Stark Leaves the Party

In the afternoon, the adventure team continued their journey.

Deep in the forest, at a crossroads, a wooden road sign points in two different directions: Neutorar Port and the Northern Plateau.

The group decided to rest and replenish their supplies in the small town ahead before continuing their journey to the Northern Plateau the next day.

Frieren pushed open the tavern door, and inside the tavern hall sat two familiar figures: Wirbel and his teammates.

Wirbel greeted Frieren warmly, a stark contrast to the cold demeanor he projected during the exam.

He saw Stark behind Frieren, and his smile widened. He waved familiarly, inviting everyone to sit down.

He picked up two glasses of beer from the counter and placed them in front of Stark and Dugu Qing.

"Stark, we owe you a lot for helping us defeat the Lion Boar last time!"

Stark picked up his glass, took a sip, and closed his eyes in satisfaction. Good wine.

Wirbel raised his glass and began to describe the battle situation on the northern border to everyone.

Since the death of the hero Himmel, the Demons have begun to wreak havoc on a large scale, attacking human cities, breaking through defenses, slaughtering humans, and destroying production, causing chaos in the northern border region.

In order to reinforce the border troops and evade powerful monsters, Wirbel decided to travel by sea to return to the North as soon as possible.

Wirbel's teammates were seasick and slumped in their chairs, not even having any appetite.

Wirbel looked at Stark and made no attempt to hide his true feelings.

"Stark, have you thought about what I told you last time?"

Frieren sensed something was wrong. Were these two hiding something from her?

Wirbel explained, "Because of the Demons' incursions, the situation on the northern border is quite dire, and the number of warriors is severely insufficient. Therefore, I invited Stark to come with me to the border."

Stark politely declined.

Wirbel claimed he would leave the next day, giving him one night to think things through.

Stark nodded noncommittally.

Dugu Qing ordered several hot dishes, gave the beer to Stark, picked up his chopsticks, and elegantly enjoyed the food.

As evening falls, the sun sets in the west.

Remembering the skin-cleansing magic he had invented, Dugu Qing went to Frieren's room and taught the magic to Frieren and Fern.

The three people sat on the bed, chatting and laughing intimately, just like a real family.

As Stark walked down the corridor, he saw Dugu Qing and Frieren Fern being very close, and he was extremely envious.

He reached out his hand, wanting to join them, but he was too tongue-tied to find a topic to talk about. He tried for a long time but didn't have the courage to knock on Frieren's door.

Stark sighed, suppressing his impulse, and looked at the sunset on the horizon. Suddenly, he remembered Wirbel's invitation, and his eyes lit up.

Perhaps, disappearing from the battlefield, fighting in distant lands, and shedding blood on the battlefield is the true destiny of a soldier!

Only there can a soldier with unwavering resolve maximize his value and be noticed.

Thinking of the perilous situation in the north, Stark's long-suppressed feelings gradually found solace.

The following day, at 10:00 AM.

Frieren had just gotten up and was sitting in the dining room having her meal.

Dugu Qing and Fern had already eaten, but they still sat next to Frieren, the three of them enthusiastically discussing the application and modification of the new magic.

Seeing this, Stark, who had been unsure how to speak, suddenly burst forth with emotion.

"Hey! Frieren, Dugu Qing, Fern, I've accepted Wirbel's invitation."

Dugu Qing, Frieren, Fern stopped what they were doing and stared at Stark in disbelief.

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat silent.

Stark, however, was secretly delighted. Finally, he was finally shocked!

Although the price was extremely high, it was really worth it!

Seeing the startled expressions on the faces of Fern, Dugu Qing, Frieren, and becoming the center of attention for a moment, makes my Stark worthwhile!

Dugu Qing looked at Stark with regret, choosing to respect his personal fate.

Fern wanted to keep Stark, but her relationship with Stark was so-so that she didn't say much.

Frieren stood up from the chair and placed her cold little hand on Stark's forehead.

Are you out of your mind?!

Stark was both ashamed and angry. "Of course I'm not sick! I'm doing this for humanity! For world peace..."

Stark was entrusted to Frieren by Eisen, and she felt responsible for Stark, offering a few more words of advice.

"Stark, the battle at the border is extremely dangerous. Are you really going?"

The more Frieren urged him, the happier Stark became, and he picked up his beer with an air of righteous indignation.

"There's no other way! It's all for defeating the Demons!"

Stark's eyes were resolute, as if he had truly made up his mind to head to the border.

Frieren regretfully returned to her seat, no longer offering any further advice.

Dugu Qing ordered a lavish meal from the counter, filling the table, and also ordered two bottles of beer as a farewell gift for Stark.

Stark drank his beer, the smile on his face gradually faded.

He thought of the care Dugu Qing had always shown him, the concern Frieren had for him, and the various delicious foods that Fern had prepared...

Two lines of tears involuntarily streamed down my face.

Those were tears of regret, tears of realization, tears of longing... but they could never be taken back.

After the meal, Wirbel came down from the second floor, and Stark sat down next to Wirbel, trying his best to put on a bright smile.

Frieren watched as Stark and Wirbel chatted happily, and she was pleased that he was able to make independent judgments.

"Our team might be a bit boring for Stark! Hopefully, his dreams will come true when he gets to the north."

After lunch, it was time to say goodbye.

Stark, Wirbel, and Wirbel's random teammates, having rested, waved goodbye.

Frieren took out half of her savings from her suitcase and gave it to Stark.

Dugu Qing and Fern handed out the snacks they had made but hadn't finished eating.

Standing in the bright sunshine, Stark looked at Dugu Qing, Frieren, Fern, and thought of every day they had spent together.

Life was leisurely, but it was so wonderful that it's something to cherish.

Actually, you can be very happy even if you're just a nobody in a team like this!

Thinking of the delicious dishes Dugu Qing occasionally prepared, the gentle head pats Frieren sometimes gave, and the occasional tenderness from Fern, like a mother...

Tears welled up in Stark's eyes again.

Damn it, why did he ever leave this team in the first place?!

What a bastard! What a bastard!

Stark felt a pang of heartache and looked expectantly at Frieren, Dugu Qing, Fern, hoping they would speak up and persuade him to stay.

But Frieren, Dugu Qing, Fern waved with smiles on their faces, without saying another word.

Goodbye, everyone.

Stark was listless and extremely uncomfortable, and followed Wirbel away in a daze.