"Frieren, I'm begging you—please let me join your party no matter what! I'll do anything!"
Sein clung desperately to Stark's leg, blocking Frieren and the others from leaving, desperately trying to change their minds.
"Then why are you clinging to my leg?!" Stark looked utterly disgusted as he tried to shake Sein off, roaring at him, "If you're begging Frieren, shouldn't you be clinging to her leg?!"
"As an old man, I really don't have the face to cling to the leg of someone who looks like a little girl—!" Sein wept bitterly, gazing at Stark with eyes full of hope. "Please, Stark—considering I saved your life by curing your snake venom, help me beg for mercy—!!"
"Even if you say that, I was the one who pulled you out of the swamp, and didn't we call it even already…?" Stark's voice grew smaller. He looked toward Frieren for support. "Frieren, how about we just…"
"I was really wrong—that was just me trying to act cool, I didn't actually mean I didn't want to go—!" Sein wailed again in perfect coordination with Stark.
"Eh—? No way." Frieren rejected him flatly.
"Why not?!"
"Because it just feels really annoying…"
Fern watched the farce with dead-fish eyes… These three are so troublesome. How did things end up like this?
Seventy-nine years after Diego went missing… —Northern Nations, Alte Forest—
"Frieren, I got bitten…" Stark raised his arm, showing the venomous snake still latched onto him. Blood poured from his nostrils. His tone was terrifyingly calm. "I think I might be a little dead…"
"Jeez—" Frieren stepped on the snake's head to stop it from escaping and grumbled, "What are you doing? I told you right before we entered this forest to be careful of the poisonous creatures inside."
Fern wrapped a bandage around Stark's arm. "For now, let's stop the bleeding."
Stark wiped the blood from his nose carelessly and asked curiously, "By the way, Frieren, how did you know there were so many poisonous creatures in this forest?"
＜(´⌯ ⩊ ⌯`)＞!
Did you really have to ask that?
Frieren's two little fingers kept poking and poking. Her expression grew more and more guilty.
"Frieren-sama?"
"Because… when I was traveling with Dio to subjugate the Demon King, we passed through this forest too. Back then, I was the one who got bitten…" Frieren lowered her head, voice growing smaller. "But Alicia was there at the time and neutralized the poison right away. It was so embarrassing…"
"Now it's going to be tricky. Analyzing and treating specific toxins is monk magic. I'm not good at it. We'll have to head to a nearby village and see if there's a monk there."
"…You guys are exaggerating. I'm fine." Stark's blood-soaked appearance was utterly unconvincing. "Diego Master already put me through poison resistance special training. I just have to tough it out for a bit and I'll be okay."
"Poison resistance training… Diego-sama really goes too far. What kind of thought process even is that?" Fern frowned, quietly observing Stark's wound. Her low voice carried a hint of displeasure. "What if Stark-sama actually died from the poison?"
Diego: ? Do I even need to answer that? Then he wouldn't be worthy of being my disciple. Only the strong who survive are worthy of being my disciple.
Training a disciple into a strong one × Recruiting a strong one who can survive the training as a disciple √
Fern summoned her staff and used flight magic to lift Stark. Her face full of worry, she urged, "Alicia-sama once told me that twenty percent of adventurers' deaths are caused by poisoning. We need to hurry."
"I'm really fine…" Stark bent over in midair, wailing nonstop.
Just as the two flew over a swamp, another wail reached their ears—sounding like Stark's kindred spirit in misery.
"…Is anyone there? I'm sinking into the swamp and drowning—help—…"
The three decided to follow the voice and check it out.
When they landed, sure enough, there was a rather refined-looking goat-bearded old man sitting gloomily in the swamp, tilting his head 45 degrees toward the sky in an attempt to look cool. If he weren't calling for help, he'd actually look cooler.
"…Thank goodness. I shouted for twenty minutes and finally someone came." The goat-bearded man let out a sigh of relief and stretched his hand toward the three. "Could you pull me out? As you can see, without outside help, I'm done for."
The three exchanged glances, nodded, and Stark stepped forward, yanking the goat-bearded man out with one pull.
Thud!
"Phew—saved. Thanks. My name is Sein. I'm a monk from a nearby village." Sein smiled and explained how he fell into the swamp. "My village is preparing for the harvest festival soon. My big brother asked me to gather some wild herbs from the forest for cooking, but I accidentally fell into this bottomless swamp."
This was practically a pillow delivered while dozing off!
Hearing Sein's profession, Fern grew excited and solemnly asked him to examine Stark's injury.
"Sein-sama, could you please take a look at Stark-sama? He was bitten by a venomous snake." Fern pushed Stark in front of Sein and bowed deeply.
"I see. There really are a lot of poisonous creatures around here. Getting bitten on your first time is unavoidable." Sein narrowed his eyes and carefully examined Stark's wound.
Finally, he sighed, shook his head helplessly, and lowered his hand.
Stark felt as though his end had come. When a monk looked at your injury, sighed solemnly, and shook his head—it was basically a death sentence.
His whole body trembled. Tears streamed out from sheer fright.
"Your reaction… Don't tell me the poison in Stark-sama is really severe?!" Fern panicked and pleaded again. "Please try harder!"
"No need to treat it anymore…"
Sein pulled a cigarette from his pocket and was about to light it when he realized the tobacco had been soaked in swamp water and was unsmokable. Depressed, he put it away.
"This snake's venom is extremely potent. In a few hours, his brain will start melting and flow out through his nose. Death is certain."
"Conventional treatment methods only work in the early stages of poisoning. It's already too late…"
Hearing how Stark would die, Fern and Frieren clutched each other's hands, trembling together.
"But Sein, you just said 'conventional' treatment methods. Does that mean there are unconventional ones that can still cure it?" Frieren caught the key word.
"Heh heh, good thing you ran into me. If you'd waited any longer and gone to the village…" Sein walked over to Stark. A faint green light glowed in his palm as he placed it on Stark's shoulder. "Like this—we're even. I've neutralized the snake venom."
The symptoms of poisoning vanished. Stark's nosebleed stopped.
Frieren poked her head out curiously. "What would have happened if we waited a little longer?"
"If you waited a little longer, he would have healed on his own." Sein's eyes turned dead-fish. Expressionless, he deadpanned, "What the hell is this body? This is the first time I've seen an immune system chase down and kill snake venom after it briefly disrupts the nerves, nearly turning the venom into body nourishment."
"I can't believe it. Just how much poison have you been exposed to?!"
Diego-sama truly deserves to be the captain of the party that killed the Demon King. He foresaw ten years in advance that Stark-sama would be bitten by a venomous snake and specially put him through poison resistance training. Such foresight.
Fern's face changed in an instant.
"Thank you so much for your help, Sein-sama. Stark-sama caused you trouble." Fern placed her hands in front of her and bowed politely in thanks.
Sein waved it off. "No problem. Didn't he save me too?"
"No. I clearly warned him to be careful. I'm going to scold him hard later." Fern looked displeased. She turned and walked away faster than usual, pinching Stark's ear as she lectured him. "Stark-sama, you can't be so careless again from now on…"
Seeing Stark standing frozen in place with a dazed expression, Fern frowned slightly. She waved her hand in front of his eyes. "Stark-sama?"
"He was so shocked by Sein's words that he fainted…" Frieren poked him repeatedly with a stick, her tone abnormally calm. "His body's completely rigid. The nearest decent-sized town is still quite a distance away."
"Can't be helped. Let's go sit in the village for a bit." Sein gave a thumbs-up over his shoulder and smiled. "Even though I have to prepare for the harvest festival, I can still entertain you guys a little."
"Then we'll impose."
...
"Uwaa! Where am I?"
Stark jolted awake on the bed. He patted himself all over, only relaxing after confirming nothing was wrong.
"Where are Frieren and Fern?"
Stark looked around the room. Not seeing the familiar two, he jumped off the bed, went to the door, and peeked through the crack.
"…Frieren-sama, could you please take that child away from the village?" Sein's older brother—the priest standing before Frieren—pleaded earnestly. "He's admired becoming an adventurer since he was little. He has talent I could never match. But because he worries about me, he chose to stay in the village and become an ordinary monk."
"Hmm…" Frieren frowned deeply, looking troubled. "By the way, how did you know it was me?"
"That child has finally found someone who can give him the push he needs." The priest showed deep reluctance and sighed heavily. "To be honest, half a year ago, my brother and I saw Alicia-sama—who should have been dead."
"She praised Sein's talent to no end and spoke with him privately for a while. After that day, my stubborn younger brother—who had always clung to his principles—suddenly said he was willing to become an adventurer. But he kept saying he had to wait for someone. I think the one he was waiting for… is probably you, Frieren-sama…"
...
After Frieren finished talking, the three discussed whether to let Sein join the party.
"Frieren, I'm in favor." Stark draped himself over the back of a chair, still shaken. "I never want to experience my brain almost melting out my nose again."
"Indeed. Besides, Sein-sama's talent was acknowledged by Alicia-sama herself. Having him along would make our journey much safer." Fern held a piece of bread. After speaking, she narrowed her eyes and took a bite. "Frieren-sama, do you have any complaints about him?"
"Hmm ＜(´⌯ ⩊ ⌯`)＞…" Frieren kept twirling her twin tails. Her tone was full of distress and extreme reluctance. "Sein's brother said Sein likes older big-sister types. Doesn't that mean I'd have to use my ultimate secret beauty technique?"
Think about what Dio would do in this situation…
[Go give him two slaps to teach him a lesson. No one can refuse this Dio!]
That's even worse than the beauty technique!
"…I really don't want to use this move. Its power is immense. Back then, even Dio couldn't take it head-on. Sein might never recover…"
"What are you even saying…" A flash of panic crossed Stark's face. In a panic, he bolted out the door and shouted, "Anyway—even if it's just me, I'm going to invite him!"
If Frieren actually uses the beauty technique, Diego Master is going to lose it!
Master losing it is terrifying. I'd better invite him into the party ahead of time!
Stark was worried sick.
"Frieren is going to use the beauty technique?" Just as they neared the tavern where Sein was, Diego's voice came from the battle axe. "Well done, Stark. If Frieren actually uses it, she'll just be taken for an idiot."
It's definitely not because ko no Dio would feel extremely annoyed!
"Eh, why?"
"Don't ask what you shouldn't."
"Yes…"
Entering the tavern, Sein was sitting at the gambling table playing poker with the village chief.
"Oh, Stark, you're here?" Sein looked up, staring at Stark with interest. "I'm deepening bonds with everyone. Want to join for a few rounds?"
Stark shook his head and extended his hand in invitation. "Didn't you say you dreamed of becoming an adventurer? Our party needs a monk. How about joining us?"
"You're kidding, right? I'm the monk of this village. Going on adventures with you guys… actually, it might be kind of fun." Sein rested his chin on his hand, eyes vacant. After a moment of thought, he gave a slight grin. "Sit down, Stark. If you beat me, I'll join you."
A voice only Stark could hear came from the axe: "Accept. I'll gamble with them."
With Diego backing him, Stark confidently pulled out a chair and placed chips on the table.
"Then… let's gamble!"
During the game…
"Stark, chop off the village chief's hand. He's cheating. Look closely—he's not dealing himself the top card from the deck; it's the second one."
"Yes!" (He just poked the village chief and dislocated one of his fingers.)
"Stark, go to the kitchen and get a nice knife. The parrot behind you is signaling information to the guy across from you. Roast that dead bird for me!"
"Yes!" (He just put the parrot in a cage and tossed it outside.)
"Alright, now it's just Sein. Next, lightly shake the dice cup to the left. The number you get will be just one point higher than Sein's."
"Master, isn't that cheating?"
"Shut up. As long as you don't get caught, it's not cheating. Do exactly what I said!"
"Yes…"
"The new player's tricks aren't clean at all. Beat every single one of them!"
"Yes!!!" (He was completely into it.)
"Master, not losing a single round might be too obvious. The way they're looking at me—they want to eat me alive…"
"If they can't catch anyone cheating, why don't they look at their own problems? Tell them: if you're bad, practice more. If you can't afford to lose, don't play!"
...
"Stark-sama is taking way too long."
"Jeez, I remember he said he was going to the square?"
Night had fallen. Fern and Frieren walked side by side, searching for Stark, who still hadn't returned after going to invite Sein.
"Wuwuwu… I want to check the cards. How could someone three times in a row get 235 and swallow my leopard…"
Approaching the tavern, Fern and Frieren saw the village chief at the entrance—stripped down to his underwear, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Too much… Who did this…"
Fern gave the village chief a pitying glance and shook her head. A gambler reduced to this state didn't deserve sympathy.
Continuing forward, they found Sein sitting alone in the corner—completely stripped naked, smoking a cigarette. Fern asked in shock, "Sein-sama, why are you stripped naked too?!"
"Ah, you're here. Looking for Stark, right? He's inside the tavern. Just go in and you'll see him…" Sein kept his eyes tightly shut. Even after losing everything, he still tried to look cool—shivering in the cold wind.
"Okay…" Fern took off her coat and lent it to Sein to block the wind, then pushed open the tavern door.
Inside the tavern was utter chaos, filled with the crowd's screams.
"Who defeated the undefeated gambling legend, the village chief?!"
"Stark! Stark!"
"Who showed up tonight as a rookie and swept the entire tavern, becoming the biggest winner?!"
"Stark! Stark!"
"Tonight, all drinks are on the house—courtesy of the little gambling king, Stark! Scream!!"
"Oooohhh—!!!"
"Here he is—Stark—!!"
Fern froze at the entrance.
Under the crowd's gaze, Stark—who had walked up to the stage full of energy and ready to say a few words—also froze in place.
You said you wanted to go out and see the world, but when you came back, you were a completely different person.
How did Stark-sama become a gambling king?
Gamblers are the worst!
Watching Fern's cheeks gradually puff up, Stark visibly panicked. Two drops of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
Oh no—I got carried away…
"Fern… would you believe me if I said I was forced into this?"
"Believe your ass!"
In the end, Stark returned all the clothes he'd won, used the money he'd won to buy snacks, and spent the entire night pitifully apologizing at the inn, swearing he'd never gamble again. Only then did Fern finally calm down.
The next day, the three found Sein again.
"Sein, I won yesterday. You have to keep your promise and adventure with us now." Stark—dark circles under his eyes—issued the travel invitation once more.
"Sorry, Stark. I already have someone to travel with. I can't accept." Sein looked troubled and avoided Stark's eyes. He explained, "Half a year ago, a respectable, gentle, and reliable adult came to our village. From her, I learned that in the future, an elven big-sister named Frieren would come to our village with magic to find people and detect life signs—like a savior pulling me into her party."
"Don't blame me. Adults are filthy."
Fern turned to look at Frieren behind her. The two stared at each other, momentarily speechless.
You waited for someone but didn't even remember what they look like?!
"Then there's nothing we can do. I hope you meet that elf soon, Sein…" Stark sighed. Oblivious as ever, he didn't catch on. He called back to the two behind him, "Fern, Frieren, let's go!"
"Mm. Safe travels… Wait—you just said… Frieren?" Sein froze. His mouth twitched uncontrollably. Hesitant, he asked, "Don't tell me… this white-haired little girl is…"
"Heh heh, the big-sister you've been waiting for is right here!" Frieren's eyes curved into crescents. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she proudly put her hands on her hips. "As an elf, I'm a much older big-sister than you!"
Crack!
Sein's heart shattered into pieces.
"That's not the kind of big-sister I wanted…" Tears welled in Sein's eyes. His expression was worse than constipation. In agony, he said, "I always imagined a big-sister around 170 cm tall, with huge breasts, long flowing hair, radiating mature and gentle charm—someone who would hold me in her arms and whisper comfort when I'm sad…"
Frieren's smile slowly vanished. Her eyes turned dead-fish. She grabbed Stark and Fern and said without hesitation, "Let's go. I really hate Sein after all…"
"Eh, wait—no! I was kidding!"
...
Regarding the first time Frieren used the beauty technique…
"Sui—Mabel—Alicia—!"
Diego shot to his feet and rushed over to the three with a deadly serious face.
"Great, you're all here. I have something extremely important to say!" Diego took a deep breath. "Last night, Frieren told me that today she's going to use the beauty technique on me!"
"Wh-wh-wh-what?!" Mabel was so shocked she stuttered. "That innocent, clueless Miss Frieren… is going to seduce Dio?!"
"Wait—Orc face, you didn't trick Frieren into this, did you?!" Sui grabbed Diego by the collar, voice full of anger.
"In broad daylight! Don't tell me you've awakened the lewd instincts unique to beastmen?" Then she tilted her head, leaned close to Diego's ear, blushing furiously as she whispered, "I-I mean… if it really is that, I could keep you company… but you're not allowed to touch the clueless Frieren…"
"I swear on never being able to drink Blue Mountain coffee again—I really didn't trick her into anything. She suddenly said she wanted to use the beauty technique Master taught her on me in front of all of you!" Diego looked completely serious and raised four fingers to the sky in oath.
Alicia covered her mouth, eyes full of disbelief. "In front of us? Miss Frieren is so bold…"
"Exactly. That's why I feel something's off. So no matter what she does next, just play along and cheer her on." Diego lowered three fingers, leaving only his index finger raised. "This is the one and only request of my life."
Mabel instantly tore it down: "Didn't you already use your one-and-only request last time when you ate noodles without sauce?"
"It refreshes automatically after midnight!" Diego didn't blush or miss a beat. Glancing sideways, he said awkwardly, "Frieren's coming. Remember to cooperate with her!"
Tap tap tap tap…
"Dio—Dio—where are you?"
Frieren came over with light, quick little steps.
"Ah, everyone's here. Perfect." Frieren paused for a moment, then smiled happily. "I was just about to use the beauty technique on Dio!"
Then Frieren placed her hand to her lips—"Chuu~"—and fired a heart-shaped flying kiss at Diego.
So cute…
But who told you this counts as a beauty technique…
"Lewd…" Alicia covered her eyes, unable to watch. Raised by Bishop Idlusi of the Holy City, she probably genuinely thought it was lewd.
Diego's expression froze. Soon he clutched his heart, collapsed with a thud, and lay on the ground with a peaceful look—blood of satisfaction trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Dio!" Mabel pushed the fake-dead Diego. "Don't die~!"
"Frieren's beauty technique is so powerful! She effortlessly defeated even the Orc face that Golden Land Macht couldn't handle!" Sui gave an awkward laugh and started playing along.
"Heh heh. After all, Master taught me."
Frieren was very satisfied with the beauty technique's effect. Hands on hips, nose practically pointing to the sky, she walked away with light steps.
"Orc face, you can stop acting. Frieren's gone." Sui wanted to laugh but ultimately couldn't. She pursed her lips and lightly patted Diego's cheek. "I'm honestly surprised. You actually went this far for Frieren… or do you actually like this kind of thing?"
"Holding in that blood was exhausting…" Diego stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, glanced at Sui, and chuckled lightly. "How could this Dio possibly be afraid of something like that? Don't forget—our first meeting, I was holding you…"
Take care of the mage you found yourself!
"Shut up! Don't say it!" Sui's face turned red. She clamped her hands tightly over Diego's mouth, voice soft. Then she shouted at the other two nearby, "You two didn't hear anything either!"
Curious…
This only made the other two even more curious.