Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 173: Promise· Solitar's Surprise

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"…Is it really the world's fault?" he muttered to himself, subconsciously pushing the question aside and deciding not to dwell on it any longer.

Just as he stepped out of the courtyard, he spotted Fern leaning against the wall outside, as if waiting for something.

Instinctively, he took two steps to the side, hoping to avoid a possible lecture, but this movement only made Fern frown in displeasure.

"…Master Ash, why are you avoiding me?"

"That's not it…" He averted his gaze guiltily, looking as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't. Mumbling quietly, he tried to deflect, "I just have an appointment with someone, so I need to head out…"

"Who are you going with… No, wait, that's not the point." She started to ask, but then shook her head and sighed, her expression turning slightly dejected as she pouted.

"I'm not your housekeeper, so I won't restrict your movements, but… I would at least like to know when you're leaving, so I can plan whether to cook or not."

"I probably won't be back…" Fern's mood seemed a little off today. But hasn't she always been in the housekeeper's role? What's going on now?

Carefully observing her expression, he responded warily, "I have to leave town. It might be difficult to return by tomorrow morning, but I should be back by noon."

"You promise to return by noon?"

"Well, under normal circumstances, it should be fine."

"Meaning… there could be unusual circumstances?"

"Abnormal situations? There's no such thing as a 'normal' situation."

"That's true…" Fern nodded slightly, then stepped closer to him with an inexplicably serious expression, looking up into his eyes. "So it's a promise, Master Ash?"

"Is it really necessary to be this serious? Honestly…" He chuckled and shook his head before instinctively reaching out to stroke Fern's hair.

The familiar touch made her expression soften, and a faint, playful smile appeared on her lips. "I've always believed in Master Ash~"

"…I know."

Even though I know, weren't you just saying that I never correct myself? And you were really mad earlier… Girls truly are fickle.

He couldn't say those thoughts out loud, so he simply waved goodbye and left.

At first, he hadn't thought much about when he would return, but now, he felt like he really should find a way to come back earlier.

Still, he had things to take care of, so he headed straight for the lord's mansion to retrieve Linie.

...…

Across from the kingdom's border checkpoint was the empire's own border checkpoint.

The dividing line between the two nations ran through a canyon—though, to be precise, the kingdom had advanced its borders up to this point years ago.

The so-called "canyon" was actually an expansive and deep rift valley. Dense, primeval forests lined both sides, filled with countless poisonous insects and monsters, making it an impractical route for military movement.

Compared to the defensive barrier on the kingdom's side, which glowed with a steady purple light, the empire's national defense barrier shimmered with shifting colors, constantly changing like an aurora.

Back then, the kingdom had been halted by this formidable barrier, and even the Demon King's army had struggled to advance, their movements slowed significantly.

Now, the checkpoints on either side were heavily guarded, soldiers in gleaming armor and wary magicians standing at the ready.

Yet, despite the tension, the passage below remained open. Trade continued as usual, maintaining an odd semblance of peace, though strict inspections were enforced at the small opening of the barrier for those entering and exiting.

Linie, who was sitting on the wall, swung her legs freely and pointed at the barrier in the distance.

"I remember that it was Flamme, the ancestor of human magic, who set up a group of defensive barriers for the Empire thousands of years ago to protect it. Lord Ash must know her, right? Can't you think of a way to solve it?"

"...The last batch of defensive barriers was developed and set up by Flamme and her disciples in their later years. Even her only remaining disciple, Frieren, doesn't know how to dismantle them. How could I?"

It would be more accurate to say that by the time Flamme was old, she already had many disciples in the Empire who were stronger than Frieren at that time.

In her later years, Flamme once said that before she died of old age, she planned to leave the world with more magic than Frieren could learn in her lifetime.

So how much magic she actually developed and how many magical theories she created, only the gods know. Most of it is undoubtedly beyond the understanding of this era.

Even the weakest group of barriers she set up in various parts of the continent in the early years are still far ahead of their time, making them incredibly difficult for attackers to deal with. The only viable strategy is to exhaust their energy.

This national defense barrier has been continuously optimized and improved over the past thousand years by Flamme and her disciples. It has long lost its original appearance and has become extremely complex and cumbersome.

Although new national defense barriers can no longer be created without the foundation set by Flamme, the existing barriers that have been passed down to this day are enough to make people despair. Apart from using simple and crude magical bombardment to deplete them, there is basically no way to break through them. But if you want to crush them violently… the core of this national defense barrier normally stores an absurd number of magic stones.

"So how do we break through it? Should we let Solitar analyze it?"

" Solitar isn't here, so what do you say—"

"No, Master Ash... her tomb is near Fukisaki." Before Ash could finish speaking, Linie pointed to a place not far away.

He instinctively looked and saw a familiar petite female demon in the distance. The girl, who looked like a ghostly loli, was walking toward the two of them with a bright smile.

This scene made Ash's expression gradually turn very subtle. "Solitar is here too? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Solitar said she wanted to give you a surprise."

"I don't think this is a surprise at all."

"——Isn't it a bit hurtful to say that?"

Upon hearing this, Solitar clasped her hands in front of her chest, tilting her head slightly, revealing a smile as bright as a flower blooming in spring. Her expression was enough to warm people's hearts.

With her harmless appearance, others might suffer cognitive impairment and fail to perceive the danger, mistaking her for an innocent and kind girl.

The burning gaze locked onto him made Ash rub his temples and sigh.

"...Anyway, tell me first, what exactly is your surprise? Tell me first, and don't say something like 'I am the surprise.'"

"Ah~ You actually said such hurtful things again… You're such a heartless man..."

Solitar looked hurt, but in the next moment, she traced her slender fingertips across his chest, lifted her head, and flashed a dazzling smile.

"I'm here to help you remove the barrier."