I can’t remember all one hundred lives in detail.
I can’t recall everything I experienced over nearly 300 years;
what I carry in my chest are just fragmented memories.
Memories that are so intense and brilliant they can never be forgotten.
Amidst it all, there are faces of people that come vividly to mind, and there are others I can’t even remember.
But I was certain of one thing: there was a thing that never happened in all those lives.
Someone recalling my previous rounds of life. These hundred lives were solely mine; when I die, those memories remain only with me.
Could it be that this reincarnation really doesn’t affect anyone else?
I’ve thought about this repeatedly, but I believe that time going back can’t only belong to me.
Yesterday, the person who said they loved me could turn into a stranger upon reincarnation, and someone I’ve sworn as an enemy whispers their love to me once again.
I’ve constantly questioned whether it’s just me feeling such dissonance, a dilemma I’ve had since the early days of the reincarnation.
I’ve researched the Moon Stone and found that I couldn’t even find any records of it since my first experience.
The Moon Stone I used seemed to have vanished as if it never existed.
Of course, it’s natural; the Moon Stone disappeared because I used it, so it wouldn’t exist in later rounds.
So, I had completely given up on it.
If it weren’t for what Adele told me, I probably wouldn’t have any doubts about it now.
– A long time ago, I think I wanted to show you this.
“…What do you mean by that?”
I had no idea.
This was the first time she said something like that to me, and the more I thought about it, the deeper I sank into confusion.
Adrian’s attitude was also unusual.
He reacted particularly sensitively to Miragen’s name, which was just a friend, and he often wore an uncomfortable expression when looking at me.
The reason was probably something only Adrian himself knew.
It wasn’t just a matter of my inner self.
There was a strange feeling that there was something more beyond what she told me.
The room where Miragen used to stay, and where I now resided, surprisingly got a good amount of sunlight.
Gazing quietly at the light streaming through the window, I brushed away the sleepiness from my eyes and slowly rose from the bed.
I usually woke up around dawn, but today was a bit later.
Although I thought there was still quite a while until noon.
As I simply washed up and was shaking the water from my hair, someone knocked on the door from the other side.
“Robert, it’s Adrian.”
I was slightly surprised that Adrian came at this hour, but after wiping away enough moisture, I opened the door.
It seemed he had woken up quite early since he was already fully dressed.
As I opened the door a crack, Adrian, with an attendant beside him, grabbed my arm and slowly stepped inside.
Gon slowly stepped inside.
Adrian, who was carefully touching my arm while wearing a gown, tilted his head and looked at me.
“That’s not the usual outfit you wear, is it?”
“It’s a bathrobe. I just got out of the shower.”
“…Ah. I didn’t intrude, did I?”
“It’s fine. I’m all clean anyway; I just need to change clothes.”
Seeing Adrian flinch at the mention of changing clothes made me smile a little.
There’s no way I’d change clothes while she’s here. No matter how blind I am, as Berod said, there are certain manners between men and women.
I poked Adrian’s nose, which was turning red from whatever thoughts she had, and playfully opened my mouth.
“I don’t know what you’re expecting, but I’ll change clothes a bit later.”
“Well, it doesn’t really matter since you can’t see me anyway. What’s there to expect?”
“By the way, what brings you here? I believe there’s nothing special today.”
Departing for the south was a thing for a few days later.
I needed to report to Arwen about what I had investigated so far, and I was planning to have Renold prepare a couple of swords this time.
Today was quite free overall.
Adrian hadn’t actually asked to meet today either.
When I asked, puzzled, Adrian hesitated for a moment before cautiously parting her lips.
“Um, Robert doesn’t know much about the cathedral under the Moon Tower, does he?”
“I don’t really know about the cathedral.”
Since I hadn’t been there this time around, it would be weird knowing it in detail at this point.
Thinking that, I replied, and she smiled brightly for a moment before continuing.
“Then I’ll guide you. I have plenty of time today.”
“Is that so? I’m fine with it, but I hope I’m not causing you any trouble on your day off.”
“I’m happy to go anywhere as long as it’s out of the Moon Tower. But if you really don’t want to go together… that can’t be the case, right?”
“Why would I dislike that?”
Just being with Adrian was a benefit for me.
After all, she was cherished by the saint, so what would the Order think about it?
I wasn’t using Adrian.
She had directly said she wanted to be together, so even if the Paladins had something to say, I could be proud about it.
Even though I wasn’t planning on moving much today, if Adrian was going to be with me, I’d have to make time for it.
As soon as I permitted her, Adrian flashed a pleasant smile.
However, there was one confusing thing.
Was she happy to be with me, or did she simply enjoy going out?
Her unexplainable kindness sometimes led to misunderstandings, and I often had to be careful.
#
Adrian had two ways of walking.
If she already knew the terrain perfectly, like in her own room, she could manage quite well without anyone’s help.
However, when she was in an unfamiliar area or it was just too vast, she needed the help of an attendant.
Even if it looked a bit silly for her to cling to my arm while walking, Adrian needed such support to navigate.
Concerned about potentially tripping, her body lightly brushed against my arm as she clung to me.
At first, she merely leaned for support, but since she’d almost fallen earlier, she was now completely holding onto my arm.
Back then, I was just supporting him a little, but after he almost fell earlier, I found myself completely holding on to his arm.
No matter how familiar the place is, the position of objects can’t always be the same.
Especially since this is a cathedral bustling with many people, it means he has to rely on me a lot to walk.
Did Adrian know he was clinging a bit too much? He slightly blushed and looked down.
“I’m sorry. Normally, just being close would be fine.”
“You don’t need to worry about it. Other people… will probably understand.”
Even though I said that, the truth is I couldn’t help but feel concerned.
For just a moment, I chuckled at the strange sensation of his arm touching mine, then I forced a smile at the gazes of the priests who were glancing my way.
The fact that I was staying at the Moon Tower had likely spread widely by now.
Given the small space, they must find it fascinating that I, as a friend of the Saint, am here.
They were a little more friendly than the Paladins, but there were still some who showed hostility towards me.
I ignored those glares and kept walking.
If I were to interpret every malicious stare, it would only bring me misery. I’ll just exclude these thoughts and focus on the tasks at hand for today.
As I walked with Adrian, suddenly he stopped in his tracks.
“This is where I lived when I was young. Before the Moon Tower was fully built, Lord Berod let me stay here.”
There was a faint divine power flowing in the direction Adrian was facing.
Fortunately, the door wasn’t locked, and when we went inside, Adrian glanced around with a gentle smile.
“I wonder if the arrangement I remember is still the same. There used to be a drawer right here on the right.”
“It doesn’t seem to have changed much. They probably preserved it just like when you lived here.”
“Is there a bed in the left corner? That’s where I used to sleep.”
As she said, there was indeed a bed, and I carefully helped Adrian sit on it.
With a bounce, Adrian hit the bed and playfully laughed.
Recalling memories from childhood, the look on his face as he began to share memories with Berod was simply radiant.
“Once, I jumped off the bed and fell down. So, I got scolded pretty badly by Lord Berod. They probably put something down there afterward, since I tended to trip a lot.”
“So that’s why the carpet was a bit thick. I thought it felt a little awkward.”
The floor was so soft that it would sink if you pressed it with a finger.
I couldn’t help but agree with the comment about Adrian often tripping.
I had seen him do it a few times, and I caught him again today.
But it wasn’t Adrian’s fault. Isn’t it extremely uncomfortable to walk when you can’t see ahead?
For a moment, Adrian sat on the bed, then he stared at me intently before getting up.
“Would you like to sit for a while? You’ve been quiet since earlier.”
“…Ah.”
The reason I was looking at Adrian was that I was reflecting on her clumsiness, but it seemed she thought I was interested in the bed.
It seemed like…
Not that I had any particular words to skirt around it, so I carefully settled into the seat where Adrian had been sitting.
Naturally, there was no special difference.
It was just an old bed that creaked a little, nothing more than an ordinary piece of furniture.
The divine power spread around here was probably left to preserve it.
The room used by the saint when she was a child, even if it wasn’t for tourism, must have some symbolic meaning for the congregation.
“When I slept, Lord Berod used to read me fairy tales. When I did, I could sleep so comfortably, but I’ve already grown up so much,” she said.
“Time always flies by. You’d be better off not worrying about it too much.”
If I were to count the exact time I’ve passed, wouldn’t that give me a headache?
So I preferred calculating by the number of times rather than by the clock.
Even then, I only recalled it when necessary, and living without worrying about it was better for my mind.
Seeing her complain that time seems to pass too quickly made me chuckle unintentionally.
Maybe it’s because I’ve lived too long, but for her, who’s only 21, to say time is flying by was just amusing to me.
However, perhaps she mistook my laughter for mockery, and she spoke with a slightly blunt voice.
“I don’t understand why Robert, who’s younger than me, laughs like that. Have you undergone the coming-of-age ceremony?”
“Believe it or not, I’m twenty-one. I probably have already done it,” I replied.
“That… well, that’s true. I guess so.”
If it were up to me, I’d gladly claim to be a 300-year-old monster, but since it was just playful banter, I didn’t say it out loud.
We passed time with light chatter. Adrian was rummaging through her memories as she examined each room, while I sat on the bed watching her.
To be able to reminisce about memories is a wonderful thing. And if I can smile during those recollections, even better.
Just as I was happily looking at her, I noticed her swaying body and quickly reached out my arm.
“Huh?”
Perhaps there was something in her way that she didn’t remember, she stumbled and I caught her in time.
However, as I was already sitting on the bed, I ended up pulling her into my embrace and falling over.
I moved my body to avoid hitting any furniture or the bed, and with a thud,
I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder as we fell to the ground, and her flowing hair brushed against my nose.
“Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. I think there was something I didn’t consider.”
With our bodies completely entangled, Adrian slowly raised her head from my chest. Her white hair tickled my nose.
It took only a moment to realize she was on top of me.
A faint blush rose on her pale cheeks, and just when her groping hand finally touched my cheek…
Adrian, in a crawl-like voice, softly pursed her lips and said,
“…Oh.”
And just like that, her blush deepened to an even more vibrant red.
Like a flower blooming for the first time, it turned red.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
