Although the sadness of losing soone should not be forgotten, it shouldn’t beco the thing that was holding you back either.
Following the funeral for everyone in Graypond, that was held over a span of three days, today was dedicated to allowing the living to carry on with their lives and assuring the departed that they could rest in peace.
“Gyaaaaahhhh!”
The Royal Family had designated today as a day to commorate that, and a festival was held.
Findenai, who raised her glass high, exclaid roughly.
The beer provided by the Royal Family boasted a taste that was incomparable to ordinary beer, as if implying that it wasn’t supplied to the Royal Family for no reason.
As the taste of chilled alcohol entered her tongue, she couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Hey, take it easy. Don’t unnecessarily cause trouble for others.”
Deia warned Findenai, who was gulping down her drink from the start, but she paid no heed to it.
“I heard that you vowed to never drink again.”
Seeing that, Erica added a comnt from the side, but Findenai just snorted.
“Tch! What kind of old news is this young lady talking about, huh?!”
Findenai had already given up on abstaining from drinking. After all, in the first place, she would not get drunk unless she drank a significant amount.
It is a bit strange, though.
Actually, ever since they managed to reclaim freedom in the Clark Republic, she began wondering if she wasn’t good at drinking.
In the past, she could still think clearly even if she drank a crate of beer. However, now that her heart was at ease, she got drunk rather easily.
“Well, not bad.”
Yet she didn’t find it unpleasant. Instead, she felt like she finally was living as a woman nad Findenai and not as the Chief of the Resistance.
“Gyaaaah! Griffin is really good at brewing beer!”
Findenai exclaid again as she drank the beer.
“But where is Master Bastard?”
With her cheeks bulging from the skewers she was munching on, Deia turned her head at the question. Everything, from the alcohol to the food, was provided by the Palace, so even simple skewers were top-notch.
They even skewered the appetizers so they could be eaten while walking; a consideration from the Royal Family.
“He’s working.”
“Work?”
“If you’re a maid, shouldn’t you know where your Master is?”
“Master Bastard often appears and disappears as he pleases. Anyway, that man really has no day off.”
Even though she said that, Findenai clicked her tongue regretfully as she took another sip of her beer.
The sweet taste of the beer had turned sowhat bitter for so reason.
***Graypond, where the festival was taking place, bore an air that evoked various emotions.
As to deceive themselves, many people were drinking alcohol to forget their sorrows and move on.
Because they would be unable to bear the sadness if they didn’t.
I understood those emotions.
“In the end, only ti can solve it.”
Standing atop the city wall, I glanced down at downtown with my hands folded behind my back.
“So, do you feel relieved enough now so that you can rest peacefully?”
When I asked the several souls besides who had not yet entered rest, they hesitated before replying.
[Can I… see them a little more?]
[I want to see my father’s smile one last ti.]
[That fool, he said he’d stopped drinking, but he’s on a binge right now.]
It was not only the living who felt worry and sadness in parting.
Therefore, I gave those who still had lingering regrets a little more ti.
“…”
I knew that they didn’t want to part with the living.
Due to their lingering regrets, they ended up staying to watch over the survivors like this.
It wasn’t a very good thing to do.
In the end, if they kept watching over them like this, their feelings would never be resolved and would only grow even bigger.
Although parting would beco more difficult, I couldn’t bring myself to say those words.
Because it wasn’t as if they hadn’t already realized this.
So all I could do was simply hope that their unresolved emotions would be resolved.
This was the only action I could take for the sake of the deceased.
“Are you… busy?”
I suddenly heard a trembling voice coming from behind. I didn’t even hear her footsteps because of how cautiously she approached .
“Aria.”
Holding a bottle of alcohol in one hand, which I didn’t know how she obtained, she slowly drew closer and stood beside .
Although she was now in her second year, she was still so small that she didn’t even reach my chest.
However, she would continue to grow, and she would probably reach my shoulders by the ti she graduated in her fifth year, right?
“Hehe, I ca to see Professor for a consultation!”
By then, wouldn’t it be difficult to see her innocent smile like now?
“Alright.”
I thought that it would be Deia or Erica who would have co looking for , but it seems like they passed on their turn.
“Are there many who are still lingering?”
Perhaps only stars and moons were visible to Aria, but I could see the countless souls with my eyes.
“Yes, parting is a difficult thing.”
Aria nodded in agreent as she lightly popped the cork of the bottle with her index and ring fingers.
“That’s right. It was the sa for ; forgetting the friends I made in the first round and starting afresh was very difficult.”
Upon hearing her words, I realized that the current circumstances of the souls only visible to and Aria were quite similar.
Souls that, through my magic, were saying their farewells after death instead of finding rest.
And Aria, who had to restart the round after death, losing all her previous relationships and having to forget her previous mories to build new relationships.
Other than the fact that Aria was still alive and could establish new relationships, the two farewells indeed had similar aspects.
“Do you have anything else to say to them?”
So I wondered if Aria, who had experienced sothing similar, might have advice.
“No, I shouldn’t interfere with their farewells.”
Smiling brightly, she handed the bottle and pulled out so orange juice from her pocket.
I wasn’t planning to have a drink, but since the girl, who was my student, prepared one and brought it to this place for , I took a sip of the alcohol.
As the sweet fragrance of premium liquor perated my mouth and nose, the emotions I felt while imrsed in their sadness had sowhat dulled.
“Actually, I have a lot that I want to ask the professor. There are also many things I want to say.”
Gulp. Gulp.
After drinking her orange juice as if it were alcohol, Aria leaned a bit closer until the backs of our hands touched.
“If it were like before, I would have reported everything I’d done, eagerly await your feedback, and wait for the next task.”
In the first round, Aria had been reporting to compulsively. Of course, I was the one who enabled that behavior.
Now, when I thought of the broken Aria we first t in this round, I still felt a sense of guilt, even though I didn’t need to.
“However, for now, I won’t say anything.”
The girl put her finger to her lips and smiled.
Even in the dark night, the moonlight softly illuminated her black hair, and the wind spread her unique scent.
Why was this young girl the protagonist of this story?
One would probably understand the mont they saw this scene.
“Why?”
Although I knew the reason, I still asked her anyway, like a professor guiding their student to the answer using questions.
“Because I won’t entrust anything besides the responsibilities as a hero to Professor.”
“…”
“Fufu! The life as Student Aria Rias that you’ve returned to —this life is mine because I am in control. It belongs to .”
Back when she was under the influence of Capgras Syndro in the past, I forcibly awakened Aria and took over her destiny as a hero.
As a result, Aria had reached her ending and was now living as an ordinary girl.
However, if there was one flaw, it was that Aria had beco passive.
She didn’t achieve it herself; she resolved it with help from soone like .
It was understandable, considering that she was still a student.
She obviously needed to receive help from adults as she was still young.
Therefore, I thought there would be no problems, but the Romuleus incident made realize that it was not enough.
In the end, Aria was the sole owner of her life.
The girl who gained freedom through others would not have the power to maintain it.
Hence, a few words from Romuleus would have made her waver and caused her to tremble with fear.
However, it was different now.
Aria defeated the fallen god, severed her destiny, and escaped from it all by herself.
Perhaps even if soone else ca looking for her in the future, she would still walk her own path without any hesitation.
“How am I doing now?”
I couldn’t help but smile as she leaned forward, asking if it was the right answer. I nodded without looking at her.
“You’re doing great.”
“Hihi!”
She appeared to be very happy.
It looked like she was truly anticipating the future life she would lead.
Instead of gazing at the stars in the sky, the girl stared at Graypond, which was still shining brightly, and shouted,
“Aaaaahhhh! It’s beautiful!”
She spread her arms wide.
“It’s really beautiful!”
She was like a girl shouting ‘Yahoo!’ after she managed to climb to the top of a mountain.
“I’m so excited and nervous about the future that will unfold! My future! In this beautiful world!”
Although she was no longer the protagonist, she would surely live a life brighter than anyone else.
Like the Saintess, known as the Sun of the Continent, she would shine in her own way.
Everyone would follow in her footsteps, admire her, and want to accompany her.
And while looking at her bright smile, I, too, fluttered with anticipation.
What kind of life will this girl live in the future?
She would probably live a beautiful life.
Splendidly.
Brilliantly.
“Woooooooooow!”
As if emptying everything inside, Aria shouted towards the city and wriggled with excitent.
“Also!”
Feeling refreshed by the cool breeze blowing, the excited girl clenched her fists tightly and shouted again.
“I love you so, so much!”
And the one who would occupy a significant part of her unfolding life in the future…
“I really, really love you the most in the world! Professor!”
Her first love.
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