Flower Haze

"So where are the ten stone tablets you divided now?"

Lorenzo looked at the stone tablet and asked Flamme, "But why does this stone tablet look so familiar? It's like I've seen it somewhere before."

"It's a secret."

Flamme held up one finger and said.

"However, I can give you a hint: according to outsiders, this stone tablet is probably called the 'Goddess's Monument.'"

"Goddess's Monument?"

Isn't that the thing that allows Frieren to travel back in time? It's said that the Goddess left these things behind in the human world. There are ten of them scattered all over the continent, with inscriptions on their surfaces that no one can fully decipher to this day. The Church believes that they contain revelations from the Goddess to mankind, so each stone tablet is regarded as an extremely precious sacred object.

So that's what's in front of me— the Goddess's Monument.

Etc.

"You deciphered the Goddess's Monument, stuffed your own soul inside, and even moved them?"

Lorenzo clearly remembered that there was no Goddess's Monument here in the original story, but now that one had appeared, it clearly showed how much influence he had had on this world after returning.

"Of course, otherwise how do you think I'd end up in front of you? Besides, I'm just borrowing this."

"This loan has lasted for over a thousand years?"

"For the dead, the return deadline is obviously not that important."

No, it's important no matter how you look at it.

"As you know, I didn't create the stone tablet itself."

Flamme explained.

"They were already scattered throughout the continent during my time. The stone tablets contain a very stable Goddess power, and they will not be easily damaged even after tens of thousands of years. They are perfect for preserving souls."

"So you left your soul in each of the ten stone tablets?"

"That's right."

Can Frieren travel back in time? This seems quite important for the hero's party.

"Don't worry, I didn't damage the original function of the Goddess's Monument."

As if knowing what he was thinking, Flamme continued.

"I merely used the original spell of the stone tablet to embed my soul within it. Apart from you, if anyone else comes into contact with the Goddess's Monument, it will still be able to exert its original power."

It seems like I've even told her the original plot of how the world unfolded.

"If that's the case, then are all ten versions of you the same?"

"Same, yet different."

That's a rather cryptic statement.

"What remains the same is that each stone tablet preserves a complete version of myself; what differs is the setting when we meet."

"The complete you?"

Lorenzo discovered the problem.

"How can each part of a soul remain whole after it has been divided into ten?"

"The soul isn't a cake; if you cut it into ten pieces, each piece only has one-tenth left."

Flamme gestured casually, but, did cakes really exist in that era?

"It's more like lighting ten lamps with a single flame; each lamp's flame possesses the same essence, but from the moment it's lit, they burn independently."

Simply put, it's like creating ten clones.

Just then, the white rabbit that had been pushed away earlier sneaked back to the sapling and bit the tenderest leaf at the bottom.

Not again?

Flamme quickly turned around and picked up the incorrigible rabbit.

"Oh, by the way, you promised me something."

She was holding the white rabbit when she suddenly turned to look at Lorenzo.

"You said you wanted to show me 'Flower Haze' again."

"Flower Haze?"

Lorenzo was slightly taken aback. He was familiar with the term. The so-called "Flower Haze" originally referred to the sight of a vast sea of flowers stretching out like a cloud of rosy clouds when viewed from afar.

In his past life, he used this as inspiration to design a visually appealing Magecraft using Saturn Magecraft. For Magecraft who always value practicality and getting to the root of things, this was undoubtedly a waste of Magic Resistance, so Lorenzo only tested it once when perfecting the theory.

I never expected that it would be shown to Flamme. If those old-fashioned Magecraft knew, they would probably think that I had done something like "playing with fire" in a certain sense.

"What, is that not allowed?"

"It's possible, but it might differ slightly from what you remember. After all, I might improve it in the future."

I probably can't say "maybe" anymore. I'll definitely improve this Magecraft after this.

"It doesn't matter."

Flamme picked up the white rabbit and retreated to the rock where she had initially sat.

"As long as it was you who performed it, that's fine."

Lorenzo said nothing more and raised his right hand to activate the Magic Circuits within his body.

Countless flowers bloom under the sunlight, their petals layered upon each other like falling snow covering the earth. A gust of wind blows, and the sea of flowers ripples in waves, with countless petals being swept into the sky, where they gather into a continuous cloud of light.

Red, white, purple...

The vibrant colors stretched to the horizon, the distant flowers gradually blurred, their outlines indistinguishable, leaving only a hazy glow enveloping the earth.

The sapling that was almost gnawed bare by the white rabbit also sprouted new branches under the Magecraft, and in the blink of an eye, it grew into a lush flowering tree, with pure white flowers hanging all over the branches, which fluttered down when the wind blew.

The white rabbit seemed to have forgotten that it had just been thinking about those tender leaves. It tilted its head back and chased after the falling petals, but after several attempts it failed to catch them. Instead, it plunged headfirst into the flower bushes.

Flamme ignored it.

She simply sat quietly on the rock, reaching out to catch a petal that drifted down with the wind.

"How about it?"

Lorenzo sat down next to her and asked.

"It feels the same as before."

Suddenly, Flamme leaned closer and gently rested her head on his shoulder, the movement so practiced it didn't seem like it was her first time.

Lorenzo's body stiffened slightly, and even the Magic Circuits that were running experienced a momentary fluctuation. The sea of flowers in the distance flickered and almost disappeared like a malfunctioning Projection.

"The Magecraft trick almost got interrupted!"

Flamme reminded him.

"Who do you think caused this?"

However, after a short while, Lorenzo gradually relaxed.

Flamme's body wasn't as ethereal as she had imagined; the weight and warmth transmitted through her shoulders felt incredibly real. Her orange hair was blown by the wind, gently brushing against her neck and causing a slight tickle.

The wind gradually picked up.

Petals rained down on the two of them, and a white rabbit emerged from the flower bushes, a pale yellow flower dangling from its mouth.

It circled around their feet once, and finally lay down beside Flamme's skirt, no longer bothering the poor sapling. Of course, perhaps it was mainly because it was too tired to bother it anymore.

How long can this Magecraft last?

Flamme asked.

"As long as I continue to supply Mana, it will not disappear."

Don't you think it's a waste?

"Magecraft was originally created for entertainment."

Lorenzo gazed at the sea of flowers in the distance.

"If you're not even willing to maintain the time it takes for someone to finish watching it, then creating it is a real waste."

Flamme opened his eyes, suddenly leaned in, and gently kissed Lorenzo's lips.

A gentle breeze blew through the sea of flowers. Although it was still a while before dusk, the girl in simple clothes looked so beautiful, her cheeks flushed like the deepening sunset.