Chapter 38 — A Thousand Years Later, My Future Self
After a painstaking thirty minutes of selection, Frieren finally placed all the magic items she'd chosen in front of Elias.
"Open your eyes wide and admire this!" she declared proudly.
[Skirt That Defies Gravity]
[Glasses That Change Eye Color]
[Shoes That Will Never Be Stained by Blood]
Elias: (´-ι_-｀)
"…May I ask what these are for?"
Frieren: «(⊙ω⊙)»
"Why, to look cute when I wear them, of course!"
---
Elias swallowed down a surge of anger.
"Frieren, I meant—"
"—for combat, right? Right??"
Frieren scrambled and pulled out another set:
[Light Blade That Splits into Two]
[Scarf That Can Extend One Hundredfold]
[Potion of Invisibility (30 Seconds)]
Elias lowered his head, thoughtful.
"These are… marginally useful. But not by much."
Before Frieren could respond, Elias placed his hands over the three items and injected magic into each—one after another.
A soft glow. A faint electric crackle.
"All right. I modified them a little. Now they're finally usable."
He raised his hand and summoned the light blade, snapped his fingers—
and the blade split into ten identical copies.
"As an offensive and ambush tool, two blades are far from enough. Ten is barely acceptable."
He lifted the scarf and flicked it.
It rang like struck steel.
"For restraint and defense, flexibility and hardness must coexist. Otherwise it's just a strip of cloth."
Finally, Elias swirled the colorless potion inside its glass bottle with a smile.
"Invisibility is for running away. Thirty seconds won't even let you clear an enemy's perception field. Five minutes sounds right."
The moment he finished speaking, the enhanced blade, scarf, and potion floated obediently back to Frieren's hands.
She stood frozen—completely speechless.
So this… is a demon from the Mythic Era?
Without effort, he amplified the power of magic tools several times over… casually, and in seconds.
Magic of this level wasn't even recorded in the Goddess's sacred scriptures.
Terrifying… utterly terrifying…
"Hey, Frieren. I strengthened your items, and not even a 'thank you'?"
Frieren snapped out of her daze, looked away awkwardly, and muttered with a pout:
"Mm… thanks."
Seeing the white-haired elf flustered, Elias raised an amused eyebrow.
"What's wrong, Frieren?
Don't tell me—my overwhelming strength has left you too stunned to function?"
"N-Not at all!"
Frieren huffed, forcing composure.
"You just… lived too long, that's all!
A thousand years from now, I'll be the one stronger than you!"
"Well, you'd better work hard then," Elias replied lazily.
"A thousand years is… quite a long time."
Frieren took a deep breath and pictured her distant future—
By then, she would surely have obtained the Proof of the Sacred Staff, becoming a legendary mage revered by all.
She would defeat every evil demon, even the Demon King himself, and return in glory—welcomed by cheering citizens, honored by the king, immortalized in statues across the realm.
And along the long road… maybe she'd even encounter some unexpected fateful meetings…
"Frieren," Elias deadpanned, "what's with that dreamy, lovestruck expression?
Are you imagining the day you punch me into the dirt?"
"——!"
Frieren's face twisted from fantasy to fury in an instant.
"A-Anyway! I'll definitely become stronger! Stronger than you! And stronger than Master Flamme!"
With that declaration, Frieren packed away the three magic tools and marched out of the house like a foot soldier heading to war.
"…What a stubborn elf," Elias sighed helplessly.
---
And so, as if provoked by Elias's overwhelming power, the white-haired elf once again devoted herself to grueling training with iron determination.
At dawn she packed her lunch and left home, practicing Mana Restriction, watching as the falling-Meteorite bird grew closer and closer to completing the circle each day.
At noon she ate, then trained in magic-tool manipulation —
and aside from almost being strangled to death by the scarf one day, things were… relatively smooth.
Seven Days Later — A Step Closer to the Future:
At dawn on the seventh day, on her way back to the village, Flamme passed the mountain fork and suddenly caught sight of a sharp, white silhouette walking into the forest.
She froze and sucked in a breath.
"…That's Frieren."
"But… what's with that burning aura around her?"
---
Half an hour later, Flamme pushed open the door to her home.
Even while taking off her shoes, she still wore the same baffled expression as she looked toward Elias, who was enjoying breakfast.
"Um… did you two have a fight?"
"A fight?"
Elias blinked blankly. "With who?"
"With my adorable student, who else?"
Flamme sat across the table, her gaze firm on the demon sitting opposite her.
"On my way back I passed Frieren heading out for training. The aura around her looked like she was burning with rage."
"Heh… no need to worry."
Elias leisurely poured himself another cup of coffee.
"She's just shaken by my power. She'll need some time to accept the fact that she'll never surpass me."
Flamme was stunned for a moment—
and then suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Elias, you really underestimate my student. In the eyes of a great demon like you, she looks that weak?"
"Isn't that the truth?"
Elias chuckled lightly.
"She obsesses over strange magic and still hasn't mastered Mana Restriction. I don't see anything powerful in her—yet."
"Is that so…"
Flamme spoke quietly, almost casually:
"Well, I think—whether now or a thousand years from now—that child will exceed your imagination."
---
Meanwhile, deep within the forest—
Frieren sat at the center of her drawn circle, eyes tightly shut, suppressing her mana with all her strength.
"As the only survivor of her elven village, Frieren's life wasn't saved by me. She lived because she confronted a demon general head-on—and annihilated him."
She heard a bird's chirp.
When she opened her eyes, a small pale-gray creature stood hesitantly outside the circle—
the Meteorite Bird.
"She once displayed her power without hesitation. And now, she displays her hunger for magic without hesitation. Her pursuit of magic has become the light that illuminates her life."
Frieren stared at the bird, holding her breath, forcing every drop of her mana deeper and deeper inside her body.
"Magic is the world of imagination. As Frieren's teacher, I—Flamme—believe with certainty in the future where she becomes a great mage, perhaps even the one who slays the Demon King."
The bird approached—closer, closer—until only one centimeter remained between its tiny foot and the boundary of the circle.
"That elf named Frieren…"
The tiny foot stepped inside the circle.
"…will surely surpass your imagination."
---
Frieren finally exhaled, her body loosening with exhaustion, a bright smile spreading across her face.
"I did it… finally."
"I—Frieren—can now deceive demons as well."
"—Hehehehehe…"
A sudden laugh from behind shattered the smile on her face.
"You feel satisfied with just that?"
"Too weak…"
"Still far too weak…"
Frieren immediately recognized the insulting tone.
That mysterious, infuriating old man again!
"Grandpa, today is a great day for me. Could you please just—"
The moment she turned around, Frieren froze—eyes wide—like thunder had struck her on a clear sky.
Because perched on that bizarre old man's shoulder…
…were eight Meteorite Birds.
---