Chapter 548
“no.”
It was whimsical anyway. There can be no meaning.
“Then do you regret it? Do you consider that wrong?”
It couldn\'t have been.
“Master is tired, worn out, meaningless, he always says that, but it\'s not like that. Master is still a wonderful human being.”
“???? I am.”
“You think you’re too special. It’s not fun because you’re bound by it.”
What the hell did she see in me and be so sure?
“you… … What do you know?”
“Certainly I don’t know. I don\'t know because I can\'t live as long as Master.
and… … Maybe I\'m not right.”
“Are you insisting on knowing that?”
“yes. Still, I can say this for sure. Master gave up. You are tired of trying to find an excessive sense of duty. That\'s why he\'s crooked.”
claims so boldly.
“Master, you can always live as a human. You can stay like this for now.
That\'s enough. Nothing changes even if you don’t look for duty.”
I am very confident.
“That is impossible.”
I was in denial until the end.
have already concluded
Elmena looked at me and decided something.
“… … Well, it\'s not easy to understand. So why don\'t you wait a little longer?”
“Wait what?”
“Can I show you?”
What do you mean?
“I will always live as I please. I don\'t think complicated things, I just look at my eyes. and laughing It is not tied to meaning or duty, and it is just doing what you want and living your life.”
She declared without hesitation.
“No matter how much you learn, no matter how disillusioned you may be, no matter how tired you are in the world, if you try, you can live with a smile.”
I don\'t know why she\'s giving me such an outrageous offer.
“Even if there is no meaning, there is meaning in the end.”
He insisted on that absurdly contradictory conclusion.
Why the hell is she so stubborn?
what do you want from me
“Why are you… … so far Are you claiming it?”
“If you prove it, even Master will give up resignation. therefore. Master valued himself. Please don\'t give up on being human.”
she will say
me too… … Reincarnated people like us are also human after all.
… … But at the time, I honestly couldn\'t agree.
And I didn\'t understand why he wanted to emphasize that word to me so much.
It was more of a declaration than a promise.
In the first place, I never accepted Elmena\'s offer.
It\'s just that she declares and wants to do as she pleases.
After that, I made sure there was no more danger and backed off.
But after that I visited the kingdom from time to time.
I\'m just stopping by for leisure while wandering around here and there.
Or, the kingdom is caught in the way, so you have no choice but to pass it.
I visited from time to time muttering excuses even though no one was listening.
And every time Elmena found me, no matter how she noticed it.
Then, they call me out on their own, talk about what happened in the past and how they are doing, and laugh on their own.
it was repeated
It is repeated without change.
A story about Elmena having an accident, making a contribution, or something bad.
Soon you will get married and have children... … such a story.
It\'s just the life of an ordinary human being.
Despite such trivial things, Elmena always laughs and chats well with her teacher.
Even though he gets older and his appearance changes, he smiles the same as he did back then, stealing eggs from the Earth Dragon and running away.
Indeed, she repeated it consistently until the end of her life.
A whopping 108 years old.
In terms of the average lifespan of humans here, it was long enough to be said to have lived a long life.
As if you really want to prove it.
As if that determination to change me was real, but that also has a limit.
Eventually, the day came to announce the end of my priestly relationship with Elmena.
* * *
It\'s natural.
Where there is a beginning, there is an end.
In particular, a person\'s life is thorough in that providence.
Even a reincarnated person like me wouldn\'t dare go against it.
It is a fate that has no choice but to struggle in that cruel whirlpool.
And this time is no exception.
“???? again?”
I was just staring at a certain mansion.
The butler who worked in the mansion, who already thought I was coming, quietly bowed his head to me and turned his back.
I guess it means follow me.
I followed the butler without a word.
This is the mansion where Elmena lives.
A slightly calmer atmosphere than usual.
Everyone who works here is now completely silent.
It is mourning as if mourning something.
I walked slowly down the hallway.
Every time I walk, my steps seem to get heavier.
Know.
That\'s why I\'m hesitant to move on.
And that time has come.
Unknowingly, I clenched my fist.
I managed to relax and eventually arrived at someone\'s bedroom.
An old man lying on the bed... … .
Facing her, I lightly??…
I spoke as nonchalantly as possible.
“… … I\'m so simple. To see you being so calm, Elmena.”
Only then did Elmena open her eyes slowly when I spoke to her, and smiled insignificantly.
“Sometimes I\'m... well-mannered,
too?”
“Yes, that is… … It\'s amazing.”
It barely calms the raging brain.
It\'s amazing.
I thought I was tired of getting used to it.
Only this remains.
sense of loss.
Parting with people I knew in each lifetime, people I was friendly with, people I opened my heart to.
Others feel disgusting and numb, but why only at this time... … .
Why is it still bitter?
“?… Master.”
“done. You don\'t have to say anything.
I know.”
I shook my head slowly.
“… … True until the end... … He is a troublesome disciple.”
“Don’t talk like that.”
That\'s why I\'m going to stop pretending this time.
“Where do you think there is a guy as good as you in this place?”
She has achieved a lot in her lifetime.
You\'ve really accomplished a lot based on what you once learned from me.
Her family is already waiting outside, and outside the mansion, the disciples she taught and those who received grace are lined up.
It wasn\'t that Elmena accomplished the feat with a sense of duty.
I can tell because I know her. Elmena had no idea.
I lived my life as I pleased and as soon as I saw what was in front of me.
That alone completes the current result.
Also, everyone looks at me and bows their heads to show respect.
It\'s because everyone already knows that I\'m the one who taught Elmena. It\'s thanks to everyone bragging about it.
Even when they see me with great power and knowledge, they are not afraid.
Really, just by always smiling and acting, she changed her perception of me.
‘It has no meaning, but it has meaning in the end.\'
did you say
He\'s really a decent guy.
“It will be really hard to meet a disciple like you again… …
“… … You\'re hurting Please say that at the end... …
“Yes, I am sorry for being a really mean and ugly teacher. I wasn’t the one who praised or did anything properly.”
“But in the end… … Can you be honest... … are you okay. And because I know.”
He is a disciple who is natural and virtuous until the end.
I couldn\'t say anything more and kept my distance.
“Other guys are waiting too. Everyone seems to want to say hello to you, so please step back.”
“… … I\'m fine.”
“I am not okay. At least the goodbyes should be fair. Are you trying to insult me?”
“yes… … I guess so.”
Elmena said nothing else.
Are you even considerate of the fact that if you keep holding on to it, only you will suffer?
“still… … Thank you very much, Master.”
“okay… … I am. Thank you.”
Only this time, I was honest.
On that day, when I was tired of everything and was wandering around aimlessly trying to live my life, I met this wild guy and took him as my disciple.
I think I had a pretty good time.
But that too is over.
Again, I have no choice but to be alone this time.
I don\'t remember much after that.
Until Elmena\'s funeral was over, I seemed to have been properly tucked away in the back of the mansion.
Who was coming and what was heard and what was happening was not in my head at all.
‘… … What can you do to live happily?
It\'s up to you to accept it!\'
In the end, the end is like this.
always left behind
And I\'ll go somewhere I don\'t know
In the end, I still don\'t know what Elmena was trying to tell me.
It\'s just boring.
‘It\'d be better if I didn\'t become a reincarnated person or something.\'
I feel sorry for myself who was thankful for this fate when I didn\'t know how to do it.
At one time, ‘Only I am special.\' I feel stupid for thinking this way.
‘… … Shall we make a place where we can stay forever?\'
It will be possible.
It might be better to go nowhere and stay stuck forever in a place where there is no one and nothing.
rather let it be
That was when my thinking was getting slower and slower.
“?… I ?????? hey.”
who called me
The one who suddenly called me was a blonde girl.
A girl with an impression that reminds me of Elmena when we first met.
maybe granddaughter
I don\'t know the name.
Because I didn\'t pay much attention to his offspring.
However, due to Elmena\'s personality, she seems to have talked about me to her family.
“… … What? Oh, are you disturbing me here? I\'m sorry. I\'ll be leaving soon... …
“Oh no. It\'s not... …
Apparently, unlike her, Elmena\'s granddaughter is quite timid.
Or am I scared
After hesitating for a moment, she gave me something.
“what? note?”
It is a fairly thick notebook with a leather cover.
A notebook that would be carried by scholars or explorers.
It\'s been worn for quite some time.
“My grandmother told me to give it to you at this time.”
“El Mena?”
I couldn\'t understand what I was hearing.
What\'s the point of telling me to come and hand this to me now?
But her granddaughter can\'t help but keep holding out the notebook to me.
Even the granddaughter doesn\'t seem to know why.