Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka Gaiden – Sword Oratoria - Volume 9 - Chapter 4.1

CHAPTER 4 THOSE WHO REMAIN, THOSE LEFT BEHIND 

Aiz froze in place. 
She was at a loss for words, unmoving, even forgetting to breathe as she stood in front of it. 
“This…is…” 
Before her eyes was a jet-black scale, the size of a grown man’s upper body, almost like a giant polished piece of obsidian. 
Her heart raced. 
It was the third day of their stay in the village. 
A festival to pray for a plentiful harvest was beginning. With the rain lifting, people were hard at work preparing for the celebration. Aiz and Bell were also helping out, as thanks for taking care of them. It was her first time interacting with anyone outside of the village elder’s home, and she was feeling out of place as the adults watched her and the children tried to get to know her. But they were all kind and smoothly broke the ice. Aiz smiled so many times as she helped out with the preparations. 
This is a nice village. 
Just as she was thinking that, it appeared before her eyes. 
It was enshrined in a decorated little stone hut. 
Its outline was elliptical, but with fragments missing. 
Aiz’s skin crawled under the aura emanating from its jet-black surface. 
One villager noticed her shocked gaze as she stood stock-still on the road. Then, as if guessing what she was thinking, they spoke up. 
“Miss Adventurer…That’s a scale from Lord Black Dragon.” 
Aiz couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 
“Lord…Black Dragon?” 
An ancient dragon also known as the one-eyed dragon. 
The strongest of all the monsters that had emerged across the land in the Ancient Times. One of the targets of the Three Great Quests; something the world longed to see defeated. The two great familias led by Zeus and Hera had struck down Behemoth, the Terrestrial Tyrant, and Leviathan, the Ruler of the Sea, but the final one, the Black Dragon, defeated the world’s strongest adventurers. Thrusting the world into the depths of despair, this creature was the source of darkness that gave rise to the Evils. Even now, that legendary dragon was still living somewhere at the edges of the Earth. 
It was currently sleeping, but the day it would rise from slumber was said to be the beginning of the end times, the trigger of destruction. 
Everyone on Earth wished for the defeat of the Black Dragon. 
It was the duty demanded of Orario. 
Even Aiz knew that. 
There was no one who didn’t. 
However, for some reason, that embodiment of calamity was being worshipped in this village. 
“It’s said that long ago, when Lord Black Dragon was driven out of Orario, it crossed through the sky above this village, scattering countless scales as it passed.” 
“…!” 
“Monsters don’t approach because they are scared of those scales. They allow us to live in safety…Those scales are essentially our guardian deity.” 
The villager was talking about the vestigial aura of the ancient dragon emanating from the scales. The presence of the being that reigned supreme over all monsters. Monsters could naturally sense it and would not approach it out of fear. Thanks to that, this village was able to live in peace. 
Aiz was shocked. 
She had thought it was strange. They were in the depths of the Beor Mountain Range, where monsters roamed free, and yet there were no disturbances at all. 
The scales were protecting Edas Village. 
“Of course we know about the Three Great Quests…I assure you, we who are protected by Lord Black Dragon understand better than anyone that it must be defeated or the world will eventually be destroyed. Nonetheless, we can’t not worship it, and we can’t cease praying to it.” 
The villager lowered his eyes, clasped his hands together in a practiced ritual, and raised a prayer. 
Being protected…by monsters…? 
Not adventurers. Not gods. 
An evil, hideous, cruel monster. 
Moaning softly, she felt her entire world go askew. 
Monsters were the enemy of all people. Absolute evil that brought only sadness and tears. That’s what Aiz had believed. She had kept swinging her sword up until this day because she believed that. 
And yet, an existence that must be destroyed was protecting her fellow people. 
Her entire system of values was rocked. That one fundamental truth had been overturned, and her mind was overcome with nausea. 
—A village where faith in the dragon had taken root. 
A world that Aiz hadn’t known. 
It was a side of the truth that she would have been better off not knowing. 
Beasts have to…be destroyed…The monsters, all the monsters…The dragon… 
She couldn’t control the wild surge of emotions. 
A monster protecting people. She couldn’t begin to process such an oxymoron. 
A monster that coexists with people couldn’t exist. 
If Aiz acknowledged it, the determination she put into her raised sword—her entire raison d’être—would waver. 
Because Aiz’s sword could not be anything other than a tombstone for monsters. 
The wave of sadness that had broken through the dam in her heart was vying with the flames of hatred in her chest. 
Aiz saw a vision of Edas Village in flames overlaid with scenes of monsters destroying her home, taking their land, tearing up the earth. The dragon’s scale before her eyes made her heart tremble and evoked the image of the root of all that suffering. 
“M-Miss Adventurer…?” 
“—!” 
She was drawn back to reality by the villager’s trembling voice. Without realizing it, she had grabbed the hilt of her Desperate and was clutching it so hard that it quivered, as if she might draw it at any moment. 
She managed to peel her fingers out of their death grip on the hilt. 
“…I’m sorry. I’m going…to walk a bit.” 
“O-okay…” 
Excusing herself, she left the scale. 
She walked through the center of the village, casting a sidelong glance at all the people smiling and continuing the preparations for the festival. There was more than one jet-black scale. Either several had fallen nearby or else the villagers had broken the one into pieces. She suspected the former, given their faith and the hardness of the scales. Most of the scales were around the outside of Edas Village, running along the edge of the forest like stone monuments. 
Each time she found one, she would stare at it, motionless, her hands clenched. 
Each time it took a Herculean feat of will to keep from drawing her sword. 
Even if the black blaze threatened to consume her, she had to turn a blind eye to it for the sake of the people of the village. For the people smiling and laughing in the village next to the enshrined dragon’s scale. For the impossible image of beasts living next to people without attacking. She didn’t have to agree. That’s what she kept telling herself. 
Time passed and the sky turned red in the dusk. 
The sun was about to sink below the western summit as night approached. 
Aiz returned to the first scale she had found as the village was bathed in a warm sunset. 
It was right near the center of the village. 
Inside the decorated hut was an altar. Food was placed before the scale in offering. Before a piece of the dragon, worshipped and feared by the villagers. 
Before a fragment of calamity that would destroy the world. 
“Miss Aiz?” 
Bell called out to her from behind. 
She hadn’t reacted to his approach, so he stopped behind her. She didn’t have the composure to acknowledge him. 
She continued to silently focus on the scale before her eyes without turning, so he couldn’t see her face. 
Finally, Bell spoke up and said the first thing that came to his mind. 
“It’s almost like a god, don’t you think?” 
In that moment— 
The black inferno in Aiz’s heart flared. Gripped by an intense emotion that blurred her vision, she spat out a denial. 
“That thing is no god.” 
The heavy, cold, and sharp tone of voice she used surprised even her. 
Swordlike, as if it would cut through everything. 
“?” 
She could tell that the boy behind her was at a loss for words. He was taken aback by the intense emotion she had displayed, the glimpse of darkness she had laid bare. 
“…” 
Sensing the boy’s fear, Aiz lowered her eyes slightly. 
She couldn’t allow herself to direct her black rage at the innocent boy. She managed to reclaim at least that much of her senses. The fire within was tamped down, and her emotions came under control. 
When she turned back around, she was wearing the aloof mask of the Sword Princess again. 
“Let’s go back.” 
“…S-sure.” 
Aiz turned around and walked away from the hut. 
Frozen in place by the exchange, Bell rushed to follow after her. 
Walking beside her, he peeked at her face from the side but didn’t try to ask her anything. His expression looked like he had crossed the border from reality to illusion and didn’t know what to think anymore. 
That’s fine, Aiz thought. Please don’t ask me anything. If you press me, I’m not sure that I can control myself, and I don’t know what might come out. 
The distance between them was immeasurable. 
It could never, ever be bridged. 
Aiz felt like the boy’s existence had moved impossibly far away from hers in an instant. 
Or rather, she had cut herself off from the rest of the world. 
In the village sunset, enclosed in its own little world, Aiz felt that she was alone. 
 
Regaining control over her emotions was difficult. 
Separating herself from everyone, closing her eyes, and touching Desperate while soothing the blaze in her heart, she finally obtained some peace of mind. 
She withdrew from the ongoing preparations for the festival, returned to the village elder’s home, and stood by the window, staring outside. There were several large logs tied together in the plaza. They were clearly going to be lit and used for a bonfire. 
She silently looked out on the village protected by the dragon and the constant cheer leading up to the festival. 
“Do you hate this village?” 
“!” 
The person who spoke was the village elder, Kam. 
Aiz was shocked. The elderly man had come without his daughter, Rina. Standing beside her, he joined her in looking out the window. 
“It seems your eyes have changed since this morning.” 
“Th-that’s…” 
No, she could have said, of course not. She tried to deny it, but the words wouldn’t come. 
Ignoring Aiz’s stammered attempts to respond, Kam continued without seeming to mind. 
“This village is protected by the dragon’s scale. It’s surely heretical to anyone observing it from the outside.” 
“I…” 
“It wouldn’t be strange for you to judge us. As an adventurer who slays monsters…and as someone who must have lost something important to them.” 
“!” 
Aiz’s eyes opened wide. 
Kam smiled, looking out the window, his words slow and careful, as if he knew what she was thinking. 
“At first, I also…hated this village.” 
“Eh…?” 
The elderly human answered Aiz’s confusion. 
“It’s a bit embarrassing, but I was originally a member of a certain goddess’s familia…Unfortunately, I couldn’t protect her and lost her. Falling into despair, I entered the Beor Mountains intending to die.” 
Aiz could tell by looking at his face, lit by the setting sun, and the fond reminiscence in his eyes that he had loved that goddess. 
“However, I arrived in this village. At first, I was furious with the people here who saved me. Why wouldn’t they just let me die?” 
“Is that…why you…hated it…?” 
“Yes, but…the people here wouldn’t give up on me. I tried to shut myself off from everything, but they took my hand… 
“…And I was saved. Despite giving up on the world, I still let my tears flow.” 
Kam described his experience to her with a tranquil smile. 
“All the people of this village are scarred, other than the ones born here. We were driven out of the worlds we lived in before, drowning in despair; our tears dried up…” 
“…” 
“Maybe we’re all just licking our wounds. But I think it’s thanks to them…” 
Looking out at the village, the old man’s eyes narrowed. 
“…that I wasn’t alone.” 
Ah, that’s— 
As the door of memories opened in Aiz’s heart, Kam looked at her. 
“Aiz…You remind me of myself.” 
“…” 
“I’m sorry if my saying all this bothers you. Just consider it the ramblings of an old man.” 
That’s when Aiz realized that even with the sunset’s light covering it, Kam’s face looked much paler than when they had first met. 
She gasped, but Kam continued without breaking his smile. 
“I pray someone will eventually fill the hole in your heart that hasn’t yet healed.” 
Aiz was silent for a while. 
Before the old man in the twilight, she could offer no denials or pretenses. All she could do was look back at him. 
Kam had said he wasn’t alone. 
However, he was still pained by his loss even now. 
His prayer seemed almost like a plea for her to not end up like him. 
Keeping silent, unsure what she should say, she eventually voiced the only words that came to mind. 
“…Thank you…very much.” 
That night after the sun set. 
Edas Village’s festival began just as planned. 
Centered around a large bonfire, the villagers were milling cheerfully with drinks in one hand and food in the other. The children seemed to be excited by the festive atmosphere, running around among the adults who were sipping their alcohol. With all the various races of demi-humans in the village, the unusually high percentage of halfs was noticeable. 
“Um, are you okay, Goddess? You really shouldn’t force yourself…” 
“I’m fine! Since you two took such good care of me, there’s no reason not to be fine!” 
Hestia smiled in response to Bell’s concerned look. 
Perhaps because she was feeling better after three days’ rest, she decided to tag along to the festival that Aiz and Bell had been helping out with. She was wearing some clothes of Rina’s from when she was younger, an outfit that matched Aiz’s except for the blue to contrast with her red. 
Rina had even teased them about how they looked like sisters when they stood next to each other. 
…Hestia’s gotten better…Maybe tomorrow we can… 
Aiz was thinking about next steps as Hestia Familia’s cheerful conversation went on beside her. 
Before, she’d had mixed feelings about this village, so she’d wanted to leave before she got any more confused. She’d be lying if she denied that. But now, she wasn’t quite so sure. 
Her mind was less agitated and more simply unstable. 
Her legs felt a little wobbly, like she wasn’t standing on solid ground. 
She had calmed down significantly after talking to Kam, but she still felt disconnected from the events around her. 
She watched the bonfire’s flames rise into the darkness with Bell and Hestia. 
The word gorgeous slipped from her lips to describe the totally natural light, unlike the magic-stone lanterns she knew. 
“Ah, Lady Hestia!” 
“Are you feeling better already?!” 
The villagers gathered around them. 
People were worried after hearing about her from Kam. Among them were several who had come by the residence to share medicinal herbs to help with her recovery. 
There weren’t any deities in Edas Village, so young and old, men and women alike all gathered around Hestia. Young children in particular were filled with curiosity and wonder. Hestia was overwhelmed at first, but she eventually cracked a smile and started thanking them. 
Then. 
“Hmm…?” 
They could hear a song. 
The villagers’ merry voices and claps created music, and couples had gathered around the bonfire at some point and started to dance. 
“Is that the village’s traditional dance? Most of the children there seem young, though…” 

“Ah, you see…I wouldn’t say it’s the village’s law or anything, but when an unmarried man asks a woman for a dance at this festival, it’s sort of like a confession. It’s said that if she accepts, they will be blessed with a lifetime of happiness…” 
“O-oh?” 
“Goddess! Since this is a festival for fertility, we’d love to have you dance with us, if you feel up to it!” 
“Please bless us with a boon!” 
Hestia had started to fidget nervously at the response to her question. When they started asking her for a blessing, she cleared her throat. 
“Ahem. Um, Bell? It’s a bit sudden, but I have to take care of my godly duties here, it seems…So, um, yeah.” 
Lit by the warm glow of the bonfire, the goddess looked restless as she glanced flirtatiously at him. 
“If you’ll dance with me…maybe we can call that incident water under the bridge?” 
Aiz could tell she meant the fight Bell had mentioned the other day. The villagers around them cheered her on as Bell blinked repeatedly before flushing—trying to keep from going slack-jawed—and nodding. 
For some reason, Aiz couldn’t look away from the exchange. 
“All right…Let’s dance, Goddess.” 
“Do it right, Bell. Like you did with Wallensomething…I heard you danced with her at Apollo’s banquet.” 
Aiz seemed puzzled when she was suddenly a part of the conversation for some reason. 
She tilted her head in confusion, but she understood what the goddess was trying to say. 
“You probably gave some flowery, pretentious invitation, right? I want to really dance with you, too.” 
She must have been talking about the time Aiz and Bell had danced at a certain banquet. Apparently, Hestia hadn’t gotten a chance to dance with Bell back then, so it would be fair to say that it was her turn this time. 
The villagers cheered while Bell turned red and fidgeted. 
Aiz watched their exchange without blinking. 
Bell was sweating bullets, caught between Hestia and Aiz…But seeming to make up his mind, he held his hand out to the goddess. 
“…C-could I please…have this dance, Goddess?” 
“Yes!” 
Taking the boy’s hand as he blushed, she led him toward the resplendent bonfire. 
The villagers cheered. The sparks danced through the air as if welcoming them. 
They held hands and improvised a folk dance, and Hestia laughed pleasantly as Bell responded with a strained laugh. He seemed somehow happy, though. 
“…” 
The pair danced happily together. 
Just a little bit, Aiz felt a sting in her heart. 
Aiz told herself that it was because she’d seen that dragon scale. 
That black flame hidden in her heart had flared up again, reminding her of her past deeds. 
But all of a sudden, she realized it wasn’t that. 
Ah…That’s wrong. 
I’m lonely… 
Aiz all of a sudden understood the true nature of the empty feeling in her heart. 
Lefiya, Tiona, Tione…Riveria, none of them is here. I’m by myself. 
And on top of that, there was the beast’s scale she just couldn’t understand, which made everything worse. Knowing the origin of the village and hearing Kam’s story, she still felt uneasy, as if she might lose sight of herself. 
Her current feelings were an extension of all that. Ill at ease, Aiz was the only one who couldn’t join in with the bustle and celebration of the festival. She alone was different, even now wearing her aloof Sword Princess mask. 
At that point in time, Aiz was truly alone. 
It reminded her of the sense of solitude she had often felt during that first year after meeting Riveria, Gareth, and Finn. The one anchor she had here, Bell and Hestia, was gone, too…She was at a loss. 
I…don’t belong here. 
Still watching their dance, Aiz secretly moved away. 
No…I shouldn’t be here. 
Distancing herself from the ring of villagers, she approached a house, becoming a wallflower as she tried to hide. 
People’s laughter. The bright dancing of the flames. A human girl holding hands with her father, an animal-person boy who was getting a scolding from his mother for being too rowdy. It was a heartwarming scene, almost like a scene from a book brought to life for Aiz. The house’s shadow fell over her like a cold embrace. 
No one called out to her. As if deciding she would just be a hindrance to everyone else’s enjoyment, she made herself unnoticeable. 
Not being found by anyone had long been a specialty for her. 
She hadn’t even been found by her hero, after all. 
Such a self-deprecating observation was unusual for Aiz. And just as she made it… 
“—Um, Miss Aiz.” 
Her heart fluttered in shock as someone called her name. She struggled to maintain her mask before the boy who had found her after his dance with Hestia had ended. 
Acting as if everything was normal, she paused a second before responding. 
“…Yes?” She stared out at the plaza after glancing at him. “Everyone looks like they’re having fun…” 
The jealous words unexpectedly slipped from her mouth, as if the smiles among the villagers’ faces had stirred them up inside her. 
It’s Bell’s fault. 
It’s his fault I realized it. 
She was jealous. 
She had even managed to lie to herself. 
Her eyes narrowed as she watched the storybook come to life, as if it was blindingly bright. Taking care not to look at him, she responded with a bit of a pout. 
“…Your dance was very good.” 
“Eh?…Th-thank you.” 
“…You’re…a great dancer.” 
“Ah, thanks…” 
“…” 
“…” 
The conversation broke off. 
Why had she run her mouth about that? Aiz didn’t really understand it herself. 
She could only conclude that something really was weird about her at the moment. 
“Ah…um, are you not going to dance?” 
“Everyone…seems like they are having fun…I don’t want to ruin their moment…” 
“You won’t!” 
“And…I have no one to dance with.” 
—Like a child. 
The other Aiz buried in her heart softly whispered. 
That’s exactly right. 
Aiz thought as she looked down. 
“If…if I’m good enough for you…” 
Her eyes widened upon hearing his nervous voice, and she finally looked at Bell. 
His cheeks were bright red. 
“…You’ll dance…with me?” 
With someone like me? 
With a doll-like person like me who doesn’t belong in a world like this? 
Those questions lingering in her eyes as she looked at him, the boy got even redder and started behaving even more strangely. 
“Uh, yes, that is, if you are okay with it…?” 
Gazing back at his rubellite eyes, Aiz nervously reached out to take his hand—. 
“—Boom!” 
“Ah.” 
“Urghhh!” 
Rushing in from the side, the goddess’s tackle nailed Bell right in the ribs. 
“What’s this, Wallensomething? You have no one to dance with?! Then allow me to dance with you!” 
“…Thank you?” 
She blinked in surprise as Hestia grabbed her hand and dragged her away. 
Leaving Bell writhing on the ground, she led Aiz next to the base of the warm, bright bonfire. 
“Sheesh, you really are cunning! Don’t think I’ll let you tempt my Bell!” 
“I—I’m sorry…?” 
All she could do was apologize in response to Hestia’s glare. 
Joining hands, they stepped into the dance ring. 
“So are you worrying about something?” 
“Eh…” 
“You’ve been lost in thought ever since that time you came to make Bell take a break, haven’t you? I’m a goddess, after all. Of course I’d notice.” 
It was Aiz’s biggest surprise that day. 
Hestia sounded a little sullen as she tried to begin the dance. 
“It would be a pain if I overstepped and then got Loki on my case…” 
“…” 
“But you look like you’re lost right now. And unfortunately, I can’t just ignore children like that. D-don’t misunderstand! It’s not because I want to help you!” 
Pulled along by Hestia’s lead, Aiz was almost dragged off her feet, but she barely managed to keep her balance. Raising her face, she saw that the goddess was watching her, waiting. 
“…I…” She timidly began to speak. “I just…felt like I was truly alone…” 
“…” 
“Learning about this village…I got scared…” 
She knew she wasn’t putting it into words well and was almost incoherent. But as she looked into those blue eyes, her mouth kept moving. “Are you…not scared? Of someone leaving you behind…?” 
“Leaving me behind?” 
“…Something important…disappearing before your eyes…?” 
It was the first time she had asked a deity something like that. But she had always wanted to know. Kam’s face flashed through her mind—the face of an old man who felt the pain of losing something important like she had. 
Yes. 
Gods who lived forever would always know the separation that accompanied any of their relationships. 
Hestia was someone who would lose people. Someone who would be left behind. 
Aiz knew loss already. She had already been left behind. 
That emptiness in her heart resembled the solitude of eternity. 
She was asking if an eternity of pain and sadness wasn’t scary. 
“…If I said it wasn’t scary, I’d be lying. Or maybe lonely is a better way to put it? Interacting with you children down here…Our love lasts but a moment.” 
Hestia continued her slow, rocking dance as she responded. Aiz’s eyes opened wide at her response. 
“But we’re actually pretty shameless, and we try to make our bonds with children last forever.” 
“Eh?” 
Her cheeks reddening, Hestia smiled with all her heart. Like a mischievous child. 
“Anyway, you guys can make a bond that lasts forever with anyone, you know?” 
Aiz was taken aback as the goddess continued as if revealing a secret magic spell. 
“Think back to all the memories you have, starting from when you met. If the memory of a special someone makes you smile, then that’s your eternal bond.” 
“That’s…” 
Hestia’s magic was a little too simple, so the girl felt somewhat disappointed as her hopes were dashed. 
And with that disappointment came pain and sadness. 
“Wallensomething, I think that memories are living things.” 
“…?” 
“Memories that you can’t forget contain joy. They continue on in you forever, and you can always hold them close. There are important things left behind for you there.” 
“!” 
“When you get sad, you can cling to them as you break down in tears. They can encourage you, make you smile…And when you’re lost, they can help you remember what’s important.” 
The sparks danced through the air as if wrapping Hestia and Aiz in a holy light. 
“And forgotten memories are happy things, too. Instead of always being sad and relying on them, you can face forward and laugh with the people around you.” 
Aiz was drawn in to the goddess’s smile. 
This was all from the point of view of a goddess, of course. People on Earth could certainly hurt themselves by clinging to memories, too. 
But she wasn’t entirely wrong, either. 
Even in Aiz’s memories— 
“You feeling a bit better now?” 
“…Yes.” 
“Then let’s dance! It’d be a waste not to enjoy yourself just because you think you’re alone!” 
As Aiz nodded, Hestia responded with an innocent laugh. 
The two began dancing. 
Long black and golden hair swirled through the air, sparkling in the light of the bonfire. The dance between the beautiful goddess and the beautiful girl received the most cheers of any that night. 
Everyone smiled as they watched the two, including Rina and Bell. Lots of people called out, and to Aiz’s surprise, her solitude disappeared. 
Surrounded by laughter, Aiz felt her lips—ever so slightly—curl into a smile. 
 
After the village’s festival ended. 
Aiz, Hestia, and Bell gathered at the edge of the village. 
“Ugh, I got a little carried away…I feel kinda shaky.” 
“Th-that’s why I told you to take it easy!” 
The village kids had begged her to keep dancing, so Hestia had obliged for the whole night. 
Aiz smiled ever so slightly as Bell chided the goddess. 
In the plaza, the villagers were sleeping off their drunken stupor. 
“Anyway, about what to do next…” 
“Yeah, I’m good to go. I’m sorry for causing so much trouble, but I can walk just fine now.” 
As Bell started to talk about next steps, Hestia entrusted that judgment to the top-tier adventurer. Aiz nodded. 
“Tomorrow morning…we’ll leave the village.” 
Saying that, Aiz was surprised to notice that she was a little bit reluctant to leave. 
She had no idea what had caused that change of heart, but Aiz had started to think that maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to dwell on memories a little bit. 
Almost nine years after she had taken up her sword in Orario, she felt like she could begin facing all the feelings she had forgotten in the turbulent days of fighting—the impatience, the sadness, the tears, the smiles. 
Her lips started to break into a new smile of their own. 
“—Lady Hestia!” 
That was when Rina interrupted, rushing toward them. 
Aiz had a bad feeling as the girl looked like she was about to break down in tears. As if confirming her suspicions, a monster’s howl echoed from the forest’s depths. 
Rina’s voice quivered as she held her chest, holding back tears. 
“Would you…see my father off…on his journey to heaven?” 
“…Eh?” 
Aiz wasn’t sure whether the soft cry of surprise came from Bell, or Hestia, or even herself. 
But all she could think was—Nothing lasts forever. 
A feeling of emptiness gnawed at her heart.