Epilogue 4: 67 Years After Defeating the Demon King
54 years after defeating the Demon King, Jin Fritz passed away.
The death of the "Hero" sent shockwaves not only through the Kingdom but across the entire world. Newspapers delivered by the magical messenger bird, Messeltaope, had been reporting about Jin for a whole year. During this time, foolish youngsters, aspiring to become the next hero, started recklessly venturing into the forest, emboldened by the catchphrase "Like a hero!" Their careless actions only provoked the magical beasts in the forest.
Consequently, my workload increased a bit.
58 years after the Demon King's defeat, Vais Garlanda passed away.
Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Grilette, who halted the invasion of magical beasts, and Galius, who repelled the Demon King's army, Vais gained fame as a political figure primarily focused on talent development and fostering diplomatic relations within the Kingdom.
Around this time, communication through magical messenger bird Messeltaope, originating from the Kukule Fortress, ceased. However, by then, I had stopped visiting the fortress altogether.
I would extract provisions from the subspace my father provided, eat, gaze at the branches of Yggdrasil for a while, and then go to sleep. Despite having no specific reasons, a hole seemed to have opened in my heart several years ago, and it hadn't closed.
"Everyone seems to leave first, huh..."
Luckily, Yggdrasil's branches had grown significantly, enhancing the barrier's capabilities. Unless something extraordinary happened, it was unlikely that humans would find me. There were no significant threats, no signs of disturbance. I still had plenty of magical tomes brought back from the demon realm. It's not like there was nothing to do, but...
"Didn't I teach you humans are fierce, cunning, and treacherous creatures?"
Thud.
Without defying the Elf's barrier, a girl slipped through. Her pointed ears twitched slightly, and her intentionally childlike twin-tails of golden hair swayed in the warm breeze.
"Humans die so easily. Once satisfied, they don't give a second thought to those left behind. They leave children, entrust them with everything, and then each one seems to die contentedly. Truly selfish creatures."
"Lahab...? Why are you here...?"
My mentor, Lahab, who hadn't shown her face in a while, approached me without moving an eyebrow.
"The chief didn't show his face, didn't attend his own disciple's funeral, didn't even visit the new lord of the fortress. They knew they lost their support, Minori. Lord Silphyetta asked me to come and check on you."
"Silphy, Etta?"
"The new lord who succeeded Lord Galius. Honestly, didn't you even know that? A girl not yet thirty, and a concern for someone over 160. Come on."
With a face as if she had just bitten into a bitter bug, Lahab tossed a red fruit at me.
"That's the reward from the girl. Originally, it's mine. Eat it thoughtfully."
Saying so, Lahab sat on the window ledge of the cabin.
Chew, chew. Following Lahab, who nibbled on the small fruit with her tiny mouth, I took a bite from the fruit handed to me.
"...It's sour."
"Yeah. I've come to like this level of sourness. It was originally something my husband liked."
I felt like I heard a shocking statement just now.
"I, too, had someone I liked hundreds of years ago. No matter how much time passed, he treated me like a child, even as he grew feeble, he insisted on protecting me. He aged and died on his own terms. He was a self-centered man until the end."
"And what happened then...?"
"I cried for 150 years. Day after day. I wandered the world stubbornly. Perhaps there was a way to bring him back to life, not just with healing magic, maybe there was another way."
Lahab's legend lingers in various parts of the world. In her journey, surely, there are stories...
"But, you know, there's nothing we can do about it, probably. Originally, we're the ones considered heretics. In the end, no matter how far the Elves and humans go, they can't get along. They can't have children together, can't even die together. Yet, in their much shorter lives than ours, they find the most efficient way to live. That's what humans are as a species."
"I still don't really understand those creatures," Lahab sighed and chuckled softly.
"Why... Why do you care so much about me, Lahab?"
It was the same back then. When I descended from the ancient tree to the human world for the first time, Lahab stood before me to teach me the harshness of the world. There, I learned the essence of the outside world. Even this time. I couldn't find any benefit for Lahab to come here.
"I was saved by you, in my own way," Lahab muttered, looking into the distance.
"When you left the ancient tree, you were pure, filled with hope to enjoy the world. I don't know what drove you that far. Still, for me, who lived healing everyone under the pretext of delicious fruits while dragging my husband's shadow, you were dazzling enough."
Munching sound. Lahab threw the remaining fruit into her mouth.
"I still have a lot of world to enjoy, many fruits to try. Yet, I'm turning 700 soon. It's about time aging begins even for an Elf. You, Reese-kun, are a spirited junior who appeared after a long time. Moreover, stronger than anyone. With your strength, you should be able to enjoy the human world even more than me. Enjoy this interesting world to the fullest."
Lahab, usually carefree, looked at me with eyes that seemed even kinder than usual.
"Well, from here on, it's your freedom. If another young Elf appears who wants to go to the human world, I'd be happy if you could take care of them just right next time."
Lahab conveyed what she had to say to me and descended back to the human world. Somehow, she's truly a free and amazing mentor.
"To fully and thoroughly enjoy the human world..."
The leaves of Yggdrasil swayed in the night breeze, shining brighter than ever in the past several decades.
●●●
67 years after defeating the Demon Lord.
And 15 years after Minori's death.
Under the Yggdrasil tree, a small grave stood.
In front of the gravestone, Minori's beloved sword was propped up.
"...Well, I'm going now, Minori."
In this world, there are still many things that weren't obtainable even in a hundred years of the Elf's ancient tree. If you decide to live earnestly until the end...
"The grimoire mentioned Dragon Qi, which is different from miasma and magic. Vritra is probably together with friends by now... Maybe I'll go visit them after a long time."
That day, I finally bid farewell to the cabin filled with memories where I had been for 90 years. I took another bite of the fruit Rahab-san gave me.
"It's still a bit sour."
With 800 years of life remaining, for an Elf living in the eternal time, this timeframe is more than enough to travel the entire world.
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