It's Only Been Five Years

"So, are we going to have fun?" Damian approached Frieren, who was sitting under a large tree.

Damian sat down next to Frieren. She had taken advantage of the time when Damian was learning from Serie to learn some spells she had found lying on the ground.

This would have angered Serie if it weren't for Damian being the best advocate Frieren could have in this life.

"When are we leaving this place?" Frieren asked as she closed the book she was reading.

Damian took the opportunity to ask, "Don't you feel comfortable here?"

"I'm not welcome in this place."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well..." Frieren fell silent, as she didn't have an answer. Perhaps she was angry about Serie's indifference to her master's death, but even she didn't act foolishly, knowing of her death and having been with her in her final moments.

Emotions were complicated, especially understanding them since it wasn't something she had been working on.

"Do you want to learn swordsmanship?" Damian looked at the reddish flowers scattered everywhere.

Frieren was surprised. She pulled out the manual Damian had written for her and found a clause. In the section where it explained how to make a friend, loved one, or partner feel good, it said:

[Be there for your friend.] [Make plans to hang out together or invite your friend to do something.]

Knowing what Damian was trying to do, she stroked the small braid he had made and said, "I'll be fine; we can leave when you're ready."

Damian shook his head and said, "Forgive me for not considering what you wanted. Now that you mention it, there's a place I've always wanted to return to."

Frieren had heard Damian talk about the magic tower where he grew up and how it was the place where he learned the harsh way of becoming strong in times of war.

"When is the journey from here to that tower?"

"About nine weeks of walking at a slow pace," Damian estimated.

Frieren smiled. Rarely did she show this side of herself to Damian and say, "Then let's have an adventure. You've mentioned that we should have good memories beyond magic, so we can travel."

"Well, let's do that," Damian agreed. What were a few weeks?

...

Five years later,.

Damian had arrived at the dark tower that rose above the sky and stood out from the surrounding trees.

"Incredible tower..." Frieren, who was sitting on Damian's shoulders, was amazed at the place where he learned about magic.

The weeks the journey should have taken turned into years, and the small things they got distracted by were not worth mentioning.

Damian took advantage of this time to create stone soldiers like a madman and create the maximum number of avatars possible to have an advantage in this fight.

He had killed numerous demons, but they were scattered; there was no chain of command in this attack, so it wasn't common to kill large numbers of demons.

But now that he had arrived, after fifty years, everything looked exactly the same as it was before he left.

"Halt there; what business do you have in this place?"

"I'm coming back; I'm a mage from this tower."

"Mages from third to first class have been sent to war; what are you doing here?"

Damian was surprised and said, "Kid, I've been in the war for more than thirty years. I just want to see how some acquaintances are doing."

"Then visit them at the memorial cemetery; maybe all your friends are now dead." The mage stepped back; half of his face was bandaged, and he seemed to be in his final stages of life.

No more mages could be seen around; it seemed that the war had ended with everyone here.

"Are you looking for someone in particular?" Frieren got off Damian's back to help him search for names.

"Dom, Adda, and Syndra..." Damian thought Dom would have died some time ago, but Adda and Syndra should still be alive.