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

As if struck by some sudden realization, Frillie was momentarily speechless, and a blush, whether from shame or emotion, crept onto her cheeks.

She gently bit her lower lip, quietly lowered her head, letting her long hair fall softly, covering half her face and concealing the complex and subtle expression that unconsciously surfaced. Her fingertips unconsciously fiddled with her ponytail.

Although she felt he was being a bit too rude and casual with her, even Frilline understood that the way he carried things was beyond words.

But that was indeed his way of caring for me, even though his actions weren't very gentle. But it wouldn't be right to completely deny that behavior, would it?

Just as she was figuring all this out, even though she had originally wanted to have a serious talk with him, now... Frillian put aside her dissatisfaction, and with a hint of barely concealed shame, turned her face away to look at the wall beside her, uttering a barely audible whisper: "Um... Ash."

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

".....Thanks."

"What are you suddenly saying?" Ash, who was still holding the medicine in his hands, was also a little confused.

After all, 80 years have passed since that last incident, so it would be difficult for him to connect the two events.

Ultimately, in his mind, Frilian wasn't a particularly thoughtful person... although he wasn't entirely sure if his impression of Frilian was accurate.

However, even though almost a century had passed, it hadn't been that long for Frillie. Although she knew Ash didn't understand what she was saying, she didn't intend to spell it out. Instead, while he was lost in thought, she whispered to herself:

"Don't worry about it, and... I'm sorry."

"Wait, why are you suddenly apologizing and thanking me all of a sudden... I'm starting to panic! Did you eat some poisonous mushrooms during your lunch break?"

"......Hey!"

His bewildered speculation prompted Frilian to imitate Philon, who would occasionally kick people when angry, and she simply raised her leg and kicked him in the shin.

"Why the sudden personal attacks? Let me tell you, I advocate for gender equality..."

"Gender equality, right? I know! Can you kick me later?"

"Ha...haa...?"

He was interrupted before he could finish speaking, leaving him completely bewildered. Frilian, however, didn't intend to explain. She simply snatched the medicine from his hand and, without turning her head, fed it to Philon, who was equally confused, saying:

“I’ll give you the medicine…and you can do what you used to do. It’s a little embarrassing, but…it works pretty well.”

"...What happened before?"

Frillie's strangely over-the-top attitude puzzled Ash for a while before he realized what she was talking about.

Even though there were still many things she didn't understand, she temporarily put aside her concerns about Frilian, warmed her hands with hot water, and then held Philon's hand with one hand and stroked Philon's head with the other.

"Lord Ash... I'm not a child anymore..."

Although Philon was extremely shy and her cheeks were flushed, she still obediently swallowed the bitter medicine, but she still couldn't help but cast a resistant look at him.

"I know, but you'll still feel uneasy at times like this, won't you?"

“That’s how it is… but…” Philen hesitated, about to express her desire for independence again, but Ash took the initiative and gently stroked her soft little hand in his palm: “If possible, someday in the future I will definitely need this kind of comfort. At that time, please hold my hand tightly in the same way, okay? After all, even adults have times when they feel insecure.”

"It seems...so that's true...? Then, it's a date?"

Upon hearing this, Philon felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and all his resistance vanished instantly. His tense body unconsciously relaxed, and even his expression gradually softened, as he nodded slightly and gave a weak smile.

Finally, Ash nodded in agreement, and as Frilian carefully brought the potion to her lips, Philon unconsciously closed her eyes quietly, enjoying the gentle caress.

Although the high fever continued to plague her body, she felt a warm glow in her heart, as if all the pain and troubles had gone with the wind, leaving only this pure and beautiful emotion flowing slowly in her heart. She even felt a little reluctant to recover.

only.....

"...Is this a family of three: a father, a mother, and a daughter?"

Yubel stood to the side, watching the two of them take care of Philen, his expression quite subtle.

It wasn't just a joke; she genuinely felt that image was there, a rather happy family of three.

Upon hearing this, the three of them, though somewhat disapproving, decided to ignore this clueless fellow for the time being.

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

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

After a day of rest, and another full day of sleep the next day, when Philen awoke from the gentle embrace of her dreams, the sky was already draped in a magnificent cloak of sunset.

She slowly sat up, stretching her muscles and feeling the new vitality surging within her. An indescribable sense of happiness and satisfaction welled up in her heart.

Looking around, the two people who were most important to her were sitting quietly to the side, immersed in the world of the book.

An indescribable sense of happiness made her want to hug the two of them tightly, without hesitation.

"Is everything alright now?" Ash looked up, walked to the bedside, and reached out to touch his forehead to check his temperature. Then, he reached out uncertainly and pressed his hand on the forehead of Frillie, who had followed him.

"...Why did you try mine too?" Frillie didn't resist, but she seemed a little annoyed.

"Since you're all girls, your body temperatures should be about the same, so let's try it... It should be fine now?"

"Yes! I have fully recovered, thank you... Lady Frilian, Lady Ash."

Despite the overwhelming urge to express her feelings, Philon managed to restrain herself and thanked the two with a perfect smile.

“That’s good.” Frilian responded with a smile, while Ash gently stroked Philon’s head and said in a tone that was both affectionate and slightly worried, “However, you still need to rest for a while longer. After all, the assessment for a Level 1 Mage is still a long way off.”

"But you can register, by the way, I've already registered, you know?" Yubel, who had been observing them from the side, reminded them while crossing his legs, "And normally it's better to register earlier."

“Then let’s go register first… Besides, lying here all this time feels like my body is about to fall apart.” Philon stretched his hands, then looked at the two of them with a hint of worry and asked, “Lord Ash and Lady Frilian, you didn’t secretly register first, did you?”

Why are you suddenly acting like you're worried about a child going to school alone?

“Of course I’d worry, and… when I went to the magic academy before, Lord Ash only took me once.” Speaking of this, Philon felt a little embarrassed, but couldn’t help looking at Ash and softly complaining, “Back then, I was really scared!”

“Ash.” Frilian looked up and stared at him.

The two men's accusing gazes felt like a boomerang, decades overdue, had struck him in a vital spot. He clutched his stomach, feeling a sharp pain: "You didn't say anything, how was I supposed to know you were scared? Ah, um, of course I know it's my fault, but... uh, never mind, anyway it's my fault, but..."

"What? What other excuse are you trying to come up with?" Frillie's gaze suddenly turned stern.

"How could that be? It's not that I don't want to sign up or anything, it's just that the exam requires a level 5 or higher mage qualification, and I've never taken any qualification exams."

“In that case… I don’t have any either.” His sudden condition startled Frilian, who then turned her gaze to Philon: “Philan, you go by yourself. Now it’s up to you or Yubel. If you succeed, we can still head north.”

"No—! Lady Frilian, I definitely can't do it alone, and Lady Yubel might also fail!"

No, you can do it.

"No way! If I don't pass the exam, the next time won't be for another three years."

"Then let's hire a level one mage, since we're not qualified anyway."

"No! That would mean another day without snacks! If all else fails, there's always Lord Ash. Doesn't he know some important people in this country?"

Philon, who had an unusual obsession with desserts, was unwilling to compromise on this. She grabbed Frillie, whose face was full of reluctance, and then looked sharply at Ash, who was about to jump out of the window to escape. She frowned and said, "Ash... what are you doing? Why are you so resistant to the assessment?"

"It's not that I'm against the assessment, it's just that I'm a little..."

"Alright! Come on over, let's go to the Magic Association together!"

Philen ignored his explanation and quickly stepped forward to grab his hand.

With one hand on Ash and the other on Frillian, they forcibly dragged the two towards the Magic Association.

Yubel, who had been observing the whole situation from his chair, watched the three leave with a smug expression, thinking to himself, "I feel like the positions have been reversed again~ These guys... they're getting more and more interesting."

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

The core area of ​​the magical city.

The Magic Association branch, occupying a vast area, has an entrance with imposing, wide steps that lead visitors into a magnificent hall that seems to be a recreation of an ancient temple.

Behind it, a pristine white tower stands proudly, like a guardian's sword pointing straight to the sky, adding to the overall magnificent landscape and symbolizing the endless pursuit and exploration of magical knowledge.

Even the gate leading to the mysterious world is like a replica of the gate of an ancient castle, with intricate and delicate carvings. Every line exudes extraordinary craftsmanship and a magnificent aura, making it clear at a glance that this place is no ordinary place.

The entire branch has a magnificent and imposing appearance, and it is in no way inferior to the main branch of the Holy City. It can be described as a magnificent building in its own right.

"What a surprise... Does this branch really receive as much support from the kingdom as rumored?"

Looking at the branch he had never had the chance to visit before, Philen couldn't help but be convinced that the Magic Association must have an extraordinary relationship with the higher-ups of the Kingdom of Esther, and subconsciously turned his gaze to Ash.

But Ash didn't notice the gaze. He just stared at the magnificent building in front of him, shook his head and sighed, "It cost a lot of money, so of course it looks grand... After all, it's not her own money that's being spent, so of course she doesn't intend to be frugal."

"Why do you make it sound like this is your money being spent?" Frilian turned her head curiously.

"Uh... let's get this over with quickly." Ash realized he'd said too much, so he silently quickened his pace, stepped onto the stairs, and left the two behind.

Before he could leave the two of them far behind, he almost bumped into a familiar girl at the intersection.

The girl had long, pale blonde hair and emotionless, reddish-brown eyes. Despite her petite stature, she exuded an undeniable presence.

Her long hair added to her soft and charming appearance, like a kitten just waking up from a dream, with a touch of laziness and cuteness, making people want to get closer and tease her.

And so, the loli-like girl in the blue and white dress, Zanze, has not changed at all since Ash first met her, and more than ten years have passed without leaving a trace of time on her.

When I first met her, she was already a Level 1 mage, and now she should be considered a very senior Level 1 mage.

But her unchanging appearance and figure made Ash suspect that there was a magic in the world that could make people stay young and unchanged.

When she noticed him, this mature woman, who usually gave off the impression of a naive and quiet little girl, widened her eyes in surprise and, unusually, revealed a faint smile in front of others.

"Lord Ash, it's been a long time... I'm so glad to see you."

"Me too, Zanze, how have you been lately?" Ash smiled knowingly as he saw the cute little girl and reached out to run his hand through her slightly messy hair.

"Thanks to you, things have been going well lately."

Zanze narrowed his eyes slightly, looking a little uncomfortable, but surprisingly did not flinch away; his face showed only a hint of annoyance.

This sight caused all the passing mages to stare in astonishment.

After all, they had never seen this taciturn, aloof first-level mage before, being patted on the head, especially by a man they had never seen before.

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

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

As Ash has been doing the same thing as before, he often goes back to the royal capital, the Demon King's castle, and even this branch without telling Frilian and the others, so he runs into Zanze from time to time.

Because they had known each other for a long time, Ash only regarded her as a slightly quiet but very cute junior.

After all, considering that all first-level mages are Seria's apprentices, Zanze is indeed his junior sister, and a junior sister of a very junior generation.

Zanze himself acknowledged this relationship, after all, the other party was not only his senior brother, but also had saved him when Seria was acting recklessly, and had taken good care of him.

Therefore, she did not resist his behavior as if he were treating her as a junior, and would even humbly ask him for advice on magic whenever she had the chance.

Now Zanze was letting him touch his hair, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, pulled out a book and looked up at him, gazing at him from below.