Frieren 66

Title: Descendant of an Old Friend

Amid the city’s ruins, scattered bones littered the ground… Perhaps in their haste to advance, they didn’t even have time to tend to the dead. Supplies also seemed unable to keep up. There were no signs of life at all—only vultures scavenging the city.

“…No people. Did they evacuate? Or… die out there?”

Ash stood in front of the only familiar building on the street, now completely burned. His expression couldn’t help but darken.

But since there were no people, he obviously couldn’t stay. Ash immediately took flight, preparing to search for the descendants of his old friend among the refugees forced to flee their homes.

Though Anderson likely wouldn’t be alive now, his son, around 30 years old, should still be… A little over ten years shouldn’t change too much. Ash felt he could still recognize him… probably.

However… as he swiftly passed through the crowd of refugees, he didn’t find any familiar faces. Instead, from the sky, he saw a young girl he didn’t know, showing a shocked expression upon seeing him.

That shock wasn’t just because he could fly. It was mixed with other emotions.

Curious, Ash landed. He crouched in front of the little girl and looked her over.

The dirty child wore a simple gray apprentice mage uniform. She had short purple hair and beautiful purple eyes… Both her hair and eye color resembled Anderson’s and his great-granddaughter’s.

As Ash looked at her, the girl, clutching a familiar small wooden box, widened her eyes in disbelief and asked uncertainly: “Are… you… Ash-sama?”

“…My name’s right. Are you Anderson’s great-granddaughter? Your name’s Ma… Marian? No, wait.”

Back then, Anderson’s great-granddaughter was about 10. This girl looked 7 or 8 at most. She couldn’t have gotten younger after ten years. So…

“Marian was… my mother.”

“Is that so? She… Hmm, better not ask.”

Unnecessary questions made him stop mid-sentence. Ash only showed a sad expression, looking at the child staring at him unblinkingly but saying nothing.

They gazed at each other in silence.

The girl seemed unsure of what to say. And he didn’t know how to handle this child either.

After all, she was his friend’s descendant, now alone. He couldn’t just leave her.

But seeing her state, if left alone, she might not survive day to day. With no adults by her side, what happened to her family was clear without asking.

After a long silence, Ash finally reached out, placed his hand on her head, and said hesitantly: “How about… you come with me for now?”

“Come… with you?”

“Yeah. I can only ensure you won’t go hungry, but if that’s okay… come with me for now? I’ll at least raise you until you’re grown.”

“…Why?”

Unexpectedly, the girl didn’t show joy. Her face was full of confusion.

It seemed that even though she was being helped, there wasn’t much to make her happy… Perhaps the loss of her relatives hit her hard.

Thinking of this, Ash couldn’t help but sigh deeply: “After all, I can’t just watch my friend’s descendant die by the roadside, can I?”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, that’s right. And you can think of me as your father. I did hold your mother once, after all.”

“…”

The statement sounded odd, but the girl didn’t know what to say either. She just looked at him with slight confusion, not saying a word.

Ash felt that in a normal situation, he should say something more. But her physical and mental state was clearly poor, making him reluctant to talk much.

Though he was very hesitant and even wondered who would be better to care for her later, for now…

“Alright… No objection means agreement. Come with me.”

As he spoke, he grabbed the girl’s hand.

Though she opened her mouth as if to say something, she didn’t get the chance. She was whisked away without her consent.

But only after they left the grasslands and reached the nearest city did Ash suddenly remember something. He turned to the dirty girl on his shoulder: “By the way, what’s your name?”

“…Fern.”

“Oh. Then, come with me for now. I’ll try to find good people to take care of you.”

“Not you…?”

“I’d like to, but my situation doesn’t allow it. Because I’m… oh, right. I’m an evil mage.”

Ash thought for a moment, then smiled and patted her head again.

“Evil mage…?” Fern didn’t quite understand what he meant.

But Ash forcibly took her away, complained about her walking too slowly, and carried her on his shoulder without care. Only now did he remember to ask her name… from a perspective utterly indifferent to children.

(This guy is nothing like the gentle mage in my mother’s stories. He must be an evil mage?)

Fern, carried on his shoulder but wriggling to get comfortable, looked at his profile and thought so.

Though she didn’t really understand what “evil” meant.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

At an inn in the city.

After buying Fern new clothes, Ash stood by the bathroom, arms crossed, staring at the ceiling. He worried about how to place Fern next.

“If it’s Aura… definitely not. Serie adopted Flamme, so I could try her. Then Heiter, Eisen, Frieren… Hmm, Eisen’s conditions are too harsh. Frieren’s whereabouts are unknown. Heiter… is he still alive? Should I check?”

Though after attending Himmel’s funeral ten years ago, Ash thought it better not to contact them again.

But now, in his worry, he couldn’t help but feel he’d be too heartless not to attend their final funerals. Would that leave him with regrets?

Yet, these worries found no answers. Instead, the sound of water in the bathroom gradually stopped. Fern, steaming from her bath, came out first.

Noticing Ash’s troubled expression, Fern seemed a bit anxious, tilting her head slightly. She said hesitantly: “Ash-sama…”

“Oh, done bathing?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Fern, her hair still wet, unconsciously placed her hands between her thighs and gave a stiff bow.

She had looked like a little beggar before. But now, cleaned up, she was quite cute. Maybe she’d grow into a beautiful girl?—Ash glanced at her. Without thinking, he rubbed her hair with a towel.

After drying it a bit, he blew warm air from his palm to dry it further. Then he took her to her room.

“You sleep here tonight. I’m next door. Call me if anything happens.”

“I understand, thank you… Ash-sama.”

“No need to be so polite~”

Fern still seemed awkward and stiff. He shook his head helplessly and went to the next room.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Initially, Ash planned to seriously think about a suitable place for Fern that night.

But when night fell, he heard suppressed sobs from the next room.

This made him smile sadly, get up from bed, fly out the window, and quietly open the window to the next room.

He entered and saw the child curled up in the corner, hugging her knees, sobbing and trembling.

(How long has this child been wandering the streets? What has she been through?)

The question arose unconsciously in Ash’s mind. But he didn’t intend to ask. He just walked quietly.

After a moment of hesitation, he crouched beside Fern and stroked her purple hair, dry from malnutrition.

The startled girl trembled instinctively. She reflexively looked up, saw Ash, and calmed slightly but said nothing. She lowered her head back between her knees.

Her sobs, with his touch, gradually became uncontrollable.

But Ash, beside her, stayed silent, not saying a word. He just hugged her.

After all, even he understood that at this moment, a warm embrace would be more comforting than words.

Though he wasn’t sure if his embrace was warm, it was all he could do now. But… whether he did it wrong or something else.

After being hugged, Fern’s cries grew louder. She even sobbed uncontrollably.

No matter how awkwardly Ash tried to comfort her, it didn’t work. Her cries only intensified.

During this, an impatient guest came to complain, but one glance from Ash scared them off.

The crying continued until Fern, exhausted, fell asleep.

“Kids these days are really hard to handle… Even harder than training Serie’s cooking skills.”

On the first day of caring for a child, Ash already felt overwhelmed. At the same time, his chest was soaked with tears. He couldn’t help but sigh for the umpteenth time that day.

But even so, he didn’t let go. The child, at some point, had grabbed both his hands.