This might have been the most appreciation I received in my life.
I received heartfelt gratitude from many people. Many tears of gratitude were overflowing from around me. Before I knew it, I found myself tearing up too. Even shut-ins shed tears sometimes. It had been a while since I last shed warm tears, so it felt somewhat refreshing.
It was a tough day, but since there were no casualties, I received a lot of gratitude. All-in-all, it was a good day.
Night fell. The Sky Whales had already left, so the night sky was visible. The moon and the stars were shining brightly.
I lit up the lights in my room and picked up the book on the desk.
It was the aforementioned secret book written by Angelina-san. The title was…
“Waterfowl’s Swift Blade” (Wilhelm)
I confirmed its contents. Since it was quite lengthy, I brewed some coffee and slowly read through it.
Thanks to Angelina-san’s detailed explanations, my understanding of the technique continued to deepen.
Late into the night, I closed the book. I decided to turn off the light and go to sleep.
“Well, this is something.” (Wilhelm)
I thought I would be able to master it more easily—
It turned out that mastering [Waterfowl’s Swift Blade] required proficiency in purification magic. And I couldn’t use it. I’ll have to learn it from someone else, but the list of potential instructors was quite limited.
I slipped under the covers. Time to sleep. I’ll think about it after I wake up from my shut-in slumber. It seemed that noisy days would begin again before long.
◇
The day of the Latern Sending has arrived.
It’s an event to send the souls of those who passed away in the past year to heaven.
First, we went to the church and listened to the grateful words of the priest, which made us feel somber.
Then, we all offered prayers together, feeling a deep sense of sorrow.
After that, we walked slowly as a group towards the sea. While walking, we quietly reminisced and fondly remembered the deceased.
As we entered the sandy beach, we could feel the scent of the tide. Perhaps due to last year’s epidemic, there seem to be more people seeing off loved ones this year than usual.
Everyone had a sad expression as they gazed at the sea. The quiet sea dyed in the color of the sunset—
I, too, silently gazed at the sea. While thinking about sending off Anya and Clara’s dad, I feel a sense of sadness creeping in.
However, a suspicious voice that greatly disrupts the atmosphere could be heard.
“Oooooooooon!” (?)
“Wooooooooon!” (?)
It echoes through the quiet sea.
Oi, who brought the vengeful spirits here? Oh, it’s Eva.
Well, of course it was. No one else would bring vengeful spirits, right? Everyone is startled by the strange voices. They’re attracting attention.
“Hey. Shhh.” (Eva)
The vengeful spirits became silent when they heard Eva’s words.
“Are they the vengeful spirits from the abandoned castle? Are you going to send them to heaven, Eva?” (Wilhelm)
“Yeah. They’re poor souls who haven’t been sent off until today. I’ll send them off with love.” (Eva)
“I see. Eva, you’re a nice person.” (Wilhelm)
Eva is dazzling under the illumination of the evening sun.
It’s the brightest smile I’ve seen so far. I can’t believe I called her a ghost-like child before. No matter how you look at it, she’s definitely a beauty.
In the distance, a boys’ choir began to sing.
It was a beautiful song. As I listened attentively, it resonated in my heart, almost bringing tears to my eyes.
Anya, Clara, and even Daniel sang their hearts out to bid farewell to their loved ones. They were truly pouring their hearts into it.
Eventually, the song ended, and it was time to release the lanterns into the sea.
I joined up with Anya. Mew-chan was in charge of lighting the lanterns.
“Be careful not to burn yourself this time.” (Wilhelm)
“I know!” (Mew-chan)
Mew skillfully lit the lanterns with magical matches.
The lanterns and Mew-chan’s fur caught fire.
Everyone looked at Mew-chan’s burned hand in horror.
“Ahhh! Hot, hot mew!” (Mew-chan)
“That was quite the dramatic performance…” (Wilhelm)
“Sodane! It wasn’t done on purpose!” (Mew-chan)
Mew-chan rushed to the shore and helped extinguish the fire. He looked embarrassed.
And then… A beautiful singing voice reached my ears.
It was an amazing voice.
Anyone who heard that beautiful singing voice would feel peaceful enough to sleep soundly. Surely, the souls about to be sent off would find peace in heaven.
The one singing is the saint. It’s Edel-nee.
Come to think of it, Edel-nee has always been good at singing since childhood. Maybe that’s one of the reasons she was chosen as the saint.
Anya sheds tears. Quietly, she cries while looking at the lantern’s flame.
“Dad… Thank you for everything. I’m still weak, but I think I’ve become a little stronger. Please continue to watch over me in heaven.” (Anya)
“Anya-chan has become really strong! George-san, I’ll always be by Anya-chan’s side, so please rest assured in heaven.” (Sofia)
Sofia-san placed her hand on Anya’s shoulder.
The waves are washing over their feet. Anya and Sofia-san walked into the sea together.
The two of them gently knelt down and released the lantern into the sea.
Next to them was Clara. She carefully released her lantern into the sea as well.
The three of them began to pray at the same time.
The lanterns drifted away on the waves.
A sacred light began to pour into the sea. It’s said to be the stairway to heaven. Guided by that light, the souls ascend to heaven.
My father walked up beside me. He had a rare, sorrowful expression on his face.
“Hey, Wil-something.” (Robert)
“Yes, Father-something.” (Wilhelm)
“I see you didn’t skip out on the event today.” (Robert)
“Well, of course.” (Wilhelm)
Father seems to be watching the backs of Anya and Clara. I wonder what he’s thinking about.
“Wil-something, no, Wilhelm. Could you show those two a miracle before it ends?” (Robert)
“What do you mean?” (Wilhelm)
“There must be one, right? A high-level magic befitting this occasion. Those two are the beloved daughters of my friend. I want you to give them the gift of a miracle before it ends.” (Robert)
I looked at Father. Father looked at me.
His eyes were unwavering. When was the last time he looked at me like that?
I had actually noticed. Father and I were thinking the same thing.
I thought it was just unnecessary meddling. But it seems that wasn’t the case.
“Well, I guess it can’t be helped. Then, I’ll do it for a month of shut-in life in paradise.” (Wilhelm)
“…Too long. How about two weeks?” (Robert)
“Three weeks, then.” (Wilhelm)
“Okay, deal.” (Robert)
“Understood. Just watch. The ultimate magic of the Demon Lord. Materialization Magic: [Foresight Illusion]” (Wilhelm)
My magic spread out.
Under the influence of that magic, a miracle occurred in the sea.
In front of the grieving people, their loved ones, those they were bidding farewell to, appeared.
In front of Anya and Clara, their two dads appeared.
No one understood what had happened, and everyone was speechless.
The song stopped.
Edel-nee was looking at me. Looks like she noticed.
“Everyone, it’s alright. The great god has granted us this moment of miracle. It’s only a short while, but let’s say our final farewells one last time.” (Edelweiss)
Perhaps they felt reassured by the words of the saint.
Everyone began to interact with their loved ones, calling out each other’s names, and shedding tears.
I looked at Anya’s dad. George-san seemed like a very kind person. Watching him, I felt a sense of warmth in my heart. I felt like he would have surely created a warm family atmosphere.
Clara’s dad, Randolph-san, looked cool. He had a dandy aura and seemed like the type who would suit smoking a cigar. Muscular and sturdy, he gave off the vibe of a really strong guild master.
Anya strained her voice and spoke.
“Dad… Is that you…?” (Anya)
“Yeah, it’s me, Anya. I’m sorry I had to leave you all of a sudden…” (Anya’s Dad)
“Father… Have I… have I become a little more stronger?” (Anya)
“Yeah, you’ve become stronger. You’ve really become stronger…” (Anya’s Dad)
Clara also strained her voice to speak.
“Papa… right?” (Clara)
“Yeah, that’s right. I’m Clara-chan’s beloved dad. Clara-chan, you’re the cutest in the world. I love you more than anyone else.” (Clara’s Dad)
“So do I.” (Clara)
All four of them seemed overwhelmed with emotion. They stopped exchanging words and embraced each other tightly.
Everyone was crying.
Father next to me was crying, Sofia-san was crying too, and even Mew-chan was crying. As an outsider, it wasn’t the right time for me to intervene. I sat down on the sandy beach and quietly continued to use magic.
The lanterns were drifting away into the sea.
Before we knew it, night had fallen.
The light of the lanterns drifting in the sea created a truly beautiful sight.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
I kind of wished MC would have a talk with their father, but I get that it would ruin the atmosphere somewhat.
Also, I changed how Anya called her father from “Father” to “Dad”. Honestly, I should have just done this from the start
This really reminded me of the funeral events I’ve been to. Hah, now I just feel sad.
Well, there’s still the short special story at the end, so hopefully it isn’t anymore sad stuff.
Edit: It completely slipped my mind, but Eva usually talks in third-person… It’s just that, for the past few chapters including this one, she’s been using “watashi” and talking in first person, so maybe she uses first-person when she’s serious…? I’m probably thinking too much into this and she just uses it whenever she likes.
Footnote:
- None