A Purpose

The days had passed swiftly, and Damian had stopped feeling that sense of searching that had driven him for many years. His new purposes became much clearer as time went by, and upon learning about the current state of the world, he knew exactly what he should do.

He had done things to the best of his ability, and he sincerely believed that they hadn't turned out as bad as they seemed in the end.

A dark mage?

That mage, who had feared death so much, was no longer part of his research plans.

As Flamme had said, things usually don't happen exactly as one expects, especially in relation to magic. If he had awakened in this mysterious world, perhaps his purpose was much greater than he could imagine.

"Are you still thinking about the war against the demons?"

Damian heard a flat voice, devoid of noticeable emotions that anyone could discern from that tone. He didn't need to open his eyes to know it was Frieren. His desire to keep sleeping vanished when he heard that voice, and without thinking, he opened his eyes, his pupils dilating slightly as he saw the face of this silver-haired elf close to him.

"You shouldn't get too close to men; not all of them are as noble as I am in my case."

What was happening to him? Damian felt as if somehow his burdens were lifted, and he stopped dwelling deeply on future matters just by chatting with Frieren. She must be very special; maybe she was unaware of it, but she would discover it in a few hundred more years.

"Do you not think like other men?" Frieren asked curiously as she looked at Damian with her large, bright eyes.

Damian fell into a long silence upon hearing that question; he had long ceased to be like other people. The impulse of wars, the deaths of men who sacrificed themselves so that they could live, and comrades—it's not something one can simply overcome.

Day or night, it didn't matter; Damian could remember the massacred villages and the murdered children who were devoured by those damned demons. Perhaps Frieren didn't realize what truly happened in the war; she might even think it's not her concern, which is also true. Who is he to say that this war is everyone's responsibility? Children were sent to war and said nothing; now it's the same situation with different cities' gestures.

When Damian reorganized his thoughts, he quickly changed his indifferent expression and said, "I am very different from any man; I will live hundreds of years without any problem as I have gained the benefits of the Fountain of Youth."

"How did you know?"

"I fought a demon at that time; I won the battle but ultimately was killed by the wounds I had... A fairy saved me; the last fairy of this continent sacrificed her life so that I could live."

After saying that, Damian thought he sounded nostalgic again, so he added, "But I could smell her, and even though I don't know what it tasted like, it was probably sweet. Hmm, a similar memory would be fresh strawberry water."

"I've never tasted strawberry water..." Frieren's serene eyes analyzed Damian's smile, and she thought, "My teacher told me that the smile of a wounded person holds more value because it's much harder to form."

Damian's eyes showed more emotions, and he asked, "What will you do when your teacher is no longer in this world?"

Frieren's silence showed her displeasure at Damian's direct comments, but she only looked at him silently because she believed there was a more logical explanation.

"We are aware that demons have taken important things from us; what will you do about it? I have realized that I cannot truly create something meaningful just by killing demons; I need to create a legion of good paladins who will ensure that my efforts truly matter for the whole world."

Damian paused and continued, "I will travel all over the South, return to the North, and take care of forming a group of orphaned children. I will train them, teach them to fight, and thus, I will form a powerful legion that will defend everyone from demons."

"How does that concern me?" Frieren interrupted Damian's words, feeling a bit strange.

The smile on Damian's face grew very large as he said, "It would be an honor for me if you accompanied me on this journey."

"I don't know you."

"We have many hundreds of years ahead of us."

"What makes you think I will want to spend hundreds of years with you?"

"Nothing, but I believe we would make incredible companions. What do you say, Frieren, do you want to be my companion?" Damian extended his hand, hoping to receive that of his future companion, or so he hoped.

But against all odds, Frieren stood up and said, "I refuse."

"So easily?" Damian smiled awkwardly as Frieren refused.

"I have many other things to do." Frieren walked away but became annoyed when Damian followed her no matter where she went.

Damian looked around, and after a while, he said, "We must have a purpose; perhaps most of the people we've saved don't deserve it, but we still make a difference."

"I need to learn magic..." Frieren didn't know how to explain correctly what she thought, but there was no need because Damian could understand her emotions better than other people.

"That's perfect; I will take care of killing demons, and you will learn magic. We will be a phenomenal team, and I'll prepare the strawberry water for you as I mentioned before." Damian waved his hand as he ran to find a place to make strawberry water.

Truth be told, Damian feared being alone during his long life. But with an elf as a companion, things change; maybe they can even make friends along the way.

While Damian thought about all this, Frieren remained silent, knowing that this human had stuck to her like an annoying frog, and she thought, "I'll have to be clearer next time."