Chapter 89

“Amanin.”

“Yes, Goddess.”

A table placed in the center of the Rose Garden.

Led to that table, I am sipping tea while being served by Grandpa Amanin.

“If this is a place where no one but me can enter…”

That’s right.

I was curious about this.

“How is Amanin here?”

“So that’s what you were curious about.”

On Amanin’s palm, which he waved, a plate with a few kinds of snacks had already appeared.

After placing the plate in front of me, Amanin chuckled warmly and stroked his beard.

“I am this garden itself. The garden is me, and I am the garden. The only one I serve is Vesprede, and since she is the only one, no one else can set foot in this garden.”

The garden is Amanin, and Amanin is the garden.

I don’t really understand what that means.

“Hmm, since you’ve just awakened after a long time, it’s natural for your memories to be hazy. How about I put it this way?”

Amanin was still smiling warmly as he looked at me.

“They say that objects cherished and kept close for a long time gain a soul. How much more so for this Mitran’s Garden, which was built solely for the Goddess, and which she personally tended to and cherished every day?”

Amanin’s gaze turned toward the distant sky.

Somehow, his melancholic eyes, filled with regret, were directed toward the sky still shrouded in deep darkness.

“After the Goddess disappeared… I locked the gates myself and allowed no one to enter. This garden, which was always open and filled with the laughter of children and the footsteps of the dead, became a place where no one could set foot after the Goddess disappeared.”

Hmm.

So, after Vesprede, the master, disappeared, the garden locked itself and refused all outsiders. That’s what he’s saying.

“Amanin. I have another question.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“I… I don’t remember. I’m not even sure if I’m really Vesprede. Even if you say so, I don’t remember anything.”

“Is that so? Memories, memories…”

Stroking his beard, Amanin fell into thought again.

After pondering for a while, Amanin hesitated for a moment before cautiously speaking.

“I’m not entirely sure, but perhaps this might help. Would you come this way?”

Following Amanin’s gesture, I stepped closer, and a gentle wind swept through the Rose Garden.

Just as the rich scent of roses began to tickle my nose, a large circle was drawn at my feet, facing Amanin.

“Now, just a moment.”

It got slightly darker.

The garden was already dark, but the faint moonlight had made it easy to see. Now, it was even darker.

“I’ll turn on the lights.”

Amanin snapped his fingers, and the room brightened.

As the chandelier on the ceiling lit up, I squinted for a moment before getting used to it and finally seeing the surroundings.

“Is this a library?”

It was a feast of books. Shelves filled to the brim, towering far above my height, creating a vast sea of books.

“No. This is the reception room.”

Huh?

“Then, what about these books…?”

“They’re decorations.”

Hahaha, against the backdrop of Amanin’s awkward laughter, I looked around.

“Ah. I see…”

“The Goddess didn’t read books. They’re decorations to show off to guests.”

That’s similar to me. I don’t read books either.

You know, there’s that thing. Filling a study with books and receiving guests there.

To show off, “Look how well-read and knowledgeable I am!”

I guess that was her style.

“Now, come this way.”

Following Amanin’s gesture, I moved.

Honestly, I wondered if it was okay to trust Amanin like this, but at this point, what else could I do?

The place Amanin led me to was a bookshelf against the wall.

He casually pulled out the fifth book from the left, and the books beside it slid away, revealing a lever.

“…?”

What’s this?

When Amanin pulled the lever, a coffin suddenly popped out from the bookshelves, emitting a white mist.

Then, the bookshelf split apart, revealing a hidden iron door.

Wait, what is this?

This is so cool!

As I reached out to grab the iron door’s handle, Amanin quickly stopped me.

“You can’t touch it now.”

Then, he pulled out the fourth book from the top right shelf of the same bookshelf, put it back, and finally said it was okay to open.

Grabbing the handle and pulling, the iron door opened with a smooth friction sound.

Inside the wide-open door, a descending staircase was visible, and further in, it was too dark to see.

The darkness where nothing was visible.

Should I really go in there? As I hesitated, Amanin gestured inside.

“This is the Goddess’s private space. From here, you should go in alone.”

That made me hesitate even more.

What if I go in alone and Amanin closes the door behind me…

“Are you worried I might close the door on you?”

“Yes.”

“Honest, aren’t you? Then let’s go in together.”

Yeah, that’s less unsettling. I followed Amanin inside after he went in first.

Surprisingly, the descending staircase wasn’t that long.

The dark area, where no light reached, lit up as if sensing our presence, brightly illuminating the corridor.

“This is my first time coming this far too… but the Goddess had quite a girly taste, didn’t she?”

Looking around the room we finally reached, I agreed with Amanin’s muttering.

The walls were entirely pink, with a wardrobe full of decorations, a vanity, and a bed covered in frills—it was literally a living space.

「Does this… suit me?」

「I can’t wear this outside…」

「What if the kids don’t like it if a tomboy like me wears such girly clothes?」

「Well, it’s just for myself, so who cares!」

Again.

Thinking it might be another illusion Amanin was showing me, I turned to look at him, but he was just looking around, not doing anything to me.

「But… these are cute…」

「I want to wear these too…」

What the heck.

Following the female voice coming from somewhere, this time I saw a woman standing in front of a mirror, trying on various dresses, blouses, skirts, and frilly dresses, examining herself.

Crimson hair that seemed to burn.

Pitch-black eyes shining like obsidian, and lips pressed together in a somewhat stubborn-looking woman.

But clearly beautiful, with a strong presence.

“Amanin.”

“Yes.”

“In your memories, does Vesprede have… crimson hair?”

“Yes.”

“And black eyes?”

“That’s right.”

“And she looks stubborn?”

“Very much so. Once she made up her mind, no one could change it.”

I guess so.

Then why is that illusion appearing before my eyes?

Besides, if that’s me, my appearance is completely different.

Is there something else going on?

This time, the woman is sitting at a desk, writing something in a diary.

Then she slams the diary shut and puts it in the second drawer of the desk.

As if to show me, the viewer, where the diary is with exaggerated gestures.

I walked over as if entranced and opened the second drawer of the desk.

A brown-covered diary without a speck of dust.

And as I opened the diary—

*

When I opened the diary, the surroundings suddenly changed.

I was standing in the Rose Garden where I had just been sitting with Amanin.

And in front of me stood a woman.

With burning crimson hair, she was probably Vesprede.

She was looking at me with a faint smile.

After staring at each other for a while, she was the first to speak.

「Finally, we meet. It took much longer than I thought.」

“It’s because of Keru.”

Ah, would she know who Keru is?

「Keru? Is that a cat’s name?」

“Aivis Crown.”

「A descendant of the Crown family, I see. I don’t know how much time has passed, but it’s good to hear the Crown family still exists.」

“He’s really stupid, though.”

「Hehe. But if you push him hard enough, he’ll be useful. They’re a family that’s always been a bit slow but good at following orders.」

Is stupidity hereditary?!

And they’re good at following orders? Maybe that’s why he’s like that when not given any.

「Meeting me like this means you’ve met Amanin, right?」

“Yes. He’s standing right behind me.”

At my words, her face instantly turned red.

Her face turned so red it looked like steam might come out of her ears.

「He, he brought you all the way here?!」

“What should I do?”

Explaining everything would be too much trouble.

「I thought I hid it well… What should I do, if they find out I’ve been hiding such girly hobbies, they’ll definitely laugh at me…」

Well, I did laugh.

But I didn’t mock her.

「Anyway. Meeting like this means I am you, and you are me, right?」

“Ah, no. You can be me, but I’m not you.”

Of course not.

Even if I were a reincarnated goddess or whatever, I’ve lived my life as a man, with my own identity, personality, thoughts, and stubbornness.

Vesprede or whatever, that’s just a past life or some other reason.

I am me.

That won’t change.

「That’s good too.」

I thought she’d get upset, but she didn’t.

「I’m no longer in this world. This is just a remnant I left behind for when another me reaches this point. I’ll probably disappear completely soon.」

I just listened quietly to her calm words.

「I tried to stop that ridiculous game that uses my children… but it was too much for me alone. Many children have died so far. And more may die in the future.」

Each of her words was filled with sorrow, and her obsidian-black eyes glistened with tears.

「But it’s not a complete failure yet. I hope you can stop that damn game.」

“But I don’t know magic or how to fight properly. If you’re asking for a favor, you should give me something in return.”

「I’ve prepared a few things. It might not be enough. But I believe you’ll figure it out.」

That’s so irresponsible.

What do you mean, figure it out? How am I supposed to do that without a plan?

「If it were me, I’d have no choice but to figure it out. And I’d have to succeed. Because the children would suffer otherwise.」

“Why do you love humans so much? The humans now don’t even remember you. Not just humans, even in this dark realm, not many remember you.”

I wasn’t wrong.

If you asked humans on the surface if they knew Vesprede, no one would know.

Yet she keeps talking about the children, the children.

「Because they’re my creations. And because they’re children who strive to live. I don’t want to see them played with by the hands of gods.」

I don’t really relate.

But, you know, if Kabe were being toyed with like that, it would make my blood boil.

Maybe she feels something similar.

“I’ll do what I can. But I can’t promise anything. I’m not that strong.”

「I… no, you. You’ll definitely do it. You’ll succeed.」

“I guess so.”

「And—」

“Why do you have so many requests?”

Despite my scolding, she didn’t even blink.

Just stared at me with those pitch-black eyes.

「—, —. —…!」

Her request reached me beyond words.

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