Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 128: The end of the first round·The accountability after the test

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Ash couldn't help but ask helplessly, "What ridiculous ideas are you thinking of now?"

"I just want you to help me up, and if possible… can you let me punch you~?"

He ignored the second half of Ubel's sentence entirely. With a slight bend of his knees, he stretched out his hand toward her. The moment Ubel grabbed his hand and stood up, she leaned forward, almost bumping into him. Standing on tiptoe, she raised her face, staring at him with her unnervingly vivid dead-fish eyes. A sly, meaningful smile played on her lips as she whispered, "—You stingy guy."

"…Whatever you say. Why don't you go back and reunite with your team?"

"My dream is already fading. Why don't I take a walk with you instead? After all, I'm bored," she replied casually.

The girl who had been staring intently at him just moments ago suddenly shook off his hand with a flick of her wrist, her demeanor changing ruthlessly. Stretching lazily to the side like a wild cat, her emotions seemed to shift unpredictably.

As Ash tried to ignore her, she strolled ahead with her hands clasped behind her back. Without turning around, she called out, "After careful observation, I've realized… you're hiding something from me, aren't you?"

"It would be strange if I told everything to someone who wants to kill me," he replied flatly.

"How come~? I just want to repay you for humiliating me. Or… do you not trust me?"

"It's odd that you'd think I should," he retorted bluntly. Ubel stopped in her tracks, spun around, and began walking backward in front of him. Leaning forward, she smiled mischievously, tilting her head to look up at him.

"That's too much~. Aren't we companions now? How can you not trust me?"

"…You're a liar. You're not qualified to say such things."

"But you're not much better, are you?"

"Exactly. So, you have no right to say such things."

…

By the end of the exam, the two—despite their earlier conflicts—had somehow spent the rest of the time walking and chatting.

During this time, Lawine froze the lake, and whatever Frieren and Kanne were up to remained unclear.

Neither Ash nor Ubel seemed particularly interested in whether the three had managed to catch the Meteoritic bird.

…

Later that evening, at the edge of the barrier.

Sense had already disappeared, leaving only the chief examiner. The examiner announced that those who captured the Meteoritic bird qualified for the second round of exams, which would be held in three days.

He made no mention of Ash entering the safe zone and promptly departed after finishing the announcement.

As soon as he left, the tension eased. Many people on the scene let out sighs of relief, and some even cheered and applauded.

Among the more than ten people passing through, Ash spotted several familiar faces. Notably, two teams he had drained of their magic power earlier were still managing to hold on. Despite looking utterly exhausted, they had somehow qualified.

However, for some reason, old man Denken appeared to be bruised and battered, as though he'd been through a tough battle.

Ash couldn't resist walking over to him and teasing, "You're a magician, and you're so old. Why are you still picking fights?"

"...This is all thanks to you," Denken grumbled, his head throbbing at the mere sight of Ash. After successfully capturing the Meteoritic Bird in a grueling hand-to-hand fight with another equally exhausted magician, his patience was already worn thin. Yet, he shook his head in confusion and asked, "But it's our own fault. I'm not going to complain, but I still can't figure out... who are you?"

"Me? …Sometimes it's better to be happy not knowing certain things. Little Denken, see you at the next exam."

Ash smiled and patted the shriveled old man on the head before striding away briskly.

"…Little Denken…" Denken muttered, the words sounding utterly bizarre to his ears. His expression turned subtle, almost confused.

Denken was 78 years old. No one had called him "little" in at least 50 years, and now he was being treated like a child? Anyone would be flustered by such treatment, but before he could even voice his protest, Ash had already walked off, leaving him alone and visibly deflated.

Frieren, who had just been battling Ash earlier, naturally walked over to Denken's side. Fern trailed close behind, her expression blank, but her tone sharp and direct as she addressed him.

"Master Ash, I'm not angry. Please tell me honestly… what happened between you and Kanne?"

"Although you're saying that, it sounds like you're already angry," Ash replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Then just tell the truth," Fern shot back, pouting slightly. "And even if I am angry, it's only because you never explain things properly."

"…I'd like to, but…" How could he possibly explain it? Ash cast a pleading look at Frieren, who immediately turned away and said firmly, "Don't look at me. I don't care about your business, and don't even think about dragging me into it."

"Master Ash," Fern pressed.

"…Fine. Actually, Kanne was attacked by a bird in the sky, and I happened to pass by and save her. That's all."

"And what's wrong with that? Isn't that a good thing?" Fern frowned.

"…Well, I don't really like to brag about my achievements. Don't look at me like this, but I'm actually quite shy and not used to being praised," Ash replied, selectively sharing part of the truth and embellishing it to make himself seem more virtuous.

Fern narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "…Are you hiding something?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Look at Lady Frieren's expression," Fern said, gesturing.

Ash glanced over instinctively and froze when he saw Frieren's face. "Frieren… uh… hey! What's with that expression?"

Frieren's face was twisted into an awkward, strained look as if she were trying desperately to suppress her laughter. Covering her mouth with her hands, she turned away from him and said, "Sorry, what you said is just too ridiculous. I couldn't help it…"

"Oh, you're such a…" Ash groaned, sighing deeply at the betrayal written all over her face.

"It's fine. Even if Frieren didn't react like that, no one would believe your nonsense anyway," Ubel interjected, appearing out of nowhere. Hands casually clasped behind her back, she walked over to his side, her smile far too cheerful to be sincere.

"Was that supposed to be comforting?" Ash muttered, staring at her. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was deliberately taking this opportunity to mock him.

Kanne, one of the parties involved in the ongoing topic, noticed the conversation but chose not to approach. Instead, she began wrestling with Lawine, who was also pestering her about what had happened.

After glancing at Fern and then at the wrestling girls, Ash realized he couldn't mimic Kanne by wrestling with Fern to change the subject. Instead, he could only look up at the night sky and sigh, "What youth is..."

"Master Ash, please don't look away," Fern said, interrupting his distraction.

"Today's weather—"

"—Don't try to change the subject," she interjected sharply.

"Isn't this topic over yet?"

"Because you haven't explained it clearly yet."

…

Next to him was a girl staring at him intently, someone who knew him far too well and interrupted him every time he tried to change the subject. Nearby, there were two others who seemed intent on causing trouble.

Feeling utterly miserable, Ash lowered his head, said nothing, and trudged along in silence, choosing to fight his situation with quiet endurance.

…

After the group returned to the magic city, Ash, keeping his prior arrangement with Frieren, found a nice restaurant where he was forced to treat the three girls, none of whom had any regard for thriftiness.

Fortunately, Lawine and Kanne, who were more reasonable, had already gone home to reunite with their families.

As Ash and the others neared the restaurant, they noticed three familiar figures standing in front of a nearby store: Denken, Richter, and Laufen.

"The last time I came here with my wife was fifty years ago," Denken said, stroking his beard as he gazed at the shop's gate with nostalgic eyes. "It still feels the same as it did back then… incredible."

When Frieren heard this, she instinctively glanced at the shop sign. Although it looked a little old compared to the past, it still retained its charm. She sighed softly and said, "Indeed… The last time I came here with Ash was about eighty years ago, wasn't it? It's been almost a century, and yet there are still humans willing to eat with me. It's… refreshing."

"…Eighty years?" Denken turned his head instinctively upon hearing her words. Even Ubel looked utterly shocked.

"How old are you?" Ubel asked, reaching out to pinch Ash's face. "You look so young—there's no way this is just makeup."

"Don't touch people randomly. It's rude," Ash replied, pulling Ubel's hand away with a sigh. "…Ubel, you know Sense, don't you?"

"I've seen her before. I know her. Why?"

"From more than a decade ago until now, she hasn't changed at all. She's still the same cute little girl."

"Huh? Are you two from the same tribe or something?"

"…Don't describe that sweet child as something strange, okay?" Ash said, smacking Ubel lightly on the head and forcibly ending the topic.

Frieren stepped in to offer some explanations, but her words only deepened everyone's confusion.

It wasn't entirely surprising to meet a centenarian favored by a goddess, but Ash's mental state didn't match what one would expect from someone over a hundred years old.

Could it be that spending time with Frieren, an elf who had lived for an unknown period of time, had somehow made Ash younger in spirit? Everyone couldn't help but speculate.

Fern, however, recalled something Ash had once told her. He had revealed that he was a special being, capable of living forever. While this meant she wasn't worried about him dying of old age.

Even though Ash wasn't part of the conversation, Fern kept staring at him, making Ash feel visibly uncomfortable.

There was no avoiding it. Though he wanted to play dumb, the intensity of the gaze eventually forced Ash to turn his head, resting one hand on his chin.

"Fern… why are you staring at me?" he asked.

"…Sense is such a cute child," Fern replied, her tone oddly pointed.

"What about it?"

"…Lord Ash says he likes older sisters but actually prefers childish girls like Miss Sense, would he?" Fern asked, her expression clouded with suspicion, clearly doubting Ash's intentions.

"How is that even possible? I just like cute things. Surely you feel the same way, don't you?"

"That's true, but… Ash-sama, is that really all there is to it? Is it really just that kind of liking? You're not harboring any weird thoughts, are you?"

Fern leaned forward as he spoke, placing her hands on the table. With each word, she moved closer and closer, nearly pushing Ash off the edge.

"What else could it be?" Ash retorted, leaning back to avoid Fern's invasive approach. With a sigh, he reached out to ruffle Fern's hair in an attempt to soothe the clearly agitated child who seemed to doubt his moral integrity. Then, desperate for an escape, he turned his head to the side. "Frieren…"

"…Don't look at me in situations like this. I'm troubled too," Frieren replied.

The normally spirited elf girl looked unusually despondent. Her long ears drooped as she buried her face almost entirely in her hands, speaking in a muffled voice while pretending to focus on the menu in front of her.

Still, Frieren felt it wasn't right to sit back and let Ash flounder. After glancing around the room for inspiration, her gaze landed on a couple not far away, feeding each other a portion of Mercury Pudding. A light bulb seemed to go off in her head as she slapped her palm lightly against the table.