Off I Go - Have a Safe Trip
I spent more time telling mother about my life in this world.
I narrated about my first month here.
Stuff about me learning Mana Control, living with Alma, helping her to learn Magic Sword, dealing with a Stampede, diving in a dungeon and rescuing the three girls.
"There's so much stuff~. Too much in just a month, I'd say."
"I think so too."
"And you can fly in the sky now, you're like an anime character. When did my kid become a yan-sai anyway."
"Don't call me that."
The story moved on to our boar extermination tale at Keruna village, slapping that pig noble on the face, meeting Reina at the commercial city we fled to and resealing an ancient weapon.
"Another little girl joining your party? You really are one, a lolicon, aren't you."
"I'm telling you, no!!"
"I wonder if polygamy is accepted in this world."
"Don't ask me! ...Haa, just for your information, no, I'm not gonna build a harem nor do I ever see Reina as a member of opposite sex."
"Oh really. Ahaha, Alma-chan is the only one for you huh~."
"Yeah yeah, enough with that..."
Hunting fest at the port town, saving the orphanage's director and pulling them up from poverty, meeting Julian at the industrial city and getting turned into half minced meat in the dungeon.
"My kid has stopped being human. What do you mean you went right back up on your feet after you got half of your body crushed..."
"And my parent sure can run her mouth... I couldn't use Fast Travel yet at that time, so fleeing wasn't an option. I prolly would have died for real if we didn't beat that thing."
"You won't stop adventuring even after all that? You're dancing with death every day..."
"Yup. I'm scared of dying but every day has been loads of fun. So much it helped me forget about my time at that factory in Japan."
It probably wouldn't have been half as fun if I were alone. But spending those times with Alma and the girls really filled the hole in my heart.
Even if it involved life threatening risk. Even if I paradoxically wish for them to avoid anything dangerous. Umumu.
Also, say I ended up living alone, I'd probably do just fine sustaining myself by picking herbs. Neia-san woulda overworked herself to death tho'.
"Besides, even if I were to start working in a safer environment now, I'd eventually die by Demon King's hands anyway."
"...You mentioned that earlier. Just what's going on right now?"
"You'll see once I get to it."
...Exterminating rats at Reina's hometown, fishing up a giant crab on the sea, searching for a fruit in a toxic forest, watching the tournament at the capital and getting into a fist fight with a demon afterward, and then, the capital defense where I ran into Demon King.
And this is the end of not-even-a-year long story digest.
"I thought I died for sure when he plucked my heart out."
"Yet you survived. That thing about your high luck is real, huh... I'm so glad, you're safe and sound. It's too early for you to come to this side."
"'This side'? ...A, ah, right..."
We had so much fun chatting I forgot mother had passed away already.
...The choking sensation in my chest is getting heavier again.
"Hmm, but I just don't get it. That black long haired Demon King seemed to know you, yet you said you never met him until that point. What's that about?"
"No idea. He knew the name of my move too, so he must have met me in this world. Not someone I knew from our world."
"Ah, that pile thingy move? ...Coming up with that for your finishing move at that age. You're really such a child at heart, pfft."
"Stop it, you're killing me. Mainly from embarrassment..."
This is hell where your parents find out about all the finisher names you came up with. Just kill me now.
"And so in order to get away from that Demon King's eyes (Menu), I'm aiming for the Floor 21 in this dungeon."
"I see~. I get him seeing how dangerous you are from all those stories you just told me."
"Hey now, don't go and sympathize with Demon King. It's your son's life on the line here."
"From another standpoint, it goes to show how strong you are. You are the hope of mankind... Ahaha, you're really just like an anime or manga protagonist aren't you."
"...It's nothing that grand. Besides, we've got Hero (Neora-kun) running the protagonist role. I'm just some random mob."
"Where are you gonna find a mob like you."
That's just about the gist of things. I'm done narrating them all.
We paused and observed the wall reliefs in silent.
...Ah, dammit, our conversation stopped. A topic, I gotta find more topics.
Mother spoke up before I could as I was wracking my head trying to come up with one.
"Hikaru."
"What's up."
"Are you happy now? Are you having fun adventuring with Alma and those girls?"
"Yup. This lifestyle of traveling all over the place may be tiring, but above all else, it's super fun."
"I see, thank goodness."
"...What's up."
"Well, I would love to continue chatting a bit longer... But it looks like time's up."
"Eh......!?"
Mother's body glowed as it started scattering into light fragments.
She's gradually turning transparent.
"W-what's going on!?"
"I wasn't originally an inhabitant of this world, so there's a time limit to me being here it seems... I think I only have a few minutes left."
"N, no..."
No, no.
I don't want this, don't go yet. Please.
I still wanna talk a whole lot more.
I want us to eat together, so much our bellies would be bursting with food.
It's ending. She's going to leave me again...!
"Look on the bright side now. I may be a fake, but killing your own mother would have been too much for you."
"U... rgh..."
"Oh drop that gloom and doom on your face will you. You should be glad you can keep going effortlessly."
"...How could I...! Dammit, dammit...!"
My tear glands burst open once again during this second parting.
I can't stop my tears. I keep sobbing nonstop. Like a little kid who can't be separated from his parents.
Unable to endure seeing me any longer, mother put her palm on my face----
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"Here you go!!"
"Bubee!!?"
...And slapped me real hard on the cheek.
It didn't hurt at all yet the slap sound echoed loudly.
Mother is holding her hand in pain instead.
"Oooow!? How are you so sturdy!? I thought I hit a stone statue there!"
"W-what are you doing!?"
"Ow ow... Oh I just couldn't help it when I saw your pitiful face. My bad~."
"You couldn't help it..."
She blew her hands before gripping mine.
...I can feel the warmth in her hands fading.
"Hikaru, to be human is to die one day. I won't tell you to forget about those who are gone but you cannot stay imprisoned by it forever."
"...I know that much."
"You're happy with your life now, right? You struggled all the way here to protect that happiness. Then go and keep going. Don't stop here, keep walking ahead until it's time for you to leave this world without any regret."
"Did you not have a lingering regret when you passed away, mother?"
"Oh I've got lots and lots. Like that beer I had left in the freezer, or how I shouldn't have gone shopping the day I died."
"Oy."
"But it's all in the past now. I even received this chance to speak with you again. I'm more blessed than most."
Mother let go of my hands.
The door to the next floor opened in the next moment.
"Off you go now. Don't you leave behind a single regret when you die."
"Why are you talking about dying now..."
"Ahaha. Take it slow if you're gonna die, okay. It's not too late to do every single thing you want to accomplish beforehand. Find aaalll the happiness you can find, give all the happiness to those dear to you. Only then you can come here. I'll wait for you, forever."
She pushed my back, urging me to go.
Smiling with tears in her eyes.
"Okay, off I go."
"Have a safe trip. Take care, okay."
Mother disappeared as we exchanged the same words we did when she was alive.
This parting is forever this time for sure, but I didn't cry strangely enough.
Thank you for everything, mom.
See you again.
I opened the door to Floor 21 and found myself in a corridor-like place.
My Map Screen showed 'Function Unavailable' the instant I stepped on this Floor.
...Looks like this really is a separate plane of existence from the world. We really can get away from Demon King's Menu monitoring here as it seems.
All kinds of doors are lined up on walls, floor and ceiling, literally everywhere.
Western-style doors, Japanese-style, sliding doors. All kinds really.
...It's eerie sure but I was expecting something more chaotic when I heard this place is supposed to be a hotbed of bugs.
<<It is not possible to forecast where each of these doors leads to. The other side of a door can have completely alien time, space, as well as laws of nature. Extreme caution be advised.>>
I see... Maybe I can have a little peek for a trial run?
I mean I gotta run a test either way, let's start with this Japanese sliding door.
Excuse me. *Slide*
The other side of the door was a Japanese-style room.
Someone is yelling inside.
"Dammit all to hellllll!!! How dare that kumquat baldie raise a rebellion, unforgivable, I'm gonna kill him, kill, kill, kill!! ...Huuuh!? Who in the hell are you!!"
*Slide out*
I closed the door just as the yelling old man in his fifties noticed me.
...Yup, let's move on to the next one. That one was bad news.
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