Chereads / Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest compete edition / Chapter 129 - Extra Chapter: Another Epilogue

Chapter 129 - Extra Chapter: Another Epilogue

In a different world and a different time, there lived a girl in a small village

near her nation's outer border. She was in her teens, had her black hair in a short

bob cut, and had tanned skin. Judging by the plain, worn dress that she wore, she

wasn't very wealthy. If she put more effort into taking care of her appearance,

she could have been beautiful, but it was clear she didn't care.

Other girls in her village did whatever they could to dress up and make

themselves look pretty, but she was perfectly content with her plain clothes. No

one in the village looked down on her for dressing so plainly, though.

"Hey, Sheeni! You're looking awfully energetic today!"

"Of course I am! Who do you think you're talking to? I'm the prettiest girl in

the world!"

"Ha ha ha, I see that that self-confidence of yours never wavers!"

"I'm just speaking the truth! A truly beautiful person is beautiful on the

inside too, so I can't go around telling lies now, can I?"

"Good morning, Sheeni-onee-chan! I see you're as annoying as ever!"

"Good morning to you too! I'll get you back for that insult; just you wait!"

Sheeni put a smile on everyone's faces, regardless of who they were. She was

an orphan who'd been dropped at the village orphanage's doorstep when she was

a baby. But from the way she carried herself, it was clear she didn't find her

situation depressing. She had a natural charm that drew people to her as well.

To top it all off, she was a great help to everyone. A few years ago, she'd

opened her business "Jack-of-all-trades Sheeni-tan" and started going around

doing odd jobs for all of the villagers. She was a hard worker and clever to boot,

so they all trusted her. In fact, there was no one in the village who didn't know

her.

It was still early in the morning, but Sheeni went around greeting everyone

with a spring in her step and a smile on her face. Her job today would be helping

out at the village's largest store. The owner had gotten an unexpected shipment

of new goods and he'd asked Sheeni to help sort out the inventory.

This wasn't her first or even fifth time helping out at the store, so she and the

other employees were good friends by now. When she arrived at the store, they

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greeted her warmly and together they got to work unloading and unpacking

crates. Once the work was done, the other employees settled down for lunch

while Sheeni took her pay and started heading back to the orphanage.

"H-Hey, Sheeni. Why not eat with us before you go?" a boy around Sheeni's

age said, stopping her before she'd gone too far. He was actually the eldest son

of the shop owner. Though he normally looked a bit rugged, right now he was

blushing and fidgeting like a shy young boy.

The other employees watched on with interest, waiting to see what Sheeni's

response to the young master would be.

As the boy waited nervously, Sheeni turned around and said, "No thanks!"

The boy's shoulders slumped at the immediate rejection, and the other

employees sighed in exasperation.

"Wh-Why not?!"

"I promised the kids at the orphanage that I'd make lunch for them!"

With that, Sheeni turned on her heel and began walking home once more.

Normally, this was when the boy would begrudgingly back down, but not

today. He chased after her and shouted, "W-Wait! Is it true you're going to be

leaving the village?!"

He'd heard the rumors from the other villagers that she'd been working all

this time not just to support the orphanage, but also to save up travel expenses. It

had been quite a shock, since he'd assumed that Sheeni would stay in this village

her whole life. He was hoping that Sheeni would refute the rumors and say of

course she wouldn't go, but once again, she betrayed his expectations.

"Oh wow where'd you hear that? But yeah, it's true, I'm going on a

journey!"

In this country, people were considered adults once they turned fifteen. But

while Sheeni was free to do as she pleased, it was rare for people to leave their

home village. Most orphans didn't even leave the orphanage until they found

stable employment, and that was harder to do outside the village than in it.

"But...what for? Do you even have a destination in mind?"

"Nope!"

"Why do you sound so happy about not having a plan?!"

"I'm just at that age where I want to go out and see the world! Gotta travel

freely, you know?"

"Excuse me?!"

The boy couldn't understand Sheeni at all, but that was nothing new. He was

the one who'd fallen for this weirdo, so he couldn't really complain.

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"A girl like you shouldn't be traveling alone. You should just stay here.

Besides, I already talked to my dad about it and...he'd be fine with you sticking

around and helping me! Forever!"

As far as confessions went it was an awkward one, but the boy had still

worked up his courage to say that. Not only were the employees all watching

with bated breath, but the son's parents were watching from the doorway as well

now.

Sheeni wasn't so dense that she couldn't tell what the boy was proposing.

And when someone was being serious, it was in her nature to respond seriously

as well.

"I'm sorry," she replied simply with no hint of teasing or deflecting.

Everyone gasped, surprised at how solemn she'd become.

"But ever since I can remember, I've had this suffocating feeling that

something isn't right. Every night I see these dreams, but when I wake up I

forget them and all I'm left with is this horrible feeling that something is

missing."

"Wh-What are you saying?"

The boy could see the unbending will reflected in Sheeni's brown eyes. It

was hard to believe a girl of only fourteen could look so determined.

Everyone watching felt as though they were looking at someone whose very

existence transcended their own. They knew they wouldn't be able to stop her.

After all, when Sheeni set her mind on something, no one could sway her.

"I want to know what it is I'm missing, and so desperately trying to find

again."

Sheeni knew she wouldn't find it if she stayed here in the village. Even if she

didn't know where it was she had to go, she had to get moving.

She smiled gently at the boy, and that tender expression tugged at his

heartstrings.

"That's why I have to go. I'm sorry, but I can't return your feelings."

It was a gentle, but firm refusal to his proposal. And so, when she once again

turned around to walk away, no one called out to stop her.

Sheeni avoided the main streets on her way back to the orphanage, sticking to

the back alleys. She wasn't confident she'd be able to respond to any villagers

who greeted her with a smile. It felt as though her head was filled with fog, as if

a haze had been cast over her memories. She knew something extremely

important was hidden beyond that haze, but no matter what she did, she couldn't

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see through it.

That feeling had been with her for as long as she could remember. When she

was younger, it had even made her cry on numerous occasions. Even though the

couple who ran the orphanage and all of the other kids living there were kind to

her and loved her, she felt inexplicably lonely.

I feel like I'm forgetting something important...but I can't think of what it

might be.

Sheeni hadn't ever suffered from amnesia, and yet she kept thinking

memories were missing. The ever-present haze was suffocating and

isolating...and she had only one hint to guide her.

Just who...are those people?

Though she could never remember the dreams she had, she did vaguely recall

seeing the same six silhouettes in them. Her recollections were vague enough

that she couldn't recall their appearances or their clothes or any other notable

features, but she felt like all six of them were saying different things to her,

though she could never remember what. All she knew was that whenever she

thought about them she was overcome by a burning desire to meet them.

One of them, she especially felt like she had to see.

That one... Why does he look so sad?

Whenever she thought about that particular silhouette, she was overcome by

an overwhelming urge to cry and a boundless sense of sadness. Whatever

feelings she harbored for that one were different from how she felt for the other

five.

Sheeni clutched her chest and stopped in her tracks, looking down at the

floor. But just then, someone called out to her.

"Oh, there she is! Shee-onee-san!"

Sheeni looked up and saw a younger girl standing a bit farther down the road.

She was one of the girls from the orphanage.

"H-Hey, what's wrong? Why are you in such a rush?" Sheeni asked as she

managed to make a cheerful smile and put the thoughts of the mystery figure in

the back of her mind for now. However, the young girl didn't seem to notice

Sheeni's inner struggle and dashed over to grab Sheeni's arm.

"Hey, wait, what's going on?!" Sheeni asked as the girl started dragging her

back to the orphanage.

"Come quick! There's a noble at the orphanage!"

"A-A noble?! Why is he visiting us? We don't receive any money from

nobles, and we're doing fine without their help, aren't we?"

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The couple that ran the orphanage funded it with the profits from their other

business, and the children who grew up and left it often sent back money as well.

There was no reason for a noble to come and offer financial support.

"I don't know! He's not even from this country..."

"A foreign noble? Then it makes even less sense that he'd visit our

orphanage."

"I don't know what's going on either, but mom said to go get you, Sheeonee-san!"

"Huh, why me? Wait, has he been stricken by my overwhelming charm and

come to propose to me? I'm sorry he came all this way, but I need to travel the

world and—" Sheeni started rambling as usual, but for once the young girl didn't

retort back with a cutting remark.

"That might actually be the case..." she muttered instead.

"H-Huh? Umm, I was just kidding, though," Sheeni replied, confused.

"I mean, it's possible? The noble's just a little older than you. Maybe he was

in the middle of his travels and when he stopped in the village, he saw you and

fell in love at first sight!"

"Well, we can't have that. I'm going to meet my prince charming during my

travels, I'm sure of—"

Sheeni once again thought of that mysterious figure who kept showing up in

her dreams. As she blushed a little, the young girl gave her a pointed stare and

said, "Shee-onee-san, you're practically an adult. Only little kids dream about

meeting their prince charming, you know?"

"Please don't give me that look. You're going to make me cry."

The young girl's pitying glance caused Sheeni a lot of psychological damage.

"Anyway, he seemed like a nice person, but you never know what could

happen when you make a nobleman mad, so let's hurry!"

"Fiiiiiine."

Sheeni let out a sigh, not really wanting to meet this nobleman.

I just hope he isn't too pushy or anything...

Fortunately, Sheeni's fears proved to be groundless.

As they approached the orphanage, Sheeni saw a sturdy two-horse carriage

waiting at the entrance. No ostentatious decorations were adorning the outside,

and it looked to be built for function over form. Honestly, it was hard to imagine

a nobleman riding such a plain-looking carriage. Either this particular nobleman

was a very practical person or he was traveling incognito.

"Shee-onee-san, make sure you mind your manners! If you annoy the

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nobleman, I'm going to put laxatives in your dinner!"

"That's a terrifying threat! Please don't!"

Man, she really doesn't trust me at all. Even I'm not dumb enough to

aggravate a noble... Sheeni thought with a sad shrug of her shoulders.

As she entered the building, she could hear cheerful voices coming from the

living room. They belonged to the orphanage owner, whom Sheeni and the other

orphans all called mom, as well as the other kids. It seemed this nobleman was

getting along quite nicely with them.

Sheeni patted down her dress a little, relieved that this man was seemingly

friendly, and opened the door to the living room.

"I'm home!" she said in an energetic voice.

"Welcome back. I take it you're Sheeni-san?"

As her eyes locked with the young man who was sitting at the living room

table, a jolt of electricity ran down her spine. She stiffened up reflexively, her

mind going blank.

"Come now, greet the gentleman," Sheeni's mom said.

"Are you okay?" her younger siblings asked.

However, she didn't hear either of them.

"My name is Weiss, and I am a member of the Cleyer noble family from the

neighboring nation."

The man got to his feet and walked toward Sheeni. She couldn't take her eyes

off him. He resembled the man in her dreams so much.

She realized now the man in her dreams had always been dressed in all black,

with black hair, but the only thing black about this man's appearance was his

pants. He had blond hair and blue eyes, and even his voice was different. Still,

the kindness in his tone struck a chord deep within her.

"But in truth, I have another name. My oldest friends call me..."

This man, and the man from her dreams, was none other than—

"Oscar Orcus," the two of them said in unison.

The name came naturally to Sheeni, for some reason.

In that moment, memories came flooding in. As memories of a life she'd

never lived filled her mind, Sheeni started to cry.

"I-I...my name is..."

The fog lifted, and the past life she'd forgotten rushed back all at once. She

remembered the battles she fought with her comrades, the people important to

her she lost, the almost endless time she spent in the darkness of her own

labyrinth, the moment when her dearest wish was finally granted, and most

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importantly, the vow the man in front of her had made the day they'd parted.

"Miledi Reisen."

Once again, the both of them spoke in unison. The young man who'd been

her first and dearest partner bowed before the girl who'd once fought against the

world and fate itself. With a gentle hand, he wiped away the tears spilling down

Miledi's cheeks.

"I told you, Miledi. I told you that even if an eternity passes, even if we're

both reduced to nothing but souls, I would find you. That this time, I'd be the

one to come for you."

"Yes...you did."

Miledi had no way of knowing how this miracle could have possibly

occurred, but there was one thing she was sure of. The man smiling gently at her

was the very same man she'd fallen in love with an eon ago.

"I've finally found you."

As he'd promised, he'd crossed the boundary of life and death, of worlds, just

to find her.

Miledi couldn't hold herself back any longer, and now, there was no reason

to.

"O-kun!"

She leaped into his arms, letting free the feelings she'd locked up on the day

she'd decided to wait as long as it took for someone strong enough to inherit all

seven ancient magic types and defeat god.

Oscar, too, was overcome by emotion as he wrapped his arms around Miledi.

They hugged each other tightly, determined to never let go again.

The other children in the orphanage started cheering, while the villagers

watching through the windows from outside started dashing off to tell everyone

the hot gossip, but Oscar and Miledi didn't even notice. They had eyes only for

each other.

"After all this time, I can finally say it," Oscar said softly.

The two of them broke apart but kept their faces close enough that their noses

were still touching. Despite the eternity that had passed, his feelings hadn't faded

in the slightest.

"——"

No one else could hear his whispered confession. It was for Miledi's ears and

Miledi's ears alone.

Blushing, Miledi smiled and looked up at Oscar with sparkling eyes.

"You know, O-kun..."

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She brought her lips next to Oscar's ear and whispered her response.

"——"

The two of them then looked into each other's eyes while the people around

them fell silent.

The sight of Oscar and Miledi pressing their foreheads together was so

precious that no one could bring themselves to interrupt the moment. The two of

them just looked so happy.

In a different world and a different age, Miledi and Oscar once again set off

on a journey. Like before, it started with just the two of them going around to

help people in need as they searched for their remaining comrades. They were

able to live their lives freely, unbound by any sense of duty.

They continued their endless journey, their hearts full of utter bliss