There were four figures surrounding one table in the dark, cold, heavy air like a rainy sky.

Lined up on the desk is a qualitative meal: simple stir-fry and rice.

Only the sound of kachikachi and chopsticks combining sounds in silence, and the sound of chewing food pokes my ear.

"- Welcome."

Only the top of the mountain stood up in front of the shredded rice, putting the chopsticks down all the way, Mother.

Mother glanced around with an unfocused eye and went back to her room without saying anything in particular.

"Me too... Forget it"

Following my mother, Skull placed chopsticks along the way, despite the food platter. His overturned face is dark and his eyes are half closed.

And Skull went back to his room again, saying nothing.

Charstena, staring at the two of them like that, turned her face to me when the door closed with a pattan.

"... Ray doesn't even have an appetite?

She looked at me worryingly, and that's what she heard.

"That's not true. You can't fight when you're hungry. It is a natural duty as an adventurer in battle to eat well in order to be ready."

"... yes. You don't have to, do you?

As if it's normal for me to do what I can't, she's going to squeeze my hand from the top.

"... I didn't force it. Don't worry, I don't get weird, I'm sorted out."

"No... I'm lying. Ask me anything, talk to me."

"I don't care if you talk to me..."

What should I tell you?

I'm not going to lie...

"I really got my feelings sorted out. If you dare to tell me how to explain that, I've decided to take revenge. That's all."

"Are you sure...?

"Oh."

No need for comfort. I'm not that weak. You have to be strong.

To get revenge, yes, I organized my mind.

So it's okay now. I got back on my feet.

But as always, the worrying Charstena didn't seem to convince me yet.

"... but you do. Shall we talk about it once and for all? I want to talk to you separately."

"... yeah, okay"

After I finished my meal, I took Charstena outside the village. The destination is the lake my father liked. It's a very beautiful place, and it would be great for a date.

Until now...

"The tomb... you made it here too"

"I used to come here because I liked my father. I thought this would be better."

There was a father's funeral yesterday. The tomb was made in a village mass cemetery and buried within that day. But with that said, my father's body burned by that scorching heat and disappeared without leaving a single hair behind. There are no remains. There, just a stone with a name dug in it.

This tomb was filled with dolls from my father's hair I received before I entered Royal College. At first I wondered what was wrong with it, but when I buried it, I didn't want to let go.

Still, I buried it because my dad liked this place.

When I came from the afterlife to see this lake, I thought I could be a landmark.

I don't have any headstones here. Instead, I gave him my father's sword of love. When this guy would protect the grave, I felt that way, so I didn't even hesitate to leave my father's artifacts behind such a mountain.

I put the flowers I picked up on the road in front of my grave and put my hands together.

Normally I would pray for blessings or something like that, but now I'm still not going to be able to pray.

Instead, repeat the vow of vengeance in your heart.

Until that's over, it's bad for my father, but I want you to wait to be happy in the afterlife. After I saw it, he asked me to pass away and pray with no answer.

As soon as I finished praying, I turned to Charstena.

"... maybe not talking about doing it in front of the grave, but I think we need to talk to each other a lot. Look, I've been away for a year."

"... yeah, you are. 'Cause I'm ready."

That's how Charstena gave her a slightly more sophisticated look. I don't know how that feels, but I know.

Daimyo, you think you might find out your secret and be shaken.

I laughed.

They both look stupid, he said.

I had a similar secret, and I couldn't tell you because I was scared that you wouldn't like each other.

But, come on, now's the time to move forward with this halfway secret relationship.

"Once upon a time... you promised. If one of them reveals a secret, the other reveals it."

It was the night when the moonlight was pouring down. Promise exchanged on the summit of an island.

"... yeah. But I haven't been able to tell you everything, either. Really... there's something else I was really hiding..."

Charstena makes her eyes crawl to the ground. Haven't you noticed, the shoulder was shaking a little.

And then I open my mouth, trying to break it out of me first.

"Oh well... then can I talk to you from me?

"Yeah, if you'll let me hear it, I want to hear it. What Ray kept a secret."

Charstena reluctantly told me to look out for me, though, just a little bit of interest in those eyes.

Well, compared to the secrets that were goddesses, it's not even a big deal about me, but the fear of revealing secrets nevertheless was somewhat.

"Actually..."

I jam words for a moment. After all, I'm scared.

But when I swallowed one spit, I immediately continued.

"... one day before yesterday's ceremony, when I couldn't bear to get into Charstena's house, I peeked at the change of clothes"

"... Huh?

"I'm sorry, it's true, but it's a joke. I just couldn't stand it."

In many ways.

"Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah, that's fine, if it's a little bit..."

What, in which sense is that?

So I suppressed my desire to ask back, and I coughed deliberately with Cohon to switch.

Then let's take one deep breath.... No, let's just do it one more time.

I encourage you to breathe deeply twice to calm down your spirit. It's worth it, it got a little better.

I still feel scared, but I'm not turning back. Don't show me the man here, who you show me, I'll be ready and open my mouth slowly.

"I... am a reincarnator"

"Reincarnation... who?

Now Charstena's eyes opened flashly.

"Oh, I have memories of a previous life. Living in a different world than this."

"Another..."

"The world I once lived in was a completely different world than here. It's not easy to explain how it's different. There are too many things not here and vice versa. I was born in a completely different world."

Once you say it, your mouth is less resistant than you think. My heart is waving fast, but not as fast as I thought.

I lowered my heart to the fact that I had been given a secret.

On the other hand, Charstena's surprise was more than I thought. She was so stunned by my secrets that she was often relieved.

It's something that doesn't move much as it is, so I get worried and speak up.

"Char......?

"Ah... yeah. Sorry. I mean another world... hey, what can I say?

"Can't you believe it? But it's true. Besides this world, there is a world."

"Yeah, I knew that... I was doing a good thing out of the question..."

I'm surprised you knew, but assuming you were a goddess, I didn't think it was surprising. But then the words Charstena said didn't make sense, and I lean my neck.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's my turn next..."

"... if you don't want to, you don't have to talk about it, do you?

"Yeah. I heard Ray's secret. Besides... you wonder why I'm here, the goddess?

Charstena, that's what she asks, but she was still trying to say. Something tells me that watching it is my little secret, and I feel like I can't match it very well, and I was waving my head at the question if I noticed.

"Well, I don't care for it"

"Eh ⁉"

Charstena raised her surprise because my reply felt too appropriate.

"I hope you don't get me wrong, but I'm interested in Shall. Well, that bothers me."

There's no way it won't. What I want to know about people I like is no longer my natural desire. You can call it stewardship.

"But if Charles really doesn't want to talk about it, that's fine. Whether you're a goddess or whatever, the one thing I like is Shall. The polar theory, for whatever reason, doesn't matter."

It may be too polar, but I don't want to hear it until I make it impossible. This is serious.

And revealing that I was a goddess didn't change my mind. This is true.

Whatever reason there must be, it doesn't change my mind. So, you don't have to ask or not, either.

To my answer like that, Charstena laughs at the couscous for a little while, like she was taken aback.

"I don't care, isn't it a little terrible?

"So what did you think when you found out my contents weren't what they looked like?

"Ugh, I'm surprised... I don't care"

"You see. That's the way it is."

I joked and laughed, and Charstena hung me too and laughed.

"Thank you, Ray. But I knew we'd talk. Because I wanted to talk to you. Even as it is now, I'm happy enough, but if Ray accepts all of mine, I'm sure he'd be happier."

"Well, when you say something like that, I'll be on your side."

Finally, it stinks.

"Right. But I'm glad. Because I wanted you to listen and I didn't think there was going to be a day where I could talk."

"... All right, then, let's hear it. The earholes were already cool. I'm ready."

"You're dirty now, aren't you?

Charstena told me to laugh and be shuddered.

But I want you to stop being dirty. I just cleaned my ears to make sure my voice was right.

"Well, we'll talk. ─ 5,000 years ago..."

"Hey Time"

"Isn't it too soon to stop? We're just getting started..."

'Cause when I think I'm gonna tell you why I was hiding the fact that I was a goddess, all of a sudden I'm gonna fly to the story of history.

"First, let me ask you a question. How old is Schal?

"It's just like Ray, isn't it? Because I'm a goddess, but I was reincarnated."

Whoa, I'm getting unnecessarily confused. I wonder what she's talking about?

"Uh, so, Shall's secret, Zachri, is that why you were reincarnated even though you're a goddess?

"I didn't keep it a secret just because I needed to, did I? Rather, I want Ray to know..."

"Ooh?

I'm not sure what it is, but if you want me to know, let's remember it right.

"So what if I say zackli?

"It's hard to hear. Right... the last thing Ray wanted me to know..."

Sharstena, who was so slurred, suddenly stopped the words like something stuck in her throat. Afterwards, my eyes looking at me became more and more covered with anxiety...

"Wow, what I... didn't want you to know..."

The squeezed out voice also gradually dwindles, shivering and makes me look like I'm about to cry out now.

After this, I don't want you to know that much.

"I'm guessing you're not talking about identifying me with someone else, are you?

"What... hey, were you aware?

"Oh, my God, I knew it"

I was very relieved that Charstena's voice was back on track. Because it was likely to cause momentum even with hyperventilation.

I sighed and shook my head, feeling like I wasn't telling her how I felt at all.

"I'll say it again, Shall. I don't care, that's not true. I was aware that Charles overlapped me with someone different from me. But I thought that was fine. I tried so hard to take Char's feelings away from him. Charles didn't want me to know that because he thought I'd be mad at him for making it an alternative, did he?

"Ugh...... yeah. Because... I thought it was terrible. Ray is different... and I've been thinking about you... so..."

I blocked Charstena's mouth with my hands, trying to apologize with a crying face.

I don't have anything else to apologize for. I didn't want to hear those words.

"Well, I had a little trouble at first, but now I know it's not. That's why you look like that, right? That's enough. I'm not angry or anything. That's what I knew from the beginning. So you don't have to apologize."

Besides, I'm sure I wouldn't have felt this way about her if you hadn't overlaid me with that one.

Because I did have feelings in my heart that I wanted her to feel like someone else.

"Thank you, Ray. I knew it was nice talking to you."

Tears overflowed from Charstena's eyes. I can tell if you look at that delightful expression that it doesn't come from grief.

I'm laughing and crying. Other than to describe it that way, I didn't have words with me.

I often waited for her to settle down.

And Charstena, who finally stopped crying after a few minutes, largely came with a hug.

"... will you listen to me?

"Like this?

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna cry."

Don't bother. I don't really want to see Charstena's crying face.

"Okay."

That's what I said, I held her tight. So, if she doesn't have to cry,

And then Charstena started talking, small but thankfully.

"This was a long time ago. A really distracting old story before I became a goddess..."

From the beginning, Charstena spoke with a slightly different mouth.

I listened to my ear.

"I had company. Two dear, dear, still unforgettable companions."

Charstena's body trembled in small pieces.

"But when I woke up one day, they weren't there anymore"

The tremor grew.

"It was sad, being alone. I missed him, and he told me I'd never see him again. I couldn't stand it, the world without two... to me, it was of no value"

I held her tight so I could hold it down.

"So I searched, for 5,000 years, all the time. I became a goddess, lost my life expectancy, reincarnated, all the time… I kept looking for two rebirths in this world"

I heard you sniffing.

"When I met Ray, I thought I'd finally met him. Now I thought I could go back to those happy days again. But... no. I couldn't have seen you. Because you two are already dead. Even if you're reborn, that's completely different, because you're someone else. I know they're nowhere else in the world."

I can't see you anymore. Nowhere in the world.

The words are profound to me now. Her pain when she found out about it seemed to pour in and hurt her heart.

"I realized that, I was already at my limit. Yeah, I guess it's been the limit for a long time now. The pain of not seeing you, the unacceptable grief that stuck you in the chest, screamed all the time."

Trembling voice. I could see a hand spinning around my back grabbing my clothes.

"I already... thought I'd die. There's no point in living any longer."

Hearing the words, unconsciously, I was tightening Charstena's body.

Probably hurt. I could see her body trembling for a moment, freaking out. But still, I didn't loosen that hand. When I loosened it, I held her tighter that she was going to leave and could be pissed off later.

To me like that, she pulled herself apart to keep her whole body.

"... but my chest got kind of hot when I saw Ray look really anxious and rush over to me. I couldn't help but be glad that someone was sobbing to comfort me."

Behind my brain, I thought of what happened on that island.

Oh, sure. I see her crying down, and I have to do something, but I don't even know why I'm crying, and in the end I can only stay with her until I stop crying, I remember feeling sorry for her.

"That's when I wanted to live with Ray. I wanted to see you on the side, because I've been suffering for 5,000 years to see Ray, because that's what I thought."

I wonder how determined that was in her.

Five thousand years in a nutshell, but how long and hard were those days?

Probably the easiest option for her was to die. I wonder what I should call her for choosing to be with me until you throw that away.

Would it be okay if I were happy, thankful, or such a light word? Is it okay with words that delight her in her suffering like that?

No... it can't be good.

I listened and I ended up opening my mouth the way I wanted.

"... it's stupid, Char is"

"... yeah"

"I'm a big idiot. He's the biggest idiot in the world."

I'm not very much on the path she's taken, but I wasn't going to be able to bless her. As a result, even if I met Charstena, I wasn't likely to be admitted to it.

Because admitting it is a word that denies Serna's death to me for accepting my father's death, no, for accepting the death of someone dear and living.

"Me too, I think it's stupid"

Oh, he's really stupid, clumsy without help.

The death of someone important hurts more than being cut off. That's a good word. In fact, I think you're right.

But, so, you're going after that guy while he's wounded?

She told me she didn't give up every time it was a mess, but it wasn't.

I can't help it, I'm just clumsy. I just don't have the dexterity to accept the death of someone important.

It would be too clumsy. Had I accepted earlier, I would have had another different happiness.

She's a big idiot, not even looking at it and coming after two people she's lost for 5,000 years.

So I'm sure she'll pursue me as well, even if I die.

I guess I won't give up or anything along the way, and I'll keep looking until I can beat up the last despair I'll ever see.

If that's enough to make you repeat it...

"Hey... don't you promise me something new again?

"What promise?

Also, if it's enough to torment her for thousands of years...

"... those words I told you to live with are the ones that came out because I wanted Shall to die"

"Yeah."

"But let me add another meaning"

If only I could make her suffer enough...

"Until the moment one of us dies, let's live together. If I die, Shall die with me. Instead, if Char dies, I die too."

I felt that the salvation of death could be.

"... Awful, that's a promise"

It's a terrible promise indeed. It's such a terrible promise that no one in this world promises anything worse.

But...

"We promise to live with each other's lives. I promised you two we'd share one life."

And it's a promise that could be her salvation at times of need.

"Fine. Because either way I don't want to think about life without Ray anymore. So, if Ray's going to stop being impotent for a little while... that's fine with me"

I don't mean to be impotent.

"Then let's promise. Let's live together. Let's both die."

"Yeah...... Promise"

Not from either of us, but from softly untying our embrace, we exchange our promises again, as if one day.

I want you to keep your word.

Promises I don't want you to keep.

tangled in your pinky fingers, swear to each other.

Often, as it was, we gazed at each other without words, and I accidentally opened my mouth.

"... by the way, what was my old days like?

"... eh, you hear that now?

"Bad, bad. But I knew that... you care, right?

"I don't have a choice anymore."

That was just an interest. Yes, it's just an interest.

As Charstena said she knew about my curiosity, she laughed and talked, complaining with her mouth.

─ ─ But I immediately regretted not listening.

"Right, well, first of all, it was so sweet"

"Ugh."

"So I was so strong"

"Ugh."

That's previous life. I'm soaked.

"But there were so many enemies"

"Hmm...... huh?

"I was always fighting."

"Ho, ho"

I don't know. Is that what a gentle person makes enemies of?

Does that mean I'm nicer?

"But you fought for me"

"Ugh."

"You promised me you'd make me your daughter-in-law one day"

"... Hmm?

Needless to say, the voice stood still for what it was worth.

"You showed me the world. He taught me how to live. Protected me. You've always been with me."

"Ho, ho. So, what do you want me to do?

Hey, my jealousy was getting uncontrollable with me in my previous life, and I'm going to sum up.

"Phew, before Ray, before, before, before, before..."

"Sorry, how many go on?

"For 5,000 years?

That's... right.

"Damn, what kind of person was I in that old life after all?

"The old days without Ray were bandits by the name of..."

Well, I thought I was deaf. The moment the name got into my ear, I felt my fear run all over my body.

I repeat the name Charstena gave me.

"Reynold......?

"Yeah. Awesome coincidence. I have a similar name, and maybe there's something strange about it."

Charstena laughed ridiculously at the fact that some of them included my name... but I wasn't quite there.

Because I wasn't the only one with the name it contained.

"You're right about me... call me Nord."

Also, that voice sounds in the back of my brain.

I ask her, agitated.

"Hey, was that famous?

"Yeah! Of course, it's Ray's previous life, isn't it? Sooo celebrity. You know what I mean when I say this?

Charstena, somewhere proud, with a voice that sounds fun to play.

"─" The Divine Killer Robber ". That's Ray's last life."

That's what I said.

Her pleasant face looks so thin to me for some reason.

If I don't reach out now, I feel like I can't reach it anymore.

I grabbed Charstena's arm and hugged her.

"What...? What's the matter, Ray?

"............ I'm jealous. Yes, I got a little jealous. To the old me..."

"Oh, I can't help it, Ray. It's kind of like Ray's a kid now."

"Maybe... maybe"

I didn't deny that I was a child.

In fact, it was. I was nothing but a pathetic kid who didn't have the courage to challenge me from the front.

"I love it, Shall. I swear, unlike him, I will never leave Schal alone."

"What's the matter, suddenly? I'm so happy, but it's kind of weird, isn't it?

"... I'm jealous. I don't mean to blame you, but I got jealous because Charles seemed so happy talking about me in my last life."

Yes, this is just jealousy. I don't want to say this to her feelings about the deceased. Instead, I don't think that's something you should say.

So this is my ugly jealousy that I just don't want Charstena taken.

"... I'm sorry. Because it still doesn't change the fact that he was an irreplaceable person to me. But, you know, you don't have to worry about that, do you? Now you're here because you're Ray."

"... oh yeah"

Sure, I'm the only one here right now. I'm the only one.

"If you're anxious, I'll tell you more than once. You're the one I like right now. I love you, you. Ray's the only one I want to be with for the rest of my life."

"Oh...... thanks"

I was aware that when I heard the words, I was strengthening my arm holding Charstena, but not at all relieved.

So cowardly and silent.

It's not like you don't believe her. He loves me. I'm sure of that.

But, no, that's why I couldn't get it out of my mouth. I didn't want to tell you.

I'm terrified that the love will change. I don't want you pointing it at someone who's not me. I want to eliminate that possibility at all.

Dastardly, silent.

That day, the day I started dating Charstena.

I thought it was the first time I had been loved by Charstena. I was convinced that her love had been directed at me, not at someone who wasn't me.

But at the same time, I was horrible.

I took her away from her for good reason that she wasn't on the mound.

But if that thing comes up on the mound, I wonder what will happen.

Charstena says, it's a change because it accepted.

But in other words, I gave up on the fact that I had to accept it. Yes, I can hear you.

I don't think I mind if this relationship of compassion continues. Because you can't hate her for thinking of just one man for 5,000 years.

But now I can't help but be scared.

That give up, it's going to overshadow, I'm afraid.

If... if she finds out that the man she loved is still alive.

If... if I knew I didn't have to give up.

She wondered which one she would choose between me and him.

I don't want to know the answer to that, and I can't tell you right now. I'm keeping my mouth shut.

I'm trying to fool that fear by holding her hard.

Nord...... is that you?

─ ─ The man Charstena was looking for.

A force enters the arm holding Charstena.

"I'm you, Ray."

That word I heard years ago is now heavy and it sounds horrible.

No matter how hard I held Charstena, the words didn't disappear from my head.