EP3. Epilogue – Decision in Midwinter
“Mister, are you really leaving?”
Despite the chilly weather and the lightly falling snow,
Sean was out to the entrance of the village.
Sean’s words came out with a deep sense of regret, even though this was a topic that had already been concluded a long time ago.
From noble mtl dot com.
Joe looked at Shawn and said.
“Yes. If you succeed in hunting alone in the depths of the forest, we decided to leave.”
“Of course I know, but you can stay until the village is completely restored, right?”
Joe did not bother to answer Sean’s forced question.
“Shaun. Of course I know what you’re talking about. But, it’s already been 3 years since it happened. The villagers are already slowly forgetting the pain.”
“······Still…”
I know myself. The words you just uttered were just words I brought out to catch you.
“The village has suffered pain once before.”
“・・・・Yes?”
“Of course, the village was a peaceful village that had never been attacked by monsters or bandits, but even such a rural village could not escape the plague.”
“········.”
“Many people have died. Epinel’s father, children, Paul’s wife and even my wife.”
Shawn didn’t know. None of the villagers had ever said anything like that.
Maybe he didn’t want to bring up the subject.
“However, the pain the villagers suffered eventually healed over time.”
“·······.”
“Maybe it’s not that it’s healed, it’s just that I’ve barely forgotten about it. I think I can do it this time too.”
Sean couldn’t understand that. Forget? He just forgot about the death of a loved one.
“What if I can’t forget it? No matter how hard you try to forget it, you may not be able to forget it for the rest of your life.”
“Then I just live like that. You live your whole life without forgetting it.”
For some reason, Sean got the feeling that Joe’s words were tinged with sorrow.
“Shaun. Not everyone is as strong as you.”
“Yes?”
“It means that not everyone can overcome great pain like you. Most people get frustrated with pain and run away without confronting it. Me too.”
“Yes? No. Uncle is strong.”
In Shawn’s opinion, there was virtually no one as strong as Joe. Of course, in terms of power, there must be many people who are stronger than you. The knight will do the same.
However, seeing Joe’s unchanging appearance even after the loss of his beloved son, he is such a strong person. He felt.
If it wasn’t for Levi’s comfort at that time, he wouldn’t have gotten up. However, Uncle was different. He overcame it on his own.
However, Joe’s thoughts were different from Sean’s.
“No, I am weak. Not only weak, but cowardly.”
“・・・・・Yes?”
“I always ran away. Even though I knew I had to go forward and overcome it, I always turned around and ran away. And now, leaving this town is the same.”
“·······.”
“I once had a fight with that friend of Paul. He yelled at me ‘Why are you running away?’.”
***
“Why are you running away? Article.”
Amidst the pouring rain, the young man with the physique of a bear shouted at the cold-looking young man.
“······Paul. I will go back.”
At the weak words that came out of Joe’s mouth, Paul snorted and mocked him.
“Ha! Are you going back? To the village?”
“Yes.”
“Why, you know that there isn’t much left!”
At that question, Joe hesitated for the first time. And he said cautiously.
“······We have a precious person… Okay. Lover.”
At those words, Paul must have lost his temper, strode up to Joe and grabbed him by the collar.
Pulling Paul by the collar, he glared at Joe from the street right in front of him.
“Yes, love. Are you going to give up just because of that? All the hard work I’ve done so far is wasted.”
“······.”
“You’re just going back?”
Joe was speechless. Because he knew very well why his close friend in front of him was angry.
Paul threw Joe, who didn’t say anything.
“You’re just trying to run away. Article.”
“········.”
“I didn’t know you were such a coward. ······Go away.”
Paul turns around, leaving Joe thrown on the floor.
Joe saw Paul leaving and called him over.
“Paul.”
Paul stands still without saying anything.
“·······If you ever get tired, come back to the village.”
“I am different from you. I’m not running away, I’ll go back after everything is over.”
For a while there was no sound between the two men. Only the sound of rain soaked the two men.
Joe asked one last time.
“…Wouldn’t you like to have a happy family?”
“·······Happy, family·····.”
Paul listened to Joe’s words, seemed to think for a moment, and then spoke quietly.
“······That kind of excess doesn’t suit me…”
Joe couldn’t stop Paul from leaving.
***
Joe stopped reminiscing and told the boy in front of him his conclusion.
“Anyway, I am that kind of guy. And just because one man like this is missing, the village won’t have much of an impact.”
At Joe’s words, Shawn still had a downcast expression on his face.
It must be because he has a lot of affection. Even so, it makes me feel so sad that I want to leave.
Fishik,
For some reason, Joe seemed to have a lot of laughs since he was with this boy.
Yes, he has been with this child for three years.
Unbeknownst to you, you must have become quite attached to this boy.
Joe looked at Sean’s face once more. Clearly, they were quite similar.
It’s not that the face looks alike. However, things like the atmosphere and personality, he is a son who is too much for himself.
A gift from her beloved. Luke. He looked a lot like the kid, Joe thought personally.
Joe stroked Sean’s hair and said affectionately.
“Shaun. I will give you a small present.”
“A gift, huh?”
Sean, who had been lowering his head in a grunt, looked up at Joe’s words.
And Joe wrapped something around Shawn who raised his head like that.
It was Joe’s cloak.
Although it was quite a funny look for Sean, who was still young, being dragged on the ground because he was so big, it seemed to suit the innocent boy.
“·····This is…”
“Hmm, I guess I’ll wear it after it gets bigger. Still, there are quite a few good things about using a cloak, so even though it’s a bit old, it will be useful later.”
Sean knew. Not just when hunting, but whenever Shawn saw him, Joe always wore this cape.
I should be grateful, but for some reason Sean had a hard time getting his words out because his heart was choking.
“The weather is cold. Do you want to come in? I won’t be waiting for you.”
At Joe’s familiar greeting, Shaun finally burst into tears and whimpered.
From noble mtl dot com.
“··· Mr.···· You have to be careful····. And, I have to come back… yes…?”
“Yes, take care of yourself too.”
En saw Joe’s face just before leaving, the same he saw when he first came to Sean’s house.
There was such a smile.
***
The endlessly stretched fields were suddenly covered with white snow.
Like a cloud, the pure white land without a spot.
This is a secret place for boys and girls.
And there was a girl standing in the snowy field.
It wasn’t difficult for Shawn to find Levy.
Since “That day”, Levi always came here whenever it snowed, as if she would never forget it.
Sean slowly approached Levy.
Levy is just like she was when she first discovered this place.
I was turned away from Shawn.
As Sean walked through the snow, the sound of his stepping on the snow broke the silence.
As if she noticed who was behind her, Levy said without looking back at her.
“Are you coming to see Uncle Joe off?”
Sean, who had already told Levy about Joe a few days ago, said yes to her question.
“Yes. You just left.”
“・・・・・Do you know why Mister… Left?”
Why did you leave town? Of course Uncle Joe said he was running away, but Sean didn’t believe him.
I didn’t tell Joe, but Shawn had a better reason.
After Luke’s brother left, and after the monster’s attack, the uncle gradually increased his patrol time outside the village.
It looked as if Sean was seeking revenge on his son.
The decisive reason that made Sean think that way was the look in his eyes as he killed the monsters that remained in the village that day.
Because it was so bloody.
Obviously, they are now hunting non-animal monsters.
Sean wondered if he would share his guess with Levy.
I decided to do it. Levi must have known the reason and asked anyway.
“·····Probably, we went out to hunt monsters·····.”
“・・・・・・・Really?”
The girl lifted something high into the sky.
Although the sunlight wasn’t strong because it was snowing, I wanted to see it even a little better.
A clear green light covered Levi’s eyes.
Emerald.
Your own hairpin that your dad gave you as a gift, like that.
Levy looked at it for a long time.
Sean had no choice but to watch Levy like that. It wasn’t just Joe who changed her.
Everyone in the village has changed since that day. It was too big a deal to go through without changing.
Among the villagers, Epinel in particular has changed quite a bit.
She wondered if the woman who was full of responsibility, who was always relaxed in everything, was being eaten up bit by bit by her responsibilities before she knew it.
Shaun has also changed to some extent. She originally intended to learn the sword from the knight, but after going through that day, she was really devoting herself to sword training all day long.
And,
Levy has also changed.
I still loved playing with Sean. She smiled when she was still with Sean.
However,
Levi was obsessed with mastering her magic. There was a drop of sadness in the smile he made when he was with Sean.
When Shawn wasn’t around, he didn’t smile sincerely.
Too many things have changed. The monster gave children maturity,
I lost a lot in exchange for that maturity.
The boy and the girl were forced into an unfair deal even though they didn’t want to.
Levy, who had been looking at her hairpin for a while, She looked back at
Sean and smiled.
“Sean, I’ve made my decision.”
It was obviously the same composition as when I first came here, but the most important girl’s smile was full of sadness.
Sean listened to Levy silently. She had some idea what she was talking about.
Levi took her hairpin with both of her hands and buried it firmly in her own chest.
Winter, the girl made up her mind in the snow.
“Shaun, I will be an adventurer.”
“Being an adventurer… Made my dad that way…”
“I will defeat all the bad guys.”
“Shaun, you are in this town…”
The boy felt the weight of what was hanging around his neck.
She felt the weight of the promise she had made with the girl.
“Levi, you promised. Because we will be together forever.”
The promise I made with you is my lifelong oath.
Seeing Levi’s tears, Sean decided he would never let her cry again.
Looking at Shawn’s strong eyes, Levy realized he couldn’t be stopped.
So the two promised to become adventurers.
***
“Sir Paul. What are you doing not sleeping?”
Wilhelm, who was preparing for camp by lighting a bonfire, asked Paul.
At that, Paul scratched his head shyly and said.
“Ah, hahahaha. Old man Actually, it’s nothing special…”
And Paul carefully showed the results of his efforts.
“For a gift for the children when I return to the village, I just tried it once. That is···.”
“Whoops.”
At Wilhelm’s interesting exclamation, Paul risked a bit of embarrassment and asked.
“Actually, I only learned to write as a joke from my daughter, but…”
‘Family, happy!’
From noble mtl dot com.
“How is it well engraved?”
Wilhelm looked at his father’s heart for his children and said with a big smile.
“hahahaha! Well engraved! It will definitely be the best present for your children!”
Perhaps his heart was finally relieved by those words, Paul said with a hearty smile.
“I hope you like it. It’s the first time I’ve ever been away from my kids like this. I can’t wait to see you.”
In Paul’s head, the daily life of a happy family was already drawn.
Levy, Shawn.
Wait a minute.
Because Dad will be leaving soon.