Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 163: Denken's Wish

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Ash regretted his words almost immediately, but it was too late to take them back.

Both Lawine and Kanne sighed in relief at his response, while Denken coughed lightly and said, "I'll treat you both to whatever you want. Now, you two kids, go play somewhere else for a bit. We have something important to discuss."

Given Denken's age and the presence of Principal Lernen, the two girls, though reluctant, got up and moved to sit elsewhere.

Denken and Lernen led Ash to a quieter corner of the room. As they moved, Ash realized that the two men were once close friends, though they hadn't seen each other for many years.

It seemed that Denken had sought out Lernen for something important, and now, Ash was involved as well.

Denken got straight to the point, knowing that Ash was somewhat familiar with Macht of golden land. He revealed his wish to return to his hometown to visit his ancestors' graves.

However, his hometown and the surrounding forests had long since been turned into gold. Even if he could enter, all that awaited him was the cold, indestructible gold created by the spell—and the presence of Macht himself.

"...My master, Macht, still remains there," Denken said, eventually revealing the true reason for his visit. "So I hope..."

Before he could finish, Ash waved his hand, cutting him off with disinterest.

"—Forget it. Even if you bring Lernen, you can't defeat Macht."

"I know that," Denken replied calmly, shaking his head. "I know how powerful my master is. Even as a first-class magician, it's impossible to defeat him."

"Then why go back?"

"I'm not going back to fight Macht or save my hometown," Denken explained.

"What's the point, then?"

"I'm just a former Fierce Guard. With Macht still in the Golden Land, even if I obtain magic that can counteract gold transformation from Serie, there's no guarantee of my safety. That's why I want you to accompany me when I return to my hometown, to ensure my protection while I visit the graves."

"...You're going to such great lengths just to visit a grave?" Ash asked, incredulous.

"You're colder than I thought," Denken replied with a faint smile.

"Isn't it the truth? The person's already dead. Why are you risking your life for this? Wouldn't it have been better to cherish her while she was still alive? Now, you're risking being attacked by Macht to visit her grave… Isn't that making a big deal out of nothing?"

"It's not that simple," Denken said, his expression turning somber. "Maybe now, even thinking about the happy times I spent with my wife has become a kind of fear for me."

He looked out the window, seemingly staring in the direction of his hometown, now swallowed by gold, and continued: "This time, I want to go to the grave to let go of those memories completely."

"...I'm sorry, I don't understand at all," Ash admitted.

"As long as I see my hometown—completely changed by the passage of time—I'll be able to let go," Denken said quietly. "Because everything I shared with my wife will no longer be there. I just want to confirm it for myself."

"...Can we really let go of happy memories so easily?" Ash asked, still unable to comprehend Denken's determination.

Lernen, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, his voice tinged with melancholy. "...Time is more terrifying than you think. If we fail to leave deep enough memories, even Lady Frieren will eventually forget us."

"No… Frieren might not be the kindest person, and her personality isn't great, but isn't your impression of her a little too far from the truth?" Ash replied skeptically.

"I'm just stating the facts. Even so... it was that adult who recognized me and made me who I am today."

"...I can't tell if you admire her or resent her," Ash said, his tone laced with ambiguity. Hearing such a strange statement from someone who seemed like a devoted follower of Serie left him momentarily speechless.

Although he didn't want to delve further into the topic, Ash shook his head and shared something he'd heard from Serie earlier that day:

"Do you know what kind of magic was used to make the flowers in the hanging garden?"

"...Conjure up a flower field magic? What about it?" Lernen asked, visibly curious.

"That was Flamme's favorite magic. Her parents taught it to her."

"Flamme's magic… really? It was hers?" Lernen's eyes widened in surprise. He muttered to himself, "So, in the end, it's only the disciples who leave their names in history that Lady Serie remembers..."

Ash sighed, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Why are you suddenly so paranoid? Look, even though Flamme's name is remembered, Serie considers her a failure—a failure she trained on a whim. But here's the thing: despite saying that, Serie still remembers the personalities and favorite magic of every disciple she's taken in, even those she calls 'failures.' She's never regretted accepting any of them. And, well… she did say that especially about me!" Ash added with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Master Ash…"

"What now?"

"...You're so gentle," Lernen said, his dumbfounded expression softening into something closer to pity. Lowering his head, he whispered, "But thank you, anyway. Even if it's a lie, I'm happy to hear you say it."

"…Why would I be happy about an old man calling me gentle?" Ash muttered. "And who said I was lying?"

"Because," Lernen continued, "no matter how I think about it, I can't imagine a scenario where Lady Serie would say you're special. So, I figured… you're just trying to comfort me, aren't you?"

"…Why did it turn out like this?" Ash muttered with a sigh.

Although he'd thrown in a bit of personal opinion, it wasn't exactly a lie. Yet, his well-meaning explanation had somehow led to this strange misunderstanding, leaving him with a slight headache.

Meanwhile, Denken remained silent, having already said everything he needed to. He simply stared at Ash expectantly, clearly waiting for an answer.

"Fine… if we happen to pass by, I'll go with you to check it out," Ash finally said with a resigned sigh.

With that, he stood up, still nursing his headache, and walked away quickly.

Because—ever since the evening—he had noticed Linie's gaze from a distance.

Ash had wanted to speak with Linie before heading home, but various interruptions had delayed him. If he didn't address the situation now, he feared the child might do something impulsive and rush out on her own.