Hearing Himmel's words, she merely gave a soft "hmm," her small face showing little excitement, and whispered, "My statue... a normal mage standing pose will do, holding a staff is fine."

Clearly, Snow Witch Monet, and her diary filled with despair and obsession, like the lingering chill of yesterday, had quietly seeped into their hearts, diluting the joy brought by the statue's commemoration and adding a touch of solemnity and contemplation to the occasion.

Heiter and Eisen observed the two men's reactions. Heiter took a swig of wine, said nothing, and simply patted Himmel on the shoulder. Eisen silently shouldered his battle axe, his bronze face still bearing that unyielding expression, as if the statue itself made no difference to him.

The craftsmen began their work, the clanging of their chisels echoing in the morning air. The sculpting of the statue began in an unusual tranquility.

The troops rested in the city for two more days. During these two days, the atmosphere still carried a sense of weariness after a great battle and an undercurrent of impending separation.

Ruby didn't pester Frieren with questions like she usually did, or drag Himmel to the market. Most of the time, she would just sit by the inn window, holding her staff, staring blankly at the gray northern sky.

Himmel, along with Heiter and Eisen, carefully checked their equipment and replenished their supplies, making final preparations for their upcoming entry into the Demons- controlled territory. Their conversations were also much more concise than usual.

Frieren adapted well to the tranquility, spending most of her time holed up in her room studying the book she'd swiped, "The Snow Child's Guide to Summoning and Play." Occasionally, she would try to conjure a small, crooked snowman outline with her magic, but it would usually dissipate with a "poof" after only a short while. She wasn't discouraged; she would just tilt her head and look at it for a while before continuing to flip through the book.

Lowell, on the other hand, seemed quite relaxed. Sometimes he would wander around the city alone, and sometimes he would lean against the side, watching Frieren with the magic book, a subtle, enigmatic smile playing on his lips.

The day of parting finally arrived. At the city gate, the north wind swirled tiny ice crystals, whipping the clothes and hair of the crowd.

There were no many words, no tearful scenes. Ruby sniffed hard, her large blue eyes brimming with tears. She struggled to hold back her own tears, waving vigorously at Frieren, Lowell, Lupa, and Linié, her voice choked with emotion. "Lady Frieren! Lowell! Lupa! Linié! Goodbye! We must see each other again!"

The farewells of Himmel, Heiter, and Eisen were even more silent. Himmel simply brushed aside his wind-blown blue hair, gave Lowell and Frieren a slight nod, his blue eyes filled with a clear, unspoken trust and farewell. "Take care," he whispered.

Heiter laughed and raised his wine jug in greeting. Eisen nodded silently, his bronze face displaying the fortitude of a warrior.

Frieren watched them calmly and gave a soft "hmm." Lowell also waved gently. Lupa pursed her lips, her heterochromatic eyes filled with reluctance, but she only nodded vigorously. Linié stood quietly, her deep blue pupils reflecting the departing figures, and took a small bite of an apple that she had taken out from somewhere.

The four turned and, facing the north wind, embarked on a journey to the far north, to that land shrouded in the shadow of the Demons. Their figures gradually blurred in the wind and snow, eventually becoming a few tiny black dots in the sky and earth.

The group marched across the vast snowfield. After traveling some distance, Heiter glanced at Himmel, who was walking silently beside him, and broke the silence. His tone was as forthright as ever, yet there was also a hint of barely perceptible inquiry. "Hey, Himmel, the farewell was rather uneventful. That's not like you. I thought you'd at least give me a hug or something."

Eisen's deep voice followed, concise and to the point. "We've traveled together for four years, and it really doesn't seem like you."

Upon hearing this, Himmel didn't stop walking. His handsome profile was exceptionally clear in the snowlight. A gentle smile curved his lips, and his voice carried on the wind, bearing a clarity and composure born of experience:

"As long as we're still traveling, we'll meet again someday. Saying goodbye with tears in our eyes isn't suitable for us. That would be... really awkward when we meet again."

Ruby, walking beside him, was still sniffling softly. Hearing Himmel's words, she raised her little hand and vigorously wiped her eyes, her voice trembling with tears, yet she tried her best to sound firm, "Waaah... um!"

Himmel reached out and gently ruffled Ruby's fiery red curls, her tone encouraging and entrusted. "Alright, don't cry anymore, our Ruby. From now on, you're the only mage in the team. The important task of detecting magical fluctuations and dealing with the strange magic of the Demons will be entrusted to you."

Ruby puffed out her small chest, her eyes still red-rimmed, but a fighting spirit had rekindled in her emerald eyes. She nodded vigorously, "Yes! Leave it to me!"

Meanwhile, Lowell and his three companions did not leave the town immediately.

Standing at the somewhat deserted city gate, Lupa gazed in the direction where Himmel had disappeared, a hint of melancholy flashing in her heterochromatic eyes. She turned to look at Lowell beside her, who seemed to be merely seeing off a few ordinary friends, and couldn't help but ask, "Master, when we parted... you didn't seem sad at all? If it were Lady Frieren, I wouldn't be surprised at all."

Lowell withdrew his gaze from the distance, smiled—a smile that carried a worldly-wise serenity, and a hint of indescribable complexity. "Yes... but, in the fragments of the future I foresee, I've seen this scene of parting far, far too many times."

He paused, his tone becoming lighter, "And we'll meet again. Then, we'll probably be the heroes welcoming back the Demon King."

Upon hearing this, Lupa's eyes lit up, and an expectant smile appeared on her face, "That's really something to look forward to!"

At this moment, Frieren, who had been standing quietly to the side, turned her emerald eyes to Lowell and suddenly spoke. Her tone was calm and even, yet it was like a needle gently piercing through a facade. "Speaking of which, you don't seem to have foreseen this ambush regarding Monet."

Lowell's calm expression faltered slightly, then turned into a wry smile. He nodded frankly. "Yes, I'm not omniscient or omnipotent either. The future is full of variables. Just like that Demon King will be defeated, or someone as powerful as Serie might be beheaded without even knowing why or who the murderer is... Nothing in this world is absolute."

Frieren looked at him quietly, only replying faintly, "Is that so? That's hard to imagine."

"However," Lowell changed the subject, "There are some 'futures' that I clearly see, and as long as I'm still here, I won't let them happen."

Lupa nodded vigorously, her heterochromatic eyes filled with unwavering trust. "Yes! I believe in Master!"

Linié, who had been quietly waiting, raised her head, her deep blue eyes looking at Lowell, and asked in her characteristically calm voice, "Then, Lowell, do you see where Linié's big apple is?"

Lowell: "..." The serious look on his face instantly vanished. He sighed, rubbed his forehead, and pulled another bright red apple from his personal storage space, handing it to her. "Here, this is the last one. Eat it sparingly..."

Linié took the apple and quietly took a bite.

Frieren watched this scene, a barely perceptible smile curving her lips upwards. Then she turned, her silver twin tails tracing a clean arc in the wind. "Let's go, back now. The honey biscuits here are pretty good. I can buy a lot more on the way back. If I keep them warm with magic, it should be enough to last until the next town. I don't want to eat crunchy bread again."

The four turned and headed towards the inn where they would temporarily stay, leaving the cold winds of the Northern Frontier and the long journey behind for the time being.