Published at 20th of February 2020 3:23 pm

Volume 2, Chapter 30 – Parting

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Translated by: Reiji

The scene spreading in there was the memory of the First that I saw before──far in its future.

It was just a tranquil village, but no matter how I looked──

「It feels like, the fields are jumbled isn’t it?」

The shape of the fields was irregular. It felt even more jumbled then what I saw previously, even so the village was becoming larger too.

The First who walked inside the village scratched the back of his head with his right hand.

『……I wanted to let everyone eat until they’re full. That was why, I enlarged the fields.』

Crassel who had grown into a young man was approaching from the other direction with a stern expression.

「Ah……」

He passed through us and ahead of him, the First──Basil who had grown old was just going out while carrying a hoe. His white hair increased and he had definitely weakened from his golden age.

『Stop making a mess already, oyaji!』

『……I can do whatever I like.』

Basil didn’t try to listen to Crassel.

The surrounding was dyed grey, and the scene changed. This time it looked like ten more years had passed. There was the figure of Crassel adjusting the village together with his retainer. He was trying to put the fields that were expanded haphazardly into order, and then managing it properly. But, Basil who had become an old man passed near them wordlessly while carrying a hoe. He went working without even giving a glance to Crassel.

『……I thought everyone would be happy if the fields were enlarged. That was why I worked hard. In the end, I was mistaken. I caused trouble for the Second……Crassel.』

The villagers sent cold gazes and words towards Crassel.

『Even though the First wasn’t bothered by small things like this.』

『It’s annoying how he tampered with the fields, saying it’s for the soil’s maintenance or whatever.』

『Aa~a, it was more peaceful when it was the previous head who led us.』

Crassel ignored those words and desperately worked. The First said.

『He wouldn’t even talk to me anymore. Even when we met in the mansion he wouldn’t say anything. Well, it was also because I was hardheaded. We both wouldn’t talk to each other. That’s why, when I woke up here and that guy made fun of me……I felt just a bit happy. I wanted to talk like that more when we were still alive.』

「Eh? You two didn’t talk to each other until the end!?」

Then the First folded his arms and looked at me with a laugh.

『Our memory only continued until the moment we passed down the Jewel. After that the memory is hazy, or perhaps we don’t have it. That’s why, I don’t remember how I died.』

Come to think of it, the ancestors said such things. I looked at Crassel. Even while the villagers were looking at him coldly, he was working desperately for the village’s sake.

『……I guess this is the only thing that I can teach you. Even if you forced yourself and worked hard, you will make someone else to clean up after you. Well, this was only because I was an idiot though.』

When the First said that, the scenery of the surroundings changed.

It was morning. The sun rose, and the surrounding vegetation were wet with dew. The air was clear.

The figures of the people around were gone, it was only me and the First facing each other at the center of the village.

「Sa, say……」

I got a bad premonition.

『Lyle. You know……I think you’re amazing. Even without me teaching you my Art, you tried to draw it out with your own strength. Besides, unlike me you got smarts! A descendant like you was born from the bloodline of someone like me. You are my pride.』

「No, even if you suddenly told me that……err, what is it with the First today? Something is strange.」

The First smiled sadly.

『Lyle, what do you think about Aria-chan? Surely she’ll become a good woman yeah.』

「No, that’s why right now──」

I felt that my bad premonition would come true. Besides, for some reason the First felt slightly weak. He didn’t feel overflowing with excessive vitality and spoke loudly like usual.

『I see. But, cherish her. After all she is the descendant──of the first love that was out of my reach. She is a bit too energetic but, she’s cute like that isn’t it? I want her to be happy. And also, you too.』

「……Me?」

The First looked at me while saying.

『Lyle……have you decided your objective?』

「I haven’t, decided yet.」

I looked down. It’s pointless to even lie. I became an adventurer. I also aimed to become first class. But, somewhere in my heart I felt a great discomfort.

『Well, that’s fine. After all one day you might do something amazing that the likes of me cannot even imagine. Also……about Celes. That girl is dangerous.』

My little sister, and according to the First she is 【the one entranced by the Evil God】──an existence that appeared at the turning point of history and rampaged around. The other ancestors listened to that story with a grain of salt, but the First was the only one who was really wary. He said to me with a serious gaze.

『I think, you’re the only one who can stop her. Lyle Walt……if it’s you, you can stop her.』

My legs trembled. I recalled my fight with Celes. I became wounded all over and experienced an overwhelming defeat. I’m reminded of such fear.

『Is it scary? But, you know……no, I guess I shouldn’t be the one saying this. You decide your own path. It’s fine even if you don’t challenge Celes. Live as you like. But, be sure to live. Live facing forward. That’s all I ask of you.』

When I lifted my head, the First was laughing.

「……First, why are you telling me that? Are you going away?」

The First was laughing.

『I’m someone dead from the start. It’s stranger for me to keep staying here forever. But you know……I might want to watch you doing your best a bit more. With Novem-chan and Aria-chan with you, you working hard through hardships……I wanted to see that a little bit more. I wanted to teach you various things but……there isn’t anything that I can teach you. Perhaps there is only fishing left.』

「……Fishing, please teach me that. I’ve never done that before.」

『……There ain’t any time. I’m at my limit already here.』

I tried speaking selfishly. The First smiled with a troubled look. Blue light particles were overflowing from his body. The First lifted his right hand.

『Lyle! Raise your hand!』

「Ye, yes!」

When I raised my right hand, the First walked towards me and strongly high fived that hand while passing beside me. The last words I heard were──

『Have more confidence. You are the descendant I’m proud off after all. Also…..that last punch to that orc was really cool. As expected of my descendant!』

──Those words.

.

When I noticed, I was inside the room of the round table──standing at the entrance to the First’s room of memories, the spot where the door “was” at. Near the round table, the great sword was floating there as though to indicate that the First was once here.

The Second was remaining inside the room of the round table. He sat in his own chair and folded his arms while looking down slightly.

「……The First……is gone.」

When I said that, the Second slightly nodded.

『I see.』

「Did you know? Then, why──besides, you can get along slightly better with him.」

There was a lot I wanted to say to the Second. But, the inside of my head wouldn’t get into order. The sudden loneliness, and the question why it turned out like this──

The Second spoke with a kind voice to the confused me.

『……When he died, Oyaji apologized to me. I thought it was too late but, I was also the same like him. Still, we cannot be honest. We’re family after all. Besides, arguing with each other here also wasn’t bad. Though it’s not fun thinking that I also had a bad upbringing.』

The Second smiled sadly and looked up at the great sword.

Tears overflowed from me. They overflowed……and spilled down in large drops.

『Lyle, become a man worthy for this great sword. Become a fine man like the founder of the noble house of Walt. He was an idiot but, even so he is the father that I looked up to. And he is the dragon slaying hero.』

Dragon slaying hero.

「……I, I under……stand. Say……」

『Hm?』

「Why, did the Second use a bow? If you looked up to the First then using a great sword or……」

The Second slightly chuckled.

『It was impossible for me. I couldn’t swing it around, but also……the truth is, I wanted to protect Oyaji’s back. That was why I took up a bow. In the end, we had a breakup so I couldn’t protect his back even until the end.』

I think they are awkward. The First……and also the Second.

My tears wouldn’t stop.

Recently the First was the one who trusted me the most. Just when I thought that he had recognized me, he immediately vanished. He was rough……even so, he was the one who felt the most human. He said what he thought, and kept walking forward even when his surroundings made fun of him. I pressed my face with both hands.

「Ahaha, this is no good. My tears won’t stop. Really just what’s with him……when I thought that he is annoying, hes immediately gone……it’s lonely.」

The Second looked at the great sword while saying.

『That’s our role. The role of entrusting our Arts to Lyle Walt. You can understand it even from us talking like this. We are optimized in order to teach you. the way we talk is also like that.』

The era when the Second lived──I can understand the words of someone from that era without any problem. The Second said that it’s strange.

There are words that become popular or obsolete depending on the era. That I’m able to talk normally with someone from more than a hundred years ago is strange. In other words, the ancestors are adjusted so we can understand each other without trouble.

「Such thing……just what is this Jewel!?」

It was as though they were an existence born for my convenience and vanished when their role was over. That was the memory of the ancestors. However, the Second said.

『That’s fine. We’re fine with that……besides, Lyle. The First──Oyaji said to us. Take care of you, he said. We intend to do so even without him telling us that. Everyone’s opinion matched on that. That’s why, don’t let it weigh on your mind.』

Don’t let it weigh on your mind──there is no way I can just say, okay sure, even if they told me that. For me, they were people who properly talked with me and taught me various things for the first time after five years. Besides, even if they were making fun of me, they were also watching over me.

──My chest felt painful. It was a pain that I never felt until now. If it’s like this, getting insulted is still better. It felt like there was a gaping hole opened in my chest. I strongly grasped my chest. Compared to all the loneliness I felt until now……this was far harder than even that.

「……I don’t want something like this.」

The Second didn’t respond to my voice. But, he was watching me crying in that place.

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