Ch.212The Last Farewell (2)

*

The main source of income for the Goldfield domain was large-scale agricultural industry, including the vast wheat fields that lived up to its name.

Most of the residents lived in wooden houses scattered around the enormous wheat fields or in modest mansions with small plots of land. The massive market that stretched in a straight line along the edges of the large fields was always filled with fresh produce and fruits.

Thanks to the stable climate, the domain and its residents’ pockets were well-lined, but as is typical of agriculture-centered domains, most residents couldn’t hide their rustic nature no matter how hard they tried.

I liked the people of Goldfield domain.

They may have lacked sophistication, but they were full of genuine warmth.

The merchants and farmers who always welcomed our family warmly, both before and after we became nobility.

The memory of the lively atmosphere of the feast where all the domain’s people gathered in the harvested wheat fields to play and drink together after the harvest naturally flowed through my mind.

But unlike my memories, the scenery outside the carriage was utterly desolate.

The crops abandoned in the vast, unmanaged fields were half-rotten and the other half withered after growing too large, leaving the fields in complete disarray. The once vibrant market streets were now just dirt and scattered stalls rolling about forlornly.

Occasionally, there were bodies that seemed to have been there for a long time, either sprawled on the ground or conspicuously hanging from crudely erected wooden frames.

Had bandits swept through?

Or had the domain’s residents become bandits themselves?

As Sister Alice said, this is what had become of the human world.

Though I should have grown accustomed to this scenery after seeing it for days while traveling by carriage, I couldn’t hide my bitter expression upon seeing my beloved hometown so devastatingly transformed.

“…”

I had been whining a bit from the back pain that felt like it might snap at any moment after sitting on the driver’s seat of the bumpy carriage for days, but now I closed my mouth and said nothing.

Pia also seemed quite shocked and looked around without saying a word, and Silvia, noticing my bewildered expression, also remained silent out of consideration for me.

“Ha,”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

Silvia, this is my hometown. Welcome to our home.

I wanted to say something like that,

I wanted to show off the beautiful Goldfield domain,

But until the carriage reached the Baron’s mansion, none of us could say a word.

*

When we were almost at the mansion, I pulled the reins to turn the carriage to the side.

It was to go to the Baron family’s cemetery.

I needed to bury Sister Alice next to the Baron and his wife, and thanks to Sister Alice’s consideration, our parents’ graves were also there, making it an appropriate place to bury Laila as well.

Although, there would be nothing beneath our parents’ graves.

Eventually, the carriage stopped in front of the large iron gate blocking the entrance to the cemetery.

On either side of the iron gate were elaborate marble sculptures depicting goddesses, but someone had destroyed them—one was missing its head, and the other had lost its entire upper body.

I had already heard from Sister Alice that the people had demolished the Goddess Church in outrage over the Demon King’s survival, but I hadn’t expected it to affect even a rural domain like this.

I got down from the carriage, stroked the head of the horse that had worked hard for days, and slowly approached the iron gate.

Fortunately, the iron gate opened quite smoothly.

“… Silvia.”

“I understand.”

Before I could even say anything, Silvia nodded, opened the back seat of the carriage, and lifted two large coffins.

She placed one coffin on each shoulder as if it were nothing and silently followed me into the cemetery.

As the Baron’s family had never been very large with few siblings or relatives throughout the generations, there weren’t many gravestones.

Perhaps slightly more than in Millwood Village.

Thanks to that, I was able to find my parents’ graves relatively quickly.

I slowly approached the grave and knelt down.

Or rather, it was closer to collapsing as the strength left my legs.

“Mom… Dad…”

After receiving the family name Staff, I had been instructed to use more respectful terms like Mother and Father, but for some reason, the way I called them as a child naturally flowed from my lips.

I raised my trembling hand and slowly traced my parents’ names engraved in the tombstone with my thumb.

“… I’m out.”

Unlike the rough tombstone I had carved, the smooth marble texture that felt seamless passed gently over my thumb.

In contrast to the marble’s texture, the sunken letters existed as a chillingly sharp void that asserted its presence.

I pushed the plump flesh of my thumb into that sharp void.

As if engraving my parents’ names into my finger, I slowly traced their names.

“… You know… Laila… ugh,”

I lowered my head.

I had no excuses to make.

What right did I have to make excuses?

What could I possibly say?

I didn’t even have the right to open my mouth, but at the same time, whatever I said would be meaningless.

After all, the two of them weren’t buried beneath this anyway.

Tears that I thought I had no more to shed flowed out once again.

“… But,”

Suddenly, Sister Alice’s face came to mind.

Her last words to Sister Maria before embracing true death, having fulfilled all her duties, filled my mind.

“I really… did my… best… really…”

I perfectly understood how Sister Alice felt when she said these words to Sister Maria.

I couldn’t stop it, couldn’t protect them.

Because of that, I regretted countless times, struggled desperately, and finally achieved what could be called victory.

But the mistakes I made didn’t disappear, the things broken because of them didn’t return, and above all, my guilt didn’t improve even a little.

I know that no matter what I do, I can’t bring them back.

But, at least I want them to believe this.

That I really did my best.

Hoping that my parents would understand at least that much, I pressed my forehead to the ground and bowed deeply.

That’s when it happened.

Next to me as I lay on the ground, I heard the sound of something touching the ground.

I slowly turned my head to the side.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

Silvia was kneeling in front of my parents’ tombstone.

She bowed her head as if making a formal bow and spoke with a trembling voice.

“I am Silvia, who has been living with Ash, and will continue to live with him.”

Perhaps due to nervousness, her voice was not only trembling but also slightly hoarse.

After her introduction, Silvia took a moment to catch her breath, then slowly raised her head, looked straight at the tombstone, and continued.

“I’ve heard so much about how wonderful you both were from your son. Despite my humble status without even a surname, I’ve received so much love from your wonderful son who resembles you both, and I’ve come to greet you, albeit shamelessly, to build a happy home together with him.”

“… Silvia.”

“Though I have many shortcomings, I swear before you both that I sincerely love Ash. I will definitely make Ash happy.”

“…”

I closed my mouth at Silvia’s sudden declaration.

The words from her mouth were similar to those commonly spoken when seeking marriage approval among common people, not the noble class.

It was indeed quite a commoner-like statement, as Silvia herself had mentioned.

Nobles typically had arranged marriages, so there was no need to ask for permission from the other’s parents in this way.

My father, who was a commoner until my sister became an archmage, might have done something similar when asking my maternal grandfather for permission to marry my mother.

If my parents had met Silvia directly and heard these words, they would probably have found her endearing or been pleased.

I wonder if Silvia had thought that far.

Or was it just a commoner-like response?

Of course, since my parents had already passed away, Silvia’s words were more of a unilateral notification and declaration rather than asking for permission.

“… Ha, that’s impressive! Silvia.”

I let out a hollow laugh as I looked at Silvia.

With her lips tightly closed and her body rigid, she looked so impressive as she stared resolutely at the tombstone.

Her face slowly turned toward me.

When our eyes met, Silvia’s face, which had been so impressive and heroic just moments ago, instantly transformed into the face of a shy, cute girl.

“Hehe, I wanted to do this. Something like this.”

“… Why? Isn’t that usually something a man does?”

“No, it’s done by the one who loves more. As a way of thanking them for giving birth to such a wonderful partner.”

“…”

“Hey, don’t even think about arguing. I love Ash much more than Ash loves me. No matter how eloquent Ash is, this is one thing I won’t concede.”

Silvia said with a grin.

She slowly extended her hand toward me and wiped my tear-soaked cheeks.

“I mean it, Ash.”

“…”

“I’ll make you happy. So don’t cry.”

I nodded.

And then silently embraced Silvia.

*

I also knelt before the Baron’s grave and paid my respects.

I told him everything I knew about Sister Alice’s achievements, without omitting a single detail.

Finally, I said that I didn’t know how to repay Sister Alice’s kindness when I hadn’t even repaid the Baron’s kindness yet, and then I slowly rose to my feet.

Now my task was to bury Laila and Sister Alice.

Silvia wasn’t there.

Perhaps feeling uncomfortable being at the Baron’s grave due to her conflict with Sister Alice, she had gone ahead to the mansion with the carriage.

Pia had left with her to show Silvia the location of the mansion.

They had clearly left to give me space.

It wasn’t a problem.

Judging by the state of the surroundings, it was obvious that the area around the mansion would also be in disarray, so it might be better for Silvia to tidy things up a bit first.

Besides, I had become quite accustomed to grave maintenance during my time living in Silvia’s cabin.

I moved skillfully.

Digging the earth, burying the coffins, covering them with soil, and tamping down the ground.

As my body was much more damaged than before, it was far more difficult than when I made Laila’s grave previously.

Even then, my body wasn’t in normal condition due to the carriage accident, but now I was in an even worse state.

I kept coughing dryly whenever I exerted strength.

But although it took a bit longer, I was finally able to return the two people safely to their family’s side.

Laila next to my parents, and Sister Alice beside the Baron.

As I sat down slowly on the ground, wiping the sweat that covered my face with my sleeve, a wail spontaneously burst forth.

“Oh my… whew…”

I took a moment to catch my breath as I looked at Sister Alice’s grave that I had just covered, next to the Baron’s tomb.

Perhaps because Silvia wasn’t there,

The final image of Sister Alice slowly began to fill my mind.

Her last moments, when she confessed her love to me with her strangely torn body and face.

While the person I love would be Silvia, that expression on Sister Alice’s face that day was undoubtedly a sight I would never forget until the day I die.

That mysterious expression that was both sorrowful yet happy, deeply regretful yet strangely fulfilled and liberated.

The clear affection for me swirling within it.

That love was so fragile, and Sister Alice seemed so fragile, that I kept looking back at her final moments.

I murmured with my eyes closed.

“If fate hadn’t been twisted, would you have been my wife, Sister?”

Naturally, no answer came back.

Only a gentle breeze from somewhere brushed past my hair.

“Yes, that would have been nice… I think we would have been very happy.”

I said as I slowly opened my eyes.

It suddenly struck me that my hair, fluttering in the wind, had grown much longer than when I first entered the forest.

The hair that had been short enough to expose my ears now covered my earlobes and extended about one finger joint longer.

It had grown more than I expected.

But even such lengthened hair was merely the smallest of the changes that had happened to me.

“But now I love Silvia. Even if you hadn’t died… I would have chosen Silvia.”

Saying that, I slowly put my hands together and offered one more prayer.

Had Sister Alice reunited with the Baron?

Was Laila meeting my parents again and acting spoiled?

If the Goddess was still watching over us, surely that would be the case.

Though the foundations of religion had all collapsed, I, a lowly human who could only believe in God, offered a sincere prayer and then carefully wiped the dirt from the tombstone.

Despite having overturned so much soil, I was able to clean up the surroundings neatly.

Once the mansion was somewhat organized, I would need to rest for a few days and then make tombstones for both Laila and Sister Alice.

Fortunately, I had some experience and confidence in making tombstones.