Only I Am A Reader

Wooosh...

The golden stalks of wheat danced alongside the cool wind in the vast farmland that surrounded a simple manor.

Despite being located inside the Great Capital where the famous towering structure could be seen, it didn't look too overbearing.

Its size was big enough as if it was built to shelter as many people as possible and the design was as simple as its purpose, yet it still managed to look just as beautiful as the face that peeked out of its highest window.

"Lost in thought as always… Or should I say since he left?"

Standing at the door opposite the window, a handsome middle-aged man wearing decorated clothes spoke out with a smile.

A few gray lines have started to appear on his head. Without it, though, it would be hard to tell that he was in his forties just from his face.

"Mooh, why do you have to keep teasing me like that?"

The woman only wore an everyday dress, but her overall look, especially her face, didn't lose out to the man in front of her. Her eyes were still unfocused as if she just woke up from a dream.

Although she pouted at the man's remark, her dreamy eyes went back to staring at the sky as if they were trying to see something through it.

"Sorry, sorry, but really… It has been long since he left, it's hard not to miss him extra on a day like this."

The man followed the lovely woman's lead as his gaze darted out of the window. Both of them now had similar expressions of deep nostalgia.

"It can't be helped. He left so abruptly after all."

The woman wanted to refute him at first, but she gave up as her lips curved into a bitter smile. Denying it would be useless when they both shared the same emotions.

"Still, that doesn't mean you should drown yourself in work. You should take care of yourself for his share as well. I'm sure he would have told you to accept the extra workers that you keep refusing if he was here-"

"Really now, is this measly matter something that you should worry about, Great Emperor Crane?"

"Ria!"

That's right. Although both their status was now quite different, the two were none other than former residents of the Nameless Town where all the magic began!

After the strangest incident following the fall of the Sky-Piercing Sword took place, many things changed within the capital, most importantly of which was the person who stood at its top.

With the death of the young Emperor, his old and retired father emerged from his sabbatical. However, it wasn't to sit at the throne for one more round, rather, he pointed the ministers in the direction of the person that was next in line.

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't the princess's turn nor did she show any interest in the throne. Instead, an unknown blacksmith was brought to the capital from the secluded area where he lived.

"Didn't we already agree that we would continue to refer to each other normally? I truly hate this burdensome title that the Old man willfully threw at me!"

No one could expect the son of the Emperor who was rumored to have met his end in the Great War to have actually been exiled instead. What was even more surprising was that his exile was revoked and was directly placed on the throne!

"He was ashamed of the son that wanted to give up wielding swords in favor of creating them instead, and now he says that I'm the only one who could do it?"

Despite blatantly refusing the position at first, the Crane who imagined how chaotic the Empire could become with an empty throne still accepted his fate in the end. Although, that naturally didn't stop him from complaining about it at every possible chance.

"Now, now, don't get so angry. Aren't you doing a great job so far? Even I who moved here after you took power can tell that the Capital had already changed for the better."

Following Crane's move, the first thing he did was reinstate the old Orphanage in the Capital alongside its residents. In addition, having received some of the words that Arthur left behind, he made it even bigger!

Using his authority, he gathered the kids who Arthur had rescued from the Holy Sword School into one place so that they wouldn't end up suffering more.

Ria and the kids were supposed to just live alongside them while trained caretakers could look after everyone, but she insisted on taking the position of the Orphanage mother herself, only receiving little help every now and then.

"There is no need to worry about me either, I will accept the help soon enough. I just wanted to continue working alone this much longer until all of them had grown up."

"Isn't this why we are all here today? None of them need you to worry about them now, especially that monstrous brat, Ray. He charmed my step-sister quite easily, she is completely head over heels for him."

Although the Sky-Piercing Sword remained after that jumpscare that day, the concentration of Sword Breath in the air was gradually becoming thinner and thinner each year.

With such a trend, every high-ranked Swordsman was considered a priceless treasure and Ray was the shiniest of them all.

The diluted Sword Breath would delay the mutation of more Sword Beasts, but those that already existed and started reproducing weren't going anywhere, and the inability to create cannon fodder as quickly as before made the situation worse.

Not to mention hearing about what Ray was capable of, the thread that linked Crane with Ray was more than just that. He immediately offered him a special position in the Elite Imperial Army, all he had to do was clear up a certain amount of Sword Beasts every month.

The fact that he was allowed special access to the Sky-Piercing Sword helped, but Ray surprisingly accepted this position quite easily, settling down in the Capital in a house right next to the new nameless Orphanage.

He mostly wanted to live the peaceful life that his 'father' back then wanted him to. Unfortunately what Ray received was anything but peaceful.

Since the Imperial Princess took interest in him after witnessing his abilities on that day, she and Jade bickered around him all the time, even Tianna the Botanist joined the show every once in a while.

"It doesn't matter how successful he is as long he is happy, I was always worried about him since he ran away, so I'm thankful for seeing him again like-"

"Yeah… I would like to hear more, but we will probably be late if we stay behind any longer. Everyone's here this time, so it would be a waste to miss it."

"Ara, you are right. Look at me getting lost in thought again. Let's go!"

Leaving the building, the pair quickly walked towards the field garden beyond the farmland. There was already quite a bit of noise before they reached there, but it only got louder once they were there!

"Ria Mama!"

"Annie, haven't you grown too old for this? Aren't we here to precisely celebrate that?"

As if woven by fate's thread, before they knew it, it became a habit for all the people connected to Arthur to join together once every year or two.

This time, they were especially joined together to celebrate that the last of Arthur and Ray's siblings had finally come of age!

"Look, look, both Big Brother Ray and Grandpa Rain had come this time. Big sister Jade, Tianna… Everyone's here. Well…"

Just at the brink of her excitement, Annie's happy expression shrank as she seemed to remember that something was still missing.

"Hey, hey, what's the sad expression for? Didn't I already tell you? I sent Arthur on a very very long mission, that's why he couldn't come today either. However, he is bound to come back one day."

Rain only seemed to grow kinder as the number of wrinkles on his face increased. Annie was no longer a kid that needed a lie to comfort her, but he still felt like the truth was too much for someone so fragile.

Considering that their names were mentioned in Arthur's letter, Ray had shared some if not all of the letter's content with almost everyone in this gathering other than the kids and his companions. However…

Despite knowing the slightly altered truth about Arthur's disappearance, they didn't know what to make of it as it only made the situation even more fuzzy.

Their imagination wasn't that limited after witnessing outrageous things like the Sky-Piercing Sword's descent or the final fight for the fate of all Swordsmen, especially for a transmigrator like Ray, but it was still hard to understand.

If their Earth wasn't the same, then was this place truly a piece of literature? Did other worlds really exist? Was that the source of the Sky-Piercing Sword?

Depending on their experience, expertise, and understanding, each one of them had more than one question to ask.

Unfortunately, with no one to answer, everyone just had to accept that Arthur had to leave, believing it to be the cost of the change he underwent in order to help and save everyone!

"R… Right! Big Brother will definitely come back, he promised me that! We just have to have another celebration then!"

"Of course!"

Repressing her sadness, Annie's cheerfulness overflowed as it covered everyone within the gathering. Before they knew it, everyone was having fun with their little picnic. Only…

Ria still found herself occasionally lost in thought amid all of this happiness.

'Even if we can no longer meet you, I just wish that you were at least able to see how far everyone has come thanks to you…'

`~~~`~~~`~~~`

"Huh?"