[T/N: So, previously I mistook village chief as Orden but he is actually unnamed father of Stack and Stoltz, named here as, Eustace. Sorry for the misunderstanding.]
"Y-yeah, that's true. Men are normally like that. Even I… uh… even I…", Eustace got halfway through his sentence when he noticed the shocked expressions on his two sons standing nearby. Having always been a strict father, he really couldn't bring himself to keep going. His old face flushed red, and he just couldn't squeeze out another word.
After all, even if he was asking for help, he really couldn't bring himself to say something that would make his sons look down on him.
Seeing him struggle like that, Frieren couldn't help but laugh as she bit into her chicken leg again, casually remarking, "Looking at others, then looking at you, I suddenly understand why, even on his deathbed, Heiter still said you had no shame."
"That was mainly because whenever I wanted to piss him off, I'd hold Fern in my arms, right?"
"Honestly, it really is you. You always manage to easily break through the lowest limits of my imagination," Even Frieren was left dumbfounded this time.
"Lord Ash… you're awful," Fern also stared at him with a look of pure disdain, though the source of her anger didn't seem to be that he'd once used her as a shield to joke with Heiter.
Still, Ash could only ignore his companions' reproach and turn toward the village chief, who looked hesitant and conflicted. He solemnly patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry about other people's looks or gossip. You need to remember, you're a man, Eustace! A man can't be bound by the eyes of the world, and shouldn't be shackled by age either! And as a warrior, you especially shouldn't care about tedious formalities!"
"A warrior shouldn't care about tedious formalities?"
"Just like how you care so much about keeping your white cloaks clean. If you're too obsessed with not dirtying them, doesn't that mean you can only fight opponents far weaker than yourselves? That's basically bullying children. Either you bully kids, or you get bullied into being a kid. Stuff like that, all those pointless formalities, they're completely unnecessary!"
Ash patiently and earnestly lectured the village chief, linking their obsession with keeping white cloaks spotless to the idea that men always like eighteen, and that their actual age didn't matter at all.
Eustace's two sons stood nearby. The younger one, Stark, wore an expression like he'd just swallowed a fly, "Nii-chan, what this guy is saying to Father sounds kind of reasonable, but also kind of like he's talking nonsense. Do we really not need to stop him?"
"H-haha! We probably can't stop him. Father only believes in strength. If you can beat this guy, you could try."
Eustace's eldest son, Stoltz, whose spotless white cloak was a source of his father's pride, gave a wry smile. Even as he patted his younger brother's head, his gaze never left Ash for a single moment. As if he had already set him as the goal he wanted to chase.
Even though, at just over twenty years old, he was already more or less at his peak as a warrior, and would start declining in a couple of years.
Because at the very least, he agreed with the line, "Men shouldn't be bound by age."
.
.
.
After the banquet, Eustace, with a hint of sudden enlightenment, led the three of them to the guest house.
It was an adobe house like the others in the village. The style was old, but the walls were quite thick.
Its unique building materials and structural design actually ensured warmth in winter and coolness in summer better than modern concrete and stone constructions. In Ash's view, it was a very good choice.
The roof was supported by carefully constructed horizontal and slanted beams, forming the entire structure, and was covered with a thick layer of thatch.
The village chief, Eustace, chatted with him for a bit in the corner. Only after Ash agreed to a certain matter did Eustace repeatedly thank him before finally leaving.
But as soon as Eustace left, Fern's expression showed no sign of improving. She still looked upset, even puffing out her cheeks and turning her back to him.
"Ahh! This is something you caused yourself. You deal with it. I'm not helping you," Frieren, now changed into her pajamas, was sprawled on the bed, swinging her legs as she casually flipped through a book. She even nibbled on the biscuits the village chief's wife had given her, enjoying this rare moment of leisure and free food, clothing, and lodging.
Seeing this, Ash, who had been worrying about how to comfort Fern, suddenly noticed a mischievous grin creep onto his face. Without any warning, he blurted out,
"Fern, look quick! Frieren is eating on the bed!"
"Ah? Oh no!"
Despite being a thousand-year-old old girl, faced with Ash's childlike tattling betrayal, Frieren still reacted intensely. She sprang up from the bed in a panic, trying to hide the biscuits behind her back.
But Fern, who instinctively turned her head, noticed immediately and frowned, "Lady Frieren!"
"So she really did switch targets," Faced with the child she'd raised all this time, Frieren couldn't muster even a hint of temper. She lowered her head awkwardly, then glared at Ash, "You set me up again!"
"That's because eating on the bed is bad in the first place," He didn't even realize he was smiling smugly.
But it only lasted a moment before Fern glared at him too, "Lord Ash isn't much better!"
"What did I do wrong?", He looked completely innocent.
"You're already an adult but you still like young girls, you casually teach people weird things, and you even go and corrupt other people's village chief. What do you think the villagers will think of us?"
"If that's all it takes to corrupt someone… shouldn't it be the person who gets corrupted so easily that's the problem?"
"Lord A-sh-Ash!"
His instinctive retort made all the anger vanish from Fern's eyes.
Frieren, watching from the side, couldn't help but chuckle softly, "Looks like you'll be washing your own underwear from now on~"
"Ah… Ahem! Speaking of which, there aren't any clouds in the sky tonight. Tomorrow's definitely going to be nice weather, huh?"
Faced with the rather frightening gaze of the girl who took care of him like a mother, he could only lean against the window, look up at the sky, and mutter to himself, trying to change the subject and ease the atmosphere. However…
"..."
As expected, Fern wasn't distracted at all. She just kept puffing her cheeks and pursing her lips, staring silently at him, to the point where he really wanted to flee the scene.
But experience told him that running away would only make Fern even angrier.
So, under Frieren's schadenfreude-filled gaze, he could only endure the scalp-tingling pressure of Fern's stare, and then—
"Excuse me, Lord Ash… h-huh?"
The village chief's eldest son, the strongest warrior in the village, Stoltz, appeared at the doorway like a savior.
But once he took in the scene inside, his expression became a bit awkward. After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously asked, "Did I… come at a bad time?"
"No! No! No! You came at exactly the right time! Even better than perfect!"
Under the silent pressure Fern was exerting on him, Ash hurriedly stood up and rushed over.
"Eh? I-is that so? I thought maybe I'd come back later to—"
"If you come later, it'll be too late! Let's go out now! You have something to talk to me about, right?"
"Ah, yes, it's about what my father agreed to… Is it really okay?"
"Don't be so polite! What's our relationship, huh?", As he spoke, Ash threw an arm around his shoulders and patted him hard.
But Stoltz looked genuinely confused and bluntly said, "But… we only just spoke for the first time, didn't we?"
"How could that be? In my eyes, you're already at the friend level!"
"T-that's… an honor?", Stoltz nodded, still looking a bit lost.
Just as the two of them were about to leave, Fern spoke slowly in a flat tone, "Please wait a moment, Lord Ash."
"What, I can't even go out with a friend?"
"..A friend?" Fern stared into his eyes as if trying to see through his thoughts. "Then, what is the name of this friend of yours?"
"I'm just saying, Fern, do friends really worry about names? Like you, can you remember the names of all your friends?"
"I only have two friends, so of course I remember. Kanne and Lawine… And we only got separated because Lord Ash stubbornly insisted on moving and wanted to leave me behind."
"Ah! Uh… I'm really sorry!"
Having old matters brought up again left him flustered and desperate to leave as soon as possible.
But Fern had already stepped behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and asked again expressionlessly, "So? What is this friend's name?"
"Are friends really such inconvenient things?"
"Then is that really a friend? So you don't know, right?"
"He's just a friend I haven't had time to get to know yet. Isn't that okay?"
"Of course not."
"Alright… actually, his name is Mond."
"You just made that up, didn't you."
"I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Despite trying to struggle a little at the last moment, under Fern's stern gaze, he gave up the meaningless resistance and lowered his head in apology.
But that was it. He had expected Fern to be very angry, yet in reality—
"Sigh! Forget it. Since Lord Ash admitted it, I won't say any more. Be careful when you go out."
Fern let out a soft sigh. Her gaze unexpectedly softened when he admitted his mistake. She straightened his clothes, gave one more reminder, and then smiled again, "Don't get your clothes dirty. Can you do that?"
"Ah! Yes, I understand completely."
With a mix of relief and confusion, Ash nodded subconsciously and then carefully followed Stoltz out of the room.
Stoltz, however, kept looking back step by step, glancing between Ash and Fern, utterly confused, 'Is that his mom, or a newlywed wife?'
Frieren was still sprawled on the bed, rolling around as she muttered softly, "Fern really dotes on Ash. She's only this strict with me. That totally counts as favoritism, right?"
"P-please don't say strange things like that!", Fern tried hard to put on a stern face as she scolded her, "That's only because Lady Frieren never learns no matter how many times she's told."
"..I do learn!"
"Then tomorrow morning, can you get up by yourself to eat? Or get up after being called just once? Comb your own hair? Wash your face? Tie your hair?"
"There aren't any clouds tonight. Tomorrow's definitely going to be nice weather, huh?"
"Why are you copying Lord Ash?"
Seeing Frieren stiffly turn her head to stare out the window at the sky, completely giving up on arguing, Fern couldn't help but let out a small sigh and gave up on pressing the matter further.
After all, saying it for all these years hasn't worked anyway.
———
The village road under the moonlight—
The look on Stoltz's face was still the same hesitant expression he'd had when he first entered the room.
Ash noticed and couldn't help but speak up, "Mond, if you have something to say, just say it."
"Sorry, Lord Ash. I was just a bit curious. No, I should say, you have a very good wife."
"That's not quite right. Fern is a descendant of my friend."
"Huh? I-is that so? Sorry, I thought…"
Still not quite used to the idea that Ash was over ninety years old, Stoltz quickly lowered his head in apology once he realized.
"Alright, alright, don't worry about little things like that. Your old man asked me to guide you, so let's just get started now, Mond."
"Actually… my name is Stoltz."
"That's long. Hard to remember."
"Sorry…"
"That was just a joke. Hm! Are young people these days really that bad at jokes?"
Facing this somewhat stiff and serious young man, even Ash felt a bit troubled.
But just like him, Stoltz also felt out of place around this powerful figure so different from the serious people in the village.
Still, after taking a deep breath, he quickly regained his composure. Under the moonlight, he drew his sword, stared straight at Ash, and calmly said,
"Then let's begin, Lord Ash. It doesn't matter even if you stain my pure white."
"Uh, I know you're talking about the cloak, but doesn't that sound a bit weird?"
"Weird?"
"Weird. And why 'stain'?"
"Because it is proof of being the strongest warrior in the village, the pride of the village. But compared to a white that is protected by restraint, I hope you can let it be tainted. That will become our driving force to move forward."
Stoltz spoke his thoughts in a low voice. Ash felt he could agree, yet still thought the wording was kind of strange.
Of course, compared to overthinking this messy stuff, he really just wanted to go back and sleep, so he didn't say much more and simply waved his hand.
"Alright, let's just do it."
"Aren't you drawing your weapon?"
"No need."
"I see," Stoltz immediately looked a bit disappointed.
That made Ash remember that the other had just "saved" him earlier, so he added, "I can tell you've never killed anyone. And... you've never even left the village, have you?"
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
[email protected]/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through P@treon.