4

Sixteen days after Frieren got Isekai'd - Lugunica Kingdom, The Watergate City of Priestella

Frieren stared in awe as the carriage sped down the hill toward Priestella. The sight reminded her of Äußerst, the city within a lake where she and Fern had taken the First-Class Mage Exam. The Watergate City, however, was massive by comparison, its walls stretching to an almost absurd length.

I can't imagine how long it took to build such an enormous city on that lake. How would you even go about that?

The view similarly enthralled the rest of the party.

Emilia leaned out one of the open windows with the others. "It's quite the sight, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, I've never seen anything like it!" Subaru said, his mouth agape.

Garfiel, who was hanging off the side of the carriage, was fascinated by the city. "It's amazin'! How'd they even build that?!"

"Legend says the merchant Hoshin of the Wilderness founded it about four hundred years ago," Otto offered, glancing back at him from the driver's seat.

It's always four hundred years… Beatrice's age, the "Great Calamity," and now this city.

"That doesn't tell me how it was built!" Garfiel shot back.

Otto raised one hand in surrender, the other steady on the reins. "That's all I know! The city's early history is pretty vague."

The carriage continued to Priestella's front gates, crossing a long stone platform that bore a sign reading: Tigracy Bridge.

Subaru took note of the name, recalling a historic river from his world.

Several carriages queued ahead on the bridge at the city's border checkpoint for entry. The process moved quickly, and Otto soon brought theirs to a stop before the guards for inspection.

At the checkpoint, Emilia stepped out first, joining Otto to meet the guards. Upon seeing her, their expressions immediately tensed.

They're on edge meeting her? Is it because she's a Royal Candidate? Or is it her race?

The guards handed over paperwork, which she and Otto reviewed and signed. Emilia passed through the gates while Otto remained behind to assist Garfiel. Each party member was required to sign a similar contract and undergo a routine inspection.

Beatrice and her contractor went next. The guards recognized Subaru, the tales of his victories over the White Whale and Sloth eliciting praise. They cracked some jokes while the pair filled out their paperwork, roughly patting him on the back before letting them through.

Frieren stepped out of the carriage next, suitcase in hand. One of the guards stared at her a second longer than necessary, his eyes narrowed just enough to be noticeable. The other took her suitcase and opened it for inspection.

Sifting through its contents, he said, "Woah! How's there so much junk in here?!"

Junk? Those are priceless artifacts!

"It's enchanted," Frieren replied. "It holds more than you'd think."

"Such a practical meteor!" one responded.

Meteor? What does that mean?

"There could be contraband hidden inside…" another muttered.

They need to check everything? I hope the others are okay with waiting...

The guards meticulously examined each item while Frieren reviewed the paperwork.

Let's see… no theft, no murder, no destruction of property…

Seems simple enough.

Frieren signed the paper, and the guards eventually returned her suitcase. She crossed through the gates, regrouping with Subaru and the others.

"They took their time processing you," Subaru said.

"I reaaally hope they didn't give you any trouble," Emilia added, a tinge of guilt in her voice.

"They had to check every item in my suitcase…" Frieren said, visibly annoyed. "I guess it's protocol."

Subaru chuckled. "A bag of holding is a huge security risk. You could probably smuggle a child through the gates!" he joked, giving a teasing look to Beatrice.

"Never suggest such an undignified thing again, in fact!" she huffed.

Garfiel, with the help of Otto, joined them after another holdup. His delay had less to do with inspection and more with the illegibility of his handwriting—if it could even be called that. Otto had begged him to practice, but Garfiel remained as stubborn as ever.

Otto was the last to enter, guiding the carriage into the city.

Beyond the gates, the party was greeted with a sprawling street, storefronts and residences packed into each nook and cranny. A tranquil canal flowed below the entrance, one of four tributaries converging at the city's center.

The party reboarded the carriage and set off toward the rendezvous point Joshua had provided: the Water Plumage Inn.

Waves of citizens parted as the earth dragons stomped down the road. Spotting a clear stretch along the canal, Otto guided the carriage at a steady pace, allowing the group to take in the city's scenic charm.

Several vessels glided past in the canal: merchant barges, fishing boats, sightseeing canoes... The water was crystal clear, revealing the cobbled riverbed beneath, the sun's rays dispersing in shimmering ribbons.

Across the waterway, houses stood pressed close together, their architecture foreign and elegant—arched foundations, rows of windows, and walls painted in cheerful hues, sun-faded but still bright.

As the scene passed in silence, the carriage's gentle sway was broken only when its wheels crossed the occasional stone bridge.

…

"Frieren, before we meet Anastasia, we need to have a talk," Subaru said, breaking the calm silence. "How good are you at negotiating?"

"Hmm? I haggle with villagers for spells, but that's about it," she answered.

Subaru's face wore a serious expression. "Anastasia's no joke. If we're not careful, we may come out of this with nothing."

"First things first—what kind of artifacts are you planning to offer her?" Otto chimed in, glancing back through the driver's window.

Frieren opened her suitcase. There was an eclectic assortment of items: grimoires, potions, jewelry, clothes, plants, and much more. She sifted through them, unsure what might actually hold appeal.

If Anastasia's an accomplished merchant, I doubt anything with just monetary value will entice her. I need something magical, something…. unique to my world.

Her eyes landed on a small, glass bottle. It was the bottled golem she had been provided during the second trial of the First-Class Mage Exam. She'd kept it as a souvenir.

I'm not sure what would happen if I used this here… would it even work?

It's supposed to drag the user to safety. Perhaps it'll have the same effect here. There's no dungeon… but still…

If I analyze it more, maybe I can replicate or modify the spell.

"I might have something," Frieren said, parading the bottle for the others. "This is an escape golem. When the bottle is broken, the golem expands and takes the user to safety. It can even use basic healing magic."

"Like an escape rope!" Subaru exclaimed, drawing yet another correlation to his world.

"Just one trinket won't entice the fox, in fact," Beatrice remarked.

Frieren rolled the bottle in her palms. "I should be able to replicate it, given enough time."

"That's a solid idea. How long do you think it'll take?" Otto asked. "We could postpone the negotiation if we need to."

"Since I've got a working sample, it shouldn't take long at all."

"Ya got anythin' else interestin'?" Garfiel chimed in.

"Nothing as appealing as this, I'm afraid," Frieren said, returning the bottle to her case. "I think it's my best bet."

"Alright, let's hold off on telling Anastasia why you're here," Otto said.

"And when we do start negotiating, make sure you don't act desperate," Subaru added, a certain encounter lingering in the back of his mind.

"So, I shouldn't tell her what the monument did?" Frieren asked.

"Maybe not," Otto replied, hand to his chin. "The issue is, your ears are clearly different from Emilia's. If Anastasia picks up on that…"

"She'll have all the leverage she needs," Subaru finished.

I would have to come up with an elaborate story... And getting caught in a lie… that'd ruin my chances entirely.

"I'll just be honest," Frieren said after a long pause. "Maybe once I meet her, I'll get an idea of what else she likes."

Emilia stirred in her seat, unsettled by the conversation around her. The idea that someone could exercise control so coldly over others didn't sit right with her.

"You're not alone here," she said. "We have resources too. If Anastasia wants more, we'll come up with something."

"I appreciate it," Frieren replied, truly grateful. "I'll try my best to make sure it doesn't come to that."

…

Leaving the canal behind, the carriage turned into the maze-like streets of the city. Luckily, Otto was familiar with the layout and soon guided them to their destination.

Arriving at the Water Plumage Inn, Otto parked the carriage and went to speak with the staff about accommodations for the earth dragons. The rest of the party waited out front.

Subaru stared in awe at the inn, his jaw hanging open. To the others, its architecture was Kararagian, but to him, it looked just like a ryokan from his world.

"This building is soooo odd," Emilia said.

It is strange… but pretty.

Subaru mumbled something to Beatrice, too quiet for the others to hear, and Garfiel was touching everything in sight, the new surroundings piquing his sheltered curiosity.

Otto returned from behind the inn, where Patrasche and Furfoo had been stabled.

As he did, a purple-haired boy opened the front doors.

"You've arrived earlier than expected," he began. "Fortunately, we reserved the lodging for the entire week."

"Joshua?" Otto said, "I guess we did make good time."

"Please come in. I'll show you the amenities and explain the current itinerary."

The party followed a gravel pathway, passing by elaborate hedges, decorative stones, and hanging paper lanterns. Beneath the tiled-roof awning, they stepped through the inn's sliding glass doors.

After leaving their shoes in the genkan, they stepped into a spacious room. Seated on the tatami mats that covered the floor, they listened to Joshua's briefing.

"Lady Anastasia didn't expect you to arrive so swiftly," Joshua explained. "She's currently attending to business in the city, but she'll be back tonight."

"Have any of the other candidates arrived?" Emilia asked.

"Not yet. We're expecting them within a few days."

"I see."

Joshua turned to the group's new addition. "And who might you be? I don't recall meeting you at Roswaal's estate."

"This is Frieren. We recently—"

THUD!

Emilia was interrupted by Mimi, who barged into the room.

"Garf!" she squealed, scurrying to him. "I missed ya!" She threw her arms around him in an eager, unsolicited embrace, her tail curling.

"It's—-only been a few days!" Garfiel responded, the air squeezed from his lungs. "Why're ya so excited to see me anyway?"

"No reason!" Mimi blurted out, releasing him from her hug.

She has animalistic features like Garfiel and Frederica. What did Subaru call them… demihumans?

Spinning on her heels, Mimi turned to Frieren. Her eyes widened, and her ears flickered with excitement. "Oooh! A new friend?!"

"Hello. My name's Frieren," she said, offering a polite wave.

"I'm Mimi!" she declared proudly, skipping over to get a better view. With an inquisitive look, she batted at one of Frieren's ears.

"Hey!" Frieren recoiled, her earring swaying from the assault. "That's quite rude!"

"Sorry! I couldn't resist," Mimi said, flashing a mischievous grin. "They're suuuper duuuper long!"

Emilia grimaced at the scene.

Frieren was left speechless, mouth agape, as she stared at Mimi in bewilderment.

No way that just happened. So mortifying…

"She's right, Mimi. How would you feel if someone tugged on your tail?" Joshua scolded.

She looked down, ears drooping. "I'm sorrrrry…"

"...It's okay," Frieren said, giving one of Mimi's fuzzy ears a light pinch. "Now we're even."

"Ouch!" Mimi squeaked, clearly exaggerating her pain.

The group shared chuckles.

Joshua, sidetracked by the display, cleared his throat. "So, do you have business in Priestella? Is there anything I can help with?"

He chose not to question the elvish elephant in the room: her race. More awkwardness wasn't on his agenda.

"Actually, I could use directions," Frieren said. "I need to purchase some small glass bottles."

"I know just the place." Joshua said, and he began outlining directions.

With the nearest shop located, Frieren and Subaru met outside of the inn.

"Here, take this," Subaru said, handing her a small purse of coins.

"Oh, thanks. I completely forgot about that…"

"No problem! Don't worry about paying me back. Roswaal gave me an allowance for this trip anyway."

They shared a smile, and Frieren turned to leave for the shop.

Following Joshua's directions carefully, Frieren navigated through the sprawling streets of Priestella.

She passed various citizens—some casting fleeting glances, others shooting her contemptuous glares.

Each time Frieren met their eyes, she quickly looked away. Their glares felt heavy—oppressive, even. In a rare occurrence, she found herself feeling self-conscious. She dropped her gaze, pretending to study the uneven cobblestones beneath her feet.

Why do I even care?

Demons had previously subjected her to disgust, but they were not people.

Ugh… maybe I can cover my ears with a different hairstyle.

Frieren frowned as she continued toward the shop, her gaze still fixed on the ground.

Squeak! Squeak!

She stopped. A small, black rat stood upright at her feet, peering at her inquisitively with violet eyes. Its head was tilted, and its whiskers twitched.

It was almost comical.

Even the animals think I'm out of place.

The rat lingered a moment before dropping to all fours, scurrying down an alley to rejoin its mischief.

Frieren shook off the odd encounter and continued walking.

Upon arrival, she found herself before a cozy storefront nestled between two larger buildings. A wooden sign hung laterally from a wrought iron pole, swaying gently in the breeze. It read: Odds and Ends Waterfront Apothecary.

Entering through the creaky wooden door, Frieren was greeted by the soft chime of a bell overhead. The scent of various herbs filled the air, strong enough to cling to her clothes. The shop was dimly lit, the warm glow of a few lanterns mingling with sparse rays of sunlight filtering in through the dusty windows.

"Welcome," the shopkeeper greeted softly. She was an elderly woman, about the same height as Frieren, with a plain headscarf obscuring her gray hair. Her clothes were those of a commoner, and an earthy apron was draped over her shoulders.

"Hello," Frieren responded. "I'm looking for some glass bottles. Small ones— about the size of my hand." She raised a tiny fist for reference.

"Let me see…" the woman murmured, turning around and passing through a curtained doorway. A moment later, she returned with a small wooden box, filled with dozens of neatly arranged glass bottles, each just the right size.

Frieren smiled. "Those are perfect. How much for the set?" she asked, setting the purse Subaru had given her on the counter.

The shopkeeper placed the box down and took a few copper coins from the purse. "This will cover it," she said with a nod.

Frieren opened her suitcase and began piling the bottles inside, placing them haphazardly among her belongings. When she finished, she retrieved the remaining coins and tucked them away.

"Thank you," she said, turning to leave.

"I hate to ask…" the shopkeeper began, her voice hesitant, "but could you help me with something?"

Frieren looked back. "What is it?"

"I'm just getting old," the woman admitted, offering a sheepish smile. "It's hard to move the displays on my own."

Frieren's expression softened. With a smile, she nodded and conjured her staff. Using her levitation spell, she swiftly rearranged the heavier displays with ease.

The shopkeeper watched, visibly astonished by the magic. She offered to return the coins, but Frieren gently declined, dispelling her staff before turning away with a warm goodbye.

Later that evening, Frieren sat cross-legged on a zabuton in her private room. Her suitcase lay atop the low table before her, the warm glow of overhead lanterns bathing the space in light.

Anastasia had returned, and while the others prepared for dinner, Frieren remained alone, meticulously analyzing Lernen's escape golem.

Removing the cork, she let the lingering mana seep from the bottle. It was dense—an astonishing implementation of conjuration techniques foreign to most mages.

Such concentrated mana is exceptional. Serie must have seen his potential.

Bringing the bottle to her eye, she peered through the glass. The golem was simple—a typical construct—but the spell was phenomenal.

Let's see…

It's strong enough to block fairly potent spells.

It can use healing magic.

And it follows its directives, even when separated from the creator.

How was Lernen able to create such a persistent golem…?

Frieren continued examining the golem's structure, carefully noting how its mana was weaved in intricate, but deliberate patterns.

Fortunately, she was well-versed in golem magic—particularly puppet golems. Lernen's constructs were autonomous, but with a sample in hand, she was able to analyze its mana signature. She skipped dinner, and after several hours, she successfully deduced the underlying formula for golem autonomy.

With that, she was ready to attempt a replication.

The moon above cast a cool glow over the rock garden behind the inn, its pale light bleaching the white stones even further until they seemed to glow faintly on their own. Larger decorative stones sat within the sea of white, some extras neatly stacked to the side.

Frieren stood atop an outlying platform so as to not disturb the intricate patterns of the dry garden.

She conjured her staff, using it to gather some discarded gravel and large stones from the garden's edges. She imbued them with mana, then connected them to form a crude, autonomous golem similar in appearance to the one she used during the encounter with her Spiegel clone.

Its size was similar to the expanded form of Lernen's construct, and it stood idly, waiting for a threat.

Now… how should I test it?

Her question was answered when Garfiel entered the garden. Two hours had passed since the communal dinner, and he'd apparently managed to escape Mimi in the aftermath.

"Whatchya up to?" he asked.

"Perfect timing," she praised. "Mind helping me test this golem?"

"The thing ya were plannin' on usin' as a bargain' chip?"

"Yes. Come stand behind it, please."

Garfiel gave her a wary look but obliged, positioning himself so that the golem stood between them.

Frieren raised her hand slightly, imbuing the golem with a deep-seated sense of guardianship. She visualized it

"Try to punch me," she said.

"Whaddya mean?" he asked rhetorically. "That'd kill ya!"

"Then pull your punches. You can try harder as we go."

"Fine," he said apprehensively, sizing up the golem.

Frieren stepped to the side, allowing him a clear shot.

He pulled his arm back and released a measured punch.

The golem shifted, stepping into his attack.

THUD!

"Ack!" Garfiel grunted, flexing his hand. "Damn, that stung a little!"

"Good. Try again," Frieren said, repositioning.

He followed up with a stronger blow.

Again, the golem intercepted him.

THUD!

"Tsk!" He clicked his tongue, narrowing his eyes. "Alright, I'm done holdin' back!"

Frieren gave a satisfied smile, stepping aside.

Garfiel dramatically wound up his next punch and threw it with genuine effort.

The golem responded instantly, blocking his effort.

CRACK!

Garfiel's fist left a small crater in the golem's chest, cracks spidering from the center like fractured glass.

"Well done," Frieren praised. "It defends against physical attacks well enough."

"That was pretty good!" Garfiel admitted, shaking his hand. "My amazin' self figured I'd punch right through!"

"What about me?"

"I woulda stopped!"

"Mhmm…" Frieren hummed. "Now, stand back a bit."

"What're ya gonna do?"

"You'll see."

Garfiel shook his head, and with another wary look, he stepped back.

Frieren reassigned the golem to him, causing it to turn toward her.

Then, she cast a very weak Zoltraak, aimed directly at Garfiel.

The golem dashed over, circling him with its arms and shielding him with its back.

Zzzt!

The beam struck its rear, erupting into a burst of mana that flared outward, momentarily washing the moonlit garden in stark, dazzling light. As the glow faded, it revealed a blackened scorch mark, still smoldering across the point of impact.

"WOAH! Did ya even hold back!?" he shouted, eyes wide.

"Of course~," Frieren replied, a playful smugness in her tone. "Even so, I would've diverted the spell at the last second if I sensed it getting too close."

Good. If I reinforce the golems with more mana, perhaps they'll be able to withstand stronger attacks.

"Thanks for your help, Garfiel," she said, walking over to give him a light head pat. "You did well."

"H—Hey! I'm not some pet…" he muttered, recoiling from her touch, a faint flush coloring his cheeks. "I'm gonna get some shuteye…"

Hmm. I'll forgive one strike.

She smiled as he left, then used her staff to cast a shrinking spell on the golem. With a limited number of loose stones remaining, she constructed two more, miniaturized them as well, and returned to her room.

Frieren sat on a cushion at the low table.

She reinforced each of the shrunken constructs with a dense infusion of mana—enough to endure a few of her stronger Zoltraaks.

Then, she retrieved three bottles, uncorking them and slipping the golems inside.

Next, she studied Lernen's escape golem for another hour, eventually identifying the component that enabled it to enlarge when released. It was a clever adaptation of basic transmutation magic—simple enough that she could reverse engineer it and apply the same principle to her golems.

After slightly enlarging the golems to prevent them from slipping out of their bottles, she applied her newly learned expansion technique.

For the final step, she tuned each golem to lock onto the nearest mana signature upon release, commanding them to defend that individual—or extract them from danger if they were injured.

While her constructs were a faithful reproduction, they lacked one trait. Unfortunately, Frieren had never devoted much time to studying the Goddess's Magic, nor did she possess the innate talent of a priest. Although she carried a Holy Scripture, her abilities were limited to rudimentary diagnostic spells.

Without a fundamental understanding of healing magic, she couldn't replicate the restorative properties that characterized Lernen's golem.

Thus, her constructs were a near-perfect imitation of Lernen's. She corked the three replicas, stowing them in her suitcase for the negotiation.

I hope those are enough to convince Anastasia. The sooner she starts working her connections, the better.

If she agrees—and if she's as good of a negotiator as the others say—I'll probably need to make more…

Exhausted from her long night of preparation, Frieren collapsed onto the floor's futon, still in her day clothes.

The next day, Frieren joined the others for their scheduled meeting with Anastasia. They had chosen not to sour the previous night's dinner with business talk.

A long table split the center of the meeting room, with cushions neatly arranged on the tatami mat floor. On one side sat the Emilia Camp; opposite them were Anastasia, Mimi, and Julius.

Emilia took the lead, her voice bright with anticipation. "You said you had a lead on the glintstones?"

Anastasia nodded. "That's right. I was recently contacted by Kiritaka Muse—a trade representative and member of Priestella's Council of Ten. His company oversees the mining of high-value ores, and they recently unearthed a rare batch of glintstones."

Emilia leaned forward, hope flickering in her eyes. "And one of them could serve as a vessel for Puck?"

"That's correct," Anastasia replied. She then went into detail on Kiritaka's particularities—specifically, a certain songstress he was infatuated with.

Otto frowned. "I've contacted the Muse Company before. They weren't exactly open to negotiation."

Anastasia gave a faint smirk. "Well, closed doors tend to open when a certain merchant comes knockin'."

They went on to discuss Kiritaka's current whereabouts and the scope of his business operations.

Once satisfied, Emilia set out to meet him, taking Otto along as her negotiator and Garfiel as her bodyguard.

Frieren, Subaru, and Beatrice remained.

"I assume ya got somethin' further to discuss?" Anastasia said, giving a glance to Frieren before settling on Subaru.

"It's to meet you, Anastasia. I'm Frieren," she began, taking the lead. "I'm looking for some information."

Anastasia turned attention to her. "Ah, nice t' meetcha too. Mimi told me a little about ya," she said. "What kind of details are ya lookin' for?"

Frieren gave a glance toward Mimi, then faced Anastasia. "There's this monument outside of Arlam Village. I know it as the Goddess's Monument, but it may have a different name here."

"Whatcha mean by 'here?'" Anastasia asked, a strange glint in her eyes.

"It's a bit unbelievable," Frieren admitted, meeting her gaze. "I'm not from this world. I touched the monument back home, and when I came to, I was here."

Mimi stared, jaw slack. Julius and Anastasia kept their composure, though the air in the room seemed to shift.

"It's true," Subaru said. "Beako and I found her in the forest near Arlam."

"The elf was able to describe our contract, in fact," Beatrice added. "In detail, before Betty's Subaru explained it, I suppose."

Anastasia's eyes widened, her stoic facade faltering only slightly.

Frieren had noticed something odd—something off about how mana flowed around her.

"Actually," she continued, "it's just like with Subaru. Mana doesn't seem to flow from the atmosphere into your gate. However, there's this strange concentration in your sc—"

"That's enough," Anastasia cut in sharply. Her tone was even, but her eyes had turned sharp.

Julius glanced over at her, concern etched in his features. Subaru and Beatrice shared a questioning look.

Sensitive topic, maybe?

"I believe ya," she said. "I'm guessin' ya want me to dig up whatever I can about this monument?"

"Yes. I'd like to get back home," Frieren replied.

Anastasia straightened her posture, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "I can pull some strings. But this time, information won't come free."

"I see," Frieren said, placing her suitcase on the table. She opened it and set the golem replicas on the table. "These are escape golems. When the bottles are broken, they enlarge and defend you."

"So that's what ya were doin' last night," Anastasia said.

"You saw?" Frieren asked.

"Well, I heard the ruckus you and Garfiel were makin'. When I went to check it out, I saw ya throwin' attacks at each other."

"You and Garf were fighting!?" Mimi shrieked.

"Not exactly," Frieren said. "We were testing the golems to make sure they worked. Afterward, I infused them with more mana to improve their resistance."

"They sound pretty interestin'," Anastasia admitted, rolling one of the replicas in her hand. "Think ya can make more?"

"I suppose we could form a contract," Frieren offered. "You can take these now. If you uncover anything useful, I'll prepare another batch for you before I leave."

"Ya can't just give me the recipe?

"I've come to realize the magic of this world is quite different from mine," Frieren replied. "Even if I shared it, I doubt anyone here could make use of it. You'd need an extensive foundation in my world's magic just to begin understanding the spells I know."

Anastasia contemplated the offer for a moment. "How bout' this," she began, "I'll take these 'escape go-lems' off your hands and start askin' around about yer monument."

"And?" Frieren asked.

"And like you said, we'll make a contract. If I find anythin' useful, then I'd like ya to make enough 'go-lems' to outfit my private mercenary group, the Iron Fang—and then some."

"I can do that," Frieren said.

"Additionally, do ya think I can take a peek in that suitcase o' yers?" Anastasia asked, a glint of curiosity in her eyes. She was sure there'd be more interesting things inside.

"Don't you think the golems are more than enough for some information?" Subaru interjected.

"I'm just a bit greedy, is all," she replied with a shrug.

"It's fine," Frieren said, pushing her suitcase across the table. "You can take a look."

Anastasia began sifting through the contents. "What the hell?! How's there so much stuff in here?"

"It's an artifact that holds more than it seems," Frieren explained.

Anastasia fumbled around a bit before pulling out a small silver ring. Her eyes flashed as she examined its design: a three-petaled lotus.

"This is cute," she said, "Think ya could part with it?"

"No," Frieren replied plainly.

"Must mean somethin' to ya, then," Anastasia said, carefully placing the ring back.

Something like that…

"There's a potion in there you might find interesting," Frieren said as Anastasia continued sifting. "It's the light blue one in the tall bottle."

Anastasia found it, held it up, and swished it around. "What's it do?"

"It temporarily increases your natural mana regeneration."

Anastasia's eyes flickered with skepticism. Unfortunately, the secret of her defective gate had been revealed, and she doubted if such a potion would even work for her. Still, her curiosity was piqued.

"If ya can part with this," she said, "then I'd say we've got ourselves a deal."

Frieren smiled and extended her hand across the table. Anastasia took it, and they shook.

After the negotiation, Anastasia drafted a contract, and the pair signed it.

Subaru and Beatrice left to meet up with Emilia, Garfiel, and Otto.

Frieren returned to her room, storing her briefcase behind a styled partition. She let out a relieved sigh.

That went well.

Anastasia has to find something… I've been here for too long.

If I'm going to make more golems, I should start now. It's quite draining…

I need more material. Any soil would do, but there doesn't seem to be much in the city.

Hopefully, the innkeepers don't miss their rocks…

She stepped toward the door.

The others are working on their own problems.

No point in sitting around. I might as well explore the city.