What if you are reborn as a demon after a funeral?

"Ah... um..."

"What's wrong? Shouldn't you say something at this time?"

"No, my head's a bit of a mess, let me sort it out first..."

His carefully laid plans were completely disrupted. Frillie's erratic mood swings and actions made him squat on the ground, trying to sort out his thoughts and the situation from the beginning to the present.

But Frilian clearly didn't think that much about it. She just smiled and opened her arms as she had before, saying, "Don't think about it now, come here."

"Uh, what?"

"A touching reunion hug... I knew it, you said something similar before, didn't you?...You seemed to be looking forward to it just now too?"

"Even so, even though that's true, but..."

"What else is there to complain about? Hurry up and finish this, my arms are getting sore from holding it up."

"Ah, okay, I'm coming right now..."

Urged on by Frillie's sudden impatience, Ash, remembering his initial goal, stepped forward and, wondering how she could remember so well, squatted down and hugged the girl who had her arms outstretched.

Feeling the soft and delicate touch that remained unchanged even after thousands of years, he didn't even have time to marvel before Frilian turned around and stroked his head.

"Huh?? What??"

"I don't know, it's just that humans seem to like doing this, so I tried it out. You're happy, aren't you?"

"To be honest... I'm not happy at all. To be honest, when I think about it seriously, this is completely different from what I expected."

"What? It's been a thousand years, and you're still so willful?" More than Ash was dumbfounded, it was Frilian who became dissatisfied first.

However, just like Ash, she also had far too many things she wanted to complain about.

The Burial of Frilian: A Thousand Years From Now On: Chapter Thirty-Seven: Frilian's End-of-Life Care?

Ash was actually quite moved by the reunion after a thousand years.

At first, upon seeing his long-lost friend, he really wanted to hug him, but... what happened next completely exceeded his expectations.

Now... with Frilian patting his head, doing what's clearly an elder doing to a younger person, he instinctively made a sarcastic remark, then placed his hands on Frilian's shoulders, pushed her away, and solemnly said:

"Wait a minute, Frilian, isn't there something wrong with this procedure?"

"Procedure? What procedure?" Frillie looked completely bewildered.

"I'm the elder here. Besides... wouldn't a normal person hesitate when faced with a phantom ghost's illusion? Why do you seem to have no hesitation at all?"

"If a mage hesitates, they might accidentally die, right?"

Compared to his indignation, Frillie had an expression of utter indifference.

"But I'm a mage too! If I react even a little slower, I'll die too!"

"It's alright, you're not someone who dies so easily."

"What do you mean 'nothing's wrong'...?"

This strange trust left him momentarily at a loss as to where to begin complaining.

There were so many things he wanted to complain about, but then Ash suddenly remembered something and asked:

"Put all that aside for now, is your phantom ghost me??"

"Sometimes I'm a teacher, sometimes I'm you... How should I put it? Although I haven't known you for very long, you've all left a deep impression on me."

As he spoke, Frillie's expression was more like she was possessed by something strange than the girlish sentiment he had imagined; her expression was quite subtle.

Even at the end, Frilian looked him over and added, "...Besides, I'm pretty tired of hearing you and Master begging for mercy. It's quite refreshing that you don't beg properly."

"...What kind of image do I have in your heart?" Ash had only meant to tease the other person, but now he was the one who got hurt.

He clutched his stomach to ease the pain before letting out a deep sigh and changing the subject:

“We’ve known each other for over ten years, and for Vlame it’s been decades, which is a long time no matter how you look at it, right?”

"In reality, it only takes that much time."

"...Okay, I don't want to complain about this anymore."

"Really? But you've asked all your questions, now it's my turn, right?"

"You? No, I haven't finished speaking yet!"

"Then just bear with it for now, and then... squat down."

Frillie rolled up her sleeves as she gestured for him to squat down in front of her, instantly putting him on guard: "What? You're not... planning to hit me, are you?"

"That's right, you're too tall, it's not convenient to slap you in the face, so could you please squat down first?"

"—Of course not! What are you thinking?! How could anyone agree to such a request?!"

These inexplicably polite, yet seemingly impolite, words made him instantly retreat three meters.

But Freylan simply said expressionlessly, "Think about it carefully, it makes perfect sense, doesn't it?"

"Where?? Because you asked?"

"You disappeared without a trace, making both Master and me think you were dead. In the end, Master was still regretting that he couldn't find you. Also, for the first half-century after you disappeared, I couldn't get a good night's sleep... I wouldn't be too much to ask for a couple more punches for all this, would I?... That's what Celie said."

As she spoke, Frilian, who had been approaching step by step, stopped in front of him and looked up, saying, "But before we actually make a move, I'd like to hear what you have to say."

"...That was just an unavoidable situation." The unspeakable truth left him with a hint of embarrassment as he silently looked away.

"What exactly happened?"

"It was probably outside the capital that I fell into a magical trap and was frozen in ice... By the way, I only woke up a month ago."

"...A month?"

Frilian narrowed her eyes slightly, watching the magical fluctuations emanating from his body.

Ash's skill in concealing his presence was so refined that she could easily see through his disguise and discern the truth beneath.

Most people probably wouldn't remember things that happened a thousand years ago, but for long-lived species like them, events from years ago are still vivid in their minds.

In the past, he was only at the top of the mortal realm, but now he has completely surpassed the limits of a normal human life. In terms of total amount, even demons would need hundreds of years of arduous cultivation.

Based on his past cultivation speed, it should have taken him forty or fifty years to reach this level.

Although his appearance has not changed, he must be in his old age, around seventy years old.

Having made a rough assessment, and having left the elven village, Frilian now understands the limits of human lifespan and knows that her old friend is nearing the end of his life.

Why tell such a lie? To hide your age? To avoid worrying me? Did you think I couldn't see through your disguise? — A wave of sadness washed over Frillian, and even the fists she had unconsciously clenched, which had been clenched for the sake of her master and herself, began to loosen without her realizing it.

.......................

Under the influence of the guilt of his sudden disappearance, Ash, who had deliberately uttered absurd numbers, was also prepared to be beaten, and even squatted down on the ground.

But as soon as he squatted down, he saw a forlorn smile on Frillie's face.

This strange smile left him bewildered, and he asked, "...What's wrong?"

"Thinking about it carefully... it wasn't your fault, and I'm already very happy to see you again." With a tenderness she had never shown him before, Frilian smiled gently and stroked his head again.

However, it is only natural that this unusual behavior made Ash, who was prepared to be beaten, feel uncomfortable all over. He not only got goosebumps, but even suspected that she had some dirty tricks up her sleeve.

The Burial of Frilian: Chapter Thirty-Eight - Frilian, Extremely Vengeful

Although Frilian still seems somewhat oblivious to human emotions and there are still many things she doesn't understand.

But when she stroked Ash's head, she could still clearly see the wary expression on Ash's face.

This reminded her of the time they spent studying together, and with a touch of nostalgia, she shook her head and said with a light laugh:

"What are you thinking? Aren't we friends? How could I possibly lay a hand on you?"

"......"

When did this guy learn to say such disgusting things? He was just bombarding me with insults a moment ago, wasn't he? How dare he? Did he learn this from me? —Just as he was thinking this, he felt something was very wrong.

Even he wouldn't lie so blatantly!

This made him gradually suspect that Frillie might be ill, and he couldn't help but reach out and press his hand on her forehead.

"...What are you doing?" Frillie was speechless.

"You don't seem to have a fever. Did you eat something strange this morning? Or are you under some kind of curse? Should we go to church?"

"..."