Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 121: A peace messenger and a loving person who likes small animals?

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To exchange magic peacefully through subtle coercion, Ash always followed the sounds of magicians clashing in the night.

Every time he "happened to pass by," the disputes would momentarily cease, and the combatants, under the weight of Ash's gravity magic, were forced into a "friendly" conversation. The pressure was enough to ensure a brief truce, allowing them to reconsider their options.

However, before Ash left, one side inevitably realized they were outmatched. Seizing the opportunity provided by the pause, they would fire a flare to surrender, avoiding the risk of being killed. They would then negotiate with their opponents, offering their self-developed magic in exchange for a corresponding spell to make the encounter worthwhile, while preparing themselves for another attempt the following year.

Thus, Ash, who initially only sought to trade for magic he found interesting, inadvertently became the de facto peacemaker of the examination hall. His interventions significantly increased the survival rate of the candidates.

After all, this examination hall was also a battlefield. The allure of the "privileges" granted to first-Class magicians was enough to push participants to risk their lives—unless the realization of certain defeat forced them to surrender.

In duels where both sides were highly skilled and the line between life and death was razor-thin, pulling out a flare gun was often an impossible luxury. Without Ash's interference, many would have perished in the heat of combat.

The examiners, for their part, seemed indifferent to this reality. In fact, the inclusion of the flare gun in the examination rules was a suggestion from Ash himself. These were valuable talents, and Ash had no desire to see them waste their lives unnecessarily.

---

As a magician, the elderly Denken was no stranger to sleepless nights. Unfortunately, his insomnia was compounded by the tension of the examination hall, where the forest echoed with roars and the clash of magic, making rest nearly impossible for everyone.

Even as he sighed, his sharp eyes caught sight of an unfamiliar figure approaching through the dim light.

"..." Denken instinctively gripped his wand tightly, staring in silence. After a long pause, he finally asked, "What do you want?"

"Don't get the wrong idea. I just want to make a deal with this kid." With a disarming smile, Ash gestured toward a bun-haired girl who had also been roused from sleep and was now watching him with wary eyes.

"Me? A deal? About what?" Laufen asked, pointing to herself in confusion.

"You're from a mountain tribe in the southern countries, right? The ones renowned for their generational mastery of 'high-speed movement' magic?" Ash inquired casually.

Laufen's expression stiffened, her wariness deepening. "How do you know that? Have you been investigating us?"

"Of course. For an exam like this, it's only natural to gather intel on your competitors. Isn't that common sense?" Ash replied with a shrug.

"...I guess it is," Laufen admitted, still taken aback by his thoroughness.

Denken, however, frowned and interjected, "With your power, there's no need for such investigations. From what I know, you have close ties to the legendary great magician Serie and many first-Class magicians. Why bother with this?"

Ash tilted his head, feigning innocence. "And what exactly are you trying to say?"

Denken's expression darkened. "Your real objective isn't passing this test, is it? You're here to collect the magic of the examinees."

"As expected of a crafty court magician," Ash replied with a playful smirk. "You really do enjoy making baseless accusations." He shook his head dramatically, as if disheartened. "Don't be that kind of person who assumes the worst in others. Eliminating shady dealings, maintaining order, and promoting world peace have always been my guiding principles."

"…Is that really the case?" Denken asked skeptically, his gaze unwavering.

Ash, unfazed, shifted his focus. "Let's not dwell on that," he said with a smile, turning to the girl beside him. "Laufen, how about this: I'll teach you how to capture the Meteoritic Bird, and in exchange, you teach me your tribe's magic. To sweeten the deal, I'll even throw in a spell of your choice. What do you think?"

Laufen shook her head without hesitation. "No, no, no, that won't work. We saw exactly how you caught the bird. Your method isn't suitable for magicians at all."

Her immediate refusal surprised Ash. He hadn't expected such a firm rejection, especially since he hadn't noticed any apparent flaw in his approach.

"Really?" Ash muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. After a moment, he turned to Denken, who seemed to be the leader. "How about I give the bird to you directly? Would that work?"

Denken hesitated, clearly caught off guard. Was Ash genuinely offering the Meteoritic Bird, or was this some sort of trick? Unsure, he looked to Laufen for her input.

Laufen, however, was equally uncertain. She turned to Denken for guidance. "Grandpa, what should I do?"

Denken sighed, stroking his beard. "It's up to you. That's your magic on the line. Besides, this guy probably has plenty of spells to spare. It shouldn't be a huge loss to trade."

Laufen nodded slowly, her resolve strengthening. "Alright then. I want magic that can hide my aura—something strong enough to complement high-speed movement."

"Hiding your aura?" Ash repeated, considering her request. "It's possible, but it requires long-term, dedicated training. Alternatively, I can offer a spell for brief concealment during an attack. Your choice."

Laufen hesitated for a moment before reaching into her bag and pulling out her clan's magic book. Handing it over, she said, "Deal."

Ash grinned, clearly pleased. To the astonishment of both Denken and Laufen, he kept his word and handed the cage containing the Meteoritic Bird to them without hesitation.

"Oh! Grandpa, we got it!" Laufen exclaimed, holding the cage aloft with a wide smile. Her joy was infectious—until a sudden sound shattered the moment.

Boom!

The Meteoritic Bird shot out of the cage like a streak of light, vanishing into the sky before anyone could react.

For a moment, the three of them stood frozen, their six eyes wide with disbelief. Even Ash seemed genuinely stunned, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"Why… how did this happen?" Denken muttered, his expression darkening. Then, as if struck by a realization, he pointed at the birdcage in Ash's hand. "Wait a minute—why is the door of your cage still open, yet your bird didn't escape?"

"Uh…" Ash finally looked down at his own cage and noticed the door was indeed ajar. It was only then that he realized he'd forgotten to close it.

The bird inside, however, remained perched calmly in the corner, showing no intention of fleeing.

Everyone stared at the scene in confusion. The bird's docile behavior was so unexpected that they hadn't even noticed the door was open. Subconsciously, they had assumed the cage was secure.

Faced with their suspicious gazes, Ash scratched his head, equally baffled.

This was supposed to be a fair trade, so why did they look at him as if he'd pulled a fast one?

After a brief moment of brainstorming, Ash decided to roll with it. "Uh… well, actually, I've developed feelings for this bird," he said with a sheepish grin, using the peculiar behavior of the remaining bird to his advantage.

"If you're willing to teach me magic, Denken, I can show you how to develop a bond with this bird," Ash offered with a sly grin.

Denken frowned, his skepticism evident. "Although it seems unlikely, you didn't mistreat the bird, did you? Otherwise, why didn't it flee from your hands, but escaped the moment it was handed to Laufen?" He couldn't help but suspect the bird might have been traumatized by Ash's handling.

"Don't overthink it," Ash replied casually. "You saw it yourself—it was perfectly fine earlier. Besides, I'm a compassionate person who loves small animals. Sense, Lawine, Kanne... I've always had a soft spot for them!"

In truth, while the Meteoritic Bird had been repeatedly knocked down by Ash during its capture, its resilient body had endured the blows without lasting harm. Likely dazed and wary of further punishment, the bird simply chose to remain in the cage rather than risk escape.

The team stared at Ash in silence, their expressions a mix of doubt and resignation. Before they could voice their thoughts, Ash had already concluded the deal, secured the magic book, and swiftly departed.

After all, the transaction was complete once the goods were exchanged. To avoid any potential disputes, he left the scene without looking back.

The three left behind were left with increasingly peculiar expressions.

"Grandpa… were we cheated?" Laufen asked, her eyes welling with tears.

Denken sighed heavily. "Not exactly. It's just bad luck. That guy's circumstances were too unique, and I overlooked something important."

"Since the shortcut failed, we'll have to find another way—or take someone else's," the older man in the group muttered, closing his eyes in resignation. "For now, let's rest. We'll act once we've regained our strength."

---

Elsewhere in the forest, Ash examined the now-empty birdcage in his hands, a faint trace of frustration crossing his face.

Without the Meteoritic Bird, future deals would be tricky. For now, he decided to let the matter rest and wandered through the woods, flipping through the high-speed movement magic book he had just acquired.

Although mastering it immediately was impossible, it didn't stop him from familiarizing himself with the spell. After all, this particular magic intrigued him greatly.

Perched on a treetop, leisurely turning the pages, Ash's focus was suddenly interrupted. He spotted a corpse-luring bird descending from the sky nearby. Intrigued, he decided to investigate.

"Perhaps I can save someone and repay a favor," he mused. "After all, between self-developed magic and a person's life, the latter should always take precedence. It wouldn't count as a forced trade, right?"

As he approached the scene, a familiar voice broke the forest's stillness— Kanne's panicked cry.

Ash sighed, somewhat exasperated, but sprang into action. With a powerful leap, he crushed the ground beneath him and vanished into the distance.

---

On the other side of the forest, a massive bird, towering as tall as a two-story building, had pinned Kanne to the ground with its claw.

Terrified, the inexperienced girl had dropped her wand. Paralyzed by fear, she forgot to use magic, her wide eyes filling with tears as she cried out desperately, "La… Lawine!"

"Does it always have to be Lawine?"

The best friend she had hoped for didn't appear. Instead, a voice she vaguely recognized, carried on a gust of wind, reached her ears. It arrived so suddenly and so close that it felt as though the speaker had teleported to her side.