Chapter 176: Even If Canaan Shatters, I Will Still Fall for You Again

"……And later, it was my farewell with Grey by the coastline."

"Through the use of 『The Fool’s Library』, I entrusted everything I knew… be it foundational knowledge or every envisioned future of the world yet to come, all of it was left to that grey-haired little girl."

The morning air was crisp.

Pale golden light streamed through the glass window, casting dappled shadows upon the wooden table.

Rast sat beside the table, softly speaking as he ate his breakfast.

Opposite him sat Emis, quietly listening to Rast's narration.

This girl had always been in the habit of finishing her own breakfast beforehand, then simply sitting by while Rast ate… and once she saw Rast clean his plate of her cooking, she would show a rather contented expression.

The golden tranquility of time flowed onward, little by little.

"Strictly speaking, the actions taken by Leader Sisel and me were somewhat irresponsible."

"Everything that followed was entirely handed over to Grey, forcing her to shoulder the weight of humanity’s soul with her own fragile shoulders."

"However, just as Leader Sisel had said, even I genuinely believe deep within——"

"In that broader new world, one where legends no longer exist, Grey might truly be able to lead the people and find a bright path for civilization."

Rast paused slightly in his words and finished the last half-bowl of thick soup in one gulp.

"That is all……"

"This is the final tale left behind by Rast the Shoreguard, in the Sixth Era."

On the other side of the table.

As Rast finished his account, a trace of reluctant yearning appeared on Emis’s fair and delicate face.

"Leader Sisel……"

"And the mission he passed down, known as 『Shoreguards』?"

She blinked, and within those sky-blue eyes, a lingering heaviness remained.

It was as if she had accompanied Rast, arriving at that dark and oppressive Fractured Coastline, bearing witness to that tragic and valiant death battle.

"That was indeed a dazzling ideal, shining like gold."

"But precisely because that ideal was too brilliant, too dazzling……"

"Those chasing the towering light would often be blinded by it, ignoring beneath the brilliance, the happiness that belonged solely to themselves."

The blonde girl’s soft whisper was mixed into the morning sunlight, carrying a faint warmth.

"Just like the Rast of the past—you never knew what happiness was, so you never thought to cherish yourself."

"And at the end of such a road, there lies an abyss called Collapse."

Just as Emis herself had said——

No matter what happened, no matter what Rast became, whether justice or evil, whether brave or cowardly… Emis would always stand by Rast’s side.

Thus, having always accompanied Rast from the very beginning and clearly understanding his obsession with being a 『Shoreguard』, Emis would never deny or attempt to change that stubbornness within Rast.

What Emis could do, was stay by Rast’s side, accompany him always, and keep a close watch on him——so that even when Rast was trapped in the despairing time loop of Deep Blue Port, he would never cross that final line of self-degradation, from which there would be no return.

If Rast’s past existence was like a machine driven by gears, then Emis’s presence was akin to a mechanical repair shop, repeatedly mending that battered and scarred body.

And time and again, she used the warmth of her soul to heal Rast’s cold and broken heart, preventing him from stepping into the abyss of self-destruction.

She knew that Rast had never lived for himself, had never found joy in his life… so Emis had poured herself into researching all kinds of recipes, simply because she wanted Rast to have, within his heart, his own share of happiness.

And now, the countless years of Emis’s efforts had finally borne fruit.

The boy who once functioned like a machine, driven by gears and only moving toward predetermined goals—now, in the core of his steam-engine-like heart, a longing for his own happiness had finally been kindled.

"To be honest, I’ve always had mixed feelings about Leader Sisel."

"Because if not for his orders, you, Rast, wouldn’t have had to take such a great risk infiltrating the Gravekeepers and attempting to negotiate with a powerful ancient legend."

"But, I must also thank him……"

A faint glimmer shone in Emis’s eyes: "Because, if it weren’t for Sisel pulling you out from the Nether Abyss and giving you that final lesson—"

"With that stubborn, unyielding wooden head of yours, Rast… who knows how long it would’ve taken for you to truly understand the importance of cherishing yourself."

"But regardless, the outcome turned out well in the end."

"And that alone is enough."

The blonde girl’s voice lightened in tone. With graceful movements, she gathered the utensils Rast had used for breakfast and carried them back to the kitchen.

"Yes, thankfully, the ending was a good one."

Rast leaned lazily against the wooden chair, feeling the weariness diffuse through his limbs together with the warmth rising from his abdomen.

Only now did he truly feel detached from the tense state of combat he had been in within the Nightworld.

The surrounding atmosphere was no longer as suffocating as it had been during the Battle of the Fractured Coastline, and the taut string in his heart had finally loosened.

To him—

This border town named Canaan, and that blonde girl not far off, who had tied her long hair into a side ponytail with a headband and was currently washing dishes in the kitchen with graceful motions, was Rast’s harbor of peace.

Therefore, no matter what happened in the Nightworld—whether he faced a legend or battled the remnant soul of an Old God in the Spiritual World—Rast had never wavered or hesitated…

Because he knew that in a faraway place, a girl sat quietly in a small wooden house in the town, waiting for his return.

"Now that I think about it, I really have been quite lucky."

"That battle in the Nether Abyss, after all, was the first real combat deployment of the Forbidden Weapon 『Sword of Zenith』, and it managed to function flawlessly, instantly killing a legend…"

"Should I say, as expected of the Second Imperial Princess Ophelia, the most gifted mechanist in the Empire? Her mechanical constructs do indeed come with guaranteed quality."

This was just a casual remark Rast made while lounging on the sofa.

However, the moment his words fell, he sensed a strange gaze being cast toward him from the kitchen.

Following the source of the gaze, Rast saw that Emis had already placed the cleaned dishes back into the cupboard and was now puffing her cheeks, staring at him.

Stare~~

"Ophelia… she’s the one you told me about, that half-sister of Shiltina, right?"

She crossed her arms, returned to the living room, and sat down on the chair beside Rast.

"Imperial Princess sisters, huh…"

"Never thought Student Rast would have such romantic fortune. Barely half a year into enrollment at Starfall University of another world, and already experiencing something out of a male lead’s harem novel."

"So tell me, isn’t there a possibility—"

Rast looked at the puffed-up Little Ai beside him and explained, "Actually, I still haven’t even met Shiltina’s royal sister face-to-face."

"My connection with Ophelia is currently only at the level of ‘a friend of a friend’ via Dean Silver and Shiltina."

"And according to Dean Silver’s account and my own guess, that little one is probably an obsessive siscon… right now she’s likely thinking about how to get me away from her sister."

"Though that may be true."

"But judging by your development in the World of Dreams and your Night Blade trait 『The Fool’s Library』, I suspect things will soon unfold just as I predicted."

Emis let out a gentle sigh, though the caution in her words did not diminish in the slightest: "Besides, I really don’t like that Princess Ophelia."

"Although the cause may be understandable, if it weren’t for her unilateral decisions, Miss Akxia wouldn’t have entered the same Nightworld as you, nor would she have been dragged into that massive conspiracy surrounding the Resurrection Ritual of the Death God due to the Nightworld’s influence."

"And if not for that, Rast, you wouldn’t have needed to risk your life by infiltrating the Nether Abyss to rescue Miss Akxia, confronting a legend and the remnant soul of an Old God."

"Nor would you be covered in wounds like this now."

In her sky-blue eyes, the faint anger aimed at someone quietly faded away.

In its place remained an indescribable ache.

When Rast had recounted his experiences in the Nether Abyss to her—how a Flesh Blooming had burst from his heart, and how he had barely survived using 『Desperate Plea』—Emis had truly felt her own heart hollow out.

As though her own chest had been torn open by that blooming flesh flower.

"If I ever meet Miss Ophelia in that other world, I will definitely give her a stern warning."

"To let her understand that even if she is a princess, Rast, you are not her possession——"

"Let alone someone she can manipulate and scheme with at will."

Hearing Emis’s cold voice, so openly hostile, Rast felt a trace of surprise.

In his memory, Emis had always possessed a gentle temperament, calm and beautiful like the scenery of Canaan.

But now it seemed that the gentleness she usually displayed might not be her default nature.

Or perhaps—that side of her only emerged when she faced him.

"Alright then, let’s not dwell on such bothersome things."

Emis clapped her hands softly, her voice shifting from its former chill tinged with anger to a light, cheerful tone.

"Let’s shift gears a bit and daydream about what’s coming next."

She rose and slid open the window by the balcony in the living room. The morning breeze, carrying fresh air, stirred the curtains and brushed gently across the two of them.

Through the window, one could see the lake shimmering with tiny ripples, the slowly spinning white windmill beside it, and the verdant green forest nearby.

And at the edge of the forest, the vast blue sky above the snow-covered mountains.

It was a beautiful sight indeed. Even though Rast had witnessed such scenery countless times before, he still couldn’t help but get lost in it each time he saw it again.

"Your goal now, Rast, is to clear the Nightworld, so that human civilization in the Present World can survive the apocalypse that comes with the end of every era, right?"

"Just like every Shoreguard before you once did."

Emis’s melodious voice reminded Rast of the gentle glow of moonlight.

"So, if one day the Nightworld is truly cleared… and the End of Days for this era is successfully overcome."

"If all crises threatening human civilization are completely resolved, and the historical mission of the Shoreguards comes to a close—what do you plan to do, Rast?"

After clearing the Nightworld… what to do?

Rast found himself slightly dazed.

Indeed, that was a question he had never considered before.

After all, in his past life, clearing the Nightworld, severing calamities, and chasing the ideal known as 『Shoreguards』… these had been the only meaning to his existence. It was precisely for this goal that he had tenaciously continued to survive in this world. Beyond that, his heart was empty.

However, there would eventually come a day when the Nightworld was cleared, and the cycle of eras endlessly restarting would ultimately reach its end.

Just like when the Demon King was slain, and the hero consequently lost all meaning of existence… if the Nightworld were truly cleared, then the Shoreguards would have fulfilled their historical mission and would no longer have any reason to persist.

And when that moment arrived, where would he go?

"Not sure… I’ve never really thought deeply about that."

He smiled. "Maybe I’ll just continue like I did back in Deep Blue Port, taking on all sorts of identities and professions to play through life… with you, Little Ai, and the companions I met along the way."

"But when I grow tired of playing, I think in the end, I’ll return to Canaan—just like a traveler always finds their way back home, weary though they may be."

"Is that so? But in that case, our house might be a little too small to hold so many people."

Emis looked at the small two-story wooden house and said with a touch of concern in her voice, "We might need to put in a bit of work to expand it."

"But——"

She leaned toward the boy.

In the next moment, Rast felt a soft, delicate body gently leaning into his embrace, radiating warm heat.

Emis slowly closed her eyes, feeling the breeze from the lake ruffle her pale golden hair into a light disarray.

"So peaceful."

The girl in his arms whispered softly, "If only the days ahead..."

"Could always be like today."

Hearing Emis’s words, Rast felt a subtle tremor in his heart.

The sense of hesitation and fear of loss that she had briefly soothed now surged back into his chest once again.

Because he knew all too well—the everyday life that the girl hoped for was, in all likelihood, a falsehood built upon lies.

Just like morning bubbles: no matter how dazzling or radiant, they were destined to burst.

"Little Ai…"

A trace of hesitation flickered through his eyes as he spoke quietly.

"Do you still remember what I told you before—about virtual games and the relationships between players and the NPCs within them?"

The girl leaning in his arms did not answer, only gave a soft nod.

"If—I'm just saying if."

"If Canaan, and everything we are experiencing right now, is all just an illusory game, and one day this world fades away like the end of a game..."

"Would our relationship still exist? Or would it be like the bond between a player and an NPC in a game—something that exists only because of the game, and disappears once it ends..."

"Rast, I'm really going to get angry now."

Emis, who had sat upright again, spoke with a very serious tone, tinged with faint anger.

"I’m not the kind of girl who easily gives her heart to someone."

She reached out her fair hands and gently cupped Rast’s face.

"Even if this world called Canaan is truly a hollow lie, a dream that could end at any moment—"

"I've only ever learned one thing in my life: never give up, no matter what happens."

Emis slowly opened her arms and pulled Rast into an embrace.

"I don’t know what we might lose if this world truly ends like a game, or what kind of hardships we’ll face."

"But if that day truly comes, then no matter what I encounter—"

"Be it the vast distance of a starry cosmos, or the loss of all memories with you in Canaan, even if we are separated by time and space, with you on one side of the River of Time and me on the other, thousands of years apart——"

"I will overcome all of it and meet you again, Rast."

"And then——"

"Fall in love with you again."

Feeling the softness of the girl in his arms, and listening to those sincere, unwavering, and strong words by his ear—

The last thread of hesitation in Rast’s heart quietly melted away.

He said nothing more, simply letting go of all thoughts and clearing his mind, quietly savoring——

The warmth shared by two hearts nestled close.

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