During the very same day, at daytime. I made a visit to that place.
On the outskirts, on top of a small hill, a place where circular stones were standing in a row.
It’s the cemetery.
“Greetings, thank you very much for your hard work as always.”
I thank the gravekeeper standing at the entrance with a few words as always and entered the cemetery.
This cemetery too, saw a lot of new tombs within these 10 years.
People died and were born, but the tombstones didn’t decrease that much.
At the other cemeteries, when an entire family was no longer around, their tombstones were demolished, but this place was reserved for the nobles, and so even after an entire family died, their tombstones wouldn’t be demolished.
And now, the Ranoa Kingdom and Magic City Sharia was slowly building up its strength.
In addition to that, noble families were increasing as well, due to that gravestones were increasing too.
I stood in front of one of those gravestones.
Paul Greyrat was written on the circular gravestone.
It had gotten quite old compared to when it was first erected.
With the cleaning equipment I had brought along with me, I cleaned the surroundings and polished the gravestone.
After that, I offered alcohol in front of the gravestone and joined my hands together.
It had been a while since I came here.
I kept visiting at every opportunity I got and reported various things before but I ended up visiting less & less these days.
Still, I made a shrine visit once a year with all my family......
I wonder if it’s the problem with my feelings.
Rather than making a shrine visit to meet Paul, it felt more like that it was an event I had to attend.
Looks like I was lacking feelings of gratitude.
“Father, everyone’s lively and doing fine.”
The first thing that I told him was about the current state of other people.
I did this every year as well, but just in case.
“I’ll be turning 34 this year.”
34 years old.
It’s the age when I died in my previous world.
During the time when this and that happened, I ended up becoming 34.
But I wonder why.
It felt like it took quite a lot more time than the previous world to become 34.
I wonder if it was because I had a lot of things to do.
Or was it because it was a lot different as compared to my previous world.
“Even though I’ve just become 34, I ended up seeing a dream where I die at 74.”
I wonder just what that dream was.
Was it just a dream?
Or was it the future Hitogami showed me?
Hitogami was sealed.
And I accepted my death with a satisfied mind.
Right, maybe the moment Lara removed my bracelet, Hitogami was able to intervene.
“If that was really true then.....”
If Hitogami made me see that, then it probably meant that it was the result of my hard work.
In the Battle of Biheiril Kingdom, we were victorious.
Maybe that was really the final battle and Hitogami lost any way of winning against Orsted.
Therefore, Hitogami gave up.
Since there was no interference from Hitogami whatsoever for these past 10 years.
There’s nothing anymore.
Perhaps he’s stealthily moving in the shadows.
However, just as Gisu and Badigadi said, there was no news of him.
To the point where I forgot the purpose that I was moving for.
“Does this mean I don’t have to work hard anymore?”
If Hitogami had really given up.
Then that meant my job was finished.
I’m halfway through my current job, it should be fine to live a little more relaxed.
I could put effort into baby-making once every three days with my wives.
I could teach various things to my children......
It felt like I could even start living in retirement.
“Just kidding.”
I laughed in disagreement.
That’s something foolish.
So what if Hitogami had given up.
It’s not like I was unwillingly doing my current work.
It’s not that harsh either.
I was doing this for the sake of leading Orsted to victory, for the sake the last battle.
It was quite fun.
Of course, there were times when it was painful and hard, but it’s not something that I would run away from.
There are still things that have to be done, there are also things I want to do and that I’m still doing.
It may be Hitogami’s plan to make me think like this... to make me lax.
“Father, I’ll be working even harder from now on.”
I had been living like this as usual.
That was a dream.
A convenient dream where a desire was brought forth.
“Please watch over us all.”
I said the usual things and joined my hands once again.
“..........”
As long as I existed, that guy must be in the afterlife.
Or so I say. It’s not necessary that Paul was within this grave.
He’s definitely enjoying the show from some other place.
That’s why coming here might be an act with not much meaning to it.
But it was fine.
This was the ceremony.
I’ll be working hard again from today onward.
It was taking that pledge in front of Paul’s gravestone that was important.
“By the way, Gisu too.....”
I put offerings on Gisu’s tomb that was near Paul’s as well and joined my hands again.
I didn’t know what Gisu might think of this but.....well, it wasn’t like he seriously wanted to bring ruin to me.
“I’ll listen to your resentment in 40 years.....well, it might take bit longer than that or I could probably die before that.”
I had no intention of glorifying Gisu’s death, but if 10 years pass, things like that tend to fade away.
And as a result of those things fading, the thing that would be remembered would be his smiling face.
Gisu always laughed giddily while talking about jinxes.
When I recalled that smiling face of his, I couldn’t help but think of it as a nice memory.
It’s not like someone close to me had died because of Gisu, and I held no resentment towards him.
Because he died, I was able make a shrine visit to his grave like this.
“Well then, I’ll come back again. Next time, probably with my family.”
While saying that, I stood up.
Nothing in particular would be changing just because I saw a strange dream.
While doing what I can, I’ll do what I want to do.
While thinking that, I turned my feet towards my house where my family was waiting.