Fourth year of life in the Imperial Capital, two weeks after the subjugation of the Imperial Hell Dragon—
The morning after a snowfall was especially bright.
In the depths of winter, occasional sunny days always seemed to bring inexplicable good moods.
Even the dogs living in Eiseberg were cheerfully frolicking through the streets.
But inside the small home shared by Agusheed and Flamme—
In their bedroom, Flamme sat propped against the bed, unusually troubled.
And the reason for her distress, without a doubt, was Agusheed.
"He's been acting strange lately."
That was the conclusion Flamme had reached after several days of observation.
To outsiders—including Frieren—Agusheed's demeanor likely hadn't changed at all.
After all, he always wore the same unreadable face, hiding his thoughts from everyone.
But how could Flamme fail to notice a change in the man beside her pillow?
She rested her fingers on the creased bedsheet, brushing the residual warmth left behind.
Recalling the way those always-composed arms had suddenly tightened around her in the middle of the night,
Flamme furrowed her brows, quietly contemplating.
"He's troubled…"
"Ever since returning from the Imperial Hell Dragon subjugation, he's been bothered by something…"
She didn't know the cause.
And that was rare.
Whether during their ten years of travel or four years in the capital,
She'd always been able to understand what weighed on Agusheed's mind.
But this time, she had no clue.
"Did something unexpected happen during the battle?"
"It shouldn't have…"
Her eyes lowered.
Fingertips traced the cool silk bedding, stopping where light met shadow.
"If something had really gone wrong—
Even if Agusheed didn't tell me, would Frieren really have hidden it too?"
A flash of disappointment passed through her gaze.
She lifted a fallen lock of hair and blinked slowly.
The silver comb on her vanity table hadn't moved in days.
What kind of worry…
…would make him forget to comb my hair each morning?
The greatest Archmage of the Unified Empire lowered her head—
Sighing quietly over her inability to share her husband's burdens.
As the skies cleared, it was suddenly noon.
On the back of the Heaven Vein Dragon—
Frieren, who had slacked off all morning, returned right on time to the castle.
She sat across from Agusheed, who was decoding the Spell book of Sage Ewig.
The aged tome rustled softly beneath his fingertips.
But Frieren didn't feel the weight of those hidden emotions in the ancient runes.
So she simply slumped on the desk, lazily waiting for Agusheed to announce the afternoon's lessons.
"There's no class this afternoon."
The voice drifted to her ears like celestial music.
She slowly lifted her head, rubbing her eyes and ears, then said:
"Agusheed, I think I'm sick."
"I just heard you say something that only appears in dreams—'no class this afternoon.'"
"You didn't mishear."
The pen in Agusheed's hand hovered over a rune, ink forming an irregular dot as he paused.
He repeated himself:
"There's no class this afternoon."
"So I'm dreaming after all…"
Frieren yawned and dropped her head back onto the desk.
"Figures… 'No class'—what kind of nonsense is that for a dream…"
Five minutes passed before she realized she wasn't dreaming and sat back up.
Staring at Agusheed, whose eyes never left the Spell book:
"Really no class?"
"Really."
His confirmation didn't immediately fill her with joy.
She needed one more clarification:
"'No class' means what exactly?"
Without even looking up, Agusheed paused his quill and said:
"Flamme seems to want to talk to you."
And added:
"She'll be waiting for you on the Heaven Vein Dragon's left shoulder."
In the small home's living room, fire crackled in the hearth, sparks bursting from burning oak.
Flamme's fingers tightened unconsciously around her teacup, knuckles pale in the porcelain glow.
"Frieren, tell me everything about what happened during the Imperial Hell Dragon mission."
Having borrowed Frieren from Agusheed for the afternoon,
She led the girl back home and began questioning her about those missing days.
Flamme had expected to dig through heaps of useless information to find the root of Agusheed's worry.
But after hearing just a bit—
"You encountered the Archdemon who once hunted you?"
"What do you mean he said the Demon King postponed the war because of me and Agusheed?!"
"Wait a second—"
"You're saying Agusheed also acted strange after this Archdemon mentioned me?"
One question after another revealed a terrifying truth.
Turns out she hadn't found the reason until now simply because Frieren hadn't told her—
Flamme let out a sigh of relief.
Then grabbed Frieren's cheeks hard.
"Idiot apprentice. Why would you wait for me to ask about something so important?"
"I forgot."
Frieren mumbled through squished cheeks, her logic clear even if her speech wasn't:
"I came back, got my vacation cut short, and was thrown into nonstop classes…
Forgetting to tell you is pretty normal, right?"
Flamme sighed and released her face.
Rubbing her forehead at her vacation-hungry student's logic.
"Alright, I won't hold it against you."
She stood up and patted Frieren's head.
"You've got the rest of the afternoon off."
"Just be back before dinner."
Without waiting for a reply, she flew toward the Heaven Vein Dragon.
"Ugh…"
Frieren pouted as she watched her fly away.
"Calling it a break…"
"It's just so I don't bother them, huh…"
Back in the castle atop the Heaven Vein Dragon, Flamme paused in front of the empty study.
The quill stood askew in its inkpot, and the Spell book of Ewig lay open in the breeze.
She reached out to steady the rustling pages, the parchment rough beneath her palm.
"Not here either…"
After searching the entire castle and still not finding Agusheed,
Flamme closed her eyes and thought about where he might be.
"Maybe… over there—"
She looked outside through the stained glass windows,
Following the trail through the fields beyond the castle…
Toward the massive ancient tree rising in the heart of the forest.