"I didn't expect Fíliya to get along so well with Lady Frieren..."
Fern puffed out her cheeks, her gaze fixed on the two of them a short distance away with a hint of resentment.
A month has passed since she first met Fíliya.
During this month, Fern and Stark had more or less gotten used to the new member. The party of four had traveled to many places, and in each one, they would habitually take on local quests under Frieren's lead, earning some rewards in the process.
The group even delved into dungeons twice. Although they only found some magical tools of little value, the bond between them undoubtedly grew stronger.
Fern still remembered the first time she saw Fíliya and Frieren being swallowed by a Mimic together.
Honestly, she never imagined there could be another powerful mage in this world who would fall for a Mimic.
Even though the chest was an obvious fake, Fíliya and Frieren would pounce on it every single time, as if they never learned their lesson.
In their own words: "Treasure chests hold infinite possibilities."
...But Fern still couldn't understand their reasoning.
Perhaps this was also why Fíliya and Frieren had become close so quickly...
Fern thought with a sense of resignation.
The reason she was now staring at the two of them discussing magic with such a resentful look was due to a vague sense of crisis.
Although Fern had been with Frieren for much longer, she was well aware that their relationship dynamic was rather strange.
In daily life, she was practically like Lady Frieren's "mother," taking care of her every need.
And on the path of magic, she was the one who received Lady Frieren's thoughtful guidance and protection. While it was natural for an apprentice to be protected by her master, Fern had started to question this state of affairs ever since meeting Fíliya.
Because she could clearly see that this girl, who was about her age... at most just a little older, could talk to Frieren about anything... and they often discussed profound topics that left her with no room to chime in.
Furthermore, in every new town, Fern would see the same sight: Frieren and Fíliya heading into grimoire shops and magic item stores together... This alone was enough to show that the two of them were exceptionally "kindred spirits."
I've lived with Lady Frieren for so long, yet I can only passively receive her teachings. I rarely have the chance to actively discuss magic with her...
Fern thought, feeling a little resentful, and gently bit her lip.
She remained like this for a long time, spooking poor Stark who, although he sensed something was up, didn't dare to speak to her.
Finally, Fern resignedly put a name to her feelings. She had to admit it: she was a little jealous.
Besides... that day was fast approaching, but neither this guy nor Lady Frieren seemed to have realized it at all.
For some reason, Fern suddenly shot Stark a very annoyed glare, leaving him completely bewildered, wondering what he did to deserve that.
In short, Miss Fern was in a very bad mood.
Two more days passed, and the various emotions building up inside Miss Fern seemed to finally reach a delicate tipping point. So on this day, she chose not to remain silent any longer and let her feelings erupt completely.
"Whoa... What was that noise!"
Fíliya, jolted awake from her sleep, looked bewildered. She had been woken up by the sound of a fierce argument.
The first thing she did after waking up was press her ear against the inn's wall.
Speaking of which, their little party was quite extravagant. Despite having only four members, they had rented three rooms at the inn. Fíliya and Stark each had their own, while Fern stayed with Frieren.
"Hmm... sounds like it's over? I heard a door slam, and judging by the footsteps, Stark ran off."
Fíliya muttered to herself. Even without using Mana Detection, she had a pretty good grasp of the situation.
She didn't know the exact reason, but she figured the two youngsters had a fight...
Should I go check?
At this thought, Fíliya quickly got dressed and slipped quietly out of her room.
Even though she was at most only a little older than Fern and Stark, she had already started to see herself in the role of an "elder" during this time.
Soon, Fíliya was standing in front of the adjacent room's door and knocked gently.
After Frieren opened the door for her, the first thing Fíliya saw was the little purple eggplant sulking on the edge of her bed.
"What happened? I heard arguing from next door."
Fíliya asked curiously.
But Fern acted as if she hadn't seen Fíliya come in at all, remaining seated where she was, sullen and unresponsive to the question.
Now this was interesting. Fíliya's curiosity was piqued. She began to wonder what could possibly make this gentle and polite girl so angry.
"Hmm... everything was fine a moment ago. It seems Fern was trying to hint to Stark that today is her birthday, but Stark didn't catch on at all. Somehow, it ended up turning into an argument."
Frieren offered her analysis, resting her chin on one hand.
Oh... so that was it... What an awkward young couple, Fíliya thought, shaking her head.
"But boys are generally like that, aren't they? They're not very sensitive to things like anniversaries or special occasions, so it's normal for them not to remember."
Frieren continued, but after she said this, the look on Miss Fern's face grew even worse.
"Hey... if Stark couldn't remember, why didn't you just tell him directly, Fern? You could've just said, 'Today is my birthday, I want a gift,' right?"
This time, it was Fíliya who asked with a puzzled look.
Upon hearing Fíliya's words, Fern's eyes widened as if she couldn't believe her ears.
She never thought there could be someone in this world with even less emotional intelligence than Frieren. She was a girl, after all! How could she be so direct about it?
___
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