It was a memory from a spring day.
The sky was clear, and a gentle breeze drifted through the air.
"Sorry, I just accepted an escort mission."
Himmel had disappeared for a short while, and upon returning, he delivered this piece of news to the group.
"He's at it again..."
"Well, that's just the kind of person Himmel is, isn't it?"
Frieren and Eisen mocked him lightly, their reactions carrying an air of familiarity, as though this was entirely expected.
"This isn't so bad, though, is it?"
Aesc smiled and nodded. "When you've accepted a mainline gold mission, it's only natural to pick up a few blue side quests along the way. And during festivals, you grab a couple of purple event missions, right? Otherwise, where are you going to get enough currency to pull for new characters?"
"Aesc is saying weird things again..."
"Well, that's just the kind of person Aesc is, isn't it?"
At this point, Heiter adjusted the glasses perched on his nose and directed a question to Himmel.
"I don't understand. Himmel, what's the point of doing all this?"
"The point... That's a profound question. Let me think about it..."
Himmel turned his gaze to the window. Outside, the night sky was tranquil and deep, with countless stars sparkling in harmony with the lights of the village below.
"Hmm... Heiter, what do you think our responsibility is?"
"To defeat the Demon King."
Without a moment's hesitation, Heiter gave his answer.
"To defeat the Demon King. Yes, that's not wrong... but it's not what I truly seek."
Himmel withdrew his gaze from the starry sky—or perhaps the flickering lights below—and turned back to meet Heiter's confused expression.
"I want to change this world... to make it better. That's the goal I had in mind when I chose to become a hero."
"If we want to change this world, defeating the Demon King alone isn't enough. I want to do as much as I can within my power to bring about change."
"Even if we do succeed in defeating the Demon King, we'll soon be forgotten. But the traces we leave behind during this journey... those could quietly transform this world in the future."
"That day might still be far off—so distant that we won't be around to see it. But... someone will live to see that day."
At this point, Himmel quietly glanced at Frieren, who was unsuccessfully trying to grab Aesc's ahoge, earning herself a firm pinch on the cheek. Her face twisted into comical shapes under Aesc's retaliation.
Himmel lowered his gaze slightly, veiling the shimmer in his gem-like eyes.
"I hope that one day in the future, they can genuinely feel it—'Ah, this world really is getting better.'"
---
Twenty-nine years after the death of the hero Himmel.
On this day, Aesc and the others arrived at a small village.
"I see. A request to slay a monster?"
Standing at the forefront, Frieren negotiated with an elderly man who appeared to be the village chief.
"Yes... Ever since that monster appeared nearby, no merchant caravans have dared to come through here. The crops from our fields are rotting because we can't sell them... If we don't get rid of that monster soon, the villagers will be in trouble."
"I see. That does sound like an urgent matter."
Frieren stroked her chin thoughtfully before continuing. "So, what can you offer as payment?"
"Well... to be honest, since we can't sell our crops, the village doesn't have much to offer as compensation. Would those unsold crops suffice?"
"We're still traveling, so we can't carry that much."
"True enough..."
Standing slightly behind Frieren, Fern tugged on Aesc's sleeve and leaned close to whisper.
"Why doesn't Lady Frieren just complete the request for free? The villagers seem so pitiful..."
"Oh, that's simple—it's to reassure them."
After organizing her thoughts, Aesc explained in a low voice, "By taking down the monster and accepting their payment, Frieren is establishing an equal relationship with the villagers. If she were to refuse compensation, it would place the villagers in a position of weakness, making them uneasy. You see, in this world, it's not that things lack a price—it's that their price isn't always explicitly marked. And unmarked things tend to be far more costly than those with clear prices."
Meanwhile, Frieren, still deep in thought, asked the village chief, "Do you have any magic books? Or perhaps magical artifacts?"
"Magic books? Ah, I think we do have one. But since no one in the village can use magic, it's essentially just a useless trinket to us."
The chief led them to his home, where he retrieved a dusty, ancient book and handed it to Frieren.
"Flamme's Grimoire... is it?"
The villagers, uninterested in the book, didn't even know its name. Frieren skimmed its contents briefly before falling silent.
Moments later, she accepted the book without any visible change in expression.
"This will do. Just give me this as payment."
"You're sure? We really don't mind giving it away, but is this enough?"
The chief, clearly surprised, repeatedly confirmed with Frieren, only to receive consistent affirmations.
Thus, the group set off toward the forest, where the troublesome monster resided.
"Lady Frieren..."
"What is it, Fern?"
While they traveled, Fern walked alongside Frieren, her expression hesitant.
"Lady Frieren..."
After some internal struggle, Fern finally voiced her question. "That Flamme's Grimoire... it's a fake, isn't it?"
"Yes. All of the books attributed to Flamme that circulate in the world are fakes."
Frieren confirmed this without hesitation and even added, "And this one is the most counterfeit of them all—among all the fake Flamme grimoires I've collected over the years, this one is the shoddiest forgery."
"But... you still accepted it as payment."
"Because that village really didn't have anything better to offer. This was sufficient."
Frieren took out the fake grimoire from her bag, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"And besides... even such a poorly made forgery has its own value as a collectible."
"...I really don't understand your way of thinking, Lady Frieren."
With that, their lighthearted, somewhat nonsensical conversation continued as they made their way deeper into the forest.
Eventually, they arrived at the location of the monster.
And there... they were greeted by the sight of a massive black beast, already lifeless.
---
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