Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 119: Freeloader Kanne and Lawine

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Ash knew he should be on guard, but his instincts told him otherwise. He bit into the barbecue and muttered begrudgingly:

"—This is really unpleasant!"

"Why are you looking at me and saying such hurtful things? Aren't we friends having dinner together?" Ash spread his hands, feigning an innocent expression.

"Because... you should be careful of us! After all, we might steal your bird!"

"It doesn't matter. If you've got the ability, feel free to try. I wouldn't mind playing with you in advance."

"...This kind of carefree attitude is really annoying. It feels like you're looking down on us."

Lawine, always quick to irritate, jabbed a finger at Ash's nose, her expression mirroring Kanne's earlier outrage.

But Ash remained genuinely innocent. "Even if you say that... I don't really have any ill intentions."

"Then what's with your spare time attitude, like some overpowered hero?!"

"Because I'm actually pretty strong?"

"Uh... that might be true."

The moment Lawine admitted it, her dissatisfaction seemed to dissipate, though she continued gnawing on the bear meat with a sulky expression.

'Fine. I can accept that he's strong... but it's not easy to change how I feel about it.'

---

Frieren, meanwhile, had no intention of mediating the argument. Instead, she silently enjoyed her meal, watching the dispute unfold like a spectator at a play.

When Lawine finally relented, though still visibly unhappy, Frieren—completely engrossed in her bear meat and unconcerned with maintaining her elf-like image—sighed and remarked:

"Ash, you're completely hated."

"...Honestly, I feel pretty innocent."

"It's still your fault, though."

"Why dwell on things from the past for so long?"

"It was just ten years" Frieren retorted without missing a beat.

Coming from her, it sounded inexplicably convincing—so much so that Ash felt a little exasperated. After all, Frieren could hold grudges for a thousand years.

He sighed deeply. "Can't people just be more friendly these days?"

"You're one to talk."

"I'm pretty friendly... I think."

"...You don't even sound confident about that." Frieren gave him a pointed look before turning back to her meal, gnawing on a bear paw in silence.

Meanwhile, Kanne, her gaze fixed on the cage at Ash's feet, couldn't help but ask hesitantly:

"Um... um... Uncle!"

"What?"

"How did you catch that bird?" Though embarrassed to ask, Kanne set aside their earlier conflict, eager to learn how he managed it.

"We tried everything, but it was too fast to catch, and its body was so strong we couldn't even freeze it with ice."

"Well..." Ash stroked his chin dramatically, pretending to ponder deeply.

Kanne leaned in nervously, straining to catch every word. "How did you do it?"

But before she could get an answer, Ash suddenly reached out and grabbed her face, pulling at her cheeks as he spoke expressionlessly:

"You still use this attitude when asking for help? And you even call me uncle? How many times have I told you not to call me that?"

"—It hurts! What are you doing?!"

"Call me brother!"

"…Brother! Brother! Is that good enough?!"

Though reluctant, Kanne gave in under the pressure, her cheeks red and sore.

Ash finally let go, leaving her rubbing her flushed face with an aggrieved expression. "Can you tell me now?"

"What are you thinking? It's basic courtesy not to call someone uncle. And if you want to know someone's secrets, you have to pay a price. For example..."

"Wha... what?"

"Anyway, lean your head over here so I can rub it~"

Looking at the twin-tailed girl with a demeanor that gave off an inexplicable air of harassment, Ash, who genuinely wanted to stroke her head, casually stated his request under her nervous gaze.

"Ha... ha?" Kanne stammered, unsure if the request was excessive or not.

After all, this was an exam, but having her head touched... it felt undeniably strange.

Lawine, on the other hand, couldn't help but glare at him coldly. "—You're really just a perverted uncle!"

"Really? Since you say so, then..." Ash didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled slyly and said, "How about this: both of you come over and let me pat your heads. Then I'll tell you the secret."

"I...!"

"By the way," Ash added, cutting off any protest, "this method guarantees 100% success. I completed the goal easily, and I'm still the only one who has. If you want to know how to pass the test, all it takes is a simple head pat. Isn't that a great deal? Normally, I wouldn't even consider offering this to anyone else."

Without waiting for Lawine to retort, Ash continued his pitch with a kind smile, his tone brimming with persuasion.

---

What Ash said was undeniably tempting.

After exchanging glances, Kanne and Lawine hesitated, their teeth gritted as they reached some kind of silent consensus.

Finally, Lawine cautiously asked, "Just to clarify... why do you want to touch our heads?"

"The physical distance between people is directly proportional to their emotional closeness. Physical contact naturally helps build connections. I just want to foster a good relationship with Fern's friends. Besides..." Ash explained with a seemingly pure and kind expression, devoid of malice, "you're girls, after all. The only appropriate place to touch is your head, right? Otherwise, I'd prefer to pat Kanne's belly."

"Why?!" Kanne exclaimed, immediately covering her flat stomach with her hands, her face full of alarm.

"Don't misunderstand. I just like to pat my pet's head and belly at the same time," Ash replied matter-of-factly.

"—I'm not a pet!"

"Don't sweat the details."

"—This is not a detail!"

"Young people these days really like to nitpick over small things," Ash remarked calmly, shaking his head as though disappointed. He gave them one final chance.

"So, what do you think? Do you agree or not? If you miss this opportunity, you might not pass the exam. Are you okay with that?"

"I..."

"...I agree!" Lawine gritted her teeth and chose to endure the humiliation temporarily, though Kanne was still hesitant.

But before anything could proceed, Ash insisted that Kanne wash her greasy hands first.

The two girls, faces full of humiliation, reluctantly closed their eyes, leaned forward, and allowed Ash to pat their heads. With a hearty smile, Ash obliged, ruffling their hair with practiced ease.

From the moment she chose not to intervene during their earlier argument to now, Frieren simply observed the entire situation unfold. Watching the two bow their heads in defeat, she shook her head with amusement but made no move to stop them.

The two girls' faces flushed red under Ash's touch—though whether it was from his "skillful technique" or their shame and anger was unclear.

For the sake of passing the test, they temporarily sacrificed their dignity, enduring the pats until they couldn't bear it anymore. At that point, they swatted his hands away and glared at him furiously.

Ash, however, seemed thoroughly pleased, grinning as though he had gotten the best of both worlds.

Still in a cheerful mood, he nodded and said, "Since you've sincerely paid the price and genuinely want to know, I suppose it's only fair to tell you. The answer is actually very simple..."

"What?" "Hurry up and say it!"

The two girls looked forward to it, unable to contain their anticipation and asking questions.

"Well~ I'd better give you a live demonstration! I'll only demonstrate it once, so you all watch carefully."

He stood up, picked up the cage on the ground, and opened it.

The three of them stared without blinking, afraid of missing any details, but they saw the Meteoritic bird suddenly fly out of the cage with a shock wave.

But the next moment the bird was out of the cage… Ash didn't use any special magic, nor did he have any strategy. He just did as he said, and simply slapped it.

Boom—!!!

With a speed faster than that of the bird, his palm came with a violent sonic boom, just like a spike, and it knocked the bird directly to the ground, creating a big hole.

In an instant, Kanne and Lawine were knocked to the ground by the chaotic shock wave.

Only Frieren let the strong wind blow across her cheeks, but she just had a numb expression on her face, swallowed the meat in her mouth, and muttered, "I knew that this guy wouldn't be so kind..."

"What the hell is this!!" "How can something like this be copied?!"

Kanne and Lawine were immediately furious, realizing that they were probably being taken advantage of for free, so they grabbed their wands and rushed into the smoke, intending to fight him to the death.

After all, now it is not a question of whether you can win or not, but you have to fight for your reputation even if you can't make money.

But in the smoke and dust, they looked around but still couldn't find anyone. Behind them, Frieren sighed helplessly:

"…Don't look for him anymore. He's already slipped away. You've been fooled."

"—What?!"

"—That bastard uncle…!"

When the search was fruitless, the girls' frantic shouts resounded through the sky.

However, hearing the frantic voice of the girls behind him, Ash threw the Meteoritic bird back into the cage and quickly left the scene with the joy of returning home.

What he said about wanting to have a good relationship was true, but he also wanted to play with Fern's friends, who were like daughters to him. The impulse and the accompanying pleasure were really something he couldn't resist.

...