Frieren 06

Title: A Peace Disturbed

Ash spoke casually, showing he wasn’t concerned about Aura. This left the old village chief in a difficult spot, standing hesitantly by his side, unsure of what to say.

But Ash didn’t care much. He stood up and walked straight toward the village, saying without looking back, “Don’t worry too much. If she’s really hungry, she’ll come out on her own.”

“I-Is that so?”

“That’s how it is.”

Shrugging indifferently, Ash didn’t explain further and headed to the front of the house the villagers had voluntarily built for them last year.

The villagers he passed along the way greeted him with smiles.

Inside the house, food was already set on the dining table. The middle-aged woman in charge of cooking was about to leave, and Ash nodded at her with a smile:

“The weather’s getting cold, Master Ash and Miss Aura should eat while it’s warm.”

“Thank you.”

Ash gave a slight nod, then sat at the table and ate alone, too lazy to call Aura… After all, if he disturbed her, the girl would get mad.

On the rough wooden table was simple food.

Coarse bread, homemade cheese, roasted meat, and fresh vegetables. It couldn’t be called delicious, but it was far better than the wild life he’d lived in the past.

Ash enjoyed his dinner quietly, his face showing little expression, but his eyes radiated satisfaction and tranquility. He seemed quite content with his current situation.

Yet, in the midst of this peaceful and serene atmosphere, dusk slowly crept into the room, hinting at an approaching storm.

The wind outside began to blow gently, rustling the leaves and creating a whispering sound, as if nature was murmuring something.

Of course, Ash knew that trouble would arise when humans and demons coexisted. The only question was when that trouble would come… No one knew.

So, he didn’t dwell on it too much, remaining immersed in this quiet dinner, savoring the moment of peace and calm.

And the trouble he feared finally arrived one autumn afternoon, though… it wasn’t what he had imagined.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

On an autumn afternoon, the sunlight turned soft and warm, and the air felt slightly cool.

The sky was blue and vast, with a few white clouds drifting calmly. In the distance, farmers were busy harvesting. Nearby, cows and sheep lounged. Occasionally, the sounds of insects and birds could be heard.

Everything was so peaceful that Ash couldn’t help but lie on a pile of hay, basking in the sun and taking a nap.

But… in his half-asleep state, someone suddenly kicked his shoulder.

He opened his eyes and saw Aura, now eighteen but not much changed in appearance, standing before him.

Aura looked down at Ash, her brows furrowed. “Don’t sleep. There’s trouble.”

“What do you mean?”

“The demon wolf working with the hunters got killed.”

“…Really?”

Ash got up from the ground, wondering if it was the work of humans, monsters, or demons… Amid the breeze mixed with the scent of wheat and flowers, he caught the smell of blood.

His ears quickly picked up the sound of hoofbeats and panicked shouts from afar. He immediately stood and looked toward the noise.

He saw a group of cavalry with blood-stained weapons, riding horses from a nearby field.

From their banner, it was the emblem of the Teldon Kingdom’s forces, the enemy of the Tadd Kingdom, where they currently resided.

To survive attacks from wild beasts around the forest, the cavalry conducting this surprise raid near the border was fully armed.

At the tip of the lead cavalry’s spear hung a familiar figure, Julius, the young hunter. He was one of the war orphans who had fled here to escape the war and had just come of age.

“Even though you always tried to avoid war, in the end… you couldn’t escape it? How pitiful.”

Ash narrowed his eyes slightly, musing calmly, and took the longsword handed to him by the trembling village chief.

Compared to the others, the village chief couldn’t stay calm at all. He said anxiously, “M-Master Ash… please protect us!”

“…I can only do my best.”

In the medieval era, there was essentially no ethics in warfare. Of course, actual wars were also hard to conduct ethically, but in this era, it was more apparent… For the victors, rape, looting, and massacring towns were commonplace.

Slaughtering border villages and towns to create panic, destroy the enemy’s economic foundation and social order, weaken their morale and strength, was a very common tactic. It also literally delighted the soldiers.

None of this was surprising, but… their presence as a foreign race in this village created a greater contrast and drama.

“Why are there demons in this village, and so many monsters too…” The cavalry officer named Maynard, leading over thirty cavalry to sweep the area, saw the monsters and beasts beside the village, as well as Aura next to Ash. His expression wasn’t great.

And the mage beside him observed the village, noticing a not-too-strong magical reaction, and said proudly:

“It’s fine, Sir Maynard. That demon and the mage beside her seem to be novices. These monsters are ordinary too, just common species around here. They only win with numbers.”

“…Are the demons farming humans, or are humans farming demons?” The officer named Maynard muttered, then dismissed it and swung his sword downward: “—Kill them all!!”

“Eat them.”

Aura, who had experienced many battles in the forest, wasn’t fazed at all. She commanded her puppets with a cold expression.

The hooves of the horses trampled the fields, kicking up dust. The horde of beasts around the village also charged forward.