Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 146: Strange Trust

___

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

"A small failure! It can happen to anyone, but you can't give up everything just because of a small failure!"

Frieren's whole body was soft, and her butt was also soft when she was spanked, but her words remained as stubborn as ever.

This made Ash casually pat Fern's head and shake it, saying, "From the actual situation, you've been caught more than once. It's better to say that I've seen it happen hundreds of times."

"Anyway! It will definitely work this time! And… you spanked me again, didn't you? And lied to me again?! You liar! You traitor! I will never forgive you this time!" Frieren shouted, struggling fiercely as she gnashed her teeth.

"Last time, you promised me that the church would stand on my side next time! You treacherous bastard! Now you're betraying me again and again!"

"...Although I did agree to that, you have to consider the actual situation. How can I stand by you after something like this? It's easier for you because you're a girl. If I said something similar, I'd definitely end up in a much worse situation than you," Ash replied, letting out a heavy sigh.

If he foolishly told Fern and Sense what they were truly concerned about, Ash doubted they'd hesitate to start a fight with him. For that reason alone, he couldn't stand by Frieren's side in this matter, even though he had originally intended to keep his promise.

Though he felt she deserved it, Fern couldn't help but pity Frieren as she looked so pitiful while being spanked. While holding her legs and trying to pull her out, Fern turned to Ash and pleaded: "Master Ash, please let her off for now and help me pull her out quickly?"

"Fern, it's because you always pamper her like this that she acts recklessly and never learns her lesson," Ash replied, shaking his head.

"I'll give her a good scolding when we get back! So hurry up and help me!" Fern insisted.

"…No, I think I'll leave first," Ash said calmly.

"Master Ash?!"

"Actually, don't bother pulling her out. Push her further in. That way, the treasure chest monster will feel uncomfortable and spit her out," Ash suggested nonchalantly.

Without looking back, he left the scene, clearly not wanting to deal with Frieren's tantrum later.

Fern stood there in a daze for a long time, processing the strange little trick. She wondered how many times she had pulled Frieren out in the past, all while considering Ash's method with half belief and half doubt.

She pushed Frieren further in, lightly pounding her head against the inside of the treasure chest monster as if she were pounding garlic.

Suddenly, there was a "puff" sound, similar to the sound of a cork popping out of a bottle. The treasure chest monster finally spat Frieren out.

"…Fern, where's Ash? I won't let him go this time!" Frieren groaned as she fell to the ground, clutching her sore buttocks and looking around for the man who had taken advantage of her misfortune.

Fern stood there, still dazed, while Sense, who had not followed Ash, stared blankly at Frieren. When she turned to Sense for answers, she simply raised her hand and pointed toward the intersection where they had come from.

But now, there wasn't even a trace of Ash—no figure, no sound of footsteps.

"Damn it… He escaped first. I knew that guy was so cunning from beginning to end!" Frieren muttered angrily, rubbing her sore buttocks as frustration made her grind her teeth. Unfortunately, for the time being, there was nothing she could do about him.

Fern sighed and shook her head, her expression resembling that of a parent scolding a mischievous child. She took out a handkerchief and began wiping Frieren's hair while asking:

"Come to think of it, Lady Frieren, you just said that after ten centuries, someone finally believed you. Was there anyone else a thousand years ago?"

"...It was still Ash, and Master," Frieren replied, sitting on the ground with her arms folded across her chest. She turned her face away angrily, naming the two people she was most familiar with.

But this answer only deepened Fern's confusion.

"…?" Since she had fallen for the same trick before, why would she fall for it again? Fern's mind was spinning with questions.

"What impolite thoughts are you having with that look in your eyes?" Frieren snapped.

"…Does Lady Frieren's master truly believe in Lady Frieren?" Fern asked hesitantly.

"No… Master was just as much of a bastard as Ash," Frieren muttered, her voice dripping with irritation. This wasn't the first time she'd been tricked in this way, and she knew the reason all too well. A thousand years ago, her Master and Ash had taken turns using the same excuse.

Whenever they were caught by her, their pleas for mercy were eerily identical. They both found her hesitation in front of the treasure chest monsters too bothersome and thought it was better for her to be swallowed quickly.

After recounting this, Frieren muttered with a sullen expression, "Master is no longer around to take revenge on, but Ash… I won't let him off so easily. This time, I'll settle all the old and new scores together. Yes, he'll pay for Master's share too!"

Even though she fell for their tricks every time, her anger toward the two of them never diminished. This perplexed Sense, who tilted her head in confusion, blinking her wide eyes several times. She simply couldn't understand—if Frieren was so aware of why others lied to her, why did she keep falling for the same trick?

It must be because too much time had passed—after a thousand years, perhaps she had simply forgotten.

Sense couldn't think of any other explanation.

___

After spanking Frieren for the first time in a while, Ash, feeling oddly refreshed, made his way deeper into the dungeon to search for Kanne, Lawine, and the others.

While he acknowledged that it wasn't exactly commendable to toy with Frieren's trust after a thousand years and let her feel happy for nothing, he rationalized that if it taught her a lesson and prevented her from being swallowed by treasure chest monsters again, it might be worth it.

"…But if she could change, wouldn't she have done so a thousand years ago?" Ash murmured to himself.

As for why Frieren hadn't even the slightest hint of caution, it was probably because she sincerely believed every time that the treasure chest was genuine.

So, why should she be wary of treasure chests? And as for learning a lesson… how can a gambler learn one?

How many gamblers truly change after making mistakes? Even if they've lost everything, most gamblers would still gamble without hesitation.

This was true for ordinary gamblers, let alone a veteran gambler like Frieren.

Every time she was tricked, it was always the same. Because of this, after some brief annoyance, Ash simply set aside any guilt and gave up on the idea of helping Frieren grow up.

However, as Ash searched for the other candidates, he found no sign of them. Instead, he stumbled across Sense in another open area of the dungeon.

Unfortunately, it was just a clone. Her hair, which was already unusually long, had grown even longer, almost unnaturally so. Her entire figure appeared to float eerily in midair.

If described in words, the scene would inevitably evoke an unsettling blend of absurdity and ominousness.

__________

__________

Note 1: As promised, I will be uploading 3 chapters a day for this week. Today, I'll be uploading 4 chapters because you've also earned 2 extra chapters—1 will be uploaded today, and the other tomorrow.

Now, here's a new mission for this week:

Mission: "The Power Stones Ascent"

Objective: Climb as high as possible in the power ranking system and maintain the spot for a week.

Rewards:

Rank 1-5: 3 chapters a day

Rank 6-12: 2 chapters a day

Rank 13-20: 4 extra chapters

Punishment: If we fail to reach at least the top 20, you'll only get 1 chapter a day.

_________

_________

Note 2: What do you guys think about this week's mission? Pretty good, right (for me, at least)? If you want those rewards, keep throwing power stones like your life depends on it! Mwahaha—cough cough!