“I’ll be leaving.”
Lawkey said as he rested his chin on Jun’s shoulder.
Hearing those words, Jun felt the sudden tightness in her chest, her stomach dropped.
She had been afraid of this moment, wishing it would never come.
Despite the years, she was never able to confront it, she tried to ignore it, shove it into the back of her head.
She gave him endless chores and errands to keep him busy, tried everything else she could think of to indirectly prolong his stay.
But even so, deep down in her heart, she knew this day would come.
Her hands began to shake along with her rising heartbeat.
I still haven’t…
She still couldn’t bring herself to do it. She knew the moment she did, that would put far too much pressure on him.
“...”
There was simply nothing more she could say now.
The best she could do was…
“So, It’s time then.” She muttered as she slouched her shoulders and lowered her head, “For you to begin your journey to find the Leviathan…”
PAT!
Suddenly, Jun felt a hand patting her on the head.
“I’ll be back…” Lawkey smiled as she glanced back at him, “Don’t miss me too much.”
“...”
image [https://i.imgur.com/0HZPt4y.jpeg]
It was decided.
And yet, Lawkey kept patting her on the head.
“W-what are you doing! Stop that!”
“That’s funny coming from the woman who’s taking advantage of my current state to tie our bodies together like this…”
It was true, Jun was riding in front, while Lawkey was behind her, their bodies tied together with a piece of cloth.
“I-it’s so you don’t fall, you idiot!” Jun shot back, “If you can move your hands, you should’ve said so sooner!”
image [https://i.imgur.com/g3OU71U.jpeg]
Before long, the two made it back to the village and made their way home after stopping by the clinic.
“Ah! They’re finally back!” Emi was the first to notice them, “Junjun, Lulu, everything okay?!”
The rest of the gang, along with Munisai, had been waiting outside the house. While everyone could notice the heavy atmosphere that radiated from the two, Emi kept up her high energy.
“Lulu! Look at you! How often are you going to go to the Shadow Valley and get yourself like this?” She reprimanded for once.
“It’s not like he was going for a walk, Emi…” Yasuto tried to defend the accused.
“Then he should’ve told us! We could’ve helped!”
“Agreed, I would’ve enjoyed delivering the sweet embrace of death.” Mai said with sharp narrow eyes.
“I’m glad they made it back before we went there…” Zenga muttered from behind.
Lawkey looked at them, then made eye contact with his teacher.
“...”
None of them said anything, but they naturally formed soft smiles on their faces.
Jun got off Aoi and scratched his neck all the way to below his chin. It made him growl softly as he raised his head.
“He’s fine. I also reported everything to Tsutomu and Ichiro, they’ll let the Queen know everything.” Jun said as she walked away, and then inside the house.
“...” Lawkey watched her go with a grimace.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Hey! What did you do to Junjun?!” Emi got close and grabbed Lawkey’s ear, pulling on it.
“Emi! Let him go, can’t you see he’s injured?! Let’s get him off Aoi first!” Yasuto ran forward.
“No, if he hurt Jun, we must deliver the appropriate punishment.” Mai said with an evil grin while taking out her usual sharp tools.
Zenga winced and took a step back.
Lawkey looked at his teacher again, who nodded back to him.
“I’ll be leaving once I’m back on my feet. Thanks for everything so far…”
“?!”
Everyone stopped in shock.
“W-what?! Just like that…?” Emi let go of his ear and took a step back.
Lawkey carefully stepped off of Aoi’s back, but he noticed the now overgrown puppy glaring at him as usual. It seemed, just like Emi, Aoi wasn’t too happy either. All the injured man could do was smile wryly.
The rest of the students couldn’t muster any words immediately, but Yasuto quickly recovered.
“I see, so it’s time then.” He smiled, making sure to look his friend in the eyes, “Go and do everything you need to do, we’ll be waiting for you here!”
“...”
The rest looked at Yasuto, then followed his example of offering words of encouragement.
Even if they knew how this would affect Jun, they had learned how important this was for Lawkey. They couldn’t bear to stand in his way now.
“So, when will you be leaving? We need to throw a farewell party, right?!” Emi declared.
“Yes, we definitely should!” Yasuto joined in, then turned to Lawkey for an answer.
“... maybe in a week, after I rest a bit more.” He said with a soft smile.
“Okay! You just rest up, Lulu! We’ll prepare everything soon!”
“Thank you…”
After that, everyone left after saying their goodbye.
Aoi was fed and finally allowed to rest in the shed that was built specifically for him to the side of the main estates.
Lawkey, Jun and Munisai had their usual dinner, then they all retired to sleep.
Except one, who prepared his things and changed into his travel clothes.
**👑**
The injured freeloader made his way across the house with soft footsteps, careful not to make any noise.
He made a quick stop that was dangerous for his reputation in many ways if anyone found out, but quickly made an exit after leaving what he had prepared.
He gently opened the main sliding door and stepped outside.
“!”
“Going somewhere?”
“...”
Lawkey couldn’t say anything, so he kept his head low in front of his teacher.
“Keep your chin up, kid.” Munisai smiled as he moved his crutch forward, “This is the decision you have made, accept it.”
Lawkey pushed the flat part of his lips together.
“...” Munisai cocked his head slightly to the side, “Are you really okay with leaving things like this?”
“...This is for the best…” Lawkey muttered, “Yeah, it’s better like this…”
Munisai of course knew why he couldn’t stay and properly bid his friends farewells.
He knew whatever determination the boy had mustered would immediately shatter if he saw their emotional faces before leaving.
Especially…
“If that is your decision, I tell you again, accept it and raise your chin.” Munisai said softly.
“Can’t you cut me some slack…?” Lawkey smiled as he looked up, “And don’t say easy is for the weak again.”
“You should have realized it by now.” Munisai made sure to look his student in the eyes, “we’re all weak, kid. The strong are simply those who pick themselves back up, and face their fate head on.”
“There is always a lesson with you…”
“You have much to learn.”
“Yeah, I do…” Lawkey paused, then took a step forward, “I was a nobody when I came here. A weak kid who brought nothing but problems…”
“...”
“And yet, you took me in, taught me, helped me…”
Lawkey stopped, then slowly brought his chest forward to bow to his teacher.
“For everything so far, thank you both.”
Munisai smiled in response, then held out his hand.
“Take this.”
Lawkey glanced up to see a bunch of newspapers with notes on them.
“...what’s this?”
“I gathered everything I could about the Leviathan, all the sightings since you came here.”
Lawkey’s eyebrows went up, “Old man…”
Then he bowed again, “I can’t thank you enough…”
“Enough about that.” Munisai said, then stepped aside to make way. “Go on.”
Lawkey raised his back again, took the sheets of paper and walked off after a moment of silence.
“Hey, kid.”
“!”
He was stopped again.
“Kenzo woke up a few hours ago.”
“?!” Lawkey’s eyes widened in shock, “... I see. That’s good.”
“You be careful out there.”
“I will…”
“Remember the Principles. The last two are up to you now.”
“I know…”
“Whatever happens during your travels, always remember that you have a place to come back to.”
Lawkey closed his eyes and clenched his fists. This was why he didn’t want to meet anyone.
But Munisai didn’t hold back.
“This is your home now, kid.”
“Mhm.”
“Don’t forget it.”
“... I won’t.”
“Then, see you around, kiddo.”
“Yeah…”
Lawkey kept his head forward and resumed his walk.
Munisai watched him go, the trail of tears marking his path behind him.
Kid, a long and difficult journey lies ahead of you. Munisai thought to himself as he continued to stand in place, No matter what everyone says, I truly believe you will reach great heights.
Then Munisai turned his back and walked into his home.
Heights that no one has ever been able to achieve. Keep on this path and you just might be able to do what I failed to do…
You just might be able to save us all one day.
On the second floor, a girl held on tightly to what was left by her bedside.
A new lavender-colored ribbon to replace her worn out old one. With it came a letter that was titled, “Thank you for everything.”
She held onto them tightly as she buried her face into her knees.
Idiot…
**👑**
The moment Lawkey stepped outside the ravine, he was met with the full moon glistening down at him.
“...” He looked up, admiring it.
But then…
“!”
An Obsidian Butterfly appeared out of nowhere and made circles around him.
“Yeah, yeah… I know.”
He said as he adjusted his sword and walked forward, making sure to step on the mysterious playing card that had popped out of his shadow.
“I’ll keep my promises. I’ll find them both, the Leviathan and that Undying Elder.”
Nothing had changed about his goals, they were the same as the time he had first jumped into the ravine he was now walking away from.
But now, he was older, stronger, and his looks weren’t so bad.
He had grown too fast.
“But before that… My birthday is coming up. I’ll be eighteen then.”
He wished he could celebrate it with his loved ones again, all of them.
But he knew that was impossible now.
Death is just another part of life, that was what Sasaki always preached.
She wasn’t wrong, he just needed to carry on their torch now.
His responsibilities were still the same too.
He reached up to the moon again and reaffirmed his promise.
I’ll do it all, don’t worry.
I’ll celebrate it too as if you were with me.
“Alright, let’s go.”
He said as he looked at the fluttering tri-colored butterfly flying in front of him.
“Let’s find us some Pancakes on the way!”
Volume 1 - End.
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image [https://i.imgur.com/KQmIY8F.png]