Chapter 57: Naming the Journey Toward “Tomorrow” as “Today”
It huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurts!!
Are you kidding me!? That damn old geezer went all out on me!
There’s no way that kind of force is appropriate to use against your own family!
...Actually, from a story perspective, there was absolutely no need for me to intervene here.
Originally, Lies and Pahal were supposed to block the spell, and although there would be a fight first, the two of them would then begin their presentation.
The words of an elf born outside the forest and an elf who had ventured outside would move everyone’s hearts. ...That was how the story was supposed to unfold.
Well, anyway. I’ll be cutting those scenes so I can steal the spotlight.
With that in mind, I dragged Winter out here.
He was a conceptual spirit of “Winter” who was supposed to make his first appearance in the winter event. In the original Chapter Two scenario, he never came out of hiding. By bringing out a spirit revered as an object of worship, I’d succeeded in forcibly interrupting the battle.
I’d essentially cut out a whole mid-boss fight, but... the devs would probably adjust things somehow. Probably. What do I know?
“U-um! A-are you all right?!”
“Are you hurt, nya!?”
“Are you okay, Ms. Tierra?!”
“You really have a habit of pushing yourself too far...!”
“Yes, I’m fine. This is nothing to worry about.”
Like hell it is. It hurts like crazy! Read the room!
“U-um... thank you very much!”
“Please don’t worry about it. I did it of my own accord.”
That’s right. Be grateful. Show your gratitude, worship me, and give me more screen time. Let me rack up those points.
...And so the exchange continued, but overall, things had gone more or less according to plan.
If there was one thing I hadn’t anticipated, it was...
......
........................
“You are quite right. We cannot know what tomorrow will bring. After all, we are not prophets.”
...Huh? Before I knew it, Lies was addressing the elves.
“Tomorrow might be better than today. Or it might be worse. That uncertainty can certainly be terrifying. There may even be times when your legs tremble and you find yourself frozen in place.”
Her blue hair, inherited from her mother, shimmered in the sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Her golden eyes, inherited from her father, held a powerful conviction.
“But if someone walks alongside you... if you move in the same direction as your friends, your family, and your companions... then tomorrow will no longer be something to fear alone.”
Her voice was by no means loud. And yet, somehow, it cut through the forest’s silence, carrying her words to the elves’ long ears.
“To struggle toward a better tomorrow alongside irreplaceable companions... I believe that the process itself, that very journey, is what makes ‘today’ so precious and radiant.”
Daaamn, that’s deep.
I’m moving the rating lever!
...Hmm. But how exactly did things end up going this way again?
“Elders of the elves. Great predecessors. The days you spent striving to preserve peace must surely have been the same, must they not?”
Before I knew it, Lies had launched into one of those really good speeches.
That’s strange. My consciousness isn’t clear.
Whenever I try to think about something, it’s as though a haze settles over my mind, making it difficult to think straight.
Worse, my vision is warping and twisting, and I can’t focus. There’s also something like a ringing in my ears.
Beyond the edges of my hazy consciousness, I can make out everyone taking turns speaking after Lies: Pahal, young Himeros, Winter, the elders, Kizuna, and the others.
But I can’t understand what they’re saying. My eardrums are certainly vibrating, yet I can’t make sense of the sounds as meaningful words.
...Hmm. I thought I’d recovered, but it seems the damage I sustained in the Alnima Domain is still lingering.
From here on, it’s a straight shot to the climax of the final battle. The events are about to unfold in a furious rush, leading into the biggest highlight of Chapter Two. If I want to rack up points, I absolutely can’t afford to drop out now.
In that case...
Honestly, I’m a little worried, but I should switch over to the spirit or Mother Earth.
Putting aside role-playing, like choosing the right words, there’s nothing particularly concerning about letting them handle the fighting.
Having made up my mind, I began to sink my current “I” persona.
It felt like relaxing every muscle in my body and sinking beneath the water. It was the same method of switching personalities I’d used countless times before.
...But no matter how long I waited, the familiar sensation of switching never came.
Instead, I felt myself sinking deeper and deeper into dark waters... into an absolute blackness where I couldn’t see a thing.
What? What on earth is happening?
And then—
Snap.
Like the string of a musical instrument suddenly breaking, “I” lost consciousness.
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