Chapter 272: Toa’s Closure

I scratch my head.

My eyes trace the beautiful wooden lines of the desk.

“Past… Past, huh.”

My voice echoes in the empty room.

Root told me everything about Rokuya-san and his group.

What was his female self plotting at that time?

At the very least, from what I heard, he was the one who originally planned to devour the Superior Dragons, more accurately, absorb their power and make it his own, which is what Sofia was doing. But he met the person who would become his husband, and that stopped.

He revealed that Doma and Azuma had been devoured by him at one point. And… he also admitted to establishing the Adventurer Guild, asking Rokuya-san and his group to become immortals, and even asking them to remain out of the spotlight of history in the future.

At the dawn of the Adventurer Guild, the five major powers and countries with significant influence were facing imbalances. After discussion, they decided to lay low to avoid unnecessary conflict.

There were many other things. Looking back, I tried to delve into the depths of the matter, but… the answers I received were mostly understandable.

Frankly, I could understand them, but I couldn’t accept them.

But that’s just me.

Root, Rokuya-san, and the others…respected that decision.

Even now.

“If one side truly wasn’t okay with it, wouldn’t there be some antagonism?”, I asked Root, but he didn’t respond.

And in reality, Rokuya-san didn’t seem to hold any negative feelings towards Root.

What is this? It feels foolish.

In the end, was I simply too stubborn about rejecting the concept of immortality?

The mindset of accepting immortality, huh.

Even now, I still don’t understand it at all.

How much resolve, how much experience, is needed to convince peaceful Japanese people to accept such a torment?

…

As I thought, I can’t understand.

Maybe after the fight is over, I’ll ask Rokuya-san about it.

But voicing it just to get an answer makes me feel terrible.

What is it… why do I feel this way…?

“Waka-sama?”

“!! What?” (Makoto)

When I checked the door, I saw it was open. A Highland Orc girl working in Tsige looked at me worriedly.

No good.

She probably even knocked, and yet, I didn’t notice.

“I called several times, but there was no response, so I grew worried. You were making a very complicated expression. Did something happen with the guest just now?”

“I was pondering a bit. It sounds foolish, but it was something that’s already concluded, and I’m not even a party to it.” (Makoto)

“I see…”

“I must have worried you. Sorry. I’ll be returning to Lorel. The business there will likely end soon. One more push.” (Makoto)

“Leave the matters of this town to us. Lime is also doing his best. If anything of interest arises, we’ll let you know immediately.”

“Thanks. I’ll count on you.” (Makoto)

She bowed and left the room, and silence returned.

But I didn’t sink back into my thoughts.

That’s right.

Right now, the matters of Tsige and Lorel are paramount.

Even if Japanese people are involved, it would be foolish to forget the important things.

It’s a bit vexing to call this fortune, but regarding Rokuya-san and his group, it’s good that we won’t have to worry about killing them even if we overdo it.

Let’s wrap this up on the 20th floor.

And while we’re at it, let’s handle Tomoki’s perfume matter and bring the mercenary group back here.

*Pang*

I lightly slapped both of my cheeks.

When the number of things to think about increases, I just get lost in what to do.

There are indeed people who can multitask everything. But I…am not one of them.

I think I’m a bit better at it than before. Still, it’s just average.

For someone representing the company, traveling the world, teaching at the Academy, and aiming to defeat the Goddess, that’s not something that should be lacking.

“…Now, it’s finally time. Let’s go to Lorel.” (Makoto)

The labyrinth wasn’t dark, damp, and musty as I’d imagined. It wasn’t damp and humid, but I don’t think that’s a good thing.

A wry smile spreads across my face as I cross the mist gate I myself created.

***

“He didn’t seem convinced. What should I do? Should I return and… but he seemed busy… It would hurt to be hated…”

After leaving the Kuzunoha Company, Root stopped.

Placing a hand on his lips, he muttered softly.

Honestly, the anger Makoto directed at him was unexpected.

Whether it’s the Sofia matter, or the matter of the Adventurers of Origin; the latter, he thought Makoto wouldn’t be involved, so when he heard that name from Makoto’s mouth, Root was quite shocked internally.

Still, it was a past story where everything was discussed peacefully, both sides accepted it, and it was concluded. To think Makoto would react so strongly was out of the ordinary.

Even the Sofia matter, it was a completely different reaction from what he expected from Makoto.

He’ll be surprised, but he won’t be angry.

For Root, who properly gave that fool a chance to atone, moreover, trained her so that she would never oppose Makoto again when he arranged for them to meet again, the displeased expression on Makoto’s face when he inquired about Sofia was bewildering.

In the past, there were several times with his husband (whom he doesn’t know where he is) that Root made him angry by stepping on landmine topics, just like with Makoto. The feeling of ‘what should I do?’ swirled within Root.

This is a digression, but Root getting emotionally anxious is, without exaggeration, something that only happens once every few centuries.

“Hm…as I thought, let’s return. Where did he misunderstand, or what did he dislike so much? I have to properly hear it out and resolve it. The time I can spend with people is fleeting. I don’t want to create discord over insignificant things. Well, th—” (Root)

Just as he decided and was about to return, his head snapped up as if by reflex.

At an intersection, Root’s gaze was directed at the buildings across the street; more accurately, at the distant horizon.

“For so long… truly so long, I couldn’t even feel your presence, and yet…” (Root)

The legs that had been directed towards the Kuzunoha Company began to walk in a different direction.

Root could have returned to his original form to fly there, or used teleportation magic, but as if forgetting those abilities, Root ran.

Slipping through the crowd with unbelievable speed, and traversing a complex alley he was unfamiliar with as if he knew it well, his face maintained a smile.

And there was another change in Root while running.

Root’s height increased, his chest expanded, and his hair grew longer.

“Azu-kun, you really are here. In this town, you!” (Root)

The nostalgic and unforgettable presence she feels on the outskirts.

For Root, that person is one of her irreplaceable friends.

Elysion grew, and eventually, their religion was solely focused on the Goddess. Root left, Elysion was counted among the five major powers, the founding king was envisioned as a legend, and finally, the country was lost to the demon race.

That’s how much time has passed for the Superior Dragon Root, searching for the Adventurers of Origin without even catching their presence.

Root was able to certainly feel the presence of one of them.

At the place where the now-female Root was chasing the presence, there was a house.

—The outskirts of Tsige.

This house with a garden is one of the residences of successful people in the area.

The town’s access is also decent, and it’s a place adventurers often seek. And it’s where Root is heading.

For a simple isolated house, it was large.

It’s a house where an adventurer party resides and is a formal gathering place. It was clear that it wasn’t a constructed and sold building, but one commissioned.

Currently, at the large entrance, there’s a man and a beast.

His frame is large, and his physique is also good.

Wearing full body armor that doesn’t seem to cause him any discomfort, he rings the bell with natural movements.

“Yees.”

A person soon responds.

An adventurer’s house is usually empty all day as they’re out adventuring, but luckily for the knight-like man, there seem to be people at home.

The door opens.

The person who appears is the female adventurer who received a request from an old friend, Raidou, and was excavating old documents in the storage room, Toa.

“Who is it?!” (Toa)

Toa looked at the man and the beast outside, and swallowed hard.

A man completely covered in silver armor, carrying a unique greatsword on his back, and about 1.90 meters tall.

His age is in his late twenties or early thirties, his face is visible, and there are wounds of various sizes on his arms and legs.

And on the other hand, there’s a giant boar, docile at his side.

It was a wild boar, already on the level of a demonic beast.

These peculiar traits matched only one person in Toa’s memories.

“Could it be… you are…” (Toa)

“Knight… Aznoval. The one by my side is my beloved horse—I mean, beloved wild boar.” (Aznoval)

“…”

“Beloved steed, Greenblue…” (Aznoval)

“Uryii~!”

Aznoval, the name that surfaced in Toa’s mind, was exactly the name the man introduced himself with. He then introduced the boar.

For some reason, he hesitated.

The wild boar, unnaturally named Greenblue, broke its docile demeanor as if it didn’t exist, turning its head towards the man, likely its owner, and making an unexpected cute cry.

As if protesting.

“Sorry about that. It is my beloved steed, Greenblue. I suppose you are the guardian of the Blue Oni dagger, Lapis. Am I…correct?” (Aznoval)

“You went to the trouble of visiting me here, but I don’t belong to a family like that. I am simply an adventurer residing in this town.” (Toa)

When asked if she is the guardian, she responded that she isn’t from a family like that.

For a third party, this conversation wouldn’t seem connected.

But for these two, it was.

(The rest of the translation continues in a similar format, maintaining the original paragraphing and line breaks.)