Tomorrow

“…What is all this?”

“These are the people who protected this place while we were at World’s End.”

Rubia said with a slightly choked voice, letting out a small sigh.

“I really wanted to show you.”

“…Why, why?”

“Because I wanted you to know you’re not alone.”

Rubia smiled brightly and turned her head.

I followed her gaze and turned my head as well.

Cartia, reduced to a desolate ruin.

At its heart.

Countless Relics were stuck in the ground.

There was no need to think about what these meant.

Graves.

Countless graves stretched out.

“…All of them…”

I didn’t finish my sentence.

I couldn’t continue speaking.

Because in the center of these graves, slightly higher than the others, I found a familiar sword.

“Ru, Rubia… that sword…”

“Yes. It’s Luchi’s Sword. Yuria was keeping it, but this time… it ended up being placed here.”

Rubia’s hand clenched.

Mine too.

I took several breaths to steady myself.

Slowly, very carefully, I moved between the Relics.

A shattered hammer.

A broken spear.

A dented shield.

A torn sword.

A crumpled bow.

I saw Relics, equipment, and armor that could no longer be used.

Only those things were visible. Only those things remained.

“I… I used to hate people.”

Rubia, who was carefully walking behind me, said quietly.

“I even thought I was the only one left in this world. So I hated everything. The world, people, flowers, animals. And… myself. I hated everything, I loathed everything.”

Step. Her footsteps stopped.

In front of Luchi’s Sword.

“But after meeting Noah, everything changed. I realized I wasn’t alone. Seeing Noah, I realized that not everyone is the same. I started to like this world, people.”

Blue eyes looked at me.

Blue eyes sparkling in the warm sunlight.

Transparent tears welling up in those eyes.

A smile brighter than the shining light.

Bloomed brilliantly.

“All thanks to Noah. There may have been help I didn’t know about in the process, but still… it started with Noah. Noah was at the center of it. Noah changed me. Changed me. Changed this world, people, everyone.”

Rubia, who had been looking at me quietly, looked around. People who had thrown everything away and burned themselves out to protect this world.

She looked at the graves of such heroes.

“So, now… you don’t have to carry it all alone. Of course, it might not be helpful. Everyone is weaker than Noah, and there’s less they can do, but still. Still…”

Finally, she looked at me.

“Now, you’re not alone. Everyone in the world knows Noah. They will know. Noah’s name, what Noah has done, the path you’ve walked so far. Everything.”

Blue eyes, Rubia’s eyes, curved gently.

Lips forming a soft arc opened.

She called my name.

“Noah.”

The sunlight sparkled. Reflecting off silver-white hair.

Reflecting off blue eyes. Reflecting off the graves of heroes.

So dazzling, so impossible to open my eyes.

So much brilliant light poured down that it brought tears to my eyes.

“You are everyone’s hero.”

So, so.

I cried again.

Among the graves of heroes.

In Rubia’s arms.

Until the sunlight subsided.

Until I could open my eyes.

I cried and cried.

“Departure is tomorrow.”

Clatter. I put down the spoon I had been diligently moving and looked at Hermilla.

“Departure…?”

“Yes. The coronation ceremony, combined with a festival, will be held in the capital. Originally, it was supposed to start tomorrow, but it was postponed by two days. But, well… it seems like it will have to be postponed for about two more days. There will be many stories to tell.”

Hearing those words, Rubia also stopped eating for a moment and looked at Hermilla. But the expression Rubia was wearing was completely different from mine.

An expression full of questions, unlike my expression, and an expression that seemed to say it was only natural and proud.

I looked at Rubia once, and then at Hermilla once.

“…Huh.”

So I couldn’t help but let out a questioning sound.

I couldn’t understand the words that suddenly popped out while eating dinner. The reaction that seemed so natural was the same.

But as if my reaction didn’t matter, Hermilla continued to speak.

“We will be traveling to the capital by carriage. Heinzel and I have decided to take on the escort. You don’t have to worry about this place. I don’t know why, but since Noah returned, the number of Demon Beasts has clearly decreased. The people remaining here will be able to defend it sufficiently.”

While listening to Hermilla’s words, Rubia picked up a spoon and fed me soup.

“Isn’t there no road that a carriage can take?”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Heinzel will take care of it.”

“Take care of it…? Aha.”

This time, she put a small piece of steak in my mouth and nodded as if she understood what Hermilla meant.

“Then, there won’t be any problems.”

So… what is it?

Why am I the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on?

Well… I did come back, and I have stories to tell Charlotte, who will become the emperor, so I understand going.

But the date of the coronation ceremony… why was it postponed?

As I quietly listened to the puzzling conversation, Rubia’s fork was held out in front of my mouth.

A fork with a mushroom on it.

“Here, ah.”

“…Ugh… I, I don’t like mushrooms.”

“Tsk tsk. You shouldn’t be picky.”

“Mushrooms… are, not tasty…”

Faced with Rubia’s firm attitude, I had no choice but to open my mouth. Then the mushroom slipped in.

I didn’t chew. I immediately drank water and swallowed it down with the mushroom.

“Oh my? You have to chew it thoroughly before swallowing.”

“I, I don’t want to…”

Nevertheless, I shuddered at the lingering taste of mushrooms in my mouth and smacked my lips.

Just as the taste of mushrooms in my mouth was about to disappear, I looked back and forth between Rubia and Hermilla and asked.

“Bu, but… why was the coronation ceremony date… postponed?”

Hermilla, who was about to say something to me, closed her mouth again and gave a bitter smile.

So, I turned my head and looked at Rubia.

Rubia, as before, said with an expression that seemed to say it was only natural.

“Because a festival without the main character is meaningless.”

“…Ma, main character?”

“Yes. Main character.”

Rubia’s fork slipped into my gaping mouth.

I chewed, thinking it was steak, of course.

A mushy texture. A slippery texture.

An unknown, subtle scent.

It’s a mushroom.

I swallowed it down, suppressing the urge to spit it out immediately. The terrible sensation and scent going down my throat made my body tremble.

“Ugh…”

I looked at Rubia with eyes full of betrayal.

Rubia just smiled brightly as if she was enjoying it and stroked my head.

…Too much.

“Wh, who… who is the main character? Hermilla…? Uncle Heinzel? Rubia…?”

“Noah.”

Pop. A cherry tomato touched my lips.

I instinctively opened my lips and ate it, startled.

Munch munch – gulp.

“M, me…?!”

“Yes.”

“Why…?”

“Because Noah saved everyone.”

“Uh… ugh…?”

That’s… that’s true.

Saying I saved everyone sounds grand… uh, um… anyway, it’s true.

“That doesn’t mean… you have to postpone it…? Just, just… quietly go and meet Charlotte, isn’t that… enough…?”

There’s no need to postpone it.

Even if I’m the main character… after all, it’s Charlotte’s coronation ceremony, so the most important person is Charlotte, right?

That’s right. That must be it. I’m not going to give a speech or anything.

I might really faint if I stand in front of people…

Still holding onto my unresolved questions, I looked back and forth between Hermilla and Rubia.

After a while.

Rubia, who had been silent for a while, put down her spoon and lifted me up to sit on her lap.

…She can lift me with such thin arms.

“We can’t do that.”

Hermilla, who was watching that scene, opened her mouth.

“The coronation ceremony will begin with Charlotte’s speech. She will talk about many things in that speech. The secrets of Erden, the stories of those who died in the war. And, Luchi and Serr. Kartia and Frey. And, stories about forgotten heroes, including Sirin. And, at the center of it will be Noah’s story.”

“…Me?”

“Yes.”

I looked at Rubia at Hermilla’s answer.

Was this the story she told among the graves?

No, is ‘everyone’ really going to know…?

But… if you do that.

Won’t people be very confused?

Of course, Charlotte is smart, so she won’t convey the stories I told her exactly as they are.

Even so… it’s going to be a mess…?

“I, is it okay?”

“It won’t be okay. Still, it’s necessary.”

“Necessary…”

Rubia’s arms holding me tightened. A ticklish breath touched my ear.

Soon, that breath turned into a voice.

“Because heroes must be remembered by everyone.”

I couldn’t answer those words.

“Now that that’s settled, go to bed early. We have to leave before sunrise tomorrow. Okay, Rubia?”

“I wonder.”

Lick. Rubia’s tongue licked my earlobe.

“Hic…”

I couldn’t even scream at the sudden sensation and cowered.

“Well, if Noah refuses, I’ll have to sleep quietly.”

Rubia’s fingers, coiling like a snake, wrapped around my neck.

Her other hand stroked my thigh, and she said in a voice that made my body tingle just by listening.

“Can Noah refuse?”

“Hwaek…”

The next morning, no, dawn, my back was very sore.

As Hermilla said, we were about to depart for the capital before sunrise.

Even though it was a dark dawn, a huge number of people came out to greet us.

In the process, as Hermilla said, I waved my hand once, and the cheers doubled.

I was so surprised that tears welled up in my eyes.

And, the carriage we are riding in now… was made on the spot. The roots of the tree summoned by Yuria and the steel of Alex were added to complete the carriage.

It feels like… a pumpkin carriage that a princess with a curfew rides in. But it’s not a pumpkin carriage. It looked much sturdier than that.

Thanks to being covered with countless petals and stems, my butt doesn’t hurt either.

Even the patterns engraved on the outside are dazzling.

Is Yuria gradually getting used to her Unique Abilities?

Um… well, it’s probably not because she got used to it. Maybe it’s because the ‘limit’ has disappeared.

Even if you don’t feel it yet, you will soon.

Everyone living in this world.

When that time comes, there will be another huge chaos, right?

That… smart Charlotte will take care of it.

But just in case, I should tell her.

Anyway, back to the description of the carriage.

There were two horses pulling the carriage.

One of them was a horse I knew very well.

Yes. A very annoying horse that I had been with since Alreuba.

I don’t know if I should be thinking this…

That… it managed to survive even in very difficult situations.

Amazing…

Finally, the road we are heading on.

Originally, it was said to be a road that was completely ruined due to the long war. Now it’s clean. It’s so clean that it’s smooth.

It’s flat without any uphill or downhill.

The reason for that is.

“Hmm!”

Jjeoeong―!

Heinzel was using his Unique Abilities to clear the road… no, to create the road.

I wondered if this was okay, but I had no choice but to nod at Hermilla’s words that Charlotte would take care of such trivial things.

I… thought so too.

In that way, we were able to arrive at the capital in just one day, thanks to Heinzel’s help in taking the shortest route.

And, in front of the capital’s large gate.

Numerous people, knights, adventurers, nobles, commoners.

Charlotte.

Was welcoming us.

I didn’t expect it at all.

Before hearing my story, no, Charlotte’s speech?

But… but how could so many people gather like this?

To welcome Heinzel?

To welcome Hermilla?

To welcome Rubia?

That’s also true.

Listening to the name mixed in with their cheers.

No, listening to the name everyone is shouting.

…It seemed like they were welcoming me too.

So, so… I was embarrassed.

Even though the windows were covered with curtains so they couldn’t see us, I was so embarrassed and nervous that I hid in Rubia’s arms.

But, I couldn’t hide the corners of my mouth that kept rising.