Love, Lies, and Resurrection

"You..."

Lorenzo turned to look at Flamme.

The woman who had made such a bold move now looked away, as if she hadn't been the one who had just kissed someone else. Only her flushed cheeks proved that she was far from being as calm as she appeared.

"This is the reward we agreed on for you from that previous ruin."

Flamme said, feigning composure.

"But there should be many other types of normal rewards, right?"

But I prefer this one.

What a capricious reason.

But Lorenzo couldn't find a rebuttal.

"Alright, it's time for you to go back. I've had you all to myself for so long, I should be satisfied now."

For some reason, I always felt that these words weren't said to Lorenzo, but rather to herself.

Flamme stood up from the stone.

"Time here moves slower than outside, but it's not completely still. If you continue to disappear, Frieren outside might think I've done something to you and destroy this tree."

Given Frieren's personality, it seems like she really could do it.

Especially since this tree was left by Flamme, that guy would probably say "Master shouldn't mind" while studying where to start without any psychological burden.

"In that case, see you next time."

Lorenzo felt his body slowly becoming transparent, so he said to Flamme.

Goodbye. I hope you can learn the "Resurrection True Magic" and come back to revive me.

Flamme waved to him, but before he could reply, Lorenzo vanished from the world completely. With his departure, the sea of flowers returned to its original state.

That's how it should be.

Those flowers that bloom under the sun, destined to wither and fade after reaching their full bloom, are like a fleeting dream...

She kept waving until two or three rabbits emerged from the grass and circled her feet again, at which point she lowered her arm as if waking from a dream.

Time began to fly by at that moment, and soon it was evening. Flamme sat back on the rock, staring blankly at the tree that he had planted with Lorenzo.

Let's do the math.

The time is almost up, and I'll soon disappear.

After all, their own task had been completed.

It's really hard to say goodbye. I've been waiting for him to come here for so long, and I was determined to teach him a lesson from the beginning, but when I actually saw him, I couldn't utter a single word of complaint.

What a failure, Flamme.

I definitely wanted to talk to him a little longer than to blame him.

She simply had him sit with her for a while, then cast the Flower Haze on him again, and before he could react, she secretly kissed him.

In just that, the resentment that had accumulated during the long wait vanished completely.

How pathetic, Flamme.

However, disappearing like this doesn't seem so unacceptable. As the saying goes, after every tender moment, something beautiful is gained; after every kiss, something precious is gained.

The moment of parting will eventually come, but at least we can enjoy a moment of peace while savoring the sweetness.

How easily satisfied you are, Flamme.

"Saying 'see you next time'..."

Flamme looked at the empty space beside him and complained softly.

There won't be a next time.

Then she looked down at the rabbit lying at her feet.

"Don't you dare follow my example."

One of the rabbits raised its head, clearly not understanding, and looked at her blankly.

I really hope Lorenzo won't regret lying to him in the end; after all, it was probably the best choice for him.

Flamme smiled and reached out to touch its ears, but his fingertips passed right through the white rabbit's body.

Her body was beginning to become transparent, so she raised her head and quietly faced the distant sunset.

Actually, to be honest, I haven't lost everything; it's just that those cherished memories have started to become a little blurry.

The visual recollection is particularly hazy; the colors of memory gradually blend together, and the faces of familiar people seem to be seen through a layer of fogged glass.

She remembered many things they had said to each other, and she also remembered that the man had promised her some things, but when she tried to recall them, her words could no longer connect with the scenes in her memory.

Memories are losing their shape, leaving only vague feelings that remain.

Perhaps this is the process of consciousness gradually fading away.

Flamme thought to himself.

However, even though everything is coming to an end for her, it will still be a happy memory until the very last second before the sun sets, and she should continue to accumulate pleasant moments!

So she began to hum the tune that Lorenzo had once taught her. As for the lyrics or which distant country they came from, she could hardly remember them anymore. Only the fragmented melody stubbornly lingered in her fading memory.

It doesn't matter.

If you can't remember the lyrics, just hum along. No one will correct you if you sing a few wrong syllables.

Thinking of this Flamme laughed instead.

In the past, Lorenzo was very serious about this. Whether it was Magecraft spells or ordinary songs, he couldn't help but correct himself if he heard even the slightest mistake.

If he were still here, he'd probably be frowning.

She can no longer clearly recall what that face looked like, but just imagining that person's helpless reaction still makes her happy.

Even if the specific scene is lost, happiness does not disappear immediately.

So Flamme stopped trying to hold onto those fading memories and simply continued humming that melody whose name he could no longer recall, under the watchful eyes of the rabbits.

As the sun slowly sank into the distance, until the last ray of light disappeared, a sweet smile remained on her face.

Meanwhile, outside...

Lorenzo was practically spat out by that big tree.

"Cough cough..."

He awkwardly pushed himself up from the ground, brushing the grass off his clothes. That was far too rude! He could have at least given a heads-up, so he could prepare to land.

Lorenzo.

Frieren and Fern, who were waiting outside, came over.

What did you encounter inside?

"That's a long story."

He couldn't very well tell Frieren that he had just met her master inside the Goddess's Monument, and that the woman not only claimed to be his wife but also inexplicably kissed him.

This kind of thing is strange no matter how you try to explain it.

How much time has passed now?

"About fifteen minutes."

"Fern said to Lorenzo."

The flow of time inside the stone tablet is different from that outside. He stayed inside for at least several hours, but only fifteen minutes had passed outside.

"But I roughly know the purpose of our future trip."