Perhaps it was the battle with the monster that had caused it—a crack had appeared in the ground, revealing something hidden beneath.
Using magic to manipulate the earth, Aesc expanded the fissure, uncovering a complex and ancient-looking magic circle beneath the surface.
"This… seems to be some kind of mechanism," Frieren judged, her extensive knowledge leading her to the conclusion. "And it appears to be triggered by magic."
"I've inspected it. This mechanism isn't a trap. Activating it won't cause any harm," Aesc said, her teal eyes shimmering faintly like starlight before dimming again as she blinked. "So, what do you think? Should we try activating it?"
Neither Fern nor Stark said a word; they both knew that the decision ultimately rested with the more experienced Frieren and Aesc.
Frieren studied the magic circle in silence, her hesitation stretching out for several moments.
"…Fern, Stark. Be prepared to retreat at a moment's notice."
Frieren's rare display of seriousness sharpened the group's focus. Gripping her staff with both hands, she appeared relaxed on the surface, but her mind was taut like a bowstring drawn to its limit.
At her warning, Stark and Fern immediately heightened their vigilance, their senses on high alert.
Frieren placed her hand on the magic circle but refrained from injecting any magic into it just yet. Instead, she turned to Aesc, who was smiling serenely.
"Aesc, can I trust you?"
Aesc's calm gaze met Frieren's, her lips curling into a small, confident smile. Her eyes, tranquil like still waters, showed no hesitation.
"Of course. With me here, nothing will go wrong."
Her voice was soft yet carried an unshakable sense of assurance.
Frieren remained silent, her gaze fixed on Aesc. Yet, as she stared, Aesc's figure seemed to blur before her eyes, as though veiled in a mist. Instead, another figure emerged in her mind, growing clearer and clearer.
It was a memory from before Aesc had joined their party of heroes.
On a journey long ago, Frieren, Himmel, and the others had passed through a village that had already been destroyed.
The ruins were overrun with monsters, and amidst the chaos, a dragon had appeared. Taken by surprise, they had been forced to flee, becoming separated in the process.
Frieren and Heiter had ended up hiding in the basement of a house that had been burned to the ground.
"We've been separated from Himmel and Eisen," Heiter said.
"It seems so," Frieren replied.
Exhausted from the escape, the two of them collapsed onto the dusty ground without a care.
"Frieren, can you use magic to locate Himmel and Eisen?" Heiter asked.
"I can't… The dragon's magic has completely shrouded the area outside. I can't sense either Himmel or the monsters," Frieren said, catching her breath. "If I try to probe more precisely, it might reveal our position and draw the dragon here."
Dragons in this world, though classified as monsters, possessed intelligence on par with humans. Some were even known to feign weakness when outmatched, lulling their enemies into complacency before fleeing decisively.
"So, we're in a pretty dangerous situation, huh?"
"You're just realizing that now?" Frieren retorted.
She glanced at Heiter's face, noting his oddly calm demeanor.
"You don't seem worried at all," she said.
"That's because I trust that Himmel and Eisen will come for us soon," Heiter replied with a chuckle.
Frieren frowned. "That's stupid. The smartest thing they could do right now is escape to the outskirts of the town, come up with a way to distract the dragon, and then come back for us later."
"Haha, you're not wrong. That would be the safest course of action," Heiter admitted, laughing lightly.
"But before we entered this town, didn't Himmel say something? 'With me here, nothing will go wrong.'"
Lowering his head, Heiter smiled faintly, his expression tinged with nostalgia.
"Every promise Himmel's ever made, he's kept. From the time I first met him in my village, it's always been that way."
"That's why, when he said he'd become a hero and defeat the Demon King, I believed him. I joined him on this journey because I trusted his word."
"And now, he's said everything will be fine. So, I'll believe him this time too."
Frieren stared at Heiter's face, searching for something, but found nothing she could grasp.
To her, Heiter's trust in Himmel seemed baseless, illogical, incomprehensible.
But Heiter didn't seem inclined to explain further.
A strange irritation began to churn within Frieren, her thoughts tangling like a ball of knotted thread.
That agitation lingered until the noises outside broke the silence.
There were human shouts, a dragon's roars, and the sounds of battle.
The dragon's overwhelming presence descended upon the area. Even hidden in the basement, Frieren and Heiter could feel the ground tremble under its weight.
"It seems Himmel and Eisen have started their attack. They're as reckless as ever… Unlike me, a weak little cleric with no combat ability."
As he stood, Heiter made a self-deprecating remark. After taking a few steps toward the exit, he glanced back at Frieren.
"Come on. Let's join the fight."
"…Alright," Frieren muttered, the sound barely escaping her nose.
When they emerged from the basement, they immediately saw Himmel's unmistakable white cape fluttering wildly in the wind as the dragon roared. Above the dragon, Eisen stood poised, his massive axe raised for a devastating strike.
Frieren and Heiter exchanged a glance, no words necessary, before rushing into the fray.
Himmel's promises… He had always kept them. Whether it was that dragon or, later, the Demon King they faced at the end of their journey, Himmel had fulfilled his word.
As Frieren's thoughts returned to the present, her vision cleared. The image of Himmel dissolved like a shattered illusion, leaving only Aesc's figure reflected in her eyes.
The memory faded, like mist retreating across the ocean, leaving behind a bittersweet sense of nostalgia.
"I see…"
Frieren turned her head slightly, her expression obscured. All that could be seen was the subtle curve of her lips, hinting at an enigmatic smile.
"Well, if you say so, I'll trust you."
With that, Frieren channeled her magic into the magic circle.
The ancient mechanism activated, its secrets stirring from centuries of slumber. Stark and Fern tensed, gripping their weapons tightly for a semblance of reassurance.
Then, before their eyes, the ground began to shift.
No—it didn't "split" open. It opened.
A massive "door" emerged from the ground, its surface etched with intricate patterns. A staircase spiraled downward into the earth, its depths unknown.
"This looks like… a ruin," Frieren murmured.
---
T/N: reminder that uhhh im not that proud of the quality of this arc's translation since i dont know much about frieren! sorry if u see mistakes...
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