If you don't want to just drift through life, you have to go through time.

Dinner consisted of vegetable porridge and bread.

The ingredients were all collected by the two of them during their journey, without much effort. The bread was Frillie's provisions; she had stored quite a bit of food suitable for long journeys in her trunk.

"Speaking of which, Frilian, where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Haita. I was originally going to the Holy City to buy some things and visit him there, but now that you're joining us, I'll make a special trip there."

I don't quite understand this statement.

Incidentally and intentionally.

Are there any matters that must be declared?

"Hita is a companion of the hero's group, and you... you'll meet him soon. Besides, I owe Haita a lot of favors, and I'm thinking of repaying them before he dies. Truman too, if you need anything, just tell me, and I'll do whatever it takes to satisfy you."

"No, Frilian, if you say something like that so easily, people will take it seriously and you'll unknowingly become a cream puff."

"Cream puffs? Desserts?...Sorry, I don't quite understand what you mean."

"It's nothing."

Truman felt a little guilty under Frilian's overly innocent gaze, and after a brief silence, he spoke again.

"Feel sorry."

"Why the sudden apology?"

"...Anyway, I'm sorry."

"So that's why you need to apologize."

She's clearly an elf who's lived for a long time, yet she doesn't understand such metaphors. But that's also partly due to my own unreliability. I'd better not say things like that to her in the future.

The two chewed their bread in silence.

Frillie bit down hard, muttering under her breath, "It's so hard."

"There's nothing I can do, this is just rye bread." Truman also took a difficult bite.

To make them easy to store and carry, bread was made so hard that sometimes it even needed to be cut with a saw to be eaten... That's how inconvenient it was in the Middle Ages.

"If only there were magic that could soften bread..."

"Stop being so cute, come on, let me help you."

Truman took the bread from Frillian and forcefully broke it open, crumbling it and sprinkling it little by little into the vegetable porridge. He let it soften slowly with the heat of the porridge until it was easy to eat.

It's a bit like mutton stew with bread.

After dinner, the two embraced and fell asleep again.

The early spring nights were a bit chilly, so keeping warm together was the right thing to do. Although the campfire was still burning brightly.

the next day.

The two set off again.

According to Frilian, they weren't far from where Hightower lived; they would arrive at their destination in a few hours. And then…

An hour passed, two hours passed, three hours passed...

"I'm talking about Frillie."

"I'm sorry, Truman, I give up. I always get lost here."

It was as if Frillie had given up a bet with Truman, but even if she said that, Truman still didn't know the exact location of High Tower's residence.

Moreover, he hadn't learned any magic to find people, so he could only keep her company as she went around in circles.

"What are you looking for?"

At this moment, a little girl struck up a conversation with the two of them. She had shoulder-length purple hair tied in a golden lilac knot, wore heavy mountain boots and a wide black robe, and was about 10 years old.

It seemed odd that such a helpless child was in the forest, but when I saw the bamboo basket she was carrying filled with all sorts of mushrooms, I realized she was there to gather food.

Given her familiar attire and appearance, she should be Philon if nothing unexpected happens.

Truman and Frilian stared at her.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I'm looking for the home of someone named Haita, you know?"

"So, you two are our guests."

That's what she said.

So Philon led the way, with Truman and Frilian following closely behind.

Strangely, Philon kept glancing at the two people behind him out of the corner of his eye. Although it seemed like an unintentional, subtle action, it was still a bit too obvious.

Truman whispered, "Frilian, she's surprisingly wary."

"Really? But I feel like her gaze is always on you. Does she think you're a bad person?" Frillie said.

"Are you saying I look like a bad guy? If so, you're an accomplice too."

"...Although I really don't want to admit it."

The sight of the two being so intimate made Philon silently turn his head away, then quicken his pace.

Half an hour later, they arrived at a mountain cabin. It didn't look very big, and was even a bit small and dilapidated, but it was well-maintained. In addition, its location was clever, giving it a sense of comfort and ease that blended into the environment.

They have a good eye for choosing locations.

It must be said that the location and size of this mountain cabin perfectly suited Truman's tastes, and he decided that he would live in the same cabin when he got old.

Ring ring ring————

Just as Truman and Frilian stepped into the area about 5 meters from the cabin, they heard a clear, ringing bell. Even though Philon, who had been leading the way, hadn't made a sound.

After a moment of surprise, Frillie said, "Oh, it's the Guest Bell."

That's a really simple and easy-to-understand name.

"It's a magical gadget you made, Truman. It can be set to work with up to six people. In addition, it will trigger an alarm if anyone steps within five meters of it. It has brought great convenience to our rest stops on the way to defeat the Demon King."

"Oh……"

Truman gave a dry reply. He had no idea how to make magical items, let alone learn anything about it. He was also quite bewildered by this sudden revelation.

"We have guests."

Before they knew it, someone was already waiting at the door of the cottage—an elderly man with white hair. He looked at Truman and Frillie with gentle eyes, as if he were looking at an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Come in quickly, Truman, Frillian."

He greeted the two of them.

Then he slowly turned around and went into the house.

Upon entering the mountain cabin, the elderly man... no, Haita himself prepared black tea for the two of them, refusing Philon's help despite his own physical limitations.

"You're still alive, you stinky monk."

Frillie was rather impolite.

Haita smiled. Normally, Frilian would be older, but Haita was very magnanimous.

"You guys are quite...strange. Truman, have you become younger? Have you found some kind of special magic?"

"No, actually..."

Truman told Highta about the door, but Highta didn't react at all, showing neither surprise nor worry, as if he already knew.

"As expected..."

"What's wrong?"

"No, it's just that if Truman doesn't recognize me, then he probably doesn't recognize her either..."

Haita looked toward the kitchen.

Truman and Frillie followed his gaze and saw a small figure standing on a stool, struggling to prepare dinner.

Frillie spoke first: "Who is she?"

"Philan," Haita said slowly, "she is a war orphan from the southern countries, and also a child I adopted."

"This is so unlike you. You're not the kind of person who would actively help others, you're not Simmel."

"Hehehe... You're right, Frilian. I'm not exactly someone who actively helps others, but if it's a request from an old friend who's been fighting the Demon King together, I'll still do it."

Haita looked at Truman, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Why is it still me?