A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

Naruko didn't ask the next question.

"Goodnight," Bray said in his most gentle voice, holding Naruko in his arms. The morning sun was not glaring.

Bray sat on the roof, holding Naruko and staring blankly at the sky.

He had been staring at this unchanging sky for a long time, all night long.

Is Naruko a likable person?

He's not very likable; he's more of a comedian.

Her personality flaws are so numerous that many strangers are more outstanding than her.

She might not be the ideal lover or partner, but Naruko is still his wife.

So, there's a problem that's been on Bray's mind for a long time.

Does Bray like Naruko?

Do you like it? No, I don't.

He fell in love with this pink-haired idiot.

Naruko's life had long since vanished, and it had vanished so suddenly.

Naruko was born at the same time as she left.

That's how it should be, she said, her life from the very beginning has only been about thirty-year-olds.

Unlike people like Bray, he led a unique life.

Bray felt he hadn't done anything special for the short-lived girl, or even pampered her.

But why does that idiot Naruko still like me so much?

I don't understand. If I had to find a reason, it might be because idiots always fall for another idiot.

If possible... if it were really possible, he wanted Naruko to continue living.

All Naruko needs to do is say "she wants to live," and he will do everything he can to prolong her life.

But she didn't.

Bray chose to respect Naruko's wishes, rather than arbitrarily prolonging her life just because he wanted her to live.

There's no need to understand; all he needs to do is respect.

“We agreed on a lifetime commitment, and I’ve kept my word for a year, a month, and an hour.” Bray said to Naruko—even though she could no longer answer him.

The moment she left into the night, Bray felt a sense of weariness.

But at that time, the sorrow was not intense.

It wasn't until dawn that Bray truly realized what Naruko's departure meant.

It means one less person, one less noise.

Then he took out the cigarette candy that the child had been playing with.

A fool, who once lived with this person, said, "If you don't want to cry, use this instead."

Bray held a candy cigarette between his fingers and silently lit it.

It has no special function, no stress-relieving effect, it's just a piece of candy.

Naruko forbids herself from smoking, so she gives herself this.

Without realizing it, he developed a liking for this useless candy.

Just like how I unknowingly fell in love with Naruko.

There was no particular reason; it was simply that I "fell in love" with it.

The small figure stood behind Bray, silently watching him without saying a word.

The other person didn't speak, but Bray knew who was standing behind him.

“Good morning,” he said to Levy in an unusually calm voice.

“Brave…” Levy’s tail didn’t wag, and she didn’t know what to say.

The moment she got up, she realized that someone was missing from the house.

Naruko's presence is missing.

Without even stepping forward, Levy knew that Naruko was already asleep, asleep forever.

Just like his own father, he fell asleep and never woke up again.

At first, she was like a stone, unresponsive for a long time.

But a quarter of an hour later—

Two lines of tears streamed down her face, and Rabie's petite body trembled, but she did not burst into tears.

She didn't know why Naruko died, but... she never imagined this day would come.

“She could only live to be thirty; last night was her last,” Bray said calmly.

Levy was stunned; she had never known about this before.

Neither Bray nor Naruko were ever mentioned.

“That idiot is still smiling.” Bray touched Naruko’s cheek, staring intently at her upturned lips.

“Naruko…Naruko…” Levy’s voice began to choke; she couldn’t remain calm like Bray.

"Levy knows nothing, why don't you tell Levy, why don't you tell Levy..."

Levy is unable to control her current emotions.

Besides Bray, who is most important to Levy...? It's Naruko and Nia.

But one morning, she was suddenly told that the most important person in her life had suddenly disappeared.

It's unacceptable, I can't accept it.

Levy sat on the ground, wiping away her unstoppable tears. No matter how Fireball tried to comfort her, Levy couldn't stop crying.

"Because it's unnecessary."

“If I told you, you would ‘pity’ Naruko, but for her, that would be completely unnecessary,” Bray said softly.

"Isn't Bray sad?" Levy had always thought Bray was very strong and capable, but at this moment she really didn't understand why Bray wasn't crying.

Isn't Bray sad? Really not sad?

Are you sad...?

"I don't know, I just... suddenly feel very tired." Bray took several seconds before slowly answering Levy's question.

This is a story, a story that should include myself and the idiot Naruko.

A story that he didn't want to end, and Naruko didn't want to end either.

However, the story ends here.

The signs of its end were so clear, yet its arrival was so heart-wrenching.

Everyone wants their story to be beautiful and doesn't want any regrets.

Bray too.

He dislikes tragedy, hates tragedy, and everything he has done so far has been to reduce the occurrence of tragedy.

But tragedy still struck; a tragedy that was destined from the start simply happened.

Bray opened his mouth, wanting to say something to the "sleeping" Naruko, but no sound came out for a long time.

"Mommy, wake up, Nia!" a cheerful voice rang out.

The sound even interrupted Bray's reverie and stopped Levy's crying.

"Mommy, come down quickly, Nia is so hungry!" Nia stomped her feet and shouted in the flower-covered open space in front of the house.

Bray picked up Naruko and glanced at Levy.

“Let’s go, Nia said she’s hungry,” Bray said.

"Hmm." Levy's reply was not her usual lively one, but rather a very dejected one.

“…” Bray lowered his right eye and did not say anything more.

He jumped off the roof and landed in front of Nia.

Levy wiped away her tears, her eyes still red, and jumped down as well.

Nia held the leftover cake from last night in her hand, crumbs all over her mouth, and looked happily at the people in front of her.

"Ba ba, is Mommy still not awake?" Nia looked curiously at Naruko, who was sleeping soundly.

Yes, I'm sleeping so soundly that I'll never wake up.

“Yes, because she’s always been lazy,” Bray said gently.

“Nia knows, Mommy is always very lazy.” Nia nodded emphatically.

"Nia, shall we finish the whole cake?"

“Your mother said we have to eat all the cake,” Bree told Nia.

"Okay, okay, Nia is so hungry!" The little girl jumped up, clearly very happy.

"Nia, go and bring out all the cakes~" After saying that, she went into the house, took out plates, and had a leftover steamed cake in her mouth.

There were plates on the table, and the cake was eaten clean this time.

But Nia was crying, crying her heart out.

She sat helplessly on the ground, just crying, just crying, crying nonstop.

Even when her throat was hoarse and she started vomiting, she was still crying.

Because her mother is asleep and will never wake up.

This was what her father told Nia himself after he finished eating those cakes.

For a child who is only seven years old, or even less than ten years old, this is like the sky falling down.

"Mommy, don't go... Nia doesn't want you to go..."

No matter how much Nia shook her mother, her mother wouldn't wake up.

"Mommy, don't stay in bed, Mommy, get up." Nia shook Naruko and said in a hoarse voice.

She didn't know how many times she had repeated this action.

No matter who it is, what they say, or what they do, they cannot persuade Nia to stop all of this.

Bray simply knelt beside Nia, wiping away her tears again and again.

Do not offer understanding to those who are suffering.

So Bray didn't say anything like "I know" or "I understand".

He believed that Nia would be just as strong as Naruko.

Bray patted Nia's head and picked up Naruko from the sofa.

"No, Mommy, don't go!!!"

"Bang bang, Nia, don't let Mommy go!!!" Nia clung tightly to Bray's trouser leg.

Then Bray stopped, did nothing, neither scolded Nia nor reasoned with her.

They just stood there quietly and calmly.

The wind blew through his hair, revealing his lifeless right eye.

All I could see was a stagnant pool of water.

But this stagnant pool is even more lifeless than before, having lost all vitality, and even the possibility of having vitality.

"Beep beep..."

"Baa baa... Nia, stop crying..." Nia's crying gradually subsided.

"Can Nia hug Mommy?" the girl choked out, releasing her grip on Bree's trouser leg.