NOVEL NEXT Chapter 213 - Divine Cat Mii-chan, Sorrow with the Cherry Blossoms
213 Divine Cat Mii-chan, Sorrow with the Cherry Blossoms
She looks as if she’s simply sleeping peacefully. Even standing right in front of her, I still can’t believe it…
“You came. The Empress—no, my mother—would be pleased,” Mistletisia says with a smile, but the traces of tears are evident in her eyes. Mukata’s older sister, seeing Ayane, couldn’t hold back her tears any longer and clung to her younger brother, sobbing uncontrollably. Mukata’s brother was biting his lip, trying to hold back his own tears. Leti, meanwhile, stood expressionless, leaning against the door.
After Leti came to my room and informed me of Ayane’s passing, I composed myself, woke up the Mukata siblings, explained the situation, and boarded the carriage prepared by the Guild of Righteous Thieves. No one said a word until we arrived at this room.
Mii-chan jumped from my arms onto the bed, rubbing her face against Ayane’s and crying softly. It seems Mii-chan understands death.
“My mother was happy to see you all before the end. I don’t know the nature of your relationship with her. But since meeting Nero and the two of you, she smiled in a way I’d never seen before as her daughter… she became so lively, like a different person. I thought she was getting better…”
Mistletisia said that when she went to check on Ayane last night, she had already passed away. After meeting me, Ayane had started eating properly and was drinking the mineral water I had given her without fail. She even enjoyed the dishes made with the miso and soy sauce I had provided.
When I last saw her, she looked well and seemed in good spirits. But thinking back now, I realize Mii-chan’s behavior when we left was strange, and Ayane’s expression seemed as if she had realized something. It’s too late to change anything now, though…
Mistletisia handed me an envelope and an old piece of parchment, saying Ayane had asked her to give them to me if she passed away.
I skimmed through the letter in the envelope. It was an apology from Ayane. She said she wished she could have done more for me, not just in this recent matter but as someone who came to this otherworld before me. However, it seems the gods had put a stop to it. Just as Ayane had her own life, I have mine, and the gods had warned her not to offer me excessive help, fearing that the more she did, the closer I would come to the dark side. It feels too late for that now, though…
Because of that, she couldn’t use her oracle skill for matters related to me. There were certainly many things I would have liked to ask through the oracle. Especially now that the useless god has been of no help, I had hoped to learn how to return Mii-chan to the divine realm.
Instead, Ayane left me the parchment containing the information she had learned through her oracle skill. While she couldn’t assist me directly, she believed it would be helpful to me. At the bottom, a few recent lines were written as well.
Thank you, Ayane. I’ll treasure it and make good use of it.
Lastly, Ayane asked that if possible, I help the remaining summoned individuals. The Guild of Righteous Thieves would be inherited by her daughter, Mistletisia, and they would continue to monitor the false hero situation, cooperating with me.
I knew Ayane was kind and had been concerned about these things…
Suddenly, Mii-chan stopped rubbing against Ayane and looked up, letting out a small cry.
“Mii…”
Before I could react, a light descended from the ceiling, enveloping Ayane. It was a warm, gentle light.
The light gradually began to fade, and as it did, Ayane’s body disappeared along with it. The gods must have come to take her. Ayane had been more connected to the divine than even a hero blessed by the gods. It wouldn’t be strange for the gods to come for her.
Though the time Ayane spent in the light was short, it felt long to me. It was as if the gods had given her a moment to say her final goodbyes. As Ayane faded into the light, I kept repeating in my heart that we would be alright. There was something I had hesitated to say to her, unsure whether to voice it or not, but in the end, I didn’t.
Ayane, were you happy in this world?
I don’t know if Ayane was truly happy, but I want to believe she was. Otherwise, it would be too sad.
On the bed where the light had vanished, only Mii-chan remained with a sorrowful expression, along with a single branch of cherry blossoms in full bloom.
“Mii…”