Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 160: Questioning From Fern- as usual

_____

When Ash descended from the top of the tower, the orange glow of the setting sun had already bathed the entire city in warm light.

The Magic Association, now painted in shades of red from the fading sunlight, was bustling with mixed emotions—some celebrating, others lamenting.

For instance, Kanne, who hadn't been selected, was now lying on Lawine's lap, pouting as Lawine absentmindedly stroked her head, looking both helpless and amused.

"What are you looking at? You, the chosen one—are you here to mock Kanne?" Lawine noticed Ash's gaze and shot him a glare.

"To be honest, it's not the teasing that bothers me—it's the ponytail. Something about it makes me uncomfortable," Ash quipped.

"It's not like Kanne and I fight every day!" Lawine snapped back defensively.

"...Still, no need to be so harsh on me. I'm fragile, you know. You'll hurt my feelings," Ash replied, feigning a look of defeat as he sat down beside Lawine and reached out to pat Kanne's head, still nestled in Lawine's lap.

"You think habits can change so easily?" Lawine muttered, sounding embarrassed. Turning her face away shyly, she added in a lower voice, "You're so annoying…"

Her shy, tsundere demeanor was unexpectedly amusing to Ash. He withdrew his hand from Kanne's head and, without hesitation, placed it on Lawine's silver hair instead.

"Anyway, as an apology, let me touch your belly~ And even if you're not apologizing, shouldn't you thank me properly as a celebration? It's the polite thing to do~"

"Go to hell!" Lawine snapped.

"Uncle… pervert!" Kanne added as she turned over, now lying across Ash's lap.

"What? I was just talking about stomach… Is this what they call the legendary cold violence?" Ash shook his head in mock distress, but the icy look on Kanne's face made him pause.

The expression on her face reminded him of something, and he quickly cleared his throat, trying to change the subject. "Well, speaking of which, Lawine… your brother didn't head off to the Empire again, did he?"

"...Not for now," Lawine replied after a brief pause. "The elders in the family made it clear that we're not allowed to leave the kingdom anymore. After all, we're completely aligned with the kingdom now."

"Good. You're such a good kid—carrying out my instructions so well~"

"Stop touching my hair! It's seriously annoying… seriously!" Lawine protested, though her words lacked conviction. She made no effort to actually move his hand from her head.

Faced with this girl whose actions contradicted her words so blatantly, Ash couldn't help but feel a spark of amusement.

However, Kanne, still lying on Lawine's legs, shot him a piercing look that forced him to divert his attention. Reaching out with his other hand, he ruffled Kanne's orange hair and said, "Don't worry, Kanne. There will be another chance in three years. Just work harder next time, okay?"

"But without Lawine, I definitely can't do it alone…" Kanne mumbled, her tone filled with defeat.

"Don't say that," Ash said lightly. "If worst comes to worst, I'll find a way to pull some strings for you next time. How about it? All you have to do is agree to let me touch your belly as payment. Pretty good deal, right?"

"Uh… I'll need to… think about it," Kanne replied hesitantly, surprising Ash.

"It's such a simple deal, and you still need to think about it?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't underestimate a girl's feelings!" Kanne pouted, crossing her arms indignantly. "Not everyone is like you, an uncle who doesn't think about these things!"

Her words made Ash shake his head helplessly. In response, he lightly patted her exposed belly. The action startled Kanne, making her yelp and curl up into a ball on the bench in embarrassment.

Satisfied with her reaction, Ash stood up and walked away casually, his expression cool and composed.

But as he moved, he realized something—

Fern wasn't far away, watching him intently.

At the entrance of the Magic Association, Fern was glaring at Ash from a distance, carefully observing his every move. The moment Ash approached, Fern raised her head and asked angrily:

"Master Ash! Since when did you, Kanne, and Lawine become so close?"

"Close? What do you mean?" Ash asked nonchalantly.

"…Just now, you touched Kanne's belly, didn't you? And even though you touched Lawine's hair, she didn't actually seem angry…"

"Ah, well, this is probably… personal charm," Ash said with a vague smile, clearly trying to sidestep the conversation.

"I'll admit that Master Ash has charm, but it shouldn't work on Lawine and Kanne, right?" Fern replied, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. Before Ash could respond, Fern continued, "If your charm really worked, your relationship with them wouldn't have been so bad for so long."

"...It's just that we lacked an opportunity. Once you get the right opportunity, things like that aren't an issue anymore."

"Master Ash."

"...Speaking of which," Ash interrupted, eager to change the subject, "have you decided what kind of magic you want? It's rare to get magic from Serie, so make sure you pick something valuable."

"...Of course," Fern replied with puffed cheeks, clearly unhappy but too serious to ignore the question.

At that moment, Frieren, who had been chatting with others nearby, walked over with a teasing smile.

"Ash, I heard you mocked Serie earlier~"

"Of course I did! I'm far better than her at judging people!" Ash said proudly, but Fern shot him a cold look.

"I didn't say anything earlier, but haven't you always tried to pass me off to others in reality?"

"…Is that true?" Frieren asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Master Ash," Fern added, "don't you have anything to say to me?"

"...I'm very sorry about that. I truly regret it." Ash, facing Fern's stern gaze, couldn't evade the question any longer. He sighed and bowed his head in apology.

"…And?"

"And what?"

"Hmm~~"

Even though he had apologized, it seemed Fern had been expecting something more and was now pouting in frustration.

Taking advantage of the awkward situation, Frieren quietly slipped away, not wanting to get caught up in the conversation. Ash, left to deal with Fern alone, could only look at the sunset in the distance with a mix of helplessness and regret.

But as he gazed at the horizon, something unusual caught his eye. He stared at it instinctively, only for a sudden headache to strike.

Fern noticed his strange behavior and asked in confusion, "…What's wrong, Master Ash?"

"No… it's nothing," Ash replied, quickly withdrawing his gaze and pretending as if nothing had happened.

With that, he greeted the remaining magicians who were still present and, as agreed, called Kanne, Lawine, Ubel, and a few others to join him for a big meal.

In a way, the gathering served as a farewell dinner. At the pub, the table was filled with a variety of delicious food. People raised their glasses in celebration, toasting to the past and wishing for success on future journeys.

Laughter and lively conversations filled the room. In this rare moment of harmony, the evening passed pleasantly until the meal came to an end, and the noise slowly subsided.

After returning home from the dinner, Frieren flopped onto the living room carpet, rolling around with a full belly. Meanwhile, Fern was already busy packing her luggage.

Ash, however, made an excuse to step outside, saying he needed a walk to help digest the food. But as soon as he opened the courtyard gate, he saw Lawine wandering just outside his house.