I had declared that I would abandon my country, my wife, and my child in order to protect Sagana. My friends had tried to stop me and asked if there really wasn’t another way. But I hadn’t listened. I’d severed those bonds and walked away.
Before Alto and Setsuna came to live here, I’d truly believed I had no lingering regrets. I hadn’t expected such a flood of them to come back.
I could never ask for forgiveness or to return home again.
At the very least, I want this sword returned to my son in Sagana.
I gazed at it for a long time before rewrapping the sword and sliding it back under the bed. I didn’t know what to do about that wish, so I just packed away the last of my things and carried the crate down to the storage closet.
Once that was all done, I got out some stationery and carefully wrote heartfelt letters to all the people who’d shown me kindness.
It might be wrong to ask Setsuna or Alto to do this…
Even so, in the end, I decided to entrust the sword to the two of them. I also wrote separate letters to my old friends so no blame would fall on Alto or Setsuna later. When I was done, I put the letters away in a drawer and closed it, overwhelmed by a flood of emotions.
It had been two days since my fight with Setsuna. I’d gone to bed late, so I’d also woken up late. When I stood up to get dressed, my body swayed a little. I couldn’t help but feel shocked that I’d grown so weak so quickly.
I reminded myself to be grateful that I could still move at all. It seemed like Setsuna and Alto were already done with their training, so I carefully made my way to the living room, watching my steps so I wouldn’t fall.
“Morning, Gramps. Are you okay?”
“Good morning, Ragi. Breakfast will be ready soon. Please sit down and rest.”
Alto and Setsuna both smiled and greeted me like normal when I opened the door. The sight of it put my heart at ease. Yet for some reason, I got choked up and couldn’t get any words out. I simply nodded to Setsuna and joined Alto at the table to hide it. Breakfast had already been laid out, and every dish was one of my favorites.
“…”
Setsuna had wordlessly taken over the household chores since my collapse, including all the cooking and cleaning. I thought back over the last few days and realized he’d cooked my favorite dishes for almost every meal.
Even the soup in front of me and the vegetables on the side were all ones I liked. The soup had been simmered longer than usual, so the ingredients were soft enough for me to eat even in my weakened state.
After breakfast, I settled in the living room, thinking about how much thought Setsuna put into everything.
The tenderness behind it all made my eyes burn, but I held back my tears. If I cried now, it would only make Alto suspicious.
So instead, I nodded along to Alto’s stories and laughed when he and Setsuna argued. I savored every moment of that kind, familiar morning, engraving it into my soul.
As I sat on the sofa with my eyes closed, Alto came over and said, “Gramps?” in a worried voice. I reached out and rested my hand on his head. He gave me a bright, cheerful smile, which only made my heart ache more.
Suddenly, the doubts crept in. Should I tell him?
Would it be better to let him hope for my recovery and spend my last few days waiting anxiously? Or should I just tell him I’d be departing for the Waterside soon and watch him spend that time in sorrow? Telling him was probably the right thing to do, but I couldn’t bring myself to look into his eyes and watch them fill with despair. More than anything else, I wanted to spend the time I had left with him seeing him smile.
I’m sorry, I whispered in my heart.
Before long, Cyrus arrived again. He spoke with Setsuna for a little while before heading out again for supplies. As I watched him go, I remembered back to when I was a young man running wild and free with my friends in the old country.
I had a feeling Setsuna had told Cyrus what was coming. I felt sorry for the trouble I was putting them through, but a part of me was envious of Setsuna. I envied the way he always had people near him who cared enough to help without having to be asked.
Before long, Norris and Elly came by with a large basket. They usually avoided mealtimes, so I knew they must’ve come to bring the lunch Elly had promised the previous day when she’d said, “I’ll make something to cheer you up!”
A rich, savory aroma wafted from the basket, causing Alto’s eyes to light up. But then, when he remembered the last meal Elly had cooked for him, he looked up at her with a worried expression. “Is it spicy?”
Elly laughed. “This is another dish from Nubul, but don’t worry—it isn’t spicy at all.”
“Yay!” Alto cried out. “Then I wanna eat it now!” Setsuna and Elly both laughed as they carried everything to the kitchen to start preparing the meal.
They set the table while I chatted with Norris and Alto. Alto was the first to take a bite when we all sat down at the table.
“You’re right, this isn’t spicy! It’s really good!” he said with his mouth full, then quickly started gobbling it all up.
Meanwhile, I took my time and raised a small spoonful to my lips. The vegetables had been cooked for so long they melted in my mouth. It was clear Elly had made this dish thinking about my condition. It was so warm it felt like happiness itself.