Chapter 60 – Reward

[Ronan!]

“What the—” I jerked my head up, startled.

Stella and Pina lay unconscious, looking more passed out than asleep. The magic-suppressing restraints that had bound them were completely undone. They were even dressed in… my pajamas.

What in the world is going on here?

[Ah… Ahhh! Finally!]

I glanced down at my chest. A small figure wrapped in light—a flying squirrel—was nuzzling against me.

“…What… what are you?”

[It’s me! It’s me!!]

Frowning, I carefully cupped the smiling flying squirrel in both hands.

A talking flying squirrel.

And it knew my name, my past life.

There was a strangely familiar power emanating from it. This was no ordinary creature.

Of course not. A talking flying squirrel couldn’t be a normal animal. So what the hell was this thing?

Should I kill it? Let it live? What was it?

It probably wouldn’t be a big deal if I killed it.

“Who are you to know me?”

[Flora!]

“Flora?”

[Yes! That’s my real name! The name you guys gave me was Sparkle!]

“…Sparkle?”

My jaw dropped.

“S-Sparkle? You?”

[Ahahaha! Look at that expression! You do remember me! Ahhh… I’ve missed you. Really…]

“This is… insane… Are you really Sparkle?”

[Yes! I’m Sparkle! Do you know how much I’ve wanted to talk to you?!]

“…Unbelievable.”

Sparkle.

The offspring of the World Tree I’d managed to save from the lands of the Beastkin that were destroyed 400 years ago. In other words, a spirit.

Back then, it couldn’t even speak properly, just floated around like a speck of dust.

But now…

“What’s with your appearance?”

[What?! I should be asking you that! Ronan, what’s with your appearance?]

“No, damn it. I… I…”

Where should I even start explaining?

Should I begin with the part where I died?

While I pondered, Sparkle continued to chatter away.

[Did you develop some strange hobby over 400 years? It’s unbelievable. Ronan, I barely knew anyone as brimming with masculinity as you, and now… you look like a beautiful girl. And your hair is the same pink as Arisa’s! My god!]

“Sparkle. I swear, I could end you in one shot if I wanted, so watch your mouth.”

[Oh my… your filthy mouth is just the same.]

The little squirrel gaped at me, its expression both amusing and ridiculous.

And the fact that it recognized me, knew my past self… it made me feel… a little strange.

“Heh, I… well, it seems I was reincarnated.”

[Reincarnated…?]

“Yeah. My name now is Eliaernes Eusthetia.”

[…What?]

“Eusthetia. I’m Arisa’s descendant.”

[Arisa’s… descendant? That… that can’t be… it’s impossible…]

“I thought the same thing, but here we are. Anyway, how did you recognize me?”

[How could I not recognize Ronan’s soul? Even if it’s weakened, your soul’s essence is unmistakable. It’s definitely Ronan’s soul.]

“Soul?”

[Yes. Ronan, your soul is… how should I put it… it’s intense, fierce, terrifying. It’s easy to recognize. Sure, Paulo, Luna, Kaloso, and even Arisa are all unique too. Hehe.]

“I was a rough and passionate guy.”

So it recognized my soul.

It means my soul remains the same as in my past life.

Indeed, nothing’s changed. I am Ronan.

I was Ronan Lujarak, and now I am Eliaernes Eusthetia.

My belief wasn’t a delusion, it wasn’t madness.

I am not some damn, miserable chimpanzee.

I know that. And Sparkle knows it.

That realization made me smile involuntarily.

“Anyway, Sparkle, where have you been all this time?”

[Huh? I didn’t come here following you, Ronan!]

“Then?”

[I’ve been inside Pina’s body all this time!]

“…What?”

[Didn’t Pina tell you? She’s a child blessed by the World Tree. And the reason she was able to approach you was because I convinced her… after a lot of persuading!]

“This is… what the hell…”

A Beastkin blessed by the World Tree.

That would mean…

She’s Beastkin royalty.

That squirrel sprawled on the bed with her tail curled up is the king of the Beastkin.

The Beastkin king’s title is different from an ordinary king.

It’s a position appointed not by adoration from the Beastkin, but through selection by the World Tree itself to protect them.

Thus, the Beastkin king can see and communicate with spirits, and ultimately communicate with the World Tree.

But why would such a king…

“Why is she in that condition?”

[Condition? You have no filter, do you?]

The squirrel lightly tapped my lips with a tiny fist.

[I could explain a few things, but… I think you’d be better off hearing it directly from Pina. Someday, she’ll tell you everything.]

Sparkle looked at me with a somewhat somber expression.

[But reincarnation… what happened? Ronan… did you really die?]

“Did I really die? What kind of question is that?”

[Was it because of that?]

“No, it wasn’t because of that… just…”

I started to explain, then clamped my mouth shut, my chest tightening.

To say that I died protecting Arisa… a chimpanzee… was extremely humiliating and embarrassing.

“I just died in battle. But what do you mean by asking if I really died?”

[In the end, when the Demon King was sealed… only you were missing, Ronan. The World Tree informed us… So I thought… there’s no way Ronan could have died.]

Tears gathered in Sparkle’s eyes.

[You were self-centered, violent, troublesome, hot-tempered, uncontrollably angry, always cursing, hitting, fierce, ill-tempered, rude, a jerk, a psycho, attacking anyone at a moment’s notice…]

“You little bastard.”

[But even with all that, I couldn’t believe you’d died. After all, you were Ronan Lujarak, the Evil Star himself.]

“Evil Star…”

Come to think of it, even that damned demon called me an Ominous Star before he died. He probably said that after seeing how I fought.

“Anyway, yeah. The reason I was missing was because I died…”

Wait, hold on.

“Hey, Sparkle. What did you just say?”

[You know… that you were the violent, troublesome, hot-tempered, angry…]

“I’ll twist your neck, I swear.”

[Oh… when the Demon King was sealed, you were the only one missing?]

“Yeah. What do you mean I was missing?”

[I don’t know. The World Tree just mentioned it like that.]

“And what about Kaloso?”

[There was no mention of Kaloso… Why?]

So, Kaloso was there during the sealing of the Demon King?

As an ally? Or was there another reason?

“…The one who killed me was Kaloso.”

Sparkle’s eyes widened.

[W-What…?]

“Kaloso, that bastard, killed me.”

[I… I knew something like this would happen someday…]

“You knew?”

[You two were always, like, fighting all out just to see who was stronger. Did you die because of that?]

“…Would I have died from that? Kaloso betrayed me.”

[Betrayal?]

“Yeah.”

Sparkle covered its mouth with a tiny paw.

I sighed deeply and explained… my death and reincarnation.

How I killed the commander of the Fourth Legion, how the Demon King awakened, how Kaloso betrayed us, tried to kill Arisa, and I died protecting her, only to regain my memories at age ten.

That cursed story.

Sparkle trembled silently after hearing it all.

“So, do you know anything about those guys?”

[The others…?]

“Yes. I don’t think those bastards are dead. They took top-grade elixirs, drank two bottles of elixir each, and ascended to the 10th rank. There’s no way they’re dead.”

Four hundred years. A long time for humans.

The mountains have changed, and countless humans and their descendants have lived and died in that time.

But we’re different.

We wouldn’t die in just 400 years.

Though I may have been doomed, I’m certain they’re alive.

[…Ronan.]

“Yeah?”

[Whether anyone else is alive or not…]

Sparkle looked up at me.

[Arisa came back alone.]

I listened silently.

[Arisa returned alone. Without Paulo, Luna, or Kaloso.]

“Wait… you mean you met Arisa?”

[Yes… she came to find me. Alone, to the sanctuary you guys created for me.]

Alone?

Even if Kaloso was excluded, what about Luna and Paulo?

[Arisa came back, bringing all your weapons, and stayed for a short while in the spirit lands before leaving after a week.]

“…My weapons?”

From the Demon Realm, Gevihenum, to the Empire.

With all those weapons? Alone?

She probably couldn’t have used a horse.

Even if she had one, it would’ve been impossible to ride it there. Back then, I had over ten pieces of equipment on me.

A carriage? No, the terrain would have been too rough for that.

If she walked, she’d have had to cross the Chaos Lands, pass through the northern snowfields, and trek across those harsh plains of eternal snow.

That would mean walking almost nonstop for a month.

Why go through all that trouble?

If it was too heavy, she could have just left some weapons behind or picked up a horse on the way.

When we defeat the Demon King and return to the Empire, our equipment will probably sell for a fortune. Just selling Ronan’s gear alone could probably buy an entire country!

Why would we sell it? We don’t even need to carry it back. The emperor would drown us in gold once we return. We could just get new, better gear.

Really? But we should bring the equipment! It brought us here and holds precious memories!

Memories, my foot. Are you planning to sell my precious gear to buy a country?

Wait… You’re right? But I didn’t mean it like that. I just thought… it’d be nice if we had a place where we could all be together comfortably… Fine, I’ll sell my stuff instead of yours.

What gear could a chimpanzee sell? Bandages? Underwear? Still, thoughtful for a chimpanzee.

Wha-what? Ronan… do you want my underwear? Ugh… It’s embarrassing to sell it, so… I’ll just give it to you. Though… it should be washed, right?

Wash it? Keep it; I wouldn’t take it even if you paid me!

Huh…! So, so… you want me to just give it to you?

Ahh! Damn it, you idiot!

Stupid, stubborn woman.

My chest felt uncomfortably tight.

Maybe I strained myself fighting demons.

I felt dizzy and queasy, so I set Sparkle down and sat beside her.

“…So, did Arisa say anything to you? I’m pretty sure my reincarnation had something to do with whatever they did. There must have been something.”

Sparkle shook her head.

[No, she didn’t say anything about reincarnation. But… she did say something else. Something for me to tell you, if I ever met you.]

“Tell me… if she met me?”

Sparkle must have thought I was alive because of that message.

But I was already dead.

So, Arisa…

She must have known I’d be reincarnated.

I clenched my jaw and looked at Sparkle.

“What was the message she wanted you to pass on?”

[…Um, well…]

After hesitating for a while, Sparkle wriggled uncomfortably before speaking.

[She wanted you to know that she will never get married. She’d remain single forever, so… not to worry.]

“…Is she insane?”