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

Instead of entering the city, they wandered in the nearby forest, searching for the cabin that was said to be not deep in the woods.

"...Lord Ash, do you really know where that friend is?"

Carrying her small suitcase, Philon, who had been walking in the forest for half an hour and whose little body was swaying uncontrollably, glanced around and couldn't help but say, "I feel like I've been here before."

"...You actually found out?"

"Could it be that Lord Ash did this on purpose?"

"Of course, as a mage, having a strong body is also very important!" Unable to find a way out, he made up a story to save face.

Philon sighed softly and lowered his head: "...This is the first time I've heard of this."

"What? This attitude? It must be because your teacher is incompetent that they don't know this."

"However, that's what the book says, and Professor Lies is already a Level 2 mage, second only to a Level 1 mage. It's rather impolite of you to say that..."

Faced with his assertion, Philon seemed somewhat embarrassed and cautiously suggested, "It's fine in the middle of nowhere, but if you were in the city, please try to avoid making similar remarks, because... people might misunderstand it as jealousy."

"...Why would I be jealous of a level two mage?"

"Speaking of which, you're a mage too. What level are you now?"

"—You really need to rest. You can't exercise anymore. Let's fly up and see where we are!"

As a disciple of Celie, he had never thought about being evaluated. Suddenly faced with this question, he felt that saying there was no need to be evaluated would only be seen as bravado, so he awkwardly changed the subject and flew into the sky.

This made Philon shake his head and sigh softly: "...Is there no rating? Does Lord Ash really lack magical talent?"

I really should avoid mentioning these things as much as possible in the future, and...did I go a bit too far just now? —Philon prayed in her heart that Ash wouldn't be hurt, while regretting her careless words.

As for why she misunderstood him as weak, it was because she felt that Ash's magic seemed very weak.

Of course, in reality, even an apprentice like her couldn't see through Ash's crude concealment techniques.

Ash never boasted to her, and since she didn't ask, she naturally didn't say much either. After all... what's the point of boasting to a child? That would be too empty, wouldn't it?

He never expected that his self-esteem would be taken care of by a child who hadn't even grown up yet. So after ending the conversation, flying into the air and spotting the target, he didn't think much of it, landed back on the ground, picked up Philon, and flew to the cabin in the woods.

At that moment, black smoke was billowing from the chimney of the lonely cabin in the woods, clearly indicating that someone was cooking inside. The two of them could even smell the aroma of stewed beef and potatoes from outside the door.

"...Is that drunken monk drinking and eating meat again? Looks like we came at just the right time." Ash muttered to himself, then happily grabbed Philon's hand and stepped onto the stairs, intending to enjoy a long-awaited free meal.

On the other hand, Philon seemed a little worried... After all, they had come from afar, but they hadn't brought any local specialties or anything, yet they were thinking of freeloading. Was that really appropriate?

The Burial of Frilian: Chapter Seventy - High Tower: Have Some Mercy! (3K)

Haita's retirement home is a typical Western-style cottage.

It's not actually small, though; it looks like there are at least three or four rooms on each floor.

Although not luxurious, it is far from dilapidated, standing in a simple style with ivy climbing on the walls, and there is a small attic on the second floor.

There was also a separate well in front of the door, and a simple vegetable garden. In the autumn, the harvest season, Ash couldn't help but turn back before knocking on the door.

Before Philon could stop him, he casually picked a tomato, wiped it, and took a bite.

Philon looked on with worry at the sight:

"Lord Ash, it's really not right for you to pick and eat it without permission. It will definitely anger the owner of this place..."

"It's okay, he won't mind... But I still prefer cooked tomatoes, like scrambled eggs with tomatoes."

“Then don’t pick them in the first place…” Philon seemed somewhat troubled by his attitude.

"What are you talking about, Philon? Your friend actually grew vegetables! Of course, you have to try them right away! Hmm, something like that?"

"...I'm sorry, I don't understand at all."

"It's okay, you'll understand when you grow up."

"...Really?" Philon nodded with some doubt, but then, looking at the suitcases in their hands, she couldn't help but say:

"But Lord Ash, compared to that kind of thing, we didn't even bring any souvenirs. Is it really alright for us to visit like this...?"

"A souvenir?"

"what happened?"

Philon looked up, puzzled, while he fiddled with the tomato, muttering to himself, "...How strange. I shouldn't have taught you these weird and complicated etiquettes, should I?"

“This is very common sense.” Philon unconsciously emphasized her words, and couldn’t help but add at the end, “Even a seven-year-old like me understands this.”

"No, normally they shouldn't understand, right?"

He felt helpless with this precocious child and reached out to rub her head.

But it wouldn't be appropriate to say anything to her, so I simply handed her the leftover tomato.

"This, this is?"

Philon instinctively took the gift, wanting to ask what it was for, but before she could get an answer, Ash had already walked back to the hut and was casually banging on the door.

"Haita~ Haita! I've come to play with you, hurry up and open the door!"

"...Here it comes."

Footsteps soon came from inside the door, accompanied by an old voice.

The old man, leaning on a cane and walking slowly, quickly pushed open the door. When he saw Ash, his eyes widened, and a nostalgic smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

"I thought I misheard... I really didn't expect you to come looking for me."

"Hmm~ There are some things."

"Haha, didn't you just say you came to have fun?" Haita laughed and shook his head, not really caring about the purpose of their visit, and stepped aside: "Anyway... come on in?"

"Then I'm welcome!"

When have you ever been polite to me?

“That’s true.” Ash smiled as well, but he didn’t go in. Instead, he turned back to look at the little girl who was still standing by the vegetable garden, staring at the tomatoes with a troubled expression.

"Philan, stop eating tomatoes and come in quickly."

"Yes! Coming right away." Philon paused for a moment, then ran over and stopped in front of Haita, bowing his head very politely: "Nice to meet you, Lord Haita. I have heard Lord Ash talk about you before."

"Oh my, what an adorable child! He doesn't look like you at all." Haita chuckled as he squatted down, looking at Philon with a kind smile.

But when she noticed the half-eaten tomato in her hand, she couldn't help but turn to Ash and shake her head, saying, "...You must have learned this rudeness from you, right?"

"Ah, this...this..." Philon looked at the tomato, then at Ash, appearing extremely embarrassed, but then obediently lowered his head to Haita, apologizing guiltily:

"I'm sorry!...I ate the tomato without permission."

"Oh? Ah... It's nothing, it's just a joke. Pick whatever you want to eat, don't be shy."

Haita smiled and waved his hand in surprise, then looked at Ash teasingly and said, "Let me correct you, this child is completely different from you. He's a polite and well-behaved child."

"Uh...actually, I wanted to say..."

"what?"

"Those tomatoes... I actually picked them, but I didn't like them, so I gave them to Philon." Feeling it wasn't right to let his child take the blame for him, he hesitated for a moment before finally telling the truth.

Haita's expression froze, and after a long while, he couldn't help but break the silence, forcefully criticizing the previously kind old man's attitude:

"—Have some decency! How can you make a child take the blame for you?!"

"No...you're the one who misunderstood?"

"—It was the child who said it!" Haita retorted excitedly. Ash then came to his senses and said thoughtfully, "It seems so?"

"This is definitely your problem!"

"No, no, no, this is a huge injustice! I never made that request of her, much less did I cultivate that kind of behavior in her." Ash spread his hands innocently, but even he couldn't believe him at all: "How could a normal child do that, voluntarily taking responsibility for someone else?"

"Perhaps it was influenced by my excellent character that made him a good child."

"—How could that be! It must be... cough!... cough cough!!"

"Oh dear, why are you so agitated? Calm down first."

"You... cough... you think... cough cough! Whose fault is this...!"

He was so engrossed in criticizing him that he almost couldn't catch his breath. The prematurely deceased Haita kept patting his chest to catch his breath, and his eyes were full of frustration as he looked at him.

Ash acted innocent, but still patted him on the back as if afraid he might accidentally die.

This scene left Philon somewhat confused – was their relationship good or bad?

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

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

Upon entering the room and sitting at the very simple wooden dining table, Haita still seemed unable to fully recover.

He rested his hand on his forehead for a long while before shaking his head and sighing repeatedly.

"I've been a bishop for so many years, playing the role of a composed person for so many years, and you've ruined it all..."

"Actually, he's just pretending to be innocent, isn't he?"

"...Look at you, what are you saying to an old man? It's natural to become like this as you get older, who's like you?"