Frieren 34

Title: Becoming the Disciple of the Southern Hero

Facing Frank, who seemed youthful yet mature, Ash stared at his outstretched hand for a moment before suppressing the urge to complain.

Though what his opponent said was highly mysterious, somewhat beyond his current knowledge, and even felt a bit suspicious.

But his intuition told him this person wasn’t a villain using deceit as he had imagined.

This made him hesitate. Finally, with a “if I get fooled, so be it” mindset, he grasped the offered hand.

This made Frank grin widely, pulling him off the wooden fence: “Alright then, let’s go home together.”

“Home? Is your house nearby?”

“No, my house is in the capital.”

Frank had foreseen Ash’s appearance here and came deliberately.

But his words still felt odd to Ash. After all, what normal person, after shaking hands, immediately invites someone to their home?

Though he felt his opponent was a good person, it was—still weird!

However, Ash found it hard to refuse the terms offered. So, after hesitating, he decided to follow. After all, he could mooch food and drink while seeing what Frank could teach him.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

The capital, outskirts.

In a large but somehow modest house, there were only two middle-aged female servants.

Frank seemed to be a wealthy entrepreneur who started from scratch at fifteen. Both his parents died in battle when he came of age.

But with his future-seeing magic, he quickly lived a life Ash envied. Yet, reality was slightly different…

Though Frank had a lover, for some reason, they broke up early. Since then, he began training himself daily.

In no time, Ash became Frank’s disciple to learn swordsmanship and settled in the capital’s outskirts.

He repeated it daily, from dawn to dusk, spring to winter. Seasons changed, heat and cold came and went. His persistence never wavered.

Time passed quickly. Thirteen years went by just like that.

For a demon, thirteen years was a mere blink. But Ash’s progress was unprecedented.

However, there was one issue… Because a demon’s internal structure differed from humans, they’d disintegrate into magical particles upon death.

Thus, he, who originally looked human, seemed to have reached his body’s limit. So, to fight at full strength, his body would transform.

Two demon-like horns would sprout on his forehead. His entire body would proportionally enlarge, becoming a muscular man over two meters tall without the horns. At the same time, his strength, agility, magic recovery speed, and control would drastically improve.

Of course, that was his full demon mode.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that his human appearance didn’t change at all, and his face remained the same as in the past.

But for him, thirteen years meant something different for humans… Frank, once youthful, was now a middle-aged man. Though he still seemed spirited, he…

“It’s so unfair. In the blink of an eye, I’ve become an uncle, but you’re still the same as before.” Looking at Ash, who still appeared youthful, Frank touched his beard and kept complaining.

“…But humans improve so quickly, while demons are so slow.”

“Your improvement speed isn’t demon-like at all. If all demons were like you, humans would’ve been done for long ago.” With a mix of envy and regret, Frank sighed and handed him a document.

Upon closer inspection, it was a property transfer document. More precisely, a will to divide his assets.

“Huh… what’s this? By the way, my name?”

“If I die, this house will be yours, and the rest of my assets, please donate to those in need.”

“…If?” The word “if” from someone who could see the future felt very strange to Ash.

But Frank didn’t explain. Instead, he began packing his bag and said without looking back: “I have to go… Three years from now, let’s meet at the continent’s center, Ranier Fortress. Ever heard of it?”

“…What are you suddenly talking about? But I’ve been to Ranier Village.”

“That’s the one. There’s Ranier Forest nearby, right?”

“I think so?”

“As time passed, that village became a fortress…” Frank sighed briefly, then continued: “When you go to the forest there, you’ll get a surprise.”

“Meeting an uncle isn’t exactly a surprise.”

“Haha~ Of course not me. But… well, you’ll see then. For now, practice controlling your demon mode. Since you’ve been able to transform, your control has slipped. Even without seeing the future, I can tell you’re a demon.”

“What can I do?” Ash spread his hands in frustration: “I want to suppress it properly too, but since I transformed into a demon once, the aura’s become much stronger than before.”

“Take it slow.” Frank didn’t say much. He only smiled mysteriously and said: “Tomorrow, someone will come. You can take their advice, because… we’ve ‘agreed.’”

“Huh??”

“You’ll know tomorrow. For now, let’s part here. See you, my friend.”

Frank, unwilling to explain, said this. He grabbed his bag and left, leaving only Ash and the two female servants living there… Though they were aunties from a nearby village, he didn’t feel happy at all.

But that was fine. The next morning, both servants left too. That’s when Ash learned Frank had dismissed them yesterday.

He felt annoyed. Ash planned to hire someone to take care of him, but as soon as he opened the mansion’s door, he saw—a male demon in a hooded cloak and mask, with long hair covering his right eye and large horns, standing at the door with arms crossed.

His opponent stared at him briefly, then said slowly: “This is our first meeting, right? Ash.”

“Right… or rather, for me, it’s like that.”

Recognizing the visitor—or rather, the demon—Ash’s feelings immediately turned a bit strange.