Chapter 379: Frieren Begins Her Journey
Inside Rhodes's laboratory.
Even though the room's owner was about to begin a slumber lasting decades, perhaps nearly a century, everything remained orderly. Various magic circles and items maintained their mana-driven state, emitting a faint blue glow.
Clearly, even on the verge of beginning a new—or perhaps final—reincarnation, Rhodes had no intention of temporarily abandoning his research.
Rather, this reincarnation was a beginning, representing whether the results of his research could be realized.
As Rhodes was conducting the final checks on the core runes of the magic circle, a knock sounded on the laboratory door.
It sounded familiar, reminiscent of the late nights when a certain fellow would come to harass him punctually every day.
"Come in." He didn't stop his work.
Besides Ela and Frieren, only a few core Association members—Serie's original disciples—could enter his laboratory now.
As for Serie herself, she never knocked.
The door opened, and Frieren walked in.
Today, she wasn't wearing her iconic white mage robe but had changed into dark casual clothes suitable for long-distance travel, with a hooded windbreaker over them.
Her long white hair was neatly tied into twin-tails. She carried a bulging pack on her back and held the staff Flamme had personally crafted for her in her hand.
Her exquisite face remained expressionless as her calm gaze fell on Rhodes.
"Lord Rhodes," she spoke, her tone flat as always.
Only then did Rhodes look up. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he said knowingly, "Leaving?"
Rhodes wasn't stupid. Seeing Frieren dressed obviously for travel, it was clear she had come to say goodbye.
Good. Such a well-behaved child!
Unlike a certain red-haired woman who claimed to go on a mission but actually planned to leave forever.
If he hadn't sensed her true intentions, he might not have had time to tell her his plan.
"Mn." Frieren nodded. "Master Flamme is no longer at the Association. I... want to go out for a walk. There are still many places on this continent I haven't seen."
Her reason was simple and direct, without much embellishment.
To her, the Magic Association was home, but Master Flamme was the core that made her feel safe and willing to stay.
Now that the core was gone, she felt an invisible force pushing her to leave. She wanted to see the wider world, perhaps to dispel the sense of loss from Flamme's absence.
She felt she had become somewhat inseparable from Master Flamme.
Rhodes put down his work and faced her directly.
With his insight, he could clearly sense Frieren's current level of strength.
Her mana was solid and deep, her understanding and application of various magics extremely proficient. She had even mastered the Fusion Magic Flamme created, plus Serie's signature Light Element Magic. Her strength far exceeded that of an ordinary First-Class Mage.
In a head-on magical confrontation, few people on the entire continent could defeat her.
But the problem was also obvious—or rather, it was a common ailment of the vast majority of traditional mages: over-reliance on magical shields and ranged attacks. Her close-combat ability was relatively weak, and her physical reaction and fighting techniques didn't match her magical attainment.
In other words, if a powerful warrior closed the distance, she might be instantly killed before she could even cast a spell.
When Flamme was around, she had consciously trained Frieren in this aspect, and Rhodes occasionally offered pointers. However, bridging this gap wasn't something achieved in a few short decades; it required years of practical tempering and targeted training.
"With your current strength, as long as you don't actively provoke those monsters surviving from the Mythical Era or venture into certain dangerous places, you shouldn't encounter any danger."
Rhodes evaluated objectively. "However, remember the lessons from Flamme and yourself. Magical shields are not omnipotent. Always keep part of your mind on your surroundings and guard against sudden attacks."
As he spoke, he walked to a storage cabinet, took out several items, and handed them to Frieren.
A silver ring carved with complex spatial runes, an amulet-like item capable of automatically triggering defensive magic, and a small bottle of green liquid.
The liquid was a manifestation of powerful Life Magic. Rhodes usually liked to call it an HP Recovery Potion. Its effect matched its name: rapid injury recovery, with the added bonus of replenishing mana.
However, making this stuff was somewhat troublesome, so even he didn't have much stock. Besides, he usually preferred using Life Magic directly and had no use for these.
"Take these. This ring allows you to perform an ultra-long-distance random spatial jump in a crisis, but the destination is uncontrollable, so use it carefully."
"It is best to carry the amulet with you to prevent surprise attacks. And this bottle is the final safeguard." Rhodes placed the items in Frieren's outstretched hand. "Keep them safe. Do not lose them."
Frieren accepted the three magical items, examined them carefully, then nodded seriously and put them away properly. "I understand."
Having done this, she seemed to feel everything necessary had been said and turned to leave.
"Wait." Rhodes called her back.
Frieren stopped and turned around, somewhat confused.
"How long do you plan to be gone?" Rhodes asked.
He knew elves too well, especially ones with Frieren's personality.
If there was no clear goal or return date, leaving her to wander the vast world, given an elf's dull perception of time, centuries or even a millennium might pass without her remembering to "come home."
Rhodes had no doubt that if he didn't ask, the next time he saw Frieren might be a thousand years later, or even longer.
Hearing this, Frieren lowered her head slightly, seeming to actually consider the question.
Blinking her emerald eyes, a rare look of confusion appeared in them.
"...I do not know." She finally shook her head, answering honestly. "I have stayed at the Association with Master Flamme all these years, or only moved nearby."
Even when she went out with Master Flamme, the range of activity wasn't large. Most of the time, she accompanied Master Flamme to gather magical materials. She hadn't truly traveled alone yet.
Therefore, without experience, she naturally couldn't estimate the time.
Suddenly, her eyes seemed to light up. Although her expression didn't change, she clearly had an idea. She looked at Rhodes. "How about... when Master Flamme returns, I will return?"
Rhodes choked on this answer, looking speechlessly at the elven girl proposing this idea with a serious face.
He couldn't even determine when that plan would succeed, or if it would succeed at all. Yet this girl tied her return date directly to something so ethereal.
"Pretend I didn't ask." Rhodes waved his hand, clearly not wanting to continue on this unconstructive topic.
Not giving a specific time was fine, but this binding method was even less reliable.
Frieren also realized her proposal might be unrealistic and shut her mouth tacitly, not mentioning it again.
The laboratory became quiet.
Rhodes: "..."
After a while, Rhodes spoke again. "Before Flamme left... did she say anything to you privately?"
He wanted to know what instructions Flamme had given Frieren.
Frieren answered, "Master Flamme told me to take care of myself and work hard to improve my strength. Also, she hoped I could help her see what magic would become in the future."
She paused, adding, "She said she hoped one day, magic would no longer be the privilege of a few, but something everyone has the chance to touch and learn."
"Like sunlight, something everyone can easily touch and gain warmth from."
After listening, Rhodes said, "Do not let Serie know about these words."
Frieren nodded vigorously immediately, looking like "I understand, I get it."
"I know. Master Flamme didn't dare say this directly in front of Lord Serie back then either."
They both knew Serie's temper too well.
In her view, magic was a mystery, a talent, a precious gift belonging only to the gifted.
Making magic as common as sunlight, accessible to anyone?
At least for the last few thousand years, this idea directly challenged her core beliefs.
Although under Rhodes's long-term influence, Serie's attitude toward popularizing magic and education had become much more lenient—allowing the Association to recruit more potential apprentices and supporting the spread of basic magical knowledge—the radical concept that "magic belongs to everyone" remained her forbidden zone.
Anyone daring to talk about this idea in front of her would likely be thrown out of the Association in a rage, coupled with a ban on entering for several thousand years.
For most races, several thousand years was practically forever. Even elves could rarely withstand it.
Frieren considered herself much changed under Master Flamme's years of education. At least she felt she could understand why humans had those complex emotions.
Now, facing Lord Serie's principled issues in this regard, she felt it safer to maintain a silent attitude of non-participation.
Rhodes held reservations about this.
From Frieren's unchanging face, which was almost unreadable, he really couldn't see many signs of understanding human emotions. At most, she had memorized reactions for certain specific occasions.
Just like Solitär-Flamme, a bit like a mimic.
"As long as you understand."
Rhodes nodded, signaling the topic could end.
Frieren prepared to turn and leave again.
However, just then—
Bang!
The laboratory door was pushed open fiercely from the outside. Judging from the intruder's practiced movements, she had clearly been eavesdropping for a long time.
A figure rushed in like a whirlwind. It was Ela.
Her face bore an indescribable excitement, and even the stray hair on her head stood up. "Master! Frieren!" Ela rushed to them, bowed to Rhodes first, then turned immediately to Frieren. "Frieren, you are going out to travel, right? I want to go too!"
Rhodes raised an eyebrow, looking at Serie's eldest disciple, whom he had also watched grow up but whose personality was the complete opposite of Frieren's. "Ela? You want to go too? Why?"
Ela puffed out her chest, putting on a "righteous" expression. "Frieren is Flamme's precious apprentice! Now that Flamme is gone, as her senior sister, I naturally have the obligation to protect her apprentice, accompany her on adventures, and ensure her safety!"
The reason sounded grand.
However, Rhodes looked at her without speaking, his calm gaze fixed on her eyes.
Ela felt a bit guilty under her teacher's stare, her eyes starting to wander.
"Tell the truth." Rhodes didn't believe this reason at all.
As an elf, Ela's personality clearly leaned toward that of the Elven Kingdom. After interacting with other races more, she had become more "human."
Thus, she knew how to lie to his face now.
Hearing Rhodes's questioning, Ela blurted out almost reflexively, "There is too much work in the Association! Documents pile up like mountains every day; reports, disputes... I don't understand them at all!"
"It was fine when Flamme was here, but now it's all on me! I'm dying of exhaustion! I want to go out and play... relax..."
Halfway through, she realized she had spoken her true thoughts. She covered her mouth hurriedly, but it was too late.
Rhodes revealed a smile that could be called kind, but there was no mirth in his black eyes.
"Permission denied." He rejected Ela's request crisply.
"Lord Rhodes! Master Rhodes!" Ela's face turned bitter instantly as she tried to struggle. "Please..."
Although Rhodes hadn't taught her throughout like he did Flamme, he had helped when Serie taught Ela, so calling him half a teacher wasn't wrong.
Now, to escape responsibility, Ela even called him "Master." Truly unsightly.
"I am about to begin the reincarnation ritual," Rhodes interrupted her. "This ritual is more complex than any previous one. It is estimated that I will take at least a hundred years to fully awaken."
The expression on Ela's face froze instantly, her mouth hanging slightly open.
A... a hundred years?!
Lord Rhodes is going to sleep for a hundred years?!
Doesn't that mean... for this entire century, the daily management, miscellaneous affairs, and various troubles of the Magic Association... will all fall on my head?!
Although Master Serie was still holding the fort, she didn't care about these trifles; she only handled important matters.
Those tedious daily management and coordination tasks had always been shared by Flamme and her!
Now Flamme was gone, and Lord Rhodes was going to sleep for a hundred years—
Ela seemed to see a tragic future of being drowned in various troublesome matters for the next century.
"NO—!" She wailed, grabbing Rhodes's sleeve hurriedly, tears almost coming out.
"Master Rhodes! I need assistance! After Flamme left, I really can't handle it alone! Look at my dark circles!"
"How long has it been since I had a good sleep?! I need rest too!"
She pointed to the faint shadows that indeed existed under her eyes, looking aggrieved, trying to arouse Rhodes's sympathy.
Looking at Ela's near-collapse, the corner of Rhodes's mouth curled into a smile but vanished immediately as he tried to keep his expression serious.
He patted Ela's shoulder, speaking in a tone full of trust and expectation. "Ela, you are a veteran of the Association, one of the disciples Serie and I trust most. We see your ability. This century is a test for you, and a crucial moment for you to stand on your own."
"Crucial moment?" Ela clearly didn't understand why it was crucial.
Rhodes continued to gaslight her. "Work hard. When I complete the reincarnation and fully awaken, I will give you a long vacation. A very, very long vacation. How about it?"
Ela's bitter face lit up instantly upon hearing "very, very long vacation."
"Really? Master! You keep your word!" she asked excitedly.
"Of course." Rhodes nodded affirmatively.
Ten years counted as a vacation too. For humans, it was indeed a very long time.
As for whether it counted as long for elves... that wasn't within Rhodes's consideration.
"Okay! It is a deal!" Ela clenched her fist immediately, full of motivation, as if a hundred years of hard labor were ending and a long vacation was beckoning to her.
She completely failed to realize that for that so-called "very long vacation," she first had to pay with a full hundred years of conscientious work.
Rhodes looked at Ela, who was instantly motivated by the "pie in the sky," then at Frieren standing quietly beside her, shaking his head inwardly.
"Alright, go." Rhodes finally waved his hand. "Frieren, be careful on the road. Ela... the Association is in your hands."
Frieren nodded, took one last look at Rhodes, turned, and walked out of the laboratory with steady steps, heading toward her own journey.
Ela also took a deep breath and nodded heavily to Rhodes. "Rest assured, Master! I definitely won't disappoint you and Master Serie!"
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