Volume 1 Chapter 26 Epilogue - Until Its Life Expires -
A week has passed since Rai's master, Aslan Aldabaran, left this world──no, since I killed him.
Rai took care of everything after Aslan's death, including his funeral and the transition of his work, as he had no family.
Now that the chaotic days have settled, Rai visited his master's grave alone.
"────."
He crouched at the front of his master's simple, unadorned grave and continued to stare at it in silence.
"────Master, I never expected to be left behind like this."
Rai's memories have been altered to reflect, 'Aslan was already mortally wounded when I found him.'
It's cruel, I know, but I believe it's all for Rai's sake.
"What was I to you? Was I a good disciple? Did I make you proud?"
Rai voiced the lingering regrets dwelling in his heart.
Yet, of course, no one was there to answer that question.
"I lost my father before I could even form memories, so I don't know his face. ──So, I selfishly thought of you as a father figure."
Rai's voice began to tremble as he spoke.
Just then, a raindrop fell silently onto Rai's trembling shoulder──it was a sudden downpour.
Despite the rain starting unexpectedly, Rai remained still.
──How long had it been like that?
Suddenly, the rain hitting Rai's body was interrupted.
When Rai looked up, there stood a shadow offering an umbrella.
"You'll catch a cold, Rai."
The person who appeared was someone unexpected.
"────Mr, Alfonso."
It was Alfonso Gratstone, ranked third among the Purge Knights.
"It's unfortunate about the old man Aslan. But, this line of work has a high casualty rate. It's not uncommon to become the ones left behind."
"Yes, I suppose I knew that. I thought I understood."
"But I won't tell you to get used to it. We're human; it's our privilege to mourn when sorrow strikes. Don't let that go."
With that, he let out a sigh.
"Honestly, I can't trust anyone who doesn't mourn their own family when they pass away."
"──Family, huh."
As Rai answered with a distracted tone, Alfonso continued speaking.
"I remember when I heard that old man took on a disciple, I asked him, 'What were you thinking?' and he replied."
Clearing his throat, Alfonso lowered his voice slightly and responded.
"'I don't know, but I couldn't just leave them be,' he said. And when I asked if he was planning to start a family now, he just turned away in silence."
Therefore, Alfonso continued speaking.
"If you thought of the old man like a father, then I think he was happy about it too. ──You two were family, even if you both didn't realize it."
"──Is that so?"
With that, Rai smiled a little.
It was the first time he felt like smiling in the past few days.
"I wish we could have come together a bit sooner."
"Yeah."
Eventually, the evening rain cleared up.
Alfonso folded his umbrella and turned to Rai.
"I'm not here to comfort you──Saint wants to see you."
There was only one reason the Saint summoned the Purge Knight, and that was the emergence of a new heretic.
"Can you handle it?"
"──Yes, I'm fine."
With that, Rai turned his back on his master's grave and began to walk away.
His destination was a new hell.
Still, he did not stop moving forward.
Wrapped in hatred, carrying sorrow, and encompassing tragedy, he continued onward.
──Until his life ran its course.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)