Ch.129Chapter 129. A Future That Must Never Come to Pass

After finishing the morning training.

Tashian, heading to the kitchen for a meal, began cutting ingredients on the chopping board after seating me at the table.

She moved with remarkable naturalness and skilled hands after entering the kitchen.

“Um, are you feeling alright?”

“My son says that every time he sees his mother. Household chores aren’t a problem, so don’t worry about it.”

“No, that’s not what I meant… I’m worried if there’s anything wrong with your body since then.”

Though she didn’t seem to think much of it herself, I couldn’t help but worry.

Currently, she had completely lost her power as a dragon.

Even before the end of that day’s battle, she was someone who constantly risked her body collapsing from her innate power.

Now that she had deteriorated much further, her body might be breaking down in real time despite any promises.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Actually, since there’s no power left at all, my body feels lighter.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, so don’t worry. I’ll be able to stay with you as long as you’re alive.”

As long as I’m alive, she would watch over my life and care for me as a mother.

That was the feeling she hadn’t been able to fully give to her adopted daughter in the past.

“While you’re alive, I’ll do for you what I couldn’t do for that child. Everything I can do as family…”

“…”

“Well, there’s not much I can do with this body.”

“No, no, I’m grateful for what you’re doing now.”

It wasn’t pretense but sincere truth.

Although her daughter would never return, I could feel that her desire for atonement was genuine.

“But you’ll continue doing dangerous things in the future, won’t you?”

And from her sincere perspective, what I wanted to do seemed questionable.

“…Do you want to stop me?”

“I want to, but I can’t help it. After all, you’re building your strength to protect yourself and those around you.”

Yes, in today’s world, there are dangers even greater than she was in her prime.

In such a world, it’s natural to take risks to protect oneself.

So rather than trying to stop me, she would choose to help me gain the strength to protect myself.

“Coincidentally, I find it difficult to advise on training or handling spirits since I struggle to match human standards, but I can certainly teach you about equipment information or maintenance.”

“Equipment, you say?”

“Having lived for so long, I have considerable expertise in handling materials.”

Come to think of it, dragon-related legends often include settings where they’re obsessed with jewels or collect special equipment.

Most are probably fiction, but as a long-lived species at the pinnacle of all beings, she might be unmatched in handling materials.

Her choice of craftsman as a disguise identity and her decision to create an ego weapon as a means for her promise likely had significant connections to this aspect.

“So if you need to handle equipment later, don’t entrust it to someone else, make sure to consult with me first. Understood?”

“Haha, yes. If I need to entrust equipment, I’ll definitely leave it to Tashian.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really…”

“Hmm~ I don’t believe you.”

Tashian turned away from the pot for a moment and stared at me intently.

Her half-closed eyes revealed suspicion directed at me.

“I respect my son’s opinion, but if you entrust it to someone else, mom will be hurt.”

“…Have I been that untrustworthy?”

“Well, I might believe you if you say just one thing~”

That meaningful smile faintly drawn on her lips.

It was something I had seen several times during our weeks living together.

“…What should I say?”

“Do you love mom?”

Ah, of course it would be this.

Still, thinking it was better than calling her mom, I suppressed my embarrassment and said to her:

“I love you.”

Though it’s still difficult to fully identify as family.

But to reciprocate someone who cares for me.

“Yes, I love my son too~”

Tashian answered with a bright smile to my words.

The fact that this didn’t feel awkward despite being so different from our first meeting was because I vaguely understood through Tachia’s memories that she had this side to her.

Before she left, she had the same kindness as now, which is why Tachia couldn’t help but cling to her existence…

“Ahem!!”

Just as that thought crossed my mind, a cough sounded from behind.

Stiffening up and turning around, I began to see fierce eyes looking down at us.

“Ah, Irie?”

Irie Haven.

A person closer to me than Tashian, with whom I’ve formed family bonds.

“Hyoseong.”

And we knew what feelings we held for each other.

Naturally, I was also aware of how she might view the current situation.

“You seem to have gotten quite close to Tashian over the past few weeks.”

“Well, about that…”

Although she understands the circumstances between Tashian and me, without blood ties, we would clearly appear unrelated in others’ eyes.

Even Merilyn constantly gets into fights, and if Tashian gets involved too, wouldn’t the sense of betrayal only grow?

“Hehe, of course we’re close. We’re mother and son after all.”

Despite sensing Irie’s sharp gaze, Tashian approached her without hesitation.

Such friction wasn’t new, but unlike Irie, Tashian didn’t seem to view the current relationship emotionally.

It was a natural result. To her now, Irie was also seen as someone to “embrace,” just like me.

“Come on, I’ll prepare the meal soon, so our daughter should sit down and eat too.”

As another child-like existence along with me.

“…Tashian.”

“What is it, my daughter?”

“I understand Hyoseong, but since when did I become your daughter?”

“Well, if you’re with this child, we’re all family, aren’t we?”

Family. The concept that still keeps her in this world when she should have left long ago.

By accepting me, Tashian’s capacity for embrace wasn’t limited to just me.

At least for the people around me, like Irie or Merilyn, she wanted to treat them as her children and keep them in her care.

“Excuse me, is this Hyoseong Woo’s residence?”

Just as I was pondering how to mediate the conflict created by these different positions, a voice came from the entrance.

Responding immediately, I hurried toward it.

Standing at the entrance was a courier operating within the empire.

My face instantly hardened as I received the letter in his hand and checked its contents.

“…Tashian, Irie. I need to go out for a while.”

“You’re leaving, without eating?”

“Yes, I’ve been informed that a friend’s funeral is being held today, so I’ll probably eat there.”

It was a death notice for a “worker colleague” I had been somewhat close with in the past.

Though it’s been over a year since I last saw them, it would be proper to attend the funeral since we got along reasonably well.

****

After he left for that reason.

Tashian and Irie, left alone in the kitchen, continued their meal facing each other.

And as usual, their relationship was extremely one-sided.

One side felt tension, while the other simply watched with a smile.

“How’s the taste? Is the seasoning right?”

“…Yes, it’s fine.”

“Hehe, that’s good. It was worth studying from cookbooks.”

She had cooked a lot while raising a child half a century ago, and afterward retained an interest in learning various dishes.

That effort now included putting in sincerity and love after meeting him, and that feeling extended to Irie who was continuing the meal with her.

Even though that feeling couldn’t be said to target her romantically, it felt like it might be even greater than her own.

“By the way, our daughter, you seem to have been troubled lately…”

“…Yes, I’m always thinking about how to make you stop calling me daughter.”

“Oh my. Saying such things makes mom sad too, you know?”

But no matter what, hasn’t she changed too much from before?

Though she couldn’t adapt to how drastically different she was from before, Tashian still emanated the dignity and grace befitting a superior being.

As well as the wisdom naturally cultivated over her long life.

“If you have concerns, you can consult with mom about anything. For instance, about your prophecies…”

Flinch. Irie’s body stiffened at her words.

Watching this, Tashian rested her chin on her hand with a pleased smile.

“Well, if you could make prophecies normally, you would have anticipated that child going out.”

Indeed, since she had joined, the prophet before her had never shown any signs of making prophecies or offering advice about them.

Despite the ability to see the future being a great power for a prophet, she only occasionally watched him train quietly or read books in his room.

“Well, your confidence must be shaken. Even if it’s not perfect, if it fails at crucial moments, you might feel your ability is useless.”

But how could that be considered her fault or incompetence?

Even she couldn’t have predicted the Red Knight’s appearance.

Although it could have led to humanity’s extinction, dwelling solely on that after it’s over would be too wasteful.

“Still, don’t be too disheartened. Prophecies don’t go wrong often… The power you have now might even be considered more remarkable than what I had in my prime.”

“…Do you really think so?”

“Of course~ Didn’t you accurately predict what would happen after I changed my mind?”

While the future changes at the moment a whim occurs, that changed future continues unless another variable arises.

Rather, the ability to immediately observe the changed future when variables occur could be interpreted as having a higher response capability to variables than anyone else in this world.

“So have confidence. If you don’t give up… even in this chaotic world, you can surely open a path for everyone’s happiness.”

Tashian firmly held Irie’s hand with conviction born from her years of experience.

The warmth from her conveyed that she now possessed a thoughtful heart that cared for others.

To the extent that if one approached with confidence as she suggested, it seemed certain that a future where everyone could be happy was within reach.

‘That’s exactly the problem!!!’

The reason she couldn’t shake off her inner urgency was because the “happiness” Tashian mentioned gave Irie a chilling feeling.

Being with loved ones or receiving rewards for effort can be considered happiness, but being intoxicated and losing consciousness could also be seen as happiness in a way.

And the future that might await could be considered more terrible and gloomy than having one’s entire body pickled in drugs.

‘Come here, my little ones. It’s time for din-din~♡’

The starting point of a future that must never come to pass, which she had seen in her first prophecy after connecting with him, was showing signs of beginning at this moment.

‘I never expected this. I never thought Tashian would change this much after completing her mission…!’

The complete change in atmosphere was partly due to her desire to pour out her unfulfilled yearnings to him with all her might, but it was also because she had developed what could be called “leisure.”

Even an elderly person who has lived just over a hundred years is treated as a sage, so how much broader would be the generosity of a dragon who has lived ten thousand years?

Of course, her own choice contributed somewhat to keeping Tashian by his side, but it was absolutely necessary to guard against that decision leading to the same path as the future she had seen then.

“What’s wrong, my daughter? Is the food not enough?”

“It’s, it’s plenty!”

That’s why during the few weeks since she joined, Irie couldn’t help but show vigilance toward her at every moment.

Getting along to some extent but not crossing the line, and making efforts to ensure that the “family bond” she spoke of wouldn’t extend to herself, at least.

‘Absolutely, no matter what, I must prevent such a future from happening.’

As Irie quietly ate the meal Tashian had prepared while steeling her resolve.

On the opposite side, Tashian watched Irie and tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

‘Hmm… is this what they call puberty?’

It was the best conclusion she could reach without knowing the future.

***

And, on the way to the funeral home indicated in the letter after leaving home.

During that journey, I encountered a familiar face.

“My goodness~ Hyoseong! Where are you heading out to?”

Merilyn Sutherland.

Like Irie, she lives together with us, but she often leaves the house to collect stories as a minstrel.

Since she frequently spends nights away, meeting her on the street in the early morning wasn’t particularly unusual.

“Ah, yes. I’m going to attend a friend’s funeral.”

“Oh, is that so? May I join you?”

“You too, Merilyn?”

“Hehe, I think I might collect some good stories if I go with Hyoseong.”

Merilyn smoothly took her place beside me as she said this.

Her desire to be with me was no longer unusual, but for some reason…

Why did I feel a sense of discomfort upon meeting her at this moment?

“Did you change your makeup?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s just that your atmosphere seems a bit different from usual.”

“……..”

Her expression stiffened slightly.

Even at a glance, I could feel her breath harden, as if I had hit a nerve.

What’s this? Did I step on a landmine?

“Shouldn’t we hurry to the funeral?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. This way then…”

Despite this discomfort, I continued walking at Merilyn’s urging.

Though it bothered me, I didn’t want to do anything that might displease Merilyn.