“Alto, it’s true that I have power most people could only ever dream of having. But listen to me carefully: I don’t have the power of a god. I can heal wounds and cure poison. How long a person lives is something the gods decide. It’s beyond my power to change.”
Setsuna’s eyes were filled with a deep, endless sorrow.
I knew Alto must understand it logically, but his grief was simply too heavy a burden for him to carry. It was too much for a child’s heart. So Alto had converted that all into anger—an anger that had nowhere else to go but toward Setsuna.
“Aaah…!”
Alto’s anger dissipated. Setsuna reached out again to touch his shoulder, but this time the young boy whirled around and ran right out of the crematorium. Setsuna started to go after him, but Lady Sophia took a step forward instead.
“Please, Master Setsuna. Let me go instead. Sometimes there are feelings that just can’t be answered with reason.”
“Thank you, Sophia. Please look after him.”
Setsuna bowed his head wearily, and Lady Sophia followed after Alto. Knowing that Georges couldn’t leave his post, Norris and Elly quietly offered to help and rushed after her.
Setsuna brushed off his pants and stood back up. It was only then that I finally voiced the question that had been eating away at me.
“Was it just a coincidence, you and Alto staying at Ragi’s house and Ragi dying?”
He didn’t answer right away, but when he did, his voice was quiet.
“It was a quest.”
“A quest?”
“Yes. Alto took the job from the Adventurers Guild to be with Ragi when he passed.”
Eugene, Keith, and I all stared at Setsuna in shock.
“Apparently, beastfolk can sense when they’re close to death,” Setsuna went on quietly. He didn’t turn to look at us, but kept his eyes fixed on the dying embers behind the little window. “Ragi knew, so he went to the Adventurers Guild and posted a request for someone to stay with him at the end. Alto accepted it.”
“Then why was Alto so angry?” I asked.
“Because he never realized the true intention of Ragi’s request. He thought it was only to keep Ragi company.”
“Why didn’t you tell him the truth?”
“I wasn’t sure if I should. Ragi and I talked it over and decided not to. That it would be kinder for him not to know.”
You really think that was better?
I couldn’t help but think that, even though I knew it wasn’t my place to judge if Setsuna and Ragi had talked it over and come to that decision.
But seeing what it had done to the ones left behind, I couldn’t help but question it. Especially now that I saw Setsuna standing there bearing so much all alone.
“You’re fine with this?” I asked. “After what he said to you, you’re really okay with how things turned out?”
Setsuna finally turned to look at me, his gaze calm. “That’s what it means to be someone’s master, right? You have to accept everything about your disciple. The good, the bad…everything. Because I’m the one who chose to share my life with Alto.”
He looked away, bowing his head again. When he finally raised it, he just stared at the fire.
So you were bracing yourself for this day all along.
I watched his back and understood that I needed to brace myself too, because death wouldn’t spare any of us.
The flames behind the little window had settled now, burning low and quiet.