Year 29 of the Post-Hero Era, Gil Village.
Back at Hans's home, the hunter's wife, a woman with cascading purple hair, had already prepared dinner.
The meal consisted of stewed beast meat cooked until tender and several chunks of dark bread.
At the table, Lynn made a request to Hans.
"Sir, I'd like to stay here for a while."
"Staying is no problem at all!"
Hans agreed readily while gnawing on a bone-in piece of meat. "But I don't keep idle people around."
"I can work."
Lynn smiled. "I'd also like to ask the village blacksmith to forge two swords for me. I'll repay the lodging and the weapon costs in another way."
Hans set the bone down and studied him with curiosity. "What do you need swords for? You don't look like a warrior."
Compared to a burly hunter like Hans, Lynn's build did look rather slender.
"I still need to learn how to protect myself."
"Alright."
Hans didn't press further. He wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth. "I'll help you put it on credit with the blacksmith. But how are you planning to repay it?"
"One boar should about cover it."
Based on his understanding of prices in the original story, Lynn already had a plan.
Early the next morning, before the fog had fully dispersed, Hans tossed over two sheathed longswords. The leather on the scabbards was already peeling.
"These are two swords the old blacksmith, Jerrit, had in his collection. Five silver coins total. He says that's already a discount for my sake."
"Thanks."
Lynn crossed the twin swords and fastened them to his belt, then turned and headed out of the village.
He had already asked around earlier and knew clearly that a beast called a Tusked Boar lived nearby. Its meat was delicious and sold for a good price, and for him right now, it was a decent trial opponent.
"Be careful out there!"
Hans called after him.
Lynn waved a hand, his figure quickly swallowed by the morning mist.
After inheriting the Hero of the South's physique, his senses and physical abilities had been significantly enhanced.
The chaotic smells and sounds of the forest were automatically sorted in his mind, becoming clear and distinct.
So this is the perception of the strongest human. It really is something else.
Before long, following hoofprints and overturned soil, he found a boar's nest.
Roar!
A Tusked Boar the size of a small calf burst out of the bushes, foul saliva dripping from its sharp tusks.
Lynn lowered his stance slightly, his body assuming a combat posture.
In his mind, an image flashed by of a dual-wielding warrior slaughtering enemies across a battlefield.
This is it.
Just as the boar was about to crash into him, Lynn shifted his body to the left, the longsword in his hand slashing smoothly across.
The massive body of the boar continued forward due to inertia, charging several more meters before slamming into an old oak tree with a thunderous crash, shaking loose countless leaves.
It twitched a few times. Blood sprayed wildly from its neck, and it soon went still.
Lynn flicked the blood droplets from his blade and formed a preliminary judgment of his current strength.
"Probably… about early-game level for two tomato warriors."
Chuckling to himself, he dragged the several-hundred-pound boar corpse back toward the village step by step.
With the Hero of the South's physique, hauling a few hundred pounds was easy.
When he dumped the entire boar in front of the blacksmith's shop, the blacksmith and the villagers passing by were all stunned.
"You… you took this down by yourself?"
Blacksmith Jerrit stared wide-eyed.
Behind him, an elderly woman who looked like his mother peeked her head out from the shop as well, equally shocked.
"Yes. This should cover the debt, right?" Lynn said.
The blacksmith examined the clean, precise cuts on the boar and nodded repeatedly with a grin. "More than enough."
After settling all his expenses with the boar meat, Lynn's life temporarily stabilized.
Next, he needed to find a way to get himself into Frieren's party.
To deal with Frieren, he would need some leverage.
The opportunity came quickly.
The very next day, a well-endowed, elegant married woman from a neighboring house came to him with a worried expression, asking him to venture deep into the forest to gather a medicinal herb called Moonlight Grass.
It was said to be a special cure for her husband's rheumatism.
"Please, Mr. Lynn. That herb grows on a cliff guarded by magical beasts.
No one in the village dares to go. I heard you defeated a Tusked Boar, so you should be able to handle those monsters."
The woman pleaded pitifully.
"No problem."
Lynn agreed without hesitation. For him, it was killing two birds with one stone. He could train himself and earn goodwill from the villagers at the same time.
The commission went smoothly.
When he handed the Moonlight Grass to the woman, she thanked him profusely and, in a mysterious manner, slipped him an old magic book as a reward.
"I got this by chance when I was young.
It's a spell that makes women fuller and more charming. Consider it a thank-you gift. The effect only lasts for one hour, though."
Lynn accepted the magic book with a smile. For a certain elf, this spell would be nothing short of a dream.
More than a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Every day, Lynn fought monsters and beasts in the forest, his dual-wielding technique growing increasingly refined.
At the same time, he didn't forget his real objective.
To reach the Northern Plateau, a first-class mage status was a mandatory pass.
Although the Hero of the South's physique leaned toward that of a warrior, his perception and control of mana were far beyond ordinary people.
He spent some time learning a few basic offensive and defensive spells from the priest at the village church.
On this day, he bid farewell to Hans's family and headed to the nearest city, Greyal, to take the mage ranking exam there.
Greyal was the largest city in the surrounding region, with the Mage Association located at its center.
The exam itself wasn't complicated, consisting mainly of basic magic theory and practical application.
After passing, Lynn found himself holding a piece of parchment stamped with a gilded emblem.
It was a fifth-class mage certification, the entry ticket to participate in the first-class mage exam.
However, the Hero of the South's physique was not suited for intensive magic specialization. The chances of him reaching first class on his own were slim.
That was why his plan from the beginning had been to rely on Frieren's party.
More precisely, he needed Fern.
As long as he could travel with them and make use of Fern's first-class mage status, he could pass the northern checkpoints smoothly and reach the Northern Plateau.
In truth, he hoped to reach the Land of Soul's Rest together with Frieren's group, but that slot was reserved for Sein, so he didn't insist on it.
After returning to the village, another ten-plus days passed.
Lynn sat beneath a large tree at the village entrance, wiping down the twin swords that the blacksmith had just finished reforging.
In the more than two months since crossing over, he had fully adapted to life in this world.
He also discovered that aside from synchronizing abilities by touching statues of the Hero of the South, he currently seemed unable to synchronize abilities from other statues, such as Himmel's.
Perhaps he needed to fully synchronize one legendary figure before moving on to another.
Also, judging by the timing, Frieren's group would definitely arrive at the village today.
Sure enough, at the far end of the horizon, three small black dots gradually became clear.
They were the carrot elf, the eggplant mage, and the tomato warrior.
Lynn put away his twin swords, patted the grass clippings from his pants, and stepped forward.
"Greetings, great mage Frieren."
Frieren stopped. Her bright eyes swept over him, and she blinked.
"And you are?"
"My name is Lynn. A traveler."
Lynn maintained his smile.
Frieren stared at him for three seconds, then suddenly slid behind Fern, only half her head peeking out, her face showing clear disdain.
"Fern, this person smells like trouble."
She said it loudly enough to be heard. "Let's leave quickly. I feel like we'll get dragged into something weird."
Lynn's smile stiffened.
Being disliked to his face was not a pleasant feeling.
"Miss Frieren."
Fern sighed, looking at her teacher helplessly. "That's very rude. And this gentleman doesn't seem to have any ill intent."
"It's not ill intent. It's trouble. I hate trouble."
Frieren shook her head stubbornly.
Lynn looked straight at Frieren and said, "Lady Frieren, I only wish to travel with you for a short distance."
"Rejected."
Frieren replied instantly.
"Only as far as the Northern Plateau."
"Rejected."
"I will pay a reward. A rare kind of magic."
Lynn calmly threw out the bait.
Frieren's ears twitched, and the disdain in her eyes instantly turned into curiosity.
"What kind of magic?"
The corners of Lynn's mouth lifted slightly. "A spell that makes you more feminine and charming. Though it only lasts for one hour."
Fern's gaze immediately turned icy. She raised her staff in front of her.
"Lady Frieren, this guy really is dangerous. Let's go."
But Frieren immediately jumped out and grabbed Lynn's hand.
"Deal."
"Lady Frieren!"
Fern looked like she was about to explode.
"So, we're companions now?" Lynn withdrew his hand.
"Give me the magic first."
Frieren hooked her finger impatiently.
Lynn immediately handed over the magic book.
Frieren snatched it away, her movements as quick as a cat guarding food.
She then carefully opened the book, completely ignoring the freezing glare Fern shot her way.
Stark scratched his tomato-colored hair and leaned over, asking quietly, "Um, Mr. Lynn, how do you know Frieren?"
"Because I've seen her statue," Lynn replied.
"Just from seeing a statue, you recognized her right away?" Stark froze.
Before he could ask more, a hand suddenly grabbed the back of his collar.
Fern, expressionless, dragged the tomato warrior three meters away from Lynn, looking at him as if he were some kind of contagious disease.
"It's getting late."
Lynn didn't mind Fern's dislike. He glanced at the sun sinking behind the mountains. "There's only one inn in the village, on the west side of the square. I'll take you there."
"Mm, thanks."
Frieren was completely absorbed in the magic book, not even lifting her head.
Fern let out a heavy sigh, dragging her unreliable teacher toward the inn. As she passed Lynn, she didn't forget to glare fiercely at him.
The group soon arrived at the inn.
Lynn didn't want to interfere too much in Frieren's party's internal life, so he chose to continue staying at Hans's place.
Maintaining a proper sense of distance was the foundation of long-term cooperation.
At dinner time.
Fern, her face dark, knocked on Frieren's door with a tray in hand. Soon after, Frieren's muffled, angry scolding could be heard from inside.
"Lady Frieren! Please do not experiment with that kind of magic on the inn's bed!"
Lynn sat in the downstairs hall, took a quiet sip of ale while listening to the commotion upstairs, then returned to Hans's home.
Early the next morning, Lynn packed his belongings and waited in front of the inn.
Before long, Frieren's group came down as well.
Frieren looked to be in high spirits, even humming an unknown tune.
Fern, on the other hand, was puffed up with anger, clearly sulking.
Stark trailed behind, looking listless, as if he had been caught in last night's war between two mages.
"Good morning," Lynn greeted them.
"Morning," Frieren nodded.
Fern merely glanced at him without saying a word, still angry about the magic.
"Let's head out," Lynn said, taking the first step forward.