After reuniting with Elysia, Ryn continued with her on their journey to visit every corner of the world, until they reached the ends of the earth, in search of the eternal and flawless paradise, the Eternal Elysium.
But even after they had traveled the whole world together, they did not find any Eternal Elysium.
Ryn knew from the beginning that no such paradise existed. He was simply fulfilling Elysia's wish, accompanying her on a journey around the world.
Finally, the two of them reached their last stop, the Far East.
Elysia and Ryn's meeting took place on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, as seen from the Asian continent.
The journey began on that side of the Pacific, and it ended on the other side, in the Far East region of the Asian continent.
It was a beginning and an end that connected back to each other.
Ryn took Elysia to the highest mountain in the Far East, Mount Fuji. Looking down from the high altitude, they could see most of the Far East region.
"Elysia, the journey is over. We've circled the globe. Have you found your paradise now?"
"Sigh~ I haven't. It turns out the Earth is round, so there's no end to it. Just like the books say, paradises and such are just humanity's beautiful fantasies..."
The altitude of Mount Fuji was quite high, the temperature at the summit was very low, and the wind was a bit strong, making it hard for Elysia to open her eyes.
Oh well, she chose Mount Fuji as the final stop. No matter how cold it was, she had to face it, even if it meant crying.
Elysia pulled her small cloak tighter, wrapping herself up snugly.
"Daddy, is there really no paradise in this world?"
"I don't know. Maybe there is, maybe there isn't."
Ryn didn't give a definitive answer. He used to think that something like an eternal paradise definitely didn't exist.
But now, he had a feeling deep in his heart, a strange sense that gods might truly exist in this world. Not self-proclaimed gods like himself, or pseudo-gods like Sa and Ai, but a truly omnipotent god.
He had already encountered an omnipotent creator god, Ometeotl, before. Although He was killed by his other self, that was because his other self was ridiculously strong. It didn't mean Ometeotl was weak.
Ryn felt that even if his current self, plus Tianqi, Ai, and Sa, were to team up against Ometeotl, they would probably all be wiped out with a single glare from Him.
But it didn't matter. If he couldn't beat him, he couldn't beat him. There was no point in obsessing over it. When he was strong enough to fight one day, even if Ometeotl didn't want to fight, he would have to peel some skin off Him.
If Ometeotl had killed Ryn, Ryn might have just laughed it off. He was immortal anyway, so being killed by a god once was no big deal.
But he had always remembered the grudge of Ometeotl killing Kiana once. Kiana didn't have immortality. If his other self hadn't intervened, Kiana and Sirin would have had their very existence erased by Ometeotl.
Anyway, since gods really did exist, who knew if some omnipotent god had a whim and really created a paradise?
But even if there was, Ryn wouldn't let Elysia go to that kind of paradise.
He might as well build a paradise himself, where everyone could live happily.
Ryn sat in the air, looking at a certain city in the Far East region.
Nagazora City, fifty thousand years ago, and Nagazora City, fifty thousand years later.
The same place, but different people, different events.
"Elysia, I don't know if the paradise you desire is a place or an ideal...
But I know that for me, and for your mother Kiana whom you've never met, having the people we love, having the home where you all exist, that is the flawless Pure Land, the Eternal Elysium."
Elysia sat beside Ryn, also looking in the direction he was looking.
As a master archer, her nearsightedness might not be great, but her farsightedness was quite good. Especially from such a high vantage point, using eyes that had been strengthened and trained with Honkai energy.
She saw the city Ryn was looking at, Nagazora City, known to the world as Academy City, and saw the laughing students inside.
Children's tears and sadness might have other thoughts and ideas behind them, but the joy of their hearty laughter was the purest and most sincere emotion.
What was the purpose of her search for the Eternal Elysium...
So that everyone could live happily and joyfully...
So, those flowers of the motherland, full of expectations for the future, welcoming the future with a fiery and passionate heart... the place where they are now, the life they are experiencing, is that a paradise for them?
Elysia didn't know, but she seemed to have understood something.
The adult world had already become broken and lifeless due to the pressures of society and loneliness. But even so, they would endure humiliation and compromise for the people and things they loved, in order to create a happy and beautiful childhood full of laughter for their children.
A family where children grow up happily, is that their paradise for them?
Elysia understood. Was this the lesson Daddy wanted to teach her by constantly looking at Academy City in Nagazora City?
"Daddy, I understand! A real paradise doesn't exist, but in everyone's heart, there exists that unique paradise that belongs to them!"
"???"
Ryn was full of question marks. What did you understand just from that?
He had just shared his own view, looked at Nagazora City, and thought about Kiana and the others for a moment.
How could Elysia have an epiphany from that? Was her intelligence and talent that amazing? But usually, she seemed so clueless and cute!
Then there was only one possibility! Ryn proudly puffed out his chest and confidently flicked his hair.
"Could it be... that I'm a good teacher?"
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Since they were already here, it would be a shame not to have a big feast.
Although the times were different, people's yearning for delicious food was always a commonality.
Based on the preferences of Kiana, Mei, Kika, and the others, Ryn took Elysia to eat all the delicacies they liked.
Although little Elysia always complained that he was making her fat, what parent would dislike their child being chubby.
Besides, so what if she got fat? She could just lose the weight.
Although Elysia's little face already had some baby fat, it became even rounder after being fed by Ryn.
However, Ryn told Elysia every day that it was fine to get fat, she could just lose the weight. But he never told her that while her body could slim down, her chubby little face would be hard to slim down~
pink_round-faced_little_chubster.jpg
(Question: Why is little Elysia a little chubster.
Answer: Ryn fed her that way when she was little, and some parts couldn't be slimmed down when she grew up. For example, her little round face, manual cheeky face)