Eighty-one years after Diego's disappearance…
—Northern Plateau, Ernst Region—
In the golden fields, Stark and Fern walked side by side, searching for Diego who had left without a word.
"The weather's gotten really cold lately. Fern, where do you think Master ran off to?" Stark crossed his arms, his body trembling slightly. When Fern didn't answer, he called out again, "Fern?"
"Ah! Lord Stark, what did you just say?" Fern finally came back to her senses.
Stark exhaled a puff of white mist into the air and rubbed his hands together. "I said, the weather's gotten really cold lately—"
Pat…
Fern took Stark's hand, closed her eyes, and felt it for a moment before letting go. She spoke seriously: "Yes, it's very cold."
"Ah… What were you thinking about just now?" Stark quickly pulled his hand back and added, "I called you several times and you didn't react."
Because Fern wasn't wearing gloves, he was afraid of making her hands cold.
Fern puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction and glared at Stark twice before turning her gaze toward the direction of Weise. She slowly explained: "Just now, I sensed an incredible surge of magical power from that direction. It felt just like Lady Serie."
Seeing Stark's tense expression, Fern added: "Of course, it was Lady Serie with her magical power restricted."
Stark let out a breath of relief. To be honest, he really didn't want to face someone on Serie's level—it always made him feel like his head might not stay on his shoulders for another second.
"Should we go take a look over there?" Stark suggested.
Fern nodded. She had only taken a few steps when her expression changed. "Wait, that magical power reaction is heading straight toward us! And the speed… it's so fast!"
At the same time, Stark raised his battle axe and prepared for combat.
Dozens of seconds later, a small black dot appeared in the sky.
The newcomer wore armor made of ancient magical tools. Her total magical power was overwhelming, and she had golden hair. It was Sui, who had left Weise.
The distinctive long elf ears allowed the two of them to relax a little.
"It's an elf!" Stark exclaimed.
"To think we'd meet one of Lady Frieren's kin out here. That's really rare," Fern agreed.
Sui landed from the sky and stood before them. A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, quickly turning into amusement.
Oh my. This is Stark and… his girlfriend? Heh heh, he's really grown up, hasn't he!
"Excuse me, you two. Just call me Elf. I'm what you'd call a mage-tool-user swordsman." Sui stood tall with a steady center of gravity, one hand lightly resting by her skirt and the other holding her sword naturally at her side. She met Fern's gaze. "I was just freed from a curse and have been out of sync with the outside world for five years. I'm not very familiar with the surrounding area. I sensed this young lady's magical power and came over to ask for directions. Please take care of me."
Fern's heart skipped a beat.
No way. Even when I restrict my magical power, even Lady Frieren can't easily detect me… Just how strong is she?
"I'm Fern, a first-class mage. Please take care of me."
"I'm Stark, a warrior. Please take care of me."
The two gave simple self-introductions.
From them, Sui also learned her current location.
At that moment, Sui suddenly clasped her hands together and showed a bright smile. She asked expectantly: "Have the two of you been together for a long time?"
"Ah, yes, for four years now." Stark carefully glanced at Fern and answered, "…Why do you ask?"
"May I ask if the two of you are a couple? You seem very close, and you're even wearing matching accessories." Sui began showing concern for their love life and continued with a smile, "You helped me, so in the name of Elga, I can offer my blessings for your public wedding."
"Eh…"
"Wha…"
The two instantly fell silent. They quietly glanced at each other. Their eyes met, then quickly looked away. Their faces turned red and their heartbeats went out of control.
Seeing their expressions, Sui already had her answer.
She took out a pair of glasses from her space magic and put them on, pushing up the frames with her middle finger. She laughed twice without hiding it at all. "Ohoh~~"
"Ro… roh roh? Master? No, Master is a man." Hearing that familiar laugh, Stark instantly snapped out of it. He stroked his chin with one hand and looked at the elf in front of him with one eye wide and the other narrowed. "Now that I look at you, you seem pretty familiar. Have we met before?"
"Hmm… I suppose we have met. I've seen you before."
"No no, I must have seen this face somewhere, otherwise I wouldn't have any impression." Stark's brows furrowed tighter and tighter, but he still couldn't remember. He turned to Fern for help. "Fern, do you remember?"
"Now that you mention it, I do feel like I've— You… You're… Lady Elga?!!!" Fern recalled the statues of the four heroes in the Holy Capital and let out a startled scream.
"El… Lady Elga!?" Stark screamed along with her, but a moment later he returned to a calm expression. He covered his mouth with one hand and whispered, "Who's that? Don't tell me she's someone really famous?"
"Lord Stark, that's incredibly rude!" Fern stood on her tiptoes, pressed down on Stark's head, and bowed slightly forward while leaning close to his ear to remind him, "Besides Lady Frieren, there was another elf in Lord Diego's party…"
"Eh…"
Stark froze for a second, then looked at Sui again. The more he looked, the more familiar she seemed.
So this gossip-loving elf with the constant smile… her real identity is actually Master's wife?!
The next second, his eyes widened until they were perfectly round. Sweat beaded on his forehead and cheeks, and his face was full of terror, as if he might turn to stone at any moment.
"Isn't that Master's wife?!" Stark shouted. Then he tucked his hands in and spoke with utmost respect, "…Um, I was very rude with my words just now. I'm truly sorry."
"Ah, I've been found out. That's no fun anymore…" Sui looked a little disappointed and instantly stopped smiling.
Fern asked: "Um, why are you here? And that curse…"
"As for that, could you take me to Frieren? I'll explain everything once we get there."
...
—Northern Plateau, Kinomine Gorge—
A few light, fluffy clouds dotted the sky. In the distance, layers of mountains rose and fell in continuous waves. The mountain peaks and ridges outlined sharp contours under the play of light and shadow.
At the foot of the mountains was dense vegetation. In the foreground, the texture of the leaves was clearly visible. Sui had successfully reunited with Frieren and the others. She told them everything about her years of traveling alone, including everything that had happened after she escaped from Weise.
"...Not long after Dio disappeared, Denken arrived in Weise and used the Inverted Spear of Heaven to liberate the entire Golden Land."
"It was from him that I learned your general location." Sui took out the Inverted Spear of Heaven and placed it in Frieren's palm. She gently closed Frieren's fingers around it. "Although Dio told me to keep this sword safe, I think it should still be kept by you, Frieren. After all, you were the first person he entrusted it to."
Frieren lowered her eyes. She felt the familiar touch of the hilt. Her voice was low, and her tone couldn't hide her self-reproach: "I should have noticed much earlier."
"Frieren…" Alicia watched Frieren with deep concern.
"That night was strange. Dio suddenly ran into the tent, slapped me on the butt, and then borrowed the Inverted Spear of Heaven on the excuse that he needed to peel fruit with it." Frieren pulled her knees up and buried her head in front of them. Her voice was muffled. "He clearly likes eating it with the skin on."
"No, Lord Diego really did use it to peel the skin. Stark, Fern, and I can all testify to that." Sein spoke up.
Frieren instantly lifted her head and said gloomily: "Sein, don't undermine me when I'm already feeling down."
"Yes~~ I won't do it again." This time it was Sein who lowered his head.
Frieren's ears drooped. She returned to that dejected look and muttered to herself: "If only I were a little more sensitive to emotions…"
Hearing this, Alicia's eyes flickered. She took a deep breath, grabbed Frieren's hand, and pulled her up from the ground.
"Alicia?"
"Frieren, can you cheer up and come somewhere with me?"
Frieren instinctively wanted to refuse, but when she saw the determination in Alicia's eyes, she quietly swallowed the words back down.
"Where are we going?"
"It's a secret."
Alicia raised her index finger in front of her lips.
...
According to the scriptures, heaven and earth were created by the Goddess.
Legend says that the Goddess poured her magic into stone monuments and left ten Goddess Monuments across this continent.
Alicia's destination was one of those Goddess Monuments.
When the party had been subjugating the Demon King, they had passed through here. At the time, Sui had not yet joined, and Frieren had wasted three days and three nights here trying to analyze the Goddess's magic, which had earned her quite a few complaints from Diego.
"We're here."
After several hours of traveling, Frieren was brought by Alicia to a broken stone monument that only had its base remaining.
Frieren squatted down and carefully examined the monument in front of her. "A Goddess Monument? There's still some magical power left, but I'm really not in the mood to analyze the magic inside it right now. I remember the last time I analyzed magic here, I somehow lost several days of memories."
"We're not here to analyze it." Alicia spoke softly to comfort her. She held Frieren's hand. "We're here to make up for our regrets."
"Hmm?"
"Ah! I know. Has it already reached that time?!" Mabel narrowed her eyes. Her body suddenly trembled as she pointed at the monument.
Frieren was completely lost. "What do you mean?"
Before Frieren could finish speaking, Alicia took her hand and pressed it against the monument without hesitation. "Fialator."
"Fialator…" Frieren repeated it once and asked in confusion, "What does that mean?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, the monument emitted a dazzling light. The light flashed and enveloped Frieren's entire body. In the blink of an eye, the broken monument in front of her was restored to perfect condition.
"Hmm?"
The sudden change made Frieren's eyes widen uncontrollably.
She turned her head, about to hear the answer from Alicia, but instead saw a sight she would never forget for the rest of her life.
Alicia and Mabel were still standing in the same place, but Stark, Fern, Sein, and Sui had vanished without a trace.
In their place was a light brown horse.
The snow-white mane and the familiar red five-pointed star mark on its forehead made Frieren unconsciously speak the name: "Silver Bullet…"
She lowered her gaze again.
Beneath Silver Bullet's four sturdy legs sat a person. The figure had one hand clenched into a fist against his cheek, and his face was full of displeasure.
It was none other than Diego Brando!
"Dio…"
Eighty-one years after Diego's disappearance.
One year after Diego's party set out.
Northern Plateau, Kinomine Gorge.