Frieren: Demon of Domination

Fifty-ninth year before the Sinseki Era, the first year of the hero party's departure.

The thirty-ninth day of searching for Serie—

The Heaven Vein Dragon arrived at the gateway to the Northern Plateau, the Bia Region.

And the Hero of the South was about to bid farewell...

—

"Although..."

"Could you accompany me for a walk one last time?"

On the bright sunny noon, upon the vast plains of the Bia Region,

The Hero of the South, who had been given the cold treatment by Agusheed for an entire night, watched his teacher turn to leave without hesitation after dropping him off...

With a rather helpless sigh, he softly attempted to detain him.

And Agusheed—

Dressed in black robes, after an imperceptible pause,

Immediately stopped his movement and halted his steps in response.

"At this point, are you starting to dawdle?"

The strongest Grand Demon turned around indifferently, watching the smile on his stupid disciple's face,

His tone unconsciously becoming increasingly cold:

"I don't have that time—"

"Hurry up and get lost. I don't want to see you anymore."

Hmm...

Really not honest...

Regarding his teacher's contrary personality, the Hero of the South had long grown accustomed.

So knowing that Agusheed was always duplicitous, he shrugged and chuckled softly.

"Don't be so heartless, teacher..."

"Just consider it fulfilling the last wish of this dying man."

"Come to think of it, I remember there's a small path nearby with nice scenery. Would you like to accompany me to see it?"

Looking at his stupid disciple who had already begun talking to himself, Agusheed still regarded him coldly.

"Not interested."

He refused without hesitation:

"Don't make such unrealistic fantasies here—"

"If you're going to leave, leave quickly. Don't waste my time."

Having said this, Agusheed ruthlessly turned around.

He stepped forward amid the dust kicked up by his black robe, but once again stopped due to the Hero of the South's voice.

"That small path also has a statue of great mage Flamme..."

"Just consider it as going to commemorate your wife, and let me tag along. How about it?"

The Hero of the South, having satisfied the emotional value while giving Agusheed a way out, still wore a smile on his face.

Watching Agusheed's stopped silhouette,

Gazing at the look in his teacher's eyes revealed in his casual turn—

The Hero of the South remained unhurried, quietly awaiting good news.

And finally,

His proposal received the first positive response from Agusheed.

"Lead the way."

This was an irritated snort from the strongest Grand Demon.

Though his tone and attitude remained poor, the Hero of the South didn't mind in the slightest.

After all, the culprit who had made Agusheed's emotions like this was himself.

So not being thrown off the Heaven Vein Dragon directly today already left him quite satisfied.

"This way, please follow me."

Not foolishly attempting to continue teasing the emotionally unstable Agusheed,

The Hero of the South was courteous and gentle as he extended his hand to guide his teacher.

Just watching Agusheed in front of him, who had never paid attention to his actions from beginning to end,

Yet grasped the route with perfect accuracy, walking directly toward Flamme's statue—

The Hero of the South lowered his brows slightly, rubbing his forehead with considerable amusement.

"You're always like this..."

Looking directly at Agusheed who had turned around, humanity's strongest hero just chuckled softly.

"Actually, even if I hadn't said anything, you were originally planning to go see it, weren't you?"

"In other words, did you already predict what I just said?"

He received no answer.

What the Hero of the South saw was only a murderous glare from Agusheed.

"Don't be talkative."

The strongest Grand Demon patted the dust off his shoulder, his tone neither pleased nor sad.

"Lead the way."

—

As the main grain-producing area of the Northern Plateau, the Bia Region naturally had relatively large towns—

But obviously,

As an ancient sage from over a thousand years ago, Flamme's statue wouldn't be placed among them.

Undisturbed, rarely traveled country roads were now her resting place.

While it was early spring in the southern continent,

The corresponding season in the Northern Plateau was autumn when crops matured.

Because of this—

Agusheed and the Hero of the South were able to walk along country paths filled with the fragrance of rice and intersecting golden wheat fields.

Just as the Hero of the South had thought, Agusheed was actually very familiar with this place.

Not only because this was where he had begun to like the bitter alcoholic drink called 'Emperor's Wine'—

More importantly, it was because of Flamme's mischief here during their journey to and from Aureole.

Those were very distant memories...

Journey to and from Aureole,

Flamme,

As specific terms surfaced in his mind, the question he had pondered yesterday once again rose in Agusheed's heart.

Walking alongside his stupid disciple who was about to rush to his death on the smooth dirt road,

The silence maintained between them was broken for the first time by Agusheed—

"Kino Mountains, Goddess Monument?"

Agusheed didn't say an extra word, didn't even mention specific questions.

He simply stated these two names slowly to verify his speculation,

Then quietly waited for a response from his stupid disciple.

As expected, he guessed it.

Well...

Even if I don't say anything, how could teacher's keenness fail to notice?

"Yes."

The Hero of the South nodded frankly. Although he couldn't excessively expose the future,

Since his teacher had guessed it himself, he couldn't be blamed for not concealing it.

Goddess Monument...

So it really is that thing—

How interesting. I'm truly curious how it will let me see Flamme?

Despite this, Agusheed didn't continue questioning.

He clearly understood the Hero of the South had his limitations—

So he simply asked another question.

"Then in the futures you've seen, who was that thing originally meant for?"

Silence.

"Was it Frieren?"

Still no answer, so it was tacit acknowledgment.

Although this result wasn't hard to guess, anyone could figure it out with a little thought...

But Agusheed still felt troubled by the future where his daughter would eventually fall in love with Himmel.

But that was all.

This trouble was far less than the annoyance brought by the current Hero of the South.

Glancing at the Hero of the South walking beside him, occasionally reaching out to break off a wheat stalk...

Agusheed was speechless toward his stupid disciple who no longer took initiative to speak from beginning to end,

Just quietly following by his side.

He understood the Hero of the South too well—

So Agusheed clearly knew he wasn't putting on airs.

This stupid disciple simply didn't know what to say either.

He similarly wasn't someone prone to sentimentality,

So he truly couldn't say anything.

The current him really just wanted to quietly stay by Agusheed's side for a little while longer.

Flamme's statue was quickly reached—

The eighty percent resemblance didn't bring much disappointment.

The final destination of their stroll had arrived...

This also meant that after the hero party, just one short day later—

The Hero of the South would also leave Agusheed's side and rush to the battlefield.

But unlike the previous hero party...

The Hero of the South wouldn't just turn and leave like that.

He actually wasn't much of a talker, but today,

Right now—

Humanity's strongest rarely began chatting frequently with his teacher.

From childhood to growth, from journeys to adventures,

Defeating the demons' first defense line, penetrating deep into the demon-surrounded Northern Plateau.

Matter by matter, incidents rarely mentioned to others, he spoke of in casual conversation.

Today was the day they had talked the most since reuniting.

They really chatted about many things.

Although most of the time Agusheed only feigned coldness with nods and brief words,

The high noon sun's descent witnessed time's passage.

Master and disciple stood before Flamme's statue for a long time,

Until the bright sunlight took on a somewhat yellow tinge and their conversation gradually stopped.

Time to go.

The Hero of the South told himself this.

So it was also time to leave behind his belongings.

Under Agusheed's gaze,

His stupid disciple took out a small notebook with a leather cover from his chest.

The notebook's edges were already frayed, the cover branded with the abbreviation of 'Hero of the South' in gold letters—

"My sword technique notes."

The Hero of the South explained in a low and relieved voice.

"From the basic grip of divine speed sword to the final forms and secrets of two-sword style, it's all written inside."

"If you don't want to keep it, then please pass it to Himmel for me."

After personally seeing Agusheed not refuse and accept the notebook with a feigned indifferent expression—

The Hero of the South finally showed a smile again.

"Farewell, teacher..."

The stupid disciple with no return slowly backed away, finally kneeling on one knee once more.

In Agusheed's silence, he slowly stood up.

With a light laugh, he raised his cloak, walking toward the yellow distance like a hero about to exit the stage.

"Oh—"

Halfway there, as if suddenly remembering something,

The Hero of the South slightly turned his body, his gaze falling on Agusheed one last time.

"Teacher, if you can see Himmel again, please tell him for me—"

"The strongest human, Hero of the South, will personally clear the path ahead for him!"

This was the end.

In the yellow afterglow of the setting sun, Agusheed stood in place.

He personally watched his stupid disciple's story reach its conclusion,

Quietly witnessing The Legend of the Hero of the South enter its final chapter.

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