The human's strange remarks made him unable to resist growing curious about just who this person really was.
After all, it felt like he had been flung back by a slingshot, overshooting by several hundred years due to the goddess's countermeasure and ending up in the present.
Because of that, in this point more than four hundred years later, he didn't believe anyone could possibly know him, let alone know this much about him.
From Ash's own perspective, this strange human was suspicious to the extreme. And his lack of trust left Frank troubled.
"You probably won't believe it, but all of that was told to me by you."
"I don't believe it."
"No matter how many times, your vigilance is always this high. Then as an exchange, how about I tell you one of my secrets?"
"What?"
"Please come this way first. Ah! Don't worry, you can keep the weapons. I know you won't kill casually," As he spoke, Frank actually handed over the twin swords at his waist.
This move completely stunned Ash.
He blankly took the twin swords, his head still spinning with countless question marks.
But after hesitating for a moment, he chose to temporarily trust both the human and his own intuition, following him out of the town and onto an uninhabited country road on the outskirts.
Frank's attitude toward Ash was like that of an old friend reunited, his gentle gaze constantly sizing him up.
When Ash frowned, clearly uncomfortable, Frank finally smiled and spoke frankly, "Actually, I possess magic that allows me to foresee the future. I can see the futures of people, including myself, and I've used this magic countless times to peer ahead."
"I see. So our relationship must be pretty good then?", That kind of ability was about the only thing that could explain the current situation. Understanding that, Ash was surprised, but not completely unable to accept this bizarre explanation.
"By the way, I will become the South's Hero, the strongest among humans, and you will become the Demon King."
"That's impressive. So we work together?"
"You could say that."
"No, Wait! A hero and a demon king working together? Is this some new kind of genre? I've never heard of it. More importantly, what exactly do you want? What are you trying to get from me?"
"Nothing at all. You definitely won't believe that, will you?", Frank sat down on the wooden fence by the roadside, gazing at the distant farmhouses with a nostalgic expression.
"If I hadn't met you now, then fifteen years from now, that's when I would truly set out and become one of the many heroes."
"And me?"
"Originally, after you caused a world-shaking incident, I planned to subjugate you."
"Me? What incident? And did you succeed?"
"I was persuaded by you."
"Huh?"
'Why would a hero who wants to save the world be persuaded by me instead, after I, as a demon, caused some earth-shattering event?'
'Is my slick tongue really that powerful?'
Once again, Ash was completely thrown off, increasingly feeling like the human was fooling him.
After all, from the moment they met until now, Frank had clearly been the one controlling the conversation the entire time.
Ash's bewildered expression was fully taken in by Frank, who couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Haha! Just as expected, that's exactly the face you'd make. But, I'm not lying, because you really were absolutely right."
"Enough riddles already. Can we talk about something concrete?", Ash felt his patience was just about worn down.
It was then that Frank calmed himself and began to explain slowly.
"This is a bit of a long story. First, back when you were a human general, what you hated most was treating children as cannon fodder and forcibly drafting them into battle, right? That's why there wasn't a single child soldier in your army, correct?"
"So what? Is that not allowed?"
"Actually, I hate that behavior too."
"Well, you're a hero. That's understandable."
"But I'm still just a hero."
"What do you mean?"
"That means I can't change this situation."
Though he had laughed heartily just moments ago, Frank's hands now unconsciously clenched, his words filled with helpless sorrow.
"Even if the Demon King is defeated, even if all demons are wiped out, this situation will never change. As long as humans exist, human nations will continue to wage war this way. At least in the future I've seen, nothing changes."
"If anything, once the external threat is gone, internal human conflict will only become even more brutal, won't it?"
"That's right. Your judgment is completely accurate."
"Isn't that obvious? Anyone can figure that out."
In fact, compared to the humans he once knew, the humans of this world seemed even more cruel.
At least in the ancient times he knew, there was no era where the majority of nations on the planet tacitly adopted the tactic of sending their own children onto the battlefield as cannon fodder.
But in this world, not only the southern lands that faced no demon threat, but even the northern lands that directly confronted demons would, during their frequent internal wars, simply arm large numbers of children and send them to the battlefield as cannon fodder and tools of psychological warfare.
It was not even rare. It was a tactic reserved specifically for use against humans.
It made him wonder whether the humans of this world were really the same kind of humans he once knew.
Why would their upper classes collectively adopt such inefficient, foolish, and utterly bottomless behavior? Did they not know that children were the future potential? Or did they simply not care? Or were the nobles and kings here particularly short-sighted and devoid of morals? Was this some form of internal competition taken to an extreme?
But he obviously couldn't control the traditions of nations across the world. Standing on a country road discussing global atrocities somehow made him feel like he had returned to modern times, passionately talking about world affairs beside a barbecue stall.
It just felt… strange.
As the topic suddenly expanded to the entire world, Ash's expression became somewhat subtle.
Frank, however, grew inexplicably serious, continuing even as Ash wondered if he should just end this conversation and get to the point.
"Wars between humans will not be quelled by the defeat of demons. They will only intensify, until a unified nation appears, at which point things will temporarily settle."
"Hah!"
With a trace of fatigue, Ash said, "A hero can't raise a blade against his own kind. In the end, you're just a hero, not a king, so you can't change any of this. Is that what you're saying?"
"Exactly. I can't change it. Even when it plays out right before my eyes, I can hardly stop it. That's not the world I hope for. But I'm just a hero. And yet, you're different."
At last, Frank revealed his true goal.
He wanted Ash to become a restraining force over the nations.
To use overwhelming force as deterrence, forbidding all countries from persecuting children.
If possible, to unite the demons and the northern lands, then gradually rule the world, becoming the joint ruler of humans and demons, allowing the world to truly enter peace.
To truly break the cycle of tragedy.
Yes, the cycle of tragedy.
This world, perhaps as part of the goddess's game, gave birth to a new Demon King every so often, bringing about an extinction-level crisis for humanity, forcing new heroes to rise time and time again to save the world.
The holy sword bestowed by the goddess could sometimes be drawn, sometimes not, yet the outcome never changed.
There would always be a world-ending crisis. There would always be someone to save the world. And there would always be another cycle of destruction and salvation afterward.
As if some invisible rule bound both sides, preventing either from completely eradicating the other, while every so often both sides carried out a massive slaughter of one another.
As for why he didn't choose humans? Frank simply had no choice.
He was a hero. He could not raise his blade against humans.
It wasn't just a matter of status. His own morals would never allow it. He couldn't help humans become kings, and human nations would never grant heroes real power either.
At least in this world, heroes held no authority. At most, they were given some financial support and operational convenience, but human laws tightly bound them.
In Frank's eyes, Ash was a uniquely special demon. A near-eternal lifespan. No legal or moral shackles. Yet possessing a moral compass that most nobles lacked.
After personally witnessing wars fought with child soldiers in the future, Frank became convinced that he had to stop this atrocity at all costs and erase it from the world.
Listening to all this, Ash found himself at a loss for words. The scope felt like it had suddenly grown far too large.
"Even if you say all that, how do you plan to help me? You're going to become a hero, right? And you don't plan on becoming a criminal in human society, do you?"
"That's right. So I can't help you in that regard. But I can train you in the way that suits you best."
"But I…"
"I know. Your knowledge as a mage is already sufficient. You have outstanding magic teachers. But as a warrior, you're still lacking."
"You even know that?"
At this point, Ash wasn't shocked anymore. He was numb.
"On top of that, I can see the future. That means I can tell you all the experience that your future self will only gain after spending massive amounts of time, as well as shortcuts you haven't even discovered yet. I'd like to teach you how to see the future too, but that's not something you can just teach."
"Otherwise, demons and humans alike would be full of people who can see the future. Still, making you the strongest mage and warrior in this world, that's possible."
"You can even do that?"
"Of course. For this," As the future strongest hero of the South, Frank stood up suddenly, his bearing far more grand than his age suggested, and extended his hand toward Ash, "Come with me, my friend!"
Ash stared at that outstretched hand, tilting his head slightly as he fell into troubled thought.
'This situation… and this development, aren't they a bit too far from what I imagined?"
Facing Frank, who clearly looked young yet carried himself with remarkable maturity, Ash stared at his hand for a long while before suppressing the urge to complain.
What the human said sounded extremely far-fetched, even exceeding his current understanding, and carried a faint sense of suspicion.
But his intuition told him that this person was not the type to rely on schemes and tricks.
After struggling internally for quite some time, he finally decided, with the mindset that he'd accept it even if he were being deceived, to grasp the hand extended toward him.
Frank immediately broke into a bold smile and pulled him up from the wooden fence in one motion.
"Then let's go home."
"Home? Is your house nearby?"
"No. My home is in the royal capital."
He had come here specifically because he had seen the future and knew Ash would appear here.
Even so, his words still made Ash feel strange. After all, what normal person invites someone to their home the moment they shake hands?
Even if he felt the human was probably a righteous character… it still felt strange.
But the conditions Frank offered were hard to refuse. After much hesitation, Ash chose to go along and see for himself.
At worst, he could freeload on food and lodging for a while and see what Frank could actually teach him.
———
[Royal Capital Outskirts]
In a surprisingly large yet oddly plain residence, there were only two middle-aged maids.
Frank seemed to have become a self-made merchant at fifteen. His parents had died on the battlefield when he came of age.
Relying on his ability to foresee the future, he had essentially lived a cheat-enabled life that made Ash envious.
But the reality was somewhat different.
Frank had once had a lover, but for reasons unknown, he chose to break up early on. From a young age, he devoted himself solely to training.
In the blink of an eye, Ash formally became Frank's disciple and began studying swordsmanship, settling down in the outskirts of the royal capital.
Day after day of relentless training repeated itself.
From the first light of dawn to the setting sun. From spring blossoms to the depths of winter. As the seasons changed and the years passed, his resolve never wavered.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, thirteen years had quietly passed.
For demons, thirteen years was but the snap of a finger. Yet Ash's growth during this time was unprecedented.
However, there was a problem.
Because the internal structure of demons differed from that of humans, and they dissolved into magical particles upon death, his power had reached the limit of this body.
When he fought at full strength, his body would undergo changes.
Two demonic horns would grow from his forehead, his entire frame would enlarge proportionally into a burly giant over two meters tall even without counting the horns. His strength, agility, magic recovery speed, and control would all increase significantly. This was his full demon state.
Another noteworthy point was that in human form, his appearance did not change at all, remaining exactly the same as before.
But while thirteen years meant little to him, it was different for humans.
Frank, once a young man, had already become a middle-aged adult. Though he still carried that spirited demeanor—
"It really isn't fair. I've turned into a middle-aged man in the blink of an eye, yet you're still exactly the same as before," Looking at Ash, who still bore the appearance of a youth, Frank stroked his beard and sighed.
"But humans progress quickly, while demons progress slowly."
"But your growth speed isn't that of a demon at all. If all demons were like you, humanity would've been finished long ago," With a trace of envy and regret, Frank sighed and handed him a document.
Looking closely, it was a property transfer document. More precisely, it was a will distributing assets.
"Uh… what is this? Why is my name on it?"
"If I die, this house goes to you. As for the rest of my assets, donate them to those in need."
"If?"
Hearing the word "if" from someone who could see the future made it feel extremely strange.
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