After Paul clapped a hand to his forehead and assured Mrs. Somar that Alan hadn't bullied her son, she finally left with a satisfied blush, under the watchful gaze of Zenith.
Truly… she was the one and only champion of pure love in Buena Village, in every sense of the word.
Afterward, with Alan's encouragement and Roxy's inability to refuse people, it wasn't long before they were all gathered in a circle in the yard, testing Sylphie's magical control and power level. This attracted the attention of Zenith and Lilia, who came to watch.
"Alright, Sylphie, cast a Waterball… Ah, be careful not to hit the trees that Mrs. Zenith has so carefully cultivated."
"Okay! Waterball!"
"Hey! Sylphie, you poured the Waterball on my head! Where are you looking!"
"…S-Sorry, Rudy!"
Sylphie apologized in a fluster, clearly distracted, her eyes constantly darting towards Roxy.
Roxy watched them with a helpless look, scratching her cheek.
By now, Lilia had already gone inside and returned with a dry towel and was busy drying Rudy's hair.
Zenith, meanwhile, stood by with a fond and indulgent smile, serenely watching the children's antics.
The scene was like a painting, etched into Alan's eyes. He watched with a cheerful smile.
'In about ten years, when Rudy settles down in Sharia in the Ranoa Kingdom, he might have similar scenes… It feels like I'm catching a glimpse of the future.'
He blinked and took a couple of steps back, looking at the five of them again.
'Rudy… Roxy… Sylphie… Lilia… Zenith…'
The summer sun was bright, illuminating their faces clearly.
But the smile on Alan's face slowly faded.
'Of all the characters I've met so far in the current storyline… everyone who should be at Rudy's home in Sharia in the future is here.'
'The one who shouldn't be absent in the future…' Alan's inner voice trailed off as he turned his head to look behind him.
Not far away, Paul was leaning against a tree trunk, the shade of the leaves like an umbrella concealing his figure in the shadows.
He was not bathed in the same sunlight as Zenith and the others.
Through the flickering shadows of the leaves, Alan could sense that Paul's gaze was fixed on the group in the sun, but he couldn't make out his expression.
He squinted and walked into the shade beside Paul, turning to look at his face.
Paul stood quietly against the tree, his arms crossed and a smile on his lips, silently watching his wife and children in the sunlight. He seemed perfectly content. He didn't turn to look at Alan as he approached, simply keeping his gaze on the scene before them and speaking with a smile.
"Oh? What brings you over here?"
Alan looked at Paul's profile and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.
"Uncle, to be honest, I don't really have a concept of family. So I've always been curious… if I were to die, what would my family think?"
Paul was taken aback. He turned his head to look at Alan, hesitated for a long while, and then sighed.
"Well… I'd like to say some pretty words to you, but I'm sorry, Alan."
Paul glanced at Zenith and Rudy in the distance, then looked back at Alan apologetically.
"Honestly, I can't empathize with you on that… but I think…"
Alan cut him off.
"Then let's say—just suppose—if you put yourself in that position. If, on some future day, you were to die in some kind of accident, in your final moments, would you have any regrets towards your family? Would there be anything you'd want to say?"
Alan looked at Paul's surprised eyes and finished his sentence.
"…Or would you ultimately say nothing at all? Just look at your family and quietly welcome death?"
'Just like in the original story.'
Paul was initially a bit annoyed, but seeing Alan's serious expression and realizing his current lack of family, he sighed inwardly and decided not to take offense at Alan's blunt words.
He fell silent for a moment, thinking for a long time before speaking.
"If this were a few years ago, back in my adventurer days… I probably would have died without a word, facing it calmly. To be honest with you, I've always had a regret, a desire to talk to my late father and resolve things between us. So, for me, death didn't mean the end. Besides, adventurers face countless dangers every day; everyone is mentally prepared to die in an accident."
Alan blinked, about to speak, but then he saw Paul look up at Zenith and Rudy with a gentle smile.
"But now, I can't be so detached. If I were to really die in some accident in the future, if possible, in my final moments…"
"I'd want to see Zenith and Rudy one last time."
Alan looked up at the beauty mark near the corner of his eye.
"Just one look?"
Paul's smile gradually faded.
"Yes, to see if they're okay… If they're both safe, I might feel a bit at ease. Heh, besides that, there's my own selfish thought… I'd probably wonder…"
"Would everyone shed a tear for this incompetent head of the family?"
Alan stopped looking at Paul, lowering his head to look at the scabbard at his side. Paul's voice continued.
"…If Zenith, Rudy, and even Lilia would cry for me."
"That would be wonderful…"
After he said this, they both fell silent for a moment.
"But just one look… I wouldn't be satisfied."
Alan's gaze remained lowered, his eyes half-closed.
Paul gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"Anyone can say pretty words. If that day ever comes, I'd probably try my best to accept reality and pretend to face death calmly. But in reality, deep down, I'd definitely be wailing things like 'I don't want to die.' After all…"
"…There are still so, so many things I want to do."
"…I can't bear to leave Zenith… Maybe in a few years, we'd have a few more children. I can't bear to leave Rudy either… I want to watch Rudy and the kids grow up. Are they doing well in school? Are they being bullied? If things go well, when I'm old, it would be nice to hear my grandchildren gather around and call me grandpa."
"I really don't want to die. Just thinking about it, there are so many things to hold onto."
Alan subconsciously began to stroke the sword at his waist.
"What if you and Rudy were in an extremely dangerous situation, and only one of you could survive? Or, let's say, the situation was so critical that you would die to save him… What would you think then, Uncle?"
Paul froze, Rudy's distant figure reflected in his pupils.
He didn't pause to choose his words as he had before. He simply blinked once and immediately turned to Alan.
"Even if there's a pile of things I still want to do, if it really comes down to a choice between the two…"
He smiled.
"Then I'll be the one to die."
Author's Note: For those who have read the novel, this might resonate more. For those who only watch the anime, it might be confusing for now. But… if you're still watching the anime, you might understand in about a week.
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