I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [462] [100 PS]

At noon, the sun stood at its highest point.

It was the perfect time for lunch.

As their meals were served, Aesc and the others began enjoying their food.

"This is really good!"

After taking a bite, Fern's eyes lit up with admiration.

Stark nodded in agreement. "As expected of the most popular restaurant in the city. We definitely made the right choice coming here."

Just as Frieren was about to leave after serving their food, she paused upon hearing their praise and proudly placed her hands on her hips.

"Heh heh heh! Delicious, isn't it?"

"You didn't even cook it. What are you so proud of?"

Aesc instinctively shot back.

Since it was lunchtime, more and more customers were arriving.

Among them, one particular guest stood out a little too much.

"Waitress! I'd like to place an order! But let me make one thing clear—I want to be served by a mature older sister type! If not, I'm not buying anything!"

Fern cast a glance in that direction before whispering to Aesc, "Lady Aesc, that guy's definitely here to stir up trouble, right?"

"Probably… not?"

Aesc wasn't entirely sure either. "At the very least, I admire his courage. Declaring his preferences so openly in public? If it were me, I'd be socially dead and permanently disqualified from the dating scene."

"Lady Aesc, please stop joking around."

At that moment, Aesc noticed Frieren walking toward the shameless man and quickly called out,

"Hey, Frieren, what are you doing?"

"He asked for a mature older sister type to take his order, didn't he?"

Frieren turned back to Aesc with a confident smile.

"I'm an elf who's lived for a thousand years. Is there anyone here who fits the description of a 'mature older sister' better than me?"

Aesc really wanted to say that "childish old hag" might be a more accurate title for Frieren.

But he was a second too late. Frieren had already reached the man and started speaking.

The man studied Frieren for a moment before frowning and asking, "And what exactly are you supposed to be?"

"Didn't you ask for a mature older sister type waitress? That's me!"

Frieren confidently placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm an elf, which means I'm much older than you. Way older. That makes me the perfect older sister, doesn't it?"

At that moment, Aesc couldn't help but mentally comment, Way older? That's an understatement. If he squared his age, he still wouldn't come close to yours.

"A… an elf?"

The man was momentarily amazed, but then he took another look at Frieren—her petite 155 cm frame and a chest as flat as a washboard.

His excitement instantly crumbled into disappointment.

"This is not the kind of older sister I wanted!"

Stark blinked. "That guy looks really disappointed."

Fern: "Lord Stark, please focus on eating and don't look at him. You'll get influenced."

Stark: "Huh? As if I'd get influenced that easily…"

Yet being treated like a child made Stark feel dejected. His eyes lowered, and he quietly continued eating.

"You're nothing like a mature older sister!"

The man slammed the table and scanned the restaurant before suddenly pointing in a particular direction.

"A real mature older sister should look like her!"

His outburst drew the attention of nearly everyone in the restaurant, including Frieren, Stark, and even the other customers. Following the direction of his finger, they all turned to look.

Fern froze for a second when she realized he was pointing their way.

But then she quickly understood—he wasn't pointing at her.

He was pointing at…

"Lady Aesc?"

Fern turned to Aesc, utterly perplexed.

At some point, Aesc's entire appearance had changed.

A tall, white mage's hat perched elegantly on her head. Large, round-framed glasses added an air of intelligence. Her silky golden hair cascaded over her right shoulder, tied neatly with a black ribbon. The gentle smile on her face radiated the warmth of spring melting away the winter snow.

"Oh my? Did you mean me when you said 'mature older sister'?"

Now fully transformed, Aesc raised a hand to her lips, her laughter as light as ringing silver bells.

"How delightful."

"When did…?"

Fern was utterly baffled. She had been sitting next to Aesc the whole time, yet she hadn't once noticed when Aesc had changed outfits.

Not to mention…

"This look… it's almost identical to the bronze statue of Lady Aesc we saw in Moluf…"

Though Aesc and Artoria shared the same face, Artoria stood only 154 cm tall, while Aesc was a solid 170 cm—considerably tall for a woman.

The glasses on the bridge of her nose gave her an air of intellect and wisdom, while her current hairstyle added a touch of mature elegance. Altogether, she exuded the aura of a gentle, understanding older sister.

Then there was presence—that intangible quality.

Aesc had deliberately adjusted her voice and gestures, fully embodying the role of a refined, mature woman.

"She's not a mature older sister!"

Frieren's brow twitched, eyes filled with defiance.

"Hmph. I didn't want to do this, but it looks like the time has come to use the ultimate technique my master taught me—the Art of the Seductress."

"Prepare yourselves. I'll show you what a real mature older sister should be!"

And so, Frieren made one last desperate move.

She raised her hand to her lips…

And blew a kiss.

The restaurant fell dead silent.

"Hmph! Shocked, aren't you? This is a special move that only a true mature older sister can pull off—a flying kiss!"

Frieren assumed everyone had been stunned by the overwhelming grace of her mature aura.

She was… half right.

Then, the man in front of her finally spoke.

"You really are just a clueless little kid. Here, take some candy and run along."

"…Why?!"

Fern shifted her gaze slightly and noticed that Aesc was writing something in a notebook.

At first, she thought Aesc was simply jotting down observations to use as material for future stories.

But when she looked more closely…

Aesc wasn't writing.

She was drawing.

The moment Frieren had blown that kiss was now captured in an illustration on the page.

"Lady Aesc… what is this?"

"It's a gift."

Aesc tapped the end of her pen against her lips, a subtle smirk forming.

"When we finally reach the end of our journey, when we stand in the Land of Rest and meet Himmel and the others again… I'll give this to Himmel."

"I'm sure he'll love it."

Aesc's thoughts drifted back to the past—

To that time, long ago, when Frieren had also blown a kiss at Himmel…

A kiss so powerful that Himmel had fainted on the spot.

And yet, even after eighty years, that dense-headed Frieren still believed that what had made Himmel faint back then was her charm.

Only Aesc, Eisen, and Heiter knew the truth—that what had truly caused Himmel to collapse was the love she had never been able to confess to Frieren.

Frieren slumped away from the man in disappointment, only to immediately be met with Aesc kicking her while she was down.

"Oh dear, what's wrong, little one? Feeling upset? Do you need a big sister to hold you close and comfort you properly?"

"…I'm older than you, and by quite a lot, Aesc. I should be your big sister."

"Tsk tsk. If you think age alone defines a 'mature older sister,' then you still don't understand humans very well."

Propping her face against her hand, Aesc gazed at Frieren through half-lidded eyes, her expression laced with a teasing allure. There was a certain lazy elegance in her voice, an almost magical quality that could make any ordinary man weak at the knees the moment they heard it.

Even Fern and Stark, who were closest to her, turned red just from the sound of her voice.

Only Frieren… simply stared at Aesc's face, lost in thought.

"Hmm? What is it?"

Aesc's tone shifted instantly, calm and neutral—completely devoid of the previous allure.

"It's nothing."

Frieren shook her head, then quietly murmured while still gazing at Aesc's face,

"It's just… been a long time since I last saw you in this form."

Aesc blinked in surprise at her words.

Then, like the first snowfall of the season, a soft and gentle smile slowly blossomed on her lips.

"Looking at me like this… does it remind you of our travels together?"

"Not just that. Even further back—when you used to teach me magic."

"That must have been… at least a hundred years ago."

Aesc chuckled softly, lowering her voice.

"It has been a long time… I can barely remember it anymore."

Frieren tilted her head.

"It's only been a little over a hundred years, hasn't it?"

Aesc's bright eyes blinked once before slowly closing, her lips curving into a faint smile.

"…I suppose you're right."

---

The City of Rofkoro

It had been over ten days since Aesc and the others arrived in this city.

Which also meant that Frieren's part-time job was now about one-third—no, nearly halfway—done.

A bracelet floated weightlessly in Aesc's hand, as if unaffected by gravity. The final fragment gently reattached itself under her control, and even the cracks disappeared without a trace.

After carefully inspecting the piece and confirming that it was fully restored, Aesc smiled and handed the bracelet to an elderly woman.

"Here you go. It's been repaired."

"Thank you, dear."

The old woman accepted it with both hands, her rough, calloused fingers gently tracing over its surface. Her voice was thick with emotion, tinged with a quiet sorrow.

"It's really… completely fixed, just like new. Magic truly is amazing."

"If it's something that important, you should make sure to take good care of it."

According to the old woman, this bracelet was a wedding gift from her late husband—a treasure as precious to her as life itself.

It wasn't anything expensive. In fact, it was just a simple trinket, something that probably wouldn't fetch much even if she tried to give it away. When she and her husband had married, they had barely any money, and this bracelet had been a cheap market stall purchase.

But… it was the only keepsake her husband had left her before he passed.

When it broke, she didn't know what to do. She had taken it to many places, only to be told it was beyond repair. While magic could restore it, the cost was far too steep.

Upon hearing her story, Aesc had immediately offered to help, effortlessly repairing it with magic.

As a token of gratitude, the old woman gifted Aesc a large basket of fruit, which she happily accepted.

"What a love to be envious of… This is what a journey should be. In the Fairy Kingdom, all you'll ever find are ungrateful, backstabbing, irredeemable wretches."

She picked up an apple, wiped it against her sleeve, and took a bite. Sweet, luscious juice filled her mouth, washing over her taste buds with an overwhelming sense of bliss.

"So sweet…"

Aesc cupped her cheeks, a dreamy expression of happiness spreading across her face. Behind her, one could almost see pink petals blooming into a sea of soft cherry blossoms.

Her steps were steady—not the aimless wandering of someone simply killing time.

Before long, she arrived once again at the restaurant where Frieren was working.

"Frieren! I'm here to bother you again!"

By now, this had become one of Aesc's greatest amusements in the city. She stopped by almost daily to check in on Frieren, even if Stark and Fern had no interest. Not to mention, the food here was pretty good. It was the perfect excuse to satisfy both curiosity and her appetite.

But today… something felt off.

The moment Aesc stepped through the door, every staff member turned to look at her—including Frieren.

Since she was Frieren's acquaintance, Aesc had already gotten familiar with the employees. By now, they were used to her visits.

Which meant… their reactions shouldn't have been this intense.

Something wasn't right.

Using [Fairy Eyes], Aesc peered into their emotions and immediately felt the urge to retreat.

"Ah! Miss Aesc is trying to run!"

"Get her! Don't let her escape!"

Since it was a slow period with few customers, several unoccupied waitresses quickly blocked Aesc's exit.

Then, from the kitchen, a woman stormed out, heading straight toward her.

Aesc recognized her immediately.

She was Rihanna, the restaurant's pastry chef—the one who had made that parfait Aesc had enjoyed last time. It had been quite good.

"So you're the one!"

That was the first thing out of Rihanna's mouth.

Aesc, however, had no idea what she was talking about.

"Okay, I don't know what's going on, but… I think you've got the wrong person?"

"Wrong my ass! Frieren said you are the greatest dessert maker in the world! And the worst part? She said that after eating my desserts!"

Arms crossed, Rihanna radiated an intense, unyielding energy.

"I want to know—just how good are your sweets to earn such praise?"

Upon hearing this, Aesc's expression flattened into a dead-eyed stare.

She shifted her gaze slightly—

To the very back of the room, where a certain someone was crouched low, desperately trying to make herself invisible.

So this is your doing, huh, Frieren?

After spending several days here, Aesc had learned that Rihanna's dream was to become the greatest pastry chef in the world.

Unfortunately for her, Rihanna was also incredibly competitive—and very stubborn.

So when Frieren casually dropped praise about Aesc's desserts after sampling Rihanna's… well, there was no way that didn't sting.

And now, here they were.

Naturally, since Rihanna was so determined, Aesc had no reason to refuse.

So, she demonstrated her skills.

The good news?

Rihanna only needed a single bite before she was completely, utterly convinced. She admitted—without hesitation—that Aesc's desserts were unparalleled.

The bad news?

Rihanna now desperately wanted to make sweets that could rival Aesc's.

And so… she hounded Aesc for the next ten days, begging her to become her mentor.

In the end, Aesc couldn't win against Rihanna's unshakable persistence.

So, she agreed to teach her a few things.

Which is how Aesc and the others ended up staying in this city for another whole month.

---

T/N: i give up on names... im a useless translator