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"Time to get up."
Yulian opened his heavy eyes, not wanting to move.
Waking up didn't mean he was well-rested; he had simply woken up.
"Let me think…"
Next, he should get up, wash up, wake Frieren, and go to Granny Anneliese's house to harvest wheat…
In a small wooden cabin on the misty, rainy mountainside, the black-haired "human" man slowly drifted off to sleep, while in another small wooden cabin, the white-haired female elf slowly opened her emerald-like eyes.
"Thump, thump, thump."
"Thump, thump, thump."
"Thump, thump, thump."
Regular knocking sounds echoed outside the cabin.
Yulian on the bed frowned. He wasn't awake, but he instinctively pulled the blanket over his ears and continued to sleep.
"Thump, thump, thump."
"Thump, thump, thump."
The knocking was unhurried and unusually regular.
"Nico?"
Yulian felt a bit annoyed.
The person outside the door didn't speak; there was only the rhythmic knocking.
It wasn't Nico.
That little girl wouldn't be so quiet when she came to wake him up.
"Who is it?"
Yulian opened his eyes and tightened his blanket.
He didn't want to get up, not one bit!
Especially in this kind of weather today.
Yulian looked out the window; the sky was gray, looking like it was going to rain continuously.
In such weather, there was naturally no need for farm work, so there was no need to get up early.
"Thump, thump, thump."
"Thump, thump, thump."
The knocking continued incessantly.
Yulian, resigned to his fate, had no choice but to get up and put on his clothes.
"Who is it, coming to someone else's house this early in the morning instead of sleeping,"
to play knocking…
Yulian opened the door, and the expressionless white-haired elf appeared before him.
"Frieren."
Yulian was stunned. He never in a million years expected the knocker to be Frieren!
She could actually get up this early!
Unheard of, unseen, alright!
So, today was intentional revenge, then!
"The weather isn't good today, so we don't need to go harvest wheat, okay?"
Yulian forced a smile, his determination to drive Frieren away even stronger than usual!
Now he couldn't even sleep in, for goodness sake!
Who could stand it!
Frieren didn't speak; instead, a snoring sound came.
What was going on?
Yulian's face darkened as he silently sensed the magic fluctuations.
Sure enough!
A "wake-up magic," was it!
"Well, I'll be. You come to disturb my sleep, yet you're sleeping so soundly yourself!"
"Hmm, what's wrong?"
Frieren slightly raised her head, her eyes filled with confusion.
"Oh, nothing, nothing."
Yulian was startled. After confirming that she hadn't heard his previous grumbling, he repeated what he had said earlier.
"So, we're not going to harvest wheat today?"
＜ ( ´ ⌯ ̫ ⌯ ` ) ＞
Frieren was clearly a bit disappointed, but she quickly adjusted and began to ask Yulian questions.
"Have you heard of the Fountain of Youth?"
"The Fountain of Youth?"
Yulian frowned. Not only had he heard of it, but he had also seen it with his own eyes…
So that was it!
In an instant, Yulian also understood the reason Frieren appeared in such a remote small village—the Fountain of Youth.
"Yes, according to legend, it only appears on rainy days, and drinking from it grants eternal youth."
Frieren nodded, not hiding anything.
"But I suspect it's just a magical construct."
Yulian pondered.
Indeed, for Frieren, an elf, eternal youth wasn't as appealing as a new magic spell.
"I've heard of it. It's said to be in the mountains."
Yulian answered hesitantly.
"Thank you."
Frieren showed a satisfied smile.
Since Yulian said so, the legend might indeed be true.
Next…
Frieren looked at the fine rain outside, which had grown a little heavier.
Next, it should be time to set off to find the Fountain of Youth.
"Wait."
Yulian called out to Frieren, who was about to turn and leave, feeling a bit hesitant.
"What?"
"Take me with you."
"Take you…"
"It's fine, you're strong, and I'm not weak either."
Yulian turned and picked up two umbrellas. One was Nico's, which she had forgotten to take home last time, and the other was a gift from Granny Anneliese.
As for the Hero's Sword, Yulian merely glanced at the sword box under the bed and decisively gave up on it.
"Alright."
Frieren agreed when she saw the umbrellas in Yulian's hand.
The mountain path was muddy, and neither of them dared to walk too fast as they proceeded.
In this weather, even the monsters in the mountains were nowhere to be found.
"Do you know where it is?"
After climbing a small slope, Frieren turned to ask Yulian.
Yulian was startled, but then he saw Frieren only looking around after asking, and he relaxed.
"I heard it's on the mountainside."
Yulian pursed his lips, looking at his muddy pant legs, and considered telling Frieren the location of the Fountain of Youth.
"Mountainside?"
Frieren looked up. The rain and fog had already obscured her vision, and she could only faintly make out two small paths.
"Tap~"
"Tap~"
Frieren had only glanced before she started walking.
Yulian's eyes widened slightly, and his open mouth finally closed in frustration.
"Hurry up and follow."
"I think,"
it should be the other way…
Frieren's voice came from ahead. Yulian, unwilling to give up, reminded her, but the sound of footsteps started again.
Sigh…
A deep sense of powerlessness washed over him. Yulian could only follow slowly with heavy steps.
He just looked at the path in the opposite direction, his eyes filled with reluctance.
"Is it really on the mountainside?"
Frieren was a bit tired. They stopped again under a tree.
Of course it is.
Yulian smiled.
It's just that you went the wrong way!
"I think,"
"Indeed, you also think we haven't walked far enough,"
"Let's go."
Frieren said to herself and set off again.
Yulian took a deep look at the figure ahead, undeterred by the wind and rain, then took a deep breath and continued to follow.
But the further they walked, the more Yulian realized something was wrong.
When they left, it was clearly only a light breeze and drizzle, but now it showed signs of intensifying.
"Frieren, don't go any further!"
The distance between them had unknowingly widened quite a bit. In the patter of the rain, Yulian could only shout.
But Frieren ahead couldn't hear him, still pushing forward with determination.
Frieren had a vague premonition.
It was close, getting closer and closer.
"Unbelievable."
Yulian looked at Frieren, who was advancing as if possessed, and had an ominous feeling.
However, after a moment of hesitation, Yulian still didn't stop her.
He was also very curious why the curse of the Fountain of Youth would appear here.
"Tap—Tap—"
"Drip—"
"Drip—"
"A cave?"
Yulian watched Frieren drop her umbrella and walk straight into the cave, and he quickly followed, disregarding the unfamiliar cave.
A captivating, faint fragrance seemed to emanate from within the cave. Yulian also lost himself for a moment, his steps slowing.
One step, one step.
The white-haired elf and the black-haired human seemed to be influenced by some unknown force, walking deeper into the cave step by step.
However, the reaction mechanism left earlier also came into play at this moment.
A pale purple light curtain spontaneously emitted from Yulian's body, and Yulian instantly sobered up just as the two were about to step into the spring together!
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