Ch.350350. Back to Reality

Having to tell this kind of story to someone else is quite a mind-bending situation.

And the fact that the recipient is none other than a god? If you gathered people in similar situations and asked them, most would probably give similar answers.

But there are those who actually want to hear such stories.

…Like these two people in front of me.

“Oh my goodness…!”

“Hmm…!”

Their eyes sparkle more and more brightly as I slowly explain how I met Renias and how we grew close. After that, well… they started asking not just about specific incidents but about our entire love story—how we met again, how we spent our time together, and so on.

Of course, I tried to refuse once. But… their eyes were so intense, as if they might devour me, that I couldn’t bring myself to say no.

Yes. They were already listening to my story with eyes like they were watching a movie or drama. You know how it is sometimes, right? Those aunties and uncles who pester newlyweds about their love stories and derive satisfaction from it.

‘…These two are exactly that type of people.’

Lumia and Kain had also experienced this and found it quite troublesome. Now that I was in their position, I roughly understood how they must have felt.

When I finished my story, the two constellations let out a satisfied “Whew~” and revealed pleased expressions.

And I could roughly guess their intentions.

‘They probably meant it would be difficult to meet in that state.’

One way or another, the original purpose was to hear the good news that I could see Renias even if only in dreams, but I suspect my earlier self wouldn’t have been able to maintain a proper conversation.

But after talking with my old friend Goden and directly bringing up stories about Renias, my mind has finally cleared a bit. Now, I think I can express my honest feelings that I couldn’t before.

“You’ve come to your senses now? You were struggling so much when you first arrived.”

“The more I struggle, the more Renias will suffer.”

We can only meet and talk in dreams. So when she wakes from the dream, I shouldn’t leave her with negative feelings that she can no longer meet me.

I need to do my best to ensure that reality doesn’t become harder than dreams, as I experienced, and that her days ahead don’t become shadowed with gloom.

So I need to stay sharp. This is likely the last chance for both of us.

“When… will I be able to meet Renias?”

“Dreams are only possible when someone falls asleep, right? So it might take some time.”

I suppose that’s true. Appearing in dreams is only possible when the person goes to bed.

“Until then, I thought we could talk a bit more. Do you have any other questions? I can tell you most things.”

“Hmm… questions.”

If I think about it, there’s a lot I’m curious about. It might seem a bit random, but… that’s what this time is for anyway.

“Goden told me I couldn’t go to the same place as him. We both died, so what does he mean by saying we go to different places?”

“Oh my. He said that, did he?”

“Different destinations… That’s not incorrect. But I can’t give you a specific answer.”

“I thought you said you could tell me most things.”

“Tsk. This is something I shouldn’t tell you.”

“That’s right, that’s right! That’s what makes it more excit—”

Huh? Suddenly the husband covered his wife’s mouth.

“Darling. Shh.”

“Ah, mmm! I almost slipped up.”

“…”

Seeing him directly caution her, it seems the wife is a bit of a scatterbrain like Renias. Well, that happens. I moved on to my next question.

“I’m asking this because I’m anxious since I didn’t see it myself… Are Feltiburugos and Ashpern definitely dead?”

“Yes. They’re dead. They were pierced by Alcaide’s spear and perished on the spot.”

“However, in their final throes, they summoned monsters. That’s why the duchy’s army was surrounded.”

“Then…!”

“Since you’re likely to ask what happened, I’ll mention it in advance—thanks to you, the imperial reinforcements were able to arrive at the right time. You don’t need to worry so much.”

They also told me that people who had been bound by Ashpern’s power of oblivion, like Ronelion, Professor Muniher, and Professor Jake, gradually woke up. However, those who were devoured by monsters or sacrificed themselves like Goden couldn’t wake up because they had lost their lives.

“I see. If that’s the case…”

I feel relieved. Since they survived the monster attack thanks to the timely arrival of imperial forces, Renias must certainly be alive. And with those guys around her, they should be able to protect her.

-Crack, crack, thud.

“Huh? The space…”

Hearing cracking sounds, I look around to see the space collapsing. Just like when waking from a dream.

‘Ah. We’re changing locations.’

This space isn’t Renias’s dream. So we must enter Renias’s dream, and as we naturally move locations, the original space seems to be collapsing.

-Slap!

“Ow! W-why did you suddenly hit my back…”

“It’s your fault for not listening when I told you you’d die if you pushed yourself too hard.”

The Sagittarius constellation, who delivered a satisfying smack to my back with very human-like behavior, crossed her arms primly.

What the heck, why is she like this? This is tyranny! I wanted to shout, but… a strange doubt arose.

Clearly, this should be a different person.

‘But… why does the atmosphere feel so similar?’

Is it just the atmosphere? No.

If you don’t look carefully, it’s hard to notice, but her hair color is closer to a very light, pale purple rather than silver.

The color of her eyes, too, if you look closely, isn’t black but closer to purple.

Yes. You have to look carefully. It means you could easily misunderstand if you don’t look up close.

Now, small behaviors start to catch my eye.

Her posture with crossed arms is a bit different, but… is it really different?

Her cheeks, not exactly puffy but slightly inflated with air. Her narrowed eyes and V-shaped, sharply angled eyebrows. And even the back slap that wasn’t particularly painful, comparable to being hit with a cotton bat.

All her actions overlap with Renias’s. Thinking about it carefully… how can someone be this similar? It’s so uncannily similar that it starts to feel strange.

“Oh my.”

At first, she looked a bit surprised, then snickered.

“Junon, do you remember what my husband said earlier? That people who lost their lives, not just bound by the power of oblivion, can’t be saved. But one dying person can be saved.”

“What does that…?”

“Using my remaining power, I can save one dying person. If I had manifested earlier and granted power, you wouldn’t have collapsed and wouldn’t have died. So in a way, I was late.”

Thud.

“…?!”

In the collapsing space, my body loses balance, and I naturally drift away from the two constellations.

My gaze is fixed upward, but the fact that I keep moving away means… my body is falling downward.

What did I just hear?

One dying person can be saved. If power had been granted earlier through manifestation, I wouldn’t have collapsed?

-‘But you can’t come with me, man!’

-‘I’m saying we’re going to different places. So steel yourself!’

What Goden said… does that mean I’m still alive?

“I promised I’d let you meet her, didn’t I? Hehe.”

“Take good care of our daughter, Junwoo.”

Before I can even process the outlandish claim that I’m still alive, two more bombshells drop.

Daughter? Did they just say daughter?

“Daughter… don’t tell me.”

Why had I forgotten until now? Lord Alcaide. Come to think of it, the “legendary hero parents” referred to him, didn’t they?

Then the strange feeling I had earlier wasn’t false.

“You two are Renias’s—!”

Flash-

Before I can finish my sentence, everything flashes before my eyes once more. In the collapsing space, the image of the two people waving goodbye completely disappears.

Thud.

“…”

With the sound of a towel dropping, I realize I’ve returned to reality.

The one who dropped this towel on my face was none other than Renias.

***

“…”

“…”

For a while, as if by mutual agreement, both remained silent.

The determination to speak first, despite organizing and reorganizing his thoughts, wasn’t easily put into action when face to face.

Then, suddenly, Renias clenched her fist. Here it comes, he thought.

Thud.

Her fist had always been like a cotton bat, but now it was even weaker. No, this could hardly be called hitting at all.

With her head bowed deeply, Renias hit him a few times before stopping and sobbing.

“Later, let’s talk later. Right now… right now you’re injured…”

“Renias.”

He grabbed her wrist firmly as she tried to avoid talking, pulling her toward him.

He knew what words might come. But if he avoided it now with apologies, he wouldn’t be able to convey his true feelings. That’s why he grabbed her wrist, to not postpone the conversation.

“You want to ask why I used that power again knowing I would die, right?”

Renias, who had turned her back and was about to ask to be let go, turned her gaze back to the bed.

Originally, it would have been her question. A question she had been swallowing while waiting and waiting for his wounds to heal, something she might have brought up only when the patient’s body had recovered somewhat.

But he didn’t want to wait until then.

“I… like everyone else, but especially you—I wanted you to be safe. That’s why, even knowing I would die, I had no choice.”

There was no other way. Conveying this meaning, Renias immediately clenched her fist and pounded him. It wasn’t the usual cotton bat-like fist.

“What am I supposed to do if you just die like that?! How, how am I supposed to live in a world without you? My heart would be so…!”

“I know. You struggled with that a lot before.”

Just seeing him collapsed must have felt like her world was crumbling.

But it wasn’t just her who felt like her world might crumble.

“It’s the same for me. The same for me… If that’s how it is, it would be better to die together!!”

“…No, that’s not true.”

He reached out his other hand and firmly wrapped it around Renias’s hand.

“Through regression, I lost all my former comrades. My life then… was no different from when I was stabbed to death by a comrade. I had no reason to live. Not until I met someone.”

Only then did Renias flinch and slightly raise her head.

Her pretty face was already full of tears. She might get angry after hearing all this, or she might cry even more, but he continued with what he wanted to say.

“It might be a story you don’t want to remember, but I tried to take my own life. Before coming here, when my comrades were still around, and even after meeting you. No matter what I did, nothing changed the way I wanted in a life without any other reason to live. You, Renias, became the only catalyst in a life without such reasons. I didn’t want to see someone like you… close your eyes forever.”

He never wanted to see the person he loved close her eyes. Even knowing it would be hard for her, his heart leaned that way.

That’s why Junon says he wanted to protect the one person he loved, even if it meant risking his life.

“…You can be angry. Be as angry as you want. It’s because I was too selfish that I made you suffer.”

What more needs to be said beyond calling it selfish?

Though his reason was wanting to protect the person he loved, the sight of him collapsing while leaving her alone must have felt like a new nightmare coming to life for Renias.

After promising to return safely, he had done something like this.

“If I could meet you again, I wanted to tell you this… with the hope that you wouldn’t suffer too much for the rest of your life. For me, in my life, the most precious thing was none other than you, Renias…”

At that, Renias buried her face in his chest, crying profusely.

“That’s enough… now, please stop…”

“Okay. You can cry as much as you need.”

She might need time to cry enough. She might even cry herself to sleep.

So what should he do? For her, who can neither get angry nor be happy at the words that he had to risk his life to protect her, there’s only one thing he can do.

Stretching out both arms to open his embrace, pulling in Renias’s body as she burrows deep into it, and gently patting her back.

It was comfort for a crying lover.