Journey to Godhood Begins in Frieren

Early in the morning, Shichen opened his eyes, glanced at the both unfamiliar and familiar ceiling above him, and slowly sat up.

"Haah~"

He yawned and twisted his slightly stiff body, raising an arm to pound his own shoulder.

He had been sleeping on a soft bed every day before, so last night's wooden bed made him a bit unaccustomed. Although he didn't really need to sleep anymore, a habit ingrained from over twenty years was difficult to break. He'd grown from ignorance to maturity, so changing wasn't easy.

Still, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing—sleeping is the best way to rest.

After stretching a bit, Shichen felt rejuvenated and got up to change clothes.

When he came here, he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts. Today, he switched to the rough hemp clothing of this world.

He was somewhat surprised that neither Flamme nor Frieren had reacted much to his modern attire the day he arrived—either they didn't care or simply weren't curious about it. Maybe they thought it was ugly, being just men's casual wear after all.

He planned that next time he came back, he would bring some modern clothing for them. He really wanted to see what an elf looked like dressed in modern outfits—Lolita, gothic-loli dresses, princess gowns, JK uniforms, leather jacket and pants... Just imagining it made him eager to see Frieren try them on.

That made him even more determined to find a way to bring the others along on his travels to other worlds. Beyond other reasons, simply seeing them in all sorts of fashion filled him with anticipation.

Finished changing, Shichen used a cleaning spell on himself, then brushed his teeth and washed his face.

Strictly speaking, he wasn't stained or dirty in any way, so he didn't truly need such hygiene routines. However, it was a habit from his previous life, and not necessarily a problem—there was nothing wrong with it.

Once he was ready, Shichen walked to the door of Frieren and Flamme's room and knocked.

Knock, knock, knock.

He waited about ten seconds, but there was no answer. Shichen knocked again, calling out, "Master, are you awake?"

Inside, there was still no response. He realized that Flamme was likely gone.

Since Flamme wasn't inside, he simply went in. Opening the door, indeed, he saw no sign of Flamme. In the room, there were two beds: Flamme's bed was neatly made, while Frieren's was a bit messy.

Half the blanket was on the floor, and only her legs were on the bed's edge.

A familiar scene—Shichen couldn't help laughing. It was always hard to imagine this lazy side of Frieren, a supposedly ancient elf, yet who slept so restlessly.

He circled around to the other side of the bed for a clear look at Frieren's sleeping form. The bedding was half pulled down, and she was sound asleep, mouth half open and breathing noisily.

Anyone else would see her posture and find it unflattering. But given her delicate features and petite figure, it felt unexpectedly adorable, albeit slightly improper.

Approaching, Shichen crouched beside her, reached out a hand, pinched her nose, and pressed her mouth closed.

Before long, Frieren's brow furrowed in distress, as if having a nightmare. Then she instinctively slapped away Shichen's hand and rolled off the bed entirely, gasping for air.

"Hah...! I— I'm gonna die..."

"Haha, don't exaggerate," Shichen said, amused, looking down at her.

"Why do you always do this!" Frieren retorted, annoyed, glaring at him.

"It's called waking you up."

"So early... for what?"

"To have breakfast, of course. I'm about to make it."

"Couldn't you have cooked it first, then come get me?" Frieren asked, expressionless.

Shichen grinned. "Breakfast has to be eaten hot, right?"

Frieren stared back. "How long does it take me to get up? A minute?"

"Sure, about a minute," he allowed.

"Then do you think breakfast would cool off in just that minute?"

"That's not the point—you can't eat right after waking. You have to let your stomach wake up, otherwise you have no appetite."

"I don't think that'd be a problem for me."

"I don't care what you think. I only care about what I think," Shichen proclaimed.

"You... You just returned and already acting this way to me!" Frieren huffed, cheeks puffing slightly in annoyance.

"But I was always like this."

"Didn't you say you liked me? Isn't that how you should treat someone you like? Shouldn't you be gentle?"

"Yeah, but you never responded to me." Shichen shrugged helplessly.

"...I already told you I don't like you," Frieren said plainly.

Such a direct rejection caught even the tough-minded Shichen off guard.

"What?" Frieren blinked indifferently at him.

"N-Nothing...," he replied.

Frieren paused, then asked, "So, are you gonna make breakfast now?"

"Sure." He had no choice but to give in, heading out to cook.

Frieren watched him leave. This was just her daily routine. She wrapped herself in a blanket and followed him out, anyway, since she was already awake.

…

Preparing breakfast didn't take long, and Shichen was no longer stubbornly washing dishes by hand. He used magic to clean utensils. Frieren, as usual, sat cross-legged, using her time to absorb mana or review incantations. At mealtime, just the two of them shared a quiet breakfast but not an awkward one.

Afterward, Frieren planned to continue meditating, while Shichen had nothing to do except keep her company. Once she finished meditating, she could teach him more spells. He didn't find it boring.

When night came, Flamme still hadn't returned. Shichen and Frieren weren't worried. Flamme often stayed away overnight.

They lived that same routine into the second day. By the third day's evening, Flamme finally came back, and the moment she entered, she declared something Shichen had been waiting for:

"Tomorrow, we'll set off to meet my master."

Shichen had long anticipated meeting that proud elf lady. Frieren, however, was less interested, complaining it was a long journey. But her protests were ignored. The next morning, before she'd even fully woken, Shichen and Flamme set out, literally carrying her half-asleep.

By the time Frieren awakened, they'd traveled quite a while. If it weren't for the jostling, she might still be asleep. She found no choice but to resign herself to the trip.

Shichen found it hilarious seeing her drowsy face upon waking. He put her on his lap and started braiding her hair into twin tails, then called over to Flamme.

"Master, what's your master like?" he asked in a polite tone.

"My master, huh..." Flamme's face showed admiration. "She was born in the age of myths—a great mage who's possibly the closest to omniscience and omnipotence, having served directly under the Goddess. You could say she herself is like a living grimoire containing nearly all of mankind's spells."

"That incredible?" Shichen said with exaggerated surprise.

Frieren also glanced over, looking faintly intrigued.

"Hehe~ She truly owns countless spells. Perhaps you can get her to teach you a rare one or two," Flamme added cheerfully.

"Just one? Master's master's so stingy?" Shichen joked.

"Didn't I say you should 'be content with what you have'?"

"Yes yes."

"Oh, Frieren," Flamme looked at her, "my master might be interested in you since you're both elves."

"Oh." Frieren, seated on Shichen's lap, just gave a soft grunt.

"What, not interested?"

"It's fine," she responded plainly.

"Haha, how very Frieren of you."

Meanwhile, Shichen laughed as he finished tying her twin tails. "Master, do you think your teacher would be interested in me too?"

Flamme paused. "My master might want to spar with you."

~~~

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