Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 122: Kanne's Way of Repaying a Gratitude

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Unlike the imagined friend who would heroically come to her rescue, it was the very same uncle who had swindled her at noon who appeared beside the corpse-luring bird.

Before she could even process her surprise—

Boom!

"—Ugh!?"

As Ash landed firmly, a deafening sonic boom erupted a beat later, causing Kanne to instinctively cover her ears, squeeze her eyes shut, and let out a scream.

When she finally opened her eyes, the oppressive weight on her body was gone.

The massive corpse-luring bird that had pinned her down lay lifeless nearby, its enormous form disintegrating into shimmering magic particles.

Yet, she had no idea what had just happened. Everything had occurred so quickly that she hadn't even caught a glimpse of the action.

But the figure standing before her—the one who had swept in like a gust of wind and driven away her despair—seemed so vivid and real. Despite herself, she couldn't look away from the person she had been so wary of earlier.

"Um... Sorry, I'm late?" Ash said, noticing the tears in her eyes. Realizing the child had been terrified, he shook his head with a wry smile and extended a hand toward her. "Can you stand?"

"Of course..."

Kanne vigorously wiped at her tear-streaked face, hesitated for a moment, then cautiously took his hand. With his help, she stood up.

Even as she held his hand, her face was still etched with shock. This seemed to annoy Ash slightly. With a faint grin, he reached out and ruffled her soft orange hair.

"There, there. Good girl~"

"...I told you, I'm not a pet," Kanne muttered, her tone tinged with mild annoyance at the strange treatment.

"Don't sweat the small stuff. I'm just trying to calm you down," Ash replied nonchalantly.

"Thank you... but it's not a small thing."

Although their exchange echoed the one they'd had earlier that day, Kanne's dissatisfaction wasn't as strong this time. She didn't even push his hand away. Instead, she turned her gaze to the forest's edge, her expression frustrated as she sat on a protruding cliff.

With a soft sigh, the girl muttered to herself, 'Uncle... you're really amazing, huh?'

"Not bad," Ash said modestly as he sat down beside her. After a moment of thought, he sighed and said, "But no matter how strong you are, your relationship with Lawine has always been good."

"...Because I've always been a coward, unable to act when it really mattered," Kanne admitted, her voice quiet. "Even though Lawine is so blunt, she's always guided me."

Perhaps because Lawine wasn't present, or perhaps because she had unconsciously called out the name of her dependable friend, Kanne spoke candidly:

"It's thanks to Lawine that I realized... no matter how scary things get, as long as you keep moving forward, there's always a way to overcome them."

"That's not bad~ Sounds like an enviable friendship," Ash remarked with a small smile.

"...Aren't you and Frieren close?"

"Well, we've known each other for a long time," Ash replied, leaning back slightly. "She's a troublesome girl, but she can be endearing sometimes... though she holds grudges way too much, which is a real pain."

"Hey~ Isn't Frieren really mature?" Kanne turned her head in surprise.

Ash let out a sharp laugh and shook his head. "What are you even thinking? She's way more childish than you'd expect. If you call me 'uncle,' I'll just flick your forehead. But if you call her old three times, she'll cry for three days and nights—and she'll make sure you regret it."

"You must be lying, right? Uncle is definitely lying!" Kanne exclaimed, her voice filled with suspicion.

"Why would I lie to you?" Ash retorted, feigning innocence. "And haven't I told you before? I'm already a gentle and kind person. Frieren is the real troublemaker here."

He spoke ill of Frieren without hesitation, though his words weren't entirely malicious. They were more like candid truths unknown to others.

Kanne, forgetting her earlier worries, giggled in amusement. Seeing this, Ash reached out and grabbed her ponytail.

"Come to think of it... You were in a bad mood earlier, so I let it slide. But now you're calling me 'uncle' again, aren't you?"

"Uncle, that's too much! Who grabs a girl's hair like that?" she protested, her cheeks puffing slightly in indignation.

"It's fine. I didn't use any force."

"It doesn't hurt, but it's weird! I feel weird too!" Kanne huffed, her tone tinged with disbelief. "Uncle... You're not seriously treating me like a pet, are you?"

"Nothing like that," Ash replied vaguely, turning his gaze away. "It's just... interesting."

Kanne sighed in exasperation, though she couldn't help but laugh. "Now that I think about it, Uncle is unexpectedly funny~"

"...Don't call me uncle," Ash grumbled.

"Speaking of which, Uncle..." Kanne's eyes darted around him, scanning his surroundings. After a moment, she tilted her head in confusion. "Where's your cage?"

"Cage? Uh...?" Ash patted his waist, his expression shifting as he realized the cage was missing. Covering his mouth, he muttered, "Oops... I came too hastily. I must've forgotten it."

"—How could you forget something so important?! Go back and look for it quickly!" Kanne exclaimed, rising to her feet in alarm.

But Ash pressed her shoulders, gently pushing her back down. "Forget it. It's already dark, and there's nowhere to look now. Besides, you don't have anything urgent to do right now, so it's fine."

"…Can something like this really just be left like that?"

"I don't care."

"This is the first-class magician exam! What are you even here for?" Although she was exasperated by his nonchalant attitude, Kanne couldn't help but feel a warmth in her heart when she met his kind gaze.

Turning her face away, she spoke softly, "But... no matter what, I have to thank you, Uncle."

"No, no. Before that, shouldn't you apologize to me first? You're still calling me 'uncle,' aren't you?"

"Yes, then..." Kanne shook her head with a small laugh at his peculiar concern, but her expression softened. She reached out, placing her hand over his on her shoulder.

After a brief pause, she leaned back slightly, her movements tentative. Under Ash's curious gaze, she turned her face away, her cheeks flushed, and whispered in a voice barely audible, "…If it's just a light touch, it's not... completely unacceptable..."

"??? What do you mean?"

"You know... you've been talking about wanting to touch my belly, haven't you?" Kanne stammered, her voice flustered. "So... if it's just a little, then... maybe..."

"Huh? Is this really happening?"

Though the idea had crossed his mind earlier as a playful thought—after all, rubbing a pet's belly wasn't anything unusual—Ash never imagined Kanne would actually agree to it.

Especially considering how opposed she'd been to being treated like a pet just moments ago.

Now she was not only willing to expose her belly but also agreeing to let him touch it?

"After all..." Kanne muttered, her voice quivering. "Didn't Uncle save my life? I'd better repay that favor quickly... Otherwise, who knows? You might make some even stranger requests."

The wind tousled Ash's hair as he stared at her, while Kanne, her eyes squeezed shut and her heart pounding like a drum, braced herself nervously for the impending contact.