"Continuing Story" (After the End Thread - Epilogue)
"Continuing Story" (After the End Thread - Epilogue)
[What If] The Wizard had been stopped? [Thread depicting possible futures]
1: Anonymous of the Wind
I won't accept such a bad ending
I rewrote it properly
You too can watch this and heal your heart
[First illustration]
The hero gently takes the wand from the wizard.
The wizard tilted her head and obediently let go of the wand
The hero didn't say anything, just gently stroked her head.
5: Anonymous of the Wind
God!
7: Anonymous of the Wind
This is it!!! This is it!!!
9: Anonymous of the Wind
The hero noticed it properly...!!
12: Anonymous of the Wind
After all, it would be best if the hero was Wizard-chan's "older brother"...
17: Anonymous of the Wind
That child in this future will be saved...
21: Anonymous of the Wind
[Second illustration]
A picture of the princess giving instructions to the research team with a stern expression.
Behind it is a vast amount of research material.
The princess's eyes are fixed straight on "hope."
25: Anonymous of the Wind
The princess is so cool!
28: Anonymous of the Wind
I really love you, Princess... I want to follow a boss like her...
33: Anonymous of the Wind
Is this research sure to extend lifespan?
37: Anonymous of the Wind
If the princess gets serious, the nation will take action. This is a future where she can be saved...!
45: Anonymous of the Wind
[Third illustration]
The swordsman looks up at the night sky and gently covers the wizard with a blanket.
The little wizard is sleeping soundly beside him.
The swordsman was silent, but still smiled with a gentleness to him.
49: Anonymous of the Wind
Swordsman... you... can you even make that face...
55: Anonymous of the Wind
No, I'll cry...
59: Anonymous of the Wind
Silent kindness is the best!
64: Anonymous of the Wind
In this world line, there's no choice but to be happy...
69: Anonymous of the Wind
[4th Illustration]
Title
"The child lost her memory, but her lifespan was restored."
The four of them are having a great time spreading out a map.
The wizard is holding the map upside down
Dialogue: "We can go anywhere!"
76: Anonymous of the Wind
Well, it can't be helped that she has lost her memories.
78: Anonymous of the Wind
This! This is it!
81: Anonymous of the Wind
They can travel again!!!
83: Anonymous of the Wind
Not only did she get her life back, she also got her smile back...
87: Anonymous of the Wind
Thank you world... Thank you ...
90: Anonymous of the Wind
[5th illustration]
The wizard finds a big flower
A gigantic flower blooming in the grassland
The little wizard is hopping around with a flower on her head
Everyone are laughing behind
Dialogue: "Look! It's a big flower!"
92: Anonymous of the Wind
I want to be a flower
93: Anonymous of the Wind
I want to become a flower and be carried by that girl
95: Anonymous of the Wind
It's so good I could cry...
97: Anonymous of the Wind
Damn, it's spring here too...
99: Anonymous of the Wind
[6th illustration]
Sunset on the mountain path
The wizard spreads her arms at the top
The hero rests his hand next to her, and the princess and swordsman stand side by side.
The wind is blowing, pushing them from behind
Dialogue: "We'll always be together!"
104: Anonymous of the Wind
I can live on with this picture alone
107: Anonymous of the Wind
She said "We'll always be together..."
110: Anonymous of the Wind
Thank you, thank you... I couldn't ask for anything more
115: Anonymous of the Wind
I'm not afraid of anything anymore
118: Anonymous of the Wind
This is our... happy ending...!
120: Anonymous of the Wind
[7th illustration]
The wizard who opens the warehouse door
Abandoned warehouse
The little wizard is opening the door with an innocent look on her face.
The background is a warm sunset
Nothing in hand, just exploring
Dialogue: "Can I find the secret treasure?"
145: Anonymous of the Wind
So cute!
149: Anonymous of the Wind
The wizard in exploration mode is the cutest in the world
153: Anonymous of the Wind
Huh? Something about the atmosphere...
153: Anonymous of the Wind
There's no way anything bad could happen on such a calm evening (I'm sure)
157: Anonymous of the Wind
Is she really a child?... I don't just want to protect her, I want to worship her...
136: Anonymous of the Wind
[8th illustration]
A wizard opening a dusty wooden box
Inside the box, there was the sinister wand.
The wizard has a look on her face that says, "Wow, it's beautiful."
The background is still bright
The tip of the wand is not yet glowing.
Dialogue: "Awesome, can I become wizard with this?"
137: Anonymous of the Wind
Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it
139: Anonymous of the Wind
Don't touch that one!!!
140: Anonymous of the Wind
But... it's not glowing yet... yet!!
141: Anonymous of the Wind
Someone stop it!
144: Anonymous of the Wind
Hero! Princess! Swordsman! Run now!
148: Anonymous of the Wind
[9th illustration]
Wizard-chan picking up the wand
She is holding up the wand with both hands and smiling happily.
A face that still knows nothing
With the light of the setting sun in the background, the wand begins to take on a reddish hue.
149: Anonymous of the Wind
[10th illustration]
No pictures, just dialogue on a black background
"Let's try again."
151: Anonymous of the Wind
Gyaaaaaaaa ...
154: Anonymous of the Wind
Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no.
157: Anonymous of the Wind
Help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help
160: Anonymous of the Wind
Something like this, something like this...!!
163: Anonymous of the Wind
You protected her!! You saved her!!
165: Anonymous of the Wind
And yet, and yet, and yet, and yet!!!
166: Anonymous of the Wind
Let her stay innocent... don't take her life again...
Without knowing anything, again...!
(The thread has not been updated since then)
★
[Discussion Thread] Thread to interpret "The Runaway Wizard"
1: Anonymous of the Wind
I posted this right after watching the final episode
I can't stop thinking about it
4: Anonymous of the Wind
I really think it was intentional that her name wasn't called until the very end.
Having no name means that she didn't belong anywhere, right?
9: Anonymous of the Wind
That was also said in an overseas forum.
Being given a name means entering someone else's story, and she's always been outside of it.
18: Anonymous of the Wind
The design of the lifespan wand is crazy. What's with the red one time being 5 years?
The fact that she used that magic on a daily basis without any hesitation is strange, isn't it?
23: Anonymous of the Wind
The water is lukewarm, so she warms it up, and the clouds are cleared away so the swordsman can see the sky.
Don't use your life to protect your daily life
28: Anonymous of the Wind
"I did the calculation..." is the craziest thing...
That girl had no sense of tragedy, which was actually scary.
32: Anonymous of the Wind
I think she really thought, "Thank goodness it only took 80 years."
She only saw her lifespan as "my own resource"
It's directly linked to "I'm glad I was able to help"...
37: Anonymous of the Wind
"I was able to help" and "I'm glad I was able to help" are the words most used by that child.
So, the only reason for her existence was to be needed by someone...
42: Anonymous of the Wind
She is not someone that want to be accepted.
She doesn't want to be loved
Satisfied with the fact that she was useful, she disappeared.
47: Anonymous of the Wind
I remembered that the princess said to her during the journey, "You seem like you'll live a ."
I wonder how she felt when she heard that...
52: Anonymous of the Wind
She was laughing so innocently
In reality, she knew her end from the beginning.
56: Anonymous of the Wind
When the hero asked, "What do you want to do when our journey is over?"
"Nothing in particular, I guess," she said with a troubled look on her face...
59: Anonymous of the Wind
Now I understand
She really had no intention of living "beyond that" anymore
68: Anonymous of the Wind
It wasn't "to die" but "to disappear"
Because she lived a life that didn't assert her existence, there was no trace left behind when she was gone.
72: Anonymous of the Wind
Even so, she said, "I'm glad I was able to help."
I think that one is just the truth
77: Anonymous of the Wind
The ending of the final episode, that bonfire cup and blue light...
That was proof that "That girl was definitely there,"
But it feels like a blank space that no one has touched, and it still makes me cry.
88: Anonymous of the Wind
But still, we'll never forget
That she was there, all this time
That she was alive
★
[The Wizard-chan = Long-Lived Species Theory Is Confirmed] Discussion Thread Part 2 [The Girl in the Mural]
1: Anonymous of the Wind
Wizard-chan, she's definitely a long-lived species, right?
The mural the hero saw during his journey was definitely about that girl.
2: Anonymous of the Wind
Does anyone remember the mural story?
We see it in an old library that a hero stopped by during his journey.
A mural titled "A girl who witnessed a ritual hundreds of years ago"
That girl illustrated from behind, but I think she looks just like Wizard-chan...
She also have a similar wand
5: Anonymous of the Wind
Eh?
8: Anonymous of the Wind
No, no, no
The radio waves were coming out with incredible force.
11: Anonymous of the Wind
When did the term "long-lived species" first come into use?
It's not a diary, is it?
14: Anonymous of the Wind
In a conversation within the research team, there was an expression that said, "There are long-lived species that exist outside of time."
I think that's probably it
17: Anonymous of the Wind
Please rewatch from episode 1
Nowhere in the diary does it say anything like that, and it said her usable lifespan was about 80 years.
Rather, she was probably crying because she was fighting at the risk of her life.
21: Anonymous of the Wind
And the mural cut only took about three seconds, right?
When I see that moment in the background, I scream, "That's a foreshadowing!"
I'm already sick...
25: Anonymous of the Wind
Even if she is a long-lived species, why does she seem so satisfied in her diary saying, "It only lasted about 80 years"?
It would be strange if someone with a lifespan measured in thousands of years were satisfied with fitting it into exactly 80 years lol
28: Anonymous of the Wind
It's a story about a girl who risked her life to protect everyone.
If we start talking about long-lived species, the theme will fall apart.
30: Anonymous of the Wind
If she was a long-lived species, there would be no need for her to disappear like that, right?
It would have been solved if she had revealed her true identity to her friends.
I'm sad that she couldn't do that!
31: Anonymous of the Wind
You say, "The girl on the mural = the wizard"
If you look closely, the ears are shaped differently, so it's probably just the one that was explained as a guardian deity for travel...
36: Anonymous of the Wind
I like your theory, but should you please study the difference between "speculation" and "delusion"?
★
[Wizard-chan] Discussion Thread Part 3 [I cried over the diary]
1: Anonymous of the Wind
Even though the writing style was so quiet and careful, I couldn't stop crying while reading it.
7: Anonymous of the Wind
Cheerful and not angry with anyone
She just think, "I'm glad I was able to help."
What the hell is that...
12: Anonymous of the Wind
There's no childish language at all.
In fact, it was hell when I realized that she was "acting like that out of consideration."
20: Anonymous of the Wind
"I was told the water at the hot spring was lukewarm, so I warmed it up a bit."
"The princess seemed satisfied, so I guess it's fine."
No, it's not fine. It's definitely not fine...
28: Anonymous of the Wind
The way people say things like "just a little" or "it's fine" is so normal it's annoying
It's so painful to know that she has treated it as "not a problem"
36: Anonymous of the Wind
Then, during the battle with the Demon King, she was excited and said, "It was over in about 80 years! Yay!"
The ending of that part was strangely lively, which made me cry even more.
43: Anonymous of the Wind
You can see the child-like feelings of relief, thinking, "I won't get scolded for this."
48: Anonymous of the Wind
And yet, it's not "tragic" or "sacrificial."
She just thought, "I'm glad I was able to help."
That is evident throughout the diary, and there is no hope for it.
56: Anonymous of the Wind
The diary ends with, "It was so, so much fun."
It's strange that there's no mention of "sadness" or "loneliness" anywhere.
What's with her mental state?
66: Anonymous of the Wind
That's not a "suicide note"
Rather, it's a satisfying report that "I managed to keep the secret until the very end."
82: Anonymous of the Wind
Written in the corner of the page was, "Let's not let anyone find out!"
That smiling emoticon is so scary
88: Anonymous of the Wind
Because at that point, she's already used up most of her lifespan...
91: Anonymous of the Wind
It's not that she "didn't notice"
"If this helps, it's a small price to pay"
This child is giving away her life as if it were a gift...
99: Anonymous of the Wind
"The Runaway Wizard" also seems to mean "running away from being loved"
The words she received, the feelings she received, they all just disappeared without a trace.
107: Anonymous of the Wind
Why is this diary so bright and detailed?
I bet no one could move for a few hours after reading it...
114: Anonymous of the Wind
She's not a wizard who has sacrificed her life,...
Maybe she was just a girl who left without even being thanked.
★
[Runaway Wizard Discussion Thread Part 4] Who was the Wizard after all?
1: Anonymous of the Wind
I've watched it over and over again, but I still don't get it
Why was she the only one nowhere to be found?
9: Anonymous of the Wind
I wonder where is the place where that figure waving in the ending credits is from? It doesn't appear in the story, right?
22: Anonymous of the Wind
The hero who was supposed to be her childhood friend doesn't even know her birth record, let alone her family home.
That's pretty crazy.
They were together before they left on their journey
33: Anonymous of the Wind
To be honest, I think the hero, the princess, and the swordsman all had feelings of love or gratitude for her.
But the hardest thing is that she didn't want to receive anything.
41: Anonymous of the Wind
No, it's not that she didn't receive it
From the beginning, the wizard had no intention of letting it reach her.
47: Anonymous of the Wind
That's what makes her a "Runaway Wizard"...
She wasn't refusing anything.
However, she decided on the distance from the beginning.
55: Anonymous of the Wind
In the final episode, there was a picture of her palm that only the viewers could see.
That's the hand that always holds fruit.
After finishing eating, when it's all over, she says "See you later" with her empty hands
Whatever she has now, she no longer has anything.
She doesn't even have that wand anymore.
62: Anonymous of the Wind
Those words, "I was able to help" and "I'm glad I was able to help"
It's painful because it seems like she's decided that this is the only value of her existence.
She deserve to be loved, but she was running away from being loved
69: Anonymous of the Wind
For her, it may have been a sense of satisfaction, like "I'm glad I was able to help."
For those around her, it must be hellish for her to disappear and leave only that behind...
76: Anonymous of the Wind
The scary thing about this is that "someone who knows the wizard" didn't exist in the story.
I really think she was a character created so that no one would find it.
83: Anonymous of the Wind
"Wizard-chan" is no longer a "character" but a "phenomenon"...
A symbol of healing, supporting, saving, and then leaving without a word.
91: Anonymous of the Wind
It's no coincidence that no one in the story ever calls her by name.
She couldn't be called
Because the hero, princess and swordsman all had names.
Maybe she herself refused to have a name.
104: Anonymous of the Wind
It wasn't someone's "tragedy," but it was a very quiet loss.
They were supposed to have been together all this time, yet no one could grasp her existence... What's that...?
114: Anonymous of the Wind
Everyone wanted to help her.
But I guess she'd given up on herself a long time ago.
119: Anonymous of the Wind
Is that what the title "The Runaway Wizard" means?
★
[--Cultural Criticism: What That Girl Taught Me]
What meaning can humans give to nameless acts of kindness?
The work "The Runaway Wizard" poses this question so quietly, so calmly.
The "she" who is considered the main character does not accomplish anything in the story.
The ones who defeated the Demon King were a hero, a swordsman, and a princess.
She was just there, just "using magic."
However, the fact that "82 years and 6 months of lifespan has been consumed," which is revealed at the end of the story, completely rewrites everything that is "about her".
She lived for others and died for others. To be more precise, her own death is not depicted. Because it is not depicted, the viewer cannot bear the silence.
Although she left behind traces of her life in the form of a diary, that is not evidence that she foresaw her own death.
It's merely a very naive line drawn that says, "If I use up my lifespan to this extent, it will last a lifetime for a human being."
She sets her own life, the life of a single human being, as her target.
This fact is the cruellest aspect of the story and sharply questions the viewer's sense of ethics.
She didn't seek meaning in "giving." She didn't expect to be thanked, and she wasn't afraid of being misunderstood. She left nothing behind, just like the wind.
The story ends with her absence, and the observer, the viewer, is only left with the memory that "she was there."
This structure keeps the story open forever, rather than closing it.
No one could say "thank you" to her.
She laughed and said, "I'm glad I could help."
This asymmetry brings about a decisive break in the story, leading not to salvation but to the continuation of silence.
Through her existence, we see for the first time the limitations of the concept of free gifting. How can one deal with something from which one has received no return?
If "using up one's entire life for someone else" can be considered "proof of existence," then for whom is this proof provided?
The key to solving this mystery probably lies in just one word from someone who accompanied her on her journey.
--"Thank you".
When the viewer mutters those words, the work finally closes slightly.
★
[The Runaway Wizard] The journey continues endlessly
1: Anonymous of the Wind
I feel like she's still traveling somewhere.
This is a thread to imagine her journey.
6: Anonymous of the Wind
Unknown to anyone, in an unknown town
Helping others and baking bread
Maybe she's looking up at an unfamiliar sky
13: Anonymous of the Wind
Sometimes when I see the light streaming in the sky
I think quietly
I wonder if that girl is waving from somewhere
30: Anonymous of the Wind
I wonder what that child is looking at right now.
35: Anonymous of the Wind
Sometimes, on windy days, I think I hear someone laughing.
I'm sure it was that child's laughter.
41: Anonymous of the Wind
I still remember it when she burned the bread.
The face of the girl who handed the hero the burnt bread, laughing
46: Anonymous of the Wind
At night, when the stars are beautiful, I find myself talking to
"Is your trip fun?"
I won't get an answer, but that's okay
55: Anonymous of the Wind
I found a small flower field during my travels.
If it was her, she would definitely have run off screaming, "Beautiful!"
67: Anonymous of the Wind
Under the sky somewhere
I'm sure today too she's eating fruit and saying, "It's delicious!"
Just imagining that face is a relief
73: Anonymous of the Wind
Spring will surely come to where she is now.
A magical season of warm breezes, blooming flowers, and light
78: Anonymous of the Wind
The last thing I couldn't say was "Thank you"
I'm sure the kid could hear it.
So it's okay now
90: Anonymous of the Wind
I'm sure that child is also looking up at the same sky somewhere
Without anyone knowing, but still helping someone
95: Anonymous of the Wind
That's fine
That is the journey that she chose
113: Anonymous of the Wind
I don't want to think that's the end
But maybe it's over
But... I want to believe that she's alive somewhere.
270: Anonymous of the Wind
A different perspective means a different story
Where is she and what is she doing now?
We don't know anymore though
Still, I want to believe that the story continues in that world.
★★★★★
(Epilogue)
I opened my eyes with a click. Somehow, I managed to resist the temptation of the warm futon and stretched, when I heard an unhealthy cracking sound from my back. I looked up at the cave wall. One, two, three... Yes, it's almost time. It's been nearly ten years since I escaped from that royal palace.
Why is 10 years important? I know from past experience that people tend to let go of past problems after just 10 years or so.
By now, the researchers at the royal palace must be thinking, "The analysis results for the wand were strange, but maybe I misunderstood?" Or rather, I was starting to get tired of sleeping in the cave.
I decided to hold a strategy meeting in my bunk in the cave. Apparently, humans take a vote in situations like this.
"Isn't it about time we went down to the city?"
"Yeah, I think it's a good idea!"
Since I was the only one attending the meeting, naturally all opinions expressed were unanimously agreed upon. The meeting went very smoothly, and the proposal to "go down to the city" was passed with a majority vote.
I wonder if the heroes are doing well. Well, I had written "It's okay" and "See you later" in the notes I had slipped into their diary, so they shouldn't be too worried... Anyway.
I quickly packed my bags and left the cave where I had been staying for several years. Just to be on the safe side, I hid my inside the cave. I would be in big trouble if they searched for it again. I was ready to use the excuse that I had lost it somewhere in my journey.
I walked alone across the grassland that spread outside the cave, heading towards the town. It had been a while since I'd last been in a human settlement, so I was a bit worried about my own smell, and checked. Yeah, I don't smell anything in particular, but... Maybe I should take a bath just in case. Appearance is important.
...Come to think of it, the hot spring inn we all went to the other day had a pretty nice atmosphere. It wasn't too far from here, was it? Maybe I should stop by.
That's what I was thinking at the time.
Suddenly, I felt like someone was calling me from behind.
I turned around and looked around, but there was no one there. All I could see was the green grassland swaying in the wind, and in the distance, the cave that was my former nest. Come to think of it, I was taken care of there too.
I waved my hand in that direction.
"...Yeah. Well then, I'm off!"
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(THE END)
Author's Note
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