"Was Milliarde really that kind of person?"
Listening to Fíliya's account, even Frieren, who had seen Milliarde with her own eyes, felt her conviction waver slightly.
She subconsciously drifted into memory.
In Frieren's impression, Milliarde was indeed a very strange Elf. Every time she saw her, the other party would just be sitting alone on a stone or a wooden stump, clutching an empty wine jug in her hand, staring blankly at the sky.
Milliarde was an idler, a fellow who was even better at wasting time than herself. This was the conclusion Frieren had reached.
At the same time, Frieren also remembered the words Milliarde had once said to her.
"Frieren, you must not become like me."
"Most Elves choose to obsess over exploring a certain subject; they do this to avoid ending up like me."
Mn, Milliarde had indeed said some guiding words like that to her. At the same time, Frieren also recalled that Milliarde had said some very strange things as well.
"Say, Frieren. Can you imagine the scenario where the thing you spent your whole life searching for turns out to be worthless trash in the end?"
Her answer at the time was "I can't imagine," and she had pressed Milliarde on why she would ask such a thing.
"Because I encountered exactly that... This damn Emperor Alcohol is simply too unpalatable."
Milliarde's expression at that time was very strange. Her brow looked as if she were angry, yet the corners of her mouth were raised... Frieren remembered that look clearly, as it was the first time she had seen such obvious emotional fluctuations in Milliarde.
Frieren snapped back to reality; Fíliya's story seemed to be drawing to a close.
"So, Uncle Dwarf, the 'Emperor Alcohol' sealed inside this barrier is also destined to be unworthy of its name, possibly even a direct fake. I advise you to be mentally prepared."
As Fíliya spoke, she began to observe the reaction of the Dwarf uncle who had issued the request.
"...I spent over two hundred years searching for the 'Emperor Alcohol'. Even for a Dwarf, that amount of time counts as 'most of a life'... And now that the Emperor Alcohol is right in front of me, is it possible that it's just a pile of valueless trash...?"
Having heard the truth from Fíliya, it was naturally impossible not to be struck by a blow. Thus, the face of the Dwarf named Fass was instantly covered in clouds of gloom and melancholy.
"It's not just 'possible', okay? It is certain."
Fíliya, however, seemed to lack any emotional intelligence. Not only did she offer no words of comfort, but she also started twisting the knife.
"Actually, even excluding the Milliarde factor, what's inside can only be trash... Sigh, this is the benefit of understanding history. Let me tell you, the so-called 'Emperor Alcohol' was actually just ordinary wine distributed when the Emperor took the throne... And now, hundreds of years have passed. Human technology is constantly developing, and the brewing industry is the same... Let alone the cheap wine distributed to the masses back then, even the imperial wine enjoyed exclusively by the Emperor probably isn't as good as the common wine one can taste in any random tavern today."
"In the end, the idea that 'the older, the stronger' or 'the older, the better' is just the wishful thinking of later generations... You know this well too, right, Frieren?"
As Fíliya spoke, she winked at Frieren again.
"Mn... That is why I didn't want to accept this request... I told Fass yesterday that the 'Emperor Alcohol' would likely only disappoint him, but he wouldn't listen."
Frieren slowly shook her head. She really hadn't wanted to accept this commission. For one, Fass hadn't been able to offer a reward that satisfied her, such as a rare Grimoire... But because Fass was very generous and offered 20 gold coins in one go, it moved the two little ones by her side. For the sake of their future travel expenses, Frieren had no choice but to accept.
Secondly, seeing a wish that consumed half a lifetime lead only to a ruinous conclusion was truly lamentable. She didn't want to be the 'bad guy' who shattered someone else's fantasy, so Fíliya's current behavior actually brought Frieren a sense of relief.
"Is that so... In that case..."
The Dwarf named Fass closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then shouted loudly.
"I, Fass, am a Dwarf who loves wine as much as life! I spent the painstaking effort of half a lifetime for this 'Emperor Alcohol'... So, regardless of what is sealed inside, even if it really is trash, I must taste what flavor it has! So Frieren, and this Miss Fíliya, I beg you, please help me break this barrier!"
"Mn, that is a matter of course, since we accepted your money... I just hope you'll be fine after opening it."
Compared to Fass's agitation, Frieren appeared much colder, simply nodding casually.
"Oh, Uncle, you're quite something. Not crushed by this kind of setback, your mindset is pretty good... Just for that open-minded attitude, I have to help you too."
As Fíliya spoke, she squatted down directly, helped Fass pick up the bowler hat that had fallen to the ground when he bowed, and then gently placed it back on the Dwarf's head.
"That is truly appreciated... As for the remuneration... how about 20 gold coins, the same as Frieren?"
"Hah, money or whatever doesn't matter... Let's not waste time."
Fíliya spoke, then directly beckoned Frieren and Solitär to follow behind her. The three stood together once again before the barrier laid down by Milliarde.
Of course, throughout this entire process, Frieren and Solitär didn't merely stand silently on either side of Fíliya. Although the two hadn't interacted much, they held an almost instinctive disgust for one another.
Frieren naturally wouldn't like the Demon Race, and Solitär didn't like Frieren either. The reason they could maintain such a harmonious scene was entirely due to Fíliya's 'face'.
Thus, the three of them, each harbouring their own little thoughts, began the work of analyzing the barrier.
Over the next few days, aside from setting aside a little time for leisure and entertainment, the three focused their minds entirely on this barrier. Consequently, the barrier that would have stalled Frieren for three months was successfully analyzed in just one week under their combined efforts.
"Phew... It's finally done. This Milliarde really knew how to torment people. The difficulty isn't high, but it just forcefully stalls our time."
The moment the analysis work was completed, Fíliya slumped onto a nearby bench and began to voice her complaints.
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