“Recently, it seems like you’ve been staring for too long.”
“……”
The Goddess of Time, resting her chin on her hand, replied to the voice of the God of Life who had suddenly come closer.
“Because it’s beautiful.”
“Right, the continent you created is truly beautiful. Seeing those lost in joy and happiness never gets old.”
The God of Life genuinely thought so. He even considered it a miracle that the darkness of death and his own flames hadn’t swept across the continent to destroy it.
What he saw was more beautiful than any sight he’d ever encountered.
Smiling at a life that had been lonely just by watching.
But what he meant wasn’t the continent.
“However, you are not looking at the continent; you are looking at that man over there.”
“……”
The man, Daniel McLean, was still sitting there, staring at the elf.
The Goddess of Time pretended not to notice, but in truth, she had been keeping an eye on his movements even from the Divine Realm.
Gradually, that frequency had increased, and now she simply gazed down at him without taking any action.
The God of Life pointed that out.
“Time, we are the wielders. Do not be swayed.”
“I know.”
Naturally, the Goddess of Time would sulk and pout her lips, making various excuses.
Yet, still locking her gaze on Daniel, she replied sorrowfully.
“But it’s so beautiful.”
“……”
“He’s still standing proud, even after time has passed that human will cannot withstand, waiting for an elusive hope that seems impossible to grasp.”
The goddess’s eyes looked ready to dash towards Daniel at any moment.
“He is noble. Perhaps even more than I.”
“That’s a pointless thought.”
“……”
“We are the creators, and they are just mere creations. Don’t let it distract you with strange thoughts.”
“That’s true.”
Nodding in agreement, the Goddess of Time seemed to gather strength, and the God of Life continued to speak.
“They are beings of no power. They call our one gesture a miracle. They are so fleeting, weak, and pathetic. Do not compare recklessly.”
“That’s also true. But you know…”
Slowly lowering her hand from her chin and making eye contact with the God of Life, the Goddess of Time’s expression held various new emotions.
“That’s why that effort can be beautiful.”
*
“Time!”
Calling out hurriedly after the Goddess of Time who descended to the continent, the God of Life panicked. It was the first time he had left the Divine Realm in silence, but he quickly found her.
She stood right in front of Daniel McLean.
Now barely able to move and losing consciousness, he lay there with his eyes closed.
“……”
He had turned gray.
Staring blankly down at him, the Goddess of Time muttered.
“Isn’t it amazing? I thought he had used all his strength to freeze the continent, but it seems he had one last move left.”
“He…”
“Yeah, he stopped his own time. He probably realized he could no longer endure.”
Not a mental death, but he himself had stopped time along with the continent. He had finally solidified the image of Daniel McLean.
“……It’s beautiful.”
The God of Life unconsciously murmured. He began to understand why the Goddess of Time had been watching this boy for so long.
“After all, even though he could have taken the easier path as a demigod, he fought against temptation through such a long time, holding on to his beliefs.”
The Goddess of Time wanted to say something but shut her mouth again. No matter what she said, the current Daniel McLean wouldn’t hear it.
*
Just then, the eyes of the two gods widened.
They slowly turned their bodies to look behind them.
Brilliant golden hair regained its color.
The fixed eyes were filled with the vibrant energy reminiscent of azure jewels.
*
“Whoa!”
Eris Anen Seriere, who had been frozen for such a long time, awakened from the calamity of time.
“What is this…?”
The God of Life immediately recognized the Goddess of Time. The goddess was glaring at the elf with half-opened eyes.
“W-wait? Why is everyone…”
Eris looked around and noticed the people who had just been raising victory cries were now all turned gray, her expression filled with bewilderment.
“Surprising. I thought miracles referred to our actions.”
The Goddess of Time, approaching Eris with heavy disdain, declared.
“But it’s too late.”
*
Looking at Daniel McLean, who had already turned gray and appeared to be asleep, she instinctively tightened her grip on her staff.
—It hurts.
The staff of Yggdrasil, awakening around Eris, whispered, but its words didn’t reach her ears.
“You knew the meaning of that training all along, didn’t you?”
She resentfully spoke to the staff, which responded rather shamelessly.
—It’s because Daniel McLean said that was the way to save the world. We did something nonsensical enough for a god to utter the word miracle.
“……”
—Of course, it took an unbearably long time. But one could say that Daniel McLean’s training bore fruit.
“Puh.”
—So don’t hesitate. His end was already decided.
Even if she didn’t kill Daniel, he would remain in a state where time was frozen and wouldn’t awaken.
But if she did kill him, she would lose him, yet the world would return to its original state. Ultimately, Daniel McLean was the center of this calamity that froze the world.
“So that’s why he stopped his own time.”
The Goddess of Time, looking back at Eris, nodded in understanding.
If he hadn’t stopped time and had been half-alive, Eris might have sought a way to bring him back.
Even without consciousness, his living presence would become a burden, so Daniel had stopped his own time.
“It’s hauntingly beautiful.”
The Goddess of Time spat out a wry smile. She thought when Daniel stopped his own time, it was a sign of his defeat.
In an already abysmal situation, she thought it was a final kick.
But it wasn’t.
Every action he had taken was ultimately a stepping stone for the victory of the continent.
And it meant her defeat as a goddess.
*
Tears streamed down Eris’s face as emotions surged. The Goddess of Time had already heard that he had waited for her for what felt like an eternity.
“I’m so sorry.”
But for all that time, the human Daniel had been unable to endure and had stopped his own time.
“I’m really sorry.”
Eris carefully knelt and hugged him.
The Goddess of Time did not like that.
It felt like watching a spectator carelessly touch a piece of artwork, but she couldn’t intervene.
Having lost, she could only quietly accept it.
“I’m sorry for being late. I’m sorry for not overcoming it sooner.”
How nice it would be to hear a response.
Suddenly, the Goddess of Time realized she felt regret too. What expression would he have shown towards the awakened Eris?
“And I’m sorry for not being able to calm my heart. I find myself desiring to be with you just a little bit longer.”
Still, Eris slowly stood up, gripping her staff tightly.
“But I understand that would tarnish your decision and belief.”
Wiping away her tears, Eris slowly channeled mana into her staff. The twisted mana that Sharcarl had used would gift freedom to Daniel, bound by the curse of immortality.
“Now, there’s no choice but to say goodbye.”
*
The staff pierced through the imprint.
The sealing dagger was an item meant to save those consumed by calamity.
Now that it had all vanished.
Ultimately, the only way to eradicate the calamity was through death.
*
Starting from Daniel McLean’s heart, the world began to regain its colors. The radiant hues spread like a rainbow across the sky, reaching throughout the continent.
“Ugh, you did well. Really, really well.”
Kneeling before him, Eris watched as Daniel McLean began to dissolve into beams of light, scattering in the wind that had blown once more.
And behind, the Goddess of Time felt a sense of emptiness watching the scene unfold.
“Yeah.”
However, it didn’t feel bad at all.
In a way, it felt liberating to experience her first true defeat.
“You won, Daniel McLean.”
Slowly extending her hand towards the sky.
Unlike the other two gods, this wasn’t a simple act of destruction; instead, it represented the end under the name of salvation for the continent, a hefty consumption of her divine authority.
In the facts that if she wielded her powers again, she would lose her authority for quite some time.
Yet the goddess still wanted to offer a little reward.
This was a gift for Daniel McLean, who had shown an utterly beautiful scene.
“And because you were agonizingly incompetent, this is my curse upon you who offloaded all burdens onto one man.”
Another light began to fall like a gentle rain above the continent, gradually regaining its colors.
That was the final frustration of the defeated goddess.
*
Three years passed since Daniel McLean died.
So much had happened, but today was a rather special day.
“Ugh, uaaaah!”
The maid Serdi ultimately couldn’t hold back her tears. Eris awkwardly smiled and stroked her head.
“Don’t cry too much. It’s not like you won’t see him at all.”
“But! But!”
Serdi sobbed. From now on, she would live as the maid for the newly appointed guardian of Yggdrasil, rather than Eris’s maid.
“It’s a retirement, so you should congratulate me instead.”
Indeed.
Today was the retirement ceremony for Eris Anen Seriere.
It was the day she passed on the position of guardian of Yggdrasil, which had been carried for hundreds of years, to another elf.
Though it was a bit earlier than usual, Eris actively pushed it forward and was finally able to realize it three years after initially discussing her retirement.
Outside awaited the Elf Queen, the new guardian, and numerous elves, but Eris’s heart was already directed elsewhere.
*
—Kya, it’s finally over!
After the new guardian appointment ceremony concluded and the elves bid their farewells, I headed out of the forest.
Since the staff of Yggdrasil belonged solely to me, I hadn’t passed it on to anyone else.
At first, it was bothersome, but after three years, I had gotten used to this noisy voice.
“Let’s hurry out of the forest. There’s a lot to do.”
—Yeah, yeah. We’ve been waiting for this day for three years.
Though I tightly shut my lips at the staff’s words, I could feel my face growing hot and red.
‘Not yet. This is just the beginning.’
I couldn’t celebrate too soon. Nothing had started yet.
I took out a small crystal from my pocket. I carefully held it in my palm. Oddly enough, every time I held it, I felt warmth.
The image of Daniel McLean turning into light and vanishing still haunted my mind like a nightmare.
And this crystal was made from gathering the traces of light that had been left within the staff when it pierced his heart.
“I have too many promises to keep.”
The conversation I had during the royal year-end banquet with King of Frisia flowed back into my mind.
[I’ll come for you, not for the world, but for you who sustain it.]
“Really, it’s not just one or two.”
Three years ago, during the great battle, I sorted through my feelings for him.
More precisely, seeing the other women who loved Daniel McLean made my own feelings feel exceedingly trivial.
Thus, I had to give up on Daniel.
I had no choice but to recognize there were people who needed him more than I did.
“Now, what other promises were there…”
—Haa, this is so tiring.
I knew I was being repetitive, but the staff’s indifferent responses hurt me a bit. Still, I wanted to say it one more time.
“We agreed to get married. I said we should fill the world with half-elves.”
—Yeah, yeah. I think I must have heard that three times a day for three years.
Annoyed at the staff’s complaint, I swung it around at a nearby tree before moving my steps toward the forest’s exit again.
The road ahead was a thorny path with no guarantees, knowing it couldn’t be achieved without miracles piled upon miracles, yet my steps felt strangely light.
“I’m going now, Daniel.”
To reiterate, I had given up on my feelings for ‘Daniel McLean.’
“No, Sherpa.”
But as your Sherpa, I feel I can’t give up just yet.
