Chapter 50: The Two of Us, Afterward End

Seven years had passed since the defeat of the Demon King.

At Kazuya’s earnest request, our journey to search for a way to extend his lifespan had been extended by two more years, totaling seven—and now, even that seventh year was coming to a close.

Kazuya was already twenty-five years old.

Physically, including his combat experience, he was in his prime. But with no formidable enemies like the Demon King left, we had no way to measure if he’d gotten even stronger since then. There simply wasn’t a scale to compare it with.

Putting that aside—it had already been seven years. I wanted the journey to end.

I didn’t believe there was any real way to extend one’s lifespan. And thinking about the time we had left, I just wanted to be with Kazuya—peacefully.

Traveling together wasn’t the same as living together in safety.

I wanted to relax at home with him, go out together to town, and enjoy those moments.

I wanted to be lovey-dovey with Kazuya. I even wanted to have children.

It was time to end our journey.

I wanted to cherish what little time Kazuya had left.

I had to tell him tomorrow—this journey needs to end.

---

When I told Kazuya we should end the journey, he—predictably—asked to extend it once more.

So I told him how I felt, what I wanted, and that I couldn’t wait any longer.

It seemed to finally hit him. He wavered, began to think.

And after much thought, he made one last plea—his final request, he said, with tears in his eyes.

I pressed him, making it clear that this would be the final time. He agreed.

The request was simple: just three more months to investigate whether any leads might be found in the Elven village.

I hadn’t returned to the village since then—not even to report my marriage.

Thinking on it, maybe I should go back and report everything, just once.

Kazuya couldn’t enter the village, so he would instead search the royal capital’s library for any related documents during that time.

---

It had been a while since I last returned to the village—even if it was only seven years.

To the elves, it must’ve seemed like I just stepped out and came back again. “Did you forget something?”—that kind of reaction.

I told my parents about the marriage.

At first, they congratulated me, but the moment they learned my partner was human, their attitude changed.

They lost interest and told me, “There was no need to report that.”

The reason was simple: because he was human.

A human partner might live another fifty years at best. That was nothing to an elf, who lived for millennia. It was even shorter than the time a typical elf might be away from the village. Elves casually go off for a hundred years.

In elven terms, that’s normal. Even I, who’ve only lived a little over 400 years, used to think that way.

Later, I greeted the village elder and requested permission to research ancient texts and records.

The elder had always favored me, especially for my scholarly dedication uncommon among elves, and quickly granted permission.

By the way, I didn’t mention the Demon King to either my parents or the elder. To elves, that was just some trivial event in the outside world—not something of concern.

The Elven village exists in a separate dimension, distinct from the human world, and we can live self-sufficiently there.

So even the Demon King’s threat, at most, was just a minor annoyance. If humans disappeared, it’d be a bit inconvenient—but not more than that.

That’s why there’s no point in telling them about it. They wouldn’t care.

---

I holed up in the archives, poring over old records and documents every day.

Honestly, I could have cut corners and just told Kazuya there was nothing about extending life. But it was his final request, so I diligently searched.

As the three-month deadline approached, and I began to think it was time to give up, I found it.

It didn’t clearly state “extend lifespan,” so I had overlooked it—but something about it caught my eye, and as I glanced through it, I realized it was information about a secret treasure.

The treasure could “share half of one’s remaining lifespan.”

Details were vague, but it had apparently been created over a thousand years ago by a human alchemist.

The treasure was said to have been stored in the treasury of a now-lost kingdom.

A treasure to extend life really did exist. Whether it still existed today was unknown.

It might’ve decayed or been stolen by tomb raiders and no longer be there.

Still, it had existed. That much was undeniable.

I hesitated—should I tell Kazuya?

If I didn’t, we could live out the next few decades happily.

But if I did tell him, we’d end up spending years, possibly decades, chasing after this thing.

The chances of actually finding it were slim.

He’d be using what little time he had chasing after something that might not even exist anymore.

I let out a deep sigh.

—I was torn. Until the very deadline, sitting before the books, I struggled with the decision.

---

In the end, I chose to tell Kazuya about the treasure.

When I imagined how happy he’d be, and the dream of spending a long, long life together after finding it, I decided that was better than seeing him disappointed if I lied and said nothing was found.

However, I made one condition. I wouldn’t search forever. We’d set a time limit—five years.

By then, Kazuya would be thirty. I couldn’t wait any longer than that.

When he tried to push back, I broke down crying. And Kazuya, silently, accepted my decision.

I thought it was unfair of me—but I couldn’t stop the tears.

I just wanted to treasure the time we had left together. I didn’t understand why he couldn’t see that, no matter how many times I said it. And that made me sad.

---

Soon after, we set out again in search of the treasure.

We had a general idea of the region and began our search there.

I had learned new spells—like treasure detection and artifact sensing—that might be useful when we returned to the village. I used them thoroughly in our search.

Four years passed. As we entered the fifth, Kazuya was now twenty-nine. We got yet another treasure reaction.

We had already found several treasure vaults using detection spells. Though the specific treasure we wanted hadn’t appeared, I was accumulating a decent hoard of valuables in my magic pouch.

With experience, we’d gotten good at raiding treasure vaults—blasting away obstacles with magic, making a beeline to our target, and finding what was once treasure or still was.

This particular vault lay dozens of meters underground. It had a stately air, steeped in history.

And there—it was.

A plain urn, handles on both sides, nothing decorative about it.

But there, carefully inscribed, was an explanation.

Apparently, the artifact allowed one human to share half of their remaining lifespan with another who also held the handles.

However, it did not factor in the second person’s remaining life. For example, if one had twenty years left, both would end up with ten.

Now, the problem was—what if the other person wasn’t human? What if, like me, they were an elf?

There was no mention of that. It was clearly designed with humans in mind.

Even if I gave him thousands of years from my lifespan, it wasn’t certain his would extend that far. I might even end up with just a few decades myself.

There was no way to predict what would happen from a use case not originally intended.

Still, even if it shortened my life, if it meant dying at the same time as Kazuya, I would gladly accept that.

We were overjoyed to find the treasure, embraced, and cried together.

We were even ready to use it immediately. But then—we noticed one final line.

A warning:

──The user will lose their reproductive ability──

We looked at each other and, for now, decided not to use it on the spot. We stored the treasure in the magic pouch and returned to a nearby town.

---

At the inn we returned to in town, we began planning our future.

The fact that we had lost our reproductive ability weighed heavily on both of us.

As a result, we first decided to have two children and build a home in a secluded area, where we would live together.

Having two children had long been a desire of mine.

Though it's difficult for elves and humans to conceive, we did our best and, over five years, managed to have a son and a daughter.

We then built a house deep in the forest, far from civilization, and began living there as a family of four.

We named our son Riku and our daughter Sora. They're now four and one years old.

The children are what's called half-elves. Their lifespan is said to be around five to six hundred years.

They're treated as a separate race by both humans and elves.

That's precisely why we built our house in such a remote place.

Here, the children can live safely. That’s the kind of place we intended to create.

Kazuya is now thirty-five.

He’s grown a beard, and his appearance has changed to suit his age. His physical strength has noticeably declined compared to his prime, and even from the outside, the signs of aging are visible.

Still, unless he’s up against a Demon King, he probably wouldn’t lose to anyone.

And finally, at last, we decided to use the relic.

Would it extend our lifespan by decades, centuries, or perhaps even millennia?

But if it meant we could die together, then any number of years would be enough. Still, if possible, I’d like to live at least until our children reach adulthood. After that, I’ll be ready for whatever comes. That’s how I feel.

With our young children watching, Kazuya and I grabbed the handles of the relic.

We poured magic into it and chanted the activation spell.

Light flowed from my hand into the handle, passed to the one Kazuya held, and then into Kazuya himself.

Our bodies shone brightly—and then the light subsided.

…

There seemed to be no change in our bodies or condition.

Kazuya said he didn’t feel anything strange either.

Did we truly share our lifespans through this? It didn’t feel real.

And so, we returned to our ordinary daily life.

---

So that our children could survive even if we died at any time, Kazuya and I gave them intensive, gifted education.

Naturally, they studied academics, and I taught them magic, while Kazuya trained them in swordsmanship.

Our children seemed to have inherited our talents and responded well to the training.

Ten years passed. Kazuya was now forty-five. Riku was fourteen. Sora was eleven. They were still young, but perhaps we’re just biased parents for thinking they were brilliant.

As for their growth rate, it seemed to follow that of ordinary humans.

Oh, right. Our reproductive functions were definitely gone.

But even without them, we could still make love. The only thing lost was the ability to have children—everything else remained intact. That was a happy miscalculation.

And around that time, I noticed something.

Kazuya seemed to be getting younger.

It was hard to tell through his beard, but his skin looked firmer, and the wrinkles around his eyes had lessened.

When I told him that, he immediately shaved his beard.

He rushed back right after.

It was the first time in ten years I’d seen his clean-shaven face and jaw—but more than that, his skin had the tautness and glow of someone in their twenties, despite being forty-five. He had clearly rejuvenated.

Kazuya seemed to sense it too, and the two of us talked about why.

We came to the conclusion that long-lived races maintain their youthful, prime appearance.

In other words, their cells are constantly renewing into younger ones, effectively making them younger.

They age like humans up to their physical prime, and then they maintain that form for a long time. When they finally begin to age, they do so like ordinary humans—that seemed to be the nature of it.

When he shaved and revealed his youthful face, the kids initially said he looked like a stranger and felt awkward around him. But they quickly got used to their refreshed and energetic father.

---

Later, Riku said he wanted to become an adventurer and left home.

A few years after that, Sora followed, wanting to see the outside world and become an adventurer like her brother.

We understood that children eventually leave the nest, but when the time came, it was still a little lonely.

Kazuya took it especially hard, but I knew.

I knew our children would come back.

Because I had been through the same experience. When I first left the Elven village, my memories from my previous life were still vivid, and I thought I’d have no trouble adapting to life among humans. Since the kids are half-human, they probably felt the same way.

But that was a mistake. After ten years, it sinks in. You realize you're not human.

Only you don’t age, while everything around you changes. The first time you experience that is emotionally rough. Even if you understand it in your head, actually going through it is something else entirely.

Just as I predicted, ten years later, our children returned.

But not in the way I had imagined.

They each brought home someone they wanted to marry.

It seemed our children, being half-human, had more curiosity about the opposite sex—especially the sexual aspects—than I, an elf, ever had. Maybe that’s the human blood in them.

Kazuya and I sat down with their partners and talked.

We explained what it meant to be a half-elf, the future ahead, the hardships they might face.

But both of them were firm in their resolve, and nothing could shake their decision. So, we gave them our blessings.

Then, about eighty years later, they returned again.

Still in their prime, looking as young and vibrant as ever.

According to them, Riku’s child—that is, our grandchild and a quarter-elf—looked nearly human. They stayed young for about ten years, then began to age like normal humans.

And their child—our great-grandchild—was essentially human, indistinguishable from others.

After seeing that, with no loved ones left in the world, and their own grandchildren beginning to age, unable to bear watching others grow older than themselves, our children left their families behind and came back home.

Sora went through the same thing.

Kazuya and I welcomed them back warmly, and the four of us resumed our life together as a family.

After that, we traveled together, adventuring and visiting various places.

From the outside, we probably looked like a group of four teenagers around eighteen years old.

Around that time, Riku and Sora, despite being siblings, began to love each other.

Perhaps it was inevitable for the only two half-elves in the world who were neither fully human nor fully elf.

Kazuya and I, who could somewhat understand their feelings, couldn't bring ourselves to condemn them.

And in the end, I felt like I finally understood why elves have such low sex drive and so little interest in the opposite sex.

---

Now then, changing the subject a bit—what happened to our acquaintances afterward?

Roy was once hired by a noble, but it didn’t last more than two years before he went back to being an adventurer. After continuing adventuring for a while, he returned to the village and, together with Claudia and Mr. Joseph, began taking in apprentices and dedicating himself to training the next generation.

As for Dominic, he kept on being an adventurer and, one way or another, ended up living happily with those three women from back then. Apparently, he mellowed out quite a bit too.

Zack gained fame as a dwarf who forged a weapon from orichalcum. Later, perhaps due to some wars and such, he returned to his dwarf settlement and lived out his days peacefully.

Fabio, taking the opportunity to sell the hero’s cloak that was used to defeat the Demon King, showcased his business talents and became a great merchant. Eventually, the Fabio Trading Company opened branches all across the country.

But all of that has become events of centuries past.

The kingdom from back then no longer exists, having been replaced by another. With all the conflicts and upheavals, it’s a story from several dynasties ago.

No one alive knows that Kazuya was once a hero. There are probably some records, but that’s all they are.

It feels a little lonely, but then again, I’ve already lived through more than my fair share of such moments.

---

When our children passed the age of five hundred, aging finally began.

Riku and Sora both passed away about fifty years after that.

Watching our children age and die before us was heartbreaking.

We did our best to show them love in our own way, but I wonder how they really felt.

Sometimes I can’t help but think—if they hadn’t been half-elves, maybe they could’ve had a better life. If they had been either human or elf, maybe their lives would’ve been more fulfilling.

Now, it was truly just the two of us again.

---

Kazuya and I, even after centuries together—through our quarrels and everything—still loved each other deeply.

I had only ever known Kazuya. I had no interest in other men. I loved only him.

But I couldn’t help but wonder what he thought.

Unlike me, Kazuya had been with many women before we met. Did he still love me now? Sometimes I got anxious.

One day, we went out shopping together.

While we were running our errands separately, I saw Kazuya being approached by a beautiful woman. And he didn’t exactly seem uninterested—he went into a shop with her, just the two of them.

I was in shock. A part of me thought, “So it’s true after all.”

I couldn’t say a word on the way home. Kazuya was visibly fidgety too, and we walked in silence the whole way back.

After dinner, Kazuya said he had something to talk about.

I feared the worst. Was he going to break up with me?

Kazuya sat across from me.

I had nothing but bad feelings. It felt like the world was going dark.

When I glanced at him, he looked hesitant but was steeling himself.

“Miki.”

My name startled me.

“Y-yeah…”

“Oh? Did my nervousness rub off on you? Miki, just relax and hear me out.”

“…”

Like I could relax. I didn’t even want to hear it.

“Miki, thank you for being with me for these 600 years.”

Ah… so it was a breakup. This was the end, that kind of talk.

“…And from now on, I don’t know how many more years we have left, but I want you to stay with me. I want you to keep loving me.”

…Huh? What did he just say?

Stay with him? Keep loving him?

I was totally thrown by the words that were completely different from what I had expected.

“Miki, I want you to have this. It’s proof of a love that will never change.”

It was a necklace.

Adorned with a large diamond, surrounded by smaller ones. Not overly flashy, yet undeniably luxurious.

“B-but… you were with that beautiful woman today…”

“Huh? You saw that?—Ah, that explains why you were acting weird on the way home. Seriously, Miki… Listen, that woman works at the jewelry store. I didn’t know anything about gems, so she was just helping me. And calling her beautiful—c’mon, haven’t I been saying this for centuries? I can’t even tell if another woman is pretty or not because you’re the only one who ever stood out to me. That’s how beautiful you are. I’ve never had eyes for anyone else, so have a little more confidence in yourself, okay?”

Needless to say, I cried tears of joy afterward.

And that night, Kazuya got all fired up and said, “I’ll make you understand just how much I love you!” And he sure did.

From that day forward, I never doubted again.

---

Eight hundred years since using the secret treasure—the time had finally come.

We had started to think this happiness might go on forever.

But it didn’t. The sands of the hourglass kept falling, and not much remained.

Kazuya and I began to age.

Realizing that, we started to cherish our remaining time even more, deepening our love further.

And forty years later, Kazuya was facing his final moments.

“Miki… Thank you. Thanks to you, my life has been a happy one. I got to experience so many, truly so many wonderful things. Thank you… so much.”

“I should be the one thanking you, Kazuya. I got to experience so much because of you. We even defeated the Demon King. If I hadn’t met you, I’d probably still be living a normal elf life, drifting aimlessly. My life would’ve been hollow. It’s because I met you that I found happiness. Thank you, truly. —And I told you, remember? ‘I’ll be with you for life.’ I love you, Kazuya.”

“Heh… That’s right. You did say you’d be with me forever… I’m grateful for that day we met. Miki, you’re still the most beautiful woman in the world. I love you.”

“Stop saying stuff like that to an old granny.”

We smiled at each other, and Kazuya and I shared one last kiss.

—And just like that, Kazuya drew his last breath.

It was a peaceful, content smile on his face.

And within a month after that, I too reached my final moment.

When I closed my eyes, it felt like Kazuya was there to welcome me.

Knowing I could finally join him—there was no fear of death.

My last vision was of the two of us embracing, ascending toward the heavens.

—And with that, the story of Kazuya and me comes to an end.

Reborn as an elf, I met my best friend from my past life. That best friend rose to become a hero. The two of us came together, married, had children, and eventually passed on together.

That was our story.