After carrying Frieren into her home, Fíliya finally set her down and casually lifted her magic.
Almost the instant she regained her mobility, Frieren clenched her small fist and punched Fíliya in the chest.
Seeing the attack coming, Fíliya had no intention of dodging.
Instead, with an arrogant look, she thrust her chest out even further.
"Hiss..."
Frieren looked shocked. She couldn't understand why her hand hurt from the impact when she was the one attacking.
"Heh heh, even you miscalculate sometimes, Frieren. You should know that my chest enjoys the reputation of being a 'Steel Plate'."
Fíliya wore a confident smile.
"...You're actually proud of that?"
Frieren rubbed her wrist, finding the person in front of her both infuriating and amusing.
"Of course. Compared to those who envy what others have and hate what they lack... those fellows who show a resentful expression the moment they see someone bigger than themselves, I am undoubtedly very confident."
Fíliya didn't feel there was anything wrong with her words; in fact, her expression became even brighter.
"Bigger than... themselves?"
Miss Fern, standing behind the two, heard Fíliya's words and finally realized—belatedly—what was implied.
Then Fern looked down at her own chest, and her entire face flushed with a mix of shyness and embarrassment at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Tsk... If I'd known, I would have learned some martial arts from Himmel... Then that punch just now would have caved your chest in so hard you wouldn't even be able to stay flat."
Frieren said viciously.
Hearing this, Fíliya immediately clutched her chest and took two steps back with a look of horror.
"Frieren, you vicious woman..."
"Scared now? It's not too late to apologize."
Frieren finally revealed a satisfied expression.
"Alright... Lady Frieren, could you restrain yourself a little...? Honestly, every time you start messing around with Fíliya, it turns into this..."
Fern watched their interaction with a sense of helplessness.
But she couldn't do anything about it. Although she often felt a little bitter inside, she had to admit that during this time together, Fíliya and Frieren had formed a relationship that was, in a sense, even more intimate than her own with Frieren.
After all, Frieren would still consider her dignity as an 'elder' in front of Fern, but in front of Fíliya, she could display all her flaws and negative emotions without reservation.
Perhaps this is what books call... a friendship that transcends age... Fern thought.
Seeing that both Frieren and Fíliya had obediently stopped making a fuss, Fern looked around with satisfaction.
"Anyway, let's tidy up the house first. Fíliya has been away for so long, it must be messy... Eh?"
Just as Fern rolled up her sleeves, preparing to help Fíliya give the house a good cleaning, she discovered... that Fíliya's home was almost spotless.
The furniture was tidy, and traces of someone's care could be seen in every detail. Even the plants on the windowsill were lush and full of vitality.
"It seems... we don't need to clean... What's going on?"
Fern tilted her head slightly, somewhat puzzled.
"Ah... there must be some kind and cute 'Good Samaritan' who comes here often to clean up... That really is her style."
Looking at everything before her, an unconscious smile appeared on Fíliya's lips.
"Then... how should we assign the rooms?"
Fern asked.
"Mm, good question. My house only has two beds, so Frieren and I will take one, and you and Stark take one. No problem, right?"
Fíliya spoke very casually, but her words caused a massive shockwave in everyone else's ears.
"There is a problem, a huge problem!"
Stark shouted his objection from the side, and Frieren also looked displeased.
"That's right, when did I agree to share a room with you?"
"Sigh... fine, if that's how it is... Frieren, you share a room with Fern, and Stark gets his own room. Let me just be pitiful... it's fine, don't mind my feelings, boohoo~~~"
As Fíliya spoke, she squatted directly in the corner of the room, hugging her knees with both hands while making strange whimpering noises that sounded like a mix of crying and laughing.
"Ah... she's starting with the guilt tripping."
Fern looked helplessly at her mentor.
Because in her eyes, Fíliya and this person who was teacher, friend, and mother to her were truly too alike.
Both possessed supernatural magical attainments and... supernatural awkward personalities.
Both were very reliable under normal circumstances, but once they fell into this 'Childish Mode' and started acting silly, they became exceptionally difficult to deal with.
"You all heard that? She said it herself. Let's move our things into the room then."
Frieren was completely unmoved by Fíliya's fake crying and even started walking towards the nearby bedroom on her own.
"Frieren..."
Fern hurriedly pulled Frieren back.
"This is Fíliya's home after all. How can we let her sleep on the floor? Let's just listen to her arrangement for now."
"Tsk."
Frieren curled her lip and glared at the guy playing the victim in the corner, but ultimately didn't continue to object.
"Uh... wait, Fern, how did you accept that so naturally..."
Stark, who had been trying his best to lower his presence, finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"What's wrong?"
Fern turned back to look at him.
"Um... you... if we follow Fíliya's assignment... wouldn't you have to share a room with me..."
Stark's voice got quieter and quieter, and his face got redder and redder.
"Yes, I know. Is there a problem with that?"
Fern continued to look at him with a puzzled expression.
No...
Stark froze on the spot. He couldn't quite figure out if Fern truly 'didn't mind', or if she was just too dense to notice the issue.
"A-Anyway, I'll go find an inn to stay at. Being the only guy, I'll be freer that way."
Stark said, turning to leave, but he too was grabbed and pulled back by Fern.
"Mr. Stark, may I ask what you mean by that? We are clearly members of the same party, yet you want to leave alone? Doesn't that make it look like we're bullying you? Please behave yourself and don't make things difficult for us."
Ah... it's over. It's Fern's 'Honorifics' mode...
Stark felt his head swelling, and beads of sweat began to slide continuously down his forehead.
"Then... then I'll sleep on the floor. That should be fine, right?"
Stark continued to struggle, but Fern's face looked worse and worse, and she glared viciously at him.
"What do you mean by that? Does being close to me make you that uncomfortable?"
It... it's not that! Asking me to lie in the same bed as you... how am I supposed to sleep...? I beg you, think about me for a second, will you? Seriously...
Stark really wanted to retort loudly but didn't know how to start, so he ultimately just turned red in the face.
"Oh right... actually, if the storage room on the second floor is cleaned up, it should be able to fit one person."
Seeing that things had reached a fever pitch, Miss Fíliya finally stepped forward, still looking like she wanted more, and ended this strange dispute.
"I'm saved..."
The red-haired boy instantly breathed a sigh of relief, then rushed up to the second floor on his own initiative, leaving a sulking Miss Fern standing alone.
Sigh... what a good kid.
Watching Stark's retreating back, Fíliya felt exceptionally satisfied, because this red-haired boy was the second stable source of emotion points she had obtained since leaving Aura.
Such an easily embarrassed, pure-hearted boy was simply too convenient for her to harvest points from, which was why she often created situations that made things difficult for Stark.
"Fíliya..."
The puffed-up Miss Eggplant slowly approached Fíliya, her unhappiness written all over her face.
"Hm?"
Fíliya finally stood up from the floor.
"Why doesn't Stark want to share a room with me?"
Miss Eggplant asked with a look of displeasure.
"How should I know? I'm not a boy."
Miss Fíliya shrugged, then brushed past Fern, walking towards Frieren.
___
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