Y/n's POV

"We've been waiting for your return, Miss Frieren!" A small child with pale pink hair greeted the elf with a beaming smile, though visibly shivering in the cold. The child stood a little shorter than Frieren's shoulders.

"You're chief of the village now? You're a child," Frieren's tone conveyed surprise at the sight of a young leader. I mirrored her astonishment--seeing a child manage an entire village was unexpected.

"That's right! I come from a long line of chiefs! I'm the forty-ninth! Welcome to the village of the sword!" the child replied with evident pride, ushering us into the village. We followed her, taking in the sights of the buildings.

"We spotted a smashed-up house on our way in," Frieren noted.

"You must mean that old hunting cabin that got destroyed. The Lord of the Mountains is to blame," the child explained in a matter-of-fact manner.

"The who?" I interjected, intrigued by the mention of this mysterious figure.

"I don't remember there being a lord," the elf added, voicing my own thoughts.

"I can't believe I'm actually here," Stark gleefully exclaimed from behind us.

"You know of this place, Mister Stark?" Fern inquired curiously.

"This village protects the hero's sword," he replied.

The mention of the hero's sword evoked a distant recollection within me. I recalled a visit to this village several hundred years ago, when I was briefly associated with a traveling party of six. At the time, the village was not as expansive as it appeared now; it maintained a modest size and was in the process of constructing the wall that encircled the settlement. During the visit, the chief of the village showed us the sword. Each member of the party attempted to pull the sword from its stone, except for me, as I held little interest in the hero's tale.

"According to stories, the weapon was hidden in a sanctuary somewhere nearby, stuck inside a mighty stone. Throughout history, many heroes tried to pull the sword from its rocky sheath, but none were successful, until eighty years ago that is," Stark reflected. "How did the legend go again?"

"The hero that will drive off the great calamity that aims to destroy this world," the younger girl contributed, echoing the central theme of the legend.

"You're talking about Himmel, aren't you? He was able to take the sword?" Fern affirmed, addressing Stark.

"Exactly. The story's pretty famous. Are you positive you've never heard it before?" Stark asked Fern, curious about her familiarity with the tale.

"No, Master Heiter has never mentioned it," she replied, indicating her lack of knowledge of the subject. We then stopped at a specific building.

"Ah, here we are," the girl cheered as we entered in.

...

Frieren and I squatted by the crackling fire, drawing in its warmth. Behind us, Stark and Fern lounged in a long chair, while the girl sat opposite them.

"Finally..." Frieren sighed, her hands outstretched toward the flames.

"...Warmth," I added, completing her thought.

The girl pouted. "I must admit. I'm thoroughly disappointed in you. You were supposed to return here over half a century had passed. I'm a mild-mannered person, but even I'm pissed off you're late! How did that sound?" she asked, her mood returning to a smile. "My grandmother said I should tell you that once you showed up,"

"I told her everything would be fine if I waited a little longer instead. The people here have protected the hero's sword for generations. They can easily defend themselves from danger," Frieren responded, her tone composed as she remained fixed by the fire.

"We can hold our own, if need be, but you have a duty you promised to fulfill," the girl countered, crossing her arms.

"What is she talking about?" Fern looked towards the elf.

"Monster extermination. The area around the village attracts quite a few of them," she explained.

"That's probably the sword's doing, isn't it?" I interjected with my own thought on the matter.

"Yes, and the Lord of the Mountains has been an unruly pain as of late," the girl confirmed.

Frieren sighed once more. "I'll take care of this first thing in the morning. Better to do it sooner than later,"

"Good, now I'll show you to your sleeping quarters," the girl declared, springing up from her seat. We rose to follow her lead outside and onward to the town's inn.

As we walked, Frieren broke the silence. "Say, Y/n,"

"Hm? I responded.

"Earlier, you mentioned you took Aura's horns," she recalled as Stark interjected, "That wasn't earlier, that was several months ago!"

"Oh, hmm," she mentally shrugged. "I've been curious about what you've done with them?" she asked me.

"Wait, didn't you say when monsters die, they turn into pure mana, Mistress Frieren? How would Mister Y/n still have her horns if she's dead?" Fern interjected this time, seeking clarification from the elf.

"Certain parts of a monster can remain after its death, like horns, scales, or teeth,, depending if they're severed beforehand. So even with Aura deceased, Y/n still has her horns," she explained patiently.

"I see, " Fern and Stark nodded in agreement.

"Well, I always keep one of them on me," I reached into the pouch at my waist, retrieving one of the horns. "I hollowed it out and turned it into a drinking cup. I seldom use it, but it's a good feeling when I do," I explained, a grin spreading across my face as I returned it to its resting place. Hearing that put a slight smile on Frieren's lips.

"So, what about the other one?" Stark inquired.

"Hmmm," I paused, delving into the recesses of my memory to recall what I did with the second horn. Then, it hit me. "I remember now. I gave it to an old friend as a memento,"

"An old friend, Mister Y/n?" Fern tilted her head curiously.

"Yes. His name was Engel. It was a few centuries ago, but we were once close partners. He had a goal he wanted to achieve, and I had set out to help him. We were inseparable, great comrades. He was a kind soul as well, loved by many, and very chivalrous. Then, we ended up having a difference in opinion and in paths, so we parted ways. I gave him the horn a bit prior to our parting," I recounted, the memories evoking a mixture of nostalgia, melancholy, and anger. "He's long deceased by now, but I always wondered what he did after we had parted,"

"Was the parting mutual?" the little girl asked.

"Not entirely, no," I replied somberly. "But let's save the details for another time. Let's get some rest,"

...

...

The young girl and I stood by, watching as Frieren, Fern, and Stark effortlessly dispatched a horde of wolf-like monsters. It was clear that my assistance wasn't necessary; I was there solely to protect the little chief.

As they finished off the last of the enemies, we regrouped our way to a cliff nearby. Stark observed a cave below, swarming with more monsters eager to gain entry.

"Woah, there's even more of them down there," Stark remarked, gesturing towards the cave entrance. With swift determination, he leaped off the cliff and quickly dispatched the creatures below.

Approaching the cave, Stark noticed something unusual. "Frieren? Why is the--!" Suddenly, an enormous, bipedal version of the wolfen monsters emerged from the snow, burying Stark, towering over us, and roaring deafeningly.

"That's the lord!" the girl exclaimed.

"You're up, Y/n," Frieren called out as I summoned my greatsword.

"Finally, a chance to do more than play protect the princess," I chuckled, sliding down the cliff to confront the towering creature. Gazing up at its immense form, I remarked, "Well, well, well. Where did you come from? You certainly weren't here last time I visited,"

The monster roared in response, swiping its claws at me. With a sigh, I said, "You could have just answered normally," I evaded the attack and leaped onto its paw as it retracted. Running along its arm, I reached its head and delivered a powerful swing, swiftly decapitating it with a resounding SHHHHHKK!!! As its colossal form crumbled, I did away with my weapon and brushed the snow from my armor.

The lord of the Mountains dissipated into mana and was absorbed into my being, fueling my strength.

"You know, even I don't think I can get used to seeing that," Frieren remarked, joining me with Fern and the girl. "Good work,"

"Appreciate it, Frieren," I replied, offering a pat to her head, only to be met with a calm brush-off.

"My head isn't for patting," she retorted, adjusting her hair with a hint of amusement in her tone.

"Alright, alright," I chuckled, reaching into the deep snow beside me and pulling Stark to his feet, brushing him off. "The time for snow angels is over, Stark,"

He wore a puzzled but slightly saddened expression. "Frieren, I don't understand," he said, gesturing towards the hero's sword embedded in the cave. "That's the hero's sword in there,"

Frieren exchanged a glance with the girl, who nodded in confirmation. "Himmel tried, but he couldn't pull the sword from the stone. Even without the fabled sword, he saved the world," she explained. As Frieren talked about the time she and her party with Himmel came to have him pull the sword, I walked over to the lodged sword and examined it closely.

"Then why did people cover the story up?" Fern questioned.

"Likely because people wanted to treat Himmel as some mythic legend," I replied, leaning my shoulder on the hilt.

"That...makes sense now that I think about it," Stark sighed as the party began their journey back to town. Suddenly, the hero's sword I was leaning on gave way and fell out of its stone sheath, causing rocks to tumble. My eyes widened and my heart began to beat quickly. I was lost for words. What the hell happened? I lifted the sword from the ground and inspected it. I shook my head and set it back in the stone. "I'm going to pretend that never happened,"

"Pretend what never happened?" Frieren asked poking her head from the cave's entrance.

"Oh, uhm, nothing. I just stumbled on a few loose rocks, that's all," I replied nervously, offering a forced laugh. Her soft smile reassured me.

"Alright, let's head back to town," she said warmly.

"Coming!" I jogged over to join her as we, along with the rest of the party made our way back to the village.

...

...

...

It was a bright, clear day, as we prepared to set off. We stood at the exit gate, smiling at the young girl who had come to see us off. "I always believed you would bring safety back to our village, Miss Frieren. I'm grateful as hell! My grandmother said to tell you that, too," she said with a giggle.

"Sounds like your grandmother had quite the tongue," I quipped.

"Guess I'll see you in another fifty years," Frieren nodded to the girl. We waved and turned to make our way to our next destination.

...

After a long trek, we arrived at another walled town, in the Appetit Region. This one appeared much more civilized, teeming with life. As we entered, we took in the bustling streets, lined with people, houses, and various establishments.

"Once we drop our belongings off at the inn, you're free to do whatever you want," Frieren stated.

"It's been a while since we were in a real town. This'll be nice," Stark mused along.

We soon found the inn to the town and secured separate rooms: A room for Fern and Frieren, and one for Stark and I.

Lying on my bed, I began to ponder before starting a conversation with the boy. "So, Stark. What are your plans? I believe it's your birthday coming up, so maybe I can treat you to a drink?"

"Nah, I can't drink," he replied, shrugging as he placed his axe against the wall. "Thanks for the offer, though,"

"Ah, that's right. My mistake. Anything you want in particular?" I inquired.

He didn't seem to really put any thought into it, as he stared into space, contemplating what he would want. He then produced an idea. "How about some training from you?" he suggested.

"Training? Sure, I'd be happy to. We'll spend a day here and go out and train together; Give you some tips and pointers and the like," I nodded to him.

"Thanks, man!" he cheered.

"Of course,"

"Well, I'm going to go out and check out the town. Wanna come with?" he offered, heading to the door.

"No, thanks. I'll rest here for the evening,"

"No worries," he said, leaving the inn to explore the town.

I sighed as I heard a series of thumps and bangs coming from the room adjacent to mine, where Frieren and Fern were staying. Slowly, I got to my feet and walked to the door, opening it. To my right, I saw Fern standing by their door, looking distinctly displeased.

"I can't believe how crass you are!" she exclaimed, shutting the door behind her. As Fern walked past me, I asked,

"What was that all about?"

"Hmph, pervert," Fern pouted, continuing down the hallway. I approached the door and opened it to find Frieren, completely naked, covered in steam, and holding an empty purple bottle. I easily recognized it as a potion that dissolved clothing, likely the source of Fern's frustration.

Seeing Frieren naked didn't faze me; she wasn't the first, nor would she likely be the last girl I've seen without clothing. "Mmmm...That was expensive," Frieren pouted, her mood unchanged as she looked up at me. "Hello," she greeted me simply. "Did you need something?" she didn't seem to mind or care that I saw her either, as long as I kept my distance. Despite her petite frame, she had noticeable curves and strikingly colorful eyes that offset her hair.

"Let me guess: You tried giving Fern a lewd potion for Stark's birthday," I assumed, crossing my arms.

"My master told me that men love receiving this kind of gift," she explained, looking down at the empty bottle sadly.

"Yeah, maybe for someone in their thirties, Frieren. They're still kids, and neither of them seem interested in that sort of thing," I chuckled.

"Mmm," she murmured, reaching into her trunk and pulling out a set of clothes, putting them on. "You're probably right,"

"Although, I bet her expression was priceless after seeing you present that idea to her,"

"It was, though it cost me an expensive bottle,"

"We'll get you another one at some point in time," I shrugged.

"Are you getting him anything?" she asked.

"I'm going to train him tomorrow, as he requested. After that, we can move on to the next town," I replied.

"Good. Given your expertise, he's bound to learn a lot from you," she said, settling back into bed and happily kicking her feet as she read a grimoire.

"I'll take that as a compliment,"

"Do you know how to cook?" she inquired unexpectedly.

"Pardon?"

"I'm planning to make Hamburg steaks for us to celebrate Stark's birthday. He and Fern are out getting him a present. I wouldn't mind some help later if you're free," she explained.

"Oh, sure. Mind if I rest a little first?"

"That shouldn't be a problem. I'll knock on your door once I'm ready," she said, her eyes fixed on the grimoire.

"Got it," I nodded, closing the door and returning to my own room. I lay back on my bed and closed my eyes, hoping to regain some energy.

...

A knock at my door roused me from my brief rest. "Come in," I called. Frieren entered, wearing her usual clothes with an apron over it.

"I see you're dressed for the occasion," I snickered.

"They'll be here soon. Let's get to work, Y/n," she replied calmly with a small smile.

"Alright," I agreed, getting to my feet once more, following her down to the kitchen and dining area of the inn. Frieren had already gathered the ingredients. "It's been a while since I've cooked for someone," I said, starting on the bread and salad.

"Oh, really?" she asked, placing Hamburg steaks on pans over the fire.

"Yes. The last person I cooked for personally, was Engel, actually," I recounted. "We had a great feast: a legendary wild boar and some of the finest bread,"

"You've mentioned him before," she recalled. "You said you parted ways after a disagreement?"

"Yes, more or less,"

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?" Frieren asked, turning to me as the steaks sizzled. The aroma was mouthwatering.

It surprised me to hear that she was curious about something like that, did she care or was she trying to make conversation. I decided to open up to her a bit more about my personal history, as I felt a larger sense of trust with the elf.

"Well, Engel's life goal was to find the Blade of Moonlight. I hope you've heard of it?"

"Yes," she recognized the item in question. "Similar to the hero's sword, the Moonlight Blade is a mythical weapon said to be lost somewhere in the northern lands. He was searching for it?"

"Indeed. He dedicated his life to finding it, and I was with him every step of the journey. We fought monsters and demons alike, discovered treasures, shared drinks and meals, and camped together. We were almost the perfect duo," I reminisced while cutting the bread and tossing the salad. "Then, as he grew older, around sixty or so, he started to believe he didn't have enough time left to continue his search. He secretly grew increasingly jealous of my immortality over the years. Decade after decade, he would age while I looked the exact same. At one point, it broke him. He wanted to live longer, be stronger, and find the blade himself. He came up with a plan to ask the demons for help to extend his lifespan,"

"That was foolish," Frieren remarked, flipping the sizzling patties. "Going to them for help is suicide,"

"I know, and he did too. We argued intensely. I tried to dissuade him, knowing the demon race were a bunch of monstrous liars, but he was desperate. The demons he had killed along the way had become the very ones he thought could help him. He was at his wit's end, grasping at any chance to live longer to find the weapon,"

"What did he do?"

"He attacked me, or at least attempted to," I averted my eyes in melancholy. "We fought, both physically and verbally. I won, of course, but I didn't harm him much. Given his age at the time, anything I did could have killed him, so I blocked and evaded most of his attacks to make my point that it was futile," I sighed. "Then, he stormed off, and I haven't seen him since. He's long dead by now, though, as I've said previously,"

"That's quite the tale, Y/n. Even I don't think I have any quite as deep as that," Frieren said, plating the steaks.

"Well, maybe you just haven't run into one yet," I replied with a sad smile.

Soon, Stark and Fern entered after being out for a while. "Welcome back. You took your time," "Yeah, welcome home," Frieren and I greeted them, setting the plates on the table.

"What's going on? Why did you make us such ridiculously large Hamburg steaks?" Fern asked, puzzled by Frieren's choice.

"Why is it ridiculous? This is what you eat on your birthday," Stark cheered, sitting down, preparing to eat. Fern, Frieren, and I followed in suit. "Like I said, my master wasn't one for gifts, but he always cooked me a big Hamburg steak on my birthday,"

"You knew about this?" Fern looked at Frieren.

"Hey, Stark, didn't Eisen explain this to you?" Frieren asked. It was interesting to hear that Stark was Eisen's apprentice, but now that I looked at him, it made sense.

"Explain what?" Stark replied, confused.

Frieren sighed. "Warriors are so bad when it comes to sharing,"

"That's rich, coming from you," I teased.

"You have a point," Frieren conceded. "But I relate because I'm the same way. We're foolish. People don't know how you truly feel unless you tell them directly," The elf said, recalling a time with her old party. I found myself lost in thought. I remembered when I was once like that, unable to understand or care about others' feelings. It was only when I learned the importance of empathy and connection that I began to truly care and understand.

"Also..." Frieren held up the same potion bottle form before. "I was able to salvage a little of this," she grinned.

"I won't hesitate to pour that over your head again," Fern warned sternly, making me laugh.

"Um, what is that?" Stark asked, curious about the concoction.

"It's nothing, forget she mentioned anything," Fern said quickly, and the two began to bicker. Watching them, I couldn't be happier. I felt that this friendship would be close and last a long time. After we finished eating, we turned in for the night, as tomorrow, Stark and I had plans for training, and we needed to be well-rested.

...

...

"Well, are you ready? We have an hour or two while Frieren and Fern shop for supplies. Then, we have to go off to the next town," I explained, manifesting my greatsword into my hands. Stark and I stood in an empty field, just outside the town walls, preparing for our training session as I had promised him.

"I'm ready," the boy said to himself, positioning his axe.

The morning sun cast long shadows across the snowy field as Stark and I faced off, the chilled breeze flowing over the snow around us. Stark's eyes gleamed with determination as he gripped his axe, and I could feel the excitement building within both of us. I was personally intrigued to see his strength.

"Remember, focus on your form and watch my movements, and know your surroundings," I advised, settling into a battle stance.

Stark nodded, his muscles tensing. "Got it. Let's do this!"

Without another word, I lunged forward, swinging my greatsword in a wide arc. Stark reacted quickly, raising his axe to block the strike. The clash of metal echoed through the field as sparks flew from the impact. Using the momentum, I spun around and aimed for a low sweep at his feet with my blade. Stark jumped and landed on my blade. "Tricky fellow," he went for a swing. I lifted my blade up and swung over my head, launching him upwards into the air.

He did a few flips in the air before countering with a swift overhead chop, forcing me to bring my greatsword up in a defensive block. The force of the blow knocked all of the snow from under us away, leaving a circle of grass in its stead. He used his axe to push off my greatsword to gain some distance.

"Not bad, Stark. You have a lot of strength, and you're smart," I praised, stepping back myself to reassess. "You'll need to be a bit faster, though,"

Stark smirked, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "I can handle that,"

He surged forward, his movements much faster than before, as he swung his axe with impressive speed. I leaned back as the axed almost clipped my nose. We exchanged blows, our weapons clanging and ringing out in a rhythmic dance. His attacks grew more relentless, each strike stronger and more precise than the last. "Good! Good!" I could see his improvement with every swing. I stepped back once more, evading an attack before kicking him in the stomach, sending him back into the snow.

"Well, you can stand against my worst, but how about my best?" I put my sword to the air and activated my hastening spell. I crouched a bit, preparing. He got up and got himself ready as well.

With a burst of speed, I closed the distance instantly, my greatsword a blur as I unleashed a flurry of strikes. Stark's eyes widened as he raised his axe to meet each one with a resounding clash, his defensive skills put to the ultimate test. I pressed harder, testing his limits. I went around in a circle, up and around him. He was able to keep up, but just barely.

Just when I thought he might falter, Stark roared and sidestepped, throwing a punch right into my jaw, and slicing my cheek with his axe in his off-hand. I staggered back, more surprised than hurt, and couldn't help but laugh.

"That's the spirit!" I exclaimed.

I slowly fell to my left in a feint, drawing his attention, and then quickly spun to the right, my greatsword slicing through the air with deadly precision. Stark's eyes widened, but he reacted with remarkable speed, his axe coming up just in time to block the strike. A wave cut through the air and pushed the boy back into the snow once more. I then slammed my sword into the ground and used the momentum to launch myself at the fallen boy. He quickly rolled out of the way as I drove my greatsword into the ground. I then pulled it out, resting it on my shoulder. My hastening spell was spent.

"You're very good at adapting, and have a fast reaction time. I'm impressed. Eisen taught you well,"

"You knew Master Eisen?" Stark asked, surprised, as he got up and dusted himself off.

"Not personally, no. I've heard many stories about him before and during the hero's party,"

"I see,"

"He'd be impressed to see how far you've come,"

"Thanks, Y/n. Tell me, how did you learn to use a sword? Did you have a master as well?" he inquired.

"I've had several, so to speak. I learned from one, then they passed away. I moved to another, learned from them, they passed. It was a cycle. Given my thousands of years of living, I have learned from a multitude of masters, which expanded my repertoire of weapons and skills. I can use other weapons just fine as well. I just find this one more.... exciting,"

An idea struck me. "Here, I want to try something," I tossed my greatsword, its blade embedding into the ground in front of him. "Toss me your axe,"

Stark looked at my blade, then at his axe, seemingly understanding my plan. He tossed his axe over with ease. I caught it and it was relatively light compared to my greatsword. I watched as Stark stared at my blade. He took a deep breath, grasped the hilt with both of his hands, and slowly pulled it from the snow, lifting it with some struggle.

"You got this, Stark!" I encouraged, smiling as he managed to hold it aloft.

"How do you even hold this thing with one hand?!" he exclaimed.

"The more you use it, the faster you'll get with your own weapon, as that one is much heavier than this axe," I said. He waved the sword around a bit, getting a feel for it. "Now, are you ready to finish this?"

"With pleasure," he grinned confidently.

He rushed me at a surprising speed, swinging the greatsword down. I parried the attack and aimed a punch at him, but he ducked under it, sweeping my legs from under me. I fell into the snow, and before I could react, he placed the tip of the blade close to my neck. "I believe I won," he said, triumphant.

"Have you?" I quickly kicked my feet up, knocking the sword high enough for me to get up. He wasn't ready for it. Using his axe, I disarmed him by hooking the greatsword and pulling it from his grasp. Then, with a swift motion, I kicked him to the ground and held his axe against his throat. "You need to make sure the enemy is fully disarmed and has no way of counterattacking,"

I stood up and offered my hand. He took it, dusting himself off once more. He picked up his axe as I grabbed my greatsword, turning it back to mana.

"That was incredible, Y/n. I feel like I've learned so much, so quickly. Talk about the best birthday gift," he laughed, still exhausted from the fight.

"As Frieren stated, you can't just ignore enemies that are stronger than you. When you fight them, you gain experience and learn more about your own skill. You get faster, stronger, and more honed," I explained.

"That's a fair statement. Thanks, Y/n, for this," he tried bowing, but I stopped him by placing my hand on his shoulder.

"Absolutely, no need for formalities. We'll do this plenty more times in the future,"

"How did I do, by the way?" he tilted his head, attempting to get a grade out of me.

"I was genuinely impressed, Stark. You landed a few hits on my and gave me a good cut. You're strong, fast, and smart. You're becoming a formidable warrior," hearing that caused him to smile gleefully.

"Thank you," he really was a pure and kind soul, but also an upcoming hardened warrior, and I was proud of him.

Soon, Frieren and Fern joined us outside the walls. "Well, Stark, how did training go?" Frieren asked curiously, holding her trunk.

"It was amazing. It was fun, and stressful, and it enabled me to get stronger and learn more,"

"I'm sure Y/n was an excellent teacher, given his experience," Frieren looked up at me.

"I'll also take that as a compliment," I laughed, scratching the back of my neck.

"Are we ready? Fern asked us.

"Yes. We'll be traveling through the Alt Woods, so that means we'll be seeing more green than white, finally,"

"Good, I was getting tired of seeing nothing but snow," Stark sighed.

We then made our way down the path to continue our journey to Äußerst.

To Be Continued...