"The strongest of the Demon Generals…"
"The Bloodstained War God…"
"Levare…"
Frieren repeated the title and true name of that nameless Grand Demon.
She made up her mind that if she ever heard even a whisper of his whereabouts, she would flee as far away as possible.
"Completely overwhelming strength…"
Frieren sighed inwardly, her expression turning serious.
"Right, I haven't asked—how did you manage to provoke him?"
After revealing the identity of the nameless Grand Demon, Agusheed asked the question he was most curious about.
"Based on what I know about Levare…"
"He wouldn't usually be interested in someone as weak as you. Let alone chase you for an entire month."
╭(╯ε╰)╮
Frieren pouted slightly, turning her head in embarrassment.
"When we met, he really didn't show any hostility at first.
But when he realized I was an elf, he started chasing me."
That was a lie—
Because he knew Levare too well, Agusheed saw right through it.
Met?
If Frieren had actually gotten close enough to make eye contact with Levare, she wouldn't have been sitting here right now.
Started chasing you because you're an elf?
Levare, that battle-crazed maniac who only enjoyed fighting powerful warriors, would never follow the Demon King's orders blindly.
"Are you sure that's how it happened?"
Agusheed's pointed question made it clear he wasn't buying her story.
Seeing Frieren's face flush with embarrassment at being exposed, Flamme couldn't help but laugh.
o(*≧▽≦)ツ
"Stupid apprentice, you can't even lie properly."
Realizing her lie had been seen through, Frieren slumped onto the table, covering her face.
╯﹏╰
"Alright… I admit it. What I said was slightly… off."
Both Agusheed and Flamme leaned forward.
Their questioning voices rang out in unison:
"Slightly? Like how?"
"We didn't exactly meet. I sensed him from a few thousand meters away using large-scale magic detection."
"And?"
"And… he didn't chase me because I was an elf. It's because I instinctively attacked him with magic when I sensed him."
Hearing her confession, Agusheed and Flamme both wore expressions of disbelief.
"What am I supposed to say to you…"
Flamme covered her face, once again doubting her choice of disciple.
"Sometimes I wonder if I completely misjudged you."
"Stealth, ambush… Frieren, I taught you to always use those methods when dealing with powerful demons."
"But didn't I also teach you that when facing an unbeatable opponent, your first priority is to run?"
A sharp flick landed on Frieren's forehead, and Flamme's voice was full of frustration.
Frieren: ...
"So, what are you planning to do next?"
After Flamme took her hand away from Frieren's head, Agusheed asked the question.
"Um… I don't know."
Frieren's response was blunt. Faced with the pursuit of a Grand Demon, she simply chose to give up on thinking.
"Still haven't decided?"
"Then I can give you some advice."
"From what I know about Levare, he's not the kind of demon who easily forgets things."
"So, for the next few years, you should probably avoid wandering around. Find somewhere safe to hide."
"Hmm… about seven or eight years should do. By then, he might have forgotten about you."
Agusheed's advice made Frieren nod thoughtfully.
"I see… Arigato…"
Even though she knew Agusheed's concern was mostly out of obligation to her master, Frieren still expressed her thanks.
"If that's the case—"
After a long silence, Flamme finally spoke up.
With a firm tone, she looked at Frieren and declared:
"From today on, you'll stay here, Frieren."
"Aside from Serie, who would definitely refuse to take you in, nowhere else is safer than with me and Agusheed."
Flamme's words, spoken as the head of the household, carried weight. Agusheed had no objections.
"I don't mind."
Agusheed's answer was short and simple.
Frieren thought it over and realized there wasn't really a better option.
"Guess I'll stay here for ten years then…"
Frieren said nonchalantly.
"After all, it's just a blink of an eye."
————————
The very next day after she said that, Frieren regretted it.
Early in the morning, while she was still half-asleep, Flamme dragged her out of bed and brought her to the Heavenly Dragon floating thousands of meters above the capital.
Then she was tossed over to Agusheed, who had been up early working on decoding the Spell book of Sage Ewig.
"A disciple of mine, getting chased by a Grand Demon like that—aren't you ashamed of yourself for even sleeping?"
"The next few years, I'll be busy with magical research and teaching the court mages, so I won't have time to teach you."
"So from now on, you'll stay with Agusheed and learn magic from him."
After leaving those words and reminding Agusheed to teach her when he could, Flamme flew back down.
Leaving Frieren, who couldn't fly, stranded in the castle on the back of the Heavenly Dragon.
Sitting at his desk, Agusheed casually acknowledged Flamme's instructions.
Then he glanced at the groggy Frieren, who still seemed half-asleep.
"In the mornings, I'm occupied with decoding the spell book. You can wander around this place freely."
"I'll save the afternoons for teaching you, so make sure you're back by then."
"Oh, and don't try to run. At this height, if you don't know how to fly, you'll die."
He didn't care if Frieren had fully heard him.
He didn't care if she responded.
Agusheed simply lowered his head and continued decoding the Spell book of Sage Ewig.
And the still-half-asleep Frieren only fully woke up an hour later.
Flamme's words? She had already forgotten most of them.
Agusheed's instructions? She hadn't heard them at all.
The only thing she remembered was that Agusheed said she could explore freely.
Once she confirmed Agusheed wasn't paying attention to her, Frieren chose to sneak off.
But being half-asleep when she was brought up here—
She didn't know she was on the back of a Heavenly Dragon…
Time passed quickly—
When Agusheed finally looked up, it was already noon.
Not seeing Frieren in his line of sight, Agusheed waited for her for a while.
Half an hour later.
After confirming she wasn't just late but had never intended to come back, Agusheed released his magic sense.
He found her sitting at the edge of the Heavenly Dragon's back, staring blankly into the sky.
Agusheed quickly arrived at her location.
Tap, tap…
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Frieren knew Agusheed had found her.
"This is the back of a Heavenly Dragon? Why is it staying above Eiseberg?"
The young elf asked as she gazed through the clouds at the tiny specks of the capital below.
"This Heavenly Dragon is mine. It stays wherever I stay."
Agusheed stood beside her, responding calmly.
"Then… how did I get up here? I remember Flamme dragged me out of bed."
"Isn't it obvious? Flamme learned the Flying Magic of us demons. That's how she brought you up here."
"Then… can you send me back down?"
"Sorry, Flamme's request was for me to teach you, not to let you go…"
"But I can teach you Flying Magic."
"If you can learn it like Flamme did, you won't need me to get back down."
Finally, Frieren turned her gaze from the ground and looked at Agusheed's expressionless face.
"Are you that good at magic?"
"I am the strongest Grand Demon."
"Stronger than the Corrupt Sage and that Bloodstained War God I encountered?"
"Stronger than the two of them combined."
Agusheed's words left Frieren silent.
After a long pause, she finally spoke again:
"I hate demons. Demons killed my whole family."
"I've heard that from Flamme."
Agusheed's tone was still as cold as ever, completely different from when Flamme was around.
But Frieren didn't seem to mind.
"You said you're the strongest Grand Demon. I also heard Serie mention you have the most powerful offensive magic in the world."
"So… can you teach me to a point where I can kill you?"
For the first time, Agusheed genuinely smiled at Frieren.
He could tell—she didn't mean she wanted to actually kill him.
What she meant was—
She wanted to surpass all Grand Demons.
Agusheed didn't answer her immediately.
Instead, he raised his hand and gestured toward the vast expanse of clouds before them.
In the next moment, right before Frieren's eyes—
The endless stretch of clouds split apart.
A single slash, impossible to perceive, cut through the rolling clouds as if nothing in the world could resist it.
"Whether you can kill me…"
"That will depend on whether you have the talent and determination to support that ambition."