"So, even Heiter has passed away…"
Aesc and Fern sat together at a small table, steam rising from the cups of tea in front of them.
"Fern, what kind of person was Heiter to you?"
Aesc asked suddenly, her tone casual but her gaze curious.
Fern picked up her teacup but didn't drink. Instead, she paused, her thoughts lingering before she finally spoke.
"Heiter was someone very important to me," she said quietly, her thumb tracing the edge of the teacup. "To reassure him… to make him believe that I could live well on my own, even if I were by myself… I studied magic."
"I see… Heiter became someone so reliable," Aesc murmured, a trace of nostalgia softening her emerald eyes.
In her memories, Heiter had been a monk who loved drinking far too much and was often incapacitated for days afterward.
"Lady Aesc… were you close with Heiter?"
"Not exactly," Aesc replied, a tinge of irritation creeping into her voice. "If we were that close, he'd at least have let me know about his passing so I could attend his funeral."
Her words betrayed a hint of bitterness that even Fern could sense.
Taking a sip of her tea, Aesc continued, "I traveled with Himmel and the others for a while. You probably already know this from Frieren. After they defeated the demon king, Frieren disappeared for fifty years. During that time, I stayed in touch with Himmel, Heiter, and Eisen because they needed my help analyzing a rather unique spell. That's the extent of our connection."
Turning her head slightly, Aesc shot Fern a sidelong glance. "Did Heiter ever mention me to you?"
"…"
Fern's silence spoke volumes.
"Tch! That cold-blooded, booze-loving monk," Aesc muttered, her irritation flaring again.
Though her expression remained calm, Fern's mind raced as she tried to come up with a reason for Heiter's apparent negligence. It didn't seem like something he would do.
Suddenly, as if a thought struck her, Fern retrieved her staff.
"Lady Aesc, do you recognize this staff?"
Aesc raised an eyebrow, curious, and looked at the staff Fern held. Her gaze sharpened slightly as she recognized it.
"This… this is the staff Heiter asked me to make a while back. So, it was for you? I'd thought it was for Frieren."
Fern held the staff carefully, her hands brushing over the rough texture. Though her face betrayed little emotion, her eyes softened.
"Heiter gave this staff to me. It's something very precious," she said. "He told me that the person who made it was a dear friend of his, an extraordinary mage. He said he was incredibly lucky—there were only a handful of truly great mages in the world, and he had the fortune of calling two of them his friends."
"Heiter also told me… that if I ever embarked on my own journey and encountered any difficulties, I could seek you out. He said you'd be able to solve anything."
As Fern relayed Heiter's words, Aesc fell silent for a moment. Then, with a faint smirk, she said, "That booze-loving monk, always so quick to delegate his responsibilities…"
Despite her words, the smile tugging at her lips betrayed a trace of fondness. The bitterness that had clung to her earlier seemed to dissipate.
Fern, observing Aesc's profile, added, "Heiter really trusted you, Lady Aesc. He often said how reliable you were. During your adventures together, he sometimes even wished the mage in the party wasn't Frieren, but you."
"…He said that?" Aesc blinked in surprise. She knew Heiter well enough to know how much he valued his companions. Such words seemed out of character.
"When did he say this?" Aesc asked, perplexed.
"When Frieren got eaten by a mimic chest," Fern replied flatly.
"…That explains it."
Even rookie adventurers knew better than to fall for mimic chests. Yet Frieren, despite her thousand years of life, had repeated the same mistake countless times. No amount of scolding from Heiter or Eisen could change her inexplicable confidence.
Both men had, more than once, complained about wanting to leave the "embarrassment of an elf" behind.
"Talking to you like this brings back so many memories…" Aesc said, taking another sip of her now lukewarm tea. Her expression softened further.
Fern observed her quietly. "But, Lady Aesc… you're smiling."
"Am I?" Aesc set down her cup, a faint smile lingering at the corner of her lips. "Perhaps it's because… those were tedious yet unforgettable days."
"Frieren probably feels the same way," Aesc continued. "That journey was only a fraction of her long life—less than 1%—but it changed her profoundly."
"And now, the journey you're about to embark on will be one of those."
Aesc met Fern's gaze directly. "It'll be a long and uneventful road. I hope that one day, when you look back on it, you'll smile just as I am now and think the same thing."
Fern remained silent, her thoughtful expression suggesting that Aesc's words had struck a chord.
After a moment, Fern placed a book on the table in front of Aesc.
"This book… did you write it, Lady Aesc?"
As Aesc's eyes fell on the book, a flicker of nostalgia appeared in her expression.
"Yes, I did. It's a story I wrote based on Himmel and the others' adventures. Later, Heiter, Himmel, and Eisen all borrowed copies from me."
The book told the tale of a dove dreaming of becoming a hero, accompanied by a curious white cat mage, a strong bear warrior, and a drunken deer monk. Together, they embarked on a journey, ultimately defeating the demon king and saving the world.
The characters and plot were inspired by the real adventures of Himmel's party.
The book hadn't sold well—life in a world ravaged by monsters left little room for luxuries like storybooks—but Himmel and the others had loved it.
"Aesc," a familiar voice interrupted.
Both Aesc and Fern turned to see Frieren approaching.
"Something wrong, Frieren?" Aesc asked.
"That book…" Frieren glanced at the one in Fern's hands. "The one about Himmel and the others' adventures… do you still have copies?"
Aesc tilted her head quizzically, prompting Frieren to elaborate.
"I… want to know more about Himmel."
For a moment, Aesc simply stared at her. Then, her expression softened into a warm, understanding smile.
Later, back in her room, Frieren sat surrounded by stacks of books.
She opened one of them, letting its words guide her through the stories, each one rekindling memories she had long ignored.
These were events she had experienced firsthand. Yet, for Frieren, whose companions' lives passed in the blink of an eye, she had never truly treasured those moments.
It wasn't until Himmel's funeral, seeing the once-vibrant hero now an elderly man resting peacefully among flowers, that she realized:
I didn't know anything about him.
Why didn't I try to learn more?
Regret and grief overwhelmed her, and she wept.
Thus, she began her journey again—retracing the steps of their past adventures, hoping to understand what she had once overlooked.
Her hand stilled as her gaze fell on a particular page.
In the story, the dove aspiring to be a hero said to the white cat mage:
"The little golden cat will write down our adventures, so more people in the future can know about them."
"And if one day you find yourself wanting to know more about us, but we're no longer here… just open these books."
"Don't worry about not finding them. I'll make sure the little golden cat keeps all the stories safe. You can ask her for them anytime."
Frieren glanced at the neatly arranged books nearby. From the first volume to the last, not a single one was missing. They were all impeccably preserved.
"So… Himmel said something like that back then?"
Back then, Frieren never imagined herself wanting to learn more about others. She had completely forgotten those words.
Only now, as she flipped through the pages, did the memories resurface.