"One week until I'm forced to leave?"
Hearing that, Shichen—who was lying in bed—couldn't help but furrow his brow.
He had no idea where he'd be sent next. If it was still another anime world, that would be fine, but if it was just some random fantasy world…
Honestly, Shichen wasn't all that interested in becoming a god. He'd been living comfortably enough before. Being able to come to Frieren's world, though, was something he definitely welcomed.
He loved all things "2D," loved all those characters and stories that existed a dimension away. He'd never refuse the opportunity to meet them in person.
But now he'd only been here for a month, and suddenly he was going to be forced out. That put him in a tricky spot.
So much for his plan to hang around indefinitely. And he wasn't even sure if he'd ever be able to come back.
Maybe once he became a god, he'd be able to return, but who knew how long that would take?
Ninety-nine fragments of divinity—if everything went smoothly, and each fragment took one month, that'd be ninety-nine months, a bit over eight years. Actually, that wasn't too bad.
But then again, what if, after becoming a god, he still couldn't come back?
Of course, there was a way around it—he could just avoid collecting the divine fragment from Frieren. After all, it needed to be gathered at some point, so that meant he'd have to return eventually.
Just as Shichen was thinking that, the mechanical voice spoke again in his mind:
[Host need not go to such lengths. Once you leave this world, a coordinate will be left behind. You can come back after a single month.]
"Huh? Seriously?"
[Please collect the fragments properly; otherwise, you will regret it.]
"Really?" Shichen frowned again.
It probably wasn't trying to scare him, nor was it lying just to force him to collect the fragments.
Regret it, huh?
So these divine fragments must serve some important purpose—maybe he'd need them at a critical moment.
Since he'd be able to return anyway, he might as well collect them now. Shichen didn't want to risk regretting it later.
Having made up his mind, Shichen tried to spring to his feet from his bed, only to fail. He flopped back down onto the mattress with a thud, wincing at the pain in his rear.
He realized that his body seemed weaker—his senses were duller, his strength lower. Right—his one-month quest perks had expired.
So collecting the fragments was a must if he wanted to live comfortably in this world. With no magic of his own, his only innate advantage was the Divine Body's immunity, which so far he hadn't even needed. Sure, he never had to bathe, but if he now lost his physical strength on top of having no magic, he'd be basically useless.
Granted, having Frieren take care of him like some freeloader didn't sound half bad, but he wasn't about that life—at least, not yet. Besides, he really did want to learn magic.
Magic was just too good—convenient and wondrous. He loved it.
Maybe traveling to other worlds would help him figure out how to learn magic too; who knew?
Shichen carefully got out of bed and rubbed his sore backside, then left his room.
He still had a week to say a proper goodbye.
Shichen's room and Frieren's were on opposite ends of the small cabin, with the kitchen and living area in the middle. Stepping out, he glanced at the other door, which was still shut.
Frieren was still sleeping in.
Though she looked young, for some reason she loved to sleep in. Then again, she was an elf—who knew how old she really was compared to him?
Shichen walked right up to her door and pushed it open without hesitation.
He was used to getting her out of bed by now. In the past, Frieren would sleep so long that Shichen had no choice but to go into her room and wake her. Since then, it'd become a routine.
The door swung open, revealing the dimly lit interior. It was plain—a single bed for Frieren and one for Flamé (though Flamé was often gone). One bed was empty, while the other was… half empty. All he could see was a small patch of blanket, and then a pair of dainty feet poking out. The petite elf herself wasn't actually on the bed.
No, scratch that—there she was. Her torso and head were on the floor, silver hair splayed around her like a lotus. Only her calves and feet were still on the bed. Her lovely face was completely relaxed.
Frieren's sleeping posture was… less than graceful.
She wore a simple nightgown, but in her current position the hem had slid up around her stomach. Not only did it expose a pair of plain white panties, but also her smooth, pale belly.
Even her tiny navel looked unbelievably delicate.
Her skin was impossibly fair—just like freshly fallen snow. She practically glowed, almost translucent.
Such was an elf's beautifully crafted physique.
Shichen took a moment to appreciate the view before circling around to Frieren's side. He squatted down and pinched her cheeks to wake her up.
"Frieren, time to get up, sleepyhead."
"Mmm…" she mumbled, still out cold. She didn't wake even though he was stretching her face. She just furrowed her brow, annoyed.
With no other choice, Shichen grabbed both of her cheeks, pulling them apart while calling out loudly, "Rise and shine, the sun's already up!"
"Mmm…"
Frieren groaned, squinting blearily at Shichen. "Shi…chen…?" she mumbled.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Shichen-senpai."
"What are you doing, disturbing my sleep?" Frieren said, more awake now. She swatted his hands away and smacked her lips.
"Time to get up. I'm making breakfast. Didn't you say to wake you if I was cooking?"
"This early?" Frieren rolled over onto the floor, then slowly pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes. She was the picture of lazy tiredness.
That lovely view she'd been giving him disappeared, not that Shichen minded—he'd basically seen it every day by now.
He didn't feel especially guilty. Frieren was well aware that he was seeing her in these positions daily, but if she still didn't bother covering up, that must mean she didn't care.
Was that taking advantage of an innocent girl?
Nah, he was just looking; not like he was doing anything else. His conscience was clean.
And hey, not many guys as righteous as him existed anymore.
"It's not early. If we wait any longer for breakfast, we might as well call it lunch."
"Oh." Frieren yawned. "So, what are we having?"
She cared more about breakfast than what time it was.
"You'll see," Shichen said mysteriously, grinning as he left the room.
That piqued Frieren's interest. Leaning on the edge of the bed like an old lady, she wobbled to her feet, then slowly made her way out the door while yawning.
After stepping outside, Frieren didn't see Shichen in the living area, so she went out back. He was hunched over the stone stove he'd built, busily preparing something. Noticing her, he waved with a smile.
"C'mere and help me light this fire."
"What're you making?"
Frieren walked over. With a small gesture of her hand, the wood in the stove burst into flame—no wand needed.
"Nothing much… But wow, magic sure is convenient," Shichen said, gazing at the flames.
"Shichen…" Frieren started.
"What's up? Worried about me?" He turned to her, smiling, and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Don't worry. I'm not sad or anything. I'm so handsome and talented that even if I can't do magic, plenty of ladies will still like me."
Frieren just stared wordlessly at him.
"All right, go wash up. Just leave this to burn. Once I tie your twintails, we can eat."
"Washing up's quick," Frieren said a bit smugly. "Takes just one spell."
"Listen to you brag," Shichen said, clearly jealous. "You could do everything with magic if you wanted!"
"And why would I bother? Too much trouble," she replied with a slight shrug.
"Dammit!"
Whether he needed washing up or not, Shichen envied how easily magic solved problems. For over twenty years he'd lived a normal life, and now that magic was right there, how could he not want it?
Why could he become a god, but not learn magic? Just because he was an outsider?
"Hey, Shichen, what's actually cooking in there?" Frieren asked, pointing at the pot. A savory aroma was already drifting out, though it wasn't the smell of meat.
"You'll find out soon," he answered with a cryptic grin. "But first, let's get your twintails done."
He took her back to her room.
"Shichen, are you really that into twintails?" she asked, letting him lead her.
"No, I just think that style looks good on you."
(If only she were wearing a JK uniform and white stockings, he thought privately. That'd be perfect.)
"It's kind of a hassle," Frieren complained.
"You don't have to do anything, so why's it a hassle? Where's your hair tie?" he asked once they were in her room.
"Probably on the bed," she said.
"'Probably?'" He searched around the bed for a bit before eventually finding it on the floor.
"Stop leaving stuff everywhere!" he scolded, poking her forehead.
"Ow… It fell down on its own," Frieren mumbled, rubbing her forehead.
"Yeah, sure it did."
Muttering, Shichen sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Frieren in front of him, beginning to tie her hair. It wasn't complicated—just splitting it into two bunches. Frieren's hair was exceptionally silky and smooth. He couldn't get enough of it.
Around a minute into tying, that mechanical voice echoed in his head again:
[One minute of skin contact complete. Divine Fragment successfully acquired.]
[Quest complete. You have permanently gained your quest perks.]