Chương 56: I Won

An ordinary afternoon.

Haita fainted.

When he woke up again, he was unable to get out of bed.

Philon began locking herself in the forest, practicing her [normal attack magic] day and night, trying to break the "target rock" that the sea tower had set for her.

The little guy became increasingly silent.

Shane and Frilian saw it all, but were powerless to do anything about it.

"Don't make that face, Frillie..."

Haita lay in bed, forcing a smile, but his face, so thin that only his cheekbones remained, looked worse than a grimace.

"Aren't you a monk? Don't you have any ideas?" Frilian sat on the edge of Haita's bed, her brows furrowed.

"Even monks have things they can't do. Besides, considering human lifespan, I've already lived a very long life."

Sometimes, Shane really admired Haita's open-minded attitude towards life and death.

"So, deciphering the magic book is just a cover-up, isn't it?"

"..."

Haita remained silent.

"There's nothing recorded about [Resurrection Magic] or [Undying Magic] in it. That's just an excuse you're using to get me to stay and teach Philon."

Hearing Frillie's words, Shane looked at her with some surprise, "You actually knew that..."

"Don't treat me like a fool, you two."

Upon hearing this, Haita looked at Frillie earnestly and apologized sincerely.

"I'm sorry, Frilian, it was all my idea. Please don't hold it against an old man who's about to die. I just... can't stop worrying about him..."

The smile on Haita's face faded, and he finally revealed a vulnerable expression.

"That child is so timid, yet so sensible. I truly don't want her to experience the pain of losing loved ones again... So, Frilian, as the longest-living elf, would you take her in?"

Frillie didn't say anything.

This is not a promise that can be made lightly.

A human's life is but a fleeting moment to an elf, yet even so brief, the weight of life remains immeasurable.

Beside them, Shane glanced at the two of them and sighed deeply.

"Haita, from the very beginning you had Philon practice long-range magic so that Frilian would accept her as much as possible, right?"

Frilian doesn't like to travel in groups, and her party has no vanguard. In this situation, bringing another mage along would double the danger factor.

However, if Philen is skilled in [ranged attack magic], it's a different story. They can reduce their reliance on the front line and protect each other.

From the very beginning, he was not only thinking about Philon, but also about Frilian.

But this old man is just so stubborn.

Frillie was very clever; she instantly understood what Shane meant.

This also added a hint of anger to her originally calm tone, "Are you going to continue lying to me, Haita?"

"Just like you did with Philon, you deceived that child, thinking she didn't understand anything. But do you know? She was already prepared to say goodbye to you."

"Similarly, you don't think I can understand your relationship with Philon. You think I wouldn't understand, so you plan to just set me up."

As she spoke, Frillie's voice choked with emotion, and tears streamed down her pale face.

"What an annoying pretentious guy."

"Be honest with Philon, and with me too..."

Haita was stunned.

He looked at the weeping Frillie and was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

Yes, Frilian has changed a lot. She is no longer the cold elf who "rejected Azer without hesitation".

She is learning to be honest and open with her own heart.

What have I done...?

That's right, what an annoying pretentious guy.

"Perhaps Simmel and I both did something very cruel."

"I'm sorry, Frillie..."

Seeing that both of them had honestly expressed their true feelings, Xia En finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He quietly left the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

People, if you learn to speak, you'll save so much trouble.

…………

In the room.

After Haita sincerely apologized, he finally frankly told Frilian all his thoughts.

He gave Frillie detailed instructions: Philon prefers a clean environment and cannot tolerate stains on her clothes.

Philon loves desserts, and her mood worsens when she's hungry.

Philon was very polite; she hated all impolite behavior.

Philon loves fluffy little animals...

Frilian sat by his bedside, listening attentively.

After a long while, Haita finally finished speaking, and Frilian, afraid that she would forget, looked very focused.

Seeing this, Haita smiled and patted Frilian's head.

As a result, Frilian grumbled and ruthlessly pushed it away.

"Hahaha... Frilian, Aize once made a bet with me."

"Is it some kind of boring game between men again?" Frillian scoffed.

"Haha, he bets that when I die, you still won't understand what a partner is, and you won't shed a single tear for me. But I bet you'll cry your heart out."

"When you see Aize again, you must tell him that I won."

After Haita finished speaking, Frillie fell silent again.

"Don't say such things at a time like this, you stinky monk."

Haita didn't care at all.

"Frilian, could you please grant me one last request?"

"Didn't I already promise to take good care of Philen? Whether you want me to be her mother or whatever, I will try my best to do it."

Haita smiled, "I believe you can do it, Frilian."

"But that's not what I'm going to say next. What I want to say is, [I care more about the feelings of those who are still alive than those who have passed away. I hope you can live your life with fond memories of the departed.]"

"Frilian, our journey has ended. Go and begin your own [new journey]."

…………

Splash splash— Frillie poured the two bottles of cocktails made from the Glowing Mushrooms onto Haita's tombstone.

The dark blue liquor trickled down the tombstone, dripping and pattering.

Haita ultimately didn't get to drink the "drink that lets you see the goddess" sake.

But there's nothing to regret, since he's probably chatting with the goddess right now.

Xia En thought to himself silently.

After saying their final goodbyes, the three walked through the cemetery.

Here stand monuments of all sizes. Whether they were once glorious legendary figures or ordinary people, a hundred years later, without exception, they will all grow old, die, and be buried.

Time is so merciless.

"Time flies. When I first met Philen, she was just a little kid. Now she's as tall as you, Frilian."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two girls stopped curiously and compared their eyes.

"That's really true..."

Frillie was a little disappointed.

"Mr. Shane, you haven't changed at all."

"Is there?"

Frillie followed Philon's gaze and carefully examined Shane.

"He really is... maybe he's one of those 'baby-faced' types who will look very young even when he's 80."

Xia En was speechless.

However, because of Philon's words, a strange feeling suddenly arose in her heart.

He glanced back at Haita's tombstone, raised his hand to touch his face, and it seemed that not much had changed.

What's going on?