Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 99.5: Growth·The Elves Almost Frozen to Death

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Frieren, still observing the room, sighed in exasperation and nudged him. "Why are you overanalyzing? Just get inside already!"

"Sorry, sorry, I forgot you were still cold…" Ash apologized casually as he subconsciously stepped into the room.

But before he could take another step, Fern grabbed him by the back of his collar and yanked him back outside. Closing the door firmly, Fern began lecturing him with an unexpectedly harsh tone:

"Master Ash! Master Frieren! Let's find another place!"

"Why?" Ash asked, puzzled.

"Because there's a pervert in there!"

"…You really have a knack for being harsh, even when it's not directed at me. Is this because of a lack of proper education?"

Ash lowered his head slightly, turning to Frieren in his arms as though seeking agreement. However, she returned his gaze with a sharp glare.

"Why are you looking at me? This is your problem," she shot back icily.

"Fine, let's just—" Ash began, but before he could finish, the door reopened.

The shirtless man stepped out into the snowstorm, his gaze sweeping over the trio who hadn't yet moved on.

"—I didn't expect to be called a pervert!" he said indignantly before his attention turned to Frieren. "Wait… are you an elf?"

"Huh?" It was only then that Frieren noticed the man's own pointed ears. Ash, intrigued, raised an eyebrow.

"I have to say… I'm surprised too. I didn't know there were uncles among elves."

"Because I've lived a long time," the elf man replied with a hint of pride. "Speaking of humans and elves…" He trailed off, his expression turning serious as his gaze shifted between Ash and Frieren. "It's better if you two separate soon. No one will be happy if this continues."

"Separate?" Ash blinked, looking slightly amused. "You're unexpectedly old-fashioned."

"It's not about being old-fashioned." The elf man stepped forward, his tone grave. "I've lived long enough to see my fellow tribesmen suffer through centuries of regret. I don't want the same for you."

"Well, isn't it a bit rude to say something like that so suddenly?" Ash countered, his tone still casual.

"Because you're leaving, aren't you?" the man replied bluntly. "If I don't say it now, I won't get another chance."

"That may be true, but…"

"What?" the elf man interrupted. "Do you still refuse to consider separating? Aren't you thinking about the future?"

"No, what I want to say," Ash clarified, suppressing a chuckle, "is that Frieren and I are not in that kind of relationship."

"…Why didn't you say so earlier?" The man froze for a moment, staring blankly before throwing his hands in the air in frustration. "Shouldn't you have denied it from the start? Why argue with me so seriously about it?!"

"Because it seemed interesting," Ash replied with a smirk. "Besides, I was just about to ask you—aren't you cold, standing here bare-chested in the snow? Isn't your sweat freezing?"

"—Do I even need to answer that? Of course I'm freezing!"

The elf man shivered visibly as his indignation melted into sheer discomfort. His loud complaints echoed through the snowstorm.

Frieren and Fern, having stayed silent throughout the bizarre exchange, exchanged a glance before closing their eyes with identical sighs of exasperation. Neither showed any intention of stepping into the argument.

If possible, they both thought, it would be better not to associate with either of these fools—one who's earnestly advising on non-existent issues, and the other who's seriously debating over them.

---

The cabin itself stood quietly in the woods, its origins unknown to any of them.

Frieren squatted beside the roaring fireplace, her face glowing with satisfaction as the warmth chased away the lingering chill.

The elf man, now clothed and visibly humbled, sat nearby, still shivering as he watched Fern pack their belongings. His voice trembled as he spoke:

"Little girl… thank you for lighting the fire. I lost mine while climbing the mountain. If I hadn't run into magicians like you… I don't know how much longer I would've had to keep exercising just to stay warm. I might've even frozen to death."

"You're welcome..." Fern, who still harbored some reservations about the strange-sounding elf uncle, subtly shifted away, using Ash as a shield to avoid eye contact.

Ash noticed and chuckled, patting Fern's shoulder. "You look pretty strong. Why didn't you just rub two sticks together to make a fire? How did you end up in this mess?"

"Rub two sticks together? Seriously… Who do you think made me resort to such desperation?" The elf uncle shot back, his expression a mix of frustration and exhaustion.

Ash, however, merely glanced out at the heavy snowfall beyond the window, completely unfazed. "Blame the weather. And maybe the fact that you were running around shirtless in a snowstorm."

"…There's another important point you're avoiding," the uncle muttered, his tone still tinged with irritation. "Why don't you just say it outright?"

"Really? Oh, you mean how you started lecturing me without fully understanding the situation?"

"Look, I admit I overreacted," the elf uncle grumbled. "But you could've clarified things from the beginning instead of dragging it out."

"But you didn't ask in the beginning, did you?" Ash countered with a sly grin. "You just jumped straight to conclusions, lecturing me about how humans and elves don't work well together. I was only humoring you within the context you established. At no point did I say Frieren and I were a couple, did I?"

"…That's true."

With no real counterargument, the elf uncle let out a defeated sigh and slumped his shoulders. The weight of his own misjudgment left him visibly deflated.

By the fireplace, Frieren, now thoroughly warmed up, chuckled softly and shook her head. "Don't take what he says too seriously. He's just bored most of the time and loves messing with people. Honestly, this guy's just a little bad. That's all."

"...Just a little bad?" The uncle looked at her with a mix of confusion and disbelief.

Ash, crouching down near the fire, picked up two pieces of wood and a dagger. Ignoring the ongoing banter, he began shaving off wood chips and crafting a makeshift wooden awl under the curious gazes of the group.

"Alright," he said, smiling. "As an apology, let me teach you how to start a fire without magic. It's a handy trick if you ever lose your flame again."

"…Start a fire? Just with wood?" the elf uncle asked skeptically.

"Of course! Watch closely."

Ash pressed the wooden awl against the wood and began spinning it rapidly with his hands. The friction generated enough heat that white smoke began to rise, and soon the area turned charred. After blowing gently on the wood chips, they ignited into a small flame.

Everyone watching stood frozen, wide-eyed in astonishment.

"How… how did you do that?" the elf uncle stammered. "You mean you can just spin it like that and blow on it to make fire?"

"Friction increases the temperature at the contact point," Ash explained nonchalantly. "When it gets hot enough to reach the wood's ignition point, it'll catch fire. Usually, you'd need tools to do this, but it's not impossible by hand—just takes practice."

"I… I don't fully understand," the elf uncle admitted, staring at Ash in awe. "But are you some kind of genius?" His previous frustration seemed to vanish entirely, replaced with admiration.

Even Fern clapped enthusiastically from the side. "As expected of Master Ash! You always come up with the most brilliant ideas!"

"…Indeed," Frieren added begrudgingly. "Even though he's so frivolous, he does have moments of surprising ingenuity. His inventions are always oddly practical."

"Well, anyway…" Ash interrupted with a grin, brushing off the compliments. He extended his hand toward the elf uncle. "Let's start over. I'm Ash. What's your name?"

"Monk Kraft, meeting you at this moment must surely be the guidance of the goddess," Ash said with a faint smile. As he spoke, Kraft instinctively reached for the pendant of the goddess hanging from his neck.

Kraft frowned slightly, his expression caught between skepticism and curiosity. "The goddess…"

"Don't tell me you don't believe?"

"No, I do."

"Really? You look at this pendant like it's scrap metal," Kraft said, eyeing him critically. "You have no respect at all. Frankly, I've never met anyone with less faith than you." He touched the pendant again, his face a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

Ash shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not just how it looks. To me, this thing really is no different from scrap metal."

"Then why do you wear it?"

"Because the goddess hates me."

"How could that be? The goddess is gentle and kind."

Ash chuckled dryly. "Gentle and kind, huh? Well, I can't use the holy book, and healing magic barely works on me half the time."

"…In a way, that's almost impressive." Kraft stared at him, baffled. After a moment of silence, he frowned. "Did you… do something?"

Ash smirked. "When I was a kid, I got drunk and threw up on the goddess's statue."

"…When you were a child?" Kraft asked, his brow furrowing further. "If that's the case, surely the goddess would have forgiven you by now, right?"

Ash waved his hand dismissively. "Let's not dwell on unhappy things. Speaking of which, aside from Frieren, I haven't seen another elf in a long time."

"…Neither have I," Kraft admitted, sensing Ash's reluctance to continue the topic. Deciding not to press further, he nodded as the group began to exchange introductions.

---

The night passed uneventfully after everyone had introduced themselves.

However, since Kraft had lost his supplies, Ash lent him his own sheets. Frieren and Fern shared a bed, while Ash and Kraft each claimed a spot on the wooden floor near the fireplace.

But late at night, Frieren, sleeping soundly, shifted in her sleep and inadvertently rolled to one side, leaving Fern exposed to the cold air. Fern curled up instinctively, shivering from the chill.

Ash, who had been quietly practicing magic, noticed and rose without hesitation. He took the sheets that originally belonged to Fern and gently covered her with them.

"…You're still just a child," he murmured softly, a small smile tugging at his lips. He reached out and lightly stroked her long, purple hair before returning to his spot. He resumed his meditation, ensuring Fern had settled and stopped shaking before he fully focused on his practice again.

As a demon, Ash's body rarely succumbed to fatigue. Ever since he had gained the ability to transform, maintaining his human form consumed minimal energy. Even without sleep for a week, he could remain as sharp as ever. To him, wasting time on rest was unnecessary unless absolutely needed.

---

Unbeknownst to Ash, Fern had woken up the moment he covered her with the sheets. After all, there was a stranger in the room, and her instincts had kept her alert. But when she felt the familiar warmth of Ash's touch and the gentle motion as he stroked her hair, she chose to remain still, feigning sleep.

The warmth in his palm, so comforting and familiar, made her yearn to stay like this a little longer. Without realizing it, she allowed herself to relax, sinking into the moment.

When Ash finally moved away and sat cross-legged to resume his practice, Fern peeked at him from beneath the covers. Her gaze lingered on his figure, her expression tinged with complexity. She unconsciously clenched the warm sheets he had left behind, holding onto the lingering trace of his kindness.

She couldn't understand. Ash was already so strong—why did he push himself so relentlessly, practicing magic and martial arts with unwavering determination? What was he preparing to fight against?

More than anything, she wondered if she could ever truly help him. The thought left her feeling small and uncertain.

Still, as she watched him, her heart filled with a quiet wish. She hoped that one day, she could be of use to him. And if she could make an extra wish, it would be this: that they could remain like this, together, forever.