Chapter 130: Chapter 129: A Future That Should Never Come True

After finishing the morning training, Tashian headed to the kitchen to prepare a meal, placing me at the table and beginning to chop the ingredients on the cutting board. It was all very natural and skillful.

“Um, are you feeling okay?”

“Every time you see me, you ask the same thing. I can handle household chores just fine, so don’t worry.”

“No, it’s not that… I’m worried if there’s something wrong with your body since that time.”

Even though she didn’t consider it a big deal, I couldn’t help but worry.

Currently, she had completely lost her power as a dragon.

Even before the fight that day ended, she was someone who frequently experienced the risk of her body collapsing due to her inherent power.

Now, considerably weakened, there was no telling if her body might deteriorate at any moment, even with promises made.

“You don’t need to worry about that. In fact, because I have no power left, my body feels much lighter.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, so you don’t have to worry. I’ll be with you for as long as you live.”

During my lifetime, she would watch over me and care for me as a mother.

This was a sentiment she hadn’t fully expressed to the adopted daughter she had taken in the past.

“As long as you live, I will do for you what I couldn’t do for that child. Everything I can as a family…”

“…”

“…Well, there’s not much I can do in this state.”

“Ah, no, I’m thankful for what you’re doing now.”

It was genuine, not pretense.

Although her daughter would not return, I also felt that her remorseful heart was sincere.

“Even so, you’ll continue to do dangerous things, right?”

And from her sincere perspective, what I intended to do also seemed unsettling.

“…Do you want to stop me?”

“I want to dissuade you, but it seems inevitable. After all, gaining strength is for the purpose of protecting yourself and those around you.”

Yes, the world now was even more dangerous than in her prime.

It’s natural to want to protect oneself by taking risks in such a world.

So, in her weakened state, rather than stopping me, she would choose to help me gain the strength to protect myself.

“Coincidentally, I find it hard to adjust to human standards, so it’s difficult for me to advise on training or handling spirits, but I can still teach you about equipment or manage it as much as needed.”

“Equipment, you say?”

“Having lived so long, I have my own expertise in handling materials.”

Come to think of it, legends about dragons often include details about their obsession with jewels or their collection of special equipment.

Most of it might be fiction, but given their long life span and their status as the pinnacle of all creatures, there might be no one who can match their skill in handling materials.

Choosing to disguise herself as a craftsman and deciding to create an ego weapon as a means to fulfill her promise must be closely related to that aspect.

“So if you need to handle equipment in the future, don’t leave it to others unnecessarily. Make sure to consult with me first, alright?”

“Haha, yes. If I need anything done with equipment, I’ll definitely come to you, Tashian.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really…”

“Hmm~ I don’t quite believe you.”

Tashian turned away from the pot for a moment and stared at me.

Her half-closed eyes showed a hint of doubt directed at me.

“I respect my son’s opinion, but if you leave it to someone else, Mom will be disappointed.”

“…Have I really been that unreliable?”

“Hmm, maybe I’ll believe you if you just say one thing~”

A meaningful smile faintly appeared on her lips.

It was something I had seen several times over the few weeks we had lived together.

“…What do you want me to say?”

“Do you love me?”

Ah, I knew it would be this.

Still, I thought it was better than calling her “Mom,” so I endured the embarrassment and said to her,

“I love you.”

It was still too much for me to fully embrace the idea of family.

But I wanted to reciprocate the kindness she had shown me.

“Yes, I love you too, my son~”

Tashian responded with a bright smile to my words.

Despite the disparity from our first meeting, it didn’t feel awkward because I vaguely understood through Tacchia’s memories that she also had this side.

Before she left, she possessed the same kindness, which made it impossible not to cling to her existence even more…

“Ahem!!”

Just as I was having those thoughts, a coughing sound came from behind.

I stiffened and turned around, only to be met with a pair of sharp, glaring eyes.

“Ah, Airi?”

Airi Haven.

Someone even closer to me than Tashian, who had become a part of my family.

“Mr. Hyo-sung.”

And we both knew what feelings we harbored for each other.

Naturally, I was also aware of how she might view the current situation.

“It seems you’ve gotten quite close with Ms. Tashian over the past few weeks.”

“Well, you see…”

I understand mine and Tashian’s circumstances, but to others, we surely look like mere strangers, not bound by blood.

Even with Merilyn, fights break out constantly, and if Tashian gets involved, wouldn’t that only increase the sense of betrayal?

“Huhu, of course, we’d get close. It’s a mother and son relationship, after all.”

Despite sensing Airi’s gaze, Tashian approached her without hesitation.

Indeed, this kind of friction wasn’t new, but Tashian, unlike Airi, didn’t seem to take their current relationship too emotionally.

It was a natural outcome. To her, Airi was also seen as ‘someone to embrace,’ just like me.

“Now, I’ll have the meal ready soon, so my daughter should sit down and eat too.”

Meaning, she considered her like another child alongside me.

“…Tashian.”

“What’s wrong, my daughter?”

“I get it for Hyo-sung, but since when did I become your daughter?”

“Well, if you’re with this child, we’re all family, aren’t we?”

Family. The concept that should have left this world long ago, yet still holds her to this life.

Tashian, by accepting me, wasn’t limiting her capacity to embrace just me alone.

At least for those around me, like Airi or Merilyn, she sought to consider and embrace them like her own children.

“Excuse me, is this Mr. Woo Hyo-sung’s residence?”

Such differences in position causing conflict was a brief concern.

Soon after hearing a voice from the entrance, I quickly made my way there.

Standing at the entrance was a postman active within the empire.

Upon receiving the letter he held and checking its contents, my face instantly hardened.

“…Tashian, Airi. I’ll be out for a bit.”

“Leaving without eating?”

“Yes, a friend’s funeral is today, so I think I’ll have my meal there.”

The news was about the death of a ‘labor comrade’ I had been somewhat close to in the past.

Although it had been over a year since we last met, it was only right to attend the funeral given that we had a not-so-bad relationship.

For that reason, after he left, Tashian and Airi, left alone in the kitchen, continued their meal while facing each other.

And their relationship was as one-sided as ever—one side feeling tense, while the other observed with a smile.

“How’s the taste? Is the seasoning alright?”

“…Yes, it’s fine.”

“Huhu, that’s a relief. It’s rewarding to have studied the cookbook.”

After all, she had done a lot of cooking half a century ago while raising a child, and had learned various dishes since then, out of lingering attachment.

Her efforts, filled with sincerity and love, reached Airi, who shared this moment with her.

Even if it couldn’t be said that her feelings were aimed at reason, the depth of her emotions seemed greater than her own.

“By the way, my daughter, you seem to have been worried recently…”

“…Yes, I’m always thinking about how to make you give up calling me your daughter.”

“My, saying that would make Mom sad, wouldn’t it?”

Still, hadn’t she changed too much?

Even though her current appearance was starkly different from before, she still exuded the dignity and grace of a higher being.

And the wisdom naturally acquired from living a long life.

“If you have any concerns, you can always talk to Mom about them. Like about prophecies…”

Airi flinched at her words, her body stiffening.

Watching her reaction, Tashian rested her chin on her hand, smiling contentedly.

“Surely, if you could prophesy normally, you would have predicted that he would go out.”

Indeed, after joining, the fortune teller before her never once performed a prophecy or offered advice in her presence.

Despite the fact that seeing the future was a significant power for a prophet, she often just watched him train quietly or read books in her room.

“It’s understandable that you might lose confidence. Even if you’re not perfect, failing at critical moments could make you feel your ability is useless.”

But how could that be considered her fault or her incompetence?

The appearance of the Red Knight was something even she hadn’t anticipated.

It could have led to the extinction of humanity, but clinging to that one event and losing confidence would be too wasteful.

“Don’t be too disheartened. It’s not often that prophecies go wrong… The power you possess now might even be greater than what I had in my prime.”

“…Do you really think so?”

“Of course~ Didn’t you accurately predict what would happen after I changed my mind?”

While the future changes the moment a whim occurs, such altered futures tend to continue unless another variable arises.

Being able to immediately observe the changed future when a variable occurs means she could be interpreted as having a higher ability to respond to variables than anyone else in this world.

“So have confidence. If you don’t give up… you’ll surely find a way to make everyone happy, even in this chaotic world.”

With that confidence derived from her years of experience, Tashian firmly held Airi’s hand.

The warmth emanating from her taught that she, in her current state, possessed a thoughtful heart for others.

Having confidence, as she said, she was convinced that it would surely lead to a future where everyone could be happy.

“But that’s the problem!!!”

Yet, Airi couldn’t shake off her anxiety because the word ‘happiness’ Tashian mentioned gave her a chilling feeling.

Being with a loved one and being rewarded for efforts can be considered happiness, but losing one’s mind to drugs can also be seen as a form of happiness.

And the future that might await them could be even more dreadful and bleak than being addicted to drugs.

“Come here, my babies. It’s time to eat♡”

In the prophecy she saw right after they first met.

The beginning of an absolute future that must not come to pass was starting to show signs at this moment.

“I had no idea. I never thought Tashian, after completing her mission, would change this much…!”

The change in atmosphere from before was partly due to wanting to fully resolve lingering regrets, but more so because she now had something one could call ‘leisure’.

Even elders who lived for just about a hundred years were treated as sages, so how vast could the generosity of a dragon that lived for ten thousand years be?

Of course, choosing to keep Tashian by his side was partly her decision, but it was crucial to guard against the path leading to the future she had seen.

“What’s wrong, my daughter? Is the food not enough?”

“I-it’s enough!”

Therefore, during the weeks since she joined, Airi had no choice but to show her vigilance towards her at every moment.

To some extent, she mingled but made sure not to cross the line, and she tried to ensure that the ‘bond of family’ she talked about, at least in her case, would not continue.

‘Absolutely, no matter what happens, such a future must be prevented.’

Thus, Airi quietly ate the meal prepared by Tashian, steadying her heart.

On the other side, Tashian, watching Airi, tilted her head to the side with a puzzled expression.

“Hmm… Is this what they call adolescence?”

It was the best conclusion she could come to, not knowing the future.

And then, on the way out of the house to the funeral hall mentioned in the letter.

During this process, I met a familiar face.

“Oh my~ Hyo-sung~! Are you going out?”

Merilyn Sutherland.

Like Airi, she lived with us, but as a wandering minstrel, she often left home to gather stories needed for her profession.

Since she spent many nights out, meeting her on the street early in the morning wasn’t too unusual.

“Ah, yes. I’m just heading to a friend’s funeral for a bit.”

“Oh, is that so? Can I come with you?”

“You too, Merilyn?”

“Haha, I feel like I could gather some good stories if I go with you, Hyo-sung.”

Saying so, Merilyn swiftly took a place by my side.

Her wanting to be with me wasn’t unusual by now, but why?

Feeling a sense of unease upon facing her at this moment.

“Did you change your makeup?”

“What?”

“Well, you look a bit different from usual.”

“…”

Her expression slightly stiffened.

I could tell just by looking that she was holding her breath, as if I had hit the mark.

What was it? Did I step on a landmine or something?

“Aren’t we in a hurry for the funeral?”

“Oh, yes. This way…”

Despite the unease, I was prompted by Merilyn to continue walking.

I was concerned, but I didn’t want to do anything that might upset Merilyn.