Chapter 170

Chapter 170: Two Loli's in his lap

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"Based on the current situation, the Holy Staff Court and the Magical Special Forces are likely to get involved in this border conflict. It's even possible that the Empire will launch the first attack."

"Really? Well… I'll be fine even if there's a war," Ash chuckled dismissively, running his fingers through Sense's hair. "But you should stop running around, okay?"

"…I might need to go to the imperial capital soon," Sense said, glancing up at him. "If Master Ash plans to go too… shall we go together?"

"Of course. But when will you—"

Before Ash could finish, Linie, who had been watching silently, grabbed his hand, stopping it mid-motion as she interrupted with a solemn tone. "—Master Ash, this woman's hair smells of blood. It's better not to touch it."

"…Huh?" Sense froze, momentarily stunned by the accusation. She glanced at Linie with a hint of displeasure and retorted, "That's not true. I washed it thoroughly. It should smell nice."

To prove her point, she floated her hair forward, sniffing it carefully before turning to Ash, her cheeks slightly flushed but her tone serious. "I've indeed been in many battles, and people might say the smell of blood has seeped into my hair, but that's just a metaphor. There shouldn't actually be any blood smell, right?"

"…It's fine, it smells nice. I've confirmed it before…"

In Linie's sight, Ash didn't lean forward to sniff Sense's hair, likely to avoid damaging his clothes further. Instead, he stroked her hair awkwardly, smiling politely in an attempt to comfort her.

Despite this, Linie looked far from pleased. She stretched out her small hands, spread his legs apart slightly, and sat firmly on his other foot. Leaning slightly forward, she placed her hands on his legs and stared expressionlessly at Sense, who was seated so close.

Linie's silent hostility seemed on the verge of exploding.

Sense tilted her head with a troubled expression, muttering, "Ah…" as she glanced at Ash, clearly hoping for help.

"Alright, alright, Linie, stop glaring at her like that. It's rude," Ash said, trying to mediate.

"No… Who told Master Ash to let me down in the first place?" Linie replied, her tone calm yet unmistakably sulky.

"Isn't it because you always use my clothes to wipe your hands and mouth? I have to teach you a lesson somehow, right?"

"…No matter what, it's still Master Ash's fault," Linie shot back, her mood visibly sour.

Faced with Linie's obvious displeasure and Sense's awkward discomfort, Ash sighed, feeling stuck between the two. He reached out, using one hand to pat Linie's head and the other to stroke Sense's hair, attempting to appease both of them simultaneously.

On the surface, Ash appeared helpless, but deep down… he couldn't deny that he was enjoying himself.

The warm morning sunlight poured over him, and with two sweet, soft lolis on either side of him, he felt an inexplicable sense of joy. His mood lifted unconsciously, and for a fleeting moment, he thought he might have found a slice of heaven—even though the atmosphere between the two girls was far from harmonious.

Of course, while Linie and Sense seemed soft and adorable in his presence, Ash knew better. In reality, neither of them was particularly kind. Both Linie and Sense were the type to show no mercy toward humans and had killed their fair share of people.

In this world, anyone capable of venturing far from town was bound to encounter trouble. It was rare to find someone who hadn't killed, and Sense, despite her outward demeanour, was no exception.

These dangerous, sharp, and unapologetic lolis might appear cute on the surface, but Ash couldn't shake the feeling that something about their presence was strangely disarming—or maybe, just maybe, there was something wrong with him for thinking so.

...

Even though Ash felt like he could sit there all day, idly playing with the two emotionless lolis and letting his thoughts drift, his peaceful morning didn't last long.

Sense, unable to endure the gazes of passersby, the growing shame in her heart, and Linie's sharp eyes, eventually excused herself and left in a hurry, claiming her stomach felt fine.

Before leaving, Sense glanced back at Linie, perhaps noticing the effects of the cognitive impairment spell. However, since the child was under Ash's care, she didn't attempt to remove the magic. Instead, she simply chalked it up to a secret Ash was keeping and left it at that.

Linie, meanwhile, lifted her head high like a victorious hen. Proudly, she pulled another apple from the bag beside her and rubbed it on Ash's shirt, clearly ready to eat another one to celebrate.

Ash, however, pressed his hand on the apple and said helplessly, "Don't eat another apple. How about we have something else instead?"

"Apples are better."

"Apples don't have enough nutrients. How do you expect to grow taller?"

"I guess I won't grow taller. I'm over fifty years old, so I should just accept being a little shorter than you."

"But at least her… chest is bigger than yours."

"Master Ash likes smaller ones," Linie replied matter-of-factly, nodding seriously to herself. "That must be it."

"…Don't decide my preferences without permission," Ash sighed, rubbing Linie's head for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

Unwilling to argue further, he simply dragged Linie to a nearby restaurant. There, he took care of the overly picky child, ignoring her reluctant protests as he fed her a generous helping of meat.

"Master Ash," Linie murmured sadly in between bites, "are you in love with that purple-haired woman with the fat chest? Is that why you want me to grow up like her?"

"Fern is not a woman with… that kind of chest. She's a very cute and respectable child. Stop saying weird things," Ash replied, shaking his head. Then, to avoid upsetting Linie further, he added, "Of course, you have your own cute qualities as well."

After their meal, Ash made plans to leave the magical city in the afternoon. Accompanied by the Royal Guards and Linie, he intended to head to the border of the neighbouring empire to observe the situation.

But before leaving, he returned home to retrieve a statue he planned to give Linie, hoping she would deliver it to the royal capital as a gift for Sense.

"…But Linie doesn't seem to like Sense much," Ash muttered to himself. "What if she buries the statue somewhere instead?"

Feeling uneasy, he carefully pushed open the door to check if Lawine and Kanne were inside. Fortunately, there was no sign of the two troublemakers. Two boxes of apples he had purchased sat neatly in the living room, but the girls themselves were nowhere to be seen—they had likely come and gone while he was away.

Unbeknownst to him, Lawine and Kanne had left about an hour earlier. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the house, Fern and Frieren were engaged in their own conversation.

In Frieren's room, the ever-diligent Fern wiped down a table and asked without looking up, "…Lady Frieren, tomorrow is Master Ash's birthday. Have you prepared a gift?"

"Has Fern prepared something?" Frieren asked.

"Of course," Fern replied. "I'm not sure if Master Ash will like it, but it should be useful… or at least practical."

As Fern spoke, a hint of worry crossed her face. In contrast, Frieren looked rather pleased with herself as she retrieved a bottle of potion from her bedside table.

"Really? You've put in effort, but I'm sure what I've prepared will be better," Frieren said confidently.