SWNOVELXO Chapter 124: Chapter 111
Chapter 111: The Short-sighted Sense, Fern's Old Friend
______
Sense didn't quite understand what Ash was thinking, so she took out a book and gently pushed it toward him.
"Master Ash, if possible… while we're eating, could you explain the basic formula of the spell we mentioned earlier?"
"...Is this your real purpose?"
"Not entirely. I am somewhat looking forward to having dinner with Master Ash."
Although she said that, her expression didn't show even a hint of anticipation. Instead, she appeared completely serious.
Ash studied the stoic girl carefully for a while, his gaze making Sense visibly uncomfortable. Finally, he gave up and muttered, "From your expression, I can't tell you're looking forward to it at all."
"Eh?" Sense's eyes widened slightly at his blunt remark. She lowered her head, looking troubled for a moment, before softly apologizing, her tone tinged with helplessness. "I feel… a little sorry."
"No, no, no, there's no need to apologize. I'm not angry or anything."
"Is that so?"
"...Anyway, let's put this topic aside for now." With a sigh, Ash turned toward the gate of the yard, which had clearly been unused for years. "I need to sort out the situation inside first."
"Cleaning? Can I help?"
"No… just wait outside for a bit."
Sense nodded slightly, though confusion flickered across her face. She watched as Ash opened the door to the house. The moment he did, a gust of wind blew through, scattering dust and debris everywhere.
The interior looked like it had been ransacked, with furniture overturned and objects strewn about. Ash seemed satisfied with the chaotic scene he had created under Sense's bewildered gaze.
There was no helping it. Although the house hadn't been used for several years, it wasn't in the state one might expect after decades of neglect. To avoid suspicion, Ash had decided to mess it up completely, ensuring no one could discern its original condition.
---
On the way to find a restaurant, the two walked in silence, one following the other.
Sense was naturally quiet, but Ash didn't mind. He was used to this type of person and didn't find the lack of conversation uncomfortable.
Despite the silence, the atmosphere between them was peaceful.
However, halfway through their walk, Sense seemed to recall something and suddenly spoke. "Speaking of which… Master Ash, who were the child and the elf from earlier?"
"Fern and Frieren?" Ash paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you remember a long time ago when I asked if you wanted to raise a child?"
"Yes, but you never actually asked me. When Lady Serie acted recklessly, you protected me. You only mentioned that you had small animals at home and hadn't fed them yet."
"Well, you were still young at the time. How could I ask something like that?"
"As I recall, you're not married, correct?"
"They're my friend's children."
"...You've been raising them for years?"
"They've grown up without me realizing it. Time flies so fast. Back then, you were only this tall… well, you're still this tall now." Ash gestured at chest height but unconsciously lowered his hand to the top of Sense's head.
The realization that she hadn't grown at all made him laugh. Without thinking, he ruffled her hair. "You haven't grown in all these years."
"When I became a first-class magician, I was already an adult. Normally, I wouldn't have grown much after that," Sense replied, her tone slightly gloomy at his strange sigh.
"I remember the legal age of adulthood in the kingdom used to be 13. No, wait—it was changed to 15 about half a century ago. So, how old are you now?"
"...That's a secret."
"Oh~ You actually have such a girlish side. What a surprise~" Ash teased, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
Sense turned her face away in mild resistance, which surprised Ash. Her reaction was rare, and it amused him. Taking advantage of this unusual display of emotion, he rubbed her head and pinched her cheeks, playfully teasing her.
"Please don't do this… I'm troubled…" Sense murmured.
"It's okay! I'll treat you to something delicious later~!" Ash replied cheerfully.
"Even if you do this, I will still…"
...
The playful lines Ash used to coax Sense didn't sound like something a gentleman would say. Sense couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and confusion, unsure of how to respond to him.
However, to an outsider, the scene could easily be misunderstood as a teenager bullying an unwilling little girl.
Sure enough, a girl dressed in eye-catching clothes rushed into the scene like a gust of wind.
She had short, neat orange hair tied into cute twin ponytails. Her outfit was bold: a white crop top paired with emerald green hot pants and a white belt, complemented by over-the-knee white boots. Her appearance exuded a sense of energy and heroism with every step.
Her pretty face was framed by sharp, determined eyes that radiated an unyielding sense of justice.
"You! What are you doing!?" the girl demanded, her clear and powerful voice tinged with anger and disbelief. "Bullying a child in broad daylight? Come with me to the security team immediately!"
Without hesitation, she grabbed Ash's hand, the one that had been teasing Sense, ready to drag him away on the spot.
The unexpected situation left Sense momentarily stunned, while Ash looked completely innocent.
"Wait a minute! If you're going to arrest me, at least hear my explanation first!" Ash protested.
"You can explain yourself to the security team!" the girl snapped.
"...You're making it sound like I really did something wrong," Ash muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, Ash turned to Sense, who was still in a daze. "Don't just stand there—help me explain!"
"...Is it normal to have the victim explain?" Sense muttered under her breath but sighed and stepped forward. "I believe your name is Kanne, a third-class magician, correct? Let him go."
Kanne turned to look at Sense, her gaze scrutinizing her from head to toe. After a moment of stunned silence, Kanne's expression grew increasingly exaggerated as realization dawned on her.
"—You, you! Could it be… the first-class magician Sense?!"
"...Since you recognize me, that simplifies things," Sense replied calmly.
"Those long, unmistakable features… And… cough…" Kanne trailed off, trying to suppress her shock. She glanced at Sense's petite frame and couldn't help but blurt out, "Why would someone as important as you be bullied by a street thug?"
"Master Ash is not an ordinary street thug," Sense replied with a straight face.
"Hey… not just an ordinary street thug?" Kanne repeated, baffled.
The strange explanation left Kanne stunned, and even Ash doubted his ears.
Feeling a twinge of exasperation, Ash turned to Sense and pinched her cheek lightly. "I'm begging you… Can't you explain it properly? You're just making things more confusing!"
"I'm sorry. What I meant to say is… Lord Ash is…" Sense faltered, looking genuinely distressed. She pondered for a long moment, then looked at Ash seriously. "How should I put this?"
"Don't ask me!" Ash groaned.
"So… is he actually a nice person?" Sense finally said, her answer subtle yet ambiguous.
Ash sighed in defeat and let go of her cheek. Sense, relieved, quietly took a step back, as if distancing herself from the chaos she had unintentionally escalated.
After confirming she was at a safe distance, she looked at Kanne again with an expressionless face, thought about it for a moment, and suddenly asked knowingly:
"…Why do you know me but not Master Ash?"
"Huh? Isn't it because you go to the Magic Association every day? I've seen you there occasionally before," Kanne replied, tilting her head. "Honestly, I'm more surprised that you know someone as unimportant as me."
"Because I remember the names and appearances of all the branch magicians," Sense replied calmly, then turned to look at Ash with a serious expression.
"Speaking of which… Master Ash, you really should visit more often. Otherwise, not to mention the lower-class magicians, even the newly promoted first-class magicians will start treating your existence as nothing more than a legend."
"…Didn't I visit two years ago?" Ash retorted, slightly defensive.
"If you showed up more regularly, at least the front desk staff would recognize you, and they wouldn't have to go through so much trouble," Sense said matter-of-factly.
"…I have various things to handle, too," Ash muttered. He could tell that Sense hoped he would visit more often, but it wasn't that simple.
Over the past decade, he had not only been practicing magic and martial arts but also managing various responsibilities. Recently, he had even taken on the task of looking after children. He hadn't had time to act as an examiner in years.
As a result, apart from occasional visits to his home, whenever he came to the Magic City, he would head straight to Serie's office. He would either occupy Serie's lounge or visit the private library. Rarely did he go to the main audience hall, where most first-level magicians gathered.
As for ordinary magicians… except for a very select few, they had no chance of knowing him—especially those who had joined in the past decade. After all, the last time Serie split her duties was during the incident when Sense was nearly killed.
With his workload already overwhelming, Ash couldn't afford to spend time interacting with lower-level personnel. He preferred to communicate directly with first-class magicians to relay necessary instructions. After all, no senior executive would personally explain things to everyone.
In recent years, his visits to the Magic Association had been minimal, mostly to read books or check on Sense. His primary workplaces were the Demon King's Castle and the Royal Capital. Compared to those, the Magic Association wasn't nearly as important.
---
When Ash showed a distressed expression under Sense's unwavering gaze, Kanne couldn't help but observe him curiously.
Even first-class magicians referred to him as "Lord," so he must be someone important. Moreover, his name felt oddly familiar, as though she had heard it before.
She didn't even know why, but she felt like she had seen him somewhere before. After pondering for a long time, she suddenly raised her finger, pointed at Ash, and exclaimed:
"—I remember now! You're that annoying old man!"
"An annoying old man…?"
"…?" Ash was stunned by the sudden accusation, while Sense widened her eyes in surprise and said. "You're not seriously saying you've been acting like a hooligan, are you?"
"How is that even possible?! Every time I visit, I go straight to the Magic Association's core area. There's no way I'd have the chance to act like a hooligan!"
"Ah… but do you want to act like one so badly?" Sense teased.
"—It was just an example! Don't twist my words into something weird!" Ash growled, visibly frustrated. He placed his hand on Connie's head, giving her a threatening smile.
"You'd better explain yourself and clear my name. Otherwise… I'll show you just how annoying this 'old man' can be."
"——Don't mess with my hair~! You big pervert… Eh? Your body is so, so heavy!?"
Kanne tried to raise her hand to push him away, but an abnormal gravity pressed down on her, leaving her unable to move. Her legs trembled under the weight.
"I'm a gentle uncle, so I won't get angry right away," Ash said with a calm smile, "but I'm also a feminist. So… if you don't want to take an unexpected bath in the river, you'd better explain the slander you've just thrown at me in front of my juniors."
"…Ugh~!" Kanne gritted her teeth, clearly reluctant to comply with his threat. After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke. "You… you were so arrogant back then! You directly told my friend Fern to leave!"
"…Fern? Friend? Leave?" Ash furrowed his brows, searching his memory. After a moment, his eyes lit up with recognition.
"Ah, now that you mention it, I do recall something. When Fern was in the magic academy, she had two good friends. I think they even came to my house once. But… have we met before?"
"…You might not know me, but I know you," Kanne said, her voice laced with bitterness. "Fern showed us your picture."
"The ancestral picture?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.
"And… you were also there when I dropped out of school. I'll never forget it." Kanne's expression darkened, her tone filled with resentment. "At that time… you looked so nonchalant!"
"Really? …But didn't you just recognize me now?" Ash asked, tilting his head.
"This, this is… Who knew you wouldn't change at all after all these years?" Kanne stammered, her face briefly showing embarrassment.
Ash sighed and withdrew his hand, no longer pressing her. Instead, he patted her head lightly.
"Alright, alright. It happened so many years ago. Let the past stay in the past. I won't bother you about it anymore, and you don't have to dwell on it either."
"You have no right to tell me that… But…" Kanne combed her hair with her fingers, glaring at him warily. "Fern… is she back?"
"She's back. You can go to my house if you still remember where it is."
"——Of course I do! I'm not like an annoying uncle like you!"
With that, Kanne stuck out her tongue at him, made a mocking face, and quickly fled the scene. It seemed she intended to head straight to his house, leaving Ash feeling slightly uneasy.