Chapter 46 — Clash of the "Top-Tier" Powers!!
The clouds hung low; mist drifted through the trees.
In the suffocating stillness, it felt as if a great battle were quietly building…
Compared to Freiren's agitation and Elias's silence, the old man merely squinted at Freiren and let out a hoarse, timeworn laugh:
"Hehehehehe…
Back again, little elf magician?
Still haven't realized how weak you are?"
Then the old man lifted his gaze.
Seeing Elias's pale, death-like face, he stroked his beard in confusion.
"…A bit different from last time."
"But still too weak."
Elias gave a cold laugh.
"Oh? And what about now?"
—BOOM!!!
He released his mana suppression for one second.
A violent gale erupted, shredding the air!
The Meteorite Birds on the old man's shoulders scattered in panic.
His long beard flew straight into the air, and he hurried to pat it back in place.
When the wind finally settled, the old man shrugged, utterly unfazed.
"Hehehe…"
"So that's the extent of your strength."
"Your understanding of mana is… laughable."
He turned away.
Freiren had lost count of how many times she had seen that arrogant, disdainful back.
"Too weak…"
"Still too weak…"
"Neither you nor the elf magician is qualified to speak with me."
He took a step—
But before his foot touched the ground—
SHWOOP!
A sharp black silhouette flashed in front of him.
Elias stood before the old man, head lowered, eyes cold and sharp.
"H-Huh—!!"
Freiren hid behind a large tree, peeking out nervously.
"T-Top-tier mages…!"
"It's starting?! For real?!"
"If they fight… will the mountain still EXIST afterward?!"
"Will both of them get seriously hurt?!"
Her pupils trembled—
Just in time to see Elias…
reach out first.
—PAF!
(≖≖'')ノ(__)
And slap his hand directly onto the old man's bald spot.
Freiren: Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ノノ
"W-What spell is THAT?!"
"Where's the light? Where's the aura?!"
"Is this what top-tier battles look like?!"
"So… plain? So brutally simple?!"
Before she could process it, she watched Elias twist the old man's head around—
(≖≖'')ノ(==)
"Freiren."
"Are you kidding me?"
Elias's face remained deadpan as he began violently rubbing the old man's bald head.
(≖≖'')ノ(✘✘)
"For this random old man, you cried ten whole days? Seriously?"
Freiren: «(⊙﹏⊙)»
"H-He's not random!"
"You saw the Meteorite Birds on his shoulders!
He can suppress his mana to 1%!
He's a top-tier mage!"
Elias stared at her.
(≖_≖'')
"Freiren."
"The reason the Meteorite Birds aren't scared of him is because this old man…"
"has no mana at all."
"Meaning—"
"He's just…"
"an ordinary person."
«(´-ι_-｀)» ......…
......
Σ(ŎдŎ|||)
"WHAT?!!"
"No mana…"
"…a regular human?!"
"Then why did he call ME weak?!"
Elias: (≖_≖'')
"Because he has senile dementia."
Freiren: «(´-ι_-｀)»
"That mysterious old man…"
"Shows up out of nowhere…"
"Crushed my spirit…"
"Made me cry until dehydration…"
"Made me almost give up becoming a great mage…"
"And the reason is…"
"SENILE DEMENTIA?!"
"How am I supposed to accept THAT?!!!"
«(งᵒ̌皿ᵒ̌)ง⁼³₌₃»
"Damn old man—take THIS!!"
Enraged, Freiren summoned ten light blades, spinning wildly in a magic circle.
But before she could launch them—
Elias dashed through the magic formation and grabbed her by the collar.
(≖_≖'')ノ(งᵒ̌皿ᵒ̌)ง
"Enough. Time to go home."
"NOOO!!!"
"Elias, LET GO!!"
"I, Freiren, will absolutely make that decrepit old man experience—
TRUE SUFFERING!!"
Elias ignored Freiren's furious kicking and flailing as he dragged her away.
"Enough. This is entirely your own idiocy—don't blame others."
"And if you want to become a great mage, you can't go around murdering innocent people."
"I don't care!!"
"That old man tricked me! Played me like a fool!"
"Even a sly demon like you has never lied to me this badly!"
"…Fine."
Elias made a rare concession.
"To compensate for your emotional damage, and soothe your fragile little heart—
whatever you want to eat tonight, I'll cook it. Anything you name."
"No! Food alone can't wash away this shame!"
"…Twice-cooked pork?"
"No!"
"White-cut chicken?"
"Also no!"
"Peking duck?"
"I said NO!!!"
Elias inhaled deeply.
Then unleashed:
"Twice-cooked pork, white-cut chicken, Peking duck, braised lion's head, Sichuan boiled fish, mapo tofu, lamb paomo, oil-braised prawns, boiled cabbage in consommé, wild mushroom soup—"
"All of it. I'll make ALL OF IT."
Freiren: «(´-ι_-｀)»
"…Then I'll spare him. For now."
---
After the two left, the old man stroked his beard while watching their disappearing silhouettes.
"So they finally accepted their weakness and ran away, hmm?"
"Shame they scared off all my cute little birds."
"Tch… hope I brought enough bird feed…"
---
Night fell.
After a full day in the kitchen, Elias laid out a feast worthy of a royal banquet.
Freiren devoured dish after dish in pure bliss, cheeks puffed like a satisfied squirrel.
Flamme watched with a warm smile.
"After crying for ten days straight… she finally manages a good meal."
"Ridiculous as the process was, the ending is lovely."
She glanced toward Elias—who was calmly sipping wine—
and nodded with gratitude.
"Thank you, Elias."
"As her teacher, even I couldn't help her. Good thing you were here."
"To be honest… I didn't expect your heart to be this soft."
—PFFT!!
Caught completely off guard—
Elias spat out his wine in a crimson spray.
Followed by violent coughing.
"Cough—! Cough, cough!!"
Only after several shaky breaths did he regain composure.
He avoided Flamme's gaze like a man dodging arrows.
"Flamme… using the word soft to describe a great demon is… excessive, don't you think?"
"The only reason I helped Freiren—
was because her crying kept me from sleeping!"
"It wasn't out of care, or sympathy, or affection, or whatever!"
"You know I don't understand those things. Haven't for centuries."
Flamme rested her chin on one hand, smiling as she watched him fluster and babble excuses.
Even she didn't realize—
at this moment, something in her heart shifted.
Her view of Elias… her feelings toward him…
something subtle had changed.
She simply lifted her glass toward him.
"Come."
"Today is a day worth celebrating."
—Clink.
Their glasses tapped with a clear, soft chime.
Elias lifted his wine to his lips—
His gaze drifting toward Flamme's gently flushed cheeks.
And suddenly—
He remembered a night years ago.
A night when Flamme first shed tears over a fallen comrade.
A night when she drank too much…
and dragged him to dance awkwardly beneath the moonlight.
The sorrow from that night still lingered in her eyes—
now softened, mellowed, tucked behind a gentle smile.
Perhaps…
Only on the day she reunites with her departed comrades in the afterlife—
will that sorrow finally, completely fade.