Chapter 168 : A prayer for two thousand years in the future
Back in the tear flower field.
As I laid down on the ground to hide among the long stretches of flowers, I was keeping a bird's view on the field.
In my line of sight was Reno. She had magically created a ball of water, and was using it to gently sprinkle her affection on the flowers.
The tear flowers grew quickly and sowed new seeds again.
The number of flowers has increased, but half of this place was still vacant.
I was sharing this sight with Lay, Misha and the others, who were inside Enyunien.
Reno was carrying a half-spirit, half-demon child in her body.
And before long, something was going to happen.
That was the feeling I had.
"Reno-sama." (Enyunien)
A hoarse voice echoed. It belonged to Enyunien, but it came from afar.
From the open door to the flower garden, through which she could hear him.
"Reno-sama, I'm afraid my Magic Eyes cannot reach you in the garden. Please do not exert yourself too much." (Enyunien)
"I'm fine. Besides, remember that I'm the only spirit who can water those flowers. If they withered, I'm sure Shin would feel sad when he comes back." (Reno)
"…Hmm. Then why not let the traveling entertainers take care of them?" (Enyunien)
"Because Anosh and the others could leave anytime too. Whatever I can do, I have to do it myself. Besides, I'm filled with so much love today that I don't know what to do with it, so I thought it'd be a shame to waste it." (Reno)
After she finished watering the tear flowers, she happily gazed at the flower garden.
"…Are you truly fine with it?" Enyunien asked Reno, as if he had changed his mind.
"With what?" (Reno)
"The lore of the Great Spirit Mother Reno stipulates that you are the mother of all spirits. No matter the time and place, you are the mother of all spirits far and wide, and only spirits." (Enyunien)
With a quiet voice, Enyunien squeezed out his words.
"But the child you're carrying is half-demon. If you give birth to it, you will be going against your own legend. And you would disappear. Are you aware of that?" (Enyunien)
"Yeah, I am." Reno replied, with an indifferent smile.
As if to say that this was nothing.
"You see… I finally understand what Granny was talking about." (Reno)
The Great Tree of Enyunien mumbled.
"Are you referring to the Great War's Tree, Migelonov?" (Enyunien)
"Ah, right. You've never met Granny, have you? Well you see, she said that this was the fate of all spirits. And she asked me if I would choose to preserve my own rumors and legends as a spirit, or decide to go against them to protect what was important to me." (Reno)
Reno gently put her fingertips on her abdomen, as if to cherish it.
"I'm the Great Spirit Mother Reno. I've never questioned my role, and all the spirits in the world are my precious children. But then, I met someone. Someone who made me feel like just plain old Reno." (Reno)
I could see an unwavering determination in her gentle gaze.
"I will give birth to it, no matter what. Because this is the baby Shin gave me, and I believe this is the love he wanted, no matter what he had to give up." (Reno)
"…Was it for the best not to tell him…?" (Enyunien)
Reno smiled with a hint of sadness.
"If he knew, I think he would've told me not to give birth to it. Because he's still convinced he can't love, and that it'll just be an unattainable dream. But I would've decided to give birth to it anyway, so nothing would've changed." (Reno)
"Even so, he would have remained by your side until the day of the birth, I'm sure." (Enyunien)
After staying quiet for a while, Reno muttered a faint "Yeah…"
"…But, I didn't want to hold him back. I'm his wife now. The wife of the Demon King's right-hand man." (Reno)
Enyunien acquiesced in a groan.
"I've been so selfish with Shin. Now it's my turn to indulge him. I want to do the best I can for him." (Reno)
She only had then months and ten days left to live.
There was indeed little Reno could do for Shin during that time.
"Shin will reincarnate as the Demon King's faithful retainer, then he will try to fill the void inside him. I wanted to send him off so that he would go straight to his side without looking back. Besides…" Reno continued.
"If Shin was still by my side by the time I disappear, I might end up crying. And I really don't want to cry any tears of sadness. I want Shin to remember me smiling." Reno declared with a radiant look on her face, as if to say she had no regrets.
"…When the Spirit King learns of your disappearance two thousand years later, he may be saddened…" (Enyunien)
"Well, maybe he will. And this may sound a little mean of me to say, but I hope he will." (Reno)
Enyunien replied in confusion.
"…You hope… he will be sad…?" (Enyunien)
Reno giggled in response.
"Shin should cry once he realizes how great my love for him was. And he should cry a ton. Then he'll realize. I'm sure he will. He'll realize that he loved me. That he loved me a lot. Then he'll finally gain what he wanted." (Reno)
Reno was probably trying to make good on her promise to teach Shin about love until the very last moment.
"It may be a bit of a stupid idea, but I don't think I have any other options." (Reno)
Reno crouched down and gently reached for the iron watering can she placed in the flower garden.
"Because I'm in love with him. And I want him to love me back." (Reno)
Reno used that to start watering the tear flowers again.
"I need to gamble with my life if I'm going to make that antisocial man turn my way." (Reno)
Reno smiled.
It was not to put on a brave face, nor was it out of melancholy.
"It'll be fine. Because I'm carrying the love Shin left behind in my belly. Since such a miracle has already happened, I'm sure I can make his wish come true." Reno declared radiantly with firm determination.
"I'll have no regrets. This is the fate of all spirits, after all. Besides, I fell in love. At the risk of my life, at that." (Reno)
"If you say so, Reno-sama, then I have no mo—" (Enyunien)
The door was shut with a slam, and Enyunien's voice vanished.
A lukewarm wind was blowing.
And the air felt disconcerting—
"Enyunien?" Reno called out with a questioning look.
The next moment, a voice rang out.
"—The God-Slaying Sword gave thee love, thou say? Haha! Ye people say the most foolish things. So foolish even, it is the epitome of comical." (???)
An arrogant and self-important voice made the tear flower tremble.
And it was one I was familiar with.
"That is where thou are wrong, Great Spirit Mother Reno. Allow me to impart some wisdom to thee, ignorant one." (???)
[Editor-san : And here's one bastard with that Athenic speech style that i did not miss. ]
Eldmed's head was floating before Reno's eyes.
It was the Heavenly Father Nosgalia, who was exuding feeble magic power.
"There is no love in the God-Slaying Sword. All it has is a pathetic longing for a heart as he pretends to actually possess one. That demon sword merely pretends to be kind, and sad, when it really is not." (Nosgalia)
"You're wrong! You know nothing about Shin! You didn't even see him in action!" (Reno)
Without reacting to Reno's outrage at all, he continued.
"Then how dost thou suppose Shin Reglia came to love you? There is only one possible answer." (Nosgalia)
In a loud voice, as if bringing an oracle, he proclaimed.
"It was by the miracle of a god." (Nosgalia)
Reno glared at Nosgalia with her guard up.
Gritting her teeth, she asked.
"…What are you trying to say?" (Reno)
"I told the God-Slaying Sword that I would bestow love upon him. He may have intended to cut down my attempt, but the word of a god is absolute. Thus, I succeeded in filling the empty source of Shin Reglia." (Nosgalia)
Nosgalia also said something more back then.
It was 'Raise the Child of God, born from the Great Spirit Reno. Destroy the Demon King, and bring order to this world'.
"It is not love that works miracles. It is always the work of a god." (Nosgalia)
"This can't be…" (Reno)
"The word of a god is the truth. The love the God-Slaying Sword longed for, the Great Spirit Mother Reno's desire to be herself, and even the miraculous offspring thou are carrying inside thee, it is all in accordance with the order of the Heavenly Father." Nosgalia said in a majestic fashion.
"What thou carry inside thee is not the child of Shin Reglia. I used his body as a medium to plant the seed of the Child of God, who will destroy the Demon King." (Nosgalia)
He drew a magic circle, and a white arm made of magic power emerged from it.
It was holding a green book, one of the Book Fairies Lilan. It had 'Volume 1800' written on it.
"A new page was added to it just recently. Look carefully." (Nosgalia)
The book was opened by magic.
What it showed was a page describing the Demon King of Tyranny, Avos Dilhevia.
"The Demon King of Tyranny…? A spirit..?" (Reno)
Reno stared at that page with a grave expression.
She must've instantly realized that this was spelling a horrible disaster.
"I have set the stage. Thy Spirit Eyes should now clearly see that the rumor and legend constituting the infant inside thee is are about Avos Dilhevia." (Nosgalia)
Reno focused her amber eyes.
Then she had a look of disbelief on her face.