CH 180

“Phew, there was so much going on this time!”

“Well, most of it was because Canal got caught up in it all.”

Having safely returned to the <White World> we exchanged words in front of the door. In fact, this world we had just visited stood out among the others, as we were caught up in unexpected major incidents. With our knowledge from the first round proving to be useless, the great adventure in the unknown world was truly exciting and enjoyable.

By the way, always being on standby was quite harsh, so about two months in, John prepared a fake crystal for Tia’s wrist, a fragment for her to use, and since then, Tia has been adventuring with us.

I mean, if I had left Tia on standby indefinitely, my guilt would have overwhelmed me as she sent me off with a disheartened expression saying, “Do your best.” Maybe the Demon Lord Of The Endl would have revived. In that sense, John really is the savior of that world.

“Nevertheless, we made a good profit this time. Now, Tia, bring it out!”

“Alright, alright, I’m doing it now. Which one should I take out first?”

“Of course, it’s the magic furnace!”

In front of my excited self, Tia activated the “Shared Property Single Bank” with a wry smile. Yes, with a lavish budget of 500 million, I bought various things in that world.

First, a state-of-the-art magic furnace was taken out. Although it wasn’t for commercial use, it was still a hobby item for personal use. Its performance far surpassed that of a blacksmith’s furnace in a normal world, reaching high temperatures instantly, allowing precise temperature control and maintaining that state for a long time.

Various other convenient gadgets were taken out, such as the MagiStocker, which magically preserves the interior state so that freshly cooked food can still be eaten a month later, and a mixer that quickly produces fruit water when you put in random fruits.

Once these completed magic tools were taken out, ingots were next. Rare metals that can only be obtained by chance in other worlds can be easily obtained in that world if you have the money. From Mithril to Adamantite, and even Orichalcum… although it was only a small amount because it was ridiculously expensive even in that world… the sight of them lined up was truly spectacular. If my master were here, he would surely jump for joy.

“Alright, with all this, finally――”

“Hey, Ed. I understand you’re excited, but shouldn’t we check that first? I’m really curious about it.”

Tia poked my shoulder while I was thinking about what to create, and pointed towards the table. Naturally, what was there was the {Records Of The Hero’s Story}  a book describing John and Canal’s past and future.

“…Right, let’s start with that. Oh, by the way, Tia, since we received the cake and coffee as souvenirs, why don’t we enjoy them while reading?”

“Eh!? But if we eat that here…”

Tia hesitated, guessing what would happen if we ate and drank here. But I grinned and reassured her.

“Fufufu, don’t worry, Tia. I bought an installation-type toilet, just in case. It completely blocks the view, sound, and smell from the surroundings, and it magically decomposes and evaporates what’s inside, turning it into clean water and dust, so it’s easy to clean.”

It’s impossible to carry it around and use it while camping since you can’t see outside from inside, but it’s more than enough for use in this <White World> Upon hearing about the toilet I secretly purchased for her, Tia let out a high-pitched cheer and hugged me.

“Yay! I love you, Ed! I’ll get it ready then.”

“Alright.”

In reality, it can’t be used until it’s assembled, but it probably won’t be needed immediately. As I sat at the table, Tia quickly prepared cake and coffee for us, and we began reading the book  while enjoying our snacks.

“Wow, Canal has always been such an energetic girl, huh?”

“The guy who secretly helped her here must be John, right? Well, if he’s been tracking her soul, he must have been watching her since she was born.”

“I guess so. It’s lovely to think that she’s been protected since birth.”

“Really? To be honest, I find it a bit scary… What’s with that face?”

“It’s nothing! Knowing ‘who is watching you’ is definitely important.”

Since I had thoroughly explained John’s situation to Tia, we were able to freely chat and enjoy reading the book together. Canal’s life had been full of ups and downs since childhood, and if not for John, she might have easily died. Her life was like a true adventure, and we found it fascinating, especially because it included aspects of life we were unfamiliar with.

During the happy and bright pages, we enjoyed the soft and sweet chiffon cake, and during the pages of setbacks and hardships, we drank bitter coffee. As we reminisced about our shared memories of the past year, we eagerly turned the pages of the book, but eventually, the end of the story approached.

– Chapter 10, {Record Of The Hero’s Story}- The End is Not the End

And so, despite having saved the world from crisis countless times without her own volition, as a human, the hero Canal could not overcome her lifespan. By her deathbed, connected to life support, a familiar figure who hadn’t shown themselves for the past ten years stood.

Her partner, who had never aged for some reason and always had an ambiguous face that she couldn’t remember no matter how hard she tried, was now recognizable. The faceless partner looked just like one of her mysterious friends from her youth, and the memories of those times were revived in the aged Canal’s mind.

As her partner’s hand overlapped with Canal’s withered hand, which was connected to countless tubes, light overflowed with a fizzing sound, and the man’s hand showed a different aspect from that of a human. The partner then tried to guide Canal’s hand to his own neck, but she mustered her last strength to stretch her arm and gently embraced her partner’s head.

Canal, who possessed a rare analytical and reasoning ability and the power of a hero that brought it forth, had realized long ago that her partner was not human. However, such a trivial matter held no meaning compared to the joyful days they had spent together.

As if cherishing the time left, or as if bidding farewell to the happy days, Canal embraced the Demon King she was supposed to defeat, and her final moments burned out.

The next day, Canal’s face, as she drew her last breath as if she were sleeping, was more peaceful than ever. At her side, a plate of coffee and cake, which Canal loved, had been placed at some point.

The Demon King’s subjugation was still incomplete. However, it was said that the hope for the world was inherited not by the next generation of heroes, but by an ordinary blind baby born into the world.

“I see… Hey Ed, do you think Canal was happy?”

Tia asked me as she quietly closed the {Record Of The Hero’s Story} after finishing reading.

“I don’t know. It’s presumptuous for someone else to talk about whether someone was happy or not. But, well, it seems like she was happy what we’ve read, right?”

“Really? What about John? Do you think he was happy?”

“That’s… I see.”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly at the repeated question. Canal was a stranger, but John was a part of me. If that’s the case, maybe I have the right to say how John was…

“No, I don’t know. John is John.”

“Fufu, I see… That’s good.”

“…”

At my answer, Tia said, “That’s good.” She was glad that John, who was separated from me, was an individual called John and not just me. It was as if she acknowledged that I was an existence called Ed, not just some extra in Demon King Of The End, and it somehow made me feel itchy inside.

And then, suddenly, I thought. Wasn’t it because John had Canal, and I had Tia, that we were able to gain our own souls? No matter what power one has, one can’t do it alone. Someone has to recognize you as yourself, and that’s the true nature of a “soul.”

(This reunion is going to be a long way off.)

There’s no way he would think about returning to someone else’s insides and throwing away his ego if he had such a partner. If anything, he would be slapped on the head and woken up if he tried.

At the end of many years, on the day that will someday come, I quietly vowed in my heart that I would accumulate memories with Tia so that I wouldn’t lose to the stories of John’s partner that he would tell me.

(T/N: Wholesome. New arc will take some time I got tests next week)