Ten minutes later—
After vomiting on the side for quite a while, the priest uncle finally more or less recovered.
"Really sorry about that, Lady Frieren and Lord Ash," Fern said, a bit helpless, glaring back at the two behind her who were looking around everywhere and pretending to be busy in perfect sync.
Then she lowered her head apologetically to the priest uncle who had introduced himself as Sein, "I'll give them a proper scolding later."
"?", Frieren's expression instantly turned strange. Ash, meanwhile, stared at the village not far away, as if thinking about something.
"It's fine. No matter what, you did save me," Sein shook his head with a bitter smile and pointed toward the nearby village, "By the way, are you really not going to come take a look at our village? We're busy preparing for the Harvest Festival, but we can still host you."
"No, we still need to go to a nearby town," Frieren started to refuse in Fern's place, but before she could finish, Ash reached out and pressed down on her head, forcing her to lower it.
Ash ignored her dissatisfaction and spoke to Fern with excitement.
"The Harvest Festival sounds great! Fern! Let's go play in the village too~"
"What are you suddenly talking about? Don't we still need to restock supplies in town?", Fern frowned and stared at him suspiciously, "You're not thinking that if we go somewhere crowded, I won't lecture you. Are you, Lord Ash?"
"That's not it! I just want to experience the local customs. And we're not in a rush anyway, so why hurry?"
"Y-Yeah! Fern, I really want to see it too!", Frieren seemed to understand Ash's intention and immediately tried her best to put on an expectant look.
"Lord Ash, Lady Frieren! You two…", Looking at these two who never gave her any peace of mind, Fern didn't even know what to say for a moment.
But they really did look genuinely excited, and she couldn't bring herself to flatly refuse. After hesitating a bit, she gave in, "Alright, if you insist. But don't think this means I won't say anything. When it's night and no one else is around, wait for me properly in the room. I won't forget what you did."
"O-Of course, we also think we were in the wrong and deserve to be scolded. We just also want to see the Harvest Festival, that's all."
Frieren, wearing a strange expression, kept waving her hands as she defended herself. But when Fern turned her head away, she couldn't help elbowing the man beside her and muttering without even looking at him, "Ash, your trick didn't work either."
"She's probably really unhappy."
"Think of something else."
"Don't force it, okay? An angry Fern is really hard to calm down."
The two followed behind Fern, quietly discussing how to avoid the lecture that didn't seem easy to escape.
Walking in front, Fern could more or less hear some of their strange discussion, but she just sighed softly and didn't feel like scolding them in front of outsiders.
Sein, hearing their conversation from behind, couldn't help asking curiously, "So what exactly is your relationship? You don't seem like just simple teammates?"
"Lady Frieren and Lord Ash have the grace of raising me," Fern said halfway through, then suddenly turned back to the two and seriously warned them, "Lord Sein just said that there are many dangerous poisonous creatures around here! You must be careful. Don't get bitten, no matter what!"
"Uh, are you sure it's not you who has the grace of raising them? And also," Seeing Fern's overly worried attitude, Sein couldn't help doubting their actual relationship.
"No, I'm not lying. And they just fool around occasionally. They're actually very reliable people."
"I-Is that so?"
Thinking about what those two had done earlier, Sein really couldn't understand Fern's idea of "fooling around occasionally" and "reliable when it matters," and he couldn't help showing a look of sympathy.
'To still grow up this upright of a good kid after all that, just how good must this child's nature be?', Sein couldn't help thinking that as he looked at Fern, then at the two troublemakers behind her.
Behind them, the duo were actively worrying about how to avoid the possible lecture.
Ash didn't listen to the warning at all. He casually picked a small cherry-colored fruit by the roadside, but just as he plucked it, a green venomous snake suddenly popped out of the bushes and opened its mouth to bite him. However…
Ash's reaction was clearly much faster than the snake's.
Before the snake could reach him, he casually flicked his finger. With a sharp "Thud!" the venomous snake was knocked unconscious on the spot.
Then he just grabbed the snake by the head and handed it to Frieren, saying seriously, "Do you think this thing would taste good?"
"No, why are you giving it to me? I'm not handling something like this," Frieren silently took two steps back and shot him a glare, "Hurry up and throw it away, or you'll get scolded again."
"It's the Harvest Festival. Let's contribute some food too. This snake should be pretty good!"
"But just looking at it, if you mess up processing it, someone will die, right?"
"It's fine. Isn't there a priest? Even if someone gets bitten, it'll definitely be okay."
Brimming with confidence, he carried the snake forward and casually handed it to the local priest uncle, "Sein, take a look. Would this kind of snake be tasty?"
"Wha—UWAH? I just said to be careful of poisonous creatures! What are you suddenly doing? Get that thing away from me! It has extremely strong venom!"
Sein instinctively turned around and almost jumped on the spot when he saw the bright green snake in Ash's hand, immediately putting some distance between them.
"I was careful. That's why I caught it, right? And aren't you a priest? Why are you scared of poisonous creatures?"
"Being able to detoxify doesn't mean I'm not afraid of pain! I told you not to get bitten by poisonous creatures, not to go bite poisonous creatures!"
"I won't bite it if it's not cooked.... normally, anyway."
"There's an abnormal situation too? You're kind of scary, you know?", Sein shouted as he dodged him.
Fern also grabbed Ash's hand, pressed it down, and stared at him with pursed lips, looking like she was barely holding something back, "I'm begging you... please.throw.it.away!"
"Ah! Alright…"
Although he did want to try cooking the venomous snake, under Fern's pressure-filled stare, he was forced to casually toss it back into the forest.
"Why did you throw it? What if..."
"UWAH?"
Before Fern could finish, a scream came from the forest.
And it was clearly Sein's voice. Everyone instinctively followed the sound and pushed aside the bushes, only to discover.
Afraid of getting bitten by the snake, Sein, who had just fled the scene, was now down below on the winding path leading to the village, stepping right on the venomous snake that had just woken up from being knocked out.
And that unlucky snake, being stepped on, seemed to take Sein as the culprit and viciously bit his lower leg, refusing to let go.
"D-Did you do this on purpose? What kind of grudge do we even have?"
Seeing the wound on the snake's head left by Ash's flick, Sein immediately recognized whose snake it was and glared up in grief and anger.
"It was just an unfortunate accident. How was I supposed to know you'd step on it? This is purely your bad luc—"
"Lord Ash!"
"No matter what, I really am very sorry. Truly!"
Under Fern's stern gaze, he quietly looked away and spoke sincerely.
But even though it sounded like he was talking to himself, his eyes were clearly looking off into the distance. No matter how Sein looked at it, he couldn't feel any sincerity at all. He only felt…
"That this kid didn't get taught into a villain by you is definitely a miracle of the goddess, right?"
He looked at Fern, then at Ash, and while using holy scripture magic to detoxify himself, he spoke from the heart with a devotion even he couldn't quite believe.
It was also the first time he had ever believed so strongly that the goddess really existed. Otherwise, he felt it would be hard to explain how a child raised by this guy could turn out so upright and normal.
At the foot of the mountain road, not far from the village, stood a village church that was a bit too ordinary.
Although he had been bitten by a venomous snake, Sein still planned to treat them to a meal in the church to repay the favor of saving his life.
Ash, for the sake of free food, and Frieren, to avoid a lecture, naturally agreed enthusiastically.
Originally, Sein wanted to complain about Ash for nearly getting him killed again and didn't plan to invite him, but, the moment Ash stepped into the church, an extremely subtle ripple appeared in the air. The church's inherent blessing of the goddess was instantly crushed, like a soap bubble popping.
Normal people couldn't feel anything. Even the priest inside the church didn't notice anything unusual, because the goddess's blessing was so faint that even they couldn't sense it. However…
"Hmm?"
Before speaking, Sein, who was greatly favored by the goddess and had an extremely high divine protection, sensed something abnormal.
It was like something that had always existed suddenly disappeared without warning, making him subconsciously look around.
But he couldn't figure out what exactly had happened. He only felt that Ash, who had seemed more or less normal before, now had an inexplicable sense of being out of place inside this church.
That feeling was extremely subtle. Without paying close attention, it was impossible to notice, leaving him quite confused.
The person involved, however, was completely carefree. Like Sein himself returning home in the past, Ash directly sat down by the altar. The feeling he gave off really was like he had come home.
"No matter what, you're being way too casual, aren't you? Just looking at you like this, I'm starting to suspect I accidentally wandered into your house."
"Hm? Why think so much? No need to worry about that. Just sit wherever you want."
Ash spoke casually and even patted the spot next to him, making Sein unable to hold back and shout, "So! This is my house!"
"Sorry, Lord Ash is always like this, too casual," Fern grabbed him and pulled him down. After apologizing on his behalf, she couldn't help sighing, "That's why the goddess dislikes you, you know."
"No, no, no, that's not it," Hearing this, Sein shook his head repeatedly, "Even though I also want to complain about him, the goddess probably wouldn't mind this kind of thing, right? After all… I've sat there plenty of times too."
""Huh?""
Hearing something like that come out of a priest's mouth left both Frieren and Fern stunned.
Meanwhile, the bespectacled priest wearing proper clerical robes couldn't help adjusting his glasses and letting out a long sigh.
"Sein... at least try to maintain some faith in front of others. And Lord Ash, you really are as free of taboos as the rumors say."
"You know me?"
"I've heard Lord Heiter talk about you and Lady Frieren," The priest placed a hand over his chest, gently touching a goddess pendant that looked different from ordinary ones, and spoke slowly, "This holy seal was also bestowed upon me by Lord Heiter."
"Mmm~ I remember that. Isn't this only given to the most outstanding clergy in a region?"
"Yes. That's the only thing I can really be proud of," The priest gently stroked the holy seal, showing a regretful expression, "Sein's talent surpasses mine by far."
"Heh~ Are you really that amazing?", Ash looked at Sein curiously, but Sein scratched his head, clearly not wanting to hear more of this kind of talk, and walked toward the back without looking back, "I'll go prepare dinner. What do you want to eat?"
"I want meat."
"What are you saying to a priest? And you don't get to say anything. Lady Frieren saved my life. You almost got me killed. Even if it's meat, you don't get any."
"Isn't everything fine now? You're a priest, and you're this petty?"
"That's an emotional issue!"
Leaving only those words behind, Sein didn't even listen to Frieren's or Fern's opinions and had already gone behind the church, casually closing the door as well.
After Sein left, the church became a bit quieter.
The priest's gloomy expression became even more obvious. He glanced at the three of them, then lowered his head and said, "Although this is a bit abrupt, if possible, could you listen to our story?"
"It's fine, I guess, but you two really are brothers. You both like telling stories that much?", Frieren couldn't help blurting out a comment.
Before she could say more, Fern shot her a stern look, forcing her to obediently shut up.
Fern, who used honorifics with everyone, then looked apologetically at the priest, "Please go ahead, Father."
"Thank you. Our parents passed away early. It was me, a grown man, who raised Sein, who was much younger than me," The priest spoke with pain, clenching the holy seal in his hand as he continued.
"When he was little, he always said he wanted to become an adventurer. The dreams and hope in his eyes seemed to say that he didn't want to become like me, living the same days over and over, an ordinary priest. But now, he's exactly the same as I was when I was young, turning into a terribly boring middle-aged man."
"That's just growing up, I guess. After people grow up, they all lose their dreams and hopes," Hearing this, Ash nodded deeply in agreement, "But there's nothing you can do. That's life."
Hearing that, Frieren looked up at him in surprise, "What? Ash, you had dreams too? We didn't see any of that back when we were fighting the Demon King together."
Seeing the two about to start chatting again, Fern couldn't help pressing her temples and sternly said, "Lady Frieren, Lord Ash, I know you're close, but could you not start chatting on your own while someone else is talking?"
"Father, please continue," Ash ended his conversation with Frieren with an awkward yet polite smile.
Even though Ash and Frieren had started chatting without thinking, the gloomy-looking priest didn't get angry. Instead, he sighed softly.
"I understand that growing up means losing dreams, but he must be extremely bored right now. So… I hope that at least in the end, he can go chase his dream."
"You mean?", Ash didn't quite understand why he was telling him this.
"Could I ask you to take him out of this village? You don't have a priest with you anyway, so you'll surely run into some trouble."
The priest once again looked over the three of them and bowed respectfully.
But hearing this only gave Ash a headache, "Judging from Sein's reaction just now, you've probably said similar things to more than one group of adventurers. Yet he's never left, right?"
"That's true. But I believe he's waiting for someone who can give him a push from behind."
"Even though nobody has been able to do it in a decade?"
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