Chapter 76: Shocking Frieren
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While wandering through the central countries, Frieren happened to pass by the Holy City. After a moment's thought, she decided to visit an old friend, though she wasn't entirely sure if her friends—who should be over a hundred years old by now—were still alive.
However, before she could locate her destination, she found herself lost in the forest on the city's outskirts. Just as she was considering using flight magic, she encountered a child carrying a basket. When she mentioned wanting to find Heiter's home, the child, who initially seemed indifferent, unexpectedly revealed that she was a guest there and kindly led her to a cabin nestled in the woods.
But before she could meet Heiter, she noticed someone reclining in a chair in the yard—a figure she hadn't seen in over twenty years yet somehow missed deeply. She stood there, frozen, staring blankly, as if doubting her own eyes or perhaps suspecting she was under a mental illusion.
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Ash, seated in a newly purchased rocking chair, was basking in the sun, reading a book. Hearing footsteps, he assumed it was Fern returning, prompting him to discreetly hide his wine without a sound. However, when he looked up, he was taken aback.
"Is that you, Frieren? It's been ages. This is a rare sight," he said, surprised.
"Is this miss a friend of Master Ash?" Fern, who had led Frieren to the cabin, glanced at the unfamiliar elf with curiosity. She noticed Ash's attempt to conceal something and, frowning slightly, walked over. With a serious expression uncharacteristic for her usually blank demeanor, Fern grabbed the wine he'd hidden and chastised him.
"Lord Heiter said that no matter how good something is, moderation is key. One cup a day at most. You also promised me that you'd try to live long enough to decipher the magic book—and to be here until I come of age, right?"
"Uh… well…" Ash stammered, momentarily at a loss.
"And what is this person's relationship to Master Ash?"
"Well, it's… a little complicated," he replied, feeling slightly embarrassed to be reprimanded by a child in front of Frieren. "But I guess you could say she's the friend I mentioned."
Pushing aside the awkwardness, Ash stood up from the chair and greeted the long-lost elf "girl" with a warm smile, raising a hand in welcome.
"It's been a while, Frieren. You look quite surprised to see me."
"A-ah… uh…"
Frieren nodded slowly, her expression a mix of astonishment and disbelief, leaving her momentarily speechless. Her mouth hung open as she tried to process the unexpected sight. She tilted her head unconsciously, and the suitcase she had been holding slipped from her grasp, falling to the ground, but she seemed entirely unaware.
Her flustered reaction was so endearing that Ash couldn't help but chuckle. He approached her calmly, placed a gentle hand under her chin to close her gaping mouth, and lightly touched her head, stroking her familiar silver hair while steadying her gaze.
While his intention was to help his long-absent friend, Fern watched him with an expressionless face, though her words carried a subtle note of reproach.
"Master Ash, what are you doing?"
"What are you doing? Close her mouth first—what if a bug flies in? And with her head tilted like that, she might end up with a crick in her neck," Fern remarked, clearly puzzled.
"…But why are you still touching her chin and hair even after doing all that?" Fern's eyes narrowed suspiciously, watching as Ash continued to stroke Frieren's chin and head, seemingly absorbed in the motion. Her young face took on an expression that was oddly serious for her age.
Ash, however, replied seriously, "You know, Fern, I used to have a fluffy pet, and it would let me pet its chin just like this."
"And what does that have to do with your behavior now?"
"Well, don't you think that her standing there so compliantly kind of shows she's waiting for me to pet her?"
"I don't think so… And isn't it a bit inappropriate to treat a guest as if they were a pet? Stop it now."
Fern finally couldn't watch any longer; she reached over and grabbed Ash, pulling him away from Frieren. She had also noticed that her blank expression was gradually changing to one of suppressed anger, her mind apparently snapping back to reality as her eyes sharpened.
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For Ash's safety, Fern kept a firm grip on him, attempting to lecture him on his behavior while fearing that Frieren, in her dazed yet growing irritation, might actually lash out.
Meanwhile, Frieren slowly pieced together her thoughts, recovering from the shock of unexpectedly encountering her supposedly long-lost friend alive in the home of another friend she had assumed was nearing the end of his days. She felt she had every right to be furious and demand an explanation, but…
Just as she took a step forward, brushing her disheveled hair back, the cabin door behind Ash opened, and another familiar figure appeared in her line of sight.
The sight of this familiar hunched figure made Frieren pause, her anger melting into sheer astonishment. "…This has to be a joke, right?"
Hearing the commotion outside, Heiter had rushed out, thinking it was just the usual squabble between Ash and Fern. But when he saw the silver-haired elf, he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in surprise. "…Frieren? You actually came to see me?"
"So you're still alive, huh, you old drunkard."
"Haha, you're as heartless as ever, saying something like that the moment we meet! Or were you hoping I'd kicked the bucket already?" Heiter chuckled, his laughter rumbling as he opened the door wide, inviting them all to come inside.
Frieren hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Ash before replying defensively, "It's not that I actually wanted that, but… honestly, sometimes I do wish Ash would disappear. Every time he's about to die, he somehow just keeps hanging on. It's… unsettling. And with that attitude of his, even I get annoyed."
Ash remained calm, responding with a slight smile, "I already told you, it's about your chin."
"No way—you're definitely just doing it because you find it amusing!"
"Oh, did you figure me out? I feel… a bit shy about that~"
"Pretending. How long have we known each other?" Frieren's voice dripped with disgust, but Ash's exaggeratedly bashful reaction, as he scratched his head with a sheepish grin, only deepened her disapproval. Deciding it wasn't worth arguing, she picked up her suitcase and strode briskly into the cabin.
Fern, meanwhile, couldn't contain her curiosity any longer and asked Ash, "Are you really friends, Master Ash?"
"Why do you ask?"
"It's just… hearing her talk about you like that, it feels like you've known each other forever. Is Master Ash really over a hundred years old?"
"See? That's why you should treat me with care. I'm old. If you get me too excited, I might just die young, okay?"
In reality, even though a hundred years wasn't long for an demon, Ash pretended otherwise. He put on a frail expression, not wanting to correct the misconception.
But his words made Fern a bit unsettled. "I want to be gentle, Master Ash, but sometimes you behave so recklessly…"
"Yes, yes, I'm at fault, it's my fault~" Ash replied nonchalantly, pinching Fern's cheek playfully before hurrying after Frieren.
Left on her own, Fern sighed, wondering how to balance being gentle with curbing Ash's impulsive behavior.
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In the crispness of late autumn, this phase of Heiter's life brought him unexpected joy. Hosting his two old friends filled him with a rare sense of warmth. Though he was aged, his hands trembled, and his body wasn't as strong as it used to be, he was still determined to handle everything himself, letting Ash and Frieren talk as he prepared wine and food in the kitchen.
It might have seemed strange to let a centenarian take on this responsibility, but, after all, everyone except Fern was older than him, and their years of camaraderie had naturally made them comfortable letting him play the host.
As soon as Frieren put down her luggage, she sat by the dining table, propping her chin on her hand and casting Ash a somewhat hostile look. The earlier antics he had pulled still seemed to bother her.
Seeing the tension, Fern quickly brought tea for both of them, then obediently went to the kitchen to assist Heiter.
Frieren's gaze followed Fern, curiosity flickering in her eyes. She couldn't resist asking, "Who's this child?"
Ash, smiling casually, answered, "My great-granddaughter."
"...Great-granddaughter? I see, so—wait, great-granddaughter? Great—!" The word registered slowly in Frieren mind. Realization hit her, and she nearly jumped in shock, mouth hanging open, but her excitement made her inhale at the wrong moment. She choked on her tea, the bitterness biting into her throat as it splashed into her windpipe, causing her to cough and sputter uncontrollably. She clutched her chest, struggling to regain her breath.
Ash, who had been ready for such a reaction, raised a small, diamond-shaped blue shield just in time to block the spray of tea. With an amused grin, he calmly sipped his own tea, watching Frieren comical reaction with delight.
"Well, that was quite the reaction. I thought you'd be surprised, but I didn't expect you'd actually choke on your tea~"