Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 143: Usual Bickerings

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As Denken described the encounter with the trap, the three of them kept their eyes fixed on Ash. Feeling their stares, Ash crossed his arms over his chest and met their gazes steadily, giving no explanation for the matter—neither for the trap nor for their near-death experience.

The three of them couldn't say anything to him. After all, he was the one who had solved the biggest problem and saved them in the end... even if they were almost crushed by the very mechanism he had triggered. Whether this could truly be considered a "life-saving act" was a matter of perspective.

The long and exhausting escape left their clothes drenched in sweat, and both Fern and Sense began to subtly notice an unpleasant odor. From time to time, they would discreetly sniff at their clothes, trying to gauge if it was as bad as they thought.

This unspoken behavior didn't escape Frieren, who was leaning against the wall, wiping sweat from her forehead as she caught her breath. Normally uninterested in such trivial matters, she couldn't help but be curious, especially since she had watched Fern grow up. After observing for a while, she finally asked, her tone teasing:

"Fern, why do you keep sniffing your clothes? Are you trying to figure out who smells worse?"

"——?!"

The moment those words left her mouth, the previously noisy corridor fell into an awkward silence. The atmosphere, which had been a mix of post-crisis relief and mild weirdness, suddenly turned inexplicably solemn. A faint tension, coupled with embarrassment, filled the air.

Sense opened her mouth slightly, as if to respond, but no words came out. Fern's face turned bright red, and her fists clenched tightly on her thighs as her shoulders tensed. She glared at Frieren, her embarrassment transforming into a simmering anger.

Realizing she might have said something inappropriate but not fully understanding why, Frieren blinked in confusion. Her eyes darted to Ash for support, and with a guilty expression, she tugged at the corner of his clothes, whispering, "Ash, help me out here…"

"But isn't this entirely your fault?" Ash replied flatly.

"Why?!" she exclaimed, shocked by his response. Feeling betrayed, she threw her arms out dramatically. "What did I even say? Did I say something bad? Or are you all mad because I was the fastest runner earlier? But that's always been the case! You can't suddenly get upset over it now!"

"...You're actually worse than me," Ash muttered under his breath, astonished at her ability to say such things so calmly.

At that moment, Fern's expression turned icy. "Lady Frieren," she said coldly, her tone heavy with formality, "we will have a serious discussion about this matter when we return."

"Ah, ah…" Frieren whimpered, startled by her sudden shift in demeanor. Feeling wronged, she moved closer to Ash, lowering her head as she muttered in a dissatisfied tone, "Ash… this is all your fault."

"No? How is this my fault? Be reasonable!" Ash shot back, exasperated.

"It's your fault for not telling me what was going on with them in the first place!" she argued.

"If I told you earlier, I'd be the one they're mad at now! So, no thanks. Don't drag me into this."

Annoyed by her self-centeredness, Ash moved to the front, trying to put some distance between himself and her to avoid further arguments—or worse, unintentionally drawing more ire from Fern and Sense.

But Frieren, still puzzled and unwilling to let it go, followed him. The more she thought about it, the less sense it made. Frowning, she asked again, "Why? I really don't get it."

Ash stopped, letting out a helpless sigh. Turning back to face her, he smiled faintly and placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair like she was a wayward child—or perhaps like someone humoring an immortal being incapable of understanding mortal nuances. Shaking her head lightly, he said, "It's fine. Sometimes staying like this—clueless and carefree—is your charm. Just leave it be and don't overthink things."

"…It's bad enough that you won't explain anything," Frieren grumbled, puffing out her cheeks. "But now you're making fun of me too? You're the worst!"

Frieren slapped Ash's hand away in dissatisfaction, grumbling as she tidied her messy hair. Although her heart still held many questions and concerns, she reluctantly set them aside for the moment because...

"There must be something interesting waiting for us. Let's cheer up and move forward together," she said with determination. After fixing her hair, she strode ahead, her mind already filled with excitement over the possibility of discovering a magic book deep within the dungeon. Her focus shifted entirely to exploring the maze.

Her swift recovery surprised the three of them. Fern, who had initially intended to speak with her properly, instinctively quickened her pace to follow.

Just as she was about to catch up, She suddenly seemed to recall something. She turned to look at Ash, then grabbed Frieren's hand: "Wait a moment, Lady Frieren."

"What's the matter?" Frieren asked warily, her voice tinged with guilt, as if worried she were a child about to be scolded.

Seeing her defensive reaction, fern shook her head and sighed. "I'm not trying to lecture you. I just think you should treat Master Ash's wound."

"Ah, if it's that serious, can't I just spit on it and wipe it clean?" Frieren quipped. She raised her right hand toward Ash, signaling him to crouch down. Without much thought, her casual tone gave the impression she might slap him like a parent disciplining a child.

Fern, stunned by her nonchalance, froze for a moment before suddenly pulling her back.

"—Wait a minute! What...what are you planning to do?!"

"Relax, I'm just kidding," Frieren replied with a grin as she reached into her bag and pulled out a roll of gauze.

"...Why didn't you bring the Holy Scripture but brought this instead?" Fern asked, her confusion evident.

"If we find something valuable, the gauze can be used to make a backpack," she answered matter-of-factly.

"...What kind of bizarre skill is that? Please bring the Holy Scripture next time!" Fern shot back, exasperated.

"But I only know very basic goddess magic," she admitted sheepishly. "The healing effect is practically nonexistent…"

Even though Frieren claimed to be joking, Fern, as expected, launched into a direct lecture.

Ash, naturally, did not involve himself in the argument and simply stayed back, letting it play out. Sense followed silently, her gaze flickering to the wound on Ash's face. She seemed to recognize what might have caused it, though she chose to remain quiet.