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

Unable to reveal what he truly cared about, he could only feign worry and sigh as he gazed at the wind and snow ahead.

This immediately made Philon look embarrassed, and she leaned against his back, muttering softly, "That, that was just... a joke...!"

"Will you stand on my side?"

"—No! I meant the phrase 'to die together'!"

"...It doesn't sound like a joke at all."

"Because... I really get angry!"

Philon hugged his neck tightly, whining in his ear as if in a huff, emphasizing her feelings.

But... why do girls care so much about their weight? He's never really understood it.

The only thing he was sure of was that girls' moods were indeed more fickle than the weather. — He unconsciously looked up at the sky and sighed deeply in his heart.

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

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

In that vast expanse of land ravaged by endless wind and snow, snowflakes fell like feathers cascading from the sky, so dense and rapid that they almost obscured all vision, and the whole world was stained with a thick layer of silvery white.

The wind, like a wild beast, roared and swept through every inch of space, trying to devour all warmth. It also caused the girl behind Ash's long purple hair to fly past him with the wind, bringing with it a scent that was hard to tell whether it was shampoo or perfume.

It didn't seem quite right; instead, it was more like a tempting, sweet scent laced with hormones, causing his previously calmed mood to be filled with even more annoyance.

They were even a little confused. They were demons, so why did they feel that hormonal aura?

No, animals can also sense human scents in this way. Species differences don't seem to be such a big problem. It's just that different organisms probably have different hormonal influences on each other, but we can put those aside for now...

It's so big! Philon is so big! Ah, no, I have to shut down these thoughts and think about something else! Am I a pervert? That's Philon behind me! I've known it since it was a baby! It's a human that will die in the blink of an eye! — He was alone, agonizing and condemning himself.

Not only did Philen hold him tightly with both hands, but she also unconsciously rested her head gently on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth in the snow and constantly watching his expression. She couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Lord Ash... what's wrong now? Are you worried about getting lost?"

"Ah, yes, that's it..."

"...You lied to me again." He subconsciously affirmed, causing Philon to narrow his eyes suspiciously.

"Why do you have so many things you can't tell me? I decided a long time ago that I would definitely become your help, but you..."

"...I am very grateful for your trust and help, but life is always full of troubles, and even the closest people will hide some little secrets, right?"

"I don't have any, Lord Ash, that's not fair."

"....real?"

"Really, I can tell you anything you want to know."

"......The weather is nice today." Even if there were things he wanted to ask, he wouldn't ask them. He gazed at the world being ravaged by the raging blizzard and murmured softly, "Tomorrow, it will probably be peaceful like this again."

"It's amazing that you can say such a thing while looking at the blizzard in front of you."

The endless snowflakes, swept by the gale, roared in with overwhelming force, so cold that Philon was frozen as soon as he looked up and huddled against his back, but couldn't help bumping his forehead against him.

Because I didn't think this level of blizzard would be a problem, and isn't it fine as it is now? — Ash, as a warrior, had no complaints about the blizzard.

Although there is a gap at the back due to the large front armor, it is surprisingly warm overall and even has a fragrance.

Especially since Philon had grown up and was still so close to him, he had no room for complaint. After clearing his mind of all distractions, he even began to pray that the blizzard would last a little longer.

Although Philen was also complaining about him, she was actually lying comfortably on his back with her eyes closed, and even looking forward to tomorrow... that the snowstorm would continue.

However... their companion, Frilian, held a different opinion.

She huddled behind the two, shivering and praying that the snowstorm would stop soon...

"...I'm really...going to die...Why is it that after all these years, the blizzards here are still so cold? No, it's definitely colder than before!"

With her hands tucked into her sleeves, huddled up like a boiled shrimp, and trembling as she spoke, Frillie was now more worried about freezing to death here than about Philon getting a fever from the cold.

She even felt a little regretful, thinking that she shouldn't have let Ash carry her in the first place. After all, it had only been warm for a while, and then it got cold again... It was just like getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night in the dead of winter.

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

Apart from the howling wind and the sound of footsteps on the snow, there were almost no other sounds around.

On this white wasteland, Ash and Philon are like two unique beings, isolated from the world yet closely connected to each other.

Therefore, despite the harsh environment, they both felt quite good. However, the presence of a certain figure of Philon behind them was too obvious, making him somewhat uneasy. Also...

"Speaking of which, I seem to have forgotten something?" Ash unconsciously realized that the surroundings were too quiet and the atmosphere too harmonious, and instinctively looked around.

"What's missing...?!"

"—Did we lose Frillie!?"

Just as Philen seemed to snap out of her daze, Ash also instantly realized that he had inadvertently forgotten someone.

Frillie, who should have been calling for a replacement long ago, fell completely silent as if she had encountered a disaster. But when he looked back, he couldn't find any familiar figure.

Philon looked around anxiously, trying to find any clues in the vast white expanse, but finding nothing, he was on the verge of tears.

"—What do we do! Lord Ash! Lady Frillien must be collapsed somewhere!"

"Calm down, Philon. Although that guy is very sensitive to the cold, he shouldn't die so quickly!"

"Please don't say such things at a time like this!—Lady Frillien! Where are you? Answer me immediately if you heard me!"

Philon called out anxiously, but the howling wind and snow seemed to swallow up all sound; their calls were like stones sinking into the sea, receiving no response.

The intense blizzard reduced visibility to a minimum, making it almost impossible to see anything more than a few meters away.

This made Ash unconsciously consider whether he should use some extreme methods to search for those who might be in trouble... He stopped and turned around, but suddenly something hit his stomach.

When he looked down in surprise, he noticed that Frillie, who was already short and could not be seen without looking down, was bent over and bumped her head on his stomach, her trembling fingertips tugging at his clothes intermittently.

"...So that's how it is. It was here all along. The wind was so strong that I thought it was snowing that was hitting my clothes."

"W-why..." Frillie trembled as she raised her head, her expression so stiff it was almost unrecognizable, her teeth chattering as she uttered incoherent words: "Why...you..."

Why don't we abandon you?

"...Huh??" He had only meant to ask, "How could you forget me?" Frillie was stunned by his righteous words, blinking blankly for a long time without uttering a sound.

With great difficulty, Ash managed to suppress his seriousness and try to correct her, but then he slapped her on the head again, saying sternly:

"What are you talking about! How could we possibly leave you alone!"

"...No, no...!"

"Alright, alright, don't worry! We won't abandon you! You don't need to worry!"

"No...wait, wait?!"

Before Frilian could finish speaking, she scooped him up in her arms and gave him a bright, sunny smile.

"It's alright! Let's leave here together!"

"....call....."

The strange encounter, coupled with the half-culprit's cheerful smile, made Frillie feel she should be angry, but she still took a deep breath, tried to calm herself down, and slowly said:

"What I wanted to say was... there's a small house nearby... could we please stop... stop... stop... stop circling around here..."

"I don't want to keep going in circles either, but we're lost."

"...At least I know there are cabins nearby...so...please! Stop turning around!"

She had been wanting to tell him about this for a while, but Ash was carrying Philon and spinning around in front of her, still lost in their own world. She couldn't catch up with him, and the snow covered her words, making her almost freeze on the spot.

To be honest, she had a strong urge to use offensive magic to intercept them, disregarding the risk of triggering an avalanche.

"No, you knew there was a place nearby where you could take refuge, why didn't you say so sooner?"

"...Do you think I don't want to talk about it? You're walking so fast, I can't keep up at all...! And...you've all completely forgotten about me! You're ignoring me completely!"

Frillie looked quite resentful towards him at this moment, and was even about to give him a hard time.

"...Is it possible that because you are too short and walk too slowly, this tragedy occurred?"

"Is it possible... if you keep dragging this on, I might lose control and kill you...!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Please calm down and tell me which way to go..."

He still felt somewhat guilty for accidentally forgetting Frilian, so he told him to shut up and not say anything more, following the direction of Frilian's trembling fingertips.

Meanwhile, Philon, who had been feeling guilty for forgetting Frillie the whole time, buried his face behind Ash without saying a word, looking like a giant hand warmer.

Held in his arms, Frillie felt some warmth, but she shivered and curled up in his embrace, staring up at him with a gaze that seemed to hold a tangible resentment, asking in confusion:

"What are you and Philon... talking about...? Why have you forgotten me so completely??"

"I was thinking about some complicated things..."

"So what is it?!"

"...I'll have a proper talk with you when the opportunity arises, but I hope that opportunity never comes..."

"?? When did you... start saying such strange things...?"

This was such a deliberately mysterious explanation that Frillie was completely baffled and couldn't help but want to take out her wand and whack him on the head.

After all, they've already gotten themselves freezing, and now they're not even giving a reason?