There's something about you, that now I can't remember but it's the same damn thing that made my heart surrender, agender, still questioning, 18+ mostly SFW
This is true of the manga, but I love how the anime accentuates the absolute physical trust the apprentices have with Qifrey. Specifically with Agott, the way she is so ready when Qifrey says “hang on tight, I need my hands free” to cling to him a mile into the sky, and then in the latest episode, how, as soon as she impacts Qifrey while flying to him, she makes no move to save herself, she just curls into him and trusts that he will keep them from falling.
And I think it works as a signal to the audience, to subtly go “hey, I know we don’t trust Qifrey right now, he’s being shady, but we can always trust him to protect the physical wellbeing of his kids. Remember that.” Idk man maybe I’m getting too attached to a teeny detail but aaaaaaghhhh that’s her dad.
#anyways i think it's particularly notable that fiercely independent always-has-something-to-prove Agott is like this with him#and that none of the apprentices really hide how they're feeling around him even when that feeling is negative#Agott and Richeh make it known when they're unhappy with Qifrey#and they (two abused kids) just flat out wouldn't do this if he wasn't a safe person to be unhappy at
Summary: Olruggio knew he couldn't trust you when you appeared in their lives. You were a thief; you could always betray them when you wanted to. It's in your nature, after all. In the end, he was right. But why were there so many unanswered questions after you left?
Word Count: 1.3k
Pairing: Platonic Olruggio x Cipher!reader
A/N: I'll hold your hands for this fic guys.. no shit i teared up a little writing this, to make it worse i was listening to Those years are over by the sha la das so i really got into the feels. anyway, this is one of the last parts i will put out for Cipher!reader. only 2 caps left and this fic of mine will be done :3
Art by: @qinglan1044 on X
Divider by: @pixopix
Olruggio couldn't understand why Qifrey decided to take a stray that day, let alone a thief. No, he really didn't. Qifrey just waved off his questions with a smile, saying that this is a chance for him to learn on how to be a proper witch master to his first apprentice [Y].
Hell, he didn't even trust the kid due to your background.
Sometimes you were loitering around the atelier, most of the time you were outside napping the day away. Qifrey even asked him to look for you when he couldn't, always finding you in the most unexpected places.
But you had potential, that he can say. Despite lazing around most of the time, you can understand Qifrey's lessons quickly and are able to draw spells at such speed. Still, you were so off-putting to him in so many ways.
You were so frail and malnourished, possibly due to you growing up in the streets. You didn't trust him as much as you did Qifrey. Always keeping your distance, as he did the same thing.
Perhaps he tolerated you because of how similar you are to Qifrey, having the same fear of water.
Though there were times where you entered his room just to nap despite his protests. Seeing your state, he couldn't help but tuck you in properly, grumbling how you were trespassing in his room.
In days when he had a hard time looking for materials he needed for his inventions, he would always find them placed on his desk without a word. When he confronted you about this, you would always shrug and leave to look for Qifrey or a spot to rest.
Maybe it was the way you cared about him and Qifrey, never expressing it in words but actions instead. Always the observer but never the one to take credit.
Unusual, that's the right word to describe you.
There were times where you stood by him when Qifrey was away, helping him with a word, fascinated in his works but never speaking up about it. He tolerates your presence now; he finds peace with it.
But he could never understand why you disappeared that night all of a sudden, being woken up to a distraught Qifrey in the morning, leaving nothing but a letter for your actions.
Maybe he was right after all, he shouldn't have trusted you in the first place. But why does his heart hurt when he thinks of you? Why did you leave even after everything? Should he have been more open with you? Is that why you left?
He could never find the answer to those questions. After all, it's been years since you left, and everyone knows what you did.
He heard people mocking and calling you names wherever he goes. He heard it all, your name being stomped and spoken like a curse. He wanted to yell at those people so bad, they don't know you as much as he does. But the words always get stuck in his throat, choosing to remain silent. At the end of the day, why should he defend you when you were the one to leave him and Qifrey in the dark?
He couldn't help but hate you a little. He hated your silence, he hated your absence, and he hated that he couldn't help but miss you. The atelier is so quiet now with you gone, and he has no doubt that Qifrey feels the same.
Olruggio doesn't dare speak your name when around his friend, you left such a huge scar in his heart after all.
The atelier is so noisy now; the silence that he hated, couldn't help but miss when there were 4 kids running around the place. It has been 6 years since you left, and he can't help but wonder how you were. He was slowly starting to forget your face.
Where were you? Have you eaten? Why were you a constant ghost in both his and Qifrey's lives? Whatever, you won't come back anyway, so why would he worry about you?
The rumors about you have quieted down since then, but he still hears a bit about you when someone brings it up. You, the curse of the witch community. The curse in Qifrey's and his life.
Still, why can't he stop his tears from flowing when you finally came back? This time, you weren't moving; god, you were so still and cold in your master's arms.
Blood. Why was there blood leaking through the bandages Qifrey put on? You were hurt. God, that wound is massive for your small body.
The noise in his head, the unanswered questions about you, suddenly turned quiet.
He couldn't look Qifrey in the eyes; he couldn't bear to, so he looked at your form instead.
Was it the rain the reason his tears kept flowing? Or the fact that his heart hurts so much at the realization that you were gone forever and won't come back.
He couldn't register Qifrey's words to him, his ears kept on ringing, his eyes hurt from crying. He just accepted the sudden weight in his arms when Qifrey gave you to him to prepare your resting place.
God, why were you so heavy? Is it because his arms kept on trembling or the fact that he never carried you even once in his life even back when you were a child?
This was the first time he carried you properly after all. He'll miss this weight of yours so much.
Qifrey was done in preparing your resting place. Ah, he remembers this place.
This was your favorite spot to rest on a sunny day in the atelier, right under the shade of a tree. Yes, this was the right place to bury you; it seems like Qifrey knew this too.
God, they were so pathetic. they couldn't hold a proper ceremony to commemorate your death. Just two lone figures soaked in the rain, hiding your body from the rest of the world.
No, they don't deserve to see your body, not after the words they said with such hatred. They don't deserve to know how heroic you were. It's better that only he and Qifrey knew.
He couldn't help but wonder, why did you go after the brimmed caps? You weren't a fighter. You were weak, and you were a coward. Why did you still choose to fight even after knowing you'll die in the process?
Selfless. That was the word to describe you, you selfless child.
Even after the world was so cruel to you, you still chose to fight in the shadows to protect them. They called you names and let you be an outcast.
Always the thief, but never the hero.
But you don't have to worry about that right now, not after your face looks so peaceful. You were so afraid of death, but you chose to accept it with open arms in your final moments. Fuck, you were scared, weren't you? You always hated being lonely after all.
It seems like his questions will always be unanswered forever. No matter, he'll get them one day when the time comes for him someday. For you, he'll try to live out the rest of his life. He needs to look after your master after all. He looks like a hollow version of himself now. He needs to pull Qifrey away from the darkness he's creating; he has to.
His 4 students still need him. He needs HIM.
He’ll miss you. He’ll miss your voice, your presence, your face, YOU.
Time passed by then and they're finally done covering your body; rest easy, you're home now.
Like you always say, he'll see you tomorrow, In a place where you are curled up under the shade of the tree, where it's peaceful and quiet, just like how he always liked it.
Little thief, run free from this cursed world. Let your body be consumed by its very soil that hated you, you don't have to worry about anything anymore. Let the watchful eye of this atelier watch over you for eternity.
For many years you’ve wandered the lands with your one and dearest friend, your sister in name only, Frieren, after the passing of your master, Flamme.
The years have been interesting. Watching as mages and magic has improved from the most complex of spells now being taught as the most basic offensive magic, it has been a wonder. You’ve seen the rise and fall of kingdoms and gathered many spells. So it’s a wonder you’ve never heard of a spell that could alter your state of being into another universe.
You’d accompanied Frieren with the hero party that had defeated the demon king, though you’d never truly been one for combat having preferred learning as many spells as possible and the different forms of magic, you’d still been a force to be reckoned with.
You’d also witnessed the wreckage that was Himmel’s feelings for her. You’d told him time and time again that for as brilliant as Frieren was, she was not at all adept at feelings and likely would never realize if she had feelings for many years. He’d laughed it off and you’d remembered the conversation you had at his funeral once Frieren had cried.
It was the first time you’d ever seen her cry in sadness in the hundreds of years you’d been together.
After that, you had joined her in taking in her apprentice Fern after the passing of Heiter, though Frieren reluctantly took her in, you had enjoyed bringing Fern into your life. She was a sweet girl and reminded you of Frieren in many aspects, though she was much more aware of feelings and emotions than Frieren was. Though, Fern was still quite blunt and doesn't emote very much.
The three of you traveled far before forming a party of your own with Eisen's apprentice, Stark, joining you. A sweet boy, not very sure of himself despite being immensely powerful in his own right. You thought he and Fern were adorable together.
It was deeper into your travels that you'd learned that you wouldn't be able to go further unless you had a first-class mage in your party. Thus, led to the three of you, Frieren, Fern and you, entering the first-class mage trials just in time, sadly leaving Stark to his own devices.
It was interesting, seeing the mages of this time and you truly did understand Frieren's words that she gave Fern regarding the magic needed to fight the mages of the current time period. Though, there were plenty of interesting mages, you weren't all that confident in some of them when it came to the next trial. It was during the second trial and when you'd been stuck at the bottom of the dungeon making plans for Frieren's clone that the Spiegel made that you had been discussing battle plans and strategies.
“Could you stand by that wall over there?”
Frieren stands up from her crouched position, walking over to the wall when Fern casts Zoltraak. In the blink of an eye, a defensive spell is over Frieren.
The group watches stunned, some muttering in disbelief as Fern just calmly asks.
“Did everyone notice?”
You just sigh as Frieren pats off the dust from the attack.
The two younger girls behind you just turn to each other.
“Did you?”
“Nope.”
Denken is the one who speaks next, voice still riddled with shock.
“This is Frieren’s fatal vulnerability. Why didn’t I notice when I fought her?”
You approach Frieren and fix her hair as she smiles at you, letting you fret over her.
“Your hair is so dusty now,” you pout, “all that work to do your hair and now I need to fix it.”
Frieren just tips her head down for you to fix her stray hairs and untangle her hair. It’s always been a habit of yours to fiddle with her hair, it’s so soft and silky!
“It wouldn’t surprise me if it was full of cobwebs by now.”
Denken just watches the both of you, still in disbelief that Frieren’s flaw was something so simple.
“When casting a spell, she stops detecting mana for a brief moment.”
The two girls in the back just raise their eyebrows.
“Isn’t that a common mistake made by apprentice mages?”
You pull Frieren’s hair to the front, hair now untangled as she calmly responds.
“I’ve never been very good about it.”
Fern just furrows her brows, slight annoyance peaking through her voice.
“If you’re aware of it, then why didn’t you say anything?”
Frieren just taps the tips of her fingers together in embarrassment as you snort at her actions.
“It’s mortifying to say the least.”
The two of you go back to sitting on the floor as a plan is made for Frieren and Fern to use this flaw against the clone.
Denken turns to you as Frieren and Fern go over their plan. It had been decided that they would be the ones to face the Frieren clone. You were fine with the decision, if anyone could beat Frieren's clone it was definitely Fern. He stares at you for a moment before finally speaking.
"I'm surprised you aren't going into the room with those two."
You turn to him with raised eyebrows.
“The less people that are in the room the better, Frieren is enough to distract the clone and Fern can handle herself. Although it would be fun to fight her clone.”
You tap your lips as you think on it. It has been a long time since you’d last fought seriously, not counting those demons in the village that Frieren nearly killed on the spot.
“Fun? I’m terrified even imagining fighting Frieren. I’m sensible enough to know that a fight with her would mean my death.”
You just chuckle at his words.
“Any sensible person would be. Though, my clone hasn’t been located yet, so someone needs to be able to fight her if she’s found, if someone hasn’t found her already.”
Denken’s eyes widen as tries to detect your clone and finds that he can’t. Same as Fern’s. He takes a look at you as you just listen to Frieren and Fern talk with a small smile on your face.
“Would you be fighting your clone?”
You look back at the younger man with a raised eyebrow, though there is a small, yet mischievous smile on your face.
“I’m mature enough to admit that I’m not the best at detecting mana when I cast either, Frieren is better than I am.”
You laugh it off just Denken just gives you a side eye.
“Though, it would be best if I was the one that fought my clone,” you look at Denken through your peripheral vision.
“I’m older than Frieren.”
Denken feels a shiver down his spine. He’d almost forgotten. The both of you were Elves that have lived more than triple his lifetime. You’d fought the Demon King. He couldn’t imagine the level of catastrophe that you could bring when provoked.
“We’ll need you to stay out here then.”
You just give him a smile, “that would be for the best.”
After the exam had concluded, the rest of the testers actually had to face Serie in order for her to bestow the title on you. It was always interesting to see Serie, you always did look forward to seeing her every once in a few hundred years, though when you faced off with her you fully expected her to not grant you the title of first-class mage, same as how she did with Frieren.
"So, she didn't grant you the title did she," you gave Frieren a glance who just gave you a small knowing smile as she twirled the ends of her hair with one hand.
"No."
You didn't say anything, just sighing before entering the room with Serie after Fern exits. Right away you noticed that her mana was fluctuating.
"Interesting."
She turned to you after you'd said the word, an eyebrow was lifted as she watched your eyes flit across her form.
"You can see my mana fluctuation."
A statement, not a question. You just nod at her as you step forward to look at the flowers she was crouched by.
"Those are the same flowers Flamme loved."
Serie doesn't say anything as she stands from her crouched position and looks you in the eyes.
"I had every intention of not passing you."
A fact you knew all too well as you gave her a smile and turned to walk out the door but was stopped at her next words.
"You pass. Do not make me regret it."
You turn back to her, only to see her with her back turned to you. You exhale a breath before giving her a smile and saying your goodbyes.
Apparently, Fern had noticed her fluctuation as well, a fact you'd learned after being let go after speaking with Serie.
"So, did you pass?"
Fern turns to you, an unusually hopeful look in her eye as you fiddle with your holy emblem. You turn the relic over in your hand before smiling at Fern.
"I did. I'm surprised Serie passed me. I guess there's something in me that she sees even after all this time."
That night the three of you joined back with Stark and ate a celebration meal at a tavern. While you were going to the ceremony for passing as a first-class mage and getting your spells, you'd learned that Frieren was banned from entering any of the facilities of the Continental Magic Association for the next thousand years.
"Of course she would ban you," you turn to Frieren who just makes a silly expression.
You sigh while Fern frowns as Frieren passes. You pat Fern on the head when she turns to you in surprise.
"She doesn't really care for ceremonies, she only came for you."
Fern turns back to Frieren with a small smile on her face as Stark says he'll stay with her to keep her company. The two of you then leave to go to the ceremony and enter with the others that have passed.
Time passes by slowly. Between the ceremony and waiting for everyone to get their spells you’re near dead on your feet. Once it gets to your turn, Serie gives you a sly smile.
“What spell would you like?”
She rests her head on one hand as she looks down at you. You pause and think before you blink. You know the perfect spell. As you say what you want you watch as Serie’s eye twitches before she grants it to you.
“You and Fern are insulting.”
She bids you away with the same look Frieren gets when she gets bashful, though you can see her irritation before you leave. You join Fern in exiting the building where you see Frieren and Stark waiting for you.
Frieren’s hair is pulled over her shoulders, but you can still see the gash on her shoulder and ripped clothing. You glance off to the side and see the same mage who’d let both you and Frieren pass with your holy emblems.
While Fern frets over Frieren you just summon your holy text to heal her. You also use the new spell you’d learned to fix her clothing.
She thanks you as Fern continues to fret until you get back to the inn you were staying at. Even if she was aloof, she still cared very deeply for her master, the thought brings a smile to your face as you watch her push food onto Frieren’s plate.
After night passes and the sun raises, you leave the city and make your way out when Frieren asks for what spells you asked for. Fern stops walking and stands with her arms out, a small smile on her face while Frieren crouches down to inspect her clothing.
Fern had asked for a clothes cleaning spell. It was brilliant and had you doubting your own spell choice.
"What about you, (Y/n)?"
You smile and point to Frieren’s right shoulder, where her clothes had been torn the night before from the sudden attack by that younger mage.
“That spell I used to fix your clothes, actually. I figured it’d come in handy.”
Frieren and Fern smile and nod while Stark just gives the three of you a side eye.
‘Weirdos.’
You leave the city and begin to walk through the woods, following the trail set as Fern and Stark talk amongst themselves. You turn to Frieren with a twinkle in your eye as she gives you a questioning look.
"What's with that look in your eye?"
"You think there are any dungeons around here?"
Frieren gains a small smile on her face as the lot of you travel further.
"There very well could be," she laughs lightly as your ears twitch at the thought. Grimoires, scrolls, ancient text, anything! There's still plenty of dungeons to be found and you'd be ecstatic to find one on your journey north.
A few days of travel pass when you come across a temple with a king's facade on the front.
You walk closer as Frieren walks around to see for any hidden push panels that would allow for you to enter. You walk around the temple, seeing a door as your ears perk up and you clap your hands together.
"Over here!"
Fern and Frieren jog over as Stark calmly walks, watching as the three of you get excited at the prospect of finding some new spells or new books.
"Let's go inside!"
You enter as Frieren follows behind you, Fern and Stark share a glance before entering after.
You walk the inside of the temple, following the rooms and stairways as you search every nook and cranny for any possible treasure. After some searching you find a chest and stand off to the side as Frieren inspects it.
"Don't do it," Fern warns carefully as you egg on Frieren, Stark watching confused from the side.
"Why don't you want her to open the chest?"
Fern just gives him a flat look as Frieren opens the chest slowly.
"It could be a mimic."
Just as Fern says the words you start to laugh as Frieren is pulled into the chest, torso first and being munched on by the now revealed mimic.
"Ah! Get me out! It's dark and damp in here!"
You hold your sides as your laughing stifles to giggles as you move forward to grab Frieren's waist and try to pull her out.
Stark offers a hand as Fern holds an arm out to stop him.
"Mistress Frieren when will you learn?"
You finally pull Frieren out with her covered in saliva, but proudly holding a grimoire in hand.
"A-hah!"
She flips through it eagerly as you watch over her shoulder and read the text that she flips through.
"Ooh this is a good one!"
She shakes it lightly to get any residual saliva off as she puts it away.
"Let's go further."
You nod as you follow her further in, walking downstairs as you hear stones and crunching through the temple. Fern and Stark follow closely behind, Stark looking at the detailing inside with wide eyes.
"This stuff looks ancient, what century is this from?"
Fern follows quietly as she touches the walls, feeling for any traces of magic or mana.
"There's a large amount of mana in here for something seemingly deserted."
You nod your head at her words as Frieren continues forward with a smile on her face before it falls abruptly.
"Too much mana, what direction did you say it was in?"
You sense an even larger amount of mana as you enter the room.
"Demons."
Just as you say that a large crash echoes through the room as dust flies forward and you watch with narrowed eyes as a male figure enters the room with large horns on his head.
Immediately, the three of your staffs are out and attacking the demon. More demons jump out and you hear a ringing sing out as Stark clashes his large battle axe with a blade that one of the demons holds.
"Shit! It's a horde!"
The battle commences as you take the defensive stance, while Frieren and Fern take the offensive. Demons are taken down one by one as the main leader stands behind, watching with cold calculating eyes. He takes note of Stark off to the side and raises his hand, ominous spell growing in the palm of his hand.
You turn to Stark and watch as a portal slowly grows beneath him, using a simple replacement spell you switch places with him and use a levitation spell to keep you afloat. As soon as Frieren goes to cast Zoltraak, you yelp as air sucks you in.
"Shit. Frieren, get the spell first befo-"
You're sucked into the portal, and it closes before you can finish your sentence as the rest of your party watches the place where the portal had just been.
Before anyone can say anything, Frieren uses a binding spell on the demon, anchoring him to the floor.
She looks down on him, eyes cold, as she points the end of her staff in his face.
"What spell did you just cast?"
The air around you is cold. You blink as you feel yourself falling and keep a firm grip on your staff as you turn your head slightly to see where you were.
You see the ground below you steadily coming closer and closer as you tilt your body so that you’re facing toward the sky and not the ground. Keeping a firm grip on your staff, similar in design to Frieren’s with the swirl, but having a more woodsy design with it looking like a deeply carved piece of wood with various ribbons tied to it.
“This is rather inconvenient,” you mumble as the air swishes past your ears, hair flying around as you steadily fall.
You turn your head so that you look at the ground and see the closest structure surrounded by woodlands. It looks nothing like the structure of the dungeon, so you can rule out that you’re at all close to the dungeon that your group had entered.
As the ground steadily gets closer and closer, you can see some figures on the ground. They look like little ants, but they have a flash of color. What looks to be a greenish blue, turquoise you believe is what the color was called.
Still looking down, you try to judge how much further you need to fall before you can finally cast a spell that will negate the falling.
“Probably a few more hundred feet, maybe a thousand.”
You sigh as you think about your scrolls that were left with Frieren and Fern. You could only hope that they had found something good in the dungeon. Unknown to you, Frieren and Fern were actually extracting information from the demon on the spell that was cast and were now researching how to bring you back.
You look back up at the sky and watch the clouds and birds that fly around. The birds are a little different than the ones you’ve normally seen in the land, but you disregard it as there isn’t any way for you to know every creature in the world.
You turn your head again, looking at the ground and now seeing that those same figures are now frantically running around and bring out another figure from their home and point up to where you’re assuming you are.
“Whoops.”
You look at your clothing before deciding that now you should be able to cast that spell, taking one brief glance down at the ground that you are now rapidly approaching as you hear screaming from what you assume to be some children.
“This isn’t nearly as bad as that bird that attacked us, poor Stark nearly soiled himself,” you laugh to yourself as the end of your staff starts to glow as you cast the negation spell.
You hit the ground a minute after casting it, landing against a tree as you take a minute to compose yourself.
“I’m alive, guess I judged that spell just right,” you dust off your clothing and pat your hair down from its frizzy state. You look up to see a group of girls running towards you in that same greenish blue uniform, one that you now identify as a cloak of some kind.
“Ah, hello, my apologies, I hope I haven’t disrupted you.”
You look at your clothes. Your skirt was ripped and your tights were torn from the scuffle with those demons.
You sigh as you cast the clothes mending spell and the girls watch in shock and awe as your clothes mend themselves together before reverting to what they assume they’re supposed to look like.
They stare at you, eyes wide open and mouths dropped nearly to the floor as you just pat yourself down and look at the ground that you’d landed on. The terrain was in disarray. Dirt and grass pulled up and rocks smashed, the tree you had landed on was tilted back.
“Ah,” you blink as you turn to the tree and take a look before muttering a different spell, staff end once again glowing before the terrain reverts back to the state it was in before you’d crashed.
“That should do it,” you turn to the girls who still haven’t moved, too much in a state of shock to do much of anything.
"How did you do that?!"
"You don't even have a quill or ink?"
"What's with your ears?"
"Where's your hat?"
You hold you staff with both hands at an angle as three of the four girls in front of you bombard you with questions.
"Um," you mumble as they nearly topple you over, the one with the pink hair being the closest to you. She has a grip on your dress and looks at the place where your clothes stitched together.
"There's no ink or anything on it! And it's completely mended!"
"Your ears are so cool! Look at how pointed they are!"
The girl with the green hair is pointing at your ears now.
"Girls-"
The girl with the blue hair is holding your cloak and her small hands are trailing the wood grain of your staff.
"Is this a giant pen? Your dress is all clean even though you hit the ground."
The last girl with a deep purple hair has her arms folded and her purple eyes are raking over your form with a frown on her face. Despite the scowl on her face, she doesn’t hide her curiosity well.
'She reminds me of Fern when she was just a young girl, though with much more of an attitude.'
“Girls!”
They stop their searching of your body at your voice.
“Thank you, do you know where I am?”
The pink haired girl is the one to respond as she points to the building in the distance.
“You’re near our atelier!”
“‘Atelier?’”
She nods enthusiastically, throwing her hands up as she spins around and excitedly chats about how wonderful the atelier is. Coco joins in as she talks about how she loves learning magic and is so happy to be where she is.
You give the girls a smile, always being weak at heart for children. These girls remind you of Fern and how adorable she was as a child.
'I miss the girls and Stark, I hope they got out safely,' a sad smile etches across your face before it falls, no point in worrying. They can take care of themselves, you just need to figure out how to get back to them.
The girls calm down enough to finally get a good look at you. Namely your ears as the dark-haired girl points to them.
"Why do your ears look like that?"
Your hand comes up to your pointed ears, messing with the earring you have in before it falls as you speak.
"Ah, I suppose it's not unheard of for people to not see an elf, we're not a common species anymore."
The girls just give you a bewildered look.
"Elf?"
"What's an elf?"
"Elves aren't real, they're only fairy tales."
Your brows furrow slightly as you listen to them talk amongst themselves, "I can assure you, I am very real."
"They have to be fake, a trick to make them pointed."
You lean and tilt your head down.
"You're more than welcome to feel them.”
The blue-haired girl reaches forward and pulls on them lightly, they don't come off and she can't see any drawings that would magically make them pointed.
"They're real," she breathes out, awe in her voice.
"I didn't get your names, my name is (Y/n)."
You stand back up to your full height, brushing your hair behind your ears.
"I'm Coco!"
The green-haired girl points to herself with a large smile on her face, followed by the pink-haired girl who enthusiastically jumps.
"I'm Tetia! That's Richeh! And Agott!"
She points to the blue-haired girl and dark-haired girl respectively. Richeh quietly lifts a hand in a wave, while Agott scowls.
"I can introduce myself," she grumbles.
You nod your head to them.
"Lovely to meet you girls, sorry for crash landing here. I was in a dungeon and got hit with a spell and started falling here. I just hope Frieren is able to figure out what spell it is."
Coco and Tetia tilt their heads in curiosity.
"A dungeon? What's a dungeon?"
"Who's Frieren?"
At those words your face falls. You aren't surprised the girls don't know who Frieren is, most people only really knew Himmel as the one to kill the Demon King, but to not know a dungeon?
"A dungeon is a place where you can typically find treasure and mimics, maybe demons. A lot of adventurers go in them for riches."
Now Agott's attention is brought to you, a frown on her face.
"Demons? Mimics? What in the world are those?"
Your brows furrow further.
"Demons? Well, I'm not surprised you're not familiar with them, but does the name Demon King happen to mean anything to you?"
Richeh shakes her head as she pulls her hair forward and brushes through it softly.
"I've never heard of a Demon King," Agott mumbles, hands falling to her side as she frowns back at you.
At her words you take a seat on the ground with a sigh. It certainly is a shock that they don't know about demons, you would figure the adults in their life would warn them about the dangers of the creatures.
You set your staff on the ground as you hold your hands up and cast an illusionary spell.
"These are demons, or they were before Frieren and I killed them."
The girls watch in shock and awe as many images flash before them of magic spells being cast wordlessly and figures flying with horns on their heads.
"How are you doing that?"
Coco mumbles, eyes wide and sparkling.
"What? The illusion spell? It's not very difficult I could teach you."
She claps her hands together and sits down in front of you.
"Yes! Please! But wait, you don’t have any ink or a quill or anything on you."
You tilt your head as the spell goes away and you set your hands on the ground next to you.
"You don't need a quill and ink to cast magic? Where did you hear that?"
The girls exclaim in shock and disagreement at your words, even Agott's usual stony expression has morphed into one of shock as her eyebrows fly up.
"Of course you need a quill and magic ink to cast! How else would you practice magic!"
You blink as you let the words sink in. You lean back on your hands as Tetia shakes Richeh back and forth, the former's face being blank as she allows the pink-haired girl to do so.
"By using mana?"
Tetia stops shaking Richeh as the girl fixes her hair.
"What's mana?"
Your eyes are wide now at her words as you repeat the question to yourself.
"Mana is internal, it's an energy found in everyone. Tell me, can you see this?"
You cease your mana suppression and let the full force of your mana take over the area. The force of it is enough to make the plants flutter softly, but the girls just blink at you.
"See what?"
Your mouth falls slightly as you suppress your mana once more, it coming closer to your body and resuming its constant low output.
"You can't see it."
You furrow your brows once more thinking on their words. They can't see mana. If they seemingly are mages, they should be able to at least sense your mana, especially when you stopped suppressing it. You stand dust yourself off, patting your dress and grabbing your staff as the girls follow.
"So, you use this to cast magic?"
Coco, as you learned her name was, questions you, gesturing to your staff. You give her a smile and shake your head.
"It's not necessary to have a staff to cast magic, it acts as a conduit for casting more precise magic, that is all. I can cast just as easily without it."
Her eyes light up as the three other girls listen to you in awe.
"I must ask, what are you children doing out here by yourselves?"
"We're not by ourselves!"
Tetia has her fists balled together as she looks up at you. She points behind her to the building in the distance.
"We live there! In the atelier with Quifrey and Olruggio!"
Agott, snaps at her, pulling her back with a glare on her face.
"Don't tell a stranger where we live! We don't know if she's with the brimhats!"
Tetia has a frown on her face and looks sheepish as Richeh presses the fabric of your dress against her face.
"So soft."
You pat the girls head and look at Tetia who tries to get her footing after being scolded by Agott.
"I mean no harm, I can promise you that. Though, I would appreciate being pointed to the nearest town. I need to research which spell could have sent me here."
Coco claps her hands together and looks at Tetia.
"Maybe Quifrey knows! Or Olruggio!"
Richeh nods as she keeps a hand on your dress. You're starting to be dragged forward by the three girls as Agott reluctantly follows as you're lead to the large building.
Coco and Tetia chatter excitedly at the prospect of introducing you to the two adults they'd mentioned and practically hum with anticipation as you're brought closer and closer.
“Oh, and what’s a brimhat?”
At those words, the girls stop abruptly. You’re just in front of the door and Richeh has her hand on the handle when Agott gives you a weary look.
“A brimhat practices forbidden magic, any witch would know that.”
You glance at her before looking at the girls, they noticeably wear hats that are pointed but sport no brims.
“Forbidden magic?”
The notion of forbidden magic is strange to you. Yes, there were certainly spells wielded that were awful and dangerous, but they were considered black magic, sometimes forbidden magic. Though you and Frieren were of the same belief that curses were magic that you simply didn’t understand. You’d nearly forgotten that in your long life. You try to think if you even know any forbidden spells yourself.
All magic is dangerous, you must be careful when you wield it. That was your belief, any spell could be altered so you must always be vigilant. It was one of the few things you’d taken the care to teach Fern.
“Yes, forbidden magic! If a brimhat is ever seen they must be repo-”
Tetiah is cut off as the door opens to a man with white hair, a pair of spectacles with the right lense noticeably blacked out. He looks at the girls before looking at you.
“Who might this be?”
His gaze, though tender with the girls, falls weary on you. Coco and Tetia have a hand on your dress and a hand on your arm that holds a large staff.
“I fell from the sky, the girls were kind enough to see if I was alright.”
You stare blankly at the man as he doesn’t say anything at first. He then raises his left arm as he speaks to the girls.
“Girls, get behind me.”
“Wait, Quifrey! She’s really nice!”
“Get behind me.”
Coco and Tetia give you a concerned look, but they all do as he says.
You merely stay in place as the girls move behind this “Quifrey” and watch you from behind his back, even Agott with her arms crossed looks at you to see what will happen.
You exhale sharply and stand up a little straighter.
“I mean no harm if that is the concern, to be honest I’d rather find my party to see what they found in the dungeon.”
Quifrey narrows his eyes at you and tries to get a sense of your abilities. You hold a staff, rocking back and forth on your heels with no worry despite the fact that he clearly doesn’t trust you.
“Who are you?”
You stop rocking as you look the man in the eye with a small smile.
“My name is (Y/n), one of the last elves and I just want to go home.”
He eyes you up and down, noticeably glancing at your ears. He’d heard of elves of course, but they were fiction. Tall tales of a greater species, they didn’t exist.
“Of course, girls why don’t you wait inside, while I speak with her.”
There are numerous cries against this from Tetia and Coco, even Richeh pouts a bit, but Quifrey just gives them a small smile and pushes them further inside.
“Now girls, is this how we act in front of a guest?”
They quiet down as they huff out a breath and shake their heads.
“Better, now we’ll just be a moment, practice your line work while I speak with our guest.”
He closes the door as he glances back at you, smile no longer on his face as you simply give him a neutral look back.
“Who or what are you?”
Your eyebrows lift lightly.
“I’m not a brimhat if that is your concern. Agott was kind enough to explain what that is.”
Quifrey doesn’t respond as he gives you a weary look. You simply sigh and place down your staff, lightly pushing it toward him as he glances down at it.
“I’m a mage, if you don’t believe me I can cast a spell, but since you don’t trust me, as you shouldn’t trust any stranger, you can hold onto my staff.”
He leans down and grabs the staff, it’s weathered but clearly well taken care of. The ribbons tied onto it with a gem on the end sparkle in the light as he twists the staff to inspect it. He holds it out to you as you extend a handout to grab it, only for him to lift it just out of reach.
“You said you fell from the sky?”
You nod as you briefly glance up, then back at the staff, hand still extended.
“That is what I said.”
He slowly lowers the staff into your hand, though his shoulders are still tense.
“Well, it would be best to see if you are alright, please come inside.”
You raise a single eyebrow. You’d expected him to put up more of a fight, you know you certainly would have if you were in his shoes. Nonetheless, you nod and keep your staff at your side, choosing not to put it away. If what the girls said was true and they needed to draw with ink to make a spell then it would be wise to not show your ability unless asked.
He turns from you to the door and puts his hand on the handle as he beckons you forward.
“By all means, please come in.”
You follow slowly as you enter the home and the door closes behind you.
It’s a nice home, there’s a pot on the stove that simmers. The girls are at a table in the center working on their lines as they look up and Tetia runs over to greet you, though she acts as if she hasn’t seen you in a millennia.
“(Y/n)!”
She throws her arms around you and grabs the sides of your dress as you smile down at the pink haired girl.
“You just saw me,” you muse as she beams up at you, Coco soon follows after as she inspects your staff, playing with the ribbons and gems tied on.
“Wow! So pretty!”
Her fingertips lightly graze a ruby that’s tied on with a red ribbon, a matching ribbon with Frieren. Tetia pulls you to the table so you can look at her lines.
“Look! My lines are almost perfect!”
Agott just side eyes Tetia, mumbling about how she should show her lines if they are perfect not nearly perfect. You glance at Agotts work and point at it.
“These are beautiful lines, you’ll be a powerful witch, I’m sure of it.”
Agott glances up at you but flits her eyes back down as she furiously works on her next set of lines, “whatever,” she grumbles though you can see that the tips of her ears are flushed.
Richeh holds up her own linework for you to compliment, face neutral but holding an expectant look in her eye.
“Very nice, Richeh! You draw with purpose, it’s wonderful.”
She takes your compliment with a proud look in her eye as your gaze falls onto Quifrey leaning against the counter, who watches how you interact with the girls, his face is neutral but there’s a fondness there pointed at the girls. You muse that they must be like daughters to him, the same way Fern is to you and Frieren.
Ah, Fern. She’s taller than both you and Frieren now, you remember when she came up to your ribs. How they grow so fast.
He steps away from the counter and goes beside you, hand lingering on your arm that holds your staff.
“Girls, how would one of you like to show our guest around our atelier?”
Three of the girls perk up with Coco and Tetia calling out for them to show you around, while Richeh holds both her hands clenched in fists and a sparkle in her eye.
“Alright, alright two of you can show her around,” Quifrey watches as Tetia, Coco, and Richeh choose amongst themselves who will show you around. They’re chattering to themselves until Coco and Richeh stand and go to grab your arms, Richeh pointing ahead and Coco gabbing about how you’ll love it.
They lead you away as Quifrey watches your forms leave and round the corner. He turns to Tetia, who pouts, and Agott, who’s calmed down and ears have gone back to normal.
“Now girls, what do you know of our elf guest?”
Agott blinks at Quifrey, setting down her charcoal pencil and Tetia places her hands on her face.
“Wah, she’s an elf! An actual elf! And she fixed her clothes without needing to draw a spell!”
Quifrey quietly listens as Tetia prattles about how you also fixed the landscape with a wave of your staff and that the tip of it glowed as the landscape reverted itself to how it was before you crashed.
Agott is quiet until Quifrey turns to her, “Agott? Is there anything else that you noticed about her?”
Agott purses her lips before she speaks.
“She said something about mana, how it’s in all living things and she presumably did something with her own. We didn’t see it, but I noticed that the grass and leaves swayed before she asked if we could see it.”
Quifrey furrows his brows as he brings a hand to his face and holds his chin.
“Mana? I’ve never heard of such a thing. You say she can cast spells without drawing them, Tetia?”
Tetia turns to him, blissful expression no longer on her face, though her hands stay on her face as she blinks at him in confusion.
“Yeah, she said she’d never heard of needing a quill and ink to cast magic. She looked very confused.”
Quifrey hums to himself in thought as he thinks about what the girls are telling him. If what they say is true, you pose a dangerous threat to them, no not to just them but to all of humanity. A witch who can cast magic without needing a quill and ink is even more dangerous than a brim hat.
He leans on the table before standing and reaching for his hat, he glanced at the girls before checking to see that his spell is still drawn clearly on the inside. He takes a deep inhale before placing his hat back down as he hears Coco and Richeh approaching with you in tow.
He plasters on an easygoing smile as the three of you enter the room.
“How was the tour girls?”
He side eyes you as you take a seat at the table next to Tetia, she eagerly shows you her line work and you trace the line with a finger. Quifrey’s eyes narrow in suspicion before being wiped from his face as he peaks Coco watching him from the corner of his eye.
“What’s wrong Quifrey?”
Coco tilts her head as she stands by him, he merely hums at her words and pats her head.
“Nothing,” he keeps his eyes on you as you rub your finger and thumb together, “nothing at all.”
You bring your brows together as your finger and thumb come together, ink smearing lightly and crumbling away. You can sense nothing from this ink, though one glance at the bubbling pot on the stove lends you a feeling of something coming from it. You wipe your fingers on your dress as you lift a hand at the pot.
"There's something off about that pot, is there something drawn on it?"
Agott lifts her brows at you, sending a glance to Quifrey who moves to lift the lid and show you the inscribed ink on the pot lid.
"Yes, this sigil keeps the food fresh as the day it was made," he shows you the lid so you can inspect it closer. You trace your fingers on the ink with a tilt of your head.
"Fascinating, I assume you have to redraw the sigil?"
Quifrey hums with a small smile, "correct. I redraw the seal often due to the steam."
You bring your hand to your hair to twirl your hair as you think. You glance at Coco, then Tetia who looks like she wants to braid your hair. Then you look at Agott who avoids your gaze, though you know she was looking at you. Lastly, you look at Richeh who has now gone back to practicing her linework, then Quifrey. At the man, you give him a small, inquisitive smile.
