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

Busy days always fly by, and in the blink of an eye, the fifty-year promise is already within reach.

But as he sat on the walls of the Demon King's castle, gazing at the distant night sky during his rest, he remembered the promise he made half a century ago, and was troubled, unsure whether he should keep it.

After all, I might lose some friends this time, and... I'm probably nearing the end of my human lifespan this time, right?

The Buried Frilian: A Thousand Years Later: Chapter Sixty-Two - Reunion with an Old Friend (3K)

Ash would be really upset if someone died when he went to keep the appointment, but it didn't feel right not to go either, since it was a promise to his friend.

This made him sigh deeply on the city wall, constantly troubled and torn between two options, unable to make up his mind.

It was at this moment that Livale suddenly appeared silently beside him, before he could react...

"What?! Your martial arts skills have reached the pinnacle of humanity, and you'll catch up with me in a second. Yet you're making such an unwarranted expression!"

Livale slapped his back hard without any politeness, making his back thud loudly, and almost pushed him off the wall.

This made him turn around and look at the old man with a frustrated expression, but the old man was all smiles, leaving him at a loss for words.

For a moment, it just felt like these great demons didn't seem like demons at all... Aura could probably understand, after all, he was the one who raised them, so it was normal for them to be a little different.

But this Livale showed none of the demons' fear of death, only a fanaticism for battle, which was completely contrary to the demons' instincts.

Indeed, Livale has no fear of battle—according to Azer, a dwarf warrior who once fought him.

It could even be said that Livale's strength has reached the pinnacle of martial arts that is beyond human reach. Even though Livale takes care of Aize and uses an axe, it is still a realm that Aize, who has reached the peak, cannot reach.

Although Ash wasn't there when they fought, his teammates said that Levalle was a warrior far superior to Azer, and his martial arts skills were at a terrifying level that humans could never reach.

Even after taking a fatal blow to the face, he only suffered a cut on his face. When Aize's ordinary attacks hit him, he was completely unharmed.

Its body is incredibly tough; even a dragon couldn't be this exaggerated.

However, lacking fear and only focused on fighting, he was caught off guard by Aize, who used his ultimate move to knock him off the cliff... and even slashed his face.

But that's all; nothing else matters. Its strength can only be described as terrifying.

...Of course, this is somewhat irrelevant in the current situation, but it is quite suitable as a teacher.

In terms of appearance, he is a strange middle-aged man with a slicked-back hairstyle, a height of over two meters, and a perpetually smiling face.

Therefore, Ash only turned his head to look at him, and under his curious gaze, he became certain—even if he went to watch the shooting stars with Frilian and the others again, he would never watch them with this strange old man in this castle!

As for Celie... well, maybe we can let that go too. And Aura... wasn't that the initial shadow?

"...Watching shooting stars with Celie or Aura doesn't seem much different from watching them with Rivale..."

"Watching shooting stars? Ah~ It seems like that shooting star from half a century ago is about to appear again? Do you want to watch shooting stars with me?" Livale asked curiously upon hearing his own name.

To him, it seemed like none of this mattered, but... Ash's face was full of resistance: "...No, just thinking about it is disgusting, let's not."

"why?"

"...Two grown men sitting side by side watching shooting stars late at night, what comes to mind when you see that image?"

"The friendship of warriors!" Livale didn't even think twice before falling silent.

After a long while, he sighed, rubbing his forehead with one hand, and said, "...Alright, I was being old-fashioned. Please forgive me."

"Ah! I forgive you, then let's have another round! This time I'll only use one hand! Let's have a full-force battle without weapons!"

"Huh? What are you saying without permission? I was going to—whoa?!"

Before Ash could finish speaking, Livale's fist, as big as a casserole dish, slammed into his face without hesitation.

Caught off guard, he was hit hard in the face, causing his body to disappear from the wall and fall to the ground like a cannonball.

Unsurprisingly, his troubles vanished under that heavy punch.

Although Ash was somewhat helpless against the berserker-like Rivale, he also made up his mind during the brutal fight that took their toll and decided to witness his old friend's final moments.

So, the next day.

With his face bruised and swollen, he flew at full speed to the central kingdoms... There was no other way.

Healing magic is the privilege of goddesses, and normally only those who possess sacred texts (mainly monks) can use it.

Unfortunately, as a demon, he couldn't use the sacred texts even if he had them. The goddess seemed... no, she clearly disliked him and was unwilling to give him even the slightest favor.

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

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

For Ash, who was still young among the demons, the royal capital, half a century later, felt like a lifetime ago.

Many new buildings have sprung up, and the streetscape seems to have changed slightly, but in reality, it's only been fifty years, and for a city of this era, the changes wouldn't be too significant. The direction of Simmel's house...

"—Oh no, I don't remember anything at all!"

He had only been to the place once before, 50 years ago, so he couldn't remember it clearly and got lost in the streets and alleys.

The capital city also had a barrier prohibiting flight, which made him start to worry. He even wondered if he should cast some magic into the sky to attract attention and see if he could get the attention of someone he knew...

"Are you... Ash?" A strange and aged voice came from behind him, causing him to turn around instinctively.

"Hmm...? Who are you?"

He turned around and saw an old man with a bald head, a long white beard, a blue cloak, and a cane standing behind him, looking at him with the same curiosity as he was.

"You could be...?" He hesitated, looking at the mole near his eye, before tentatively asking, "Simmel—?!"

"Haha~ Your surprised expression is just as amusing as Frilian's." Simmel stroked his overly long beard with a kind smile.

"No, wait a moment..."

"what?"

"—You're a head shorter than Frilian now, aren't you? Have you finally stopped being human and become a dwarf??" Looking at the old man who was almost as tall as Azer, Ash couldn't hide his shock and blurted out the comment.

After all, even if a normal person gets shorter as they get older, they shouldn't get this short. The current Simmel is half a meter shorter than before, which can really be called a mutation in some ways.

This utterly shocked expression made Simmel chuckle.

"You really haven't changed at all; you still don't speak tactfully at all. But isn't this a bit too much to keep saying it like this?"

"No...this is definitely not normal!"

“It would be abnormal if you didn’t change at all,” Simmel said with a smile, looking him up and down.

"It really brings back memories. Seeing you and Frilian reminds me of the adventure fifty years ago, even though you were never there when it mattered most, it was like you were just dropping by."

"Well... after all, I'm quite weak."

"...Really? Even if Aize were at his peak fighting you now, he might not be able to win in hand-to-hand combat alone, right?"

"Is that so?" He didn't give a direct answer, his ambiguous expression revealing confusion.

Simmel murmured with a touch of emotion, "Even though Azer has grown old, you show absolutely no signs of decline... No wonder you are a great mage from the mythical era, capable of creating even this kind of magic."

"Indeed...that's amazing."

"By the way, how old are you now?"

"Well... a little over a hundred?"

"Really? That's really... By the way, let's not just stand here chatting. Come to my house and have a chat."

Upon seeing his long-lost friend, Simmel was overjoyed and had no intention of discussing those unpleasant topics. With a broad smile, he led him through the streets and alleys toward the house that had remained unchanged for fifty years.

The two kept talking throughout the journey, but Simmel also revealed that Frilian had not visited them even once in the past 50 years.

Why is this? Well, it's because...

"...Every year at our gathering, it's just the three of us. It's like you two made a pact not to come even once... We're starting to wonder if you've forgotten about us."

"Uh, no... that's not true... really."

Simmel's complaints, tinged with resentment, left him with a bitter taste in his mouth, and he awkwardly turned his face away.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but twenty-five years ago he had thought of coming here to say goodbye to Celia, but was coldly rejected.

Humans are different from us; their lives are as fleeting as a night-blooming cereus. What's the point of having the best relationship? It's just a waste of time and an unnecessary source of trouble. Don't go! — This thought unconsciously came to mind when he saw Simmel's appearance.

But looking at his elderly friend, he couldn't help but ask Celia: If that's the case, why did you teach so many human students?

However, he was also able to understand Celia's words when faced with this old woman who was already as frail as a candle in the wind.

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

As a hero who once saved the world, Simmel's home was simpler than one might imagine; it was just an ordinary house.

Simmel, like an old man, lit a fire in the fireplace and sat down first in the rocking chair, which he had also wanted to try... No, Simmel was already a genuine old man.

"...What's wrong? Do you want to try it too?" Simmel, who was gently rocking in the rocking chair, seemed to notice his interest in it and tentatively asked, "How about I get up?"

The Burial of Frilian: A Thousand Years Later: Chapter Sixty-Three - Simmel's Silent Trust - Frilian: Humans are so strange! 3K

Ash seemed to really care about the rocking chair, so as Simmel spoke, she actually braced herself on the chair with both hands, ready to give him her place.