Chapter 19

He is a strange man.

Wearing a white silk hat and a matching white tailcoat, he looks more suited to a wedding than a visit to a grave, dressed entirely in white.

The moment he saw Elaine, he smiled.

"Hey, Elaine, I've been waiting for you."

"Waiting...?"

She had come here on impulse, with no plans to meet anyone, and this was a stranger to her. Her puzzled feelings must have shown on her face, as the man, holding a book in his hand, began to explain the situation.

"Did you read the letter from Elyus? He introduced me to you. I wanted to meet you sooner, but there were many restrictions. Even with the help of the book, it was difficult to meet unless it was at a place connected to him."

The book he showed was a black-covered one. The letter from Elyus mentioned a book that recorded causes and effects. This must be that book, right? But... why does this man have it? There are so many things I don't understand.

"Elyus brought me and you... together?"

"Yes. And if you wish, I can tell you about the events he experienced and the truth. That's why I'm here."

He is a suspicious man. But he knows about the letter, and it seems he understands Elyus better than Elaine does.

If I can learn more than what's in the letter... I want to know.

"Please, if you know anything about him, tell me!"

The man nodded at Elaine's words and approached her.

"Alright. But his experiences are vast. It would take more time than we have to explain them all. So, I will have you relive them, as if you were him."

From the start, what the man has been saying has been beyond Elaine's understanding... it's so out of the blue, and there's a lingering sense of distrust. But...

"Relive them? Can you... really do that?"

"Yes. But... the burden on you will be immense. Are you sure you're okay with that?"

Despite his strange appearance, his expression conveyed concern for Elaine. He doesn't seem to be a bad person. Trusting her intuition, Elaine nodded.

"Yes. If it means I can learn about him."

The man smiled wryly at Elaine's immediate response.

"You two are similar, stubborn in your own ways."

"Let's just get on with it... I'm sorry, I'm not quite myself, I'm anxious."

After all, she had read the letter just today. From there, things have progressed in a way that could be described as a sudden turn of events. Elaine was aware that this had made her somewhat less calm.

"Alright. Just stay still, I'll touch you."

The man said this, moved closer to Elaine, and placed his fingertips on her forehead.

Instantly—

A vast flood of memories flowed into Elaine. As the man had said, these were Elyus's experiences and memories. The overwhelming influx of information was a heavy burden.

Elaine felt Elyus's struggles and the physical pain he endured, all mixed with her own memories.

After a while... the man removed his fingers.

But it wasn't over yet. She understood that, in reality, very little time had passed. Time was precious, and she wanted to know more.

Unable to contain her frustration, Elaine turned to the man.

"Why did you stop! I've only... died thirty times!"

"No, you can't. You need to rest... here, take this."

The man offered Elaine a handkerchief from his chest pocket. Realizing her face was covered in sweat, tears, and nosebleed, she wiped it with her palm.

She took the handkerchief from the man and wiped the sweat, tears, and blood from her face and hands. Not just her face, her clothes were soaked with sweat, making her feel uncomfortable. She placed her fingers on her forehead and chanted a spell.

"Saiki Atu Ri Kabari... Noma Raizu"

A mental magic developed during the period of mental decline after the defeat of the Demon King. She never thought it would be useful in such a situation.

Elaine used the magic to recover her mental state and then urged the man to continue.

"That's better. Now, please, continue quickly."

"Alright... but you should have built up some resistance by now. From here on, it will be fast."

"Okay."

The continuation began from the point where his fingers touched her again. In the relived experiences, Elaine finally joined the 'Dragon Fang Biting'.

She realized she had caused Elyus trouble. But the trouble she had caused was nothing compared to what she now knew.

The many things she had received from Elyus. The letter didn't mention it, but the fact that she was alive now was a gift from him. She was supposed to die at fifteen, but she was alive now.

These five years were the greatest gift from Elyus.

And the pain Elyus felt each time he exiled her.

Knowing this, she felt a mix of guilt and joy. Elyus had truly cared for her. Each time she was defeated by the Demon King, he had felt her pain.

From the letter, she knew they were 'comrades'. She knew they had fought together. She knew he cared for her, but he cared even more than she had realized.

The final 10,000 would be filled with her sword. She trained just as Elyus had, experiencing the same training.

She saw beyond his outward appearance and the inner workings of his sword, understanding him even more deeply.

—And then.

Elaine reached the final moments of Elyus's life.