Chapter: 264
“First of all, I have a lot to say, but… Rather than laying it all out, it might be faster for my body to completely turn into a boulder, so I’ll keep it brief.”
I let out a small sigh and looked at Arthur.
“Since when?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m asking since when you started liking me.”
I had never once sensed that Arthur had romantic feelings for me… Just when did he begin to like me?
What could possibly be charming about an unidentified being that looks like a rough pile of stones cemented together?
“If you’re asking when it started… Um… I’m not really sure.”
Arthur continued with a troubled expression, as if he genuinely didn’t know.
“At first, it felt like a moving rock, which was a bit scary… But over time, I slowly came to know my Master’s gentle side. The teachings were harsh, but the gentle hands that took care of me and Vivi when we were tired were comforting. I think it began around that time.”
A somewhat vague answer. No, it doesn’t matter how well you treated me… How can you love such a non-human being? Why do humans have so many incomprehensible aspects?
I cannot understand. I can’t wrap my head around it. I was originally human, yet I can’t fathom the human heart.
I don’t know. Really, I don’t know.
“I can’t grasp this at all. Why on earth do you like me… I’m not even human, and I might not even be able to fulfill the duties of a proper lover, let alone have children. You must know that I have no choice but to reject you.”
I mean, it’s impossible to do such things with a body like this made of rocks.
“Of course, I didn’t think my Master would accept my feelings. I merely wanted to convey my feelings. I didn’t want to have regrets over not expressing myself.”
Arthur gazed at me with serious eyes. As the Emperor, he could have as many beautiful women as he desired, so why was he looking at me with those eyes?
Was there something wrong with his upbringing…? I don’t recall being taught to develop such unusual desires.
Questions kept bubbling up, but let’s move on for now. There isn’t much time left.
“When did you start preparing this ring?”
“I began preparations right after ascending to the throne of the Emperor.”
“Right after?”
Now that you’ve become Emperor, instead of focusing on stabilizing the country, you thought of preparing something like this ring?
“If it were up to me, I would have given it to you right away… but I couldn’t find a ring that fit your finger, so I went to Sirius and ordered it directly from a dwarf renowned for gem crafting. It took a bit of time, though.”
The ring, with a mix of gold and silver, had a delicately cut emerald that was oval-shaped at its center.
You were working on something like this all along… I thought you were busy with work. Hmm. Stop goofing around and get to it!
No, after becoming Emperor, you’ve ruled firmly! You’ve stabilized the country quite well! If you’d shifted your focus from this ring to governing, things might have settled much faster!
The ring on my finger was larger than my stone-like finger, perhaps because it was designed to be open-ended rather than connected, so it looked too big.
Well, that’s to be expected, I suppose. To fit such thick and bulky fingers, it must be made much bigger.
Arthur lightly touched the broken part of the ring and applied a bit of force.
As he did, the once-separated parts of the ring began to shrink, adjusting to fit.
“Master, you don’t need to accept my confession. It’s enough for you to simply acknowledge that I liked you and that I loved you.”
Arthur’s confession was filled with deep emotion, pulling at my heartstrings. Hmm. If I had been your average human woman, I would have surely melted at this.
But I’m no ordinary human woman!!
“No, how can you like this boulder? That’s just wrong. Arthur should find a good person and be happy. He should marry a good woman as his Empress, have children, and continue the Romanian Empire! That’s also Arthur’s duty as the Emperor! Your happiness, as the Emperor, is not merely a right but a duty!”
“I should be happy? How can I be happy when my Master is not by my side?”
“No, really. Ugh… how can you…?”
How on earth could someone fancy a body that looks like it was haphazardly thrown together with rocks?
Wouldn’t it have been better if you saw my real self? I admit I’m a beautiful girl!
Sigh… How did I end up as such a peculiar person…?
I let out another sigh.
I’m telling you, you’re a really troublesome student!
Well, I can’t share in that feeling.
“I’m sorry, but I still can’t accept those feelings.”
“Master…”
“No, I’m not even human, and I’m just a stone that’s almost out of life. It wouldn’t be fair to accept Arthur’s feelings without reason; it would only hurt you in the end!”
“It hurts even if you don’t accept it.”
“No, that’s not what I meant!”
Arthur spoke playfully, as if intentionally trying to lighten the mood, but the emotions concealed behind it were extraordinarily complicated.
“Honestly… I wanted to have a calm conversation and leave at the end. What is all this because of Arthur?”
“I apologize, Master.”
Arthur lowered his head and couldn’t meet my gaze, seemingly unable to bear it.
But that won’t do.
A one-sided farewell merely leaves behind pain. A genuine goodbye should be when we face each other without any lingering ill feelings.
And so…
“Arthur, lift your head.”
I looked at Arthur and said.
“You are my proud student. Lift your head. Stand tall. Be confident. Among all the beings on this earth, Arthur is the greatest.”
Because he is the Emperor. The Emperor who stands above all!
No one is better than Arthur!
“Master…”
“I am leaving like this, but you must continue living, Arthur. So, forget about me.”
“How could that be possible? How could I forget my benefactor, my teacher, and the person I loved?”
“This parting will be painful. The ache will linger for a long time. Yet, the wounds brought on by this separation will gradually heal over time. Time truly is the best medicine for healing such wounds.”
Tears began to well up in Arthur’s eyes.
Could he not contain the overflowing sorrow?
“So, even if I leave, live on, Arthur. Be happy. Pursue what you desire, revive this land. And try to forget most of your memories of me. Just knowing I had a place in your heart for a little while is enough for me.”
“…”
“Arthur, can you do that?”
“I don’t know. How could I forget you, Master?”
“The answer lies in time.”
Arthur shook his head slightly at my words.
“I have no confidence. Even the thought of a world without Master is unbearable. How could I endure this pain when this thought is becoming a reality? How long can I withstand this suffering? Without you, I might struggle to breathe. How can I live without you?”
Arthur’s voice was thick with emotion. I stayed silent as I reached out and gently stroked his head.
“It’s alright. If it’s you, Arthur, you’ll be okay… but if you lack confidence in yourself…”
I lowered my hand from his head to gently pat his shoulder as I spoke.
“Trust not in yourself, but in me.”
“In you, Master?”
A quote from an animated show, comforting a protagonist lacking confidence.
“Trust that I believe in you, Arthur. Because I truly believe you can do it.”
If it’s Arthur… he can do it. If anyone can transcend the limits of humanity through years of training, it’s definitely Arthur!
“It’s fine. This body will come to a halt here, but I’ll always be watching over you and Vivi. So keep moving forward. Be happy. Arthur.”
Slowly, the stone that had been stuck at my core began to rise.
It really felt like time was running out.
“Master…”
“Don’t cry, Arthur. And Vivi too.”
From a distance, Vivi, who had been watching us, was silently sobbing.
I waved lightly at Vivi, and she rushed to my side.
“When there’s a meeting, there must be a parting. Both of you, don’t be too sad.”
“Thank you, Master. I’m just grateful for everything…”
“M-Master… No, mom…”
I embraced Arthur and Vivi for a moment. Now, it was truly farewell time.
“I’ll give you one last gift, Arthur.”
“Yes?”
“Given the famine throughout Romania, it’s certainly been a headache. I’ll resolve that last issue for you. This will be my final gift to you.”
Arthur was unable to fully lift his head at my words.
Was it happiness? Sadness? Regret? I couldn’t tell; I was swept up in a whirlwind of emotions.
At my announcement, Vivi next to me made a slightly pouty face, but… well, that’s trivial. Just trivial.
So then, time for one final farewell to both of you.
“I was truly happy to be your teacher.”
With that, I, the Sage, quietly closed my eyes.
I could feel the rock rising from my chest, extending past my neck and shoulders.
I could hear the cries of Arthur and Vivi. But it’s okay. These two will manage fine.
They can still find happiness without me.
And so I—no, the Sage’s body completely turned to rock and ceased to move.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The Sage of the deep forest, who had completely become rock-like, no longer moved.
At the same time, the once rugged body of the Sage began to crumble gradually.
As if it could no longer maintain this form, the rocky body began to fall apart.
Arthur and Vivi hurriedly attempted to do something, but the Sage’s body was disintegrating faster than they could act.
A lump of rock that had once been the Sage, shedding its shell along with a bit of dust.
Inside was a beautiful statue of a woman carved from pure white marble.
As if that were the true form of the Sage.
On the left ring finger of the statue, only a beautiful ring adorned with an emerald remained.
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