Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 18: Fern want's to be ash mother?

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Not far from the starting point, a man strolled leisurely through the forest.

As Ash pondered how to catch a Meteoritic bird, loud roars occasionally echoed from the sky.

Looking up, he saw the source of the noise—a small orange bird flitting through the air.

Of course, there was nothing particularly surprising about this. The bird was native to the basin and was none other than the target of the exam: the Meteoritic bird.

Known for its extremely hard body and ability to fly at supersonic speeds, the Meteoritic bird was a formidable challenge.

At one point, a Meteoritic bird zipped past Ash, its speed so blinding that it seemed to vanish in an instant.

Under normal circumstances, this would definitely not be a problem. After all, a normal magician cannot catch an object moving at such a high speed. But just as the Meteoritic bird was about to pass Ash, he casually raised his hand and slapped it.

BANG—!!!

A deafening sound erupted as Ash's palm collided with the meteorite bird. Dust and smoke billowed around him, and fallen leaves scattered into the air.

When the smoke cleared and the leaves floated back to the ground, people who had been drawn by the noise saw an unbelievable sight.

The Meteoritic bird, which had been flying past him at supersonic speed, was smashed into the ground like a tennis ball. A crater had formed where it landed, resembling the aftermath of a cannon blast. The scene was so surreal that it made the onlookers doubt their own eyes.

After all, a bird flying at supersonic speed was essentially no different from a cannonball.

The Meteoritic bird's strength was well known. The exaggerated noise it made while flying at supersonic speed far surpassed that of artillery shells. Even experimental electromagnetic guns couldn't match its power. It was said that if it collided with something, it could penetrate tank armor with ease.

And yet, Ash had slapped it to the ground as if it were nothing, without even appearing to use magic.

This left some of the people near the starting point looking as if they had seen a ghost.

"Is this guy even human? How strong is his body?"

Denken, a second-class magician and court wizard leading a team, stared in disbelief. The short, bearded old man, wearing monocle glasses, nearly dropped them as his eyes widened.

The third-Class magician girl next to him, dressed in a dark blue slit skirt and with her hair tied in a bun, murmured, "...If he accidentally slapped me, I'd definitely be covered in bruises, wouldn't I?"

"...No, you'd be in pieces," Denken replied flatly, correcting her strange confidence. "Is this guy really a magician?"

Nearby, a middle-aged man dressed neatly in a suit, second-level magician Richter, couldn't help but ask, "He's probably the first person to catch a Meteoritic bird. What do you think? Should we make a move?"

"I never thought you'd be so bad at picking opponents... Even if you're desperate for quick success, this is just plain reckless," Denken said, walking away without another word.

Richter, another magician on their team, quickly caught up with Denken, waving dismissively without looking back. "Forget it~"

"What... I was just joking. Did you take me seriously?" Richter shook his head helplessly and followed after them.

Just like this team, other teams also seemed to have a tacit understanding. They pretended not to see what had happened and avoided making any moves against Ash unless absolutely necessary.

Meanwhile, on another team, Land, a bespectacled man partnered with Fren and Ubel, silently adjusted his glasses as he watched Ash casually pick up the unconscious Meteoritic bird. Ash tossed it in his palm like a toy, playing with it leisurely.

Without turning his head, Land said flatly, "The person you two want to deal with now looks bored and is waiting for someone to provoke him. Go ahead if you want, but I'm not joining you."

"No matter how strong his body is, flesh is still flesh. It can be cut. And if that doesn't work..." Ubel licked her lips lightly, her eyes glinting mischievously as she waved at Ash with a smile. "...We can always cut off all his clothes and pants."

Despite her bold words, Ubel made no move to attack. Her smile seemed more like a taunt than an actual threat.

Fern was momentarily stunned, but as she heard the voice beside her, she instinctively turned to ubel and said sternly, "No, if you ruin someone's clothes, isn't that perverted?"

"That's exactly who he is," ubel replied without hesitation, recalling her first encounter with Ash. She believed this almost without a doubt.

"Lord ubel, are you really going to become a weird person just to deal with weird people?"

"...Shouldn't you be helping me explain myself at a time like this?" ubel sighed, though her face betrayed an amused smile. Reaching a consensus with Fern on this point seemed to bring her a strange sense of satisfaction.

However, Fern's eyes followed Ash's retreating figure, a worried expression clouding her face. She sighed softly, muttering, "Master Ash really is... Even if you have the ability, you shouldn't make yourself the center of attention like this. I'll have to talk to him about it when we get back, but for now..."

"Master Ash is alone. Are you worried about what he'll do for meals?" ubel suddenly interrupted, exposing Fern true concern.

"...Because when Ash-sama eats alone, he becomes so careless," Fern admitted reluctantly.

"Honestly, if you keep this up, you're going to end up as his mother," Ubel said, shaking her head with a laugh at Fern's peculiar worry.

Fern, used to such teasing, didn't pay it much mind. She simply continued to watch Ash's disappearing figure with concern, muttering to herself, "If I'd known this exam would be like this, I would've prepared a lunch box before coming."

"So... you really do want to be his mother?" Ubel said, dumbfounded.

Of course, Ubel had no intention of challenging Ash at this time. She planned to wait until the exam was nearly over and her passing was assured.

By noon, Frieren's team had already caught some fish in the forest and were grilling them while discussing their next strategy.

Suddenly, the sound of a large creature moving through the bushes nearby caught their attention.

Everyone became alert, instinctively gripping their wands, but...

"Hey everyone, we meet again," came a familiar voice.

Ash emerged from the bushes, holding a grilled fish in one hand and dragging a bear the size of a truck with the other. He was even shaking the grilled fish to greet them with a smile, while casually kicking a cage containing the Meteoritic bird with his foot.

The complete lack of tension in the scene left everyone speechless.

Frieren, in particular, was stunned. Her eyes fixed on the grilled fish in his hand as she exclaimed, "You... didn't even burn the fish?!"

"Huh? Is that the question?"

"That's not the question!" Lawine and Kanne blurted out simultaneously, baffled by the strange focus of the conversation. They even began to suspect that Frieren and Ash were teaming up to mess with them.

"No, because this guy always ruins the food!" Frieren explained seriously, her gaze sharp as she questioned Ash. "I've always thought it was strange... You're faking it, aren't you? You can actually cook! You can even grill meat!"

"What are you talking about?" Ash replied blankly, shaking the grilled fish in his hand.

"Yes! The evidence is irrefutable! Do you still want to deny it? I'm telling Fern and the others when we get back!" Frieren declared, her tone triumphant.

"...Are you an elementary school student? Still tattling?" Ash sighed, exasperated. "Anyway, this wasn't my doing. I got it from another team... well, from someone a bit tougher."

"...This uncle is actually trying to snatch food at a time like this..." Kanne face was filled with disbelief, her expression twisted into a strange mix of shock and confusion.

"Are you here for an exam or an outing?" Lawine, clearly irritated by Ash's nonchalant behavior, crossed her arms.

But Ash, unfazed, casually tossed the massive bear aside and retorted as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "No one said you can't go on an outing during an exam, right?"

"...What are you doing here? Did you just come to show off that you caught a bird?"

"No, I just think fish alone is a bit bland," Ash replied, shaking the grilled fish in his hand. "It's a little fishy around here, and they didn't bring any seasoning, so... let's have a barbecue!"

"...I knew it. You came here for this," Frieren said, nodding silently as though she had expected it all along. Standing beside the massive bear, she showed no hint of nervousness. Instead, her eyes gleamed with curiosity as she added, "...This bear paw looks pretty good. Shall we eat it?"

"... Frieren? Why are you so easily swayed by him? Didn't you say we'd deal with him after everything settled?" Kanne asked, her face contorted as if she had just swallowed a fly.

"Well, it's still early, and there's nothing wrong with eating Bear Dad's food for free," Frieren said nonchalantly as she began to prepare the bear with surprising skill.

Kanne and Lawine were stunned, their eyes wide as they watched Frieren's expert handling of the bear. Despite her apparent betrayal, they kept their gazes fixed on Ash, their wariness unshaken.

However, as they noticed Ash casually tossing the cage containing the Meteoritic Bird nearby and moving about without a care, a realization struck them.

Wait a minute... Normally, he should be on guard against us. Why does it feel like we're the ones being cautious around him?