The elegant daily routine of sage Grecas - here we go with a lovely 'Sage Hall' life!
Under the Eternal Starry Sky
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Countless stars shine in the sky.
Above the dark sea, the overwhelming star sea plains spreading on one side of the sky sparkled.
"Beautiful. I've never seen such an amazing starry sky...!
"That's really amazing!
"All. It's a light of gems (...) and crystals (...), right?
"Huh? No, that's all, with stars burning just like the Sun..."
"Just kidding. You're making too much fun of Greg."
Manuferno's voice plays brightly looking up at the night sky. It is believed in this world that stars shining in the sky are crystals and gems. They also thought it was a joke that I was seeing a star that emitted its own light. I don't see much expression, but I can somehow imagine the expression in the tone of my voice.
I walked the coast at night with Manuferno and when I realized it was the end of the sandy beach. Looks like we can't go ahead on the rocks from here.
Looking back, the light seemed small leaking out the window of the Sage's Hall. On an island without any other artificial lights, it seemed as comforting as a lighthouse showing where it should return.
- I hope the Plums aren't making a scene without me by now...
"Scream.
"Manu, dangerous"
The dazzling white sandy beach during the day, or even at night, is likely to take my legs off and fall. The beach at night is surprisingly difficult and dangerous to walk on.
If so, you can't inevitably not reach out. I mean, I've been walking all this way holding hands, and nervousness and thrill suck.
"Oh, it's dangerous, don't let go, grab me..."
"Thank you. Thank you"
"Yeah."
My left arm, Manuferno, is holding onto herself.
There's a warm, soft feeling there, and I can see my heart pulsing and my face on fire.
Manuferno's arm tangled in his arms all the time. And a strangely soft part to touch.
This means... chest, right?
- Very much.
Oh, calm down, me. I've held hands with Lentomia and Manuferno on my previous adventures, so many times...!
Nevertheless, that was the middle of a decisive journey across the cliff, when we crossed as we pulled each other through the muddy wetlands, a situation of living or dying. It's fundamentally different from such a date-tight walk.
I mean, it's a date. This is...
When we came to the right place, we found a driftwood and sat down.
The edge of the coast about 200 merte away from the hall. Exploring the surroundings just in case in the Enemy Junction (Circumference), the unexpected movement of several slimes does not reveal the reaction of the semiinsectician (Innosextian) either.
Colo, Quaquinta, and King Goloriane are probably having a happy time behind the palm groves visited by peace.
"Stunning. Amazing...... sky"
"Oh, I never saw it this slow."
I read the names of the stars in search magic (Gogol) image search (Gazon) and "Celestial Chart Matching (Spacia)" with a translucent magic window in the sky.
"That's Denev, Altar......, Vega"
The names of constellations and stars picked up by search magic (Gogol) also seem to be similar to those found in previous world memories (...), and are somewhere different.
The heavenly river covering half of the sky looked much wider and huge than anything I knew. The number of stars is also overwhelmingly bright. It's like a white glowing mist, crossing the sky with a bright tight band.
I don't know if it's close to the heart of the Heavenly River galaxy or if it's a different galaxy in a different world in the first place.
"Red Sasori" floats overhead.
α (Alpha) star Antaris, ε (Epsilon) star, zeta star......
On a star shaping the constellation, in a magical little window, overlaid with a painting of a sasori, the sasori had its tail bent like a reverse shrimp.
"Smile. Who thought of a constellation?
"You're from a thousand years or so ago."
"Impressive. You were imaginative."
"Must be."
For a moment, the thousand-year-old Empire (Southern Pedia) thing will dazzle your brain, but not everything a thousand years ago would have been as distorted as a soul living in a treasure trove.
In the course of several battles, "treasure tools" and "treasure swords" had long been felt to be vessels for only the soul to jump to the future.
Is it imperfect or not, and in eternal solitude does the soul deteriorate over time and become distorted into madness......
I think about that while looking at the stars, but it pulls me back with the voice of Manuferno.
"Us. Where did you come from?
"Huh...?
"Anxiety. Looking at a world of so infinite stars, I'm too small, I'm going to lose it"
Unexpectedly, I look for answers to the words Manuferno whines.
The eyes that have grown accustomed to the darkness show the face of Manuferno floating in the stars. Close enough to breathe, he's holding onto me.
Your body temperature's coming through your fingertips.
"At first, my world was a cold stone room with only one window, like a small box, that only cats could get through. When I found out, I was there from the beginning, and the rice was brought in in the morning and at night, and I stopped talking to anybody, and I was alone in a room with lots of books, and I was jerking off all the time."
"Manu......"
That was from Manuferno, heard from Ergonote and Faria.
As an indigenous religious witch in a closed cold village, she was heard to have grown up in seclusion. Even though the sealed cause is one of the powers of the demon clan that Manu possesses, what we wizards call 'decay (pedos)', the power to destroy the world.
"Friend. But... Since when, I've been friends with a girl who brings me dinner, but she's... sick because I touched her... and she's dead"
Beyond the darkness, it turns into a whimpering voice. Small, I found my shoulders trembling.
But I don't know what to do, so I listen.
I wish I had to say something, but nothing, I can't say.
- Destruction. I was the one who made the village, maybe dozens... My hands are... dirty with blood, don't touch me...
I didn't have a voice ahead of me.
According to stories and imaginations previously heard from Faria, Manuferno, who ran wild for losing a friend, destroyed the village. People may have died a lot, too. Ergonote told me that trees, crops and livestock were rotting, and that one person in the centre of a black-colored village, Manuferno, was crying.
The magic of Lentomia and its painful sealing made it the first time that we went out into the outside world and embarked on a journey with the Ergonotes to save the world.
"Yikes... now what do you think of that? You saved the world, the bigger world, and then, a year ago, after you defeated the Demon King, you said,
I stood still. Power in the voice. I didn't know why Manuferno was saying this right now.
I just whimper my thin shoulder without strength, my back.
"Chief Ken (yeah). I thought so. But... it's hard. The truth is. I wasn't going to say this anymore, but I came to this island like heaven and it was so much fun until just now..."
"Hard?"
"Happiness. It's fun to be with Greg, and Riola, Plum and Hempero are adorable..., cooking dinner together, eating, laughing, that's incredibly very happy. But I... I really can't."
When I burst into tears, my silver hair loosened and hid my side.
I want to save. I couldn't hold back such a gushing emotion.
A girl who always cared for me and secretly thought she liked me is crying in front of me. Yet what are you lost in fear and what are you hesitant to do?
"No... what is it? Who decided to do that?"
"Greg, huh?
Strengthen your fists, say.
Manuferno turns to me quietly with his tearful face. I don't care about that, though the inside of my glasses is supposed to be terrible with tears.
"To help us in the forest of Kyodittil, Manu freed the power he had sealed. That helped me and Riola. It's not the power of the curse. For me, it's the power of salvation! And I made up my mind then."
…… Ah... "
The lips of the manuferno move slightly, exhaling the breath that had stopped.
"Many times, I'll save you till the end, and I'll suck the magic of the curse. He said he would carry it with him. That way Manu can live normally with everyone all the time!
…… Greg, I can't do that all the time... "
It's not impossible. No, I can't.
People will certainly sometimes hurt and sacrifice whomever they want, whether it's wrong or not. But that's not why it's unacceptable.
Hemperoza, a former demon cleric (...), because Metius called out the trigger of the Demon King's War (...) in a fairy tale, yes.
Someone forgives someone or something, it's not.
If we live and start over in this world again, that's fine. Isn't this really the place for this?
The tensions and tremors had disappeared. exhilaration, like in the midst of a battle, and a strong determination to gush, a pulsing heart, and -
"This way, you can always turn it off"
The power of the curse, the tears.
I lay my hands on Manuferno's cheek and lay my lips quietly.
An instant sign of surprise dissolves quickly and intersects with a hot exhale. And to my first warm sensation, I'm just surprised.
There was no hesitation. Just a heart that wants to save, a heart that wants to convey its thoughts.
- Don't be sad, I'll take it all.
But, but, honey, my glasses bump into each other, and you two, they laugh like they erupt.
"Holy crap, these... my glasses!
"Eyeglasses. I don't see clouds either."
Ugh, I held my soft silver hair, laughing unexpectedly, and my arms turned hard on my back.
"I like Manuferno. So I want you to stay with me forever. Please. Okay... right?
Manuferno smiles quietly under the stars. Hot tears fall on my lap.
"Of course. With me…, if I may"
"Good...... Thanks, Manu."
"Thank you. You're welcome"
"eheh, haha"
"Smile. Ugh."
Repeat a weird conversation without the two of us.
But tell me... Shit?
Is that it?
I don't know, though I think I've said something amazing.
Well, okay.
The night sky looked up is full of stars. The eternal glow, unchanged for thousands and thousands of years, watched us quietly.
Continued