I pulled the cart filled with thousands upon thousands of flowers and started making my way towards the cemetery, the first graveyard situated in the southeastern quarter of the city. The first graveyard–also known as the adventurer–is a massive cemetery filled with countless rows of gravestones.
Typical gravestones, including the markers here and even the paving stone at my feet, are made from white stones, which the people of the mortal world have arbitrarily come to associate with the heavens.
"..."
The air is very clear, almost chilly. After observing the cemetery for a short while, I started putting flowers on the graves one by one.
"It's pretty empty, huh?" I looked around the graveyard, but I guess that was obvious since the sun had already risen when I got here, and the Elgia festival was over; the graveyard was filled with flowers that people had left behind, and anyone could have mistaken it for a field.
I kept putting flowers on the graves and stopped when I reached the hero's graves.
"To be a hero, huh…." Can I be a hero as well? I thought back on the experiences I have gone through, remembering how many times I have been called a Hero by several people. Can I be like them? Can I be someone who is immortalized through history?
In the first place, what is a hero?
I have sung the song of what a hero is with Ryuu, but is that the real answer to what a hero is?
Is it just someone who fights against evil? Or is it someone who defeats monsters? Or is it someone who saves everyone?
I looked up at the monuments, but no answers came back to my questions. I continued to stand in front of the monuments, reflecting and searching for an answer. When–
" –?"
I get the sense that someone else is also visiting the otherwise deserted cemetery.
Is it?
I looked behind me.
To my surprise, there's a girl with golden hair and golden eyes walking past the rows of gravestones towards me. "Ais…"
Noticing me, her eyes held the same surprise. While the sunlight showered between us.
I don't know why, but seeing her illuminated by the morning sun, I get the feeling that she had been crying.
"Arin…" Ais murmured with her usual mutted expression and approached me. "Are you visiting someone's grave too?"
"Yes, I guess? I am visiting everyone's graves." I motioned behind me to show her the cart still filled with flowers.
"Oh… I will also help out… One second," she said, and came right up to me, putting a flower in front of the gravestones. There were many, many flowers left in front of the monument–and the stumps of many burned-out candles.
Ais left her flowers in front of the biggest monument. I read the name engraved on the monument. "The hero, Albert…?"
I see, Ais comes to visit her father's grave…
Hearing my words, Ais flinched slightly, most likely trying to find a way to explain her action.
"Tha–Arin–I…" I am pretty sure Ais already has an excuse planned if someone asks her this question, but she doesn't want to lie to me either.
I saw her struggle to form words as her hands rubbed against each other in nervousness, her face wearing an expression of guilt at not being able to answer me truthfully. Not being able to see her like that, I extended my hands and started patting her head.
"It's fine, Ais, you don't have to tell me anything right now." I saw her eyes widen for a moment before she brought her head down, pushing her head against my hands like a spoiled cat.
A comforting silence settled between us as we stood there in the morning light, until at last Ais opened her mouth to speak.
"...Thank you." Her soft, soothing voice reached my ears as I continued to pat her head.
"Don't worry about it. Everyone has secrets that they don't want others to know. Besides, I believe you will tell me when the time is right."
"I will…" she answered back.
"Now, should we start our work?" I withdrew my hand that was patting her head. Ais's head still followed my hand momentarily before she stood up straight again.
"Yes, let's." After that, Ais and I got to work putting flowers on each gravestones.
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It was already late afternoon when we finished putting all the flowers. I looked up to see the sun shining overhead.
"Let's go back now, Ais," I said and turned to look at her. She was again standing in front of the hero's gravestones, surrounded by flowers on all sides, hearing my words. Ais gave a final look at the monument and walked up to me.
Fortunately, I don't have to pull the cart back as the owner of it had told me to leave it at the graveyard, as he has some work to do here.
Ais and I walked through the graveyard and exited it. The town was still breathing with activity as the high from the festival had yet to come down from the people.
We kept making small talk as we reached our home and walked straight towards the kitchen to eat something. We looked around in the kitchen to find something to eat, like some children who had come home after playing outside.
Luckily, there was some leftover food that was enough to fill our stomachs. I filled up two plates with the food and gave one of the plates to Ais, and settled ourselves in an empty chair.
"Eh? Is that you, Arin?" The mess hall was empty when Ais and I arrived, so I was a little surprised when someone called me out from behind. I turn to find the two girls, Daphne and Cassandra, whom I referred to standing there.
"Oh, hi, both of you." I greeted them, and Ais simply gave a slight bow and continued eating her food.
"Yes, hello," she greeted back, and both of them took a seat at the table, "we were trying to find you since morning, you know,"
"Really? What for?" I asked, pausing mid-bite.
"Well, you guided us here and introduced us to Lady Loki, then just vanished before we could properly thank you," Daphne explained. "To be honest, at first I thought you might be some kind of con artist, so I wanted to apologize for my suspicions."
Cassandra, who had been quiet and fidgeting with her hands, finally spoke up in her characteristic timid voice. "Daphne, didn't I tell you that my dream showed us a star would guide us to safety here?" Her voice grew even smaller as she continued, "You never believe my dreams, but they're always right..."
"Cassandra, not the dream talk again," Daphne sighed, though her tone was more affectionate than dismissive. "But you're right—I should have trusted you. And Arin really did help us exactly like you said he would."
Cassandra's cheeks flushed slightly at the rare acknowledgment, her fingers still nervously playing with the hem of her sleeve.
To be honest, I have two main reasons for helping them. First one… Well, because I could help them, so I did, and the second reason was that both of them are talented individuals. Daphne clearly has a strategic mind and good fighting power, while Cassandra's healing ability aside, her prophetic dreams will be very helpful.
Though I don't know why no one believes her dreams when they have been true on so many occasions.
"But will you be fine? I mean, I know you are the Astralis, but God Apollo is… how do I say, very obsessive and prideful."
"Yes, I will be fine. The strongest fighter they have is a level 4, and I have defeated several opponents stronger than that. Anyway, forget about me, both of you finally have some peaceful time, so enjoy it thoroughly because now that things have settled down, our familias will be going on a dungeon expedition. And you both, being new joiners, are likely to be going as supporters as well."
"Yes, we will do that."
"Are you settling in okay?" I asked since their addition to the familia was rather abrupt, so they might have had some trouble settling in.
"Yes, everyone in the familia is very kind, especially Miss Tiona has helped us greatly, and Lady Riveria has told us to inform her if we have any trouble."
"That's good."
We kept talking until the food was completely gone, and then all of us went our separate ways.
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"So, you just found them randomly?" Finn and I were walking back after running an errand, while Finn was asking me about our newest familia members.
"Yup, I have no idea about their history with Apollo familia, honest!" I replied, while Finn could only sigh at my words, we had had this conversation a few times already. I don't know what he wants me to do.
"Fine… I believe you."
"Don't sigh so much, or you will go bald."
"If you keep getting in trouble, then surely I will."
"Don't worry, even if you are bald, I am pretty sure Tione will still call you handsome."
"I'd rather not go bald, though."
"GUUUFFFAAA!" As we walked near an alleyway, we heard a cry of pain. Finn and I looked at each other and made our way through the alley. From the corner, we observed what looked like a group of about 5 adventurers. Judging by the quality of their armor, they seemed like low-class adventurers.
And a child was lying on the ground, clenching its stomach where the adventurers must have kicked. I recognize the face of the child-like person; it was Lili, the prum startagist of Hestia familia in the canon.
"How dare you ask for money when you were just getting in the way!" the adventurer howled, kicking her one more time. I grabbed Finn's hand when he tried to intervene.
"Why are you stopping me?" he asked quietly.
"I am not stopping you from helping her, I just want to know what you are going to do?"
"Isn't it obvious? I will stop them."
"And? Do you think that will be the end?" I asked back, although I planned to drag him near Lili and make him help her, but we met before I could plan something concrete. So I need to know to what extent he is willing to go to help his fellow brethren.
"Then do you want me to just stand here and do nothing?"
"No, I am just saying that if you decided to help her here, then you need to take responsibility until the end. Remember, Finn, while I don't know much about it myself, but this might very well be your first step towards being a real hero and not a fake one."
He stared at me for a while, seemingly contemplating his choice, and finally asked, "What do you suggest I should do?"
"How would I know? You are the strategist, not me, remember. But I have seen them before, they are part of Souma's familia, don't know how much that information will help, but that's all from my side, I am going back, the rest is up to you, if you want to help her or not." I said and walked away, and when I was no longer in his vision, I jumped at a house and settled myself in a place where I could see them.
After all, Finn is a… very logical person, someone who can turn his heart cold whenever necessary, even in canon, he didn't hesitate to attack Xenos, even knowing that they are as much human as we are.
I was not taking a risk if he decided he didn't want to help Lili at this moment, then I would do it myself. This incident will also tell me how much trust I can put in him.
I waited, getting impatient as another adventurer walked forward to hit Lili, thinking I would need to intervene. I stood up, but stopped myself from jumping between them, as I saw Finn enter the place.
He said something to the adventurers, and they reluctantly backed off.
I am glad you didn't disappoint me, Finn. I thought and jumped away as I saw him lifting Lili's battered form.
Pretty sure if Tione and Lyra come to know about this incident, they will come after me for increasing their rivalry or something.
Guess I will need to ask Ryuu and others for help when the time comes.
I thought as I made my back towards the mansion.