<Aaron Gaiden Episode 51>
7. Homecoming
* * *
rattle.
slight vibration.
Aaron opened his closed eyes.
The scenery of the green meadow spread out outside the window.
When the wind blew, the grass lay down all at once, creating a spectacular view.
<Notice will be broadcast.>
<This ship will soon arrive at its destination, Taoneer, Taoneer. Passengers, please pack your luggage and prepare to disembark.>
The broadcast comes out of the speaker at the top.
Aaron raised his upper body from the back of the chair.
‘It’s a burden.’
There is nothing to take care of.
Because I was planning to return within three days at the most.
It was a very little vacation.
‘If there’s only one thing I brought… … .’
rustle.
Aaron pulled out a piece of paper from his bosom.
On the white paper, scribbled things are drawn.
A circle and a straight line intersect crookedly.
However, if you look closely at the graffiti, you can tell that it is a human smile.
‘Nina.’
Can you find out at a glance?
For that, Aaron brought a portrait he drew himself.
Even if you can’t recognize a face that has passed through the years, you can recognize it at once if you see that smile.
Aaron had that conviction.
Someone’s smile drawn on the portrait was the only clue to getting to know Nina.
rattle. rattle.
shhh.
An airship bound for Taoneer is landing.
<Notice will be broadcast.>
<The airship to Taoneer has landed. The ship will depart for Valhalla in three days, so please board on time.>
creak.
Aaron got up.
The ship was quiet.
No one was on board except Aaron.
“… … .”
Aaron put on a gray robe and came out of the airship.
The wind that was walking in the meadow made the robe fly.
Shuung.
The airship that had stopped on the ground suddenly disappeared.
Transparency work has been done.
‘It’s three days.’
If you miss it, it will be difficult to return.
“Taoni.”
muttered.
Taone language.
golden land.
Where Aaron was born and raised.
“I’m back.”
finally home.
Aaron took a step with his hood on.
* * *
“thank you.”
After the flashback ended, Yurnet said.
A silver book was in her hand.
“Thanks to you, I was able to find his story.”
good.
The silver book that had been opened on both sides was folded.
The memory of the boy who had fallen into oblivion was finally recovered.
“Aaron.”
“… … .”
“Go to Taoni.”
Yunet said.
“Tomorrow, we will prepare an airship for Taoneer.”
Aaron stood there blankly.
“It’s okay, Aaron.”
——————
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“Are you okay?”
“yes. Because he said it too.”
I don’t feel it.
“Please, forgive us for not being good enough to you.”
Aaron turned around.
Niflheim’s members didn’t say anything.
“From now on, we will send you the one in our hearts.”
Yurnet opened her mouth as the representative.
Their voices were quiet and their expressions calm, but there was a lot in their eyes.
“Until now, he has been imprisoned in our hearts, unable to live or die. But thanks to Aaron’s cooperation, he was able to see him off safely.”
“… … .”
“And in the place he vacated, I will welcome you anew.”
Yurnet gave a gentle smile.
“Soon the Master will come too. Please, give us a little time. time to let him go.”
“Okay… … It is.”
Aaron greeted the four of them and left the library.
From now on, it was their time.
* * *
Taone language.
I fought with all my might to keep Aaron here.
It was because I wanted to protect the place where my family lived. And, I wanted to see my family again.
He thought she would wait for him back home.
‘It was such a mess.’
just before destruction.
Screams and cries continued everywhere.
But the sight disappeared as if it had been washed.
The bustling city was full of life.
Merchants clapped their hands and solicited customers, and the streets were crowded with families and passers-by who came out to shop.
“Now, apples are cheap! It doesn’t get anywhere cheaper than here! Hey, I’ll let you eat one for free, so come and see!”
Aaron looked at the middle-aged man with a hearty expression.
‘That seat… … .’
In the past, it was a place where Aaron, a merchant, used to do business.
Memories of the past and present overlapped and blurred.
It didn’t change.
A city near the village where Aaron lived.
It was as it was in memory.
There is also a tall bell tower installed in the middle of the boulevard.
The hustle and bustle of passers-by.
However, the face Aaron knew was nowhere to be found.
You must have been face-to-face with some people in the past.
“Oh, that old man. It’s covered in a strange cloth!”
“Shh, never mind.”
Aaron walked.
He passed through the crowd like a ghost.
‘Doesn’t it suit me?’
walking in the same place
But the city people and Aaron are obviously different.
The passers-by whose movements overlapped naturally bypassed Aaron.
The figure wearing the gray robe was suspicious.
However, even if Aaron was wearing casual clothes, the result would not have been different.
The atmosphere is different.
Those who walk in snowfields where snowstorms never cease, and those who live peacefully under the warm spring breeze.
Passers-by felt an unknown coolness and avoided Aaron.
“… … .”
Aaron passed the street expressionlessly.
People here are accustomed to peace.
He lived in a different world from Aaron, who had been struggling with fragments every single day.
There are many smiling faces.
Everyone is enjoying a peaceful life.
I am living my life to the best of my ability.
Aaron left the city.
Here, if you follow the dirt road near the gate, you will arrive at a village.
It was the village where Aaron and Nina lived.
‘Arrived.’
A village perched on a low hill.
There are paddy fields around the dirt road leading to the village.
The children were playing tag among the fields.
“Wah ha ha ha!”
“Kyaha!”
A child’s high-pitched laughter is heard.
Aaron pulled his hood down and walked down the dirt road.
“uh?”
“What a strange person!”
“thief?”
“My mom told me not to talk to strangers!”
Still, someone came.
little girl.
The breasts on the cheeks have fallen out less.
She was wearing an unusual necklace.
“Who are you?”
Uncle.
Aaron cleared his throat.
“They are looking for someone.”
“person? Our villagers?”
“okay.”
Aaron rummaged inside and pulled out a portrait of his sister.
“Wow, I couldn’t draw very well. What is it? Doodle?”
“It’s a human face.”
“Oh, really? Is this a human face?”
“No, that’s it.”
after.
Aaron took a deep breath and said.
“My name is Nina. Have you ever heard of it?”
“Nina?”
The girl tilted her head.
“Is this your first time hearing it? Well, I don’t know if my mother knows! She’s here because she’s lived a long time. Can you direct her to her mother?”
“You are kind.”
“Because my mom told me to be nice to people!”
The girl smiled brightly.
‘He said he lived here for a long time.’
He might know a clue about Nina.
Aaron was guided into the village by the girl.
“for a moment.”
“yes?”
Aaron stopped in the middle of the hill.
That gaze was lingering on a certain empty lot.
“Isn’t there a house here?”
“house? What house?”
“No, no.”
remember
Aaron and Nina’s house was built over there.
But now there was nothing.
“… … .”
Aaron narrowed his eyes.
home town.
Familiar yet something different.
Some I knew, some I didn’t know.
And he ran into some adults on the way, but none of them knew Aaron.
“This is our home! Mom will be there now, would you like to come in?”
“if you do not mind.”
The girl hopped in front of the door.
Knock on the door.
“mom! Mother!”
A voice was heard from inside the door.
“What’s up, Rati?”
“Here, there is a man looking for people! You want your mother to help?”
“I?”
After a while.
creak.
The wooden door opened, and an ordinary middle-aged woman appeared.
“… … .”
The middle-aged woman stared at Aaron.
Suspicious at first glance.
It’s not strange even if you get kicked out.
“Come in at once.”
However, the reaction exceeded Aaron’s expectations.
“Can I come in?”
“Yes, what. It is a request from Rati.”
“thank you. My name is Aaron.”
Aaron bowed his head.
I entered the house with the girl.
As the meal was being prepared, fragrant smoke rose from the pot.
“So, are you looking for someone?”
“yes.”
“If you are a villager, I know it well. ‘Cause I’ve been here since I was born Everyone knows who lives and goes out.”
“I will repay you.”
Aaron took a small gold nugget from his bosom.
“Ahaha, put that aside. It’s a dangerous thing.”
“yes?”
“You don’t have to accept that. While I’m eating, please talk to me for a while. talk outside It must be boring since the boyfriend is out in the city.”
“… … All right.”
Aaron put the gold in his bosom.
The middle-aged wife brought soup and salad to the table right away.
It was just around lunch time.
‘There is no vigilance towards strangers.’
Unexpectedly, Aaron ended up having a meal with them.
“So, who are you looking for?”
“My name is Nina. Nina Delcurd. It’s a woman, um… … Anyway, yes.”
“Nina, Delcurd?”
The wife widened her eyes.
“Does your wife know?”
The wife let go of the spoon she was eating the soup with.
I jumped up from my seat and looked carefully at Aaron’s face.
“What’s your relationship with my mother?”
“… … .”
“family? Relative? No, my mother was an orphan with no relatives. What is your relationship with your mother?”
Aaron’s body stiffened.
His gaze naturally turned to his wife.
If you look closely, there is a resemblance somewhere.
“orphanage… … .”
“is it so. My mother lost both her parents when she was young, and she grew up alone. She’s had a hard life. No matter how peaceful it may be right now, the world wasn’t easy enough for a young woman to live alone.”
the wife continued.
“He lived a hard life with all the hardships he had and the hardships he didn’t have. It would have been nice if he had at least one person to support him.”
“That’s right, my grandmother! That’s great! Oh, come to think of it, my grandmother’s name was Nina!”
the girl chimed in.
“They told me old stories, it was really amazing, Grandma! Do anything by yourself! Great!”
“So now, where is he?”
Aaron opened his mouth.
said the girl.
“My grandmother, she is resting now!”
“Are you resting?”
“Yes, in heaven! Rest in heaven!”
Aaron’s eyes twinkled.
The wife shook her head and said.
“It’s nothing to be too sad about. Because he enjoyed the heavenly number. So, it was four years ago.”
4 years ago.
The calculator in my head ran quickly.
The time flow here and in Valhalla are different.
‘Not long ago.’
If only it was a little faster.
Aaron put his hand over his eye.
His voice naturally trembled.
“The woman you knew, Nina, is already dead.”
“is it so. my mother The last name Delcud is like that. I heard you had that last name before you got married.”
said the wife.
“By the way, the bachelor looks young on the outside, so how do you know my mother? That too, while mentioning the old castle. By any chance, did any of your parents have a relationship with my mother?”
“Maybe… … I do not know.”
“It’s unfortunate.”
The wife smiled softly, as if recalling her mother.
“He was an orphan, but even as a daughter, he was a very kind-hearted person. She didn’t treat anyone badly. If she had had a long-term relationship with such a person, her mother would have been very happy when she met him.”
“that’s right! Because my grandmother liked people!”
The daughter and granddaughter smiled as they recalled her.
He had already let her go in his heart.
So I could say it with a smile.
I was sad when I left, but now I’ve organized my mind and left it as a faint longing.
But not Aaron.
“… … why.”
Aaron muttered.
He lowered his head and covered his eyes with his hands.
“I’m sorry. May I leave for a moment?”
“yes. Meal… … ?”
“sorry.”
“Nothing to worry about.”
rattle.
Aaron rose from his chair.
I left the house with a staggering step.
‘The weather is clear.’
The sun is shining and the spring breeze is warm.
Aaron headed to the shade behind the house.
I sat down in the shadow created by the canopy.
There is nothing left.
Everything he was trying to protect.
‘What did I do?’
one and only family.
I wanted to make Nina happy.
And the teacher who showed me a new path.
I wanted to help him.
“… … ha.”
where did you go
They tried so hard to protect it, but now that they have the strength to do so, where have they gone?
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Aaron mumbled.
Someone is standing in front of you, as if rebuking him.
“If you had just said one word to me, I would have done anything.”
The boy’s shadow doesn’t answer.
It was natural.
It was just an illusion of hope.
“Where are you going?”
said Aaron.
I wanted to know.
At the last moment, when extinction was just around the corner, where did the boy go?
He said he was going to a resort, but Aaron doesn’t believe it anymore.
“What was I trying to protect?”
After being deprived of his existence by his disciple, the master disappeared to an unknown place.
The family Aaron wanted to protect was left alone and suffered and died.
Something.
What is the reason for your existence?
it became unknown
‘If only I had been a bit quicker in noticing Master.’
He might have been able to get Nina back.
Maybe I could have let you know that you had a family and that I loved you.
But it has been left as an eternal illusion.
Know.
In the restored Taonier, Aaron’s presence in Valhalla was forgotten.
Nina is left as an orphan because the siblings she should have had disappeared.
Even though the world was restored, the parents who died in the past did not come back.
There is nowhere to lean on.
without trusting anyone.
Nina would have lived this rough world alone.
then it died
‘Nina doesn’t know me.’
He died without realizing that he had a family dear to him and that they had fought against disaster to protect him.
‘Even if he was alive, what should I say to him?’
i am your brother
Nice to meet you.
A long time.
Only laughter came out.
On the topic that I left alone when it was the hardest, what about family?
At best, you’ll get resentment.
What kind of brother are you?
“What did you expect?”
Aaron muttered.
What expectations did he have for returning home?
An illusion that Nina will welcome you warmly?
‘Goofy.’
Wasn’t it like that even before the destruction?
Didn’t he abandon Nina who was being attacked by the monster and run away?
Still, I was hopeful.
I’ve been looking forward to it.
i apologize
Because Nina accepted it.
to reunite with family.
Such a wish, Aaron expected… … .
I wanted to apologize.
I wanted to be forgiven.
I wanted to meet Nina once again.
Not as strangers, but as a family.
“… … .”
Aaron rose from the shadows.
The light in his eyes was dimmed.
“mister!”
look to the side
The girl waved her hand and ran.
I said she was Nina’s granddaughter.
“Mom, ask me! Are you going to eat dinner?”
“No, it’s okay. I will be leaving soon.”
“Oh, are you going right away?”
Aaron nodded.
My business here is over.
“It’s too bad. I was going to tell you the story of my grandmother.”
“I want to ask you one last question.”
“What is it?”
“Do you know where your grandmother is buried?”
“Oh, of course I know! Come with me.”
Like a girl running, she takes the lead.
Aaron silently followed suit.
high up the hill.
I walked along the dirt road where flowers bloomed.
A wind that smelled of grass blew.
There was a beautiful tree at the top of the hill.
Nina’s tombstone was erected under the tree’s shade.
A stone tombstone with no decorations or features.
Only the name of the owner is written all over it.
“Here it is! Where my grandmother is buried.”
under the hill.
Beyond, the scenery of the city was reflected.
“I have to give you a present.”
The girl placed the plucked flowers in front of the tombstone.
Aaron did the same.
Anyway, there was a flower garden nearby.
After plucking flowers and grass in moderation, put them together in a bunch shape in front of the resting place.
memorial.
It is a ceremony to honor the dead.
“Nina.”
Aaron said to the tombstone.
Then I had something to say.
apologize.
Atonement for not saving you.
Say sorry for coming late.
‘It doesn’t make any sense.’
But the mouth was closed.
No matter what you say, it doesn’t work
That voice did not reach the ears of Nina, who had left.
That was the weight of death.
“… … .”
just look
I just stare at the tombstone and repeat meaningless flashbacks.
rustle.
Take out the portrait from the bosom.
No matter how much your appearance has changed, I could have recognized you if I only saw your smiling face.
This portrait was proof that Aaron had not forgotten Nina.
‘let’s go.’
let’s leave this place
And, don’t ever come back.
Aaron made up his mind.
“mister.”
The moment she was about to turn her back, the girl spoke.
“huh?”
“That graffiti was a mess at first. Looking closely, I think I can see it!”
The girl rushed over and examined the graffiti in Aaron’s hand.
“i get it! answer! My grandmother, smiling face!”
“how did you know?”
“Because I’ve seen something like it!”
The boy took a few steps away from Aaron.
Then he cried out loud.
“Mister, will you smile just once?”
“what?”
“Just once, not once!”
A choking cry.
Aaron reluctantly moved his lips.
“That’s right! That look!”
The girl smiled broadly.
After that, I untied the rope of the necklace behind my neck.
It was a long cylindrical necklace.
click.
The girl removed the cap from the top of the necklace.
The cylinder was hollow.
The girl took out what was inside.
It was a rolled up piece of paper.
A picture was drawn on the paper.
The girl opened the paper and looked at Aaron and the picture on the paper.
The paper has faded from time to time, but the painting inside is not damaged.
“Ah, that’s right.”
The girl nodded.
“that… … .”
“It was left to me by my grandmother. Picture mockup inside her necklace. Wow, what a man! The one her grandmother told me about.”
Aaron’s eyes widened.
“I was sure he would come. He said he would find her grandmother. I thought I would know who it was when I came in person, but now that I see it, it’s true!”
The girl smiled.
Then he unfolded the dried paper and showed it to Aaron.
“Tada, a picture my grandmother left behind.”
“… … .”
“Is it the same as yours? Lines are crooked, circles are messy. Well, her grandmother told me, and this is the smiling face of her family.”
The girl looked at the paper Aaron was holding and compared it to her own.
“It’s the same, it’s the same.”
two sheets of paper.
Both were portraits close to graffiti.
The only person who can recognize the owner of the portrait is their family.
“The uncle is my grandmother, and the grandmother is the uncle.”
“how… … .”
“Then you are from your grandmother’s family? weird. Her grandmother had no family. Besides, she’s not the right age?”
The girl pondered for a long time.
“how… … ?”
Aaron repeated the same question.
“This is a story my grandmother told me before leaving for heaven.”
said the girl.
the last of an old man.
Nina Delcurd.
The old man by that name was about to die.
Lifespan was over, and the body left only death.
A very natural occurrence.
In the meantime.
The old man brought his granddaughter and told the story.
The life of one who was born without parents and lived a difficult life.
Life was harsh for a girl called Nina.
Although the villagers took pity on her, Nina could not become their family.
No parents, no siblings.
The girl was alone.
In addition, the inherently weak body made life more difficult.
The girl lived a precarious life, entrusted to the sympathy of others.
the girl cried
If I had a family too.
If you hugged yourself warmly saying it was okay.
but no
The girl was alone.
So it was decided.
let’s die
It was then.
A stranger appeared in front of the girl.
an unknown person.
Who that person was, the girl could not remember until she died.
But I remembered what the stranger had said.
Because that has become the purpose of life.
<You have a family too.>
the stranger said
“It’s not here, but it’s far away.”
In that case, the girl said to come and save her.
The stranger said warmly.
<I can’t.>
why.
<That person is fighting to protect you.>
for me?
<To protect the world you are in. for you.>
can not believe it.
It was a lie, the girl cried out.
Then the stranger’s hand touched the girl’s forehead.
<Let me tell you. how much he loved you
The girl recalled memories from her previous life.
Memories that cannot exist.
A story about his brother.
<Did you see it?>
the girl realized
that he had a family.
And the fact that that person is still fighting for himself.
<The last one is a bit, but look at that. Are you a family?>
huh.
The girl nodded while crying.
<Live hard.>
The stranger said as he left.
<You are not alone.>
Not alone.
The girl was not alone.
The girl realized that.
Even though he is not by the girl’s side, he is fighting against the world for the girl more than anyone else.
Not here, somewhere far away.
There are people who want my happiness.
The girl made up her mind.
Not a decision to die, but a decision to live.
So I lived hard.
for me.
For families who want their own happiness.
Do your best, do your best every day.
I have been working hard to enjoy human life and keep happiness.
because you’re not alone
Because that person wants his own happiness.
I may not be able to meet you in my lifetime.
the girl knew
The distance to that person is so far that even if I stretch out my hand, I can’t reach it.
but.
Someday, someday, it will definitely come.
At that time, I will inform that person.
didn’t forget
Thanks to you, I was able to live my best life.
therefore.
you are… … .
“You are not alone.”
said the girl.
in a clear voice.
He looked at Aaron and said.
“… … .”
The girl laughed innocently.
“End here! My grandma is amazing!”
Aaron said nothing.
“Ah, uncle. Are you crying?”
“no.”
“mister?”
“Crying… … no.”
said Aaron.
“You lived hard, your grandmother.”
“is it so!”
I saw the portrait Nina left behind.
someone’s face drawn in it.
Could he have become a support for her life just by his existence?
“Mister, don’t cry.”
“Thank you. thank you. thanks… … .”
Aaron’s shoulders shook.
“For living, for living hard, for remembering me… … .”
“Thank you too. For visiting her grandmother.”
The girl hugged Aaron.
The warmth that comes from a small body.
The girl hugged him for a while until his feelings stopped.
“Mister, I’ll give you this.”
After a while, the entrance to the village.
The girl held out the necklace to Aaron.
Inside the necklace were two portraits rolled up.
One drawn by Aaron.
The other was drawn by Nina.
“Is this for me?”
“Looks like you’d rather have it than me. Her grandmother would like that too.”
Tup.
The girl opens Aaron’s hand and lets go of the necklace.
Aaron couldn’t resist that hand.
“Fit well!”
As Aaron put on the necklace, the girl laughed.
“Are you going back right away?”
“okay.”
“Um~ I’m sorry. Will you come again next time?”
The next time you come, how many years will pass?
Aaron doesn’t know.
“Lati.”
“yes?”
“Live hard.”
Innocent eyes looking at oneself.
Aaron said to those eyes.
“Live hard. Do your best. No regrets.”
“I will, uncle. I will live hard! I’ll be fine, so you’ll be fine too! Live hard!”
“I will. I will try hard too.”
Aaron looked at the girl and smiled.
The girl also showed a smile like a flower.
So the two broke up.
‘Master.’
Aaron walked.
I walked with the spring breeze behind me.
Peaceful urban landscape.
The high-pitched laughter of children at play.
A wide expanse of green fields.
I went ahead and left it all behind.
‘My dream is not over yet.’
The warm light here does not suit him.
into the shadows.
into the cold winter.
Aaron went to the place where the darkness dwells.
A place full of chills.
A place where every biography is written with blood and sword.
Aaron moved towards such a dark and desolate place.
Bubbly.
Footprints on the snow that are engraved every time you walk.
A raging snowstorm makes it impossible to see even an inch ahead.
Aaron doesn’t know how it will end.
but it seems
Looking to the side, I could see the footprints of my comrades walking towards the same place.
in the infinite winter.
in a dream that never ends.
they walk towards the dawn
‘I want to continue to protect it.’
The land in which he was born and loved, Taoni.
Spring is still here and flowers are blooming.
Aaron firmly gripped the ink-colored spear behind his back.
click.
The pendant around her neck swayed every time she walked.
It contained an oath of eternity.
‘Please watch over me.’
Pure dreams never end.
that’s business.
It lasts forever and finally blooms.
So Aaron walked.
Aaron Nidelk continued walking without stopping.
Through the snowy field where a blizzard raged, he proceeded with unwavering eyes.
<Pick Me Up! Aaron’s Side Story> complete
<Pick Me Up! Amkena Gaiden> continues.
