Chapter 32: Cooperation between the Future Hero and the Future Demon King?
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As Ash walked toward Frank, he immediately sensed an intense feeling of danger from the young man.
Even Frieren wasn't as strong as him. Perhaps Flamme, who had been almost fifty years old when Ash left, had the power to match him.
So young, yet so powerful? Ash muttered to himself, but the other party said something strange with a smile, even directly pointing out his identity.
Is this... an attempt to exorcise evil and defend the way? Here? On the street?
Even though he felt he was definitely no match for his opponent, Ash did not despair.
Because he was not a pure magician, and his magic was very effective in both group battles and one-on-one combat. If a real fight broke out... the opponent would probably have to sacrifice the entire street and drag all the people nearby into hell.
After all, even though he had gone back to the past, he didn't have an exceptionally long time to study. But for a demon, his growth had been quite impressive.
Additionally, it's worth noting that the normal growth of magical power is accumulated over the years, but that only applies to demons and elves, not humans.
For example, the human in front of him was obviously an extremely rare genius among humans. If Aura were still alive and had practiced for more than four hundred years, she probably wouldn't have been able to use that special magic to control Frank, who was no more than thirty years old.
And the same went for him...
But the reason why his appearance hadn't changed and no flaws had been discovered, aside from Serie's guarantee, was largely due to his rapid progress.
In terms of magic power accumulation, he was not like a demon or an elf, but more like a human—and a human with considerable talent.
But obviously... his accumulation was still not enough.
At least facing this young man, who was more talented than Flamme, it would be difficult to escape from the scene except by resorting to underhanded tricks, and even then, it might not succeed.
Although, if possible, he absolutely did not like to kill innocent people—whether human or demon—he had no desire to kill meaninglessly.
And the other party didn't seem to be crazy enough to ignore the people on the street. For some reason... he didn't appear to harbor any malice.
But once the young man revealed his identity as a demon, how could Ash not be on high alert?
—The hand under Ash's robe had instinctively gathered magic power.
Compared to the turmoil in his heart, Frank seemed very calm. He seemed to notice Ash's vigilance, smiling wryly and raising his hands to show that he had no hostile intent:
"No matter how many times we meet, you're always so cautious. But trust me... I am not your enemy."
"...You're really good at talking. You're spouting nonsense on the street."
"If I had real hostility, I would've chosen a secluded place or left this town," Frank retorted, then gave up trying to persuade him from that angle and shifted the conversation:
"As I recall, you built this town more than four hundred years ago, correct? And now you've returned from the past—nearly a thousand years ago."
"....How do you know this? Mind reading? No... I wasn't even thinking about that just now, so—how do you know this?"
The strange remarks from the other party piqued Ash's curiosity. Who exactly was this person?
After all, his current state was like being shot forward by a slingshot. The goddess's counterattack had accidentally sent him back in time by several hundred years before he ended up where he was now.
So, more than four hundred years later, he didn't believe anyone could recognize him or know so much about him.
From Ash's perspective, this strange human was highly suspicious.
His distrust seemed to trouble Frank as he sighed, "You may not believe me, but you told me yourself."
"I really don't believe it."
"No matter how many times, your vigilance is always this high. So, in exchange, how about I tell you one of my secrets?"
"...What?"
"Come here first. Don't worry, you can keep your weapons. I know you don't kill people casually." As Frank spoke, he handed over the two swords at his waist.
This move completely confused Ash.
He took the two swords in a daze, but questions continued swirling in his mind.
Still, after hesitating for a moment, he chose to trust his instincts and the other person temporarily. He followed Frank out of town, eventually arriving at a deserted road in the suburbs.
...
Frank treated Ash like an old friend reuniting after a long time, his gaze filled with warmth.
When Ash frowned in discomfort, Frank smiled and said:
"To be honest, I have the magic to foresee the future. I can see the futures of others, including my own. I've used this magic countless times to peek ahead."
"...Is that so? Seems like we're on pretty good terms then?" Ash, surprised but not entirely disbelieving, thought this might explain the situation.
"By the way, I will become humanity's strongest hero of the south, and you will become the demon king."
"...That's impressive. Did we work together?"
"You could say that."
"No... The hero and the demon king working together? That's a new one. I've never heard such a story before. So what's your goal here? What do you want from me?"
"I don't need anything... but you wouldn't believe me if I said that." Frank sat on the wooden fence by the roadside, gazing nostalgically at the nearby farmland.
"If I didn't meet you now, we'd cross paths in about fifteen years. That's when I'll truly begin my journey and become one of the many heroes."
"And what about me?"
"Originally, I intended to punish you for causing a worldwide sensation."
"Me?? What did I do? Did you succeed?"
"I ended up being convinced by you."
"Huh?"
Ash couldn't help but feel confused. Why would I, as a demon, do something so sensational, and yet this hero, who was supposed to save the world, ends up being convinced by me?
He wondered if he was really that good at talking his way out of things. From the moment they met until now, Frank had led the conversation, leaving Ash to question whether he was being deceived.