Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 145: The Devoured Frieren

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Frieren, who received genuine praise from her companions for the first time, was so overjoyed that her eyes lit up with excitement. She stood up abruptly, grabbed Ash's hand, and exclaimed:

"—Ash, don't you see? You truly are worthy of being my best friend! From this moment on, we're lifelong friends again!"

"Although I don't know what we were before, I don't mind. You'll probably change your words soon anyway," Ash replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Huh? What do you mean by 'again'?" Frieren blinked a few times, her expression blank with confusion.

"It's fine, just get moving and stop wasting time here. I'm waiting too," Ash said calmly. Gently pulling his hand free from hers, he placed both hands firmly on her shoulders, as if to encourage her, and spoke with confidence:

"Your experience as a magician must be telling you there's a magic book inside, right? So trust yourself, Frieren! I also believe in you who believes in yourself!"

"Ash…"

Her face lit up with joy, and her eyes shimmered with emotion. Even though no one had believed in her for so long, Ash's unwavering trust touched her deeply, almost bringing her to tears.

In that moment, the bond of friendship and mutual understanding between the two subtly grew in the dim light of the labyrinth.

Frieren wiped the corners of her eyes and, overcome with emotion, covered her face as she whispered, "...After so many years—ten centuries! After so much time, someone finally believes in my judgment. Today… finally! Finally, someone understands that I'm right!"

"…Lady Frieren," Fern interjected, a look of disapproval on her face. "I don't want to burst your bubble, but if no one has believed you in all these years, have you ever considered that you might just be wrong?"

Though the moment seemed heartfelt between Frieren and Ash, Fern's blunt remark soured the mood slightly.

However, Frieren, now buoyed by someone's belief in her, was undeterred. She puffed out her chest and confidently shot back:

"—How could it possibly be my fault? If I don't even believe in myself, how could I have reached this happy moment now?"

"…If this is happiness, why don't you change your approach? That way, you'd surely gain more recognition and even more happiness," Fern suggested, her tone tinged with exasperation.

"Because I believe in my choice!"

"And you don't have time to trust the appraisal?"

"—Not at all!"

Frieren, who had always carried herself with unwavering confidence, now seemed even more assured with Ash's encouragement. Her firm gaze made Fern question whether she was the one who was wrong, or if Frieren's belief in herself was truly justified.

At the same time, Fern couldn't understand why Frieren, who seemed to distrust the results of magical appraisals, continued to perform them religiously. After all, she always announced the results anyway.

While the two were at an impasse, Sense turned toward Ash and quietly asked, her voice low with curiosity:

"Master Ash, has she ever truly succeeded? Or… is there some kind of flaw in modern identification magic?"

"Well…" Ash hesitated, pulling Sense aside to explain in a quieter tone. "Actually, identification magic is almost never wrong. The probability of a mistake is less than one percent, but when you perform hundreds of appraisals, that one mistake is bound to show up eventually."

Sense fell silent for a moment, processing the strange logic, before asking, "Do you really think it's worth believing in that less-than-one-percent hope? It doesn't seem like something you'd normally do."

"You're absolutely right about me," Ash admitted.

"Then… if the odds are so low, why do you still encourage her?"

"Because if she doesn't do this, she'll stay stuck, worrying endlessly in front of that treasure chest monster," Ash replied with a faint smile.

"Ah… but maybe, after this, Frieren will finally give up?" Sense asked hesitantly, Ash's response beginning to make sense. She realized that Ash wasn't genuinely invested in Frieren's actions—he was just too bothered to argue and subconsciously went along with her. But…

Seeing Sense's frowning face, Ash gave her a helpless smile and gently shook his head. "A normal person might give up, but… I've never seen her do so."

"Huh? Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Then… what's the point of staying silent?"

"I don't know her exact age, but I really hope she finishes quickly and doesn't waste too much time here. After all, there are plenty of treasure chest monsters in this dungeon. If she keeps dragging things out like this, who knows how long it'll take. Honestly, it might be easier if she just gets swallowed up early and saves us all the trouble."

He spread his hands in exasperation, his blunt response leaving Sense speechless in the dim corner of the maze.

After a long silence, Sense, unable to defend Frieren any further, glanced at the girl squatting in front of the treasure chest and murmured, "What a strange person."

The others were equally at a loss when it came to Frieren, but she remained oblivious to their feelings.

Bolstered by Ash's encouragement, she grew even more enthusiastic. Ignoring Fern's repeated warnings, she turned back to the treasure chest, looked over her shoulder at Ash, and gave him a confident smile. Her voice calm and full of determination, she declared:

"Ash… trust me. If you believe in me, I won't let you down."

"Alright, I believe you," Ash replied. "Now hurry up and open it."

"Okay! Now's the time to witness a miracle!"

At Ash's urging, Frieren grinned brightly and, with all her strength, flung the treasure chest open. But the instant she did, the chest—revealed to be a treasure chest monster—sprang to life, its mouth opening wide and swallowing her upper body in one swift motion.

Her grand proclamation ended abruptly.

In the dim and silent dead end, the only sound that remained was the unsettling noise of the treasure chest monster chewing.

The other two, Fern and Sense, stood frozen in shock, unable to react. Frieren, whose upper body had been swallowed, remained quiet for a brief moment before breaking into frantic cries. She twisted her hips and kicked her legs wildly, screaming:

"—It's so dark! So scary! Ahh~! Uwaaaah~! It's so dark! So scary! Ash! Fern! Help me! Let me out! It's so dark! It's so scary~! Uwaaaah!! Ash! Fern!"

As Fern, still stunned, rushed forward to try and pull her out, Ash remained calm. He glanced at the equally stunned sense, then, with a blank expression, slapped Frieren's twisting backside.

"See, Sense?" he said dryly. "This is the inevitable result, isn't it?"

"Ah…" Sense was completely at a loss for words, unable to respond.

Frieren, feeling the slap, twisted her body even more violently and began kicking in Ash's direction.

"—Who? Who hit me? Ash?! It must've been you!" she shouted.

"How could it be me?" Ash replied flatly. "Actually, it was Fern who couldn't resist."

"…No way! Absolutely not! You're the only one who'd hit me when I'm being eaten!" she protested.

"Don't be ridiculous. Sometimes Flamme used to spar with me like this."

"—But my teacher's been dead for years! You're the only one left who would take advantage of a situation like this!" Frieren exclaimed, her tone filled with both certainty and indignation.

Despite her protests, no one at the scene could muster any sympathy for her. Even Fern couldn't help but scold her.

"If you knew this would happen, why did you still do it? Can't you learn a lesson for next time?" Fern said, exasperated.

"But it's only by pursuing that 1% chance—by acting like the great magicians who make historic discoveries—that we can uncover miracles! Do you think I got bitten because I liked it?" Frieren wailed.

"…But in the end, you didn't see through anything. You fell for the trap, didn't you?" Fern retorted, shaking her head in frustration.