Chapter 13: Shape Shifting 101

20 years and one month after the death of Himmel the Hero, on the outskirts of the Igelwide Village, in the south lands.

A black haired demon child with two sets of horns and is currently meditating on top of a large rock besides a pond before finally opening his eyes revealing at cold dark red iris with a dark sclera.

Standing up from his position, the demon child then jumped down the rock and excitedly walked towards the pond

'I can shape shift back into a demon...'

Looking at his overly dangerous looking face, Ishida then laughed like a typical shounen villain.

"Muahaha..."

*Rustle*

Hearing the sound of a brush moving, Ishida quickly eyed at the movement coming from behind him.

"Lacht! Tuli is looking for you! It's time for lunch-"

Crawling out of the bush and properly dusting of the dirt in her dress, a green haired girl suddenly looked at the terrifying demon in front of her.

'!'

Seeing Greta look at him cautiously, Ishida couldn't help but make a terrifying mischievous smile.

"I'm soo h-hungry g-Gretaa..."

'!'

Hearing her name being uttered by the demon, Greta cautiously looked at the demon in front of her from head to toe before sighing to herself and angerly shouted at Ishida.

"Lacht!, please don't scare me like that!"

Feigning ignorance, Ishida quietly walked slowly towards Greta.

"Who is Lacht?"

Seeing Ishida suddenly walk towards her menacingly, Greta tightly held her fist in response.

'Did Lacht? Finally turn evil?! I have to tell Mother fast!!'

Greta tried to move her feet, but her body won't listen to her and seeing that she was now face to face with Ishida who was now stretching his claw like hands at her, Greta acceptedly closed her eyes in fear.

*Puchi*

Feeling something hitting her forehead, Greta then opened her eyes quickly and looked at the demon who was now making a teasing smile at her.

"Boo!"

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Greta immediately grew an angry tick on her forehead, before suddenly sending wild haymaker straight towards Ishida's demonic teasing face, that sent him flying towards the small pond of water.

"YOU BASTARD!!"

*SPLASH!*

"Hmph!"

Greta angerly left Ishida who was now currently floating in the small pond with a large bruise on his face.

*Splash!*

Hastily standing up the shallow pond, Ishida then quickly rubbed his cheek before inwardly regretting his decision.

'I shouldn't had teased her like that...'

'but her reaction was so funny'

"Muahaha!"

"Ew, why am I still laughing like a shounen villain?"

Sighing to himself, Ishida casted a healing spell to his wounded face and then walked back home to eat lunch.

'I wonder what Throd, Tuli, and Eisen would react if they see me now.'

'oh I can't wait to see there reactions'

Ishida then made a small smile of anticipation to himself before visualizing what his 'foster parents' would react.

'I should create wings for a more intimidating effect...'

*Creak*

After walking for while, Ishida was now face to face with the door of Tuli's house and slowly opened it but not entering.

Hearing the door open suddenly, Tuli, Eisen and Throd simultaneously looked at door.

"Lacht!, don't use your shape shifting magic, you scared Greta because of it!"

Tuli immediately shouted at Ishida's demonic transformation like it was everyday occurrence and immediately reprimanded him, for being so immature.

"..." Ishida silently lowered his head outside the door.

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On the table, Eisen raised his beer cup in a drunked laugh while looking at Ishida who was trying his hardest to look scary.

"Buahaha, Lacht your gonna take more than that to scare us!"

Sighing to himself, Ishida immediately dispelled his demon transformation and returned back into his regular human self.

"I'm sorry for scaring Greta..."

Tuli who was no longer interested in Ishida's little pranks started chopping some vegetables in kitchen and boar meat for there dinner later.

"Go tell that to Greta, and also please Lacht don't show your demon form to anyone, okay?"

"Okay!"

Nodding to Tuli, Ishida quickly went up the stairs to Tuli's room and silently opened the door.

"YOU MEANIE!"

A pillow from Tuli's bed flew towards Ishida's face accurately hitting him in the face.

"i-I thought you turned evil and that you would start rampaging on the village!!"

Greta immediately threw another pillow at him with tears on her eyes.

"i-I thought we lost you!"

Greta then quickly threw a grimoire at him angerly.

Seeing the grimoire flying towards him, Ishida immediately used his mana to catch in the air, causing it float meticulously before calmly placing on the book shelf on the right side of the room.

"I'm sorry Greta..."

"Hmph!"

Hearing Ishida apologize, Greta angerly pouted and turned her back away from him.

Sighing to himself, Ishida spoke kindly to Greta.

"I will buy you strawberry shortcakes and desserts for the whole week how about that?

"Make it two weeks and I will accept your apology."

'Why two week?! I barely saved enough strahl to buy my own deserts... And my coin pouch that contains all of my hard earn cash when I was living in the wild was pocketed by Eisen to buy some high quality wine in the capital....'

Hesitating for a moment, Ishida then regrettably agreed to her terms and conditions.

"Um, Deal!"

"Then I accept your apology!"

'My hard earned money...'

Ishida inwardly sulked, while thinking of how his monthly savings went down the drain because of his harmless prank.

'Is this retribution for my actions?'

Seeing Greta finally smile back at him, Ishida calmly smiled back before suddenly they heard voice from down stairs.

"Greta, Lacht it's time to eat lunch!!"

"Coming!"

After eating there lunch comprised of a steak, sausages, sourdough bread and mashed potatoes. A knock was heard from there front door.

"I'll get it!"

Greta quickly jumped down her chair and hurriedly opened the wooden door, to reveal a twin tailed white haired elf carrying a big brown suit case.

"Miss Frieren!"

Greta immediately greeted the elf mage and showed her inside the house.

*Thud *

Placing her suit case on the side of the entrance, Frieren immediately eyed at Ishida and then the food they were eating on the table.

*Rumble*

A loud sound was then heard from Frieren's stomach.

'...'

Hearing the elf mages stomach growl in hunger, Tuli laughed whole heartedly before showing her to the table.

"Frieren come eat! Your always welcome here!"

Gratefully bowing towards Tuli, Frieren the. took an empty seat close to Eisen who was now dead drunk and mumbling on the table.

"Corrupt priest..."

Frieren silently muttered to herself before taking a plate for her self and looking at Ishida who was opposite of her.

"What happened, Frieren?"

Ishida who was eating munching on a piece of bread curiously asked.

"I spent all of my money buying a spell..."

Frieren made a nervous derpy face while thinking about how much strahls it costed for her to get the spell.

"How much did it cost?" Ishida seeing her signature derpy face couldn't help but curiously asked again.

"Over 100 strahl gold coins..."

'...'

"What spell did you buy?"

Perking up in excitement, Frieren then put her hands on her hips and proudly announced.

"A spell that can remove dirt and dust from your clothes!"

Seeing Frieren's proud smile, Ishida could bring himself to tell her that he already made a spell that works similarly but also removes the germs and blood in the clothes.

'...'

"Pretty cool right?"

"A spell that removes dirt and dust from clothes? Isn't that just a weaker version of Lacht's cleaning spell?

Greta who returned to her seat tilted her curiously and immediately ratted out Ishida who was calmly eating his bread.

'Greta, No! What have you done?!'

Frieren immediately eyed at Ishida like he was a grimoire containing an infinite number of wacky spells.

Feeling Frieren's eye piercing gaze, Ishida nervously made eye contact to the spell collector Frieren.

"Teach me that spell."

"No."

Ishida immediately rejected Frieren's offer.

"Why not?"

"It took me a week just explain to you the fundamentals of my rainbow summoning spel!"

"So what? It's only just a week."

Seeing Frieren's improper understand of time, Ishida then hastily asked Tuli for help.

"Tuli! Frieren is forcing me to teach her spells again!!"

Tuli who was now doing the dishes on the counter, looked at Ishida's pleading face, and then at Frieren who eyeing at him like he was large piece of juicy meat before lightly smiling.

"You can have him after lunch..."

"Heh Heh heh"

Frieren smiled mischievously before hastily eating the food on her plate.

"Traitor!"

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In the same spot Ishida was practicing his shape shifting spell, Ishida is now currently sitting on the ground, while Frieren is comfortably sitting on the large rock.

"Start explaining."

'...'

Sighing to himself, Ishida then started to explain the fundamentals principles of his cleaning spell

"It is the same for the spell in cleaning dirt and dust from clothes..."

Frieren nodded in understanding.

"The spell operates on principles akin to advanced mana manipulation and molecular manipulation. When activated, it harnesses quantum-level forces to disassemble and neutralize contaminants on the surface of the fabric. Small tiny mana particles, that are shaped like tiny probes, are released into the fabric weave, targeting specific types of particles.

For dust and dirt removal, these 'mana particles' would then employ electrostatic and magnetic forces to attract and capture particles, effectively lifting them from the fabric. Meanwhile, for germ eradication, the some of the mana particles would then be released at targeted enzymes to break down bacterial and viral structures, rendering them harmless.

The presence of blood triggers a specialized response from the mana particle, which release enzymes optimized for breaking down hemoglobin and other blood components. These enzymes work rapidly to dissolve the bloodstains at a molecular level, leaving no trace behind.

The spell also includes a self-cleaning mechanism, where the mana particle, once their task is complete, deactivates and dissipates into the air harmlessly, leaving the fabric clean and free of both contaminants and any residual nanomaterial.

So in a sense my spell makes miniature tiny mana based molecular robots that functions to help break down dust,dirt,blood and other micro organisms."

After finishing with his lecture, Ishida then looked at Frieren who sitting on top of the large rock.

"Did you understand it, Frieren?

Feeling Ishida's gaze, Frieren then tilted her head in confusion.

"I don't get it, and also what's a micro organisms, enzymes, hemoglobin, molecular and the other words you said?"

Ishida calmly face palmed and sighing to himself.

'This is why I didn't want to teach you my spells Frieren!'

Rubbing his face in frustration Ishida then started to teach Frieren, what some of the words mean.

"Imagine tiny living creatures that are so small, you can't see them without a microscope. These tiny creatures are called microorganisms, or microbes for short. They're everywhere around us, in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and even on our skin and inside our bodies.

Some microorganisms are helpful, like the ones that help make bread and beer, while others can make us sick if we're not careful. Bacteria and viruses are examples of microorganisms. Bacteria are like tiny bugs that can be both good and bad, while viruses are like tiny invaders that can make us feel unwell."

"I see..."

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After two weeks of mindlessly teaching Frieren grade school biology lessons, Ishida then tiredly face planted on his bed.

'Should I create an elementary school or something?'

'The reading and learning comprehension of the people living in this world is so low...'

'Should I invent gunpowder and make a lot of money?'

'Hais'

'I really don't want to jump start human industrialization... Think about all of the natural beauty I would ruin if I gave humans some of my knowledge from the 21st century...'

'and because they heavily rely on mana and magic too much... there scientific growth is as slow as the time when the christian church banned the study of science in the dark ages and hanged anyone practicing the 'dark arts'...'

*Bang*

*Bang*

*Click*

*Click*

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"Lacht! Open this door! I want to know what the mitochondria is, and why it is considered the power house of the cell!"

'!'

Hearing Frieren banging on his door, Ishida's heart skipped a beat before covering his ears with the pillows from his bed.

"If you don't answer me! I will forcefully open this door!"

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Frieren heard nothing inside the room.

"Ohoh..."

Summoning her staff, Frieren quickly pointed it at the door at the sound of it unlocking ringed on her long ears.

*CLICK*

*CREAK*

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Opening the door, Frieren was able to see that Ishida was no where to be seen in his room.

"Weird, I knew he entered this room just a minute ago..."

Frieren made a disappointed face before leaving the room and verbally closing his door.

*Pheew*

Suddenly appearing in his room, Ishida breath a sigh of relief.

'Luckily, I created a spell for invisibility and to fully remove and mask my mana in the surroundings....'

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"L.A.C.H.T"

Hearing a voice coming from behind him, Ishida quickly saw a white haired elf floating outside his room window, smiling mischievously at him.

'Fuck...'