Editors: ASplashofMusic, sleepchaser
I had a childhood friend whom I was quite fond of.
He was strong, gentle, and brave. More so than anyone else.
Behind our orphanage had stood a towering olive tree. And his hair and eyes had been the same warm shade of brown as its trunk.
His eyes would glitter upon every new discovery, and his laughs were always open-mouthed and unrestrained.
Whenever he became hurt because of me, he would just grin, as if trying to comfort me.
“I’m sorry,” he said, laughter spilling from his lips. I couldn’t believe he could still do so.
Then he shoved me away with the hand he often used to caress my hair.
I fell onto the bed at the back of the room, stunned. When I looked up, Allen had lowered his gaze, still smiling. The Holy Sword was still clutched in his hand, but he now stood in leather armor. I had a similar set. We used it during training.
Then the door slammed shut.
Realization finally struck me. I rushed forward and banged over and over again at the door, trying to force it open. But it wouldn’t budge. Allen must’ve barricaded it.
I tried to summon my magic, but because my emotions ran wild, it wasn’t strong enough. Still, I didn’t give up on opening the door. A long while later, I somehow managed to get out of the basement.
Once I climbed up to the surface, I saw Allen. He sat leaning against the cross of the chapel.
He looked at peace. There even seemed to be a hint of a smile on his face. Yet, his eyes were hollow.
Deep gashes ran through his entire body, a pool of scarlet beneath him. But even without these clues, it was obvious that Allen was no longer alive.
Because of the large hole in the middle of his chest.
I had no clear memory of what occurred after that.
I just knew screams and sobs escaped from me as I held Allen’s body. As the chapel burned down, the Holy Sword cast a protective barrier over me. How ridiculous.
I would never forgive the world that had snatched away Allen. My treasure.
“Hey, can’t you reconsider?” asked the swordsman. “You’re still young, so why do you insist on returning to those ruins? The houses have all burned to the ground, and all sorts of wild plants have taken over the fields. Isn’t it enough to just visit the graves?”
As I gave him some vague answers, I stole glances at the waiter from under my thick hood.
He was slender and slight for a man. Noticing the perverted gazes of drunk men aimed at him, I felt the urge to slash their tongues.
But after thinking it through, I realized that I probably misread their gazes.
In this country, homosexuality was considered against God’s teachings. No “heretic” would brazenly spend their time here.
So why was I this irritated? Ever since Allen’s death, it was like I’d received facial and emotional paralysis. The only times my heart had felt alive, trembling, was when encountering Allen’s foes. Now that I’d sent them to their graves, I had thought my heart had numbed completely.
“Thank you for waiting! They’re hot, so be careful!”
The waiter placed the soup bowls on our table, before heading to the kitchen with empty plates.
My composure cracked as our gazes met. But as soon as the aroma wafting from the dish entered my nostrils, I finally fell apart.
I gripped the spoon with my trembling hand, scooping up a piece of vegetable. The messily cut vegetables were simmered to perfection, the taste of the broth absorbed within.
Despite being the sole seasoning used in the dish, the Kieri seeds brought out the richness and umami of the vegetables.
This was the true taste of my hometown.
If something like this still remained after I had lost everything, then…
The swordsman’s cracking voice snapped me back to my senses.
He asked me why I was crying, and it was only then that I realized my cheeks were wet and burning hot. But I chased after that waiter without bothering to wipe them.
He was one head shorter than me. Back then, Allen used to be taller than me.
Now, if he were still alive, I could probably hug his waist with only one hand. Allen had also been slender, but after so much training, he had gained some muscle. He was very nimble with the sword. So much so that he had even astonished the knights. And his serious side profile as he trained was always a beautiful sight to behold.
I grabbed the waiter’s shoulder. It was so thin that I felt like I could easily crush it in my hand. There was no way he could lift a sword, let alone use it. There was no way he could fight against the demon… No, the one who had clashed with that demon had been Allen. This guy was just a waiter at a tavern.
Allen was no longer of this world.
Even so, the Kieri seeds and that stew…
His brown locks swayed as he turned around.
Upon seeing my hooded self, he squinted in puzzlement. And for the first time, I finally had a proper view of his face.
Just like I had expected, his slightly droopy eyes were different from Allen’s. This waiter couldn’t be Allen. Yet…
His warm brown eyes widened in surprise. “Riley? Why are you crying?”
Riley finally meets Ilya! (⁎˃ᆺ˂) But Riley, don’t cry… You see, my son Riley is just a pure cinnabun, he’s not scary at all~ I’m just sad every time he goes back to his past self though, wuwuwu QAQ
Just in case anyone is wondering, I’m actually translating the honorifics like ‘-san’, ‘-dono’, etc into English honorifics! I think it will make the reading smoother that way, especially since this novel setting doesn’t take place in Japan. ( °꒳° )
Also, I’m still looking for editor, please apply if possible~ o(*>ω<*)o
Support the author! Buying the digital copy outside Japan is a bit tricky, so I’ll try to make a tutorial on how to do so. The published version is definitely better if compared with the free version (more details, more scene, extra chapters), but I’m only going to translate the free version that’s available in syosetu, so buy the book if you’re curious~
If you like my translations and want to read more, please consider supporting me on ko-fi. By donating, you can read one advanced draft chapter of this novel and also immensely boost my motivation! Next chapter will come out at Wednesday, so see you guys until then. ｡ﾟﾟ(」｡≧□≦)」