"After Stark, let's move on to Fern… I'd like to go through the names of our party members first. Sorry, but Himmel and the others will have to wait their turn…"
The pages of the floating book flipped on their own, a display of magic's undeniable convenience.
"'Fern.'"
Aesc read aloud, "In this context, the word is typically used as a preposition or an adjective, meaning 'distant' or 'far away.' …Not the easiest to interpret, is it? It's different from Stark's name."
This "distant" could imply physical distance or even temporal separation—perhaps a metaphor for Fern and Frieren.
Though Fern and Frieren were close, the fundamental difference between their lifespans meant that, eventually, they would be separated by the inevitability of time.
Close, yet far apart.
After explaining Fern's name, Aesc turned to Frieren.
"'Frieren.'"
"This word relates to ice. For people, it means 'to feel cold.' For objects, it means 'to freeze.' For temperatures, it means 'to drop to freezing.'"
"Frieren, that's exactly the kind of person you are. Your hair and clothes are always snow-white, and your emotions are as frigid as ice. It's as though your appearance and heart are both frozen, unaffected by the passage of time."
Frieren initially showed no reaction. After all, this was just an interpretation of how their names sounded in another language. It didn't mean anything definitive. But when she noticed Stark and Fern nodding in agreement, an inexplicable irritation began to creep up on her.
Before she could dwell on it further, Aesc's next words drew her attention back.
"Next is Himmel."
As expected, Frieren was immediately intrigued by the mention of Himmel's name.
"'Himmel' means 'sky.'"
Judging by their expressions, the group seemed to find this interpretation fitting.
Aesc felt the same. Himmel truly was like the sky—not just because of the superficial similarity between his hair color and the sky's hue, but because Himmel gave off an aura of purity, like a clear sky.
Moreover, the sky's vastness and elevation perfectly reflected Himmel's character: optimistic, kind, brave, righteous, and gentle.
"Oh, and aside from 'sky,' the word can also mean 'heaven' or 'paradise.'"
"Heaven? Isn't that…"
"That's right. It's our destination," Aesc said softly. "This journey of ours—or rather, Frieren's journey—is about reaching heaven. Or perhaps… it's about trying to see Himmel again. What do you think? Doesn't that connection seem fitting?"
"Wow…"
Fern's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "What a coincidence…"
Perhaps because Himmel's name seemed so perfectly aligned with his essence, the group grew even more curious about what the other names might mean.
"What about Lord Heiter?"
"Heiter? Let's see… 'Heiter' means 'bright, cheerful, lighthearted, or sunny.' …Hmm? Sunny?"
Aesc raised an eyebrow. "I just realized—Heiter's name has a connection to Himmel's. No wonder they got along so well."
The Heiter that Aesc knew had always been a jovial, easygoing older man, often serving as the group's comic relief. His association with "cheerfulness" fit him perfectly.
Perhaps Heiter's long lifespan—he lived twenty years longer than Himmel—was partly due to his positive outlook on life.
At this point, Stark raised his hand. "What about my master?"
"'Eisen'… It means 'iron.' It can also describe iron weapons, like swords or axes."
"That makes sense," Stark said, nodding.
Frieren crossed her arms and recalled a past event. "Once, we were ambushed. Eisen was the first to react, charging to the front. The enemies' swords and spears broke upon striking him, yet he didn't take a single scratch."
"Heiter told me about that," Aesc added. "He said that when he saw Risen in action, he genuinely wondered if Eisen was some kind of magical weapon forged from metal rather than an actual human."
"Listening to so many of Heiter's stories has clearly made your imagination more vivid," Frieren quipped.
Aesc decided to accept that as a compliment.
The group went on to analyze more names, such as Frieren's teacher, Flamme.
"Flamme" meant "flame" or "fire." As the great mage who brought the spark of magic to humanity, Flamme lived up to her name. She was also the one who told Frieren about the Heavenly Land, seemingly anticipating that Frieren would one day embark on a journey to better understand humanity.
They also discussed Qual, the "Rotten Sage" of the demon tribe. His name meant "pain" or "torment." As one of the most powerful mages under the Demon King's army, he had claimed the lives of 40% of the adventurers and 70% of the mages in his territory. Himmel's party had been unable to defeat him and was forced to seal him instead.
As the night deepened and the crescent moon climbed higher into the sky, the group eventually settled down to sleep, knowing they had another day of travel ahead.
---
The noonday sun burned brightly, its heat oppressive. Suddenly, a roar echoed through the dense forest.
Standing before Aesc's group was a massive three-headed monster radiating intense killing intent.
"Stark!"
"Got it!"
Stark stepped forward just as the monster's claws came down. He blocked the attack with the handle of his axe, muscles straining under the force.
A blur of motion followed. Aesc swung her staff in a flourish, striking its tip against the monster's leg. A chunk of flesh disappeared, leaving the beast howling in agony.
Taking advantage of the moment, Stark steadied himself, shifted his stance, and heaved his axe with a powerful swing, severing one of the monster's claws.
Behind them, Frieren and Fern unleashed their magic. Two meteoric beams streaked past Aesc and Stark, striking the monster's body.
Working seamlessly together, the group left the monster no chance to fight back.
Suddenly, Aesc's expression shifted. Sensing something, she shouted, "Watch out! It's trying to escape!"
The monster roared, unleashing a concentrated blast of magical energy that forced Stark back before turning to flee.
Aesc swung her staff, sending three invisible slashes toward the monster. She aimed for its legs, hoping to stop it from running, but the creature blocked the strikes with its tail and body.
As the monster disappeared into the forest, Aesc turned to Stark, whose face had grown pale.
"How are you holding up? Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah… I'm fine…"
"Are you sure? Your legs are shaking."
"Well… it was terrifying. Honestly, I'm kind of glad it ran away. If it hadn't, I think I might've passed out..."
Stark's response was utterly spineless, drawing amused glances from the others.