"Umu, congratulations on catching it. However, now that you've done so, all the squads that have been waiting for this exact moment of spellcasting will be coming over. What do you plan to do?"
Fíliya slowly stood up, her tone as languid as ever.
"Leave, of course. Fighting people is simply too boring."
Frieren stood up as well as she spoke.
"Ah... I understand that feeling. Even though you could wipe out the opposition just by lifting your hand, you are forced to hold back. The opponents can go all out to snatch your spoils of war, yet you have to tie your own hands and feet, responding carefully for fear of taking their lives... Mm, it is indeed very unfair. But to be a good person, one must endure such unfair circumstances. Don't you agree, Frieren?"
As Fíliya spoke, she revealed that strange smile so characteristic of her.
"...Although I really want to retort, I'm too lazy to say much to you right now. I'm leaving; feel free to follow or not."
Frieren rolled her eyes at Fíliya again, then prepared to move.
But in that instant, a young girl with her hair in a bun suddenly appeared in front of the two of them.
"Oh? Arrived faster than I imagined... This magic..."
Frieren spoke while looking at Fíliya with a suspicious gaze.
"Mm... This is bad. We've encountered the legitimate owner. I, the pirated version, won't be held accountable for copyright infringement, will I?"
Fíliya's expression also held some surprise. She recognized at a glance that what the bun-haired girl was using was the genuine [High-Speed Movement Magic (Jilgravala)]. No wonder she could rush to their side so quickly.
"It seems combat really cannot be avoided."
Frieren murmured, then raised her staff somewhat unhappily.
But in that split second, the bun-haired girl vanished from before them once again. Frieren, who had assumed the girl was preparing to fight, paused for a moment. And in that brief moment of distraction, the cage containing the [Stille] disappeared.
"Is there such a usage too...? It feels like that child's proficiency loses nothing to yours."
Although the Stille had been snatched away, Frieren's expression remained calm, and she even struck up a conversation with Fíliya.
"Isn't that quite normal? [High-Speed Movement Magic] is her family's specialty, after all..."
Fíliya shrugged, then looked toward the two men walking out from the forest. Among the two approaching men happened to be the old man who had delivered high-minded theories earlier.
"Oh? This is truly strange. Since you sent that girl who knows [High-Speed Movement Magic] to snatch the birdcage, wouldn't it have been better for you two to hide as well?"
Fíliya was the first to address them.
"Laufen is still not mature enough; she left behind too many traces of mana. You two could easily catch up to her... Therefore, this old man has no choice but to step forward to buy time."
Speaking to this point, the old man paused, then continued to add:
"Moreover, this is an opportunity to battle the legendary mage [Frieren]. No mage would want to miss it."
"Woah, this old man is a battle maniac too. Congratulations, Fufu, you've finally been recognized."
Hearing the old man's words, Fíliya immediately patted Frieren's shoulder excitedly.
Frieren moved her shoulder impatiently, shaking off Fíliya's hand, before continuing to look at the old man.
"You know me?"
"Every mage of my generation knows your great name. Although this is my first time seeing you, I only needed one glance to be certain. You are precisely the legendary mage from the Hero's Party, Frieren."
...
Just as Frieren and the old man were facing off, Kanne and Lawine saw the situation and walked out from their hiding spot. Although the two of them knew clearly that they might not be of much use, as partners of the same squad, they naturally couldn't leave Frieren to face the enemy alone.
However, upon hearing the old man's words, Kanne's expression instantly became somewhat subtle. She then looked at Lawine with an awkward face.
"So Frieren is actually very famous?"
"Of course, she is a legendary mage... I was only a little suspicious at the start too. I didn't expect elves really don't age..."
Lawine explained to Kanne.
"Alright, cut the useless chatter. Frieren, no problem leaving these two to you, right? I'll go catch that girl back first."
Frieren nodded. But just as Fíliya prepared to move, a tall male beside the old man stepped forward.
"Is that wise? If you rashly go to pursue Laufen, those two brats beside you will be in danger. While Denken holds off Frieren, I will kill one of those two brats. That way, your squad will naturally lose its qualification to pass... If you stay here, perhaps you can still protect them."
"Oh? Uncle, you are very arrogant. What is your level that you dare to try a one-v-three?"
Fíliya only felt like laughing out of sheer exasperation. She didn't know where these two in front of her got their confidence.
"I have seen the scene of you killing the [Corpse-Luring Bird]. However, there are many mages in this world skilled at killing monsters, but [Anti-Personnel Combat] between mages is a completely different domain... You are still so young; I am more willing to believe that you are also the type who is [Unskilled at Anti-Personnel Combat]."
The middle-aged man wearing a red uniform explained slowly.
"Tsk, then I really am being looked down upon... By the way, after saying so much, who are you, Uncle? Don't you know it's rude not to state your name?"
"That is true, it was my oversight. My name is [Richter]."
"Hm? Then do you know an idiot named [Lichid]?"
Fíliya immediately pressed with a question.
"Of course not... Why do you ask that?"
Richter was obviously stunned.
"Oh, then it's nothing."
Fíliya nodded, and then instantly vanished from in front of Richter.
"!"
Richter instantly became alert. He quickly assumed a stance, thinking Fíliya would launch some kind of surprise attack, but nothing happened.
"This is... High-Speed Movement Magic?"
Richter's eyes widened in disbelief, and he exchanged a glance with Denken.
"Impossible... Isn't [High-Speed Movement Magic] Laufen's family magic...? How could someone else have it? Could it be some ability like [Magic Imitation]?"
Richter subconsciously made a deduction.
"I don't know... But evidently, she didn't put you in her eyes at all, Richter."
"Tsk... What does that mean? Does she think these two brats are enough to deal with me?"
Richter's expression was very displeased.
"Otherwise? Uncle, aren't you being a bit too arrogant? For someone of your level, where is the need... need..."
Lawine obviously wanted to say [Where is the need for Fíliya to act], but she suddenly realized that the green-haired girl who was acquainted with Frieren really did come and go in a hurry, not leaving her name at all.
"Fíliya."
Frieren very kindly supplied the name for Lawine at this moment.
"Right, there is simply no need for Fíliya to act. The two of us are enough to deal with you, Uncle."
Kanne also immediately chimed in to help. Although both of them could see that this Uncle Richter's strength was greater than their own, they absolutely couldn't lose in terms of momentum.
"Heh... Since that is the case, then I will play with these two brats."
Richter's expression had turned into a look of [Smiling out of extreme anger].
"Don't cause any deaths."
Just then, the old man named Denken suddenly spoke up to remind him.
"Hah? Denken, you old geezer, you are an [Imperial Court Mage]... The people you've killed must number seven or eight hundred if not a thousand. Eliminating political enemies and the like is your daily bread. I don't recall you having any [Benevolent Heart]."
"It is merely a test. The title of [First-Class Mage] is not worth exchanging for human lives. Just go play with the children; surely you can manage that much?"
"Tsk..."
Upon hearing Denken's statement, Richter, with a face full of displeasure, used [Earth Manipulation Magic (Askeriehm)] to lift the ground by dozens of meters, taking himself and the two young girls up to a high place.
After Richter precisely divided the [Battlefield].
Frieren finally looked at Denken with a faint smile.
"Not bad. I liked what you said just now... So, I will also go a little easier on you."
"Is that so...? Then this old man is truly honored."
Denken wore an expression of strict readiness.
___
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