The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 201

201

The Ringleland main island, where the Link’s Ruins were located, had a small stone mound on a sea cliff overlooking the southeast coast.

It was where Miria buried her deceased adoptive father. She buried him in the ground and in her heart.

After all the residents of the main island were driven to other islands, it was a cemetery that could not be visited without the permission of the Slayers.

Now that permission is no longer needed.

That’s why Miria could spend the night in front of the stone mound, hugging her knees.

Hair fluttering in the cold sea breeze announcing the dawn, Miria recalled her past, which had been nothing but darkness.

– Mom, I want to be a Goblin Slayer.

She remembered crying in the same spot, in the same position, 11 years ago.

“Ghin Uncle was right.”

Yet, 11 years later, she is smiling faintly as she looks at the horizon with a long strip of dawn. She could smile.

“Living like Uncle, living like that, someone else really came to help.”

Miria held up Ghin’s keepsake, the Shaman Sword. It was a sword that had lost its magical power when the blade broke during the battle with Nariaduke.

“Look at this. Our ancestor’s power is imbued in Uncle’s sword.”

As if to prove those words, Miria poured magic power into the sword.

Then, a red afterimage flickered from under the blade, and the next moment, a red light soared up like an explosion, taking the form of a blade.

From Miria’s arm holding the sword, blood vessels boiled red and began to pulsate.

Whether the power of the Demon Slayer was synchronized, an uncontrollable power was coursing through Miria’s body.

“Isn’t it cool? I named it Demon Sword. I’ll give it back to you since it’s yours. And you’re Uncle’s biological daughter….”

When she put the sword on the ground, the blade of the Demon Sword also faded away on its own. Tears welled up again in her smiling eyes.

“Now, it’s all over, really….”

Into that endless darkness, light suddenly shone.

“That guy, he has to go to the southern end. He’s a pretty good guy, but I’m a little worried. Besides him, there’s Akira, a baby dragon….”

Was she out of her mind?

Ghin Uncle was sitting in front of the stone mound.

Sitting comfortably, with a comfortable smile on his face, just like when he used to indulge the girl 11 years ago.

“I told you before, Uncle, didn’t I? I want to travel all over the continent like you.”

No answer came back.

But she could see Uncle smirking.

“I want to follow you, but… I know it too, Uncle. The island is in this situation, so I shouldn’t go. Right now, I have to help others…”

As she was saying something like an excuse, a hand blade struck Miria’s crown.

“–Why do you call Dad ‘Uncle’? Do you want to die?!”

As soon as she turned around, she saw the Demon Slayer, Millea.

On that day when everything was over, Linda and Miria washed her body while crying, so Millea had regained her beautiful face and hair quite a bit.

She couldn’t do anything about the scars covering her body due to organ harvesting, though….

However, her mental growth had stopped in her girlhood, so her words and actions were closer to a ten-year-old girl than a twenty-year-old woman.

“Don’t use your power recklessly! Didn’t I tell you that your body is now at the level of a human weapon?”

“You called Dad’s name carelessly! Mom, did you hear that? She needs to be punished!”

Then, Linda, who had followed Millea, covered her mouth and smiled demurely.

It was an ordinary smile that was impossible to explain. It took 11 years for the family to gather again and share that ordinary smile.

Was that why? Millea started laughing along with her mother, and then Miria laughed too.

“So, did you meet your uncle again? I heard he came to his senses.”

“Millea, he’s not your uncle, he’s your brother-in-law.”

“Ah, brother-in-law!”

“Brother-in-law? What brother-in-law?”

What nonsense was that?

No matter how she thought about it, there was no place for the word brother-in-law to come out.

Then, Millea poked Miria’s side with a mischievous smile of a ten-year-old girl.

“Why~ the rumors have spread. Miria’s husband saved the island. So, let me meet this sister too.”

Miria pressed her temple with a sigh.

“Are you crazy? He’s not my husband. I’d rather date a goblin than date him. You don’t know how the world works.”

“What, crazy? Are you talking back to your sister! Mom, punish Miria!”

Linda stroked Millea’s head as she whined like a girl, and looked at Miria. Thanks to Valencidi’s healing magic, her mother’s condition had also improved a lot.

“Follow him, Miria.”

“Yes?”

“Shouldn’t you repay the favor…? Since our ancestor’s power is imbued in Ghin’s sword, it seems like it will be helpful in the future.”

“No, ma’am. What are you talking about? How can I go? The island is just starting to recover, and this is─”

“─It’s yours, Miria.”

When Miria handed Ghin’s sword to Millea, Millea shook her head firmly.

“The person Dad gave it to was you, not me. And I don’t want to use that power anymore. I’m sick of it.”

Leave the island with that guy with this sword?

She felt that the story was unfolding too well, beyond her capacity. Even though she didn’t deserve such a dreamlike story.

She shakes her head. At that moment when she was about to draw a line between her sister’s and mother’s wishes, and her own heart.

“──!”

Someone, a touch that was so familiar and longed for, tapped Miria’s shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, she turned around, looking back at the stone mound. Ghin’s illusion had disappeared and was nowhere to be found.

But how was this possible, this feeling that Ghin Uncle had just tapped her shoulder, as if telling her to move forward.

‘Uncle….’

Then Millea came and hugged Miria tightly. In those eyes, she could see a serious smile instead of a naive one.

“You don’t know when you’ll be back if you leave now.”

“Yeah.”

“We met again after 11 years, and you’re just going to leave like this?”

“I waited 11 years. I can wait a little longer.”

“Sister.”

“Dad would want you to go. And the power of the ancestor in that sword too. I feel it somehow.”

And Linda embraced the two sisters warmly. Like in the old days, on that distant winter day, when she hugged the two sisters and read them fairy tales.

“We all know. What kind of life Miria has lived for this island and for us for 11 years….”

“…….”

“So Miria, live your life now. Go towards the future you choose.”

* * *

‘That guy’ was said to be hospitalized in the central ward of the green city.

As the hypnosis that had been dominating the city was broken with the death of the Dragon Slayer, the city seemed to be quickly regaining stability under the command of the Special Task Force.

Hugging the Yellow Dragon, with Pipi on her head, and holding Akira’s hand in her left hand, she found the ward.

The central ward was quite crowded as it accommodated all the Ringleland residents who were in poor condition.

She didn’t want to be surrounded by many people who wanted to thank her, so she walked with her hood pulled down deeply.

Finally, she knocked on the door of the hospital room, and as she entered, she felt her heart pounding and her breathing quickening for some reason.

When she opened the door, a woman lying on the bed, chattering, raised her head and waved her hand.

“Who is this? Isn’t this the idiot who tried to pursue a natural meeting in the afterlife, but was dragged back to this world thanks to someone?”

In an instant, the inspiration that flashed through her mind was the memories of those guys she had promised to meet again a year ago.

Rem, Bart, Sammy.

As the paint of memories seeped into the canvas, although Sammy was not there, the memories stood out in reality.

“Rem, Bart.”

Rem confidently raised a victory V. Then he gave a sly smile.

“Aren’t you going to say that this time?”

“Say what?”

“What you said with a lot of atmosphere back then. ‘I wouldn’t have survived without your help,’ was it?”

“Eat shit.”

“Give me shit and say it, you bastard.”

Before she finished joking with Rem, she felt her eyes unconsciously drawn to the guy’s head.

Rem’s hair color was… the color of verdure. In other words, it was the same color as Kies.

Rem, who was scratching a scar on his forehead, noticed her gaze and replied.

“What are you looking at so intently? This is my original hair color. You were the one who was dyeing it like you.”

“……?”

“I’ll tell you a huge secret. This Rem-nim is a direct descendant of the legendary Palace Saint Kies-nim [a revered figure known for their wisdom and magical prowess], that’s what I’m saying.”

You are, Kies’….

She thought she had become quite accustomed to meeting the descendants of friends while coming to Ringleland, but meeting them like this was still strange.

“Speaking of you, how many kids did you have while I wasn’t looking? I’ve never seen such a crazy stamina king.”

“No, these kids are….”

Bart, who couldn’t stand cute creatures, was already staring at Akira and the Yellow Dragon with a dazed look.

“Akira, say hello. This is my friend.”

“Akira, hello.”

“Aruung.”

As Akira’s polite greeting exploded, a blissful flower bloomed on Bart’s face. But it’s a little scary with that face….

“There are many things I want to ask, but the most important thing is this. Why are you guys here?”

She was more than grateful for the help, but it was strange that they appeared again at such a miraculous moment.

The first to answer that question was neither Rem nor Bart.

It was Serwayvon, leaning against the other side of the hospital room. As the blue wave emitted by Baekchang Palace [a powerful artifact or location] swept through the hospital room, new shoots sprouted from the floor.

“I was looking for you, who was said to be missing due to the Black Spot incident. Then I met Rem’s uncle.”

“Me….”

“After parting with you at Trident Point, that bow kept glowing like that.”

Palace Saint Leoren, who couldn’t sleep, realized that the cause was with her and lent Serwayvon to Rem.

“He told me to follow it because Serwayvon’s light would guide me. He said he couldn’t go because he was a Yellow River Four-Mouthed Saint [a high-ranking religious figure], but he just passed on the troublesome work.”

“So are you the owner of Serwayvon now?”

“I haven’t formally inherited it. It still feels like a proxy. That’s what the Fayer Quarians say. So, I followed Serwayvon’s guidance and found you.”

Rem, who stopped talking there, stared straight at her with a meaningful look.

“It’s suspicious no matter how I look at it that Serwayvon is reacting so much….”

“……!”

“So, Rain, by any chance….”

A dry saliva passed hotly through her throat.

No way.

Did he completely notice? Can she hide it? Is it right to tell the truth? The next moment, Rem pointed to her head with his finger.

“The sun parrot you’re carrying around, is that Friede-nim’s [a legendary figure] sun parrot? Don’t even think about playing dumb. You can’t fool my nose.”

Oh, um, huh….

That’s… right, but… um….

“Authentic, authentic, authentic.”

“Authentic? Bart, it must be real!”

“Kneel, kneel, kneel.”

“Oh, legendary Sun Parrot! If possible, just one autograph!”

“Free? Free? Free? Corn, corn.”

Seeing Rem and Bart bowing deeply to Pipi made her laugh weakly.

Ha, haha, ha.

Yeah, who would recognize it? Who would even think that Lynn was reincarnated.

– I sincerely pray that it will be of some help to your new journey.

However, Doran’s attitude and words at the end were a bit unsettling, but it must be a concern. If he had recognized her, he would have said something.

“But can you inherit Serwayvon so easily?”

“Who would object when this is the real Pipi? In the first place, Serwayvon’s successor exists to help Lynn.”

“What?”

“Our ancestor said that Lynn would return, and Serwayvon’s successor must help Lynn. Serwayvon’s rampage must have meant to help Pipi.”

She didn’t even have a clue what he was talking about.

Help me?

When did I say I was coming to help? That’s the condition for succession?

“That’s the same in our village.”

At that time, the door of the ward opened. An old man with a stocky build and strong shoulders entered.

The village chief of Logitello Village, Dos.

Slime Slayer and his granddaughter Cora were with him. Both were carrying baskets full of tangerines and lemons.

“Village Chief. What brings you here….”

“I can’t just sit still when my son-in-law’s friends are hurt. The tangerines on our island are very nutritious. Eat as much as you want.”

“Son-in-law?”

“Why are you pretending not to know? Don’t worry too much. I don’t look at single fathers with prejudice. I look at people’s inner selves.”

“No, what are you talking about right now.”

“What do you mean, what are you talking about? Are you going to deny it?”

“?”

“???”

“Cora.”

“Grandpa, I clearly heard it. Miria, don’t cry anymore. Who would say that with such affectionate eyes if they weren’t dating?”

What affectionate eyes, you crazy bastard.

Rem’s gaze narrowed as he stared at her, then he made a megaphone with his hands and shouted.

“Special Task Force magicians! There’s a crazy womanizer here! He already has two kids with different mothers, but he’s still flirting with women!”

“Shut up for a bit. No, I mean, that’s….”

She didn’t think she could fix the topic at all.

The only normal person, Bart, was raising his favorability by peeling tangerines for Akira.

It didn’t seem like anything she said would work, so the best thing to do in this case was to change the subject.

“But what do you mean, the same goes for the Village Chief’s village? What does that mean?”

“Special Task Force magicians, this womanizer is desperately changing the subject! Emergency arrest!”

“Turn, turn, turn.”

“Aruung.”

She was completely out of her mind.

Was it normal that she felt more out of her mind than when she fought the Dragon Slayer?

Should she just run away, she thought, but Dos smiled bitterly and replied.

“Our ancestor also asked Friede that someday Lynn-nim would return. He asked her to engrave his power on his weapon.”

Link, Friede.

She could feel her heart throbbing.

That 6-star spell was Friede’s power, and it was an accepted theory that there was no level higher than 5-star in magic, but she even surpassed that level in her later years.

– Link, Link, Link.

That’s right, but why did Link do that?

Why did he make such a reckless request to Friede, making things like this….

“He wanted to be of help in any way on the day Lynn-nim returned. Since people cannot live forever.”

“…….”

“There was a legend that on the day Lynn-nim awakens, the seal of that weapon will be released, and a suitable successor will use that power.”

“Is that so.”

“The Slayers forcibly broke the seal, turning Millea into a killing doll. You released that. The question is how that power was transferred so stably to Ghin’s sword….”

Only she would know the answer to that.

She didn’t know until she heard these words from Dos….

The moment she released Zernique’s spell, Friede’s spell recognized her soul and released the seal of that power.

However, she only wondered why it was imbued in the sword instead of the chain. Also, in Miria’s sword, which completely resembled Rista.

“Hey, why don’t we talk about the story later?”

It was then that Rem, who was squeezing a lemon with his grip and drinking the juice, opened his mouth.

“Look at that, Serwayvon is going crazy… Can Pipi-nim read letters?”

“Of course, of course, of course.”

“Then Rain, get her a private room and let them meet.”

“Why?”

It was a question she asked without much thought in her bewilderment, but the answer that came back made her stop breathing for a moment.

“There’s a letter our ancestor left behind. It seems like he’s telling her to show it to Pipi-nim.”