Chapter 201
Chapter 201
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: Miria's Resolve
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On the sea-eroded cliffs overlooking the southeast coast of Ringkland's main island, where Link's ruins stood, there was a small stone grave.
It was where Miria had buried her adoptive father. She'd buried him in the earth—and in her heart.
After all the island's residents had been driven to other islands, no one could visit the grave without the Slayers' permission.
But that permission was no longer needed.
And so Miria was able to spend the entire night there in front of the stone grave, hugging her knees to her chest.
Her hair fluttering in the cold sea wind heralding the dawn, Miria recalled her past, which had been nothing but darkness.
"Mom, I want to be a Goblin Slayer."
She remembered that eleven years ago, in the exact same spot, in the exact same position, she'd been crying those words.
"Uncle Ghin was right."
And now, eleven years later, she gazed at the horizon wrapped in the long ribbon of dawn, a wistful smile on her lips. She could smile.
"Living like you, Uncle... somehow, someone really came to help."
Miria held up Ghin's memento, the Shaman Sword. It was the blade that had snapped during the final battle with Nariaduk, losing its magical power in the process.
"Look at this. Uncle's sword now holds our ancestor's power."
As if to prove her words, Miria channeled mana into the sword.
A red afterimage flickered at the base of the blade, and in the next instant, red light erupted like an explosion, forming a proper blade.
The veins in Miria's arm, gripping the sword, began to boil and pulse red.
Whether it was the Demon Slayer's power syncing or not, an uncontrollable force was surging through her entire body.
"Cool, right? I named it Demon Sword. It's yours, Sis, so I'll give it back to you. You're Uncle's real daughter, after all..."
When she set the sword down on the ground, the Demon Sword's blade faded away on its own. Fresh tears beaded in her eyes as she let out a soft chuckle.
"Now... now it's really all over..."
Into that endless darkness, light had suddenly shone through.
"That guy says to head to the southern end. He's a pretty good one, but I'm a little worried. There's that baby dragon Aki instead..."
Was she losing her mind?
She saw Uncle Ghin sitting in front of the stone grave.
Sitting comfortably, just like eleven years ago when he'd indulged a girl's whims, smiling easily.
"I told you once, didn't I, Uncle? That I wanted to adventure across the continent like you."
No answer came.
But she could see him chuckling.
"I want to follow, but... I know, Uncle. With the island like this, I can't leave. Right now, I need to help the others—"
As she made excuses, a hand chopped down hard on the top of Miria's head.
"—Why do you call Dad 'Uncle'? You wanna die?!"
Turning around, she saw the Demon Slayer—Milea.
On that day when everything ended, Linda and Miria had tearfully washed her body, so Milea had regained much of her lovely face and hair.
The scars covering her body from the organ extractions couldn't be helped...
But her mental growth had stopped at girlhood, so her speech and actions were more like a ten-year-old than a twenty-year-old woman.
"Don't use your strength like that! I told you your body's on the level of a human weapon now, didn't I?"
"You called Dad's name so casually! Mom, hear that? She needs a beating!"
Linda, who had followed Milea, covered her mouth and let out a refined chuckle: hee hee hee.
It was an ordinary laugh, impossible to put into words. It had taken eleven years for their family to share such ordinary laughs again.
Perhaps that's why Milea started laughing along with her mother, and soon Miria joined in.
"So, did you reunite with your brother-in-law? He came to his senses, they say."
"Milea, it's not brother-in-law. It's brother-in-law from your sister's side."
"Oh, brother-in-law!"
"Brother-in-law? What brother-in-law?"
What kind of nonsense was that?
No matter how she thought about it, "brother-in-law" didn't fit anywhere.
Milea poked Miria's side with a mischievous grin like a ten-year-old.
"Why~? Word's all over. Miria's husband saved the island. So introduce me to him already."
Miria sighed and pressed her temple.
"Are you insane? Husband? I'd rather date a goblin than go out with him. You know nothing about the world—too much nothing."
"What? Insane? Talking back to your big sis like that! Mom, punish Miria!"
Stroking Milea's whining, girlish head, Linda looked at Miria. Thanks to Valensidis's healing ritual, her mother's condition had improved greatly too.
"Follow him, Miria."
"Huh?"
"You should repay the favor, shouldn't you...? With our ancestor's power in Ghin's sword, it'll be helpful from now on."
"No, Aunt— I mean, Mom. What are you saying? How can I go? The island's just starting to recover, and this—"
"—It's yours, Miria."
When Miria offered Ghin's sword to Milea, she firmly shook her head.
"Dad gave it to you, not me. And I don't even want to use that power anymore. I'm sick of it."
Take this sword and follow that guy off the island?
It felt too perfect, too much like a dream come true. Even though she didn't deserve such a fairy tale.
She shook her head, trying to draw a line against her sister and mother's wishes—and her own heart.
"—!"
Someone— a touch so familiar and longed-for— smacked her shoulder with a solid tap.
Taking a deep breath, she turned around, past the stone grave. Ghin's apparition was gone.
But how was this possible? The sensation of Ghin just now tapping her shoulder, urging her forward.
'Uncle...'
Then Milea approached and hugged Miria tightly. In her eyes, an innocent smile had been replaced by a serious one.
"If you go now, who knows when you'll come back."
"Yeah."
"We just reunited after eleven years, and you're leaving just like that?"
"I've waited eleven years. What's a bit longer?"
"Sis."
"Dad would want you to go. And the ancestor's power in that sword too. I can feel it somehow."
Linda then wrapped her arms warmly around both sisters' shoulders. Just like in their childhood, on that distant winter day, when she'd hugged them and read fairy tales.
"We all know, Miria. What kind of life you've lived these eleven years for this island... and for us..."
"..."
"So live your own life now, Miria. Head toward the future you choose."
* * *
"That guy" was hospitalized in the central ward of the green city <Karshiko>.
With the Dragon Slayer dead, the hypnosis that had gripped the city broke, and under the Special Task Force's command, the city seemed to be swiftly regaining stability.
With the Yellow Dragon in his arms, Pipi on his head, and holding Aki's hand with his left, he made his way to the ward.
The central ward was quite hectic, accommodating all the Ringkland residents in serious condition.
To avoid crowds thanking him, he walked with his hood pulled low.
Finally knocking on the room door and entering, his heart pounded and breath quickened for some reason.
Opening the door, a woman chattering away from her hospital bed looked up and waved.
"Well, if it isn't the idiot who tried chasing a natural afterlife reunion and got dragged back to the living world thanks to someone."
A memory flashed through his mind: one year ago, parting with a promise to meet again.
Rem, Bart, Sami.
Though Sami wasn't there, the memories seeped into reality like paint on canvas, standing out vividly.
"Bart, Rem."
Rem confidently flashed a victory V-sign, then grinned slyly.
"Not gonna say it this time?"
"Say what?"
"That line you dropped all dramatic back then. 'I wouldn't have survived without your help' or something?"
"Eat shit."
"Here, have some shit, punk."
Mid-banter with Rem, his gaze unconsciously drifted to her hair.
Rem's hair color... was fresh green. The same as Kies's.
Rem scratched the scar on her forehead, noticing his stare, and answered.
"What're you staring at? This is my natural color. I was just dyeing it like you."
"......?"
"Lemme drop a huge secret on you. This Rem is a direct descendant of the legendary Bow Star Kies."
You, Kies's...
He'd thought he'd grown used to meeting his friend's descendants coming to Ringkland, but this felt strangely odd.
"And you? How many kids did you pop out while we weren't looking? What a insane stud."
"No, these guys are..."
Bart, who melted for any cute creature, was already gazing at Aki and the Yellow Dragon with rapt adoration.
"Aki, say hi. He's my friend."
"Aki say hi~."
"Aruung."
Aki's belly-button greeting hit, and a ecstatic flower bloomed on Bart's face. But that expression was kinda scary...
"Tons to ask, but most important: why the hell are you guys here?"
He was endlessly grateful for the help, but their miraculous appearance this time felt eerie.
The first to answer wasn't Rem or Bart.
It was Serwebon, leaning against the far wall of the room. Blue waves from the White Bow Palace swept the room, and fresh sprouts pushed up from the floor.
"We were looking for you, reported missing due to the sunspot crisis. Then I met Rem's uncle."
"Me...?"
"After you split from Trident Point, that bow kept going nuts like that, he said."
The sleepless Bow Star Leoren realized I was the cause and lent Serwebon to Rem.
"'Follow where Serwebon's light leads,' he said. Claimed he couldn't go himself as Yellow River Clerk, but he just dumped the hassle."
"So you're Serwebon's owner now?"
"Not officially inherited yet. More like a proxy. FakeWarriors say that stuff. That's how following Serwebon's guidance led us to you."
Rem paused there, fixing him with a meaningful stare.
"No matter how you slice it, Serwebon reacting like this is suspicious..."
"......!"
"So, Rain, you wouldn't happen to..."
Dry swallow burned his throat.
No way.
Had she figured it out completely? Could he hide it? Should he tell the truth? Next instant, Rem pointed at his head.
"Be the one carrying that sun parrot—Fride's sun parrot, right? Don't even try playing dumb. My nose doesn't lie."
Uh, um, well...
Yeah... that's... true... ugh...
"Real deal, real deal, real deal."
"Real deal? Bart, it's legit!"
"Kneel, kneel, kneel."
"Ooh, legendary sun parrot! Signature if you can!"
"Bare? Bare? Bare? Corn, corn."
Seeing Rem and Bart prostrating to Pipi, a deflating laugh escaped him.
Ha, haha, ha.
Yeah, who would recognize. Who would even think Lin reincarnated.
-I sincerely pray this aids your new journey, even a little.
Doran's attitude and words at the end nagged a bit, but probably nothing. He'd have said if he knew.
"But you can inherit Serwebon that easily?"
"Who'd argue if it's the real Pipi? Serwebon's heir exists to help Lin anyway."
"What?"
"Our founder said Lin would return, and Serwebon's heir must help him. Serwebon freaking out meant help Pipi."
He couldn't even grasp what she meant.
Help me?
How'd they know I'd come? That's the inheritance condition?
"Our village is the same."
Then the ward door opened. A stout old man with sturdy shoulders entered.
Logitello village chief, Dos.
With his granddaughter Cora. Both carried baskets full of oranges and lemons.
"Chief, what brings you here...?"
"Can't leave my son-in-law's friends hurt. Our island oranges are packed with nutrients. Eat up."
"Son-in-law?"
"Why play dumb? Don't worry. I don't judge unwed fathers. I see the heart."
"No, what are you talking about?"
"What? Denying it?"
"?"
"???"
"Cora."
"Grandpa, I heard it clear. Miria, stop crying. If not dating, who gazes with such tender eyes?"
Tender eyes? You lunatic.
Rem's glare narrowed, then she cupped her hands into a megaphone and yelled.
"Special Task Force mages! Mad playboy here! Mom's with another kid, and he's chasing women again!"
"Shut it. No, I mean, that's not—"
He couldn't wrangle the topic.
The sole sane one, Bart, was peeling oranges for Aki to boost favor.
No excuse would land; best to change subject.
"But Chief, what do you mean your village too?"
"Special Task Force mages, he's desperately changing topic! Emergency arrest!"
"Change, change, change."
"Arung."
Total chaos.
More chaotic than fighting Dragon Slayer? Normal?
Thinking of bolting, Dos gave a wry smile and answered.
"Our ancestor asked Fride to engrave his power into his sacred gear, saying Lin would return someday."
Link, Fride.
His heart throbbed.
That 6-star ritual was Fride's power? Rituals supposedly cap at 5-star unlike magic, but she surpassed in old age.
-Link, Link, Link.
Fine, but why Link?
Why that reckless request to Fride, complicating everything...
"He wanted to help when Lin returned. Humans can't live forever."
"......"
"Legend says when Lin awakens, the seal breaks, suitable heir uses the power."
"I see."
"Slayers forced the seal, turning Milea into killer doll. You undid it. Question is how the power transferred so stably to Ghin's sword..."
Only he knew that answer, probably.
Before Dos told him, he hadn't realized...
When he released Jernix's ritual, Fride's spell recognized his soul, unsealed the power.
Just why to the sword, not chains? And to Miria's sword, who looks just like Rista.
"Hey, story later?"
Rem, crushing lemon and slurping juice, spoke up.
"Look, Serwebon's going berserk... Pipi, can you read letters?"
"Of course, of course, of course."
"Then Rain, get us a private room. Let them meet."
"Why?"
Innocent question, but the answer stopped his breath.
"Our ancestor left a letter. Seems meant for Pipi."