join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for hundreds of additional chapters and over a dozen stories
"In the era when the great war between humans and the Demon Race was nearing its end, about to usher in the dawn of victory."
"The Mountain Hero's team, as one of the few remaining veteran teams from the beginning of the campaign against the Demon King, gave up readily available fame and fortune, instead turning to clear out demons scattered in the countryside and protect the safety of the villagers."
"How selfless and great that must be."
Yulian pushed the cart back to Granny Anneliese's yard, and the story of the Mountain Hero he was telling Nico also reached its end.
"So, people who seem ordinary but are actually great are the true Heroes~"
Nico also made a timely conclusion.
"So Brother Yulian is also a wonderful Hero!"
"Little Nico, I didn't teach you in vain!"
Yulian praised her with slight surprise, which was met with a roll of Nico's eyes.
Seeing this, Yulian just smiled awkwardly.
Speaking of which, he didn't know how many times he had told Nico the story of the Mountain Hero and his team.
After all, every time he saw those four stone statues, Yulian couldn't help but feel new admiration and mention them.
Especially the Mountain Hero himself, who even sacrificed himself to seal the demons.
Even Yulian, as the Demon King himself, greatly respected the Mountain Hero.
[T/N: Not sure who this is]
"Cough... cough..."
"Is that Nico back?"
Granny Anneliese's voice came from inside the house.
The weather had started to get cold, and Granny Anneliese was old and had caught a slight cold in last night's rain.
"Grandma, we're back."
Hearing her grandma's cough, Nico's expression tightened, and she ran into the house.
Yulian also followed closely.
In this world, even a small cold could be fatal for elderly people in the countryside.
"Granny Anneliese, how are you? Are you feeling better?"
Yulian saw the half-finished bowl of herbal soup by the bed and felt a sudden sense of dread.
Especially after seeing Granny Anneliese's somewhat poor complexion, Yulian's hanging heart plummeted to the bottom.
Nico, on the other hand, cried out "Wah!" and threw herself onto her grandma, sobbing loudly.
"I'm fine."
Granny Anneliese shook her head and gently stroked Nico's cat-like head.
But the more benevolent Granny Anneliese's smile was, the more worried Yulian became.
"I'll go call Grandpa Yanneck!"
"No need, Mr. Yulian."
Yulian thought for a moment and turned to run out the door, but Granny Anneliese's call came from behind him.
"I think,"
"my time should be coming soon."
Granny Anneliese smiled and slightly lowered her head.
The setting sun shone in from the window, casting its light on the lying Granny Anneliese, making people feel a sudden sadness.
"Granny Anneliese, no!"
"You were fine just yesterday!"
"Weren't you fine yesterday!"
Yulian retorted, but a flash of yesterday, when Granny Anneliese held her waist and frowned, her face showing a hint of pain, crossed his mind!
So it wasn't sudden, but there were signs all along...
Getting tired more easily, dozing off more often, and physical strength not as good as before...
She even said some time ago that she would entrust Nico to him and let him adopt Nico as his younger sister...
Granny Anneliese!
Yulian's eyes instantly became moist.
Seeing this scene, Granny Anneliese also nodded with a smile, as if saying, "So you know."
"Grandma!"
"Nico doesn't want Grandma to leave!"
"Grandma!"
Unlike Yulian, Nico had always lived with Granny Anneliese and naturally knew her condition better, so she immediately couldn't help but cry out loudly.
But, everything, everything was too late.
"Swish..."
Granny Anneliese's hand, which had been gently stroking Nico's cat-like head, finally fell.
"Mr. Yulian,"
"I ask you... to,"
"Grandma!"
"Nico, move aside!"
How could Yulian bear to watch Granny Anneliese die like this!
Healing Magic!
Clearing Magic!
Buffing Magic!
Amazing Magic fluctuations erupted like thunder!
Yulian frantically cast one Magic spell after another onto Granny Anneliese.
Unfortunately...
Although Granny Anneliese's body looked much better, there was still no movement.
When a person dies, their soul perishes.
This was something no one could do anything about.
"Grandma..."
"She's gone..."
When her Brother Yulian activated his Magic, after the various lights on her grandma's body flickered, there was no more movement.
Nico knew.
Her grandma was no longer here.
"Clatter."
There was a sound from the yard. Yulian looked up but only saw a bag of coal that had fallen at the entrance of the yard.
Death in the Village was normal.
Before Yulian came to the Village, people died from starvation, were killed by bandits, or eaten by demons and wild beasts...
So Granny Anneliese's death was also normal.
Yulian simply dug a deep pit in the small yard.
He wrapped Granny Anneliese in a mat and lowered her down.
Filling the earth, erecting a tombstone.
This was the entire process after death.
"Tonight,"
"Can I sleep beside you?"
"Brother Yulian."
In front of the tombstone, Nico said, holding Yulian's hand.
"You can."
"But only tonight."
Yulian nodded in agreement.
When Nico was still a little girl, when Yulian had just arrived at the Village, Nico liked to go find Yulian to sleep at night.
Just sleeping, purely.
Nico would always fall asleep sweetly in Yulian's adventure stories, one after another.
The land of giants, the land of dwarfs, Heroes, demons...
But tonight was destined to be sleepless.
"Later, the Calabash Brothers still rescued their grandpa and lived happily ever after."
Moonlight, cold and clear, entered the room.
After pulling some blankets over Nico, Yulian sighed softly.
"If you want to cry, just let it out."
Then, Nico's low, sobbing gasps also began to sound.
"Brother Yulian."
"Grandma... really, is she gone?"
"She's really gone."
"But Grandma will be watching Nico from heaven~"
"Is it... heaven... in the stories?"
"Of course~"
"Someone as kind as Grandma, of course, she would go to heaven after she passed away."
"Can I... still... see Grandma?"
"Of course you can see her, Nico, you will definitely see Grandma again."
The Land of Souls' Eternal Slumber.
Yulian thought of the Land of Souls' Eternal Slumber, a place he had never found despite being in the Demon King's Castle for five hundred years.
It is said that only those who miss the deceased enough can find it and enter.
"Grandma..."
Nico had unknowingly fallen asleep, while Yulian turned over and looked out the window, staying awake all night.
"Miss Frieren."
"Are you there?"
Yulian gently knocked on Frieren's wooden house door.
No one responded.
"Miss Frieren, I know you're inside."
It was still early, so Frieren naturally wouldn't have left her home.
"What."
Frieren hugged her legs in bed, burying her head deeply between them.
"I want to trouble you,"
"No."
Frieren decisively refused before Yulian could finish speaking.
"You haven't heard..."
"What is it..."
Yulian was stunned at the door.
"I know."
"But I don't want to."
Frieren still didn't look up.
Things like humans, after spending some time together, they will die...
Even if you had a happy time together, after a while, you'll be left alone again.
"I see."
Yulian scratched his head.
In that case, it wouldn't be easy for him to return to the Demon Race.
Yulian wanted to change.
Whether it was for Granny Anneliese, or for the Mountain Hero, or for the ignorant villagers.
Yulian wanted to change this world.
He wanted to return to the Demon Race, raise the battle flag again, and establish a new order.
The Demon Race were not simply emotionless beasts; it was just their inherent pride and defiance that made them look down on any other race.
The strong are respected, but they do not bully the weak.
This, is the Demon Race.
"Let's talk about it later then."
Yulian sighed and turned around, then remembered the porridge he had just cooked and casually asked.
"Are you eating breakfast?"
Just then, a rumbling sound also appropriately echoed from inside the house.
At this, there was no need for a reply, and the wooden door automatically opened.
Frieren, wearing a cotton nightgown, came out carrying a bag of coal with Magic.
"I was going to give this to you yesterday."
"Thank you."
Yulian nodded and pointed to a corner of the wooden house. After Frieren silently moved the bag of coal there, the two entered Yulian's house one after the other.
"Sister Frieren."
Little Nico had lost her usual vitality and called out with a forced smile.
"Nico,"
Frieren's mouth slightly opened, but she didn't know what to say.
"Have some porridge."
"After eating, we still have to continue harvesting wheat."
Yulian said.
It didn't rain today, but it couldn't be called good either.
But in a few days, the soldiers would return to collect taxes.
Among the things Granny Anneliese entrusted before her death, this matter.
Was called by her, especially important.
Yulian felt uneasy.
However, Yulian knew.
He had to find something for Nico to do, only then would it be okay.
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence: 9 Reader for hundreds of additional chapters and over a dozen stories