Chapter 5

The girl, who had been staring intently at Tōru, suddenly looked flustered and began to turn her head around as if searching for something.

Then, as if she didn't understand her situation at all, she tilted her head in resignation.

"Um, hello?"

"Yes, good evening. Are you okay?"

"Yes, um, I think I'm okay."

When Tōru extended his right hand, she took it straightforwardly, and he led her out of the wardrobe and sat her on the bed. Tōru watched the girl, who was looking around the room with interest, maintaining a calm expression. When she seemed to have calmed down a bit, he spoke to her.

"Do you want to hear an explanation?"

"Oh, please, I'd love to!"

Tōru gave the girl a summary of what had happened so far.

How the old man, who was his grandfather, had stopped and helped the girl, who was severely injured, using <Stasis>.

How, because a large sum of money was needed for treatment, he couldn't heal her immediately.

How the old man, who had worked hard to earn the treatment fees, entrusted them to Tōru, whom he met in this town, before passing away.

Of course, the latter part was a lie.

Tōru had deliberately hidden the fact that he was the childhood friend, the young boy.

If he had used <Restoration>, he could have returned to the appearance of the boy he was when they parted.

But no matter how much he rejuvenated his body, he couldn't change the fact that he was an exhausted old man inside.

Even if he were to suddenly be indebted to such a middle-aged man now, it would only confuse her.

Tōru genuinely wished for the girl's happiness, and that was why he had brought her back in his aged form without altering his appearance. In this appearance, the possibility of her recognizing him was almost zero.

There was another, more significant reason he couldn't rejuvenate.

It was the amount of magic power.

The magic power required to perform magic techniques stops increasing naturally in the mid-teens. From then on, it increases gradually through repeated use of magic techniques. Therefore, the older one gets, the more magic power one has, and the more renowned users there are.

With Tōru's current magic power, he could use <Restoration> a maximum of five times in a row. He could continue using it more if he restored his magic power in between, but that would eat into the ten available uses. If he were to return to his twenties, he could probably use it three times, and if he were to return to his teens, only twice. For Tōru, who intended to continue being an adventurer, giving up this advantage was out of the question.

The girl, who had been nodding along to the suspicious story of the middle-aged man, finally relaxed her shoulders as if she had understood the situation.

"Oh, so that's why you were in the wardrobe."

As always, her way of understanding things was a bit unusual. The girl, who had been looking at Tōru seriously, stood up and bowed deeply.

"Thank you so much for taking care of me and grandpa. I really appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it, it's my job. You must be confused. You should rest today."

"Um, can't I stay awake?"

"Are you anxious? I'll sleep in a different room, so don't worry."

"No, I just want to hear more stories."

After being brought back from the brink of death, she found that her village and family were gone. Tōru wanted to be there for her, but he was aware that he was a poor liar. If they delved into deeper conversation, he would surely be found out.

Tōru, scratching under his chin, was at a loss for words, and the girl's eyes sparkled with delight.

"Oh! That habit hasn't changed, Tōru-chan."

Tōru placed his hand on his temple and let out a long sigh.

"How long have you known?"

"Known what?"

"How long have you known it was me?"

"Hmm, how long? Well, when you were talking about grandpa, your eyes were so gentle."

The girl placed her index finger on her chin and smiled cutely.

"That's why you didn't ask my name, right?"

"Also, I knew about grandpa's <Stasis>, so I thought this must be Tōru-chan's <Restoration>."

While stroking her neck, the girl's face turned serious as she continued.

"But I was surprised. So much time had passed, and grandpa had already passed away..."

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as she looked up at Tōru. When she blinked silently, the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cry... But... But I'm so happy."

Her lips trembling, the girl's eyes met Tōru's directly.

"Tōru-chan is alive, and I'm so, so happy."

"I've been thinking the same thing. Thank you for being alive, Sora."

"Uwaaaaa, I'm so happy to see you again."

After twenty-five years, Sora, who had finally been able to thank him, threw herself into Tōru's chest. Without avoiding her, he caught her, and she buried her face and sniffled loudly. Tōru awkwardly pulled her closer by her slender shoulders.

"Even though I was the older one, I ended up being the one who was left behind, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm already an old man."

"Yep, you're so cool, it makes my heart race."

"You're just imagining things."

Tōru's dismissive words made Sora laugh through her tears. She pressed her ear to Tōru's chest, closing her eyes tightly to hear his heartbeat.

After a while, Tōru, noticing that Sora's breathing had slowed, whispered softly.

"Are you hungry?"

There was no response. When he pulled her away from his chest, Sora was already fast asleep, her face tear-streaked and her breathing soft. She must have relaxed and let go of her tension.

Tōru gently picked her up and laid her on the bed. After taking off her shoes and covering her with a blanket, Sora's face relaxed in relief.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, Tōru sighed softly. Now that his identity was known, she would likely be more proactive in approaching him. Tōru knew the girl's personality all too well, having grown up with her.

She was laid-back and caring, friendly and unafraid. But once she set her mind on something, she was very stubborn and had a lot of drive. She would surely insist on becoming an adventurer.

Tōru, however, was aware that his reputation was not good. If they acted together, there was a high possibility that she would get angry or hurt.

He considered the option of returning to his twenties, changing his name, and re-registering as an adventurer. His magic power would decrease, but with <Restoration> fully developed, reaching a high rank wasn't entirely out of the question. Perhaps, even becoming a hero whose name would go down in history.

Or, they could forget everything and return to the village that had disappeared, rebuilding it together. While he couldn't bring back the dead, the buildings and fields destroyed by monsters could be restored with <Restoration>.

But that would mean giving up his entire life. Although it was filled with painful memories, Tōru couldn't deny the days he had lived through. As an old man who had struggled in the lowest ranks, he had a stubborn pride that wouldn't let him give up easily.

Moreover, after twenty-five years in this town, Tōru had made friends, even with his aloof personality. He had received countless favors. The idea of changing his appearance or disappearing without a word was something Tōru could never choose.

"I only know how to live this way..."

Recalling Sora's changing expressions, Tōru muttered to himself.

From the moment he heard her first words, memories from the past had been flooding back to Tōru. The life in the village, the memories of his family and neighbors, which he thought he had forgotten.

And the warmth of touching her still lingered in his fingertips. The girl, who had been standing still like a doll, had moved, spoken, and shown her emotions.

Tōru realized that something he hadn't felt in a long time was welling up from the depths of his stomach. It was the feeling of wanting to be close to people, which he had pushed away and tried to forget after the old man's death. But a person who truly desired solitude wouldn't go out of their way to feed stray cats.

"......I'll think about what to do tomorrow."

Suppressing a yawn, Tōru slipped in beside the girl. In his current state, he didn't actually need to sleep. He could simply return his body to the state after a good night's rest. Similarly, if he felt hungry, he could return his body to the state after a hearty meal.

With <Restoration>, he no longer needed to sleep or eat forever. In a sense, he had become nearly immortal, and Tōru was vaguely aware of this.

But he deliberately closed his eyes. Then, he said something he hadn't said in a long time.

"Good night, Sora."

"......Good night, Tōru-chan......mumble mumble"