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

"Yes, monsters occasionally appear in this area, so unless there are special circumstances, I won't leave easily. After all, if something happens while I'm not here, it will be troublesome."

“Well, if you want to go further, you can leave here and go out to see what's going on... just a suggestion, of course.” He added at the end:

"By the way, I'm different from you. I'm very good at fighting humans and humanoid creatures. Just bring it on."

"Then... I won't stand on ceremony!"

"Ah, come on."

Ash simply chuckled and waved at the overly young man, and then...

The battle between the two sides was still a one-sided affair.

Even though Ash slowed down his movements and restrained his strength, fighting with an equal level of physical ability, Hugh Tortz, who lacked experience in fighting people, still unfortunately fell to the ground amidst a series of muffled punches, splashing mud and water everywhere.

He himself was bruised and battered, lying on his back in a muddy puddle, unable to stand up for a long time. His once pristine white cloak was now filthy, with almost no white remaining, and the sword in his hand had disappeared without a trace.

He could feel the same frustration as when he was a child, being knocked down by his elders, and the earthy smell of the night wind, yet he gazed at the bright moon in the sky and unconsciously let out... a heartfelt laugh:

"Haha! Haha, amazing... really amazing! I still have a long way to go... I'm quite a distance from being one of the strongest in this world."

Even though his opponent was clearly holding back, it was still an unavoidable and crushing defeat, which unexpectedly ignited Hugh Tortz's fighting spirit.

Even with longing in her eyes, she turned her head to look at Ash's departing figure, feeling a deep regret that she could not see him in his youth, in his prime, and resolved to share the long-awaited joy of their crushing defeat with her brother when she got back.

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

The following day, due to the lack of any tourist attractions, as well as the absence of magic books and ruins, the area was deserted.

The three of them did not linger. After the village chief and the villagers tried to persuade them to stay in vain, they left the village with regret, intending to go and play with the dwarf warrior Azer.

During the process, even Philon could clearly feel the overly intense gazes behind him, and couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"That's wonderful, Lord Ash... The people in this village like you so much, and the girls don't even mind that you're over ninety years old—that's truly wonderful!"

"What's so good about it? They only like my appearance, they're not attracted to my inner qualities. How can I be happy in this situation?"

Noticing Philon's unhappiness, Ash tried to distract her with a joke.

But Freya, completely oblivious to the atmosphere, gave her a "what nonsense are you talking about?" look and bluntly retorted:

"If they knew your dark and gloomy inner self, no matter how strong you are, those girls who admire strength might not necessarily like you."

"Nonsense. Although it may not look like it, I am actually very gentle and popular with children. Maybe some people even have a crush on me."

"Impossible, Lord Ash, give up."

Compared to usual, Philon made his assertion without hesitation this time, and his expression when he glanced at him was particularly serious and earnest, as if he truly believed it from the bottom of his heart and hoped that Philon would think so as well.

"...She was so straightforward and adorable when she was little...why is she so cruel and heartless now..."

"Give up," he muttered, sounding quite hurt. Frilian patted him on the shoulder with a smile and said, "Life is painful because it has too many unrealistic fantasies."

"You talk like you know everything."

“She really knows her stuff.” Frilian glanced at Philon beside her and muttered softly, “Because… I also think Philon was cuter when she was little, but now she’s become so scary, really…”

""....well!""

In this strange place, the two inexplicably found themselves in sync, and at the end, they unconsciously let out a deep sigh together.

Chapter Eight: Reencounter with Aize Philen: What else are you hiding from me?!

The combined sighs reached Frillie and Ash, who couldn't help but exchange a smile at their rare shared understanding.

This only made Philon puff out her cheeks in dissatisfaction: "What? You two...are you deliberately mocking me? Isn't it because you two are always causing trouble? Otherwise, why would I get angry for no reason??"

"I'm sorry... Thinking about it seriously, it really is all Ash's (Frilian's) fault!"

Under Philon's reproachful gaze, the two, who had just reached a tacit understanding and acknowledged each other as close friends, once again overlapped their voices in perfect harmony—only the targets of their conversations were slightly different.

This made Philon both angry and amused, and he was even a little confused about whether their relationship was good or bad.

The three of them chatted as they walked through the forest.

About three days later, at the foot of a mountain, beside an unremarkable cave, a dwarf warrior wearing a familiar horned helmet and a red cloak came into view.

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

Upon noticing the familiar figure, even Frillie couldn't help but smile knowingly, and her tone became slightly more upbeat than usual:

"—Aize, I've come to play with you."

"..."

The dwarf warrior, with his back to the crowd, seemed to still be praying to the stone pile. Hearing the familiar voice, he opened his eyes with a hint of helplessness and said without turning his head, "Your tone doesn't sound like someone who hasn't heard you for 30 years."

"It's more like it's been unseen for ages," Ash interjected at the opportune moment, leaving Frilline somewhat puzzled: "Only thirty years, right?"

"Yes, it's only been thirty years... Speaking of which, Ash has also appeared?" Aize turned around in surprise, looking at the two who were almost never seen, and couldn't help but show a surprised expression:

"That's really rare. Neither of you has shown up for so many years, but now you've both come to find me?"

“I just happened to be passing by, so of course I had to see an old friend… That’s what I was thinking.” Ash glanced at the pile of stones with a smile, and Frilian nodded without hesitation: “Yes, that’s what I was thinking too.”

"...You guys are clearly the most heartless ones, yet you're saying such things now." Although Aize's face was expressionless and his tone was quite flat, the content had a rather sarcastic tone.

These words made Philon unconsciously glance at the two of them: "Heartless...? Indeed, Lady Frilian is rather cold, but Lord Ash... well, he is indeed heartless as well."

"Why? I should be better off than Frillian, right?" Ash had barely expressed a hint of dissatisfaction when Philon glared at him. "...Don't you usually spend your time managing the apple orchard? By the way, when are you planning to leave?"

"Well... things have been going well lately, so there shouldn't be any major problems..."

"Then I'll leave the avant-garde matter to you, is that alright?"

"I guess... should I say there's no problem, or is there a problem..." He wasn't sure if he had anything urgent to attend to, so he nodded vaguely and then immediately looked at Frilian: "With your level of skill, being avant-garde doesn't seem to be that important, does it?"

"Not really, but if you encounter something with high magic resistance like a dragon, it can still be quite dangerous."

"Don't think I'll believe you just because you say that, and then willingly become avant-garde or something. What's the reality?"

"...It can be resolved with a few more attempts, but if possible, it would be best to have a warrior like Azer or you, especially someone like Azer who is unharmed even if bitten by a poisonous snake or wounded by a poisoned arrow; after all, we don't have any monks here, so it's best if the warriors can handle these problems themselves."

Frillie calmly described her overly demanding requirements... of course, those were simply her ideal expectations, which would be quite difficult to achieve in reality.

Upon hearing these conditions, Aize closed his eyes and shook his head: "I'm too old now, I can't meet your requirements."

"Didn't you always manage to get through it with willpower before? Does willpower weaken as you get older?"

“...My will won’t change, but my body is failing, so my will isn’t really useful anymore.” Her strange expectations of herself made Aize particularly distressed.

"Huh? It won't work?"

"...I was just saying it casually before, and you actually believed me?"

"Because... a normal soldier definitely couldn't do that, right?" The truth, which had been hidden for many years, left Frillie speechless with shock.

This unwavering demeanor made Aize feel a pang of conscience, and he was quite annoyed by these mages who didn't understand the hardships of warriors. He couldn't help but say:

"I feel really sorry, but... if you're here to fulfill my last wish, it's too early; besides, my body isn't what it used to be, I told you that when I rejected you thirty years ago, really... give up."

"Wait a minute." Ash couldn't help but interject, "Actually, Simmel has only been dead for a little over twenty years, not even thirty. You two are both mistaken."

"...That kind of thing is not important at all. It's just that whether it's twenty or thirty years, it's still a long time for humans."

Aize looked at him, then glanced at Frilian, his words seemingly carrying a hidden meaning.

But without being told clearly, it was always difficult for Frillie to understand the deeper meaning. However, she didn't understand anything and just nodded thoughtfully: "Indeed, no wonder Haita said we were heartless just because we haven't been in contact for only a few decades."

"...Judging from your tone, you still don't seem to be reflecting on anything."

Aize could tell she hadn't grasped the deeper meaning, but he didn't intend to say anything more. He simply went along with the conversation, shook his head, and walked towards the cave on the side without turning back, saying, "Anyway, come in first. I'll still prepare tea and such for you."

"Since you've said so, then I won't stand on ceremony~" Ash happily followed him inside.

But when Aize heard this, he turned around in confusion and asked, "...Were you being polite when you came last time?"

"What are you saying? Do you have something here that makes me feel obligated to be polite?"

“…Bread? Cured meat?” After a long silence, Aize finally listed the only two things that might have some value.

"I really don't mean to criticize you, but at least there's alcohol in Haita. You're a dwarf, so you should at least have some. Even if you don't drink, I'd still like to."

"...Your prejudice against dwarves has lasted for so many years, aren't you going to change it? Most dwarves really don't drink alcohol."

........

The two continued arguing as they entered the cave, causing Philon, who was behind them, to have a strange expression as he listened to their conversation.

Only Frilian seemed used to it and followed suit.

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

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

On the eve of entering the cave, Philon couldn't help but feel some reservations about Ash's remarks, feeling that even if it was a close friend's frankness, it was a bit too harsh.

But when she actually went inside, she realized that while Ash wasn't exactly polite, he hadn't said anything too offensive either.

Because the cave is completely pristine.

The surrounding area consisted of overly exposed rock walls, with a few simple, carved holes cleverly fitted with flickering oil lamps, adding a touch of warmth to the dim space, while also containing some daily necessities.

However, most of the miscellaneous items inside were simply handmade earthenware.

The furniture was clearly homemade; the dining table and wardrobe were made from readily available materials and pieced together haphazardly.

The workmanship... can only be described as so-so. I doubt anyone would want to sell it. Perhaps even something discarded by others on the roadside would be better than this piece... at least it should have been properly finished to avoid being rough to the touch.

If I had to describe it, Ash would say that the overall structure resembles the makeshift shelter dug out of a cave in a short video of someone being kicked out of their home by their wife... The only difference is that the other person is digging in the soil, while Azer is digging in the rock.

While Azer went to pour tea, Philon, who was meeting a dwarf for the first time, couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "...Lord Ash, do dwarves like a primitive appearance?"

"Who knows? Probably. After all, this guy wants to make money. Even if his body isn't at its peak, most warriors are still no match for him."

"...You're making it sound like I'd go rob someone." Hearing his words, Aize shook his head as he walked over, handing out teacups one by one, and couldn't help but say, "Speaking of which, I just heard the child say...you also run an apple orchard?"

"Yes, I am actually a farmer."

"...I almost forgot, you also know quite a bit of agricultural magic." Aize stared at the tea leaves in the water glass and said softly, "But how should I put it...it doesn't suit you."

"Actually, I often do farm work."

"I can't imagine it."

"My dream is to manage a huge wheat field."