Frieren 28

Title: A Difference in Perspectives

Ash couldn’t hold back his urge to hit her, but Frieren quickly noticed his clenched fist.

However, Frieren wasn’t scared at all. She stopped smiling and warned seriously: “What’s that? You want to hit me, Ash?”

“What? You think I wouldn’t—”

“If you hit me now, I’ll cry again for three days.”

Without any threatening pressure, Frieren leaned her head forward slightly, issuing a strange warning with a blank expression.

But just the thought of enduring that crying for another three days made Ash’s raised hand freeze in the air for a moment before slowly lowering it.

He placed his hand on Frieren’s head, rubbing it roughly, and flashed a slightly distorted smile: “I’m not blaming you… but can you act a bit more mature, okay? What kind of threat is that? Or are you mentally a child?”

“…That’s another one.” Frieren stared at him expressionlessly.

“Hey, why are you counting again?”

“Why not?”

“…Is that a threat?”

“No, it’s a warning. No more than three times. Two more, and you know what happens.”

“…”

“You win.”

“Now get your hand off me.”

Facing Ash’s retreat, Frieren smugly swatted his hand away.

Losing like this made him unwilling, but… Ash really couldn’t do anything to her.

After all, this girl was surely much older, yet she could set aside her pride and cry for three days and nights, weakening his resolve a bit.

“Haa… fine, I’m too lazy to deal with you. I’m going to study…”

His raised hand was forced down. Ash turned back, exasperated. Meanwhile, Frieren, completely unafraid of annoying him, followed closely behind without keeping any distance.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

After that, the four of them stayed in the ruins for about a month. Ash packed his bag again and left with Frieren and Flamme for a while.

Of course, he brought new magic books along. And if asked why he didn’t stay…

No choice. Serie preferred solitude. Even if Ash kept pestering her, she might not teach him. Flamme, on the other hand, was very willing to teach. So, Ash naturally chose to follow them.

When they returned to see Serie, who was like a lonely old parent left at home, it was three years later.

Though his appearance hadn’t changed over the years, which should’ve raised suspicions, Serie helped cover for him.

It was a flimsy excuse. Serie claimed she had cast experimental youth-preserving magic on Ash. Since it was experimental, it only worked once, and it just happened to succeed on him. So, Ash could keep looking young.

Though that magic was never seen used again, she said its success rate was extremely low. But since it was Serie’s word, no one would question it.

However, seeing Ash flipping through her book collection and “updating” his books again, Serie’s lips twitched slightly. From her throne, she couldn’t help but ask: “Ash, are you… someone who’s only loyal to those who benefit you?”

“I just love knowledge.”

“I’m your teacher, aren’t I?”

“What’s that got to do with it? Flamme and Frieren have magic I don’t know, and they’re willing to teach me, and I’m willing to learn. Isn’t that mutually beneficial?”

“Mutually beneficial, my foot—you’re the one benefiting the most, aren’t you? Point is, you’re messing up the hierarchy, you jerk!” Without thinking, Serie raised her hand and threw a book at him.

But Ash caught it precisely, tucked it into his bag, and spread his hands helplessly: “If you don’t teach me, what can I do?”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t teach you. I just taught you last time—can’t you wait a bit?”

“A bit? Fifty years?”

“Just thirty years. Before that, I want to be alone.”

“…Then I’d rather find Flamme.”

“It’s only thirty years, can’t you wait?”

“Only thirty years, huh…”

Serie knew Ash was a demon and didn’t care about thirty years. But she didn’t know how to correct his strange sense of time. At the very least, Ash couldn’t wait thirty years.

But Ash now understood that correcting this wouldn’t be possible without enough time. So, he was too lazy to argue with her about it.

Frieren, beside him, said seriously: “Ash, you need to learn patience. Don’t be like Teacher. Even when there’s nothing urgent, you’re always rushing like something’s chasing you. That’s why humans don’t live long.”

“…I told you, those are two different things…” Ash really didn’t want to discuss this topic again, but he couldn’t help glancing at Frieren.

Flamme also gave a wry smile: “Frieren and Teacher, you’re elves, so your actions differ from ours. But it’s not rushing that shortens lifespans—it’s that human lives are limited. They’re closer to death than you, so they can’t afford to dawdle. They have to act faster.”

“I understand that. It’s just Frieren who doesn’t, right?”

Having wandered outside long enough and lived from the Age of Myths to now, Serie shook her head. She turned her gaze to Frieren, who was raised in a secluded elf village.

“…”

Frieren didn’t speak, but not because she agreed. She was just too lazy to argue.

Like the elves’ sense of time. No matter what outsiders said, it was hard to change their habits, which might make humans wait decades when they say “wait a bit.”

Though elves knew others were human, changing this perspective was tough. And for humans, it was hard to understand why elves were so slow, both with themselves and with humans. Even when told, they wouldn’t change.

After this fruitless conversation… despite being accused of disrupting the hierarchy, Ash diligently learned from Flamme and Frieren. He even followed them out of the ruins under Serie’s incredulous gaze.

But in the end, Serie shouted from afar: “Ash, I don’t care what you do, but don’t imitate those two. Don’t waste time on useless skills like controlling your aura to deceive demons just to hide your strength.”

“Useless…?”

“With the same time, if used to train other skills, Flamme wouldn’t need to sneak around. Wasting time on that is so inefficient… Don’t disappoint me too.”

“I get it. Don’t worry.”

Ash waved without looking back, as if agreeing.

At other times, he might’ve just agreed to appease Serie. But in this case, he differed from those two disciples and aligned more with Serie’s view. He only planned to control his aura slightly in normal situations but saw no need to waste time mastering it.

Because… rather than sneaky, unexpected attacks, he preferred spending time strengthening himself and crushing enemies directly.