Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?

Mr. Heilins returned home.

It was yesterday that I heard that.

I couldn't have been there or not, but things have something called order.

It took a while for Mr. Heilins to be able to meet with me.

Yesterday I was softened and restless.

And I finally get a meeting with Mr. Heilins today.

I was in the room where the interview would take place, and I was waiting for Mr. Heilins to come, now or now.

"Apparently, you kept him waiting."

Mr. Heilins, who visited the room.

I feel a little thinner than the stern figure I remember.

"Shun, I'm sorry!

Suddenly, Mr. Heilins put his head on the floor and sat down in the ground.

I don't care what the idea of a dugout is in this world, it comes to me for a moment.

"If it's true, Julius wasn't supposed to die. It wasn't me who survived, it was Julius."

"What do you mean?

I manage to say that while my mouth is about to dry.

"Take this."

"What's this?

What Mr. Heilins offered was a worn out red feather.

"It's an undead bird's feather. An item that temporarily imparts immortality to the owner."

"What's wrong with this?

"It was supposed to be what Julius, the brave man, had. But he was pushing it on me that I'd rather have a shield than myself."

"Bye."

"Oh. I survived because of that item. I'm losing my power now. If it's true, it wasn't me who should survive, it was Julius."

Mr. Heilins rubs his head against the ground, as if to confess, and continues to sit in the dust.

"Mr. Heilins, please raise your head. There's nothing like Mr. Heilins lowering his head."

"No, I..."

"Mr. Heilins, anyway, Brother Julius made you hold it forcefully, didn't he? Say," I'm not gonna die, I'm gonna be okay. "

"Ha. The boulder brothers. You're right."

Mr. Heilins lifts his head with a bitter laugh.

"'I'm not dying, but Heilins is a shield, so you have a good chance of dying, don't you? Then you'd rather have Heilins than me'. No matter how many times I tried to push it back, I didn't accept it."

Mr. Heilins' unlike imitation makes his mouth loose all the time.

Tighten it up and listen to what you really need to hear.

"Mr. Heilins, let me hear it. Brother's, end of story."

"Okay."

Mr. Heilins stands up.

Me and Mr. Heilins sit across from the table.

"It's faster to watch than to talk"

That's what Mr. Heilins says, taking out stones like crystals.

"What's this?

"It's an item with a special power called Past Vision. It's a valuable item that I haven't been able to reproduce so far, even with my skills."

Mr. Heilins puts his hands on that crystal.

"Put your hands down so they overlap my hands."

"Yes."

Put your hands where Mr. Heilins says.

"Close your eyes. Let's go."

The moment I close my eyes to Mr. Heilins' words, the footage floats behind my eyelids.

I even felt the sound and smell as well as the video.

There, it was a battlefield.

The figure of a warrior who seems to be a myriad of demons.

Rolling corpse.

At the end of the video is the rear view of Brother Julius.

White girl walking over slowly.

Brother Julius gives me a more intense atmosphere than I've ever seen.

Brother Julius moving forward to shelter his people.

And at the next moment, Brother Julius' body disappeared into dust.

Darkening.

The footage interrupted there.

"What's that now?

"This is Julius' final moment."

Can that happen?

Brother Julius is the strongest brave man in the nation.

The brother, without any resistance, instantly became dust.

Impossible.

Though I think so, Mr. Heilins says that is Brother Julius' final term.

"Like this..."

"Neither did I. I didn't know what happened. The next time I realized it, I was surrounded by demons. I managed to retreat from it, draw my memories, and finally, I realized that Julius was dead"

"What is that?

That white girl.

That's my brother Julius.

"I don't know. I don't know who that demon is. But if it's the identity of the attack that buried Julius, we can deduce it somewhat."

"What!?

"Corrosion attack."

"Corrosion..."

"Oh. Some demons are said to have, attributes of death. It is said that if the resistance to that attack fails, the body becomes dust. So did Julius. And only the body becomes dust. Keep what you were wearing."

Mr. Heilins, take it out.

"This was always worn by my brother"

"Oh. Julius didn't seem to have told you, but this was your mother's last gift, given to Julius before she died."

Mr. Heilins will hand it to you.

Bright white, neck roll.

"Sorry. That's all I could bring home"

"No, thank you"

That was the limit to say.

Vision seeps through.

I remember the first time I met my brother.

That was when I was just a baby.

My brother came to the nursery room with his brothers.

My brother looked at me and Sue alternately and was tearing away.

Later and earlier, it was only then that I saw my brother's tears.

My brother stroked me and Sue's head as he said something and left.

At that time, I still didn't understand the language of this world.

So I didn't know what my brother said then.

I still don't know.

But I think your brother was determined to do something then.

Later, I learned that me and my brother's real mother had died the day before that.

Honestly, when they say this white collar is handmade by my mother, it doesn't come pinned.

I've never even met my mother.

But not my brother.

For my brother, my mother must have been an important person with no changeover.

We must lose our beloved mother at an early age and fight as brave men.

I wonder what determination your brother had in that suffering.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Julius, your brother. Even if you look like this, you're a brave man."

The second time I saw him when he was properly minded, I still remember his brother's smile.

I was surprised what a calm smile a kid still looks like in his junior year of elementary school.

Taken together with my previous life, they thought I would never be able to bring that smile to my face, even though I was supposed to be much older.

That was all, a smile where something deep lived.

"Shrein is smart. We could be good politicians in the future."

"Sue, you can't just be sweet."

"Shrein also has a gift for swords. Do you want to come with me in the future? Oh, Sue, don't look so glamorous. Okay, I get it. Sue will be with you then."

"Shrein. You said you had a girlfriend? Besides, you think we call each other by their nicknames? Can I call you Shun from now on?

"Shun. I know Sue's cute, but you can't just spoil her, can you?

"Shun, your father is kind. It's just that before I was a father, I was a king. I'm fulfilling my responsibilities as king in support of this country. Can you figure that out?

"Shun, if anything happens, you can count on Reston. He's always in the royal castle. You're supposed to be spending the most time in our family, and they'll talk to you soon."

"My brother is my brother. I'm losing myself a little bit right now, but I'm with you on how you feel about your country. So don't worry about anything."

"Heilins is about to be a good age, so I don't think we should get married and inherit the house. Yet there is no such story at all. You'll be a little worried. Me? Because I can't give anything back to my partner when I get married. We shouldn't get married that makes us unhappy."

"Hehe. I don't hit snowballs like that because I have dodging skills! Wow! Hey, Sue, that's against the rules! Ouch! Ouch! Sue! That's not snow! The stone hurts, so no!

"Brave men are the hope of the people. That's why I never lose. Absolutely."

Memories with Brother Julius overflow.

My brother had a smile on his face at all times.

A grin that feels profoundly gentle, that reassures people.

In me, he's my brother when it comes to brave men.

You want me to succeed that brother?

I'm not sure.

But I don't want to interrupt what my brother was aiming for just because I'm not sure.

"Dreams are fine. You can be laughed at for being an impossible bullshit. But you should just do what you aim for. A world where everyone can laugh and live in peace. I keep following that ideal. Until I die."

I think it's sweet, too.

But not as good as your brother.

Still, I want to take over that sweet ideal.

"Shun. No, brave Schrain"

Mr. Heilins talks to me in a changed voice.

"I couldn't protect Julius. The shield is disqualified. If it's such a pitiful me, let me work as a shield for the new brave."

"Mr. Heilins."

"For failing to protect Julius, let me protect you"

"Mr. Heilins. Nice to meet you."

Me and Mr. Heilins exchanged stiff handshakes.

[So, are you still going to start working as a brave man?

[Oh. It'll still take the Church a while to establish the new Virgin, and I think it'll mean after we've aligned its footsteps]

[Really?]

[Sue. I know, but if we start acting like brave people, we can't be together like we've been]

I knew your brother would say that.

I'm sorry.

[No need to apologize. I'm not a child anymore.]

[Yeah. I also know that Sue is big enough and strong enough. But I still don't want to take you with me. Dangerously, I don't want Sue involved.]

I know.

[This is my selfishness. I'm sorry.

So, no need to apologize.

[All right. Sue can stay like this until she graduates from school. If you're in school, you'll be safe.

[Right]

[I will try to show my face as much as I can, even if I start acting as a brave man. Like Brother Julius.]

Brother, do you take revenge on Brother Julius?

[... I don't know. It's a brave act to move with personal grievances. I think so. But after all, I can't forgive you. I don't know what I'm supposed to do, either.]

[It's okay. You don't have to worry about it.

Why?

You'll see soon enough.

[Right. Okay, I'll try not to think about that right now.]

[Yes]

[Well, it's time to hang up. Good night.

[Yes. Goodbye, brother]

"Mr. Oka. It was a bad thing."

"What's the situation?

"It sucks. Mr. Oka, sorry to be back early, but be ready to take Shun out of the country soon."

"What happened?

"My men betrayed me."

"What?

"The movement over here has slipped away. Excuse me. My mistake."

"What do you expect to happen after this?

"I wouldn't struggle if I could. But my unit was assaulted. There's definitely something there."

"Let's hurry"

"Oh."