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

Haita could probably guess what the child was thinking, but faced with the child's innocent gaze, he could only force a nod, not wanting to have a bad influence on the sensible child, and forced a stiff smile:

"Haha... It's rare to have an old friend visit, so I can't help but reminisce about my younger days."

"...I see. It's good to have energy."

Philon didn't suspect anything, nodding slightly in agreement. However, she seemed a little embarrassed by being hugged, unconsciously squirming her body and looking up in confusion.

"Lord Ash...now that you've won, could you please let me go?"

"No, look at that guy over there, his shoulders are shaking. He's definitely not reconciled. I need to make him even more reconciled."

"Huh... I don't quite understand, but aren't you friends? Why are you doing this?"

"It's precisely because we're friends that we're kicking someone when they're down."

"Is that so...? It feels...surprisingly understandable?"

Thinking of his friends Connie and Rabine, who were always fighting each other, Philon unconsciously nodded in agreement.

This made Haita, who was watching this, start to worry about how badly he would raise Philon.

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

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

After the two finished and returned to the house.

Feeling guilty, Philon ate the beef and potato stew that Haita had prepared at Ash's instigation. Because of the long journey and the fact that she was still traveling through the forest, she fell asleep in her room early.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Haita, with a suppressed headache, glared at the man in front of her who was drinking her treasured wines and nagging her to prepare braised meat.

If it were anyone else, Haita would probably have told this guy to get lost, but it's Ash... he really can't do anything about it.

But recalling Philon's attitude towards Ash during their brief time together, he tapped the table again and said, "Now I want to talk about serious matters."

"You tell me... listen."

“No…you’re the first person to eat and talk in front of me since I became bishop.”

"That was a real honor."

"This isn't a compliment... Sigh, never mind." Haita couldn't do anything about it. Although he sighed, his usual smile reappeared on his face. He shook his head and said again:

"You should have noticed it yourself, right? The way you and Philon get along doesn't really seem like a relationship between adoptive parents."

“I feel the same way, so I came here hoping you could help me find a reliable person to take care of him.”

"...A reliable person? Can't you do it yourself?"

"Actually, I might really be nearing the end of my life, so I hope you can help me take over taking care of Philon. Or can you really bear to see Philon wandering the streets alone?"

"..." Upon hearing this, Haita frowned and remained silent for a moment, then spoke in a reproachful tone: "...Do you really want to be hit by me?"

"Just kidding, don't get too excited." Ash waved his hand with a smile: "Actually, I just feel like I'm not very good at taking care of Philon."

"Are you trying to shirk responsibility? I never expected you to push your own responsibilities onto others."

"Actually, I also have my own difficulties."

"Are you going to say he's about to die of old age again?" Haita felt he was about to lose his temper.

But Ash put down the braised meat in his hand and finally became serious: "No, this time I'm serious. I just feel like I can't take care of her. After all, you've seen it, haven't you? My relationship with Philon."

"...From what I can tell, that child seems to be holding back something, sometimes being close to you, sometimes maintaining a polite distance that goes beyond what's necessary." Haita pondered for a moment before offering his guess, then couldn't help but ask, "...How long have you known each other?"

"Including the journey we took here, it must have been almost a year, right?"

"...Really?" Haita took off his glasses and rubbed his temples. "...Is it because her heart is too wounded, or because you are irresponsible?"

"The problem lies with me."

"...What exactly is it?"

"Actually, I'm very busy and really can't take good care of her, so she basically lives alone, with only a maid to take care of her at most. So I hope you can introduce someone to me."

"...I think that child will be sad."

"However, this is a solution that is good for both of us."

"We're both doing well... I guess that's how it is."

...........

Haita didn't say much, nor did she ask why it was better for both of them, or express her dissatisfaction with his ruthlessness.

After all, he could probably understand why Ash would have such thoughts.

Just like when their adventure ended and they parted ways in the capital, everyone advised Frilian to take a disciple or something, so that she would at least have someone to talk to on her travels.

But Frilian's answer was: it's just a waste of time, after all, no matter how much you teach, you'll die in the blink of an eye.

That's why he could probably understand Ash's concerns.

So, on the very next day, he began contacting acquaintances in the capital to find a suitable candidate.

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

In the days that followed, people would visit the cabin in the woods from time to time, but... they would come and go, and then leave again.

No matter who it was, Philon was not satisfied, and gradually realized why Ash had brought him here.

But until the truth was revealed... she didn't expose it.

But after seeing off another visitor, she realized that no matter how she tried to escape, the facts would not change.

I have to admit the reality that I am no longer needed.

......

...

...

(PS: There's one more chapter, I'm currently writing it, you can wait... but I'd also like to ask for some swords and monthly tickets at the beginning of the month!)

The Burial of Frilian: A Thousand Years Later: Chapter Seventy-Two - Philon: I Don't Want to Be Someone Else's Child

Although Ash and Haita were both trying to avoid letting Philon discover their true intentions, they kept bringing along the children under the guise of inviting guests over, while also subtly inquiring about Philon's feelings towards them, and their feelings towards Philon.

Although they thought they had concealed it well, they underestimated Philon's sensitivity as a former homeless child.

Or rather... the way those people looked at Philon didn't feel like the way they looked at a friend's child.

But the crucial point is that when Ash and Haita went to the Holy Capital together, Philon, who was looking after the house, was tidying up the room when he suddenly noticed that... the guest room drawer that Ash was using was half open.

"...Did Lord Ash forget to close the drawer?"

The drawer, which had been specially locked and kept closed the whole time, suddenly opened today, making Philon take a second look out of curiosity.

She originally intended to just turn it off, but... she accidentally glanced at her and couldn't look away.

Because the document contained the names of previous guests.

Driven by curiosity, she quietly picked it up and discovered that it contained various information about the guests.

Why would you need to deliberately investigate a friend's guest? Mainly because of their personality, family members, and financial situation. And the most important factor is—their attitude towards children.

"This...could it be that? No, but why...why is this happening? There must be some mistake somewhere, right?"

Despite trying her best not to think that way, at this moment, in the face of crucial evidence, the answer that she had always refused to admit still surfaced in Philon's mind.

The world around her seemed to have lost its color and sound, leaving only her rapid and disordered breathing, and the indescribable throbbing deep within her heart.

Her mind went blank, and as her pupils dilated unconsciously, the documents in her hands slipped from her trembling grasp and scattered on the ground—just like her shattered emotions at that moment.

"Ah...no...I can't do this, I have to tidy up...If I mess up the files...Ash-sama will get angry...No, Ash-sama hasn't, not even once......what's going on?"

Philon squatted on the ground, trying to tidy up the documents, but for some reason his vision suddenly blurred. He tried hard to control himself, but tears just kept flowing uncontrollably.

"How strange... tears... why can't I stop... I can't see clearly... what should I do... Ash-sama will be back soon..."

No matter how hard I tried to wipe away my tears, they wouldn't stop. I wanted to calm down, but my throat kept churning, and tears kept rolling down my cheeks.

It felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her chest tightly. A sudden, sharp pain caused her to involuntarily fall to the ground, instinctively covering her chest with her hands, as if that could alleviate the pain.

Her face, usually expressionless, was now contorted beyond recognition, and finally...

This mature yet youthful girl was overwhelmed by the torrent of emotions and could only cover her face with her hands, trying her best to avoid making a sound.

But all her emotions were beyond her control, turning directly into silent wails that leaked from between her fingers and echoed in the empty room.

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

Ash dragged Haita around the Holy City again to find a suitable candidate. By the time they returned, after what seemed like the umpteenth round of screening, Haita had long since given up on the possibility of finding a suitable candidate.

It wasn't just that Ash's demands were harsh; Philon had absolutely no intention of leaving Ash...

Why didn't this guy realize that the child actually didn't want to leave him at all? — Haita was utterly helpless about the current situation.

But after spending time together, he realized that Ash couldn't be entirely blamed. He was indeed busy with various things, and Philon's personality was too introverted. He was unwilling to say anything... yet he was overly considerate of others and had a distance that a child shouldn't have. Anyone would probably be confused by that.

The two involved parties were not entirely clear about each other's true thoughts, but he was an old bystander... who witnessed it all.

During this struggle, he couldn't stand it any longer and wanted to give Philon a chance, so he quietly used a spare key to unlock Ash's lock before leaving.