"Can you feel anything different? Can you see anything beyond the circle?" the queen asked, and I closed my eyes once more. Then, I felt that pleasant sensation in my hand again, and the so-called magic circle appeared.
"I can feel a pleasant sensation in my hand and also in my mana storage. But nothing beyond that."
"Yes, that's it."
"Can you feel it too?"
"Something similar, but what I feel is even better. I can't put it into words."
What could she be feeling? Could it really be something better than this?
"Your magic circle—how is it?"
Hearing the queen's question, I carefully examined the circle. It was still glowing brightly and slowly spinning. I explained to her what I saw. After listening, she asked again:
"And now?"
"It stopped spinning!" I exclaimed, surprised. "The circle is still glowing, but the light has dimmed. It's no longer moving."
"And now?" she asked once more.
"The glow just got stronger, and it's spinning again."
"I see. When I start the conversion, your circle gains power just like mine. When I pause the conversion, it stops moving… I understand now…" Her words only left me more confused.
Conversion? What was that?
I asked her about it, but she avoided the question and said she would explain another time.
"I'll continue. Focus on your magic circle. If you do, you won't even notice time passing."
"Is that why you can keep this up for days?"
"Exactly. I don't notice time passing, and I barely feel hunger or thirst while doing it. Maybe the same will apply to you."
"Alright, I'll focus."
Excited, I closed my eyes again and concentrated on my magic circle.
Beautiful. Truly beautiful.
The longer I focused, the brighter it shone.
And then, after some time, I felt something strange.
A powerful surge of energy burst inside my mana storage, followed by a burning sensation. It wasn't painful, but it was unsettling. My magic circle shone brilliantly, and then—its light vanished.
The sensation in my hand disappeared.
And so did the magic circle.
I slowly opened my eyes, and they met the queen's.
"Congratulations on reaching the next layer."
Question marks floated in my mind.
Layers?!
#####
POV: Frieren
I was surprised at how well this "Dual Conversion" worked. I knew it could boost my own conversion speed, but I didn't expect it to be this effective at evolving the magic circle of someone training alongside me.
After just a few hours, I received a message that left me speechless:
[Serie has advanced to the fourth layer of the first circle!]
The moment I read it, I stopped the conversion.
"That was fast…" I thought.
She must have already been close to breaking through, even without realizing it. Which means everyone probably has a magic circle like mine—but only I can help others see theirs.
Interesting.
"Congratulations on reaching the next layer," I said, genuinely happy for her.
Serie stayed silent, confused. Of course—she didn't know what layers meant. So I explained, telling her about the layers and making it clear that everyone likely has a magic circle.
Her reaction was more excited than I expected.
"Doesn't that mean you could evolve anyone? You're holding a terrifying power in your hands!" she said eagerly.
"Well, I won't do it for just anyone."
"Of course not. You shouldn't. I just think it's amazing that you have such an ability. No one else in this world even knows about magic circles and layers—only you and me."
"Please, keep this a secret."
"Of course, of course—I will. But on one condition."
"…"
"You have to let me train with you every day…" Serie said, then laughed. "Hahaha, I'm kidding—"
"Fine by me. But you'll have to do everything I ask."
"Huh?"
Her smile vanished. "What do you mean by that? What exactly do you plan to ask of me?"
"That's a secret." I smiled, standing up. "Come on, we have to take care of the elves. Oh, and tomorrow we'll finish arranging the houses near the World Tree. Everyone needs proper beds."
"Ah, that's right—I completely forgot! The elves can't keep sleeping inside the tree!"
I descended the stairs slowly, with Serie following behind.
Just as we were about to leave the tree, she muttered:
"I'm worried about what you'll ask me to do…"
"Don't worry so much."
####
POV: Third Person
"They won't even talk to me."
In front of the Freya Family home, Fern had tried countless times to reach someone of higher rank—but was ignored every single time.
Why did Heiter send me here?
The way they looked at Fern made her feel like trash.
A small, weak, useless, and filthy girl. Even though she was pretty, they didn't care enough to give her a second glance.
Was I mistaken? She thought Heiter had told her to seek the Freya Family before he died—but had she misunderstood?
Fern sighed and stared sadly at the luxurious, castle-like mansion.
She came to a bitter conclusion: She wasn't welcome here. There was no point in trying to reach out to that so-called Goddess.
After walking for a long time, Fern returned to her "home" and crawled back inside her tent.
How many times had she done this?
Every day, she went to the Freya estate—and every day, she came back crushed with disappointment.
… Fern looked down at the book written by Frieren, lost in thought.
She knew how much Heiter had adored Frieren, even though she herself had never spoken to him. She knew how much he loved the elves.
'I was wrong…' Fern smiled bitterly and took out her last piece of dry bread to eat.
####
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