I had a dream.
A happy dream.
A dream of being with my comrades after all missions are complete.
Visiting the elf village where Igrim lives and sharing a beer among the boisterous dwarves with Ain.
Melissa’s valiant figure teaching knights and Saintess Elena praying in a massive temple flashed before my eyes.
And there I was, wandering the beautiful Continent of Astria with them.
Receiving all their affection, living not as someone with strange memories etched in my soul but as a girl of the Continent of Astria.
If everything had gone normally, how would I have lived here?
If the Holy Sword still existed, wouldn’t I be adventuring? Or maybe the emperors of the Alparion Empire and Betarion Empire would have given me a seat. If that’s the case, wouldn’t wealth and fame just come to me without even wanting them?
And among their figures, there was a beauty with red hair.
I smiled.
“Ah, it’s my sisters.”
They always looked at me with warm eyes.
The ones who make my heart flutter.
The gazes of Igrim looking at me.
The warm looks from the two.
If only I had been with Sister Chris back then, I think I would have been truly happy.
Of course, even now.
Igrim and Sister Chris are right here before my eyes.
The affection of the two, similar yet slightly different.
If I could live accepting this, I could be happy.
In the Continent of Astria, in this world.
“I have to leave.”
With Igrim’s cruel words.
My happy dream was suddenly yanked back to reality.
I was engulfed in questions.
Why?
“W-why?”
Igrim’s face was wavering. No, was it my eyes that were shaking?
Why is she making that expression?
Why? We finally met.
“That is the providence. The dead must return through the cycle of reincarnation. The old must reincarnate and make way for the new… but it has not happened.”
Does that mean a new priestess has not been born?
Igrim lifted her eyes and looked at the green spheres swirling around.
“They have carried this burden for far too long. The priestesses protecting the World Tree, now spirits. For a thousand years, they have watched over the elves without being able to return through the cycle in this distorted world.”
Then, she lowered her gaze and looked at my face.
“At the same time, they have exerted too much force to protect the World Tree from the influence of the Abyssal Tree. We are nearing our limit on the power to exist as spirits in this world.”
With a sorrowful look, she gently patted my head.
“Thanks to you, Rain, for coming back after leaving this world, these beings were able to shed their burdens.”
I don’t want this.
“Thus new priestesses of the World Tree will be born, live, and new spirits will take their place here. It’s all returning to the original cycle… me as well.”
I desperately shook my head.
“Don’t go. Okay? Igrim, you’re all I have left. I’ve tried so hard? We just met again, ugh.”
My vision blurred.
No, I can’t lose sight of Igrim’s face.
“Rain, Rain. Gentle and timid, yet strong. Rain, the hero who loves this world.”
The touch of Igrim’s hand caressing my face was growing fainter.
No!
“Right now, there is a world for Rain to live in, isn’t there? There are people who care about you, right? The threats newly arriving in this world can be handled easily with Chris.”
Igrim’s gaze turned to my side. I looked beside me.
“Rain must not be bound to this place. You must not be trapped in the past. For your sake, I must return to the cycle. If I’m here, you won’t accept your new life. You might obsess over this place and live forever trapped in the past.”
Amidst the tears welling in my eyes, I saw Chris’s face looking at me.
“Rain…”
“You can just watch over this world from there. We just need to cherish our memories.”
I don’t like this.
Woowoo.
The green light emanating from Igrim intensified.
And that light seeped into my belt.
“It’s my remaining spirit power. I hope it can help you, even a little.”
Swish.
My arms desperately wrapping around Igrim passed right through her body.
My hands flailed in the air.
Igrim’s body began to rise into the air.
She smiled brightly.
“Rain, please smile. Your smile is the most beautiful. You’ll grant my wish, right?”
I forced my lips to curve upwards into a smile.
“It’s not goodbye.”
In the blurry vision filled with tears.
“Please live over there. Live happily.”
Igrim, so she wouldn’t see me sad for the last time.
“Igrim.”
Green light.
Surrounding the World Tree with the green light emitting from the spirits.
iRain.
iSeulbi.
iGentle child.
iStrong hero.
iThe one who loves this world.
This isn’t goodbye.
We’ll meet in another form.
As long as Rain watches over this place.
As long as you love this world.
The masses of green light flooding my eyes.
Wrapping around me and then disappearing.
Within that warm light.
I wept uncontrollably.
*
On emerging from the central part of the World Tree, the Elf Kingdom came into view all at once.
The trunk of the World Tree was like a hill in itself.
“Wow.”
I gasped in awe.
The branches of the restored World Tree were in full bloom, radiating a gentle green light and fluttering in all directions, flying towards the elves’ settlement and further on the breeze.
“Rain, look over there.”
At the edge of the Elf Kingdom, at the border of frigid and turquoise.
Trees with the energy of life, tinted turquoise, were gradually expanding their range.
“It’s returning to normal.”
I looked at the elves’ forest slowly regaining its environment with a dream-like feeling.
Swish.
A warm energy was felt in my hand.
A hand slightly larger than mine held onto my tiny hand tightly.
“…….”
I looked up at Chris, who was making a sad face, on the verge of tears.
“Sister, why are you crying?”
“Ugh, I don’t know.”
Chris kept wiping her eyes.
I nonchalantly pulled my hand away and turned around to gaze at the beautiful forest.
“Sister, I’m hungry. Let’s log out and eat.”
“Rain…!”
Though she couldn’t see my expression since I had turned around, I could sense the tone of emotion in Chris’s voice.
“Hungry, huh? What should we eat? Do we have leftovers… should we go shopping? Hmm, should I order chicken?”
“Chicken? Sounds good. I want to eat at the restaurant instead of ordering today.”
I turned around again, clasping my hands behind my back, looking at Chris with a broad smile. And full of excitement for the divine food called chicken, I bounced a few times in place. Chris chuckled at my reaction.
While we were chatting for a while, an elf with a familiar face quickly came moving up the trunk of the World Tree.
“Palman Uncle!”
“Hmph, why are you here?”
I waved my hand warmly in greeting. Chris snorted.
“Ridiculous.”
He lightly leaped and landed on the trunk where we stood.
Palman widened his eyes upon seeing me.
“Hero… you’ve changed quite a bit.”
“Really?”
I raised my hand to touch my face.
What’s that supposed to mean? I look the same as always.
I grabbed Chris’s sleeve and lowered her head, bringing my face closer to hers.
“Sister, is there something on my face?”
“Ah…! R-Rain! Too close!”
I looked at Chris twisting her body in surprise while swallowing hard, then turned my attention back to Palman.
“But, what’s going on?”
“There’s a celebration at home. I’d like you to be with us.”
Clump, clump.
Palman’s house was very close to the World Tree.
As we approached his cozy home covered with leaves that gave a warm feeling among the vast roots of the giant World Tree, I heard a strange sound.
Waaah! Waaah!
“Oh wow.”
“It’s a baby’s cry.”
Chris murmured in my ear.
As I entered Palman’s home with him, I saw on the bed.
“Oh, I’m so glad to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from my husband. Little adventurer.”
A female elf with bright green hair, looking haggard yet joyful, was holding swaddled cloth.
She nodded her head towards me.
“I’m Palman’s wife. Thank you for saving the elves, dear adventurers from the stars.”
“U-Um, thank you.”
Chris coughed and looked away bashfully.
I stepped closer to Palman’s wife.
And peeked into the cloth she was holding.
A baby.
An elf baby with long ears was nestled in her arms.
I was overwhelmed by a strange feeling.
This world.
The Continent of Astria, which took shape before my eyes like a game.
Even in this world, life continues to be born.
I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the elf baby.
The baby elf’s hair was fluffy like cotton.
It was pure white, like snowflakes.
“Hehe, isn’t she cute? She’s our little princess.”
From behind me, Palman’s voice echoed as we admired the baby.
“The princess with white hair, born from the priestess of the World Tree, who has been cut off for a thousand years, has become our child.”
I turned to look at Palman.
A male elf who couldn’t become a priestess.
He was smiling.
On his face was pride and joy.
And, the expression of a father.
“There’s a custom among elves that the firstborn’s name is entrusted to their benefactor.”
Palman’s wife handed me her child.
“Will you name our child?”
Gurgle!
I looked at the baby nestled in my arms, smiling joyfully.
Is it Little Rain? Big Rain? Hehe.
No, it’s just Rain.
Hey Ain, don’t bully our Rain!
Ah! Big Rain! Don’t take Little Rain away!
Exactly! We’re first!
Ah… Melissa, Elena. Because of you, I have a headache. After Rain grows up, can we leave it to her wishes?
Wh-what are you saying?
Cough! If someone overheard, they’d think we’re raising Little Rain to manipulate her!
Amidst the lively memories with my comrades.
Within it, I recalled her, who always looked at me with a loving smile.
Now I’m the Big Rain.
I gently called out the name of the baby nestled in my arms.
“Igrim.”
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