Chapter 10

Thank you so much for making me the top daily Hyfan again this morning!

"Nothing changes, does it? Should I say it's nostalgic, or should I say it needs to change..."

"That's right, old man..."

Fayd and Elrika, stepping into the magic city of Marguard, felt a sense of relief at the familiar scene, though it was far from ordinary, with suspicious groups of people in robes and hoods scattered everywhere.

Such a scene stirred Fayd's memories of his youth.

"...Come to think of it, when I first came to this city a long time ago, a fraudster tried to sell me a sword that was advertised as having a transparent blade, but in reality, it only had a hilt."

"Hahaha! What a memory! If I hadn't stopped you, you would have bought it!"

"That's true."

"Truly, the magic city. I was so moved that such things were sold, but it was too much. Toying with the innocence of a young man from the countryside."

Fayd's weathered face twisted in contrast to Sasaki, who burst into laughter after taking a swig from his bottle, while Elrika reminisced.

The young Fayd, who was clearly a country bumpkin, had almost been deceived by Marguard's fraudsters and learned the harshness of the city.

"A sword with a transparent blade, you say. Even I, who wanted it, admit that it would be a valuable tool for assassins. The fraudster sold it with such confidence."

"Should we call it the good old days? It's a dilemma."

"Well, the ethics during the Great War were quite questionable, and dangerous things were everywhere. Compared to that, today's regulations have reduced the dangers and crimes of the past to a 'moderate' level."

"Before long, they'll probably start saying you can't drink outside. Oh, how tiresome."

"That would be better for you."

"That's not true."

"Hmm."

"Ruruuuuu..."

Just as Sasaki was about to make a joke with Fayd, a slight voice caught his ear, causing his tongue to malfunction.

"Ruru? You must be so drunk that you've forgotten my name."

From the crowd, a straight-backed old woman appeared. The witch of "Annihilation," Lala, looked up at the drunkard and smiled slyly.

"Oh, Lala! It's been a while!"

"It's been a while."

"You both look as energetic as ever, Fayd and Elrika."

Fayd and Elrika deepened their wrinkles into smiles, happy to reunite with their old comrade, Lala.

But behind them, Sasaki, still looking up at the sky, put his mouth to the bottle, trying to finish the last of the alcohol, only to find the bottle empty, making his efforts futile.

"Oh, it's been a while, Lala."

"Yeah, it has. Sasaki."

Sasaki, caught between a rock and a hard place, blinked repeatedly as he spoke to his wife, Lala, but his speech was still slurred.

(What kind of letter did Sasaki send?)

Seeing Sasaki, who is usually sarcastic and nonchalant, visibly flustered, Fayd couldn't help but exchange glances with Elrika.

If their last disciple, the young Karl, were here, he would immediately try to force the bottle into Sasaki's mouth to bring him back to his senses.

However, their son, who lives far away, has often witnessed such scenes and might have realized that men can be very different at home and in public.

"Come to the shop. I've bought some alcohol."

"Yay! Thank you!"

Sasaki, who had instantly returned to his usual self upon hearing about the alcohol, approached Lala with a spring in his step, clearly being manipulated.

"Then I'll take you up on that."

"I'll come too, Lala."

"Yes. But since we don't have enough beds, we'll stay at an inn. I'll borrow this innkeeper."

Fayd and Elrika, talking with Lala, noticed Sasaki's steps becoming unsteady.

◆

"So, you're going around to see old friends?"

"Yes. I want to say my final goodbyes."

Lala, after moving to her bookstore, confirmed the details of the letter with Fayd.

"Well, most of the people who were alive during the Great War are dead now, so it shouldn't cause much of a stir."

"That's right, that's right."

Lala nodded as she recalled the past, looking at Fayd.

The followers of the gods always tried to elevate Fayd, and at times, the fading gods would even try to recruit him to their realms after death.

However, the reason Fayd and Elrika moved to the countryside was not due to the commotion or political issues but something else.

"And in the end, you're going to the neighboring continent."

"I have to see my great-grandchildren. Right, old man?"

"That's right, old woman."

The old couple, who were the cause of the past commotion, were now looking forward to seeing their great-grandchildren, smiling happily.

"I'll come along. Hic. The alcohol is good."

"Ah, that's good."

(He's always been good at forming relationships in strange ways.)

Lala, while dealing with the drunk and cheerful Sasaki, shrugged at her husband, who had always acted on friendships since his youth.

"If that's the case... Then I'll come along too. I should see my old comrades one last time."

"Oh! That's great!"

"Sure, sure."

Lala, who had recently been feeling nostalgic looking at pictures of her old comrades, decided to see them one last time and offered to join Fayd's journey.

Fayd and Elrika welcomed her with smiles that were different from their joy at seeing their great-grandchildren.

"Then let's find a place to stay and come back later."

"Yes. I'll keep the shop open."

Fayd and Elrika, deciding that the conversation about their journey would take some time, left the bookstore to secure a place to stay, leaving Sasaki behind.

"I'll only say this once, but your ears aren't damaged, right?"

"Huh?"

Left behind by Fayd and Elrika, Sasaki, who had been frozen with the bottle to his mouth, restarted at Lala's words.

"Mine too."

Lala's words made no sense.

But Sasaki, in the absence of Fayd and Elrika, and remembering the last line of his letter, managed to piece together a response.

"A, ah. Yeah. Uh-huh."

That was all Sasaki could manage.

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