Starting with Frieren

Martina avoided further eye contact with Ivan and the mage, hastily standing up and leaving in large strides.

The mage chuckled softly. She had no malicious intent; she simply found it amusing to tease such a pure-hearted girl.

The female mage opened the conversation. "As the hero who slew a dragon, why aren't you dancing by the campfire? You could easily invite any girl here to dance with you."

Ivan shook his head. "I'll pass. Watching the blonde captain's flawless golden spiral dance is more entertaining. By the way, what's your name again?"

"Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Loreen. I specialize in fire magic. And don't worry about the little joke earlier, Ivan, dear. I just didn't expect someone so ruthless against dark dragons and demons to be so kind to a girl with terrible cooking skills."

A subtle smile played on Loreen's lips. "Earlier, you used a spatial ring, didn't you? And you deliberately chose an angle to avoid letting that girl notice. Quite the effort for someone who didn't want to drink her soup."

"Everyone understands the principle that lies add to the pain of the truth. But when you're faced with such expectant eyes, it's hard to be heartless."

Ivan resumed eating from his plate, seemingly uninterested in Loreen's coquettish behavior. He had seen far better in terms of both figure and charm, especially compared to someone like Flamme, who was leagues ahead of Loreen in every aspect.

"But I do appreciate that you didn't expose the truth earlier," Ivan added. "That shows you have a kind heart, too."

Loreen squinted her eyes slightly. "Kind... That's a new one. Most people's first impressions of me are either 'hot-tempered' or 'arrogant.' Being called kind is refreshing."

"That just means I have a keen eye for hidden virtues," Ivan said, half-jokingly. Then, shifting gears, he added, "Martina came over earlier to repay her gratitude. Are you here for the same reason?"

"Of course."

Loreen smiled seductively. "But I'm not much of a cook myself. How about repaying you with my body instead?"

"Oh? And then what?"

"And then? What do you mean?" Loreen tilted her head innocently, feigning ignorance. "Isn't offering my body enough?"

"Don't play dumb. Do you think I'm some naïve boy who'd fall for that? Let me guess—afterward, your teammates would suddenly jump out, staging some third-rate melodrama, causing an uproar in the entire village, and then forcing me to take responsibility. Maybe I'd even have to join your team as a workhorse..."

"N-no, it's not like that! It's really not that dark!" Loreen waved her hands in panic. "Though I admit we do want to recruit you, we wouldn't use such underhanded means. And if you joined, you could even take over as captain."

"What about the current captain? Would he be okay with that?"

"He'll agree," Loreen said, glancing at the blond captain spinning like a top by the campfire, her eye twitching. "Even if he doesn't, we'll help him agree."

In this chaotic era, strength mattered more than knowledge, virtue, or emotions.

Loreen bit her lip.

"If you really don't want to deal with so many people, Ivan, I can leave the team and travel with you!"

After facing the fear of death, Loreen still hadn't shaken off the panic that lingered. She felt a deep need for security and was desperate to rely on someone strong.

There was no doubt Ivan was the strongest person here. Especially after witnessing him behead the Dark Dragon and execute two demon race members. From that moment on, Loreen had decided she'd approach him tonight.

Her original plan was to make her move later, but seeing Ivan chatting so animatedly with Martina made her worry someone else would beat her to the punch. She had no choice but to act early.

Thankfully, she'd bathed after entering the village and had even applied some perfume. Capturing the attention of a seemingly young man shouldn't be too hard...

"Allow me to decline, Miss Loreen."

Ivan had just finished the food on his plate and decided it was time to focus on something serious. "I advise you to stay with the team. Following me would only expose you to greater danger."

"Danger? What kind of danger could be worse than the Dark Dragon or the demons?" Loreen paused, then seemed to realize something. "Ah, it's that woman, Serie, isn't it? Are you lovers? Or married? Even if you're married, I can settle for being your mistress."

Ivan: "..."

Seeing his silence, Loreen pressed on. "I wouldn't interfere with your relationship. I just want your protection. Think of it as a business deal—no emotional or psychological burden on your part."

"Apologies," Ivan shook his head firmly. "I still refuse."

Loreen wasn't ready to give up and asked, "Is that Serie woman very beautiful?"

"Of course, she is. But it's not about beauty. While she's physically stunning, ninety percent of her appeal comes from an inner beauty—an unparalleled strength. Do you understand? The kind of strength that can split a mountain with a punch."

After spending years in the illusionary world, absorbing modern knowledge and honing her skills, her combat abilities were undoubtedly leaps and bounds ahead of before.

"How long would it take her to defeat a Dark Dragon?"

"Less than ten seconds."

"...!"

Learning that Serie could effortlessly dispatch an entire Dark Dragon left Loreen finally giving up on pursuing Ivan. It wasn't her lack of charm but rather the overwhelming power of the other woman. A mistress wouldn't stand a chance against someone who could obliterate her with a glance.

Defeated, Loreen quietly returned to the adventurers' celebratory group.

Tomorrow, Ivan was rumored to be heading to Schwer Mountain to pull out the sword. Could he succeed?

◇

That night, silence blanketed the chaos as Ivan returned to the small house the "imposing" village chief had prepared for him. After a quick wash, he sat comfortably on the bed.

Since he wasn't sleepy yet, Ivan reached for his bracelet and summoned a sniper rifle made from the Dark Dragon's bones, carefully admiring it.

This gun was crafted with an embedded reverse-space enchantment, allowing it to transform into a bracelet with a single thought and expand back into a gun just as easily. This makes it significantly faster to access than pulling it out from a spatial ring.

The bullets are compressed mana and created from the corpses of two unnamed demons. A total of 30 bullets were made, each capable of inflicting damage equivalent to their full-strength attack. However, if it were merely compressed mana, the bullets would quickly dissipate upon exposure to the outside world. To ensure lasting preservation, Ivan mixed powdered dark dragon horn into the bullets.