Qual, the Sage of Corruption, had been used as target practice by the kids. The intimidating mystique of a demon sage was completely shattered, and the little ones began to forge the hearts of true powerhouses.
The days didn't seem much different from before, and the adults were already used to it. However, for the eggplant-and-tomato duo of Fern and Stark, and the goat-and-gorilla duo of Sein and Gorilla Warrior, this was their first time traveling far from home.
It was all very novel and full of energy. Himmel grabbed the precocious Sein and Gorilla Warrior by the scruffs of their necks, dragging them right out of the casino. They were learning all the wrong things at such a young age—drinking, gambling, and partying; they had picked up every vice except visiting brothels.
On the other hand, the eggplant-and-tomato duo wasn't exactly worry-free either. In the bloom of youth, the childhood friends were starting to develop their own little secret feelings for each other.
In the carriage, Frieren noticed something different about Fern today. There was a new silver bracelet on her wrist, engraved with some sort of flower.
It was a birthday gift from Stark.
"Speaking of which, I have an accessory with this exact design. Himmel gave it to me back then."
Frieren blinked, rummaging through her suitcase until she pulled out a ring. Sure enough, it was engraved with the exact same pattern.
Zenith glanced over at Himmel and saw the man suddenly tense up. Frieren was also lost in memories of the past; the ring was a gift from Himmel, who had dropped to one knee and personally slipped it onto her ring finger.
However, Frieren didn't seem to quite understand what that meant, so Zenith spoke up.
"This is a Mirror Lotus. It represents eternal, undying love. Generally speaking, it's a token given when a man and woman get engaged."
Fern's face flushed crimson, Stark looked completely bewildered, Frieren was clueless, and Himmel wanted to find a hole to crawl into and die.
"Come to think of it, Melsin, you look a bit flustered?"
Frieren asked, looking at Himmel's beet-red face. She was very curious about him. He had a teardrop mole in the exact same spot as Himmel, and he handled things the exact same way.
*So... is Melsin actually Himmel's illegitimate son?* Frieren's imagination ran wild with baseless theories.
"Because I've done this exact same thing before." Right now, Himmel felt that Zenith's plan was a terrible idea. Wouldn't it be better if he just revealed his identity? Why did he have to keep holding it in?
It was agonizing. Himmel desperately wanted to say, *'Frieren, I can stay by your side for a hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years, right up until the end of time.'* But Zenith kept glaring at him.
*Damn you, Zenith! When I get married, I'm making you sit at the kids' table!*
Only by retracing the path they took to defeat the Demon King did they realize just how popular Himmel truly was. Statues of the Hero's party were everywhere, and legends of the Hero circulated far and wide.
"Because if Himmel were here, he would do the same."
Zenith's ears were practically growing calluses from hearing that phrase. Every time she said it, Himmel would stand off to the side, grinning like an idiot, laughing in a way that gave Zenith goosebumps.
The road to Ende led straight north. Although the demon forces were nowhere near as rampant as they were in the original timeline, small pockets of demons and monsters still occupied the Northern Plateau.
The Iron Golems from back then had been spread thin across the northern defense line, and their figures could be seen in almost every fortress city. Over the course of nearly a century, the name "Iron Golem" had gradually changed; people nowadays preferred to call them "Steel Guards."
The soldiers guarding the fortress blocked Zenith and his group's path, stating that in order to pass through the fortress, they needed a first-class mage certificate issued by the Continental Magic Association.
Konoha's influence was still insufficient. After all, they hadn't been developing for very long, whereas the Continental Magic Association had existed for nearly fifty years.
"The Magic Association was founded by Lady Serie, right? Why can't we just ask her to write us a certificate?"
That question stumped Zenith. If the future Serie and the present Serie met, would it cause a conflict? Or a time paradox? He had never asked Serie about it, nor did he know if the two of them had ever met.
Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided to just ask the person herself. After all, practice was the sole criterion for testing truth. A new satellite had long since been launched, so Zenith simply called Serie on the phone.
"We haven't met. The me in this timeline is too weak; there's no need to go out of my way to see her."
That made sense. Zenith thought about it and decided to just go with everyone to the magic city and take the exam for a first-class mage certificate.
The entry qualifications were easy to resolve. There were still a few months before the first-class mage exam, and anyone with a third-class certificate could participate.
Third-class? You could pass that with your eyes closed. Combining theory and practice, the third-class exam might be a bit difficult for ordinary mages, but for Zenith's group, even the youngest, Fern, passed it with ease.
They had plenty of time, so they took a leisurely pace to the magic city to register. Upon entering the exam venue, Zenith looked around at the surrounding candidates. Their strengths varied wildly; some were purely there to make up the numbers, but there was no shortage of experts either.
"If you ask me, the assessment for mages is too one-dimensional. It's not like mages are the only ones in the world capable of fighting demons. Konoha does a much better job in this regard; at least our development is more balanced."
*So he's just here to shill his village.* The crowd sized Zenith up before quickly losing interest in him. These youngsters didn't even recognize Frieren, so naturally, they didn't recognize Zenith either.
Since this was a mage exam, the warriors and priests stayed behind in the city to enjoy a vacation. Zenith didn't even have to think to know that Sein and the others had definitely gone to a tavern or a casino again.
Stark was most likely sleeping at the inn, while Himmel was probably peeping somewhere near the exam venue. Ever since he put on the Melsin disguise, the guy's creepy stalker vibe had only gotten stronger. After all, he was wearing an impenetrable alias.
The noisy exam venue fell silent with the arrival of the chief proctors: the aristocratic first-class mage Genau, and the airheaded Zenze, who clearly hated getting haircuts.
The exam consisted of three rounds in total, and the proctor for the first round was Genau. Magic allowed his voice to be heard clearly by everyone present.
"The first round of the exam will test your ability to cooperate. You will be placed in groups of three, and you will identify your teammates by the numbered bracelets you've been given. Your task is to capture a Stille from the designated area before sunset."
Of course, there were also some detailed rules, like not being allowed to leave the exam area covered by the barrier, and teammates not being allowed to die. To Zenith, these were all minor issues.
Anyway, it was time to see who his teammates were. Zenith searched around based on his number tag, and finally spotted two mob characters who had died during the first round of the exam in the original story.
"Hey, what's with that condescending look on your face?" Kael and Jace glared over, looking extremely displeased.
*I'm obviously worried that one of you dying will ruin my chances of taking the second round,* Zenith thought. He was actually quite interested in the monster from the second round that could perfectly replicate any opponent.
*I just hope it doesn't crash like a blue screen when it tries to copy me. That wouldn't be fun at all.*
As Zenith pondered this, he looked at his two teammates. They were perfectly average third-class mages. They were probably just here to try their luck, or to rub shoulders with these future big shots.
*It'll be really annoying if they die. If it comes down to it, I'll just dig a three-block-deep hole, toss these two bros inside, and cap it with a dirt block to hide them.*
Faced with Zenith's gaze, the two of them unconsciously shivered, a sudden chill running down their spines.
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