Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 152: It's all Serie's fault

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Ash's calm demeanor in this moment was a stark contrast to how he acted when being chased by Serie. This left Sense confused, prompting her to ask:

"Have you... thought about how to face Lady Serie?"

"Of course! I never do anything I'm not prepared for." He pondered for a moment, patted the head of the replica pinned beneath him, and declared solemnly, "Let's leave here tomorrow."

"…Run away after causing trouble? How could you do this to Lady Frieren?" Fern was dumbfounded and couldn't help but lecture him.

"You can't solve a problem by running away, but you can definitely avoid it!" Ash replied casually.

"…So, you're saying that if you get into trouble, you'll leave me to deal with it alone?" Sense's usually expressionless face now wore an unhappy frown, anticipating the anger Serie would likely unleash.

"How could I abandon you? It'd be fine if you just eloped with me, right?" Ash teased with a grin.

"…Elope?" Sense, who had been annoyed just a moment ago, was now completely shocked by his sudden proposal.

Fern, however, could no longer hold back. Glaring down at Ash, who was sitting on the replica, she gave him a cold look.

"—Master Ash, I won't restrict your jokes, but there has to be a limit. Otherwise, it becomes… sexual harassment, doesn't it?"

"Given my relationship with Sense, this isn't a problem at all~" Ash responded nonchalantly.

"And what does Lord Sense think?" Fern asked, turning toward the petite girl.

Fern was caught off guard. Her eyes darted around before she lowered her head in embarrassment. "…I'm a little troubled..."

"—Sense??" Ash almost leaped off the replica in shock at her unexpected response.

"Aha~ You got rejected. Serves you right," Frieren chimed in gleefully, enjoying his misfortune.

Ash fell silent for a moment, then came up with a revised plan.

"…Well, this is all Frieren's fault. She and Serie don't get along anyway. If we just say a few bad things about her, Serie will definitely believe us."

"Hey, are you really planning to throw dirt on someone right in front of them?" Frieren asked incredulously.

"I'm just kidding. Even I wouldn't do that with someone watching."

"…You'd do it behind my back, though, wouldn't you?" Frieren asked, her voice heavy with exasperation. Knowing it was just retaliation, she sighed and gave up arguing further.

Fern stared at Ash with a blank expression that conveyed one clear message without words—Just wait until we get home.

Is she upset about the eloping comment? Or is it about the idea of badmouthing Frieren? It was just a joke, after all, Ash thought to himself.

---

Frieren and Fern didn't linger for long. As candidates, they soon proceeded to the deepest part of the dungeon.

Ash stayed behind, however, and Sense remained seated nearby, her expression filled with visible annoyance. She stared at him without speaking… or perhaps, she didn't know what to say.

Ash, unable to stand the silence any longer, finally spoke:

"…Why are you staring at me? If you have something to say, just say it."

"Why is my replica your chair? And… what exactly are your hands doing?"

"Don't misunderstand. It's just a bit lonely here with only the two of us, so I thought I'd keep her as a companion."

"A companion of the replica type?" Sense's frown deepened at the strange explanation. "…As the prototype, how should I feel about this?"

"It's fine. I can play with two of you. Actually, I prefer the feel of the main body, and… well, that's all there is to it."

In the end, to avoid being alienated and for the sake of his own reputation, Ash stopped speaking, offered an awkward smile, and used binding magic to secure the exhausted clone. He then tucked it under his arm like a parcel.

Standing up, he freed one hand and placed it gently on Sense's head, ruffling her ankle-length hair with a playful touch.

"…Master Ash, I've told you many times—I am not your pet."

Despite her words, her body trembled slightly under his excessive kneading, but Sense simply stared at him with her usual expressionless face. After a moment of silence, she lowered her eyes in mild exasperation and muttered, "And I'm not lonely or anything. I just think the way you've been treating my replica is really… not right."

"I'll take care of it," Ash replied nonchalantly.

"Really?"

"…When have I ever let you down in a serious matter?"

"But the key is whether you consider this a serious matter, right?" Sense's gaze was subtly complicated as she spoke.

Ash finally became more serious. He rubbed her hair lightly with his fingertips, met her eyes, and said slowly,

"Look, I know I sometimes make mistakes, and maybe I've cheated you here and there. But if you're saying I used the replica for profit, then I'd argue it's just a reasonable use of the rules. The exam doesn't prohibit helping each other. Both parties were willing and benefited from it. So, where's the harm in that?"

Sense remained silent, lowering her eyes as if contemplating his words. Her stillness gave the impression of a delicate puppet.

"When something goes wrong, you never say anything," Ash added, almost as if testing her.

"..."

"But don't worry. Even though I said all that, I'll still talk to Serie about it when we leave. Of course," he added with a teasing grin, "if it's elopement you're worried about, I'd be more than happy to oblige~."

"Master Ash…" Sense sighed in exasperation, her tone reflecting a mix of frustration and resignation.

"The second half of that was a joke," Ash clarified with a chuckle.

"I already knew that…" she replied, though her expression remained strangely conflicted.

Seeing her face, Ash hesitated for a moment, then continued in a reassuring tone,

"Don't overthink it. When Serie finds out, she'll blame me for everything anyway. She won't hold you responsible. So, for now, let's just agree it's all Serie's fault."

"You and Lady Serie seem to have a… special relationship," Sense commented, her tone cautious.

"She's a troublesome person, but I'm mature enough to tolerate her," Ash replied with mock dignity.

"…Is that so?" Sense tilted her head slightly, a strange expression on her face. Internally, she wondered if they weren't both equally troublesome.

She wanted to say more, but a new candidate approached from behind. Without a word, Sense turned and left quickly, hoping to avoid any misunderstandings that might arise from being seen with Ash, especially given their unusually close interaction.

While it wasn't truly problematic, the thought of such misunderstandings still made her uneasy.

From behind, Ash's voice reached her:

"—Really, don't worry. If anyone questions you about this, just say it was all my doing."

"...How can he say that…" Sense murmured softly, not turning back. Her tone was filled with exasperation, but despite herself, the corners of her mouth curved into a small, involuntary smile.