For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

“Glad to meet you.”

“I feel the same, Circulating Life.”

“Oh my? Isn’t your tone too stiff? I’d like you to call me ‘Mom’ next time, son.”

“…Huh?”

With that, the Circulating Life sent us back to the middle levels with a playful smile.

The door opened as the tangled roots disappeared. Beyond it, Milone and Nariell, who looked no different from the last time we saw them, greeted us.

After quite a long conversation, receiving gifts and blessings, this was the extent. It seemed the flow of time really did apply differently here.

“You’ve arrived.”

Milone’s expression was indifferent, while Nariell’s face showed surprise in contrast.

“What’s the matter, Your Majesty? Is there a problem…?”

“Oh, no! It’s not a problem. Rather, it’s good news! Count Lindelheit, did you perhaps receive a blessing from the Circulating Life?”

Nariell immediately noticed, perhaps because she was sensitive to divine power, given how much she was favored by the Circulating Life.

…There was no need to mention that I seemed to be treated like a son.

“Yes, thankfully, the Circulating Life looked upon me favorably. She gave me a blessing, saying it would help in the upcoming battle.”

“Battle… so that’s why everyone’s expressions are so stern.”

“Uh, um. That’s… yes, something like that. Ahaha.”

Was my acting too convincing? Ever since I’d accidentally committed that blunder, no one had been able to relax their expressions.

I could somewhat understand their feelings. It must have been a shock to see me suddenly go for it, even though I was just teasing them as usual.

Especially Elisha, who couldn’t take her eyes off me for a moment.

…I feel a bit sorry. I’ll have to properly reassure her later that it’s alright.

With that resolve in mind, I asked Milone,

“Could we possibly borrow an alchemy workshop separate from our lodgings?”

“Since there’s an outstanding alchemist in your group, I’ve already cleared out a spot. Similarly, I’ve prepared a private training room for your free use.”

Wow. They prepared all this in advance.

After that, we talked about the conversation with the Circulating Life, and how to cross the Great Forest to attack the army of Grotesque Proliferation.

We discussed work as we descended to the lower levels. There, we followed Milone’s secretary, Eda, to our lodgings.

A spacious room large enough for our entire party to live in. Inside, Pamela’s family, who had already come and cast simple life magic for soundproofing and ventilation, was there.

Since only we went up to the upper levels of the World Tree, I wondered what they were doing, and here they were.

“Good work…”

“Good work. We’ll handle things from here, so you can head back. You must have your own room.”

“Huh? Yes, yes…”

Pamela’s family hesitated for a moment, gauging our reaction, but sensing Iris’s unusual aura, they quickly left.

Clack.

At the same time, the sound of metal.

Faye, who had been quietly waiting, locked the door as if she’d been waiting for this moment.

The women surrounded me, blocking any escape. The first to speak was Elisha, who had been exuding an unusual atmosphere since earlier.

“You.”

“Huh…? Why all of a sudden?”

“I’m sorry about earlier.”

“You were worried about that? It happens. Don’t worry about it, Elisha.”

I laughed, shaking my head, but Elisha’s expression only seemed to worsen.

Then, with a look of determination, she continued,

“Please don’t forget… that we are your family.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll read you a fairy tale until you fall asleep tonight.”

“No, I’m too old to be read a fairy tale.”

“It might be tough now, but once this is over, let’s eat food we make together. Make time to go shopping with me.”

“That’s anytime…”

“A trip would be nice too. Let’s all visit some good places. Somewhere like the village at the entrance of the Great Forest, or the majestic Crasius Grand Canyon. If the timing is right, we could go to the festival in the Levantin Empire or the Meister Festival in Nidavellir.”

“Elisha…?”

“With Professor Iona, we can get anywhere quickly. If that’s not to your liking, we could take Helena’s carriage for a leisurely trip.”

Calmly, as if setting an appointment for tomorrow rather than discussing a distant future, Elisha spoke in a peaceful tone.

“Have you ever fished by the river? It’s surprisingly fun for such a simple thing. I’ll teach you how. Let’s catch some together.”

“When night falls, I want to look at the stars with you. I want to tell you about the constellations and the stories behind them.”

“Taking a long nap in the shade can be really pleasant. If you were beside me, it would be even better. Would you feel the same if I were beside you? We should try it if there’s a chance.”

“After we’re done going out, let’s return home together. We can talk about what happened that day over dinner. The good, the bad, the surprising… everything.”

At this point, even I couldn’t help but know what Elisha was trying to say.

Elisha wanted to give me back the experiences I would have had if I had grown up normally.

To tell me that I had a family, that I wasn’t alone anymore, not to be lonely, that she would always be by my side.

Though I might never see them again, I had a perfectly alive family on Earth.

We weren’t particularly close, but we weren’t on bad terms either. At least, it was enough to call them family.

Now, I couldn’t tell anyone about it anymore.

“…”

Thus, I couldn’t say anything. More precisely, I didn’t know what words would be appropriate for this feeling.

Guilt, gratitude, affection. Along with countless other emotions that couldn’t be defined by language, swirling like a vortex.

Pushed by Elisha’s clear gaze or swept away by the torrent within, I arrived at a memory not so distant in the past.

“…A thousand years.”

“Huh?”

A promise of eternity by elves who live for centuries, making the phrase ‘a hundred years of harmony’ seem ridiculous.

“A vow that won’t fade even after a thousand years.”

“Ah.”

I returned a faint smile to Elisha, who looked dazed after speaking first.

“We’ll be together through all those moments, Elisha.”

“…”

Though I couldn’t say all the truths, and perhaps I never would be able to.

Still, the wish for this promise to be eternal was sincerely without a shred of falsehood.

Only then did Elisha’s expression soften, and she chuckled.

“Even though you’re a human who barely lives a hundred years, you say such things?”

“Well, what can I do? If it comes to it, I’ll ask my new mom to do something about it.”

The average lifespan of an elf was about 300 years. However, High Elves could live twice that length without their souls wearing out.

Of course, even High Elves had their limits, making it hard to go beyond that… but what was important was that the Circulating Life had a stable way to extend life.

After we defeat all the Evil Gods someday, if I ask for help, wouldn’t she do something?

After all, I’d have saved the world, so she’d do at least that much.

At my optimistic response, Iona let out a deflated sound and slumped.

“Hmm. Then, does that mean the plan to turn Yandel into a vampire when his lifespan ends is off?”

“…You were thinking about that?”

“Yes, yes. Do you know? Strictly speaking, vampires are undead, so they don’t have a lifespan? Both body and soul stop at the moment they become a vampire!”

“I’ve heard that if you live that long, your ego gets buried under the immense memories, and you go mad…”

“Yep. So, you just have to erase memories regularly.”

After saying that, Iona continued, clasping her hands at her chest like a dreaming girl.

“Someday, when Yandel is on the brink of death due to his lifespan ending. But thanks to me, he becomes a vampire and continues to live. At first, he might be happy to be with others, but… as time passes, he’ll watch those whose lifespans end leave the world.”

“Professor?”

“Of course, everyone would have been happy until the end. Because Yandel would make it so. But what about Yandel, left behind? How would he feel after watching all those he loved depart?”

“Well…”

“Don’t worry! Don’t worry! Because this Professor Iona will always be by Yandel’s side!”

“What exactly are you…?”

“When the most glorious nation falls, people abandon their faith, and everything we know no longer exists in such a distant future… Yandel won’t have many memories left. Except for one! Me, who has been with him through all that time! And I’ll be the same!”

“…”

“Even if we forget everything else, we’ll clearly remember each other. I’ll have only Yandel, and Yandel will have only me, living on until the end of this world comes. Isn’t that truly romantic?”

No. It’s kind of scary.

Seeing my pale face, Iona giggled and added one last line.

“Just kidding, just kidding! It was a vampire joke!”

“…”

As she said this, Iona’s eyes were glowing with a sinister red light.

It was a joke… right?