Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 131: Frieren's welfare

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"…Is there going to be a war?" Fern, who had been in a good mood earlier, showed a trace of melancholy upon hearing the news.

Ubel, on the other hand, remained completely nonchalant and smiled. "Wars happen every day, but… it would be interesting if the two largest countries clashed~."

"…After the exam, we need to hurry and meet the king. Otherwise, the human side will spiral into chaos first, and things will definitely become troublesome," Frieren said seriously, her rare concern evident. She was clearly worried that the demons might be gathering their strength as well.

Only Ash stayed silent on the matter… After all, this was something he had set in motion when he went to the capital a while ago.

…

The next day, almost noon.

In the courtyard of Ash's house, he sat alone on a swing, gently swaying back and forth. In his hands was the magic book he had acquired during the exam, detailing high-speed movement magic.

The book explained that unless this magic was performed flawlessly, its trajectory would be easily detected. If the opponent was strong and alert, their magic power would spread like a spider web, making an attack nearly impossible. As a result, this magic was most effective only on its first use. Subsequent attempts would likely fail, as it consumed significant energy and required exceptional speed. Even Laufen could only use it a few times.

This limitation frustrated Ash, who hoped to fully master it. However, as he focused on the book, the corner of his clothes was constantly being tugged.

"Stop reading~ Come and help me," Frieren said, her distressed expression starkly contrasting with her smug attitude from the day before. She kept pulling at his clothes, trying to drag him away.

"…You haven't forgotten what you said to me yesterday, have you?" Ash asked, looking up with an annoyed expression.

Frieren, however, had mastered the art of lying with a straight face. She replied seriously but inexplicably calmly, "Actually, I already regret it, so help me today instead."

"…Do you even believe yourself?"

"Just give me a chance."

"Why don't you ask Fern? Will she give you one?"

"She refused. That's why I came to you."

…

Frieren, who had thoroughly enjoyed yesterday's chaos, now wore a bitter expression as she humbly pleaded for help.

The reason for her predicament? Last night, she had returned home, skipped her shower, ignored washing her feet, and collapsed into bed without a care, sleeping soundly through the night.

"This is entirely your fault," Ash said coldly after hearing the story. He pressed a hand against Frieren's face, shoving her away without mercy. "Who told you to neglect basic hygiene? And now, you can't even handle it early in the morning because you slept until now?"

"I know it's my fault… But I helped you change the subject yesterday, didn't I? So please help me today!" Frieren pleaded.

"…Fine. Can you at least tell me more specifically about her current attitude?"

"She's just ignoring me with a puffy face…"

"Really? …Sounds peaceful," Ash muttered, glancing briefly at the sky. The overly calm way Fern was expressing her anger made him sigh softly before returning his attention to the book in his hand.

Frieren, stunned by his dismissive attitude, grabbed his arm and forcibly dragged him back into the house, complaining all the while. Despite his protests, she coerced him into mediating the situation until the entire refreshing morning was wasted.

This experience left Ash realizing that reading quietly at home was impossible. Resigned, he grabbed his book and decided to head out into the streets for some peace.

…

…

After Ash disappeared, the house became noticeably quieter.

Once she was sure he had left, Fern turned to Frieren with an unusually distressed expression and pleaded:

"Lady Frieren, have you prepared a birthday present for Master Ash? Could you please come with me to choose one?"

"A gift for Ash? Can't I just grab something from the city?" Frieren replied casually, lying on the bed and swinging her legs freely, clearly not taking the matter seriously.

Fern couldn't help but feel exasperated at her overly casual attitude. She stared at her for a long moment before sighing deeply.

"…Sometimes I wonder if your relationship with Master Ash isn't that good after all."

"Why do you feel that way?" Frieren asked, tilting her head.

"Because you two have known each other for very long, haven't you?"

"That's true…" Frieren nodded thoughtfully but frowned shortly after. "Still, the sense of distance between people doesn't always match the amount of time they've spent together. Why is that?"

"Even if you ask me…" Fern replied, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden shift to a philosophical question.

"But if it's a gift from you, Fern, I'm sure he'd be very happy," Frieren said with a teasing smile.

"You say that so easily, but what about you?" Fern retorted, clearly frustrated after being the one questioned all evening. "What exactly do you plan to give Master Ash?"

"Hehe~! You're so young! You only start preparing now? Of course, I've been ready for ages!" Frieren declared proudly.

She jumped off the bed and rushed to her luggage. After rummaging through it and leaving the room in disarray, she triumphantly pulled out a small purple glass bottle and handed it to Fern. "This is my most precious treasure—a magic potion that dissolves clothes!"

"…!"

Fern froze, her eyes widening in disbelief as if she had been struck by lightning. She stared at the bottle, utterly speechless, as though words had failed her.

The moment Frieren revealed the peculiar potion, the air in the room seemed to freeze. A heavy silence filled the space.

Soon, however, Fern's shock transformed into disgust, and her expression gradually turned to one of unmasked contempt. Her gaze was cold, sharp, and as frigid as a northern blizzard as she looked at Frieren as though she were some sort of insect.

But Frieren, oblivious as ever, didn't notice the shift in Fern's mood. Instead, she proudly explained, "Men~ would be thrilled to get something like this!"

"…Where did you learn such obscene nonsense?" Fern demanded, her voice trembling with outrage.

"My teacher taught me this. Hehe~," Frieren replied, her smug smile now twisting into something unsettlingly mischievous.

Why is it that someone who is usually so emotionless can suddenly show such a range of expressions? Fern wondered, baffled. However, the disdain in her eyes only intensified. Her voice, filled with unconcealed anger, lashed out without hesitation:

"…Even if he receives something as vile as this potion, Master Ash will never be happy!"

"It's hard to say. Fern, you're still too young to understand. But as his elder sister figure, I know he might like it… Oh, does Fern like it too?"

"Enough! When you bought this, I told you to return it! And now you plan to ruin Master Ash's reputation with it!" Fern snapped.

She snatched the bottle from Frieren's hand, uncorked it without hesitation, and poured the potion over Frieren's head.

"Wait, wait! Fern—this potion was expensive! I spent so much money on it…!" Frieren protested, clearly more concerned about the cost of the potion than the fact that her clothes were dissolving into thin air.

Before she could finish her sentence, her words abruptly stopped. Her gaze locked onto Ash, who stood silently at the door, a book in his hand, watching the scene with an unreadable expression.

"…"

The two of them stared at each other in silence, neither saying a word for a long time. Finally, Frieren came back to her senses, covered her chest, and slowly spoke: "…Fern…"

"What's wrong?" Fern asked, still frozen in place.

"Ash, he… he already…"

"—I'm sorry, I came at the wrong time. Please, continue."

Before Fern could turn around, Ash—who had come back only to grab another book to keep himself entertained—smiled awkwardly but politely, then slowly closed the door that Fern had neglected to shut properly.

To avoid any further trouble, the moment the door clicked shut, Ash used high-speed movement magic to slip out of the house entirely. He even resolved not to return for the rest of the day.

Inside the room, the two remained stiff and silent for a while. Finally, Frieren glanced down at her now-bare figure and thoughtfully nodded to herself.

"Is this… shame? This is the first time I've felt something like this…"

"—Is this really the time to be sentimental? Hurry up and put on some clothes!" Fern exclaimed, grabbing a sheet from the bed and wrapping it around Frieren's petite frame.

Frieren, however, looked at her innocently and asked, "…Wasn't it you who ruined my clothes, Fern?"

"That's true! But why are you so calm right now!?"

"Actually, I am embarrassed… How do I describe this? It feels… fresh?" Frieren replied, fiddling with her twin ponytails, her expression showing rare distress.

"…Fresh??"

"And," Frieren continued, her tone sharpening, "don't you think we should go after that guy, Ash? He didn't even apologize! He just ran off so naturally."

Thinking back to Ash's calm demeanor as he quietly closed the door with a polite smile, Frieren grew inexplicably angry. Unable to find him, she turned her dissatisfaction toward Fern. Pouting in frustration, she said, "But before that, shouldn't you apologize to me first?"

"I'm sorry! Now hurry up and change into new clothes!"

"…That apology feels so insincere."

"Is now really the time to worry about that?! What if Master Ash comes back again? And anyway, this whole mess started because of that filthy potion you bought! I told you to return it, and you said you would, didn't you?"

"I did buy it, but I didn't intend to pour it on myself. So really, this is all your fault, fern."

…

After Ash fled the scene, Fern grew increasingly frantic. Frieren, frustrated by Fern's scolding, became emotionally unstable and upset.

The scene resembled nothing so much as a child throwing a tantrum at their mother after being harshly lectured.