Frieren 31

Title: The Strongest Human in the Future?

In the snowy plains he passed through upon arriving.

Whether he misremembered or not, Ash, who had returned to this space and time, felt… the appearance of the snowy plains seemed to have undergone significant changes from the past.

Was it because the war was still ongoing? —He couldn’t be sure now.

But when he was sent back, he already had a slight understanding of the current situation, so he wasn’t too panicked. He felt a bit relieved.

According to Serie, he believed that before the Goddess left, she had set up something to prevent others from time traveling… like enveloping the entire planet with a massive shield to stop anyone from arbitrarily altering history.

The system created by the Demon King in the Mythic Era, by simulating magic, allowed him to temporarily breach that barrier. But… Ash had now been sent back.

Yet the changes around him made him a bit suspicious. It seemed the timing of his return was slightly off.

[System detects that the strength of the blockade has increased. Returning to the past at another time may trigger an alarm, leading to unforeseen risks. Please take caution to avoid risks.]

The rare system notification, before Ash could fully grasp the situation, made him realize that this cheating method had been blocked and could no longer be used.

This made him a bit regretful, and at the same time, he realized another issue…

“So, now… Flamme is dead?”

Ash stood quietly at the peak of the vast snowy plains. Looking at the familiar yet distant snowy scenery before him, he thought about how he hadn’t had the chance to thank her or talk much with Flamme beyond magic. An indescribable sadness welled up in his heart.

“Life is indeed full of uncertainties. Truly… nine out of ten things don’t go as planned. Even though I’m no longer human.” He muttered softly. His last words carried a hint of self-mockery.

Ash also felt a tinge of bitterness, like snowflakes swaying in the cold wind. In the end, like his figure, it melted into the boundless silence and vanished from the snowy plains.

In the city below the plains, which Ash occasionally visited, everything had completely changed.

Things from the past could no longer be found. The streets he knew seemed to have been renovated multiple times.

This made him fully realize that the time that had passed since he left was likely very long.

But he was very fortunate; he still found a biography of Flamme in a bookstore.

The book, quite common in this era, clearly recorded Flamme’s story. It also briefly mentioned that she had an elf disciple and a younger human disciple.

“…So history has indeed changed. But… even if I look at it now, it’ll only add meaningless sorrow.”

In the book’s illustration, Flamme still looked young. But Ash only glanced at it briefly, sighed, and returned the book to its place.

Of course, there were no images of Frieren or himself in it… because they hadn’t participated in humanity’s transformation at all.

But from this latest version of the book, Ash roughly understood that the time that had passed since then… was nearly a thousand years.

Such an immense timespan felt unreal to him and even made him worry that Aura might be dead.

Though demons and elves essentially had no lifespan limits, demons had the Demon King pushing for war.

While many demons didn’t obey the Demon King, if they could hide, it wasn’t an issue. If they couldn’t hide and didn’t follow orders, they’d be killed.

Even if they escaped to the forests, they might be found by humans and surrounded.

Thus, very few demons could live for hundreds of years. And the magic Aura researched had very limited effects before it developed… This made him deeply worried.

Though Aura was a mischievous younger sister, she was still the one who grew up with him, eating raw meat together… Ash couldn’t help but worry.

“…But for now, I can only pray she managed to survive.”

After wandering the city and understanding the level of magic in this era, his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

Compared to Serie’s Mythic Era magic, or even Flamme’s magic from a thousand years ago, the magic in this era still seemed very backward. Even techniques from a thousand years ago had become lost arts.

Ash had obtained the complete magic system he’d dreamed of, more advanced than this era… but the cost was that his only “family” by his side had also vanished.

Not only that, his first human friend, his lieutenant Cassie… it wasn’t even clear if her descendants still existed.

Even Frieren and Serie, after so many years, couldn’t be confirmed to have survived. After all, they were mages, who could die anytime if they weren’t careful.

Hundreds of years could bring too many uncertainties.

On the ancient street, the only one Ash recognized, the uneven cobblestone path had been smoothed by time. On both sides were low wooden houses. Occasionally, a few dim oil lamps swayed in the wind, casting shifting shadows.

Though the street wasn’t as prosperous as in modern times, people came and went. Merchants still shouted to sell their wares. Knights on large horses hurried by. Passersby chatted or rushed about, busy with their own affairs.

Yet, amidst this lively scene, Ash seemed out of place.

He walked alone on the ancient cobblestone street, as if he were a traveler from another world.

The hustle and bustle around him felt, to him, like distant, blurred background noise.

The cold wind swept through the narrow streets, lifting dried leaves and dust. It seemed to carry a bit of the warmth from his heart.

His eyes scanned the passing crowd, but he found no one to talk to.

The busy or leisurely faces were all immersed in their own worlds, indifferent to this lonely traveler.

Until—a young man with long hair and a beard, who somehow looked aged, suddenly blocked his path.

On the bustling street, the young man with two swords at his waist stared straight at him. After a long pause, as if recalling something, he smiled: “…Almost forgot. This is our first real meeting, isn’t it? Let me introduce myself. I’m Frank, the man who’ll soon be the strongest human. Honestly, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, Master Ash, or rather—the future Demon King.”