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

"Cough... Compared to such trivial matters, just tell me, isn't the pain reduced, and the illness cured immediately?"

"...That's right, that's right, but...!" Even Frilian felt that this treatment was a bit strange and couldn't help but want to blame him for something.

However, she was not good with words and didn't know how to criticize this strange treatment.

After all, this is indeed very effective, but it doesn't take into account the feelings of the person being transported like a ball.

Just like when a vehicle is already full, people are crammed into the trunk for transportation. While this might get them to their destination smoothly, it's hard to describe how the person being stuffed into the trunk like cargo would feel.

Although the treatment here might be a little better than that, at least you won't feel any bumps, and the experience is much better overall. As for the treatment... it feels a bit like being knocked unconscious and then thrown into the trunk.

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

After all these years, Frillian has come to understand that saying those things to Ash will basically have no effect.

After all, he cares more about effective methods than about other people's feelings.

All these years of talking haven't made any progress, and besides, it's unlikely to have any effect. This made Frillie lower her gaze, sighing with a hint of annoyance:

"You must reflect on your actions and then apologize properly to Philon... and to me!"

"....Why?"

"Not everything can be resolved simply by getting it solved; the process itself is also very important!"

"I understand what you're saying, but..."

"What? You're planning to leave a will?" He seemed about to explain, which made Frilian look very unhappy, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I just want to ask, if you had to choose, would it be better to be petrified and pushed into the magical city, or to be sick for a few days, suffering for a few days searching for the best medicine?"

"Isn't that the problem? Although I don't like being sick, I also don't like being suddenly petrified and then being transported like cargo."

"is it?"

"Understood?"

"No, I just feel a little conflicted about what you said about this..."

Despite being the slowest-witted person, Frilian has grown to the point where she can say this to herself.

No, although the reason is unknown, Frilian has had her own strange insistence on some strange things for thousands of years.

So even elves are essentially girls? Although she didn't care at first when her underwear was seen, she only improved in this area after I pointed it out? —Ash had a mental whirlwind, but in the end he couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

Why are you sighing while looking at me...? Isn't that being too polite?

"Don't get me wrong, I just feel a bit conflicted because I can't even understand someone like you..."

"Hey! Isn't that even more impolite?" Frillie glared back unhappily.

The two argued, while Yubel watched with great interest, feeling as if he had gained a new understanding of them.

I even had a feeling...

"These guys are really more interesting than ordinary people!" Despite the slightly awkward atmosphere, Yubel just smiled and nodded repeatedly, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Ash ignored her for the time being, and disregarded Frillie's gaze, silently looking at the girl in his arms for a long time before finally saying:

"I will reflect on what you said later, but... since the petrification has already happened, why don't we send him to the magic city first?"

"What do you mean, 'Since they're already petrified, don't you think your words are weird?' It's like saying that just because a crime has already started, it has to continue?"

"...Then cancel it?"

"No... Anyway, you've already sealed it, and it wasn't me who did it, so I won't be the one who gets scolded or talked about in the end. I might as well continue."

"...You really are my best friend."

Ash looked at Frillie for a long time, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back, before finally managing to utter a somewhat subtle remark.

“Of course, we’re best friends.” At this moment, Frilian showed no resistance whatsoever and even smiled and patted his shoulder.

But at that moment, Yubel suddenly raised his hand: "Just a brief interruption."

"what happened?"

How far is it from here to the magic city?

"...How far?" Ash lowered his head and pondered for a moment, calculating that the speed and energy consumption of human magical flight were relatively even, and casually replied, "Half a day, I guess?"

"...I've been at my limit for a little over half an hour. If I need to rest multiple times, I don't know how long it will take to reach my goal." Yubel did a simple calculation and then shrugged helplessly.

"Frilian, carry her on your back."

"...Are you kidding me? Even I couldn't fly for half a day, flying magic consumes a lot of energy." Frilian couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

"...Okay, I'll do it."

He had a feeling that the strange posture he had displayed in the blizzard was about to repeat itself, but...

Ash glanced at the petrified girl in his arms, whose imposing presence was overwhelming, then at the girl with dead fish eyes, whose curves, though well-defined, were relatively understated. He nodded unconsciously and said:

"It shouldn't be too strange."

"...While it's not too strange that I don't know what you're talking about, don't you think your gaze is a bit impolite?"

Despite her eccentric personality, Yubel, who could still be considered a young girl, was particularly sensitive to that kind of gaze. She covered her chest and glared fiercely at the gaze.

Ash, however, seemed unfazed, completely disregarding her girlish sentiments: "Don't worry about it, hurry up and come on up."

"...Are we really going to do it??"

"I don't care if I leave you behind."

"—Very good~ Let's go!"

After only a slight hesitation, seeing that he seemed rather unwilling, Yubel's rebellious streak kicked in, and he jumped onto his back and hugged his neck.

This unexpectedly intimate gesture surprised Frillie.

When did your relationship become so good?

"...I'm rather curious, why do you think we have a good relationship?" Ash wanted to retort, but Yubel happily urged, "Let's get going!"

This made him exchange a glance with Frillie, and they decided to give up saying anything more for the time being and silently took flight.

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

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

The touch behind her was different from that of Philon, which inexplicably caught her attention. Although it shouldn't be too much of a problem compared to Philon's imposing stature, it still had an undeniable quality, and it was from a young girl!

She wasn't even a beautiful girl like Philon, whom I'd watched grow up!

"Ah, no, she's called a beautiful girl, but her personality is actually quite strange... No wonder I can't get excited at all..."

He tried to cheer himself up a little, but then he quickly realized that since the person in question was Yubel, he would lose if he actually cheered.

Yubel chuckled in his ear, "You say that, but you're actually quite happy, aren't you? Getting to be so close to a beautiful girl like me~"

Do you think it's possible?

"Of course it's possible, after all, you lifted my skirt the first time we met, didn't you?"

"Can you please stop bringing this up? I've said it so many times, it's just... sigh, never mind."

Feeling that no amount of explanation would help, Ash simply gave up on words and wanted to free up one hand to slap her buttocks hard.

But Ash felt that this would cause him some unnecessary trouble during the flight, so he postponed it for the time being... However, the octopus-like holding posture that Yubel adopted to avoid falling down really made him feel a little strange.

Despite this, after resting with Frillie twice more, he still arrived at the magical city in the evening.

"...Speaking of which, since we're already petrified, why are we in such a hurry to arrive that day?"

After Yubel jumped off his back, he touched his chin with his fingertips and asked a question that made both of them pause in surprise.

Because they were all only thinking about getting better quickly, they inadvertently forgot that since they were already petrified, there was no need to care too much about the time.

So now...

"...We'd better find a hotel quickly. I wonder if the one we stayed at last time has closed down."

Feeling that his residence here was unusable after so long, Ash silently carried the stone statue ahead, pretending not to hear the girl's words behind him.

Frillie also took out a book and pretended not to hear anything, silently following along.

The two of them pretended to be clueless, which made Yubel smile involuntarily, as if he had met them again. He then skipped and hopped quickly to catch up with them.

Ash skillfully found an inn, bought the medicine, had it brewed, and finally placed the stone statue in his bed.

After adjusting the bed, he covered the stone statue with the blanket and then silently released the seal.

Although most of the day has passed since the sealing began, and after a busy search for medicine, it is already dusk.

But for Philon, who was feverish and delirious, it was just a brief moment when she was picked up and persuaded to close her eyes.

But it was just a matter of closing and opening one's eyes...

"...Huh?...The ceiling??"

As soon as she opened her eyes, the ceiling that greeted her made her wonder if she was hallucinating. She stared blankly upwards, unable to clear her mind for a long time.

But Ash composed himself and smiled, "Philan, you're finally awake."

"Lord Ash?" Philon looked away, turning his head to look at him, muttering in confusion, "What... what is going on...?"

“You’ve been asleep for three days. We’ve arrived in the magic city.” He quoted his old lines and then grabbed the girl’s small, feverish hand from under the covers.

"—It's so cold...!" Philon pulled his hand back from the cold, looked up at him with a wronged expression, and for a moment forgot to care why he had suddenly appeared here.

"I'm so sorry, I made the same mistake twice..."

"Twice...? What are you talking about?"

"Ah...no, it's nothing, don't worry about it."

Having learned the lesson that too much talk leads to mistakes, he tried his best to refrain from speaking and silently tried to help her up.

Meanwhile, watching this scene unfold, Frillie's thoughts unconsciously drifted back to the time when she was ill...

But looking at Ash's cold hands, Frillie finally understood—he hadn't been taking advantage of her illness to bully her when she was down; he was simply too busy to care.

I just wanted to put my mind at ease, but I forgot about my physical condition. I even carried the stone statue all the way here without having a proper rest.

Even though he was so considerate of me, I kept judging him with old eyes, suspecting him of having ill intentions, and even got angry with him.

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