The next day, while the morning sun had yet to chase away the chill and dawn had just begun to shine through the inn's slightly weathered wooden window, casting mottled light over the clean, tidy single bed and its occupant, Frieren finally turned over on the soft mattress like a lazy cat. She meant to turn her back to the sunlight and sink right back into her sweet dreams.
"!!"
"Lady Frieren!"
Just then, Fern suddenly flung open the door and rushed inside.
"Lady Frieren, wake up!"
Fern went to the bedside, rudely yanked the blanket off Frieren, then hauled her teacher, Lady Frieren, upright.
"Mm..."
With no choice, Frieren opened her eyes, swaying and bleary. She rubbed the sleep from them, then, after a long moment, lazily complained:
"Fern..."
"Why are you waking me up so early? Is something urgent?"
She was sure there wasn't anything special planned for today.
"Honestly!"
Fern sighed helplessly, walked over, and gently took Frieren's hand. As she helped her wash up like a maid tending to a young lady, she grumbled:
"Lady Frieren, we're getting up early to buy fish at the harbor!"
"I heard a fishing boat is coming back today from the deep ocean. It's the only deep-sea fishing boat that comes in all year, and apparently it'll have some very precious catches."
"They say it even has a magical fish hold, so the fish will still be alive when we buy them. The freshest, tastiest, and rarest live sea fish!"
"If we're late, they'll be all gone!"
Frieren paused. Her mind was still half asleep as she tilted her head and thought it over. Letting Fern wash her up, she asked, her bleary eyes betraying her confusion:
"Tasty, rare sea fish?"
"What are we buying those for?"
"Fern, do you