LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 7.1 - Three Days Before the Return
The day Kaoru announced his decision to return, Golda went back to the guild late at night. However, Tauro, Yamakawa, and the others stayed up, continuing their discussion without rest.
“This is Kaoru’s decision. I think we shouldn’t interfere. In fact, the resolve to return to Earth, a place that could still be fraught with danger, must be immense.”
“Exactly. But that’s the worry, isn’t it? I mean, we’re talking about that Kaoru, right? His sense of direction never got better, he’s too kind and gives away anything he has, and now he’s heading to a post-apocalyptic Earth without game items or magic to help him.”
“We’ve all received so much from Kaoru-san ever since we came to this world, haven’t we…?”
“Yui-chan, don’t cry! For the next three days, the only ones allowed to cry are the kids like Mark. We adults have to hold it together!”
In the kitchen area, Yamakawa, Atsuko, and Yui continued discussing last night’s conversation as they prepared breakfast. Yet, their conversation kept looping back to the same point.
We don’t want him to leave—that was their selfish desire.
We should prioritize Kaoru’s feelings—that was their rational thought.
But in truth, all they could think was, We don’t want him to leave.
Over and over, the same thoughts cycled endlessly.
Finally, Atsuko raised her head with a determined expression.
“Let’s tell Kaoru how we feel. We can’t just send him off without saying anything.”
“Tell him how we feel?”
“We support Kaoru’s decision to return to Earth, even though it hurts us. Not because he’s unwanted here, but because we truly want him to stay at Yamato-ya forever. But if there’s something on Earth he feels he needs to do, we’ll endure the pain of parting for his sake. Let’s make that clear! It’s not a goodbye filled with sadness—it’s a message that even in another world, our hearts will always be connected!”
“You’re right. If I didn’t have a family, I’d want to follow Kaoru back myself. But this isn’t about who’s needed or not. It’s about the feelings of parents watching their child leave the nest.”
“Oh, come on, Yama-san, Kaoru’s older than you!”
“Sure, but Kaoru is more like a child than anyone else! I mean, he’s only now realizing his own feelings.”
“Mark-kun might be more mature… than Kaoru-san,” Yui added with a smile.
Meanwhile, in Yamato-ya’s backyard, Jessica, Keel, Mark, and the others had gathered. They had all worked at Yamato-ya since Kaoru took them in ten years ago. Though they had grown into adults and become adventurers, they continued to help at the bento shop.
Kaoru had never treated them differently, even though they were orphans. In Moonah, where discrimination was common, Kaoru was a rare kind of adult—kind and fair. Despite his seemingly absent-minded demeanor, he was always the first to notice and resolve issues. He acted as an equal, which made the children adore him. In their younger days, they had even been jealous of Mark, who often occupied Kaoru’s lap.
“Kaoru-san…”
“If it’s a divine revelation, it can’t be helped… It’s a divine revelation.”
“Yeah. It’s easy to forget, but Kaoru-san is a rare being.”
“But aren’t there rare beings who can stay in the city? Can’t Kaoru-san stay too?”
“Kaoru-san… is probably needed somewhere else. He’s an incredible wizard, after all.”
“Yeah, Kaoru-san is amazing.”
The children had entirely misunderstood the situation.
At the same time, on the third floor of Yamato-ya, Tauro, Kanta, Mireille, and Yugo had gathered in the room they were staying in.
After spending the night discussing Kaoru’s decision in the living room, they moved upstairs when the children woke up. Parallrenda and Linda had returned to their families, and Anessa had accompanied Linda.
“I can’t believe it… I never imagined Kaoru would decide to return to Earth.”
“Yeah. I remember hearing about Kaoru’s family back on Earth before, but I never thought he’d want to see them again. Still, if he’s willing to leave Mark and everyone else behind, there must be something truly unresolved back there.”
Tauro spoke up, surprising everyone.
“Honestly… I feel a bit relieved knowing Kaoru is joining the returnees.”
Everyone looked up in surprise.
“What a terrible person I am.”
Tauro, who usually referred to himself as “watashi,” had unconsciously switched to “ore,” revealing his innermost thoughts.
“Me too. I’m awful. If game skills worked on Earth, having Kaoru as a wizard would make a huge difference. I keep thinking I’d want Kaoru to stay by my side to protect my son and me.”
“Haha, same here. If Kaoru stayed with the returnees as a wizard, that thought definitely crossed my mind.”
“But when we return, we’ll probably be just regular humans again, right? If that’s the case, Kaoru will just be an ordinary middle-aged man.”
“Yes, that’s likely true. But even as an ordinary man, I’d want to help him like a brother or family. Of course, it depends on Kaoru’s circumstances.”
“Same here. While I hope Kaoru could remain a wizard back on Earth, even if he’s not, I’d want to stay close to him as a companion and help him survive.”
Mireille, listening to Tauro and Kanta, revealed her thoughts as well.
“Honestly, I was thinking the same. Whether Kaoru’s a middle-aged man or a wizard, as soon as I return, I plan to make my way from Saitama to Tokyo to find him. Kaoru’s the type to get into trouble if left alone.”
“Right. He always gets lost.”
“Haha. I’m in Ibaraki, so it might be faster for Tau-san from Yokohama or Mireille to head out from Kawaguchi.”
“The gods said that while the comet’s collision with Earth was averted, smaller meteors will still rain down. Depending on where they land, transportation could completely shut down.”
“We should plan for that in more detail.”
“Agreed.”
“For the remaining three days, let’s pause dungeon runs and focus on preparations.”
“Sounds good. Though we’ll still hit B2.”
“Of course.”
“Definitely.”
Yugo, who was also in the room, couldn’t keep up with the older men’s conversation and simply nodded along silently.
(Back to Kaoru’s perspective)
The group, who had said they’d enjoy dungeons during the nine days leading up to the return to Earth, decided to dedicate the final three days to preparations and wrap up their dungeon adventures.
For me, this was a relief. I had been agonizing over how to decline joining the dungeon expeditions for the last three days. However, it seemed they would still go shopping on B2 today, tomorrow, and the day after.
“Considering the off chance that item boxes work on Earth, I strongly recommend buying out all the Matsu-chiyo and Sebon items.”