Three days had passed since then.
And we had entered the
Our destination was now just ahead.
It wouldn't be an overstatement to say we had practically arrived.
And yet, the mood of our group was anything but bright.
The events of a few days ago were still weighing on us.
The contrast between the cheerful faces of people we passed on the highway and our own was stark.
We had suffered a complete defeat.
We'd been utterly annihilated, and I had even lost my life.
For whatever whim it was, he had gone out of his way to revive me.
Without that, I wouldn't be in this world.
To be honest, I didn't feel it that strongly.
It was strange even to myself, but I wasn't particularly terrified of that moment.
When the killing blow had come, I had certainly thought I didn't want to die.
I would have expected it to become a trauma.
And yet, when I woke up, I somehow felt refreshed and clear...
Well, not exactly, but there had been a sensation of "Ah, it was just a dream."
The same feeling you get after having a nightmare.
Perhaps because the sensation of dying and the dream were connected, it all felt like it had been a dream.
Thinking about it that way, maybe the Human God had anticipated that and intruded upon my consciousness on purpose.
Honestly, my instinctive revulsion toward him was overwhelming, but he had also looked out for
--- Ever since my near-death experience,
Before, when we were sitting in the carriage, she would stand diagonally in front of me, saying things like, "It's balance training. Why don't you try it too,
But recently, she had taken to sitting down.
Right beside me.
Close enough that our thighs pressed together.
At that distance, there were things you couldn't help but notice.
For example, on one particular day, a sliver of bare skin was peeking out from beneath Eris's shirt and pants.
When you see something like that, the human heart naturally wants to reach out and touch it.
So I casually ran my right hand over it, and she turned bright red and glared at me.
Even I was a little taken aback by that.
Because she didn't hit me.
Eris didn't hit me.
If it had been before, she would have hit me for something like that.
Now she just flushed scarlet and glared.
She just stared at me intently.
And what's more, she stayed pressed right against me.
Before, whenever I did something like that, she would pull back to a more reserved distance.
But now, the distance stayed close.
To be perfectly honest, I was getting to the point where I wanted to reach into her pants, so I wished she'd move away.
I knew there were things you could laugh off and things you couldn't.
And I knew it was the latter I wanted to do.
I was holding back.
Whether she knew about my inner turmoil or not, Eris stayed close.
"............"
If my hands were free, I'd find them drifting toward her.
So.
Currently, I was trying to create magic with my left hand, while simultaneously disrupting the mana with my right.
It was the technique
I believed it was called "Rampant."
Right before the mana from your hand took form, you would interfere with it using a different stream of mana, scattering it.
Simple, with low mana consumption, but an incredible technique.
Thinking about it, the
It was easy to say, but actually doing it was quite difficult.
Perhaps because I was trying to cast with my left hand, the magic would often form an incomplete shape.
Fully nullifying it like Orsted had was quite the challenge.
Still, even this much would serve as a deterrent.
No—I had received some excellent advice.
"Hey, Rudeus, what have you been doing this whole time?"
"I'm trying to imitate a technique Orsted used."
When I said that, Eris began staring intently at my hands.
A small, deformed stone bullet took shape in my left hand, then dropped to the ground with a clunk.
Another failure.
It felt like playing rock-paper-scissors with both hands.
My left hand always won, no matter what.
I couldn't just do it randomly.
I probably had to move the mana according to some kind of principle.
Hmm?
If I couldn't do it randomly, that meant there was a principle behind the disruption.
Then if I cast magic while accounting for that principle, could I in turn nullify Rampant?
My imagination ran wild.
"What kind of technique is it?"
"It's magic that nullifies other magic."
"Is that really possible?"
"I'm practicing it right now."
"Why would you do something like that?"
"Recently, I've been in too many situations where my magic was sealed and I was left helpless, so I've been researching it.
Well, if I end up fighting Orsted again, I'd like to be able to at least escape."
Eris was struck speechless by that statement.
For a while, the only sound was the clatter of stone bullets dropping to the ground.
"Hey, Rudeus... why are you so strong?"
Eris had been silent for a while, but she suddenly asked that.
Was I strong?
No, I didn't think so.
Without meaning to boast, I hadn't felt strong at all these past few years.
Every day was filled with nothing but a sense of helplessness.
"I think Eris is stronger than me."
"That's not true at all."
"............"
"............"
The conversation died there.
Eris seemed to want to ask something, but hesitated with her lips pressed tight.
What was it?
I didn't know.
No, that wasn't quite right.
"Are you bothered by how easily you were beaten the other day?"
"............Yeah."
It was understandable.
According to the Human God, that man was the Dragon God—the strongest in the world.
Even Ruijerd had been handled effortlessly.
The opponent was simply too strong.
In this world, there existed realms that effort alone could not reach.
In my previous life, I had tried many things and even reached fairly high positions in some of them, but I had never once reached the very top.
Even in games I had mastered, thinking "I can't lose at this," there was always someone above.
Orsted, it seemed, was under various restrictions.
Even so, he had surpassed Ruijerd in hand-to-hand combat, handled Eris with one hand, and completely neutralized me.
Furthermore, he had defeated me by matching damage exactly to my maximum HP.
That meant he was still holding back considerably.
I had no idea how strong he would be if he went all out.
Apparently, due to a curse, he couldn't go all out...
But even if he could, I couldn't beat him.
No matter how hard I tried, I probably never could.
"The opponent was simply too strong. There was nothing we could have done."
"............But still."
I understood how Eris felt.
After all, she had been taken out in one hit.
Her sword had been caught, and she'd been sent flying.
"Eris is still young. With effort, you can become stronger."
"Can I really...?"
"Of course. Gilleen and Ruijerd both said so."
Eris suddenly looked up.
She was staring straight at me.
"You nearly died, Rudeus.
How can you... talk about it so easily?"
Well, that was because the sensation hadn't really stuck with me.
I had no intention of fighting.
The next time I saw that man's face, I would run away like a rocket.
Or I'd hide like a mouse behind something.
If I couldn't escape, I might even beg for my life.
I really didn't want Eris to see any of that.
But admitting such a pathetic truth out loud was embarrassing.
"Because next time, I don't want to die."
"............That's right. No one wants to die."
"Rest assured. If Eris ever gets into danger, I'll be strong enough at least to scoop you up and carry you to safety."
Eris made a complicated expression, then rested her head on my shoulder.
I thought about patting her head to calm her down, but my right hand was currently occupied with Rampant.
"Well, in any case, I need to get a little stronger."
A little stronger.
Yes, just a little more.
Of course, I could never become the strongest in this world.
The ceiling here was too high.
In my previous life, I had never become number one in the world either.
I didn't have even a fraction of that talent, and my methods of effort were poor.
I didn't know how much talent I had in this world, but I didn't think I could devote myself to something with unwavering belief in myself.
But I wanted to at least be strong enough to escape if some strange person suddenly attacked me.
I buried my face in Eris's hair, breathing in her scent, as I thought about all of this.
--- That night, once Eris was asleep, I talked with Ruijerd.
Since that day, the man had spoken even less than usual.
He had never been very talkative to begin with, but now he had become completely silent.
He was probably dwelling on what had happened.
He was a man with a strong sense of responsibility.
Perhaps he felt he had broken his promise to see us through safely.
What a foolish thought.
Thanks to sheer luck, I was alive and well.
"That man Orsted—the Dragon God, apparently.
Second among the 'Seven Great Powers.'"
I opened with that, like a probing jab.
The opponent was strong—that was all there was to it.
I tried to convey that nuance.
"I see... so that explains it..."
"He is strong, isn't he? After that, I was completely helpless too."
"The first time I've felt I couldn't win at first glance since Laplace."
According to the Human God, Orsted was even stronger than Laplace.
He had restrictions preventing him from fighting at full power, but...
Ruijerd wouldn't know about that.
He had been held back and handled through physical skill alone.
That fact must have been a shock to Ruijerd.
Or so I thought, but— "I never expected to be able to stand against the upper ranks of the 'Seven Great Powers' either.
They're true monsters beyond human comprehension.
Running into one of those on an open road is nothing but bad luck.
And surviving is nothing but good luck.
Rudeus, if you ever run into someone like that again, never pick a fight. Don't even make eye contact. If you don't want to end up like this time."
"Y-yes. Well, next time I'll probably just avert my eyes and walk past."
I was scolded.
Well, if I hadn't spoken up, we would have just passed each other by.
I should reflect on that.
But at first, he hadn't looked like such a dangerous person...
No—Ruijerd and Eris had both reacted so strongly; I should have been more cautious from the start.
"Then... what's been troubling you?"
When I asked, Ruijerd fixed me with a sharp gaze.
"What is the
Ah. That.
"At first, he intended to let us go.
Despite the killing intent he radiated, we weren't worth his attention.
But the moment the name 'Hitogami' left my mouth, all of his killing intent turned directly on you."
I closed my eyes.
Should I tell him, or shouldn't I?
I thought I had already decided on an answer...
The Human God, despite appearances, apparently wasn't a bad person.
And despite what he'd put me through, I had still been keeping secrets.
The fact that I disliked that was part of it too.
So I decided to tell him.
"Actually, the Human God is—"
Despite all my hesitation, once I made the decision, the words came easily.
And they flowed smoothly from my mouth.
How, starting from the Teleportation incident, a mysterious figure calling himself the Human God occasionally appeared in my dreams.
How that figure had advised me to help Ruijerd.
How he had given me numerous other pieces of advice.
How my own suspicious behavior had been in accordance with those instructions.
And how, it seemed, the Human God and the Dragon God were enemies.
The conversations with the Human God were hazy, and I had probably forgotten many details.
But I believed I had conveyed the broad strokes of everything.
"The Human God and the Dragon God... the Seven Gods of the ancient age...
It's hard to believe all at once."
"I imagine so."
"But there are parts that make sense."
When he said that, Ruijerd fell silent.
Only the crackling of the campfire dominated the scene.
The shadows cast by the fire flickered and swayed, drawing the face of an old warrior.
Ruijerd appeared young for his race, but his expression carried something that spoke of countless battles.
I suddenly remembered that in my last dream, I had touched on the subject of Ruijerd's curse.
"Oh, by the way, Ruijerd.
About the Supard Race's stigma—it seems to be a curse."
"...What?"
"More precisely, it seems Laplace transferred a curse that was afflicting him onto his spear, and extended that curse to affect the entire race..."
"I see... a curse..."
I had mentioned it thinking it would be good news, but Ruijerd's face darkened and he fell deeper into thought.
"Transferring a curse—I've never heard of such a thing, but if it's Laplace, perhaps.
He was a man who could do anything."
I wasn't very knowledgeable about it, but Ruijerd would know more about curses than I.
He seemed to think about it for a while, but eventually gave a weary smile.
"If it's a curse, then there's no way to break it."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. If there were a way to break it, it wouldn't be a curse."
So there was no way to break a curse.
"I've never heard of a curse affecting an entire race...
But if a god says so, it must be true."
I gave a self-deprecating laugh, realizing I had done something pointless.
Whether it was the light or not, tears seemed to be gathering in the corners of my eyes.
"But—"
"What?"
"The Human God said that a curse placed through a spear is different from a normal one, and is fading with the passage of time."
"What?"
"He also said that the curse still remaining on Ruijerd himself is rapidly fading because you cut your hair."
"Is that true?!"
Ruijerd suddenly raised his voice.
Eris murmured "Mmm..." and shifted in her sleep.
I probably should have told her about this too...
Well, it could wait until she woke up.
"Yes. What remains now are just the remnants of the curse and the preconception created by the original one. He said that depending on Ruijerd's efforts from now on, the Supard Race's reputation would gradually recover."
"I see... so that's how it is..."
"But it is what the Human God says. While he can be trusted to some degree, you shouldn't take everything at face value. It's better to continue being cautious as before."
"I know. But just hearing that is enough for me."
Ruijerd fell silent again.
This time it wasn't just the light making it seem that way.
Ruijerd was shedding tears.
"Well then, I should be getting to sleep soon."
"Right."
I pretended not to see those tears.
Our dependable warrior Ruijerd was a strong man who would never cry.
--- And then, one month passed.
We headed straight for the north.
Without passing through the royal capital, we took narrow roads northward, ever northward.
Passing through small farming villages, catching glimpses of wheat fields and water mills as we went, always north.
We didn't gather any information.
We headed north at the highest speed we could manage.
I believed that once we reached the refugee camp, we would learn everything we needed to know.
More than anything, though, there was the thought: we're almost there—I wanted to arrive quickly.
We reached the Fittoa Region.
And learned that there was nothing there.
No—I already knew that.
But even the places where something once stood, there was nothing now.
No wheat fields, no Battirus flower gardens, no water mills, no livestock pens.
Only an expansive grassland.
A vast, endless grassland.
With a deep sense of desolation at that sight, we arrived at the only town that remained in the Fittoa Region.
The refugee camp.
Our final destination.
Just one step from its entrance, Ruijerd brought the carriage to a halt.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
Ruijerd climbed down from the driver's seat.
I looked around, thinking there might be a monster, but there were no enemies.
Ruijerd walked around to the back of the carriage and spoke.
"This is where we part ways."
"What?!"
The sudden declaration left me stunned.
Eris's eyes went wide.
"W-wait a moment!"
We practically tumbled out of the carriage and stood facing Ruijerd.
Wasn't this too soon?
We had just arrived at the refugee camp.
No—we hadn't even taken the final step inside.
"At least rest for a day, or—no, let's at least go into town together."
"That's right, because—"
"It's not necessary."
With those curt words, Ruijerd looked at us.
"There are only warriors here. You won't need a protector."
"............"
At those words, Eris fell silent.
Honestly, maybe I had forgotten too.
That Ruijerd had only followed us this far to see us safely to our hometown.
And that once that purpose was fulfilled, we would part ways.
I had assumed we would stay together forever.
"Ruijerd..."
I opened my mouth, wavering.
If I asked him to stay, would he...
No—thinking back, I had caused this man enormous trouble.
Certainly he had put me through trouble too, but it was I who had shown my pathetic side more often.
And yet, he still acknowledged me as a warrior.
I shouldn't ask any more of him.
"Without you, Ruijerd, we never could have made it here in three years."
"No. You could have managed."
"I don't think so. I have gaps in my abilities—I would have stumbled somewhere."
"As long as you can say that, you'll be fine."
There had certainly been situations where I was powerless.
For instance, when we were captured in Siluone, if Ruijerd hadn't been there, I would have panicked far more and fallen apart.
"...Rudeus, I've said it before."
Ruijerd looked down at me with a calmer expression than ever.
"You, as a magician, have already reached a state of completion.
Despite possessing that much talent, you haven't become arrogant.
Be conscious of what it means to accomplish so much at your young age."
I received those words with complex feelings.
Young, he said—my mental age was already over forty.
The reason I hadn't become arrogant was because I remembered what it was like back then.
But even forty, when compared to Ruijerd's age, still fell into the category of "young."
"I..."
Here I could have listed all my shortcomings.
But that felt too pathetic.
In front of this man, I wanted to maintain a bit of pride.
"No, I understand. Ruijerd, thank you for everything."
As I tried to bow, he caught me and stopped me.
"Rudeus. Don't bow to me."
"...Why?"
"You may think I helped you, but I feel you helped me.
Thanks to you, I feel there's now a glimmer of hope for restoring my clan's honor."
"I didn't do anything. Practically nothing at all."
On the Demon Continent, I had tried to rehabilitate the name of Dead End, but in the end, it never went beyond the framework of being adventurers.
On the Millis Continent, the name's value had become useless, and while I was thinking of other methods, it kept getting pushed aside.
In the end, since coming to the Central Continent, I had accomplished nothing.
I believed what I had done up to now had some small impact.
But only a small one.
I couldn't erase the long history of persecution left in the world, nor could I do anything about the prejudice against the Supard Race.
"No. You did many things.
Just like me, you didn't only help children in the most straightforward way—you showed me that there are many different approaches."
"But none of them had much effect."
"But things did change.
I remember everything.
In the Town of Licarice, through your scheme, the words of the old woman who said she wasn't afraid of the Supard Race.
The face of the adventurer who, upon hearing 'Dead End,' laughed cheerfully without fear.
The Doldia warriors who, even upon hearing 'Supard Race,' accepted you and maintained the right distance.
The soldier from Siluone who tearfully thanked us for reuniting him with his family."
The first two were one thing, but the latter two were accomplishments of Ruijerd's own effort.
I had done nothing.
"...That was your own strength, Ruijerd."
"No. I couldn't have done anything alone.
For four hundred years since the war, I had been acting alone, unable to move forward even one step.
It was you who gave me that one step, Rudeus."
"...But that was only because of the Human God's advice."
"A god I've never seen couldn't matter less.
The one who actually helped me was you.
No matter what you think, I feel indebted to you.
So don't bow to me. We are equals. If you want to show gratitude, look me in the eye."
Ruijerd said that and extended his hand toward me.
Looking me in the eye.
I didn't look away, and I took his hand.
"I'll say it once more. Rudeus—thank you for everything."
"The same goes for me. Thank you."
When I gripped his hand tightly, I felt the strength in it.
My eyes began to burn.
This pathetic me— this me who had failed over and over— Ruijerd acknowledged me.
After a moment, his hand slipped away.
It moved to the side and came to rest on Eris's head.
"Eris."
"...What?"
"I'll treat you like a child one last time. Is that alright?"
"Fine. Whatever."
Eris answered brusquely.
Ruijerd smiled faintly as he stroked her head.
"Eris, you have talent.
Far more talent than someone like me to become strong."
"That's a lie, because... that man..."
Eris's lips were pressed into a tight line, and she wore a sullen expression.
Ruijerd let out a soft laugh, and said the words he always spoke during training: "Having fought someone who carries the name of a god, and received his technique— do you understand what that means?"
Eris glared at Ruijerd sharply.
Then, her eyes suddenly widened.
"............Yes, I do."
"Good. You're a good girl."
Ruijerd tapped Eris's head twice and removed his hand.
Eris's lips were pressed into a tight line, and her fists were clenched.
She looked like she was desperately holding back tears.
I looked away from her and asked Ruijerd: "What will you do from here, Ruijerd?"
"I'm not sure. For a while, I plan to search for Supard Race survivors on the Central Continent.
Alone, restoring our honor is nothing but a dream within a dream."
"I see. Do your best. If I have time, I'll see what I can do as well."
"...Ha. Then I suppose, if I have time, I'll look for your mother."
With those words, Ruijerd turned his back to us.
He didn't need to prepare for travel.
He could walk out with nothing and survive.
But he suddenly stopped.
"Oh, I should return this."
Ruijerd said that and removed the pendant hanging from his neck.
The pendant
The Migurd pendant.
The one and only item that connected Roxy and me...
"You should keep that, Ruijerd."
"Are you sure? It must be something precious."
"Exactly because it's precious."
At that, Ruijerd gave a small nod.
He would accept it.
"Well then, Rudeus. Eris... let's meet again."
With those words, Ruijerd departed from our side.
When he had said he was coming with us, we'd had so much to talk about, but when parting, it was over in an instant.
There were so many things I wanted to say.
From meeting on the Demon Continent, all the way to the Asura Kingdom.
So many things had happened.
More than I could put into words—so many things, so many feelings...
The feeling of not wanting to part, of being comrades.
"Let's meet again."
That feeling, summarized in a single phrase, as Ruijerd's back grew more distant.
Yes. We would meet again.
As long as both of us were alive, we certainly would...
Eris and I watched Ruijerd until he disappeared from sight.
Just quietly, filled with all the gratitude we felt.
--- And just like that, our journey came to its end.