Epilogue. Preparing for the Trip

A desolate wind blew through the ruins.

A man walked between the collapsed buildings.

A steady and firm gait.

His steps stopped at the heart of the ruins, before a small, still-standing shack.

“Hmm.”

The man cleared his throat, which had suddenly become choked.

Though no one was watching, he neatly straightened his clothes.

And, awkwardly patting his bald head, devoid of a single strand of hair, he knelt on one knee.

“A lot has happened.”

A bouquet of flowers in his Prosthetic hand.

A flower crown hanging from his Prosthetic hand.

A large doll held in his arms.

“Lora wouldn’t have wanted to see some of it, but I think Saein, you would have seen everything. So, there’s no need for a separate explanation.”

The man placed them down in order.

Heinzel closed his eyes with a stiff expression.

“Was I the husband you wanted? Was I the father Lora wanted?”

No answer came to the heavily cast question. Nevertheless, Heinzel continued to speak.

“I shaved off my prickly beard and shaggy hair. I smiled to hide my gruff personality, and I built the muscles Lora admired. But still, the children were afraid of me. An old friend, now far away, said my face was the problem. Saein, you always praised this face as handsome, but he said it was the problem.”

Heh heh—Heinzel couldn’t help but laugh, remembering the past, and wiped his face.

Behind it was a hearty smile, not the stiff expression from before.

“That bastard’s face wasn’t anything special either, but he blamed me every day. Saein, what do you think? No matter how I think about it, don’t you think I’m better than that friend? My daughter. My beloved Lora. Is Daddy’s face really that scary?”

Still, no answer came.

But Heinzel laughed loudly as if the silence was an answer.

After that, Heinzel’s voice did not stop.

Until the sky was soaked in the light of the sunset, filled with a deep glow. Until that sunset faded and the stars rose in the night sky, it continued.

“Saein. Lora. The current empire, no, this world, might fall into a difficult situation in many ways without me. Of course, if only that brat Noah is there, there won’t be any problems, but since everything is only expected of that brat, it’s human decency for me, for us, to take on all the troublesome things.”

So.

“Just a little more. I’ll go a little later. You don’t have to worry. The only ones I love are you, Saein, and my lovely daughter, Lora.”

With those words, Heinzel’s voice stopped.

But he didn’t get up right away.

Heinzel wanted to stay a little longer.

He wanted to get up a little later.

Even though he knew that the lingering feelings in his heart would only grow stronger, Heinzel couldn’t easily shake them off.

And so, as the faint dawn light fell on the earth.

“Thank you.”

To the family who allowed him to be here.

To the old friend who allowed him to move forward.

To the comrade who allowed him to come to this place.

To the brat, Noah, who kept him alive.

He conveyed his heartfelt gratitude and left the spot.

Heinzel, who turned his back.

Unlike when he came here.

Was wearing a very light and hearty smile.

“Uh… um… Ah, hello, hello…?”

“…Yeah.”

Rubia, Hermilla, with mysterious smiles.

Serr, with a questioning look, wondering what was so funny.

I, standing at the very front of them, exchanged greetings with the blacksmith.

There were no grand greetings.

Just… the words I just said are the end.

Uncomfortable, uncomfortable. Hesitant, hesitant.

Tingly, tingly. Trembling, trembling.

What… what should I say?

How have you been…? Or long time no see…?

I’m too scared to say anything like that in case I get a ‘Who are you?’ in return.

What to do… what to do?

I should ask Rubia in times like these…

Just as I was about to turn my head to ask Rubia for help.

“You’ve gotten a little shorter.”

The blacksmith opened his mouth first.

He… still remembers me…

“Uh, um… yeah… um, it just… happened…”

“And you have more scars.”

“Um, uh… yeah… um, it just… happened…”

“And it seems like you can see now.”

“Um… yeah… I, I can see now…”

“That’s good. Are you not wielding a Greatsword anymore?”

“Uh, um… I do use it…”

I do have the Greatsword Hephaestus made for me.

But I left it at the inn now.

Now that I can see clearly, there’s no need to carry it around, and if there’s an emergency, I can draw ‘My Greatsword’.

And… if I carry the Greatsword around, Rubia and Hermilla keep talking to the Greatsword…

That makes me angry and resentful, so I don’t carry it around unless I need it.

“Is that so.”

The blacksmith nodded at my words and turned his back, walking somewhere.

What is it.

Um… what is it…?

Only then could I turn my head to look at Rubia.

Rubia was wearing a warm smile and stroking my head. Hermilla was also wearing a similar expression to Rubia and giggling.

Serr nodded as if she finally understood what was going on.

“Is that why you said you wanted to drink coffee at the smithy?”

“Hehehe… Yes. That’s right. When I first met Noah, I wondered what a smithy was, but after being here, I understand.”

Understands…?

I just… there’s no one here, and the blacksmith doesn’t talk to me much… so I just… stayed here…

And because I use the Greatsword so roughly, um… there are many times when it needs to be repaired…

And at that time, there were many problems with doing it myself…

So, I had no choice but to live at the smithy…

Um, did she understand that?

Umm…

While receiving Rubia’s caresses with a dazed expression, the blacksmith came towards us with something in his hands.

“Take it.”

“Eh…?”

“It’s a Greatsword.”

“A, a Greatsword…?”

“Yes. It’s a Greatsword I was going to give you when you returned from your mission, but I’m a little late.”

Unlike his warm words, the blacksmith wore a stiff expression like a Greatsword, and eventually placed the Greatsword in my hand with a thud.

Then, the cloth wrapped around the Greatsword fell off, revealing its appearance.

The appearance of a Greatsword with a black blade and a sharp tip.

I reflexively tilted the Greatsword and stroked the blade with my small palm.

Smooth and hard.

I grabbed the hilt with my other hand.

The finish is clean and the leather is tough.

I slowly lifted it up.

Familiar weight. Perfect center of gravity.

“T, this is…”

The first one I used after coming to this world.

The one that was said to have fallen next to me.

It was a Greatsword that was completely identical to my favorite Greatsword.

No way.

He made it this exactly…?

I slowly raised my head to look at the blacksmith.

The blacksmith still had a stiff expression on his face.

“While repairing it, I watched that Greatsword closely. So, I tried to make it like that.”

“I, it’s really the same…”

“That’s a relief.”

Another awkward silence came.

In that silence, I took out a small pouch from the bag hanging on my waist.

A wallet that Rubia made by hand!

I pried open the entrance and took out a handful of gold coins.

My hands are so small that I couldn’t hold much, but still, this should be enough…?

“…T, th, this…”

“I don’t need the money.”

But the blacksmith shook his head and turned his back without hesitation.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Eh…?”

“Take your time and have fun.”

“Yeah…? Um, huh…?”

Then, he strode into the room where the heat was still radiating.

What is it. Is it a gift…?

Why…? Haven’t I always been a nuisance here…? What’s so pretty about me that he’s giving me a gift…?

My head is confused.

Is it a regular service…? Is that it?

While thinking about this and that, I ran towards the workshop where the blacksmith had entered.

And I shouted loudly into the room where the sound of clanging iron was heard.

“Th, thank you…!!”

Clang- Clang-

“Ahem… Heumph! Thank youuuu!!”

Clang-

The regularly heard sound stopped.

He must have heard it, right? He must have heard it?

I swallowed hard and slowly stepped back.

Then again, Clang- Clang- Clang-

A regular sound was heard.

As if playing a recorded sound, continuously. Clang- Clang- Clang- Clang-

Soon after, Rubia, who had approached me, gasped as she looked at the Greatsword in my hand.

“Noah, this Greatsword…”

“Th, that’s right… It’s the same as the Greatsword that was completely destroyed in Roholan…”

“Oh my…”

Hermilla, who was behind Rubia, made an indescribable expression while moving her lips.

She also seemed to recognize my Greatsword, and looked at the workshop where the regular sound was coming from with a surprised expression.

“I thought he was the kind of person who wouldn’t bleed a single drop of blood even if you stabbed him…”

Meanwhile, Serr, as if she couldn’t feel much emotion, sat at the table in the lobby and neatly arranged the teacups.

“Noah, where is the coffee?”

“…Uh, that’s―”

“Ah, right. Coffee. I’ll go get it.”

Only then did Rubia come to her senses and patted my back, heading to the kitchen.

But Serr stopped Rubia and looked at me.

“No. This time, we must have Noah make the coffee.”

“Eh…? Me…?”

“Yes. Drinking coffee made by Noah at the Alba smithy. That was our promise.”

Was it? I think it was…?

I tilted my head and tried to remember the past.

…I don’t remember.

“That’s right. That’s right. We said we would drink coffee made by Noah.”

On the other hand, Rubia smiled brightly as if she remembered and stroked my head.

Hermilla, who was next to her, immediately ordered.

“Noah, I’ll have three spoons of sugar.”

“Hmm, then I’d like less water than usual. Please put in about 70%.”

“Oh my, then I… I’ll just eat whatever Noah makes.”

“Uh uh… three spoons of sugar… less water, and… whatever I want…”

I nodded with a determined expression.

“Okay… wait right here.”

Serr with an uneasy expression.

Hermilla with a purely fun expression.

Rubia with an expression that she believed in me.

Everyone nodded together.

That day.

The coffee that everyone said was delicious and drank two cups of.

Tasted like mud.