Elegy from Another World

I had just stepped out of Tia's farm grounds when a low, rumbling sound came from above. Looking up, I saw Noreljon manipulating his magical puppet, slowly descending in front of me.

"You've already said goodbye to that little girl, haven't you?" Noreljohn's electronic voice rang out, revealing no emotion.

I was taken aback: "How did you know?"

"Hmph," he scoffed, "that stuff on your face, is it rainwater?"

I subconsciously raised my hand to touch my cheek, my fingertips brushing against a cool, wet patch. Only then did I belatedly realize that I had been crying without even noticing. When was it? Was it when I heard Tia say, "This is my everything"? Or when she hugged me tightly and said, "I'll never forget"? I hadn't even realized it.

Norrieljun ignored my distraction and continued, "If you want to leave this godforsaken place, count me in."

I looked at him with some surprise: "Are you sure? The future is uncertain if we follow you."

"Of course I'm sure." The magical puppet's crimson electronic eyes flashed. "Now that you know I'm nothing more than a piece of code and a bunch of data at a higher level, what's the point of staying on this pre-set stage? Just waiting for the hype to die down, only to be used as experience points by new 'heroes'? I have no interest in playing this boring cycle with them. In comparison, following you, at least I can see something 'unexpected'."

"Oh?" I didn't expect him to think that way. "So, didn't you have the player representative thoroughly repair your mechanical body? Restore it to your original Demon King form?"

"No need." Noreljun waved his metal arm. "That so-called 'original body' is nothing more than another pre-designed shell. This mechanical body, though rudimentary, is at least one that I 'chosen' and 'adapted' to. I prefer it this way."

"Alright then." I nodded. "By the way, since you're coming along, why not bring Kavey along too?"

"Huh?" This time it was Noreljon's turn to be surprised. "That nagging holy sword? It's willing too?"

"Yes," I explained, "the truth about the 'Guardian' incident was a huge blow to it. The justice and mission it believed in throughout its life turned out to be just a scheme by those in power. It felt like everything it had was negated. And... I think taking it with me might help it find new meaning."

"Hmph, do as you please." Noreljon seemed unconcerned. "That fellow is currently in the tomb where heroes of the ages rest, saying he's going to 'say goodbye.' Come on, I'll take you there."

We used the large intercity teleportation array to arrive at the hero's capital city, which had been destroyed and rebuilt by the "Guardians." Led by Norrieljun, we walked through the quiet streets to a magnificent and ancient cemetery on the edge of the city—the resting place of heroes throughout the ages.

The cemetery was solemn and dignified, with rows of exquisitely carved stone tablets recording the names and achievements of each hero. Deep within, we saw Kawei.

Its appearance has changed somewhat. The blade is now wrapped with several thin, shimmering silver chains, which writhe slowly like living things, forming its temporary "arms" and "legs," supporting the blade as it stands on the ground. Even more striking is the intricately designed mechanical prosthetic eye embedded at the end of the hilt, now silently gazing at an unmarked tombstone before it.

Norrell said to me in a low voice, "It complained that it was blind and paralyzed before, and had difficulty moving around, so it begged the player representatives to install the device for it."

We moved closer. Noreljung spoke up, "Have you seen enough? These are the places where your masters have rested for generations."

Kawi's mechanical eye slowly closed, the sword trembled slightly, and a voice filled with bitterness and emptiness rang out: "I've seen enough... and I've seen it all. I followed seven chosen warriors, traversing every corner of the continent, fighting countless evils, witnessing countless sacrifices and glories... I thought we were writing an epic, protecting the light..."

Its voice trembled slightly: "But now I understand, it was all just... a script. The necessary evil, the arranged warriors, the predetermined ending... me, and them..." It "looked" at the tombstones, "They were all just props placed on the stage. Our passion, our beliefs, even our deaths... were all meaningless..."

In the mechanical eyes, coolant resembling tears seeped out and slid down the blade.

"I never imagined... I never imagined that the principles I've upheld for millennia, the justice I've always believed in... would turn out to be such a ridiculous farce..."

Looking at Kawei, who was immersed in immense disillusionment, I sighed inwardly, stepped forward, and gently placed my hand on its cold blade.

"Kawi," I said, trying to keep my voice calm, "meaning is never something given by others, but something you find and hold onto yourself."

It shuddered, and its mechanical eye turned toward me.

"Your past masters, they may have been chosen, but were their courage in the face of danger, their kindness in protecting the weak, those emotions and choices, genuine? Was the trust and bond you felt when fighting alongside them a pre-programmed sequence of events?"

I paused for a moment, then continued, "This world may be virtual, but the joys and sorrows, the loves and hates we experience within it are real to us. Past experiences cannot be changed, but the power to choose your future path is now in your own hands."

"Will you continue to wallow in the anger and emptiness of being deceived, trapping yourself forever in this false tomb; or will you muster the courage to join us in seeing what the reality is like beyond the 'script,' and redefine 'justice' for you?"

Kawei remained silent for a long time, and the chains on the sword stopped twisting unconsciously. It "looked" at the tombstones again, its gaze no longer filled with pain, but with a hint of relief and farewell.

"...You're right." Finally, it said softly, the "tears" in its mechanical eyes ceasing. "There's no point in dwelling on the past... Thank you, Lady Liscia."

It manipulated its chain-like "hands and feet" and turned to us: "I'll go with you."

The three of us—me, Norrelljung, and Kavey who walks on chains—returned to the Dreil.

Upon entering the base, we saw an unfamiliar figure standing next to Edseysis. She was a tall woman with long, silver hair like moonlight, clear yet slightly melancholic emerald eyes, and a cool, otherworldly air about her.

Before I could ask, Edseys preemptively introduced, "Lady Lysia, this is Zoimem."

"Zoimem?!" the three of us exclaimed in unison.

The silver-haired woman smiled slightly, her voice melodious: "Yes, it's me. Like Kawi, I asked the player representatives to redesign this form for me. Don't worry, my power is just as strong as in my dragon form."

I looked at her in surprise: "You've decided to come with us too?"

"Of course." Zoimem's eyes hardened. "I asked them. My initial purpose was to guard that 'dragon egg' that could never hatch. If you hadn't appeared, I might still be there doing meaningless guarding, or I might have already been killed by other adventurers and become their spoils. I have no attachment to this predetermined world and wish I could leave immediately."

"Okay, welcome to the team." I thought to myself with a sense of accomplishment, my last group of companions had finally been assembled.

I looked around at everyone present—Edseysis, Norelljun, Kawi, Zoymem, and the invisible little paradox and subsystem Seylbret.

"Everyone, is there anything left unfinished in this world? This is our last chance."

Everyone shook their heads to indicate no.

"Uh..." I hesitated for a moment, "But there's one more thing I want to confirm."

"Then we'll wait for you here," Edseysis said on behalf of everyone.

"Okay, I'll be right back."