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

But... just as she was becoming certain, Ash slapped her on the head:

"Even if you're a good kid, don't rub apple juice all over me! How many times have I told you??"

"...Yes, I'm sorry, I'll definitely be more careful next time."

Chapter 88 Aura Seems Useless - Alt (Line) Still Useless (4K)

Although Linne looked very guilty and immediately bowed her head to admit her mistake, she also said some very nice things.

But just like Ash did with Aura... Lina was only saying it.

No, I might genuinely want to change, but that's just something I think about when I'm told to, and then I "accidentally" forget about it.

Just like Ash in this respect, he always says he'll be more careful next time, but once he gets into the habit, he still can't help but grab Aura's horns... There's no way around it, because the height and shape are just right for him.

Perhaps it's a matter of habit, but the strange cycle between Aura, Ash, and Linne seems impossible to break anytime soon.

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

As the setting sun quietly disappeared into the shadows of the mountains, a full moon rose leisurely, hanging high in the low-hanging sky, casting countless silver rays of light...

Inside the castle, in Ash's study.

Aura, who had taken over Ash's rocking chair, swayed freely while staring blankly at the ceiling.

Linne, who was sitting not far away, was leaning on Ash's desk, watching Aura, who was lost in thought not far away. She unconsciously wore an innocent expression, and then a random sentence broke the silence of the study, which was filled only with the sound of turning pages:

"Lord Ash, Lord Aura looks like a cripple."

"Don't speak too loudly, that good-for-nothing will get angry if he hears you."

"—I've already heard that!" Aura glared at Lina and Ash, who clearly thought so too, but she didn't have time to be angry with them right now.

After all, given her lazy demeanor, any explanation would lack credibility, and she wasn't in the mood for it anyway. She simply sat up and looked at Ash seriously:

"Solidil is dangerous, you should know that, right?"

"Don't worry, I know how dangerous that guy is, but we can still cooperate."

"Oh my god, really? I thought you were just attracted to her because she's short!"

Hearing him say that, Aura felt relieved, but at the same time, she habitually covered her mouth and chuckled mockingly.

This made him sigh helplessly: "...Don't really think of me as a weirdo. I should like older ones, and even if I like younger ones, I wouldn't like someone that old. Besides, you're clearly a demon, so what do you mean by liking...don't you find that strange?"

"Not at all, but then again, this rocking chair is really nice!"

"...I'm glad you like it."

Looking at Aura, who was lounging lazily in the chair like a useless person, Ash refrained from making any comments.

After all, he was the one who acted like this in front of her before, and he was a little worried that Aura was learning from him and becoming useless. Now, however, he could only lower his head and start working on the documents again, while casually patting the head of the emotionless loli next to him.

Although she is often disobedient and speaks quite recklessly, Linne is exceptionally well-behaved and compliant at this moment, even shaking her head comfortably.

The lazy Aura, the obedient Line, and a pile of documents that weren't particularly important but were still pending decision—everything seemed peaceful and no different from usual.

After all, normal matters can be left to his subordinates. What he is mainly dealing with now are some national transformation and reform issues, which can be done slowly but require his opinion.

"...Life, why is it so painful?" Ash glanced at the documents in front of him, then looked at the two troublesome guys over there, and couldn't help but want to grab Lina's horn and shake her head vigorously to vent his frustration.

But he couldn't bear to punish this emotionless little girl before she made any mistakes.

At that moment, the study door was gently knocked on, and the familiar, ghostly loli-like demon entered the room with a smile.

"Good evening~ It's time to learn magic now, shall we all study together?"

"Forget it, I have no interest in learning so much nonsense." Aura saw Solitaire's gloomy expression, stood up from the rocking chair, and strode away.

Linne also followed Aura away from the scene without saying a word... The situation in the carriage was an exception, but since there was an opportunity and space to leave, she naturally didn't want to stay there.

After all, in the cruel society of the demon race, apart from Ash and Aura being quite unique, it's best for this young demon to avoid encountering someone far stronger than herself if possible.

Those with similar strength can chat, but those with vastly different strengths... well, be prepared to be enslaved.

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

Solitaire never looked at Linne or spoke to her. Only when Linne passed by did she quietly move away slightly, unwilling to get too close to her.

Because... she could sense that if they got too close, Linne might pose a certain danger.

"What an interesting child~" Solitaire's smile deepened as she got closer, watching Ash's enthusiastic expression.

"That child, despite being so young, somehow managed to give me a sense of threat when we were close enough. How did you train him?"

"She is a warrior."

"A child that small is a warrior...? And he seems really powerful."

"Anyway, don't bully Linne." Ash didn't intend to say too much and casually ended the topic.

Solitaire simply smiled and nodded gently: "I understand. Don't worry, after all, she's the woman you're keeping, right?"

"What do you mean by 'raised in captivity'... I admit Linne is cute, but I wouldn't look at a child I raised from a baby like that, okay?"

"What's wrong with that? Isn't cuteness the best thing? As far as I know, many human nobles are like that, aren't they? They cultivate these interests and hobbies from a young age so that they tend to go in their own direction?"

Faced with this obvious question, Ash retorted with a dark expression, "You think I enjoy being her hand towel?"

"Ara? So you don't like it?"

"...What kind of person am I in your impression?"

"People who like children, and as far as I know, the only demons who would adopt a child are you and Aura."

“I call that compassion, Aura’s is… just a hobby.”

"Hehe~ What a huge difference! The bond between you siblings is truly heartwarming~"

His casual answer made Solitaire press her hand to her chest with a look of rapture, nodding gently in admiration.

This guy is really strange, even stranger than myself... no, even stranger than Aura and Linne. Is this a characteristic of wild demons? Ash didn't speak, just looked at the strange guy in front of him, unsure of what to do.

But he didn't say much, instead resting his chin on his hand on his desk, watching this uninvited guest.

"To be honest, I don't quite understand how what I said made you feel that 'heartwarming sibling relationship'?"

"In every sense."

"As expected, you should be the most unique one."

"Me? I should be pretty ordinary, right? Ah, the only special thing about me is that I'm a bit timid, right?"

Solitaire clasped her hands together in front of her chest and sat down next to him, leaning against him and pressing her soft body against him. She looked up at him with a pitiful expression and said, "So, I'll be relying on you to protect me from now on."

"...You're at least a thousand years old, do you really need someone to protect you?"

"No matter how time changes, I am essentially just a weak woman."

"Who taught you all this?"

"All of it... comes from the bottom of my heart, doesn't it?" Solitaire smiled sweetly and chuckled softly.

But Ash knew all too well that this guy had somehow learned all this random stuff and somehow ended up using it on himself.

Now he really couldn't understand what this girl was thinking... At least he was certain that he didn't think she would really fall in love with him at first sight, after all, even Aura didn't believe her words.

"Let's put all that aside for now and exchange what we have. You teach me your special skills, and I'll teach you the most comprehensive knowledge of the human magic system that you've ever had."

"Of course! Wasn't that agreed upon from the beginning?"

“Then… please take a look.” Ash silently stood up and patted the bookshelf next to him: “These are all yours. You can look at them anytime you want, however you like.”

"....Book?"

For the first time, Solitaire's smile seemed to falter.

This prompted him to immediately add, "Don't underestimate these books. These are the kinds of things that most human mages dream of. In addition, I have almost all the magic of modern humans in the library of this royal city, and I can teach you any magic that any mage in this royal city takes a fancy to."

"...Are they as good as you?"

"Human beings have limits, and those who can reach those limits wouldn't be in this royal city."

"So, as part of the deal, shouldn't you be the one teaching me? Or... are you bullying me because you see me as a weak woman?"

Solitaire's smile remained unchanged, but there seemed to be a hint of danger in it.

"I have my own difficulties, but let's do this." He spread his hands with a hint of distress:

“I will open the castle’s library completely and arrange for the best mages to teach you, and I will continue to help when necessary.... How about that?”

"...The necessary range is too large. If you need to provide an answer, how about this?"

I will answer to the best of my ability.

"Then, let's make a deal."

After all, all she asked for was the latest and most comprehensive knowledge, so Solitaire didn't press the issue too much and extended her hand to him with a gentle smile.

The moment these two hands, one large and one small, clasped together, it foreshadowed the arrival of yet another great demon into Ash's plans.

Although he's an oddball... it's best not to dwell on these issues too much at this time.

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

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

In the royal city, Solitaire, a great demon, gradually appeared. Ash wasn't in the royal city every day; he would occasionally lead everyone north to the Demon King's city.

Move Aura’s undead legion there, and let Line learn from the bloodstained war god Livale. Aura and Solitaire study from the corrupt sage Guval, while he himself studies from both sides, developing in both areas to the fullest.

Time flies by as they travel back and forth between the royal city and the demon king's city, studying, working, and occasionally teasing Linne. Before they know it, it seems that Philon's birthday is just around the corner.

What would happen if he accidentally missed Philon's birthday... Ash guessed she would be very angry, and Frilian would also kick him while he was down, but most importantly, he himself didn't intend to miss it.

So, one morning after the time had been calculated.

He casually mentioned that he was going out for a while and would be back in a few months or a year. He then packed his things and left the study.

When he heard his voice, Aura was still lying in the rocking chair, lazily rocking without any intention of getting up, and casually waved his hand.

Solitaire, who was engrossed in reading on the table, simply nodded slightly, completely ignoring the matter.

But Linne, who was squatting on the ground picking and choosing among a box of fresh apples, looked over at the last moment, biting into an apple and looking at him vaguely:

"Take care on your journey, Lord Ash... If it's convenient for you to come back, please bring me some apples from the central region."