Frieren: Demon of Domination

"Why did you take this dangerous human as your disciple?"

Many years ago, on the Heaven Vein Dragon's back—

Schlacht, watching the boy training in the distance, asked his old friend.

"A momentary whim."

The strongest Grand Demon's answer was extremely calm.

"Just that?"

"Just that."

After thinking for a moment, Schlacht turned his gaze to Agusheed beside him.

"Agusheed, this child will become demonkind's greatest enemy in the future."

"None of my business."

"This child will stop at nothing to perish together with me in the future."

"That's a future matter."

"Agusheed, for the sake of our friendship, may I ask you for one thing?"

"Speak."

"Could you please let me try to kill this extremely dangerous human?"

Agusheed's answer was calm and unquestionable.

"No."

"At least not while he's still with me."

Unsurprised by this answer, and knowing that further questioning would certainly anger Agusheed,

Schlacht still continued the topic.

"But if we don't do this now, I'm afraid I'll never have another chance to eliminate him."

"Frankly speaking, Agusheed, I have no confidence in defeating him in the future."

Agusheed's expression didn't change in the slightest,

As if everything Schlacht was saying was irrelevant to him.

"That's your own business."

The world's strongest Grand Mage raised his eyelids.

Sensing several familiar magical powers surrounding Schlacht, he glanced contemptuously at the fluctuating spatial magic around his old friend.

"If you're dissatisfied with my decision, you can try it."

Knowing the Demon King wouldn't interfere in such matters, Agusheed scorned all of Schlacht's plans and intentions.

"If you dare."

—

The conversations between Schlacht and Agusheed about the Hero of the South were far from just this once.

If one had to describe it, it could be called countless.

However, most of them occurred after the Hero of the South left Agusheed's side.

And the question Schlacht asked most often was—

[Agusheed, do you regret that impulsive decision to 'take a disciple' back then?]

At least in Schlacht's several inquiries,

The emotion Agusheed showed regarding this question was basically weariness.

But he never gave Schlacht a clear, direct answer.

'If I had known it would come to this, I shouldn't have taken a human as a disciple.'

This was the sentence he said most often to Schlacht.

Of course, without doubt—

Even Schlacht, without using 'future sight,' could see this was his self-deceptive thinking.

If we really had to talk about regretting taking someone as a disciple...

Among Agusheed's three disciples, probably only that demon disciple truly made him regret and feel disgusted.

Frieren—

Hero of the South—

Agusheed had never regretted taking these two silly disciples.

Though he had no respect whatsoever for the choices they made themselves.

—

Agusheed's reminiscence came to an abrupt halt with the crisp sound of the Hero of the South setting down his plate.

"Want more?"

Gently pushing the empty plate with his finger, the teacher watching his disciple asked.

"No need. If I eat any more, I might get fat."

The Hero of the South methodically wiped the corner of his mouth, his manner finally returning to restraint.

"Maintaining perfect external appearance is a required course for being the strongest hero."

External appearance...

This answer made Agusheed unconsciously glance at his disciple's hairline that he was trying hard to conceal.

"You who are already losing hair still care about such things..."

"For a middle-aged man with serious hair loss, maintaining weight is my last stubbornness."

The Hero of the South sighed somewhat dramatically.

"I have Magic That Can Reduce Body Weight."

"Is that so... You should have told me earlier..."

His silly disciple's voice carried feigned regret.

"That way I wouldn't have worried about weight issues during my journey to defeat the Demon King."

"Who told you not to ask before."

Another argument between teacher and disciple slowly petered out in the endless chatter.

The Hero of the South always liked to bring up topics over various trivial matters.

Whether complaining

Or lamenting—

Regardless, as long as Agusheed picked up the topic, he would try to extend the conversation time.

He'd been like this since he was a child.

Agusheed was well aware of this, yet had never said much about it.

'Actions that have no meaning other than wasting my time'—

At least that's what he said with his mouth; no one knew what he truly thought in his heart.

"Speaking of which... Teacher, I suddenly thought of a question."

The Hero of the South, who had finished cleaning up the tableware, seemed to suddenly remember something.

Walking toward the kitchen, he turned back and asked Agusheed with curious tone:

"Teacher, I remember that even demons need to eat, right?"

Nonsense...

Agusheed didn't look up, gently flipping through a magic book that appeared from nowhere.

"Stupid question."

He answered his disciple's inexplicable question indifferently.

"Just like humans can starve to death, demons will naturally die if they don't eat."

The Hero of the South leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

"Then here's the question, Teacher."

He glanced back at the kitchen and tableware, roughly confirming their recent condition before continuing to ask.

"Based on the kitchen's usage, before I came, you were always eating alone, right?"

Along with the sound of rustling pages came Agusheed's calm counter-question.

"What else?"

"What about 'Aura the Guillotine'?"

The Hero of the South tilted his head.

He really couldn't imagine what kind of abuse that worthless Grand Demon had suffered under his teacher.

"May I ask how she's managed to survive until now without eating?"

Agusheed looked up, spreading the magic book open on his lap.

"Although I won't make an extra portion for her, that doesn't mean she can't forage for herself."

"I haven't completely restricted her activities."

"My requirements for her are only two: don't appear before me, and don't wander around the castle."

"With such a large space on the Heaven Vein Dragon, there are still wild fruits and vegetables available."

"Even if she can't find those, she can gnaw tree bark and eat leaves."

Agusheed's finger gently tapped on the book, his attitude as casual as discussing a pet.

"After all, demons can survive eating grass too."

For that moment, facing his teacher's method of tormenting their kinsmen—

The Hero of the South, who had 'merely taken the lives of demons,' felt inferior.

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