Starting the Strategy from Frieren

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It was night, the bright moon hung high in the sky, and its light flowed like water.

The camp was completely silent, with only faint sounds of rustling clothes coming from the distant, dark, and tranquil forest.

"Is this okay now?"

"It should be fine. When I first go in, it might hurt a little, so bear with it."

"Okay."

Flamme was lying down, floating in mid-air. At this moment, she was only wearing a strapless top and shorts, revealing a large expanse of her smooth, snow-white skin. Her beautiful body resembled a dazzling flower blooming under the moonlight.

Her chest rose and fell slightly with her breathing, her flat stomach was soft yet not thin, and her full hips connected to legs as smooth as white jade.

Evan, being at an age where he could metaphorically pierce through steel plates, found himself struggling to maintain control over his body in this situation.

Flamme also seemed to be a bit tense. Her gaze wandered nervously but naturally noticed Evan's state. A blush instantly spread across her delicate cheeks.

"How about you go release that restless 'holy spear' of yours first? Enter a sage-like state before we proceed with the operation?"

"…No need."

After a brief moment of embarrassment, Evan completely let go of his reservations. He didn't even bother trying to adjust his posture anymore. As long as he wasn't embarrassed, the embarrassment would fall on others.

"I am a professionally trained doctor! No matter how severe my condition is, I can precisely complete the operation!"

"But that 'holy spear' seems to be anchoring itself and growing longer—it's not very convincing!" Flamme turned her head away to avoid looking at his face. "I'll just wait for a few minutes…"

Evan's eyes widened immediately. "Hey! Don't underestimate me! What do you mean by waiting a few minutes? That's slander!"

"Didn't you finish in just a few minutes when you snuck off before?"

What?! So you've been spying on me? Can't you respect my privacy?—Then again… why don't you let me spy on you too?!

Evan gave a crooked smirk reminiscent of a dragon king. "That was then; this is now. The old me who focused on speed is dead. Standing before you now is the evolved strongest holy spear—endurance mode activated, with astonishing combat power."

He continued, "Besides, if I really did that now, it would waste my energy and scatter my focus. It wouldn't be much better than my current state… This is all your fault, Flamme! Why did you have to grow such an alluring body? You've made it impossible for me to control myself."

Flamme retorted sharply but couldn't hide the faint smile in her eyes. "Your lack of self-control is hardly my fault! Maybe you should reflect on yourself more."

Although she scolded him verbally, Flamme couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. After all, it wasn't often that Evan complimented her—even if it was just about her body—it was enough to make her happy.

Flamme's eyes were naturally narrow and slightly upturned at the corners. When she wore a neutral expression during combat, she could appear cold and unapproachable—like the icy surface of a frozen lake. However, when emotions like confusion, surprise, or joy flickered through her gaze, those same eyes transformed into enchanting peach blossom eyes that could captivate anyone.

Under the moonlight with such beauty before him, Evan suddenly felt inspired. If they were only going to perform a small operation under such perfect conditions, wouldn't that be too much of a waste?

"Hey… Flamme… can I kiss you?"

Evan leaned closer bit by bit as if drawn by an invisible magnet.

Huh???

At first, Flamme thought Evan was joking with her. But as his clean and handsome face drew nearer and nearer, she realized something was off about the atmosphere.

"Wait—Evan—why has it suddenly turned into this kind of situation…" She had only planned for a small operation to enhance her abilities; how had it turned into this romantic moment?

As someone who possessed both beauty and strength as a great mage, Flamme had encountered countless young talents who had expressed their admiration for her over the years—but she had rejected all of them.

Yet now… only Evan… only he could make her heart lose its rationality amidst panic and confusion. She stood frozen in place between hope and fear.

She clearly had far greater strength than him; she could easily push him away if she wanted to. Yet she couldn't bring herself to do so. Her heartbeat raced uncontrollably until finally… like an ostrich burying its head in the sand… she closed her eyes tightly.

But after waiting for what felt like forever… her lips never met the sensation she had imagined—even though he was close enough for her to feel his breath.

What happened?

Flamme opened her eyes again. The surroundings were as quiet as they had been before… so why hadn't Evan…

Sensing Flamme's confusion, Evan slowly explained: "Think about it—in stories from books, isn't there always some interruption at moments like this? When the male and female protagonists are about to kiss? Either someone barges in or something unexpected happens—I wanted to test that theory."

Flamme's expression began to change—it looked like she was smiling… but there wasn't even a hint of warmth in that smile.

Evan quickly added: "Of course! Another reason was to give you some time to think things through—but judging by your reaction just now… I'd say you've already agreed! So let's continue—"

Before he could finish speaking, Flamme delivered a perfect uppercut that sent Evan flying backward. It seemed that Flamme wasn't just strong in magic; her close-combat skills weren't lacking either.

"I suddenly thought of a third solution—a perfect one that solves everything! It'll help you focus while keeping your energy intact."

"W-What solution…" Evan suddenly had a bad feeling as Flamme made a snapping gesture with her fingers.

"Wait! Let's discuss this calmly—there's no need for such extreme measures!"

Evan took several steps back defensively—but Flamme moved faster than he could react. In an instant… she closed the distance between them entirely… and then…

Their lips met softly. The next morning…

Evan left early to prepare for the sword-drawing ceremony while Frieren—who wanted nothing more than to sleep in—was forcibly woken up by Flamme for breakfast. Throughout the meal, Frieren remained half-asleep—a dazed and soft bundle resembling a sleepy cat.

It took quite some time before Frieren fully woke up and rubbed her eyes while looking at Flamme.

"You seem different somehow," Frieren said thoughtfully. "Your appearance hasn't changed much… but my intuition tells me there's something different about your aura."

Then Frieren noticed Flamme's right hand—a new ring adorned her middle finger. The ring was engraved with floral patterns and radiated an elegant white glow like jade.

"Is it because of that ring? It does look like quite an impressive magical artifact."