Frieren: Dominating Aura From the Start

Chapter 26: The Eternal Youth Magic (2)

Two days later, in the of the northern plateau—

Riding a reindeer sleigh with on the way to the vein,

Also the same site where he first discovered the Eternal Youth Magic—

finally couldn't hold back his question.

Speaking to , who was nestled in his arms for warmth:

"It's just a trivial spell. Why are you so interested in it?"

"Who wouldn't be interested—"

drew out the last syllable playfully, her face leaning closer to .

"To humans, 'eternal youth' is extremely tempting."

"Is that so?"

reached out and brushed a snowflake from the corner of her eye.

"Still, dragging me over hundreds of kilometers in just two days is a bit much…"

He looked at her frostbitten red earlobes and commented.

rubbed her nose against the fur collar of his coat,

Burrowing further into his embrace, her chilled fingers warming themselves near his chest.

"It's your fault. Who told you to have such a spell and never mention it to me…"

She grumbled, pressing herself even closer to .

He could only sigh helplessly.

Untying the deerskin rope that secured the blanket, his fingers glowing faintly with magic,

He paused slightly at the knot, then wrapped them both in a thick camel wool blanket.

At the same time, her icy toes found their way against his shin.

As she adjusted to a more comfortable position in his arms,

tried to explain:

"I've lived since the end of the Mythical Era, and the number of spells I know is countless."

"With spells like , I've even forgotten the correct incantations. Of course, I can't accurately list them all."

He sighed again, tightening his hold on her a little more.

"And you've forgotten, haven't you? I once said I'd teach you the magic from the Mythical Era, but you refused."

"'I'm the disciple of the great mage ,' — that's what you said back then."

Listening to , pressed her forehead against his neck and retorted:

"Even so, you should've told me about this spell…"

"Why?"

patiently awaited her reasoning.

And gave him an answer that he couldn't easily understand:

"Because I'm human. And humans… age."

"Age?"

Hearing his puzzled response,

caught his hand and pressed it to her cheek.

"Look."

She guided his fingertip slowly to the corner of her eye.

"I'm much older than I was ten years ago. There are wrinkles here."

lowered his head, seriously examining her face up close.

His thumb brushed across her still-smooth cheek.

"Are there?"

tilted her head slightly, burying half her face in his palm.

In that small shadow, she blinked softly.

Though 's words delighted her, she still corrected honestly:

"Yes, there are."

"Hmm… you look exactly the same as ten years ago."

Hearing that sincere statement from ,

chuckled bitterly and lowered her eyes.

"That's a sly thing to say…"

She unconsciously continued in a low voice—

"Anyway, I just don't want you to see me grow old."

's chin brushed against the frosted tips of her hair,

And the vibration of his Adam's apple traveled through their close skin.

He said:

"I wouldn't mind."

"I know."

's voice turned into a sigh.

Her fingers clenched at his collar, knuckles pale.

"But I still don't want you to see it."

What wife doesn't wish her husband could always see her at her most beautiful?

They embraced in silence for a long time before finally broke it.

"Still, there's no need to go to such great lengths for it, right?"

"I could give you those incantations. You'd find within five years."

, eyes still closed, tapped his chest softly in time with his heartbeat.

"Five years is too long."

"Is it?"

caught her hand and enclosed her cold fingers in his warm palm.

In the distance, the cry of a snow owl startled the reindeer, shaking its antlers.

The sleigh jostled slightly, prompting to instinctively support her lower back.

let out a muffled grunt inside the blanket.

"For humans, it's a long time—especially considering how long it might take to learn the spell itself."

"If it's something like that takes over a hundred years of training, it's hopeless."

"Even so, it's fine…"

lifted her hand to his lips, breathing warm air on it.

"After all, I already know it—it's just that I forgot the corresponding incantation."

He placed her hand back under the blanket and continued:

"If it really does take over a hundred years to relearn it—

Then I'll just use to pass it from me to you."

Hearing something she'd expected,

's lashes trembled slightly, like branches bending under snow.

Her voice was almost inaudible:

"That may be, but I don't like taking credit for your hard work…"

"I don't mind. Worst case, I just spend another hundred years relearning it."

"That amount of time is just a blink for me."

looked up at jaw, wanting to say something more—

But the reindeer's bell rang joyfully, drowning out her unfinished words.

Together, they looked ahead.

The vein shimmered amid the swirling snow, like a natural crystal maze.

"The Mythical Era ruin is here?"

asked softly.

"Yeah, to be precise, it's inside the vein."

The sleigh gradually stopped at the entrance to the crystalline cavern.

stepped down first, crunching into the knee-deep snow.

He turned and reached out his hand to .

She rose slowly, guided by his hand.

"Did you fully explore this ruin last time?"

Staring at the glowing crystals, asked.

"Not quite—"

scratched his chin, trying to recall.

"I just cleared the path to the center."

"After I found the stone tablet inscribed with the incantation for , I left immediately."

Upon hearing this, a smile spread across face.

"Since our travels ended, we haven't explored a ruin together again."

"So, —"

, holding his hand with interest, asked with a twinkle in her eye:

"Care for an old-fashioned ruin adventure?"