fics I read

Kingdom, Kremaldy Forest

The sun was bright, its rays dancing through the Forest's trees to illuminate the path ahead of the trio. They had been walking for a short time, their destination being Arlam village. Subaru claimed to have some obligations he needed to attend to before the group could return to Roswaal's mansion.

In the past year, Subaru had been making monthly visits to Arlam to check up on the villagers.

"How far until we reach the village?" Frieren asked.

"I'd say about twenty minutes," Subaru replied, "Once I finish my task there, we can ride my carriage back to the mansion."

"And how long will that take?"

"Well, the old mansion was much closer. By carriage, it usually takes a day or two to make the trip to the new one. We'll need to stop in Costuul for the night."

"I see. What exactly happened to the old mansion?"

He mentioned that the Forbidden Library burned down in their old residence. That's a shame, it sounded like a grimoire jackpot!

Subaru paused to think carefully about the best way to explain the events to Frieren. "It was rough to say the least. There were a ton of dangerous threats that were attacking my friends and me."

The thought of learning about this world's menaces intrigued Frieren. She turned to look at Subaru, "Dangerous threats?"

"The mansion itself was under attack by a duo of assassins. One of them was an extremely skilled killer, and the other was a witchbeast tamer."

So they were being attacked by other people.

"These 'witchbeasts', what are they?"

"Monsters that were created by the Witch of Gluttony. They typically hunt people to consume their mana."

The Witch of Gluttony…

"Would you say this witch is comparable to demons?"

Subaru contemplated his words. "Well, most people don't have a good opinion of the witches… It's sort of a taboo topic—"

Beatrice interrupted, "It is common belief that four hundred years ago, The Witch of Envy caused an event known as The Great Calamity, in fact. This led to the deaths of the other witches and countless others."

They're choosing their words carefully. I feel that there's more to these witches than they're letting on. What are they hiding?

"Concerning your demon analogy, there are people known as Sin Archbishops who represent the sins of each witch. I would say they're the closest thing to the demons you described."

So this world has its own evil beings. I wonder what powers they have…

"Anyways, there was the huuuuge witchbeast called Guiltylowe," Subaru stretches his free arm to demonstrate the monster's size, "My friends and I threw jars of oil on the beast and lit it on fire. The mansion was collateral damage."

"Betty's Subaru is quite formidable despite his appearance, in fact!" Beatrice said, recalling the series of events that led to him saving her from the library.

The pair share a moment of gratitude, squeezing each other's hands tightly.

Changing the topic, Subaru inquires Frieren, "What's the deal with your briefcase?"

"Oh, this?" Frieren raises the briefcase, "I keep all of my stuff in it. I live quite the nomadic lifestyle, so it's good to travel light."

"All your things fit in there?"

"It holds much more than you'd think," she explains, "It's actually a magical artifact."

"Oh! Like a bag of holding!"

I'm not even gonna ask.

As the group continued through the forest, the trees became less dense. A small stone bridge lied in front of them, the river beneath it flowing calmly.

"Almost there!" Subaru said enthusiastically.

Hm? What's that? I can sense some mana coming from that tree...

Changing course from the others, Frieren approached the source of mana. In the trunk rests a green, glistening crystal, too high for the elf to reach.

Subaru and Beatrice caught up and glanced at the crystal intriguing Frieren.

"I guess you can sense them," Subaru stated, "They're wards infused with mana that prevent witchbeasts from entering the village."

We didn't run into any witchbeasts in the forest. Maybe they come out at night.

"They attacked before?"

Subaru shuddered at his gruesome memories, "It turns out the tamer that attacked the mansion was a spy in the village. She attacked it with her beasts, but my friends and I managed to kill most of them. After we defeated her at the mansion, the witchbeast activity in the forest died down."

Saving villages… I suppose we have that in common.

Content with Subaru's answer, Frieren turned back to the bridge, and the group entered Arlam.

The village wasn't large at all. There were a few buildings on the outskirts, but the bulk of the buildings circled the town's center. The trio continued into the heart of the village.

"Subaru!" "Subaru!" "Subaru!"

A cacophony of voices rang out as the group entered the town square. A swarm of children rushed Subaru from every direction, latching onto his limbs, including his arm, to the dismay of Beatrice.

"Hey guys!" Subaru greeted the children, placing head pats on some and picking up others. The kids erupted into a chorus of giggles as Subaru chases them around for a while.

Frieren watched, letting a smile sneak across her face.

He sort of reminds me of Stark.

"EEEEP!"

While Frieren was observing the chaos, a child snuck up beside her and pulled one of her silver pigtails.

The elf swatted at the child, "You little brat!"

The child dodged her hand, running away while laughing maniacally.

Subaru returned, placing his hands on his hips and chucking, "I see you're getting along with the kids!"

"I wouldn't say that," Frieren mumbled, "What's your task here anyway?"

Smiling with a wide grin, Subaru threw up his arms and raised his voice, "Are you guys ready for some radio calisthenics?"

I don't wanna know.

Various villagers approached the town square, congregating with the children and forming a line. Subaru walked over to stand in front of the villagers and begins his preliminary stretches, bending over to touch his toes.

What in the world is he doing?

"Alright," Subaru said, turning to the elf, "Get over here, Frieren!"

Frieren timidly approaches Subaru, letting out a sigh as she reaches his side.

What is he dragging me into?

"Just follow my lead!" Subaru reassured her, "This will work wonders for your body, mind, and soul!"

Frieren stared at the boy in awe as he moved his body in ludicrous ways. He took his arms, raised them up, and began swooping them around in a circular motion. His back lowered as he swung to and fro, his hands barely hovering above the ground. The rest of the villagers followed his example, replicating his quirky movements with matched enthusiasm.

"C'mon Frieren, give it a try!"

"Yea!" "Let's go!" "C'mon!" "You can do it!" "It's fun!"

The villagers urged her forward with Subaru.

I suppose there's no harm.

Frieren sat down her briefcase and watched Subaru's movements. He pointed both arms up before bringing them down to his right foot, bobbing up and down a few times.

Frieren tried her best to follow his example. She widened her stance to match his and raises her arms. Bending down, she felt her entire body stretch, a release of tension eliciting shivers. Her hair swung like a pendulum, grazing the dirt as she bobs up and down.

Huh. It isn't a bad feeling.

Subaru rose and repeated the motion to his left foot. Everyone in the square, including Frieren, followed suit. He cycled through his catalog of exercises, each action resulting in noises of satisfaction from the participants.

For his last move, Subaru addressed the village: "Time for the big finish! Stretch out your arms." Everyone followed intently. "Now cross them at your chest, and…" He threw his arms up in opposite directions, forming a 'V' shape.

"VICTORY!"

The square burst in unison, screaming 'Victory!' as their session concludes.

Frieren lagged behind the group, throwing up her hands, "V… Victory!" She managed to yelp the word at a slightly higher volume than usual. The elf lowered her arms, her face slightly flushed from the exertion.

"Good job, Frieren!" Subaru praises, "Didn't that feel good?"

I'm tired and my hair is dirty.

Reaching down to pick up her briefcase, "It wasn't bad," Frieren replied, "I felt some weird… sensations."

Subaru chuckled, "Good! Now you're ready for whatever the day throws at you!"

I wouldn't go that far.

Frieren smiled at Subaru's attitude, "Is your work here finished?"

"Yep. Let's get the carriage and head to the mansion now."

Subaru gave his goodbyes to the villagers, waving his hand and patting the children who gathered around his legs.

The two departed to the village stables, where Beatrice, who was mysteriously missing during the exercises, was waiting.

"You took long enough, I suppose!"

"C'mon Beako, you know how important radio calisthenics are!"

"Hmph!"

Frieren averted her gaze from the two's display, noticing a dark shape watching from the stables.

Standing attentively in the structure is a black earth dragon adorned with leather riding accessories.

"This is Patrasche, she's my earth dragon," Subaru said, walking to the beast and placing his hand on her muzzle. "Patrasche, this is Frieren. We're going to take her back with us."

Patrasche hums in response, shifting her amber eyes to Frieren, who approaches cautiously.

It seems they use these instead of horses.

Subaru took her hand and slowly raises it.

Due to Frieren's short stature, Patrasche lowered her head to meet them halfway. The pair's hands came to rest on her head.

"Who's a good girl?" Frieren cooed, stoking the earth dragon's head.

Patrasche accepted the compliment, nuzzling into Frieren's touch.

I guess that works on more than just humans.

They separate, and Subaru opened the gate, allowing the earth dragon to relocate to the front of the carriage. He attacheed the vehicle to Patrasche and boosted Beatrice to her seat before joining her and grabbing the reins.

Frieren followed suit, approaching the rear of the carriage where she slides her briefcase in before climbing up. She chose a seat at the front of the vehicle where an opening allowed her to talk to the pair.

Subaru beckoned Patrasche, causing the carriage to swiftly depart from Arlam. As they exit the village and enter Lifaus Highway, the carriage picked up speed.

"I didn't expect to go this fast," Frieren commented.

"All earth dragons possess the Divine Protection of Wind Evasion, which allows them and their attached carriages to be unaffected by wind," Subaru explained, "With no resistance, we can travel much faster."

"Divine Protections are rare blessings given to individuals, typically at birth, I suppose," Beatrice added.

At least they gave me the definition this time.

"What other Divine Protections are there?" Frieren asked.

"There's a bunch. Some that I know about typically improve the user's combat abilities, or in the case of my friend Otto, allow you to communicate with animals."

"There are also Divine Protections that are downright useless, I suppose"

Frieren raised an eyebrow, "I wouldn't say that. In fact, I have a spell that allows me to turn grapes sour. Another for conjuring shaved ice. Even one that allows me to summon a field of flowers. They may sound useless, but they've all come in handy at one point or another."

"How could turning grapes sour ever be useful?" Subaru retorted.

Frieren smirked, "It just so happens that I have a friend who loves sour grapes."

Beatrice closed her eyes and crossed her arms, "How absurd, I suppose."

Subaru just chuckled.

The carriage continued along the road, rising briefly as its wheels roll over the occasional rock.

Frieren reached for her briefcase, placing it on her lap and releasing the latches. She opened the lid and sifted through her belongings, retrieving a grimoire. Its cover is weathered and embossed with an intricate mandala.

Subaru, hearing the elf rustle, turned around, "What's that book?"

"It's a grimoire. Whenever a spell is discovered, people record them in books like this for other mages."

"Where exactly do you find spells, I suppose?"

"Magic itself is an institution in my world. Countless mages conduct research to further humanity's understanding of the phenomenon."

Frieren flipped to another page.

"For humans to use magic, they need to understand it. Thus, scholars analyze each spell in an effort to produce a logical explanation for how it functions. Once they understand the reasoning, all they need to do is visualize the spell."

"That's interesting," Subaru replied, "We have to visualize magic in action for it to work as well."

She continued her explanation, "The creation of spells depends entirely on humanity's ability to innovate. Zoltraak, for example, was originally a spell created by a demon named Qual."

"Wait, so the demon-killing spell was created by a demon?"

"In short, yes. Qual was terrorizing humans with his so-called 'killing magic'. When my party first encountered him, we were unable to kill him, but I managed to seal him away."

Frieren scanned through her grimoire, recalling how far humanity has progressed in such a short time.

How far will they progress in the next century?

"After seeing the spell myself, I was able to collaborate with other mages to dissect Zoltraak. Once we understood it, we developed the defensive magic that I used earlier."

"How long did all that take?"

"Around half a century, " Frieren answered, "After that, I continued my research, augmenting Zoltraak to be more potent against demons."

"So you're basically a magical genius?" Subaru complimented, his mouth agape from hearing about Frieren's feats.

"I've had hundreds of years to understand how magic functions," Frieren twirled a strand of hair with her fingers, "But even without me, I'm sure humanity would've unraveled the spell themselves."

Frieren closed the grimoire.

"Eighty years after sealing Qual, I returned with Fern to kill him. He was a true prodigy, however, and immediately began breaking through our defensive magic. I had to end it fast, so as Fern distracted him, I used Zoltraak to finish the fight."

"It's kinda poetic, isn't it, killing the demon with his own spell?"

"He deserved nothing less. In his life, he was responsible for the deaths of seventy percent of the mages in his region," Frieren said coldly, "But his invention did lead humanity to develop the core of their magic system, ordinary offensive and defensive magic."

Frieren returned the book and sealed her briefcase, placing it back on the floor.

"Ordinary magic, like Zoltraak and that cool shield thing?" Subaru doubled up on questions, "So the foundation of human magic in your world came from a demon?"

"Correct and correct."

Subaru laughed at the irony.

He shared, "Ya know, Beako and I have created some spells ourselves." Subaru nudges his spirit, "I had some ideas, and with her help, we were able to properly visualize their effects into reality."

"Betty's Subaru is quite the innovator too, in fact!"

Frieren glanced at them.

They simply willed it into creation, no research at all?

"That sounds incredible. What kind of spells did you create?"

Subaru smiled, "They're more supportive type spells. There's one that allows Beako and me to become intangible for a short period, and another that negates all mana within an area around us."

That seems plausible considering his personality so far.

Negating mana is quite a powerful ability. The possibilities with this are endless…

"Do you think I'm capable of casting your world's spells?"

"Mana is channeled through our Gates to cast the spells we use, in fact. When learning to use magic, users need to visualize that process." Beatrice paused for a moment, "Considering you were able to cast spells, that would imply you have a functioning Gate, I suppose. But if you're not actively imagining it, who can say..."

I can observe mana interacting differently with Subaru compared to me… It doesn't flow into me, so I doubt I have a Gate.

"We can always try when we get to the mansion," Subaru chimed in.

"I would like that," Frieren agreed, still interested in giving it a shot despite her doubts.

Their understanding of magic is completely different from mine. I can't begin to comprehend how they can simply manifest spells. Such a powerful ability would surely lead to chaos.

Frieren took a moment to examine their surroundings. They had been traveling for about ten minutes. The road they were on still bordered the forest, its trees blurring as they passed due to the speed of the carriage.

How long will it take for me to get back to my world? Fern and Stark must be worried sick. I hope they don't think I abandoned them…

I wonder what Subaru's friends are like. I've rarely encountered other elves… He mentioned that my ears differ from hers… but we have similar hair. I wonder if she's proficient in magic too.

I can't say I'm looking forward to meeting Ram… I'll have to keep an eye on her.

As the elf was lost in her thoughts, the pair guiding the carriage found themselves in a similar situation. Subaru kept his eyes locked forward, seemingly focused on the road, but the boy wasn't mentally there. Beatrice was sitting beside him, her head down and eyes closed as she held onto her contractor's hand.

After a few minutes, Frieren snapped out of her trance, looking through the carriage window to observe the road ahead of them.

Subaru's being unusually quiet…

Content with the silence and uninterested in the landscape, Frieren simply leaned back in her seat and rested her eyes.

I can't wait to rest. This has been mentally exhausting. Physically too, I can't believe I got coaxed into exer—

Frieren's thought was interrupted by Subaru's whisper, "Wolgarms…"

Frieren perked up and looked through the window, but she couldn't see anything ahead of them. Swifty turning around, the elf shuffled to the back of the carriage and poked her head out the rear opening.

The elf's eyes narrowed as she observed a dozen wolf-like beasts trailing behind them. Their fur was a mixture of black and brown, their eyes glowing red with bloodlust. Each monster had its razor-sharp teeth barred in a scowl, a singular spike protruding from their snouts with similar ones peppered along their spines.

So he sensed them?

Despite her previous feelings of exhaustion, Frieren sprang into action, standing up and summoning her staff. She extended the tip of her weapon out of the carriage, casting several instances of Zoltraak without incantation.

Magical circles, each with a six-petaled mandala centered within, formed around the carriage. All at once, each circle fired off a concentrated blast of mana. Frieren's barrage proved effective, with every stream connecting to its target, blasting holes in the beasts and leaving craters in the ground past them.

But there were more. Many more. Pairs of eyes littered the treeline, howls echoing in a seemingly endless dissonance.

Subaru ushered Patrasche to speed up, and Beatrice readied herself to attack.

"How bothersome, I suppose." Beatrice said, annoyed.

More wolgarms fell into line behind the carriage, a few stragglers bolting through the treeline at the carriage's flank.

"Minya!" Beatrice casted her signature attack at the beasts approaching from their side. Her pink crystals flew true, piercing each attacker in a deadly onslaught.

But one made it through. The singular wolgarm charged towards Patrasche, tackling the poor earth dragon and causing the carriage to veer off the road, flipping on its side.

Subaru grabbed Beatrice, tucking her into his chest before the two were thrown from the vehicle. They landed on the grass, his back crashing into the ground as the wreckage of the carriage nearly toppled over them.

Frieren, who was disoriented from being flung into the tarp covering the wagon, slowly raised herself from the ground. Still gripping her staff, she ducked out of the back and readied herself for the fight.

As the others recovered, Patrasche had successfully defended herself, mounting her attacker before ripping through the flesh at its throat.

"Frieren, you can't get bit!" Subaru warned her, his voice hoarse from having the air knocked out of his lungs. He stood up with Beatrice, the two joining Frieren's side.

The elf glanced back at him, giving a nod before refocusing on the rapidly approaching witchbeasts.

"ROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAR!"

A guttural battlecry shot out from the forest, rustling leaves and sending shivers down Subaru's spine.

Amidst the chaos of the scene before them, the trio could see a massive beast emerging from the treeline. It towered over its fellow wolgarms, its tail adorned with a series of sharp, white spikes.

"The big one is the leader of this pack," Subaru said, "I have an idea, I need you guys to cover me."

Casting Minya to subdue the closest beasts, Beatrice advised, "Betty's Subaru better not do something stupid, I suppose!"

Frieren's eyes narrowed as she lowered her staff toward the wave of monsters.

How will he handle all these beasts… they just keep coming.

With the immediate area clear, Subaru beckoned Patrasche, mounting the earth dragon and heading down the road in the direction they came from.

He rode away, recalling the Subjugation of the White Whale and mumbling to himself, "I hope this works again," then yelling, "I can re—"

Huh? What did he say?

Subaru continued riding, grasping at his chest and hunching over. There was a noticeable increase in the dark mana flowing from him.

And now he's emanating more of that weird mana…

Opting for the closer target, the pack of beasts pursued Subaru down the road.

Beatrice followed with Murak, propelling herself through the air parallel to him. "El Minya!" She conjured forty crystals, launching them at the wolgarms chasing Subaru, killing many of them.

As the others dealt with the smaller beasts, the leader turned its focus to Frieren. The beast's piercing red eyes locked onto her small frame, its nose twitching with hunger. Though she was in a state of suppression, the creature was still interested in the dense aura that its nose could sense.

So I'll be dealing with this one. I need to be careful, one strike from this thing would likely kill me.

The leader charged forward, flinging debris as its massive claws ripped through the terrain. Frieren bided her time, waiting for an opening which came when the beast was in striking distance.

The monster leaped towards the elf, its front legs aiming straight for her.

But Frieren was fast.

She released a burst of mana that propelled her backwards and into the air, causing the beast to whiff its attack. Looking down while hovering, she aimed her staff, conjuring a massive circle centered below the leader, its entire body engulfed by the circumference.

With an indifferent expression, Frieren released Zoltraak. A dense pillar of mana shot up from the circle, emitting a blinding light for a moment. When the spell dissipated, there was nothing left.

Beatrice finished off the remaining wolgarms chasing Subaru and Patrasche. They returned to the wreckage of the carriage where Frieren had defeated her opponent.

"Frieren, where did the leader go?"

"I dealt with it," she said, turning to them as they approached.

Subaru hopped off of Patrasche, reaching back up to dismount Beatrice, "But where's its corpse?"

"I wasn't sure how durable the leader was," Frieren answered, "So I used a fairly dense instance of Zoltraak, which obliterated the beast entirely."

"That's amazing! Roswaal did something similar the last time I encountered one!"

Roswaal's a mage then.

"You did well to eliminate that monster, I suppose," Beatrice complimented.

"Thanks. It seems you guys dealt with the rest."

"Yep! They're all dead," Subaru said, looking back to examine the trail of corpses that littered the road.

Recalling her earlier discussion with Subaru concerning his dark mana, Frieren chose not to ask him to elaborate on what exactly his plan was.

Looking back to the carriage in dismay, Subaru saw that the left wheels had been sheared off when the cart flipped, "But our carriage was destroyed…"

Frieren pointed her staff at the vehicle, using a spell to return it upright while simultaneously slotting the wheels back onto the axles. She then used another spell to mend the metal of each hub, restoring the assembly to a functional state.

Subaru stood in awe, "Just how many spells do you have?"

"I told you, I've lived for a thousand years. I've built quite the catalog~" Frieren said smugly.

She entered through the rear of the carriage, relieved to find her briefcase lodged under her seat, unscathed.

With their carriage repaired, the party continued their trip, the forest becoming a blur in the distance. They continued uninterrupted for a few hours, Frieren choosing to nap after her exertion.

Subaru jostled Frieren awake as the cart passed Flugel's Tree, or rather, what remained of it. The trunk has been processed for lumber, leaving only the stump.

"Mmmmggghh", Frieren grumbled groggily, eyes still shut.

"Wake up! You've gotta see this."

"I don't wanna," Frieren moaned.

Subaru yanked her arm, bringing the elf into an upright position. He uses a finger to direct Frieren's half-lidded eyes to the massive stump.

"That's the stump of Flugel's Tree," Subaru said, excited to describe the battle, "It was an enormous tree that we cut down to pin the White Whale."

"Mmmh," Frieren muttered, "White Whale?"

"It was one of the Three Great Witchbeasts created by the Witch of Gluttony. The whale terrorized this place for centuries. It was unbelievably massive and had the ability to wipe people from the memories of others."

"Sounds scaaarrrryyy," Frieren yawned, "You can tell me later…" Frieren finished, lying back down on her bench to sleep.

"Betty's Subaru fought quite hard, in fact!" Beatrice said, annoyed at the elf's sleepiness.

"Mmmmm"

Subaru dropped the topic, letting Frieren get some well-deserved rest. She had been through a lot today.

The carriage continued along the highway. The sun had set, enveloping the landscape in darkness as the carriage arrived at the city of Costuul. The industrial city had mostly recovered from the lightbug fiasco.

They rode through the center of the town, passing a myriad of factories and businesses.

Stopping at an inn for the night, Subaru urged Frieren, "Get up, we're stopping at an inn for the night. I'll carry you in if I have to."

Frieren reluctantly rose, grabbing her briefcase and exiting the carriage.

Subaru parked the cart and housed Patrasche in a nearby stable. He gave her some loving pats on the head before returning to the others.

Subaru booked a room that had two beds.

"Sorry about the room, this was the only one they had open," Subaru explained to Frieren, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's okay, Frieren said, "I'm used to it."

"We're almost at the mansion. It should only take a half-hour or so to get there tomorrow."

Subaru and Beatrice snuggled into their bed while Frieren went to the washroom, retrieving a nightgown and hairbrush from her briefcase. She changed and went back to the bedroom, sitting at the room's vanity.

She undid her pigtails, letting her silver hair cascade against her back. Subaru relaxed on his bed, watching her as she gracefully ran the brush through her hair.

While grooming herself, Frieren's mind raced as a wave of emotions swept over her.

Feelings of longing for her companions, something she wasn't used to.

I wish Fern were here to do this for me… Stark too, I hope they wait for me.

Feelings of suspicion and intrigue due to Subaru's evasiveness.

What is Subaru hiding? This dark mana of his is becoming more suspicious… He seemed to have a method of increasing it…

Feelings of trust which countered her previous thoughts as she recalled Subaru's promise.

He's been quite nice to me so far though…

And subtle feelings of excitement for what comes next.

I want to see more of their magic. Subaru's friends too; hopefully someone knows about the monument.

Once she finished, Frieren climbed into her bed, her back facing the others.

"Good night, Frieren," Subaru said, extinguishing a nearby candle.

"Good night," the elf replies, closing her eyes as she drifts into a peaceful sleep.

A peaceful sleep that was disrupted in the late hours of the night.

Subaru was squirming in his bed, mumbling incoherently as Beatrice hugged him tightly.

Frieren peered over her shoulder to see what the disturbance was. The boy was having a nightmare.

As his limbs jerked, his mouth opened to mumble, "Nnnngghh… please… don't…. Please… I can't…just go..."

A wave of sympathy swept Frieren's face, but she elected to let Beatrice handle it.

She probably knows how to help him. Better than I can, at least.

Frieren's thoughts proved correct. Beatrice ran her hand through his hair while embracing him, "I'm here, Subaru," she reassured him. After a few moments, the boy's nightmare concluded, and Frieren turned back to the wall.

I'm glad he has her. That looked like an awful dream.

And as fast as Frieren woke up, she fell back into her slumber.