"We're almost at the magic city of Äußerst… but why are there monsters around here?"
Fern furrowed her brows in concern as she voiced her thoughts.
Stark, sitting beneath a tree with his double-bladed axe in hand, glanced toward Frieren and Aesc, who exchanged knowing looks.
"That is strange…" Aesc mused, rubbing her chin. "Äußerst isn't the headquarters of the Continental Magic Association, but the northern branch is based there. Normally, this place should have several first-class mages stationed to keep things in check. Bandits or rogues might slip through, but monsters? That's hard to imagine."
"So, the monster likely wandered here from elsewhere and just happened to cross paths with us," Frieren added, sharing Aesc's conclusion. "If that's the case, even if we ignore it, the city should send mages to deal with it soon enough. We can head directly to the first-class mage qualification exams instead."
"That does seem reasonable," Aesc agreed, nodding.
From the start, Fern hadn't said much, opting instead to listen silently.
"Let's go," Frieren said, turning and taking a step forward.
Stark looked at her retreating back with confusion. "Wait, isn't that the wrong direction? That's not the way to Äußerst…"
"Lord Stark, you're so dense," Fern replied, her expression as calm as still water. "That's the direction the monster fled."
"Wait, so we're going after it?"
"Of course," Aesc answered with a smile that carried a hint of mischief.
"After all… if Himmel were here, he wouldn't have let that monster go, would he? Now, hurry up and get moving."
Even then, Stark remained frozen in place, an awkward expression on his face.
"Uh… my legs feel weak. I can't stand up… Could you help me up?"
---
Tracking a fleeing monster wasn't difficult; there were plenty of spells designed for such purposes.
Before long, they located the injured creature in a cave. After a fierce battle, they finally managed to kill it.
"Honestly, I thought you were hurt, so I went out of my way to cast healing magic on you," Aesc said, looking down at Stark, who had collapsed onto the ground. "Turns out your legs were just weak from fear, and you weren't hurt at all."
"Uh… sorry, and thanks," Stark muttered sheepishly, his face crestfallen. He wished he could be a brave, fearless warrior, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake his cowardly tendencies.
"By the way…"
Fern looked at Aesc thoughtfully before asking, "I've noticed for a while now—Lady Aesc, do you use goddess magic? But if you do, why don't you carry a holy scripture?"
In this world, magic was originally something only monsters and demons could wield. It wasn't until a thousand years ago, when the great mage Flamme laid the foundation for human magic, that humanity gained access to it. Since then, thanks to the research of countless human and elven mages, humans had developed a wide variety of magic.
Even so, some forms of magic remained beyond human understanding.
Goddess magic was one such example. Legend held that it was a gift from the goddess who created the world. Though humans couldn't grasp its principles, they could wield it through the use of holy scriptures. Clerics were practitioners of goddess magic.
Fern assumed Aesc was using goddess magic because healing and detoxification spells in this world were almost exclusively forms of goddess magic. Even Frieren, when injured, would seek treatment from Heiter or a nearby cleric.
"Aesc's magic isn't goddess magic—it's a healing magic she invented herself," Frieren explained.
"Goddess magic can only be used by those with a special 'blessing,' often called the 'Goddess's Grace.' Unlike me, Aesc has this gift," Frieren continued.
"But her talent for magic goes far beyond that… She found goddess magic inconvenient because it required carrying a holy scripture. So, she used goddess magic as a template to create her own healing magic—one that doesn't require a scripture yet retains the same effectiveness."
Frieren raised her hand, summoning a vibrant green orb of life energy in her palm.
"I even had Aesc teach me that spell… but maybe I lack her innate talent. No matter how much I practice, I can't perform it as smoothly or naturally as she does. Still, it's far more effective than the healing magic I used to know."
In this world, there were healing spells that mages could use, but their effects paled in comparison to the healing power of clerics' goddess magic, rendering them practically useless.
"Lady Aesc… you're incredible," Fern said, her admiration genuine.
Creating an entirely new spell… Fern couldn't even comprehend what that entailed.
That was why she found Aesc so extraordinary.
"Hehe… I'm alright, I guess," Aesc said, feigning humility while secretly basking in the praise.
"One time, after Aesc joined us, Heiter got drunk and started crying," Frieren added without hesitation, recounting a less-than-flattering story about the cleric. "He kept complaining that Aesc was stealing all his work and begged us not to abandon him. He cried for three whole hours."
"Huh? When did that happen? Why didn't I know about it?" Aesc turned to Frieren, clearly taken aback.
"You were out for a walk—you said you couldn't stand the smell of the tavern," Frieren replied, her expression thoughtful. "Later, Heiter told me that if you'd been there, he probably wouldn't have said those things."
"I guess he was worried his words might create a rift between you two… That drunken, meat-loving cleric can be surprisingly thoughtful at times," Frieren said, tilting her head as if puzzled by her own observation. Matters of emotion often eluded her.
With the monster dealt with, there was no reason to linger. Its corpse had already disintegrated into basic magical particles, scattering into the air.
"Let's go, Stark. Otherwise, we'll leave you behind," Aesc called out.
"Don't leave me! I'm coming!" Stark shouted, finally overcoming his shaky legs. As he caught up with the group, he noticed Aesc staring at something behind him.
"Hey, what's up?" Stark asked, curious.
Aesc didn't respond. Instead, she walked past him and crouched down near the spot where he had been sitting earlier.
Her strange behavior caught Frieren and Fern's attention.
"Hey, Frieren! Come over here. I think there's something here!" Aesc called out, her tone sharp with urgency.