When parting with everyone, I didn’t prepare any grand farewells.
After all, it’s a place I can enter anytime, and we’ll be together for a lifetime, no, forever.
Still… I didn’t expect no one would come to see me off because they were tired.
It’s a bit disappointing.
“Let’s meet again a week from now, after we finish preparing for our travels.”
“…Umm.”
Her eyes, swollen as if she’d cried all night, held a lovely curve within the hidden red pupils.
My eyes were puffy too.
Tears kept coming out after crying like that.
“I had fun.”
“…I had fun.”
I grasped the outstretched hand of ‘myself’.
After a light handshake, ‘I’ let go of the hand without any lingering feelings and turned away.
Standing next to her, ‘Rubia’ met my gaze just once, then turned her back with a strange smile toward the Rubia beside me.
And then, whoosh.
Light poured out from the gaping space and enveloped ‘me’ and ‘Rubia’ in an instant.
“Shall we go too?”
“…Yeah.”
I also drew my Great Sword and sliced through the air.
Whoosh— a door appeared in the slightly more restrained space, unlike ‘me’.
Rubia, a step ahead, grasped the doorknob. After a short deep breath, creak— she turned the knob.
Before us lay a sprawling green meadow.
We took light steps toward it.
*
“Where were you all night? I searched for a while and gave up thinking you wouldn’t die or anything.”
“…Ah, well… you see.”
“So, where should we say we’ve been?”
“…Huh?”
In the quiet Albera Adventurers’ Guild, unlike before, we settled around the innermost table, eating breakfast and sharing stories of what had happened while I didn’t speak for myself, nor did Rubia.
“Ahem, let me explain,” said Ser, who had ended up standing behind me.
Since I decided to let him tell the story himself.
“Long time no see, Hermila.”
“…What?”
Hermila looked at Ser with a smirk, then slapped her cheek, which was puffy and red, and glanced at Ser once more.
“This is not a dream. It’s not an illusion. This is reality, and I am the genius wizard Ser.”
“…Goodness.”
With a scrape— Hermila hastily pulled out a chair and stood up, tears welling in her eyes.
Seeing that, Ser smiled proudly, as if his plan to surprise Hermila had worked beautifully, and began explaining everything that had happened.
Hermila’s expression grew more comical as the explanation continued.
“That… is possible?”
“Hehe. Didn’t I tell you? I am a genius. Nothing is impossible for a genius.”
Receiving Hermila’s admiring gaze, Ser rambled on about his exploits like a fish in water.
Just then, Rubia whispered softly in my ear.
“Ser seems to have changed a lot, right?”
Nodding vigorously.
He has changed a lot.
He used to exude an unexplainable… mysterious and bizarre aura, but now he simply radiates the vibe of a carefree girl.
Of course, outwardly he doesn’t seem like a carefree girl at all.
But when you listen to him speak, it’s truly remarkable.
The stiff expression he once had is now wonderfully diverse; his tone of voice, which used to be somewhat curt, has slightly heightened, and his once elegant actions have become a bit cuter.
How has he held back from doing that all this time?
“It seems like everyone has changed, not just Ser. Cartia is the same, but… heehee.”
As Rubia stated, everyone had changed.
Luisar seemed pitiful for no reason.
Sonya has become more talkative.
Carpen… hasn’t Carpen stayed the same?
Well, anyway.
Primavera, Bohun… no, Brunhilde too.
Frey and Sirin.
Everyone has changed.
No longer the heavy and sharp vibe of the past.
But rather light and fluffy like a neighborhood aunt or younger sister.
And Cartia…
Cartia… hmm.
Rubia seems not to have noticed, but Cartia has also changed.
A bit kinder, a bit softer.
That change is something that only I, who have always been with her in spirit, can recognize.
No one aside from me… maybe Frey sensed it?
Perhaps Frey might not have noticed it either.
It’s possible Cartia’s personality back then was the same as it is now.
Such subtle changes might have gone unnoticed.
In any case, everyone has changed for the better.
It wasn’t that I disliked it before, but it has improved.
I wonder what could possibly be wrong now, heehee.
“So that’s how it is.”
At last, Ser’s lengthy explanation came to an end.
Hermila stared at me with her mouth agape.
“I understood Ser’s explanation… but then, who won?”
“Y-yeah…? What do you mean…?”
“In that ranking battle, who came out on top?”
Who won in the ranking?
That would, of course, be me… wait a minute…
Uh, um… to tell the truth…
“…Rubia won.”
Hermila, looking dazed, forced a bitter smile.
“I expected as much, but to hear it from the horse’s mouth is a bit ridiculous. Hahaha…”
But… it’s the truth.
“Yeah… I’m really, really glad. Not everyone is alive, but they still exist. We can meet again anytime, right?”
“That’s right. We could even meet to the point of getting sick of each other. Would you like to try that?”
“No. If we meet every day, I think I’d really get sick of it, so let’s just meet occasionally.”
Hermila retorted back at Ser’s joke with another joke.
Hearing that, Ser displayed a strangely disappointed look and zipped his lips.
He has certainly changed.
The old Ser would have gritted his teeth and fought back against such remarks. No, he wouldn’t have even said anything that would put himself in a bind in the first place.
Did Hermila sense that too? She tilted her head in surprise.
Then she casually threw a glance at Rubia and me. We nodded immediately.
“Ser, it’s a joke. No way we’re serious, right? You can stay with us while Noah and Rubia prepare for their trip. I haven’t had someone to hang out with.”
“Don’t kid yourself. It’s already too late. From this day on, I won’t be coming out anymore.”
With a huff, Ser quickly looked around the table and took his leave.
“It seems like you’re done eating, so let’s go have some coffee.”
He didn’t specify where to head, but everyone here knew the direction.
To the Blacksmith.
Before we hunted down the Monster of the End known as Valoran, it was a promise made. A promise shared after a big fight when we were terribly awkward with each other.
We had not forgotten that promise.
We cherished it deep in our hearts.
At that time, I thought it was a promise that couldn’t be fulfilled. But here we are, four of us gathered in Albera heading to the Blacksmith. Honestly… I never dreamed it would come to this.
“Hmm? Is Ser sulking? No way, right? Even a genius wizard can sulk? Hmm?”
“Yes. The genius wizard can sulk. A genius is still a person, right? Don’t talk to me. I won’t exchange a word with you.”
“Oh my? I didn’t expect such pettiness from the great genius wizard. Are you really going to say nothing? I’ve got plenty of stories for you!”
“Petty…? I’m not petty.”
Following Ser, who was stomping ahead, Hermila wore an annoying smile, teasing him until we went out of the Adventurers’ Guild.
Seeing that, Rubia smiled warmly and suddenly asked me.
“By the way, Noah.”
“Huh…?”
Trying to get up, I was pulled back onto Rubia’s lap.
“You mentioned meeting Lilith before, right?”
“Uh… yeah.”
“Did she happen to say anything else besides explanations at that time?”
“Something else…?”
“Yeah. According to her, there must have been other hints as well. Lilith wouldn’t just leave it at that.”
It happened so suddenly, and I was in a daze at the time, so I don’t remember it well.
Did Lilith say… something else?
Umm…
“I-I don’t quite remember. It was all so… um, dreamy… it felt like a haze floating around…”
“I see… then what can you do? Shall we get up?”
“Yeah.”
I jumped off Rubia’s lap.
Just then, Rubia’s hand intertwined with mine tightly.
So it would never come undone.
And we moved toward the door where warm sunlight streamed in.
The light shining into the dark guild’s interior.
The sparkling dust floating within it.
Our hands, clasped tightly.
A strangely wafting fragrance from Rubia.
As I quietly absorbed all these things, those fluffy memories coalesced. They took shape.
Becoming a complete memory, I recalled Lilith’s last words.
Yes.
At that moment, Lilith clearly said this:
*
[I’ve prepared two gifts for you, who have worked hard until now.]
[I wanted to prepare more, greater gifts, but my power fell short, so two was my limit. I’m sorry.]
[However, one of them will surely delight you immensely!]
[And the other… I’m afraid you won’t know what it is. But when that day comes in the distant future that you uncover the present, you will definitely be incredibly grateful to me.]
[Of course, it does contain my selfish desire, but you will find joy in it too.]
[So, Noah.]
[I hope you can spend an eternal, happy time in ‘this world.’]
[After spending such a long time, eventually, we ‘will’ be able to meet again.]
[I will earnestly wait, along with ‘everyone.’]
[Thank you for everything during that time.]
[I loved you during that time.]
[Goodbye. My Noah.]
