Frieren 27

Title: Frieren’s Inscrutable Nature

Despite her extreme reluctance, Frieren had no choice but to compromise with Ash if he wasn’t going to attack the mimic monster with magic.

Ash’s reason for not using magic was his concern that casting a spell in such a confined space would backfire on him. So, he didn’t want to use that method unless absolutely necessary.

Frieren’s fear of the dark and her wiggling backside were utterly comical, making Ash want to give it another smack.

But he worried that if he did, it’d be a hassle to deal with later, so he suppressed the urge for now.

Ash reached out with both hands, grabbed the girl’s legs from behind, and yanked her out like pulling a radish, trying to forcibly free Frieren from the mimic monster’s mouth.

However, as soon as Ash pulled hard, Frieren immediately screamed in pain: “—W-Wait! It hurts! It really hurts! I’ll break! I’ll split in two!”

“…That’s your own fault. If you wanted to bet, shouldn’t you have cut it open with a knife to check the situation first?”

“Many valuable ancient magic books can be damaged by even the slightest vibration. If you cut it with a knife, what if it gets ruined?!”

“…You’re still arguing with me now? Do you even realize the situation you’re in??”

“Just get me out quick! It’s really scary in here!”

At this moment, Frieren, usually so expressionless, was surprisingly easy to tease, acting just like a child.

This made Ash feel a bit reluctant to free her immediately… but it wasn’t good to keep pulling either. Her attitude was decent enough, so there was no need to keep teasing her.

So, he immediately shifted into warrior mode, stepped forward, and grabbed the mimic monster’s mouth with both hands. After taking a deep breath, he pulled with all his might.

With a sound like tearing fabric, the mimic’s mouth was forced open.

This caused Frieren, who was still stepping on the treasure chest monster and trying to pull herself out, to “fly” out as well.

After briefly soaring through the air, she landed on the ground with her backside, wincing in pain and unable to speak.

Meanwhile, her disgusting appearance, with her head covered in monster drool, made Ash quietly keep his distance.

“Gross… painful… uncomfortable…” Frieren sat alone on the ground, head lowered, muttering complaints with a sulky face while fixing her disheveled hair.

During this, she glared at him with teary eyes, making Ash feel slightly uneasy: “What? Got a problem with your savior?”

“…You hit me earlier, didn’t you?”

“No.”

Facing this girl, who was suddenly unlike her usual self and full of complaints, Ash quietly turned his face away as if he saw nothing, with no intention of admitting it.

Seeing this, Frieren narrowed her eyes: “No! It was you!”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I’m the one who saved you, got it?”

“And… what did you call me earlier?”

Recalling Ash’s mocking words when she was first swallowed, Frieren immediately sat up straight and stared at him.

“Did I say something?”

“…Old.”

“So what?”

“You called me old again…” Frieren turned and glared at him: “No more than three times! No next time—Wait! This is already the third time, isn’t it?!”

“Huh? What? Third time what?”

“You called me a granny twice before!”

“Did I?”

“Yes!” Frieren nodded firmly, full of conviction.

This exasperated Ash: “Why do you keep track of pointless stuff like this? Are you that petty?”

“Wait a sec, I’ll show you what I’m capable of…”

“What are you gonna do…?”

Seeing the girl seemingly preparing something, Ash instinctively raised his guard, ready to bolt if anything changed.

The next second…

“Wuuu… Waaah waaah waaah~!!”

“Huh? W-What???”

Ash had already stepped back twice after seeing her finish preparing. But the loud crying behind him startled him, leaving him frozen in place. He turned around, bewildered.

The girl who had just sworn to teach him a lesson was now hugging her knees, curled up in a corner, and sobbing loudly.

This left him at a loss. Ash unconsciously abandoned his plan to flee. After standing there stunned for a while, he noticed Flamme, who had appeared out of nowhere, also looking shocked.

Flamme asked: “What’s she…?”

“I don’t know. You know her better, right? What’s going on?”

“If you’re asking me, who am I supposed to ask? You’re her teacher, comfort her!”

“…You’re the one who made her cry. I’m not dealing with this.”

Flamme clearly wanted no part of it. She left that remark and walked away.

This left Ash standing there, unable to leave but also unable to stay. He held his forehead with one hand, thinking for a long time, then couldn’t resist flicking Frieren’s long ear: “Frieren, I was wrong… I won’t call you old again, okay?”

Though Ash reluctantly gave in, Frieren immediately swatted his hand away and cried even louder.

This made him give up. Ash wanted to leave the place for now. But who would’ve thought, the girl followed him from behind… still crying as she walked, leaving him no choice but to ignore this weirdo while reading his book.

And this process—lasted three days and three nights. Even after her tears dried up, Frieren showed no signs of stopping.

“Think of something quick! This is all your fault, isn’t it?”

The nonstop crying for three days made Flamme clutch her ears in pain and urge him.

Even Serie, who stayed in the ruins and never came out, grew annoyed at the crying echoing through the ruins. She finally emerged, glaring at Ash with a sneer and issuing a final ultimatum:

“If you don’t fix this, I’m throwing both of you out.”

“I’m not the one crying, why me too…?”

“It’s all your fault, isn’t it!”

“But I… fine…”

Ash, who wanted to defend himself, finally gave up. He hoisted Frieren onto his shoulder and left quickly to avoid being kicked out because of this girl.

No choice. In these ruins, besides him, there were only three people.

One was crying because of him, and the other two were blaming him. If Ash didn’t resolve this issue with the girl crying so pitifully for no apparent reason, he might not be able to stay.

But… as soon as he stepped out of the ruins and saw the sky.

The girl on his shoulder, once set down on the meadow, immediately stopped crying. She crossed her arms, raised her head, and flashed a smug smile, completely unlike her usual expressionless face:

“Hmph~ How’s that? Now you know what I’m capable of, right?”

“…”

(What’s wrong with this person? Can I hit her? I can, right? I have to, don’t I!)

Seeing her stop crying instantly and switch from sorrow to glee so quickly, Ash’s eyes twitched as his fists unconsciously clenched.