A few days later, because of his age, Himmel still passed away.
Even if he was the Hero, he was still only human.
The royal capital held a funeral—grand and solemn.
Everyone attended: commoners, nobles, even the king himself.
Himmel was the Hero, a legend. This was the respect he deserved.
Naturally, Shichen and the other members of the Hero's party took part from start to finish.
Himmel had always lived alone. To him, they were family.
The funeral lasted several days.
The capital wasn't shrouded in grief. Himmel was gone, but he'd died peacefully of old age.
He didn't want people mourning him—and he'd lived a happy life.
Heiter officiated the funeral. As a priest, he was the perfect choice.
When it was over, Shichen prepared to leave with Frieren.
"Shichen-nii… where are you going next?" Heiter asked at the moment of parting.
Eisen looked at Shichen too.
"We'll just wander around for a bit," Shichen said casually.
"Really? Didn't you say you were going to travel as a couple?"
"That was the plan," Shichen admitted, "but Himmel's passing… makes me want to slow down."
It was the first time he'd experienced a friend's death.
He'd known it would happen and thought he was prepared—but living through it still hit hard.
No matter how well he understood Himmel—optimistic, bright—he still felt sad.
That's what it meant to lose someone.
Shichen wasn't emotionless. How could he be unmoved?
"So you weren't just saying it," Heiter said, smiling when he saw Shichen's grief.
"Aren't you the same?" Shichen shot back. "You've been wiping your tears in secret these past few days, haven't you?"
"I haven't! I'm heartless," Heiter denied instantly.
"I saw you," Eisen bluntly exposed him.
"Uh…" Heiter froze, his face stiff. Then he sighed and gave in. "Fine."
"Aren't you the same, Eisen?"
"…Yeah." Eisen just nodded.
The mood sank again.
"Frieren," Shichen asked, turning to the silent elf, "what about you? Any thoughts?"
"Me? I'm… a little sad," Frieren answered honestly.
"Really? Sounds like my 'training' worked," Shichen said with satisfaction, rubbing her head.
Frieren was an elf—naturally distant with emotions—but being with them all this time, never lonely, had made her feelings richer.
Shichen didn't want her to become one of those immortal beings who felt nothing.
"'Training,' huh…" Heiter sighed. "Your relationship really is something, Shichen-nii."
"What did you expect? Back when we joined your party, we were already a couple," Shichen said with a grin.
"Himmel recruited you. We didn't even know who you two were."
"We had a bond with him too," Shichen said, slipping into memory.
Back then, Himmel was still just a kid. They happened to run into him, and Shichen recognized him at a glance.
He helped him out, and the kid latched on—curious, starry-eyed, worshipful.
All because Shichen had casually shown off a bit of magic.
Kids were like that—they couldn't resist.
Shichen played with him for a while, formed a connection… and later Himmel came knocking, inviting him into the Hero's party.
"Speaking of which," Heiter said, eyebrow raised, "you've been with Frieren for so long—how come you still don't have a kid?"
"Do you really think Frieren is the type who should have a kid?" Shichen shot back.
"Fair… Still, Shichen-nii, your taste is pretty unique."
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Frieren's beautiful, sure, but she's tiny…"
"So what? That's what makes her adorable." Shichen pulled Frieren closer.
"Shichen-nii… you're not a lolicon, are you?"
"Sounds like you're asking to be disciplined again. It's been fifty years since I last taught you manners."
"No! Shichen-nii, I'm an old man now—I can't take that humiliation!"
"It doesn't matter. To me, you're still a brat."
"Then can we at least… do it somewhere with no people?" Heiter asked in a small voice.
They were in a restaurant, and it was fairly busy. Heiter didn't know Shichen had set up a barrier so no one was paying attention.
"If there aren't any witnesses, disciplining you won't be fun."
"Shichen-nii really is a demon… Hahaha!" Heiter burst out laughing.
He remembered their journey—back then, Shichen really did "discipline" him all the time.
Like a parent to a child.
Even though, on the surface, Heiter looked much older than Shichen.
Heiter laughed. Shichen laughed too, and the heavy atmosphere finally eased.
After chatting a bit longer, Shichen parted ways with them and left with Frieren.
…
"Where are we going?" Frieren asked after they'd walked a short distance.
"Back to the inn to check out. Then we're going home."
"Home?"
"Back to the café."
"Huh? Didn't you say you'd stay in this world a bit longer?"
"…Next time," Shichen said after a pause.
He wanted to change his mood.
"Alright. Whatever you say." Frieren had no objections.
"But aren't you going to see Serie?" she asked.
"Uh… next time," Shichen said, a little guilty.
He still hadn't taken Serie with him—he'd left her in this world, so she could only see him when he came back.
Every time, she was full of resentment.
Shichen liked her, but he also liked teasing her.
Mostly because Serie loved acting tough. He'd offered to take her before, but she always refused out loud—so he'd played along.
But knowing what she really wanted made him feel guilty.
When they got back to the café, a few people had returned: Katō Megumi, Jeanne, and Mio—her belly already quite round.
"Why are you back?" Shichen asked, looking at the three of them sitting together like close friends.
Megumi and Jeanne could come and go easily with Shichen's abilities.
Mio could travel between worlds too now—she'd awakened it herself, or rather, it came naturally.
Normally that should've been impossible. Only Shichen, chosen by the world's will, should have that kind of authority.
But Mio was carrying Shichen's child.
And the baby was close to being born.
"Anywhere is the same to me," Megumi explained. "I'm used to it."
"Fair… Jeanne, what about you?"
"I don't want to see Megumi with a big belly too—" Jeanne blurted, then quickly corrected herself, face blank. "I mean… I was bored."
The correction was pointless.
"Mio, don't run around so much," Shichen said, ignoring Jeanne and focusing on Mio with concern.
"Chen, I'm fine," Mio said, stroking her belly, her face glowing with warmth. "And I feel like the baby misses you."
At that, Megumi and Jeanne both glanced at her.
Megumi just lifted an eyebrow.
Jeanne's envy was painfully obvious.
"Yeah… let me listen." Shichen walked over, crouched, and pressed his ear to Mio's belly.
There was no sound, of course—but he could feel the bloodline connection.
Inside was a small, fragile life.
His child—an actual child.
Not like Illya, whose "filial piety" could… take strange turns.
Mio smiled gently, stroking Shichen's hair.
"Mio, what does being pregnant feel like?" Frieren asked, curious—rare for her, seeing Shichen this careful.
"Feel like…" Mio thought for a moment. "It's… strange. In a good way."
"That's not an answer."
"There's a new life inside me. Every moment, I can feel him there." Mio spoke slowly, searching for words. "It's not like Tohka and Tenka… With him, I can feel his thoughts. We're tightly connected—and I'm tightly connected to you too, Chen."
"Because it's Shichen's child," Frieren nodded.
"Why are you asking that?" Jeanne narrowed her eyes at Frieren. "Don't tell me you want a kid too."
"No way…"
"Then why ask?"
"I'm just curious."
"Really? You don't want a kid?"
"Shichen still hasn't 'eaten' me yet," Frieren said flatly.
"Ehh—seriously?" Jeanne stared at Shichen.
"…Yes," Shichen admitted.
"Why? Aren't you a lolicon? Frieren fits your type perfectly."
"…Mind your business!" Shichen snapped at her.
"That's wild."
"Come to think of it," Megumi mused, "we'd never even met Frieren before. So why did Shichen end up in her world first?"
"I don't know," Shichen said. "Weren't you the one who brought me into this dimension?"
"True, but back then I could only sense her world…"
"Whatever," Jeanne waved it off. "At least Frieren changed Shichen a lot."
"That's true…" Megumi agreed.
"So what was Shichen like before?" Mio asked.
"He was really confident." *2
Megumi and Jeanne answered in unison.