Ichibe Hyosube.
The first Soul Reaper and….
'The Soul Reaper who has existed for a million years.'
As soon as I realized this brat was that damn monk, I blinked blankly at the information floating in my head.A million years.
One million. Not ten thousand, not a hundred thousand, but a million.So… if a day is 24 hours and a year is 365 days. That's 365,000,000 days. If I multiply that by 24 hours?
'6.78 billion hours.'
It's a bit more merciful than the "500-Million-Year Button" from the manga, but at least in that scenario, you lose your memories after enduring the time. In this world, there's no such thing. You have to endure a million years raw.
…Wait, considering how this world works, is it actually better to keep your memories?Dammit, I hate both options.
'I wondered why that monk became the way he did, and now I see he had a damn good reason.'
Thinking just ten years ahead feels like an eternity to me, but this isn't just a hundred years—it's a million, with that heavy "ten thousand" character attached ten times over.Anyone would go insane after living through a number that makes your mind reel just by thinking about it.
But that could be me, too?
'Ha, this is driving me crazy.'
I massaged my temples with a deep sigh at the budding headache.Suddenly sensing a presence beside me, I turned my head and met the Soul King's eyes.
"What is the matter?"
"…I just caught a glimpse of a far-distant future. Why?"
"I see. It is impressive that you have not succumbed to madness."
It didn't feel like he was insulting me.It felt like he was genuinely impressed.
At least, that's how it felt.
"Going crazy right now wouldn't exactly change anything, would it?"
"You are correct."
With those words, the Soul King turned his head toward the trees where I had carved the passing days.No, he didn't just look; he posed a question to me.
"When an observer perceives a distant future, should they submit to the result, or should they resist it?"
Look at this guy throwing Zen riddles at me just like the monk he keeps as a subordinate.I looked at the Soul King with a bitter expression and shook my head.
"I don't know. Like I told that brat Hyosube… wait, did you call him Manako? Anyway, like I told the kid, if you want to know stuff like that, study philosophy. Don't ask me."
"Is that so?"
The Soul King's voice dropped, sounding a bit disappointed.I thought he was some emotionless robot, but I guess that's not entirely the case.
I scratched my head at the strange atmosphere and let out another long sigh.
"…Fine. I can at least give you my opinion."
The Soul King turned back toward me, showing interest.
"Think for yourself. Think about what you want to do. You have plenty of time, anyway."
These were words for the Soul King, but they were also for myself.If I have to face the waves of a million years without dying, this was a sort of self-hypnosis—a prayer that I would neither break nor lose my mind.
"And if my existence becomes meaningless?"
"I told you. Stop asking me and think. Haven't you heard? 'I think, therefore I am.'"
Ah, that phrase might not exist yet. Well, whatever, it'll come out eventually.I finished speaking and looked at the Soul King, only to be startled.
The Soul King's eyes were wide with shock.For the first time, the Soul King, who had never shown much emotion, was wearing his feelings on his face.
"…You are correct."
The Soul King asked a few more things before turning his back and leaving without another word.The poor kid who had been bombarding me with questions in the Soul King's wake also followed him out.
Why do I feel sorry for Ichibe Hyosube, the first Soul Reaper and the future Captain of Squad 0?
'I can't believe he's actually going to throw himself into philosophy….'
I'm not sure if there's a Philosophy Department in this era, but things like the Ego, Metaphysics, Utopia…Just stepping into subjects that make your head explode just by hearing the names is… well.
'I guess since he becomes the Captain of the Royal Guard later, it doesn't matter if he spends time on philosophy.'
He really does fine on his own even if I leave him be.So I don't need to worry about him.
I should get back to the training I set aside for a moment.I cleared my head of useless thoughts and began my routine.
Today, I finished about 30 minutes earlier than usual, so I spent the remaining time practicing my power control.I decided to try something with the resources around me and cut down a suitable tree.
'Hmm….'
After a short deliberation, the method I chose was to shave the wood until it was as thin as somyeon noodles.I thought, "How hard can carving wood be?" but it turned out to be quite the challenge.
I initially thought I could just carve away since the wood was sturdy, but the moment it got thin, it would snap clean if I applied too much pressure. Creating just one required immense effort.Shaving a single piece required such meticulous control that it took several days. Still, I was happy because it felt like excellent training for fine-tuning my strength.
I carved and carved until I finally produced a single sliver of wood the thickness of a noodle.It took an entire month to complete just one. Of course, since I was only doing it in the spare time after my training, it wasn't surprising, but it still took longer than expected.
However, once it was finished, the sense of accomplishment was incredible.You could call it a "tactile joy." It felt a bit like assembling a plastic model kit.
'I should make a few more.'
Maybe I'll try a different shape this time.
Hooked on woodworking, I worked even harder to finish my training even faster.
Two more years passed like that.It now took me less than an hour to swing the 10kg club 10,000 times.
Instead, the time I spent carving… no, sculpting, had increased.Sculpting required even more delicate work than simple shaving, and the pride of finishing a piece was on another level, so I transitioned into art.
If assembling a plastic model was step one, I had evolved to the level of manufacturing the parts myself.Anyway, it was something like that.
I stood before a large tree, pondering what to create next, when I sensed the Soul King's presence.Perhaps my body had memorized it after a few visits; I could feel him approaching from a distance.
'He's got two more with him this time.'
Is he bringing more characters from the original series? Is he gathering the Royal Guard right now?Wait, were they all even together at this point in time?
I don't know. I'll find out when I see their faces.Ah, right. Since I'm at it, maybe I should sculpt the original characters. Is that allowed? Who cares, it's not like I'm showing them to anyone.
As I sat there whittling the wood with those thoughts in mind, I heard the footsteps of two people treading on the grass in the distance.The Soul King floats in the air like a Probe, so it's natural he makes no sound. One would be Hyosube….
'Who's the other one?'
I stopped carving and looked back to see the now-familiar Soul King and Hyosube trailing behind him.And….
'Who the hell is this guy?'
It was a man with white hair, and his body was trembling as he stared at the sculptures I had made.No, seriously, who is that?