Chương 14: Let's properly express our feelings

Shayne was surrounded by a group of ladies.

The hospitable innkeeper and her sisters were very reluctant to part with Xia En, and kept stuffing bread and fruit into his arms, which almost overwhelmed him.

He turned to look at Frillie, who seemed to be isolated from the enthusiastic atmosphere.

The elven girl stood before the statue of the Simmel Squad, tilting her head back and staring blankly at the statue, lost in thought.

The party that once fought the Demon King is now gone, the hero is dead, the monk is old, and the dwarf has gone into seclusion, leaving only Frilian alone, wandering the world in solitude.

Xia En sighed silently, forcefully stuffed the bread in his arms into Frilian's hands, and pulled her to say goodbye to everyone.

The girl seemed uncomfortable in this situation, and her expression was somewhat restrained.

But when a child happily gave her a piece of candy, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

Carrying a large pile of food, Shane and Frilian waved goodbye to the townspeople who came to see them off and embarked on their journey to the nearest trading city, Gostan.

"Frilian, say goodbye properly when you leave." Shane waved to the person behind him as he walked away.

Frillie, however, remained expressionless.

"Won't you feel embarrassed when we meet again if you do this?"

Upon hearing Frilian's words, Shane paused for a moment.

Is this something Simmel once said?

Although Frilian has changed a lot due to the influence of Simmel, she is still a "cold" elf at heart.

Moreover, rather than changing, she is now like a child who has lost her family, clumsily imitating the "adults" in her memories.

This slow-witted elf lost his people at a very young age, and over the long years, he lost his teachers and companions.

Her long life brought her little comfort, but rather a prolonged loneliness.

A pang of sympathy welled up in Xia En's heart.

That Simmel fellow is truly cunning; he managed to hide his ulterior motives deep within the earth.

For Frilian, who continues to live in the world, how can she dispel the unspeakable guilt she feels when she realizes her past feelings after time has passed and recalls her unintentional actions?

Xia En disagreed with this approach.

"Who says that we can definitely meet again after parting? Time is very cruel for humans, which is why we must say goodbye properly."

Even if you never see each other again, your feelings at the time have already been conveyed to the other person. The person who received these feelings will one day be glad that they responded well back then.

After saying that, Shane raised his hand to pat Frillie's head, but put his hand down halfway through.

He didn't want to teach Frilian any grand principles; he only hoped that this lonely elf could have fewer regrets in the long life to come.

Frillie pondered Shane's words silently, offering no comment. But after walking quite a distance, she suddenly stopped and looked back at the town.

But in the end, he said nothing, turned around, and continued his journey.

…………

Throughout the journey, Xia En happily hummed a little tune.

However, because the melody was too unpleasant to listen to, it frequently attracted Fleurian's "hostility".

But he didn't care.

He was truly delighted to have convinced Frilian to travel with him.

(Recalling last night)

"I do need someone avant-garde."

Frillie took a bite of pudding and said slowly, "Although you are very strong, your body is too frail, and I'm afraid you are not up to the task of being a vanguard."

"Indeed, I am not a pure warrior, but I can give you these two bottles of fine wine, plus travel funds."

Frillie fell into thought.

"My journey was very long, and the route was quite flexible."

"I'd also like to see some scenery elsewhere. How about adding a dessert to our three meals?"

Frillie gave up thinking.

Team formation complete.

It must be said that Shane is quite eloquent.

…………

The two chatted as they walked.

Shaun asked a lot of questions about adventurers, and Frilian answered each one very patiently.

When Shane asked how to improve mental strength, Frillie frowned.

"As a warrior, shouldn't you be concerned with increasing your strength? Why are you interested in mental power?"

"Because I have a dream."

Xia En casually pulled out an apple, wiped it on his sleeve, and took a bite.

"I never thought I'd become a magic swordsman someday."

"I see."

Frillie thought for a moment and explained:

"For a mage, the amount of magical power determines the upper limit of their magical level, while mental strength represents the maximum precision that can be achieved within that upper limit. Only those with naturally strong mental strength can display magical talent."

Swish.

Frilian summoned her staff and gently waved it at a pile of stones by the roadside.

In an instant, the pile of stones spontaneously glued together, forming a wobbly doll that began to dance under the control of Frilian's staff.

"This is a magic that manipulates stones like puppets. It's an interesting magical trick. It doesn't seem to have much offensive power, but..." As she spoke, Frilian slightly raised her staff. With a bang, the stone puppet visibly shrank, becoming more tightly bound and solid than before.

Then, the manipulated stone puppet suddenly sprang up and kicked Shane.

Ow— The things in Xia En's arms scattered all over the ground. He hugged his leg and jumped around in pain.

Frillie continued, "Just like this, a mage with high mental strength can control magic more skillfully, making otherwise ordinary magic spells more powerful."

Xia En nodded quickly, indicating that he understood.

Let's be clear, if we're going to teach, we'll teach; there's no need to start with a trial class.

"Then what are the methods to improve mental strength?" Xia En pressed.

"Like the cultivation of magical power, it is improved through meditation and sitting meditation, and requires the accumulation of time. However, compared to improving magical power, the improvement speed of mental power is extremely slow. Moreover, there is another difference: mental power can be strengthened in reverse due to improper cultivation."

"Reverse reinforcement?"

"Yes, whether it's positive or negative strength, one can maintain superb magical control. However, a mage who uses negative strength will eventually lose their mind and go mad one day."

Driven to madness...

Xia En thought of those scarlet eyes again.

According to Frilian, this mental power is somewhat similar to a good/evil value in a game; it can increase positively or negatively. So, she'd better be careful when cultivating it. One wrong move and she might turn into a madman.

"Warriors like you who want to study magic are rare, but they do exist. Aize once said that he had a friend who was a magic warrior." Frilian thought for a moment and continued, "Perhaps I can introduce you to Aize. He knows more about this than I do."

Azer the dwarf?

Shane knew that the other person was known as the "Number One Warrior," possessing explosive personal stats, incredibly thick skin, and extremely high resistance; he could fall headfirst off a mountain without any damage. Frilian had previously invited him to be the vanguard during their trip, but he declined, citing that he was "too old."

If I have the opportunity in the future, I might be able to learn some combat skills from him.

Just then, a shout came from afar ahead on the road:

"Hey—want a ride?"

Xia En looked in the direction of the sound and his eyes lit up – it was a caravan!