I am back – Chapter 22

The Hero’s funeral was held with great splendor.

According to Saintess Pia, the Hero simply returned to where he originally belonged. Here, only his body had perished; his soul had merely gone back to the world he was born in, so he hadn’t truly died.

However, even so, it didn’t mean that those remaining here were not saddened.

In fact, no matter how one might try to wrap it up in the Saintess’s words, from the perspective of those who knew the Hero, it felt no different from death.

They would no longer see the Hero.

Not even his physical body remained. The only thing left was a single, brilliantly shining holy relic.

Would they be able to recall the Hero by looking at that holy relic?

It was Pia herself who said the Hero had merely gone back to where he originally lived. Pia was trying her best to think that way too. The Hero had certainly returned to his original place, where he would meet the people he loved again, and, of course, would continue to live happily from now on.

She believed he would heal the wounds he had gained from the horrific experiences he endured here, one by one.

In fact, didn’t the Goddess say the same?

He had returned to where he originally belonged with a satisfied expression. There was no need for them to worry; he could slowly heal his wounds in the world he once lived in.

Someday, a day would come when they would meet the Hero again.

Pia didn’t doubt the Goddess’s words. After all, she was a Saintess. She firmly believed in the existence of the Goddess more than anyone else and made it her mission to help others with that Divine Power. A Saintess wouldn’t question the source of her own strength.

But even so—

“I owe so much to so many people.”

Pia’s voice echoed throughout the grand cathedral.

Her tone was calm.

That unwavering voice had always been a great support to the people of the kingdom. Wherever the Saintess passed, one could always feel the presence of the Goddess. Whenever she appeared with divine power surrounding her head, people felt hope.

That light was the kind that could bring the dead back to life.

Wherever the Saintess walked, life thrived. The dying rose again, and evil was eradicated. Some of the Demon Race were even influenced by the Saintess.

…Of course, that was just the story propagated by the church; in reality, things were far more complicated.

“Though we cannot celebrate victory together with them here, we will remember for a lifetime that they fought alongside us. The lives we breathe here now are indebted to them, and we will never forget this.”

Yes, they were indebted.

Countless times, again and again.

To Kalia, who always stood at the forefront to block enemy attacks, and to Arna, who always shot arrows next to Pia.

To Dana, the Mage, who jumped in to take a hit when Pia was attacked from behind, and even to the Hero Siyun.

To the knights who bravely forged ahead to pave the way for the Hero’s party, risking their lives, and the knights who held the line against the Demon King’s army before the rear units and Hero’s party arrived.

To the mages of the Magic Tower, who mobilized every available means to defend the kingdom’s barrier.

To all the young souls who bled to protect the kingdom throughout the war.

To the people of the land who provided food, paid taxes, and supported with goods whenever needed.

It was because of all those sacrifices that they could win.

“One day, far in the future, when we come to the Goddess’s side, may we meet again with those who left before us. May we be able to say, while smiling, that your sacrifices were not in vain.”

Pia prayed sincerely.

*

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Kalia said to Pia as she came down from the podium through the rear door.

“No, it was something I had to do.”

“Even if it was something you had to do, it was still tough. You must still be exhausted.”

Pia had been in the front of the returning procession. Even though they had traveled here by carriage from the battlefield, it was still a parade that proceeded right after without a break. It must have been tough for Pia, whose stamina was somewhat less than the other party members.

More than anything, Pia had been healing Kalia with her Divine Power till the last moment.

“Kalia worked hard too.”

It was Kalia who had declared victory in front of the knights after the battle. Originally, it was something the Hero should have done, but the Hero had already left this world.

The feelings that the knights and soldiers held for the Hero were certainly not light. The survival of the knights and soldiers could depend on how soon the Hero arrived on the battlefield.

With the Hero ever victorious, freeing territories, and saving people in any way possible, the people relied heavily on him.

The knights and soldiers could easily guess the reason for the Hero’s absence from the spot where the victory declaration was made.

It was only Kalia, as the representative of the kingdom’s forces in the Hero’s party, who could lift the heavily sinking atmosphere.

Moreover, upon returning to the kingdom, she also had to attend the king’s commendation ceremony. As the daughter of a well-known duke, there were still many things she had to do.

The clothing she was currently wearing was also not armor she had worn throughout the journey.

“It suits you well.”

It was a dress that matched Kalia’s red hair nicely. The part around her chest was a bit low-cut, emphasizing Kalia’s feminine figure, but her arms and legs were hidden away. One might think this a bit too conservative considering how often noble ladies wore sleeveless dresses…

Yet, there were always scars that could not be healed with Divine Power. Even when poured over with great amounts of Divine Power, deep scars would leave marks, no matter how fast they were healed.

Kalia had several scars remaining on her arms, legs, shoulders, and back.

The dress was probably meant to hide those scars.

Still, they were not scars that stood out that much.

Could it be that to the nobles, even minor flaws seemed large?

“Really? I feel a bit awkward wearing it.”

Whether she knew that Pia had noticed this or not, Kalia casually lifted the hem of her dress to show it off, indicating that the compliment Pia had given her didn’t bother her that much.

“As for Arna and Dana…”

“…”

When Pia looked around and asked, Kalia’s smile that had lingered on her lips quickly disappeared. Pia could easily imagine the state of the two without needing an answer.

“Arna is in the kingdom’s guest room, and Dana has returned to the Magic Tower. Both seem to be unwilling to receive guests for a while.”

“…How about us?”

“No such words were said, but…”

Kalia’s gaze lifted. Her eyes darted to the statue of the Goddess in front of the cathedral before quickly lowering again.

Then, with a shrug of her shoulders, she scratched her neck, which now bore a cloth, snugly fitted around her neck. Back when she had barely survived a severe injury and Pia healed her with Divine Power, she had proudly shown off her scar as a “glorious mark of fighting for my life.”

Trying to find ways to ease the heavy burden on her heart that had been imposed on her while shielding every enemy attack, had that now just become a scar to hide?

“Still, wouldn’t it be good to give it a little time?”

Kalia spoke with an unusually uncertain voice.

“…”

Perhaps, Kalia also came here in search of an answer.

In fact, there was nothing wrong with seeking that answer.

The church was always open to those who were troubled, and it was part of its duty to listen to such troubles.

However, Pia couldn’t offer any help regarding Kalia’s worries.

Even as a Saintess, she had yet to find an answer.

Should she be happy that the Hero could return? Or should she be sad over the fact that they could no longer meet?

Should she comfort the wounded hearts of her party members, or should she, as Kalia said, give them time?

Kalia couldn’t be doing perfectly fine either.

Though she had come to see her with such a bright expression, she was a child of the nobility. Even though she was honest and straightforward within the party, she always stepped forward to represent when the party mingled with the nobility.

She was the only one among the party who knew how to behave like a noble in front of other nobles.

“What do you both plan to do from here on out?”

Arna was an Elf. Though there were cases of Elves living outside their capital, she had faced the Demon King as a representative of her race and would surely rise high in Elf society. No, it was likely that her position was already secured.

Dana still had much left to research. The territory of the kingdom would expand drastically moving forward, meaning new barriers had to be set. She needed to resume research she had halted before setting out on their expedition.

And the research she had been pursuing until the very end still wasn’t completed.

“…”

What should I do?

Pia fell momentarily into thought.