Season 2 Episode 5 "100 Years and 1000 Years"

Season 2 Episode 5 "100 Years and 1000 Years"

And so we left the World Tree behind.

Well, I told the truth, and they believed me, so I guess it was good that we went. The part about "they believed me" is especially important. I'll let go of the part about how I've said it so many times before. Today will be engraved in my memory as a memorable day.

I looked back at the World Tree with deep emotion. ...Huh?

"I feel like it's became bald...?"

However, the day after we went to the World Tree, someone's behavior changed. Or rather, everyone except for me changed. First, the first thing that changed.

I watched in confusion as my friends munched on green fruit with calm faces in the morning. I remember thinking that it only extended their lifespan by two hours... I didn't want to be left out, so I tried it, but it was bitter after all...

Difference 2: They all began the torture of being stretched to the limit on the waterwheel, then pinned to a board and spun around without changing a single expression. I really didn't want them to have to endure this for days on end, so I watched from the sidelines and cheered them on by jumping up and down.

Is it because they're learned the importance of life...? No, that's not it. The level of desperation is different.

Next to me, the White Priestess muttered in exasperation.

"I thought the hero was smart, but maybe that's not the case."

"No no! Even the hero has his moments of intelligence."

My childhood friend had been misunderstood, so I quickly corrected her. Then, the hero, who had finished being passed around, came over and glared at me.

"Hey, you were just saying bad things because you thought I wouldn't understand."

"Ara, you found out?"

"You're just talking bad about me."

He sat down next to me with a sigh, so I decided to ask him directly: Why had he suddenly started paying attention to his health? Was just climbing the stairs making him out of breath?

The hero glanced at me in amazement, then looked at the two who were still being spun around with a distant look in his eyes, and sighed.

"Well, maybe I have something on my mind."

★

The day they returned from the World Tree. By the time they arrived at the Magic City, it was already dark, so they were free to leave. The princess said goodbye to her companions and simply walked through the city.

The night of the Magic City was illuminated with an endless golden glow. Crystal lights melted into the air, sending light droplets of light falling on people's hair and shoulders. People were bathed in the light and laughing, as if they were in the midst of a festival.

However, in the princess's heart, there was only a cold silence, the complete opposite of the festival's excitement.

--Let's meet on the beach a thousand years from now.

Those words were spoken lightly at that time. It was just meant as a joke.

Hearing this, her eyes widened slightly, then she smiled like a flower blooming.

"Yeah, absolutely!"

Why didn't I understand the meaning of that smile back then?

Now I'm finally forced to realize that she was serious.

I can't help but imagine the beach a thousand years from now.

She stands there unchanged, and there is no shadow of me, of us.

The moment I imagined herself alone, chipped away in the light, the taste of iron spread in my throat.

I walked aimlessly through the city.

Nothing entered my mind, not the feeling of the dew-soaked cobblestones clinging to the soles of my shoes, nor the voices of the travelers passing by.

The only thing that resonated eerily in the depths of my heart was the time "a thousand years later."

--That child is a long-lived species. She laughs as she passes through times that are beyond the reach of a human lifetime.

Even after I'm gone, she continues walking, and ends up standing at the place where we made the promise that day.

Still holding in her heart the promise we made that we could never keep.

"...Why did I...do that..."

The moment I spoke out loud, my chest tightened. Even though no one was listening, flames of shame burned my cheeks. The promise I had made so casually would become the shackles that would impose a thousand years of solitude on her - and she was the one who had been laughing, unaware of this.

I wanted to protect her.

--It's true.

I believed I was the one who could protect her.

A girl of the same sex, younger than me, who seemed fragile.

But the truth was the opposite. I would be the one to disappear first, and she would be the one left behind.

The feeling of powerlessness crushes my heart before the regret even begins.

If only there was a way for us to live the same amount of time together, even if just for a little while.

The moment such a foolish wish crossed my mind, shame and despair flooded me all at once. There was no way to do that.

But I still dreamed of standing next to her on the beach together, a thousand years from now.

I had sworn that I would never regret it again. But now I know...

The promise I made was that I would continue to pursue her until the end of the millennium.

When I got back to my room and was alone.

I cried out loud like a child.

After crying until all the tears were gone, I finally looked up.

My vision was blurry and my breath was shaky, but still, I stood up.

Even if I cry, if things continue like this, no miracle will happen.

...At least, for those who are just waiting.

★

——Long-lived species.

Those three words continued to ring in the swordsman's ears.

Out of the corner of my eye, I hear her cough softly. As we pass through the gravel garden and beyond the scent of incense, she tilts her head as usual, her mannerisms unchanged from ten years ago.

It won't change - those words are scary now.

Ten years ago, when she had disappeared, I had searched the harbor, the back alleys, the slave trader's register, and even the doctors' ledgers in search of her. At the time, I had thought that she was just an "ordinary girl" who had been unlucky enough to be noticed and kidnapped by some bad guys.

But that's not the case now.

"Longevity" never ends. The reasons for aiming for it never end.

Researchers, authorities, and sects pass on their targets from generation to generation. Every hundred years, the list is updated, and over the millennia, rumors are refined, and her whereabouts become legendary.

My hands were sweating as I gripped the hilt of my sword. It wasn't the danger of this moment. The inevitable "day of being left behind" was quietly tightening my throat.

With age, grip strength weakens. Reflexes dull. One morning, my fingers will no longer grip the handle. From that point on, her thousand years will continue, not in front of anyone, but under the eyes of her enemies. She continues walking alone on the deserted night road.

The imagination naturally creates details.

A brief exchange of glances in the marketplace during the day. A thin shadow peeking through the crack in the door of a cheap hotel. The brief sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath outside the window late at night. The "worst case" I imagined ten years ago has now become an endless series of events.

I took a steadying breath. The girl in front of me pointed to a sweet from the stall and asked with a smile, "Is this tasty?" Her smile, her voice the same high pitch as ten years ago, made my chest churn. Only I was changing. Only I was diminishing.

But I still can't take my eyes off her, because the moment I lose sight of her, I feel like that inevitable future is one step closer to me.

--It's not the now that scares me, but the day when I will surely leave her alone.

If it's an enemy that can be cut, there are countless possibilities. There are hundreds of ways to win.

But time cannot be cut.

How can we protect that small back from the countless hands that line the other side of time? There is no answer.

★

A vow wasn't supposed to be measured by the length of one's lifespan.

Seeing the same scenery, walking the same path, and continuing to laugh side by side - that was the hero's "forever."

We are not walking at the same time.

With every step I take, the path beneath her feet grows endless.

Even if I grow old, my voice becomes hoarse, and my eyes become cloudy, she will still be smiling as she is now.

My "forever" has an end, but her "forever" does not.

It felt like my vows had been turned upside down.

I was supposed to be there to protect her, but in reality I was the one being left behind.

I might not be the last one to see her profile.

No, I'm sure it is. After I'm gone, someone else will take my place.

The moment I thought that, my heart went cold as if it was being grasped by an icy hand.

When I turned my gaze to her, I saw her standing beyond the steam from the stall, her white fingers reaching out to receive a brown candy.

The smile that suddenly escaped me pierced my heart with the same intensity as it had ten years ago.

How many more times will I be able to see that smile with my own eyes?

Where will the "forever" I promised myself that day go?

★

"Hey, everyone, are you really planning to live a thousand years from now?"

*Buhah!* The hero spat out the juice he had been drinking.

I'm sorry. I didn't choose this timing on purpose. Please believe me.

The swordsman and the princess had unexpectedly gone on a second round, so the hero and I had snuck out into town. I thought as I frantically wiped his clothes, which smelled sweeter than before.

...Could it be, I thought. The reason they were working so hard. No way, no way... I thought, but when I tried it, it seemed like I had hit the nail on the head.

Anyway, hmm.

To me, it's common knowledge that humans don't live for a thousand years. So I just thought it would be nice if it came true. But it seems like there's no way to live longer, so I guess I'll just give up. I know we made a promise, but...

Besides, you might think it'd be boring if we buried our keepsakes and no one dug them up, but I'm here after all.

"I'll be going to the beach alone in a thousand years. So, it'll be fine."

The hero then grimaced. His eyes, nose, and mouth all seemed to be gathered in the center of his face, creating a strange expression. What's with that expression? How does he feel?

"You sometimes don't understand other people's feelings."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking just now."

"Haah. You're such a pain."

Hmm. That doesn't really make sense to me. But I can understand the logic. What he means is that I'd look lonely and alone going to the meeting place. That's what he meant.

...In my mind, if my memories are with me, then I don't feel alone. Yes. But, I guess it's not right for them to tell me I don't need to come.

"Well, if you don't come, shall I go and look for you?"

"Wait, wait. Stop pressuring me."

Furthermore, the hero put his hand on my head and squeezed it tight. I hate the height difference. I wonder if I should suddenly stretch out and surprise him.

"Don't ever say that in front of those two."

"What's the point of saying, 'It's okay in front of me'?"

"I know you don't think too deeply about what you say. Everything you say is meaningful."

"So there's no need to worry about it that much..."

After that, the hero and I continued walking side by side.

The cobblestone streets are filled with people, and different markets are being held on each street.

In one corner of the Records Market, my eyes were drawn to a notebook lined up on a particularly old-fashioned desk. In the center of the thick leather cover was inscribed ancient characters that no one can read today.

It looks like it has some kind of significance, but the shop owner says, "It's just a decoration, for atmosphere." Come to think of it, there were only a few pages left in the diary.

When I tried opening it, new pages appeared as if springing out from between the blank pages, and when I closed it, the thickness remained the same.

When you write a little, the letters melt into a faint light and sink into the paper.

Yeah, this might be good.

Next to me, the hero was looking around the "Jewelry City."

He is standing in front of a stall filled with small jewels and silverwork, quietly choosing something.

Eventually, he picked up two pairs of pendants, each set with a tiny blue stone the size of a fingertip.

If you focus on it, it will point you in the direction of its paired owner.

"...Look, they match."

The voice he spoke in, as if to hide his embarrassment, seemed slightly tense.

I took it, put it around my neck, and gently stroked the stone.

Indeed, a strange warmth remains on my fingertips.

"Even though you're a hero, you often get lost. I often have to go looking for you."

"I'm not lost. I was just patrolling a bit further... So, don't forget it was from me."

Seeing the hero's face suddenly become more serious, I tilted my head. "Everything is so meaningful," he had said just a little while ago, but this seems a little significant...

Well, if you ask me what it means, yes...

Which one...?

Which one does this mean...?

To be honest, I have no experience with this sort of thing, so I have no idea which one it is...

As I was lost in thought, the hero burst out laughing. Then he started slapping me hard on the back. It really hurt.

"What are you thinking about? Come on, come on. You're way too early!"

"You weren't even born 100 years ago...!"

I'm angry now. That's fine. If you did it, does that mean you're prepared to be punished? Of course you are. It would be strange if you weren't.

I cover my mouth with the diary I just bought, because it makes a good prop. Then I slowly narrow my eyes.

"Hey, you said I'd be lonely in 1000 years, but... don't you think there's a way to make me feel less lonely?"

"What's with that all of a sudden? Your eyes are scary."

"You can have children. I'll tell those children, your grandchildren, all sorts of stories. Things I've seen and heard so far... Look, the diary I just bought has as many pages as I want, so it's just right, right? I'll be fine no matter how many people you have."

Basically, I'm like a guardian deity for the hero's family? If you let me build a shrine on the edge of the property, I can sleep in a small space. If you want to hear a story, just call me and I'll crawl out. As for a bride, maybe the princess...?

Also, I think the white shrine maiden would be a surprisingly good match for him.

...Me? Apparently I'm a hundred years too early. Yes.

I approached the hero, looked up at him gently, and whispered in his ear.

"Right. Should we have a child soon?"

At that moment, the hero tripped over his feet with a thud and fell to the ground. I looked over and saw that he was completely dizzy.

Wait... already!

Is the swordsman there?!

I knew he wasn't there!

Well, I guess I'll just have to take him home!

...He's heavy! What is he made of?!

•

•

In the end, it took me three hours to bring the hero back to the inn. To be precise, it would have taken even longer if the swordsman hadn't come looking for me at the two-hour and forty-five-minute mark. I'm grateful for his friendship now.