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

After all, just as Philon treated him like a grandfather, he truly regarded this little life, the last person he encountered in his life, as his granddaughter.

Ash was basically aware of his thoughts, so looking at the weak and exhausted old man on the bed, he couldn't help but sigh helplessly:

“I understand your wish, but you must have misunderstood something. At this point, I can’t abandon her. I can tell you this clearly. In the end, once she takes another step forward, she will be able to stand on her own. As an adult, she is capable of making a living, so there isn’t much for her to worry about.”

"...To be honest, what is Philon in your eyes?" Haita asked a very abrupt and strange question, which made him pause for a moment: "Philon? A child, right? What else could he be?"

It's truly a child I've watched grow up; even if Ash wanted to become something else, it would be quite difficult.

“Haha…Indeed, in our eyes, that child will always be a child.” Considering the actual situation, Haita couldn’t help but laugh, but then said meaningfully, “But children will grow up and one day they will become graceful young women, while you will not grow old. In a little while…at least in appearance, you will become peers.”

"It's just appearance, isn't it?"

"If she could still see you as her father when she was little, but she grows up to be like you, can she really continue to see you that way? I think it would be very difficult. What do you think about that?"

Ash's situation was unusual, which made Haita sit up in bed and adopt a serious posture, as if a grandfather was guarding the door for his granddaughter.

Ash was puzzled by this strange attitude: "What are you thinking about all day? Of course it's your brother, right?"

"No blood relation."

"That's the older brother from next door."

"The older brother next door... took care of me since I was little, what is that?"

"...Let me think about it."

"We can put this aside for now. She'll look like she's in her twenties later. What about you?"

"The neighbor's little brother? Oh dear! Don't think about such nonsense." No longer wanting to dwell on this issue, he waved his hand to interrupt Haita's strange speculation, stating firmly:

“No matter what, I am an elder. I believe that although she seems a bit rebellious, she definitely respects me in her heart and will treat me as an elder when she grows up.”

"Even if that's what she thinks... what about you? Haven't you always wanted to find a proper girl to watch shooting stars with? Philon is already quite cute now, and she'll definitely be even cuter when she grows up, right?"

"...So, what kind of person do you take me for? How could I possibly harm a child I've watched grow up? Even if I were to lay a hand on a demon, an angel, or an old elf, I would never do anything to Philon, would I?"

His old friend's absurd suspicion made him give an affirmative answer without hesitation, almost to the point of swearing an oath on the spot.

In fact, besides the fact that we see things from childhood to adulthood, there is another very real reason... the difference in lifespan, which is the fundamental issue.

Just like they had encountered before on their adventures, there was a case of a dwarf marrying a human wife.

The result was that the human wife passed away early, while the dwarf husband remained there guarding the grave and the village, and it was unknown how many more years he would have to do so.

Races with different lifespans should never unite, no matter how you look at it; this is a lesson history has taught them.

Even if there were no issues with the union, he would still see Philon grow old... which seemed unavoidable.

Thinking of this, Haita didn't say anything more. Instead, he sighed with a hint of helplessness, looked back at the ceiling, and said softly:

"Then from now on... let me pray for you in heaven."

"Don't think too much right now, just live your life honestly."

"Haha, that's true..."

With a weak laugh, Haita closed his eyes, causing Ash to look away from him and gaze out the window.

At this moment, even the heavens must be taking pity on this elderly man who is over a hundred years old and still has to worry about things. Outside, the wind and rain are raging, and the raindrops are constantly pattering against the window, giving one a rather surreal feeling that the end of the world is coming.

But Ash remained silent for a long time before suddenly speaking:

"However... no matter what, you don't need to worry too much. No matter what happens in the process, or how Philon views me, I will protect her until she dies peacefully in her old age—not for you, but because I can't bear to see the child I watched grow up die an unnatural death."

"That's...better than anything else, but I feel really bad for you."

"Forget it, this is my choice."

"Really? Well... thank you, I'll leave the rest to you too."

......

Their conversation ended abruptly there, and afterwards, only the whooshing sound of something scraping through the cracks in the window could be heard inside the room.

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

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

Ash didn't stay by the bedside for long before leaving Haita's room.

In the living room, Frillie sat blankly at the dining table, her expression much more somber than that of the two men.

Even though she had just come back from outside and was soaking wet with water droplets constantly sliding down her body, she didn't feel the need to tidy herself up at all; she just sat there in a daze.

Ash shook his head repeatedly at the sight, and then casually grabbed a towel and threw it at her face, instantly plunging her into darkness. At the same time...

Already in a bad mood, Frillie ripped the towel off her face and glared angrily, saying, "I'm not in the mood to argue with you right now! Don't do it at a time like this..."

"You're an adult now, you should understand that you need to take care of your health at all times so that you have the energy to do other things. What if you catch a cold? Magic can't cure a cold."

"...Of course I know that, you don't need to tell me." Frillie turned her head away unhappily, but still obediently took the towel and walked to the bathroom. However, before closing the door, she suddenly said without turning back:

"Philan is still on the mountain. Go check on her. It would be bad if something happened to her."

"I already know that without you telling me, but... I'll bring Philon down later. After you take a shower, remember to cook something, preferably something the child likes."

"You still don't understand her."

"What do you mean?"

"At least for now, I don't think she'll come down anytime soon."

"But I will bring her down."

He shrugged slightly, grabbed an umbrella, and then opened the door to step directly into the wind and rain.

His steps as he went out were very elegant, but the heavy wind and rain rendered his medieval umbrella useless as soon as he opened it, causing the icy rain to slap wildly against his face.

"With such heavy rain, he's still so diligent; this child is truly..."

He wiped the rain off his face, muttered something, and then simply took to the air, disappearing from the spot in the blink of an eye.

In the blink of an eye, we arrived at the back mountain, at the edge of a bare cliff on the edge of the forest.

The long-haired, purple-haired girl, with hair reaching her waist, stood on the edge of the cliff, ignoring the strong wind and heavy rain, staring intently at the protruding rocks on the other side of the cliff.

Single-mindedly, she repeatedly used ordinary attack magic, evolved from murderous magic and adapted for humans, to shoot at the distant boulder.

No matter how many times the light shot out, it would quickly lose its momentum due to insufficient control and magic power, and would dissipate with the wind before even reaching the rock.

Ash stood watching for a while, then couldn't help but step forward and reach out, pressing his hand on Philon's head to dissuade him:

"...Take it slow, you can't succeed right now."

"No, neither you nor Lady Haita have much time left. If... if Lady Frilian really can't make it, I at least want to show you that I have the ability to survive on my own."

The girl turned around, braving the torrential rain, and stared straight at his face.

The firmness of his words seemed unwavering.

This made him gently crouch down to be at eye level with the girl, gazing into her clear, watery eyes. After a moment's thought, a gentle smile appeared on his lips, and he slowly said:

"This is a secret between us... We can't tell anyone else, not even Frilian."

"....What?"

"Actually, I'm not quite the same as Haita. I'm very special. My body is strong enough to support me to see your future and witness your life all the time. So, even until the end of your life, I will protect you."

"is that so?"

"Of course, I can swear to you here that no matter what the future holds or how our relationship changes, I will never leave you."

His tone was firm and unwavering, while his gentle eyes held a deep warmth, causing Philon to widen his eyes in surprise.

Despite the fact that the statement was baseless, she found it hard to doubt... or rather, she was unwilling to doubt it.

Ash didn't say anything after that, he just gently stroked her head, making her feel her tense body relax and soften in his hands, and she even had the urge to throw herself into his arms as she used to.

But before she could make a decision, Ash, as always, gently pulled her into his arms, causing her to once again... unconditionally succumb to this warmth.

Chapter Eighty: Philon's Little Regret - You guys were actually plotting against me?!

Despite the heavy rain and the cold, being gently held in Ash's arms made Philon feel a warmth that seemed to rival the warmth of being enveloped by the world.

It's no exaggeration to say that, at least for her now, she would never give up this favor, even if it meant exchanging the whole world's affection for her.

The sadness and panic in her heart disappeared completely without her realizing it. She had long forgotten her girlish resistance to him and unconsciously hugged him tightly instead.

During this process, Ash felt that it was not good to stay like this in the rain, so he picked her up as before and let the girl sit in the crook of his arm like a child.

"Ash-Lord Ash? This...this?" The sudden increase in perspective surprised Philon more than making him panic; he felt embarrassed and even worried that Ash, as a mage, would be the first to give up and want to get down and walk.

However... to her surprise, whether in her childhood or now, the arm that supported her has always held her steadily without the slightest sway.

"Anyway, let's go back now. It's been raining here for so long, you might catch a cold. Besides, you haven't eaten yet, you must be hungry, right? I've already prepared a whole table of food."

"Since you say so..." At this moment, Philon had no way to object and was forced to obediently nod and compromise.

Although she was much taller now and it was difficult to hug him while he was sitting on her arms, and she also felt very shy, she still quietly reached out and hugged his neck, pressing her face against his cheek, her expression more relaxed and soothed than ever before.

Even in the heavy rain, she unconsciously closed her eyes. No matter how strong the wind and rain, or how bumpy the future might be, at least for now she had someone she could completely trust, someone she could confidently and boldly show her weakness... or rather, someone she could act spoiled as she pleased.

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

When Ash gave up flying and hurried down the mountain, finally returning to the cabin, he opened the door and the aroma of food wafted out.

As soon as the hungry Philon was put down, she met Frilian's surprised gaze. As if trying to hide her shame, she was reluctant to part with him, but she still hurriedly let go of him and jumped down, and quickly ran to the bathroom.

After a relaxing bath, the hungry young girl ran to the dining table and began to eat heartily, somewhat disregarding her ladylike image.

Meanwhile, Frillie, sitting at the dining table, rested her chin on her hand, glancing at Philon and then at Ash, who was about to take a shower, with a look of surprise on her face.

"...You're surprisingly good; you actually managed to persuade the child to come down."

"I won, didn't I?"

"Indeed...you understand humans better than I do."

"Look at what you're saying. If I'm not even as good as you, wouldn't I be an idiot?" Ash chuckled and shook his head, then casually closed the bathroom door.

When he came out, Philon had already finished eating and even cleaned up the dishes, but he was still lying on the table, staring at him with his cheeks puffed out.

"....This is?"

His sudden change of attitude, as quick as turning the pages of a book, puzzled him. He looked at Frillie, but she shook her head and remained silent.