Chapter 263

Hmm… When will Vivienne come back with Arthur…? At this rate, I’m going to turn into a rock myself…?

Well, if I had known this would happen, I should’ve taken my time resolving the crisis. The Sage’s body merging with stone was truly unexpected.

Eh, for now at least the transformation has paused. Still, having my lower half merged with rock is pretty inconvenient.

Can’t adjust my posture or move easily. If I strain too hard, the rock parts might just shatter.

Hmph. Come to think of it, compared to my body crumbling and dispersing earlier, maybe turning to stone will last longer.

Alright then, might as well relax and wait. Vivienne will surely bring Arthur soon enough.

When they arrive, we can exchange farewells, resolve the crisis, and turn what remains of the Sage’s body into a statue – nice and tidy!

Hold on… Isn’t this sort of like recreation? Having spent some enjoyable time among humans from a certain perspective. Not much different from how Dragons or Gods play when taking human forms.

Hmm… If we can enjoy ourselves in human form like this, perhaps other Dragons or Gods could use it as stress relief?

While Dragons can walk the earth, Gods need ways to release tensions before they boil over.

Right. Once I return, I’ll work on establishing proper rules for divine recreation – ones that let the Gods have fun without causing problems for humans.

Just as I was contemplating future tasks…

Suddenly, a powerful gust swept away the tattered cloth covering me.

Drat, can’t get up to retrieve it. It was just an old piece of fabric anyway…

Meh, guess I won’t need it anymore. No point worrying about it.

As I sat there thinking…

“MASTER!!!”

Vivienne’s voice called out from above.

Ah, so the sudden wind was her doing. I’ve told her multiple times flying around like that causes trouble.

Though creating wind with magic is convenient enough…

“Found you! Master, why are you hiding in such an out-of-the-way place? What happened to your usual illusion magic?”

“Illusion magic? Oh…”

So the spell making this rock formation appear human-shaped wore off? Must’ve forgotten about it after setting it once.

“Master… your waist down…!”

Arthur and Vivienne gasped in shock at the sight of my body merging with stone – understandable given all their experiences.

“This… what exactly…?”

“My lower half? Trying to resolve the crisis led to this.”

“The crisis…?”

More shocking than expected, really.

“Anyway, Master! What did you mean by ‘time is short’?”

Arthur asked anxiously, clearly informed by Vivienne.

“To put it simply, this body’s lifespan is coming to an end.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I said it before! Master doesn’t have much time!!”

After yelling at Arthur, Vivienne approached me.

“Master, are you in pain?”

“I’m fine. Just unable to move.”

I tapped my stone-merged leg with my hand, causing a small piece to break off. Oops.

“Master! Your hand!”

“It’s fine, just a bit of surface material flaking off. No need to panic.”

“But…”

Vivienne’s expression teared up. I merely stroked her head.

“Now now. We’ve already talked thoroughly a few days ago, Vivienne. It’s Arthur’s turn now. Please step aside for a moment.”

At my words, Vivienne shot Arthur a sharp glance before sighing softly.

“Understood. It wouldn’t be fair for me alone to have all the final moments with Master. Though I’d rather beat this idiot up and spend more time with you… Monopolizing you wouldn’t be right.”

“Thank you for understanding, Vivienne.”

Please don’t cry now…

Human lives are too short to waste on tears.

“Besides, Vivienne, you can still hear the voice, right?”

“The voice…?”

“Consider that voice mine. That’s enough.”

Upon hearing this, Vivienne seemed to realize something.

Given she associates my form with the Goddess of Life, she must understand the meaning behind my words.

“Very well, Vivienne. Please give us a moment.”

“Yes… Thank you, Mother…”

With that, Vivienne hugged me one last time before standing up.

And then…

“Hey, stupid brother. Don’t regret this for life. Hurry up.”

Vivienne kicked Arthur’s butt while speaking. Hmm, is it alright to treat an Emperor like this?

Well, they’re practically real siblings… Should be fine! Right! Especially since she’s also the Priestess of the Dragon, equally powerful.

With Vivienne stepping back a bit, Arthur approached me.

“Master… ‘time is short’ means…”

“Simply that this body’s lifespan has ended. That’s all.”

This stone body, existing since the Age of Gods… Its endurance until now deserves praise.

Originally meant to be discarded after finishing Rychlen’s task, it came to this through neglect.

Though it was somewhat entertaining…

“Is this… our fault somehow…?”

“Hmm… You two may have had slight influence, but not enough to blame. Simply put, time ran out. No need to feel overly guilty.”

I chuckled lightly before continuing.

“I’ve already explained everything to Vivienne, so ask her about details regarding this body’s lifespan.”

Not enough time to cover everything now.

Watching Arthur’s complex expression, I asked:

“Arthur, have all your wishes been fulfilled?”

“No…”

He shook his head slightly. No hatred lingered in his eyes.

What emotion was it then? Sadness? Regret? Anger? A mix of everything?

Not quite sure. Perhaps I’ve grown dull to human emotions after long years, despite being human originally.

“You’ve achieved revenge, became Emperor… Why aren’t your wishes fulfilled?”

“I… don’t know. I definitely wished for those things, but now I desire something else.”

“That’s right. As a human, Arthur. Achieving desires leads to new ones – that’s human greed. Progress comes from striving for these new desires.”

Endless improvement and infinite greed both stem from aspirations.

Naturally, Arthur as a human would possess such aspirations.

“While I don’t know what you currently desire… I hope you can achieve it.”

“No… It’s impossible without Master.”

Arthur looked at me with tear-filled eyes.

Arthur shouldn’t view me as such a massive presence moving forward.

I was merely someone who helped during dangerous times, taught lessons, lent strength for dream realization – though admittedly, quite a significant figure.

Still, for Arthur’s long future ahead, I must become part of his past.

“All beings with form are subject to change. And I am no exception. Meetings inevitably lead to partings – that’s natural.”

“However…”

“Initially, as the great Emperor, you no longer need me. From now on, Arthur should meet a beautiful and wise woman, build a family, and continue life.”

The emotions in Arthur’s eyes shifted – anger fading, regret blurring, sadness settling.

“Will you… extend your hand? Your left hand…”

“Left hand?”

I retracted my extended right hand, instead offering my left.

“This…”

Arthur pulled something from his embrace.

A small wooden box, carved to look like wood. Opening it, Arthur took out its contents.

It was an odd ring.

Or is it even a ring? The loop isn’t connected. More like a split ring with a gap…

Arthur slipped this ring onto my left ring finger.

“Master, I love you.”

Huh?!

“Wait, Arthur?! I’m just a rock lump here! Not even a proper living creature!”

“Appearance doesn’t matter. What I loved was Master’s inner self.”

“Inner self…”

Seriously, loving a rock lump like this?! Haven’t seen anything like this before! Seen people loving animals, but this is first time seeing someone loving rocks!!!

Thus, Arthur confessed love to me, the Sage of the Deep Forest.

My adopted disciple turned Emperor declared his affection.

Sounds like some Romantic Fantasy title. This situation.

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