266 – Your Choice-3
I didn’t realize it from the beginning.
When Leo, who lost contact while living as a mercenary, returned, I was actually happy as if he had been rejuvenated again.
From Noble mtl dot com
The fact that I didn’t express it easily was something I regretted so much that I can’t even excuse it now.
The more I tried to be nice to him, the more harsh words came out.
I wish I could forget about the unhelpful countryside and family and become an adopted son or son-in-law in a good family.
I tried my best to shake off affection.
However, since she did not have feelings for Leo, it may have been impossible to make Leo lose touch in the first place.
Nevertheless, kind words did not come out easily.
The more I meet such a nice person, the more I meet him.
I couldn’t bear to say anything nice as I saw Leo’s eyes becoming similar to Ren’s mask.
I wanted to take responsibility for something.
Not being able to take responsibility for anything, instead, the guilt wraps around the body with a thorn cushion.
* * *
The condition for seeing the wise man is not limited to having the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’.
If the wise man deliberately made his true appearance appear even once, it was possible to see the wise man after that.
Or, a being of any kind, such as a demon king, could recognize the existence of a spiritual body.
And
‘…The prophet who noticed the return was the only one who was not included in those two categories.’
A prophet who was a friend of Anus.
Even though he only has a very small kite with him, he is a person who not only returns, but even the wise man immediately notices him, and in a way, he is a more surprising person than his biological mother.
The fact that an old man who could kill anyone by breaking his neck at any time showed insight beyond that of a demon lord was a story that even Leo could not easily understand when he recalled it now.
‘…Maybe…’
The prophet died shortly after finishing his prophecy. Considering the conditions, aging due to experience and life expectancy…
“Isn’t it a bit too much for an adult to even pour a glass for him and not even take it?”
The highest quality tequila given by Marken is poured into the glass. The brand and type itself are the same, but in terms of maturity, the one given by Marken is far superior.
“…What you just said is too heavy to be used as a snack.”
Does Anus know about regression?
When did the wise man begin to appear?
Is there anything wrong with the body that could lead to death?
All kinds of thoughts run through my head. It’s difficult to control your thoughts, as if your brain moves faster than your soul’s reaction speed.
“It’s okay. “Because it’s such a strong drink.”
Saying that, Anus held out his glass to Leo, placed his own glass on the table, and took out his ice bucket.
“…Work is important and I have children outside, so I can’t drink a lot.”
Even as he said that, Leonardo poured ice and alcohol into Anus’ glass.
If you think about it, even though the spirit was already older than Anus, they never shared a drink together.
I thought that this drinking party might be the first and last time I would share a drink with my grandmother.
Leo was so stubborn that he ended up bending his opinion.
“He says everything he can and cannot say in front of the child, but behind his back he is like this… I wonder who he resembles so that he has grown up like this…”
“There is nothing similar. “I’m too old to talk about things like that.”
As self-deprecating remarks were made, it seemed that Anus was the one who suffered the most damage. He tried to react calmly to the words that he had grown old, but the water surface of the wine glass in his hand quietly fluctuated.
“…Have you seen the future?”
“…You don’t seem very surprised.”
Anus calmly brought up Leo’s biggest secret as a topic, much to the embarrassment of Leo, who was caught.
It was as if the parents were not very angry even though they had already discovered that their child was secretly smoking and drinking.
“Try having a friend in the magic tower who talks about the future that you can’t even understand. Then you will understand my attitude.”
Leo said he experienced the future rather than seeing it.
At least to Anus, both the Prophet and Leo seemed similar.
The attitude of fearing the future and trying to bury it in the past as much as possible was particularly similar.
“I can’t say there was no intention to deceive. “I wanted you to know as little as possible.”
“It seems so.”
I didn’t want to say shamelessly that I had no intention of deceiving. If possible, I wanted to lie to the end.
In the end, if she tells all about her regression, her grandmother will not be able to treat her as herself.
“Then don’t explain until the end. “There are a lot of things that are clearly visible, and if that’s what you want, there’s nothing more to dig into.”
Anus, perhaps aware of her feelings, made a promise with his own mouth. Her legs tremble before her sense of relief.
For some reason, I felt encouraged in an atmosphere where I should have been scolded.
“…So you made everyone go out just because you wanted to drink?”
“Not really. She wanted to drink with you. She was greedy. “For my own happiness, that’s all.”
Anus drinks alcohol while honestly expressing his feelings. If you drink it even once, it’s a strong drink that you will resent for drinking, but the only snack you can get is conversation, which is so spicy that it tastes burnt.
Maybe that’s why Anus rather takes a sip of strong drink.
“If you’re going to drink it, you’d better drink it quickly. “I’d like to see you while I’m still sober.”
Leo quickly swallowed all his drink, perhaps in lieu of an answer or in response to his actions. No matter how good the alcohol is, if you drink it in this mood, you will end up using sugar water.
“How does the alcohol taste?”
“It’s delicious.”
“I’m drunk. “I just write.”
Do you really want to deny the fact that it is delicious?
Anus told a clumsy joke and giggled to himself. It is probably no coincidence that his older self is reflected in that appearance.
“I only had one drink.”
“There is no law that says a person can only get drunk from alcohol.”
I know.
People are weak beings who are intoxicated by emotions, beliefs, and even pain.
When time passes and I wake up, everything has been ruined.
The intoxication of reality is worse than a nightmare.
“I have no intention of going even if you tell me to.”
“…Why? “Any reason…”
“Then did you properly explain to the local villagers why you were asking them to go to a foreign country they don’t know much about?”
I was caught up in the absurd problem of the devil and the hero and had forgotten about it, but Anus’ conversation method was sensible and logical.
Common sense suggests that the person making the request should explain the reason, not the person receiving the request.
I just assumed that other people would understand without having to say anything.
“Is it for us?”
For the sake of others, perhaps it is a word that should not be used by oneself or other living beings, including humans.
Because there is probably no one who can truly sacrifice themselves for someone else.
“No.”
Even Aria would have done the same.
“It’s for me.”
Humans have no choice but to fight for themselves.
Because people can only love themselves.
“…I see.”
Anus nodded his head in understanding and pressed the stopper of the bottle.
I don’t know if he quit because he wanted to drink, or because he couldn’t drink alcohol.
Anus was acknowledging his grandson with a sadder face than when he left the village.
“That’s why I can’t even leave this village.”
“…It’s not a lie! If you really don’t leave, I won’t be able to focus on the fight…!”
“Then what are you fighting for?”
Anus certainly doesn’t get angry like other times, and he doesn’t scold himself.
Still, this conversation is uncomfortable.
This may be because Anus is asking questions about the issues he most wanted to avoid.
“I will fight for this request for your happiness. If you answer, I can go to the other side of the world, even if it means bossing everyone in the village.”
It may sound absurd, but Leo knows.
When Anus says something like that with an expression like that, it only happens if he truly has the heart and ability to put it into practice.
But even if it is a lie, I cannot say yes to this question.
It is impossible to deceive this much.
‘…I…Me…’
Leo cannot claim that he fought for his own happiness, even though he fought for himself.
To put it accurately, he just fought for his own purpose.
There was no other way to find happiness in a fight.
“…Leonardo, I am an ugly old woman who cannot be said to be on your side at any time. “Even now, you’re trying to bend your opinion.”
It was excessive self-blame.
If Anus had tried to stop himself from running away in the first place, he would have been able to hold him back for at least five years.
But the reason I didn’t do that was because I respected his opinion and sent it to him.
“Nevertheless, hypocritically, I have no choice but to take the side of your happiness. “I pretend to think about what happiness would be like for you and take your side.”
Anus criticizes his selfless selfishness as if to mock himself.
It’s funny, but sadly, Leo can’t tell this to stop.
Didn’t he always blame himself like that towards his people?
“Even if you are the devil or an even more evil person, I will consider your happiness according to my selfishness. “The same goes for people who value you.”
Yes, I know.
Even though we all know that we are lacking and that we are selfish.
In order to atone for his benefactor named Leonardo, he takes the side of ‘Leo’s happiness’ rather than ‘Leo’s purpose’.
“Leo, you always run towards your goal to the best of your ability, but because of that, you often forget why you are heading towards that goal.”
Even if you don’t ask a question verbally, the unspoken words resonate.
‘Why did you go out to find your mother?’
And.
‘Why was she by Aria’s side?’
Leo was the only one who knew the answer.
Anus squeezes both of Leo’s hands and looks into his eyes.
It was a pity that the grandmother’s hands, which had been wrinkled for over 80 years, were prettier than the rough hands of a young man who had not lived for 20 years.
“So, my hope is that you too take the side of your happiness as much as possible. “If you do that, we will have no choice but to follow for your happiness.”
Grandma’s cooling hands gently stroke Leo’s hair. Although her hands are bloodless, her fingertips are filled with gentle energy.
“…When I think about it, I always appreciated your compliments. “For a very pathetic reason… I didn’t praise it properly.”
Because I was a child who grew up well on my own.
He doesn’t even take responsibility for himself.
Without her own help.
I couldn’t praise him because he was a child who grew up well on his own.
“Leo, you were my happiness at any moment. “I have never regretted meeting your mother and son for a moment.”
“…”
It seems foolish to not be thankful for a thankful situation, but I can’t help it.
I want to smile at happy moments, but there are times when tears come out.
“I will protect my hometown until the end of your fight. “I still have an appointment left.”
The promise between Leo and Ren, as long as it is not lost, Anus will bury her bones in this house, and she has already buried them, and they have even met.
“Thank you…”
“When your grandmother is having a hard time, she can listen to your cries and give you counseling. Take it easy. Comfortable.”
And how many times did I cry?
Is it because I am excited?
Leo makes one mistake when he hears the word “Counseling.”
“…Grandma…”
“Okay, is there anything else you want to say…”
Or maybe it was because the alcohol I drank was really strong.
“The girl I really like likes me equally at the same time, so how can I get along with her and tell her she wants to marry me…?”
It was shortly after that that Aria saw Leo suddenly thrown out of her window.
Rios teleported Reinhardt’s entire group right after that, so everyone had no choice but to watch the threshing.
From what Anus hears, she is in a situation where she is both a familiar and a child, and even the demon lord is invading her body, and yet her companion, who is a hero, is convinced.
Because it only looked like they were straddling each other.