Requiem for a Goodbye Read online

  Prologue: Heritage Clues

  Less than a week after he left the spirit folk village, Rio reached the Yagumo region.

  It would have been a harsh, two to three month journey on foot — even if he had enhanced his body with spirit arts — but thanks to the wind spirit arts he had learned from the village, he was able to fly the whole way instead. Therefore, he was able to make his journey from the village to Yagumo with relative ease. From that moment on, however, Rio’s troubles truly began.

  Visiting the Yagumo region to mourn his late parents in their own homeland was understandable, but Rio had almost no information that he’d need to pinpoint the location of their place of birth. The only information he had were their names.

  There were over 30 countries of various sizes within the Yagumo region, making his attempt to locate their hometown in this way seem almost futile.

  That did not, however, discourage Rio from moving ahead with achieving his goal. He visited all the cities and villages in the western side of Yagumo, with the hopes that he’d find someone who recognized his parents’ names.

  But having the will didn’t necessarily mean there was a way...

  Several months passed with no leads.

  At present, Rio was visiting the Kingdom of Karasuki, a large nation located in the western area of the Yagumo region. He had already passed through several cities and villages, and was about to head off toward the next village, so he used his wind spirit arts to take to the air. His destination was a small dot on the horizon.

  ...That village, huh?

  With a birds’ eye view, he could make out roads stretching out from the east and west sides of the village, a small hill to the north, and an overgrown mountain covered in trees to the south.

  It was your typical, idyllic village; unremarkable at best.

  The residential area occupied the center of the village, where houses made of wood, lime, and clay stood in rows. Judging by their numbers, the population was probably around three hundred or so. Surrounding the center were fields and pastures, where villagers could be spotted working.

  They said that Yuba, the chief of this village, has lots of connections. Rio recalled the information he had gathered from the chief of a neighboring village he had previously visited.

  To be honest, he didn’t really expect to find much here. At this point, he couldn’t even recall how many times he’d gotten his hopes up, only to be disappointed once again... But he wasn’t about to give in to his despair.

  To avoid making an unnecessary commotion by landing right in the middle of the village, Rio made his descent a reasonable distance away. After touching down on the road leading from the west side of the village, he lightly jogged toward the entrance.

  The village was surrounded by a simple wooden fence, with no lookouts stationed at the entrance, allowing Rio to walk in freely.

  Even so, there were villagers working on their farms in every direction, so they were aware of the fact that someone had walked in from the outside. Sure enough, as Rio arrived at the entrance of the village, several of the villagers looked up at him.

  However, none of them approached — they just watched him from a distance.

  The atmosphere nearly made him hesitate from going any further, but any village would be wary of unknown outsiders. This was normal, and it was a reaction that Rio had become very familiar with.

  Rio bowed briefly at the farmers, before stepping through the entrance. He calmly walked straight toward the center of the village — where the chief’s house was most likely to be located — so that he could finish his business here quickly.

  Two girls dressed in simple clothing appeared from the field beside him, and hesitantly approached. They seemed to be in their teens; one of them looked about two to three years older than the other.

  “Umm, did you need something from our village?” The older looking girl asked Rio timidly.

  “Hello. My name is Rio,” Rio replied in a formal tone and gave them a friendly smile. “I’m on a journey to search for someone. I’d like to meet the chief of this village... Would they happen to be present at the moment?” he tacked on his question.

  His pronunciation was slightly awkward, but he was fluent enough to have no trouble speaking in conversation, thanks to extensive knowledge of Ursula and the others in the spirit folk village. They had taught him the language used in the Yagumo region during their time together. His many months spent wandering through Yagumo also helped.

  Rio introduced himself politely and explained his situation, causing the two girls to widen their eyes.

  “A-Ah, umm, h-hello. P-Pleased to make your, umm, acquaintance? Are you a traveler? The village chief is in... is... present? Shall I show you the way?” The older girl offered nervously. She didn’t seem very comfortable speaking formally.

  “Thank you very much. Many people tend to be wary of outsiders suddenly appearing at their door... If it wouldn’t be an inconvenience, I gladly accept your offer,” Rio thanked her in a calm voice, bowing his head and smiling faintly.

  “S-Sure! Then... Umm... Follow me, please!” The older girl nodded with a shrill voice and began to walk toward the center of the village. Meanwhile, the younger girl, who had been standing behind her, stared at Rio’s face in a daze.

  “...Is something the matter?” Rio stopped in confusion just as he was about to follow the older girl who had already walked away.

  “...Huh? Ah, n-no! I-It’s, umm... it’s nothing!” The younger girl blushed and shook her head furiously.

  “What are you doing, Sayo? Come along, now.”

  “O-Okay, Ruri!”

  Prompted by the older girl named Ruri, Sayo — the younger girl — hurriedly broke out into a run. Rio tilted his head slightly before he set off after them.

  The two girls still seemed to be nervous as they walked uncomfortably, all the while shooting looks over their shoulder at Rio on occasion. Sayo, especially, glanced at him quite often.

  Are outsiders really that rare? Rio thought, staring at Sayo’s back as they walked.

  The three of them maintained that awkward silence and distance until they arrived at the village chief’s house.

  “Granny, you have a guest! He says he’s looking for someone!” Ruri yelled loudly as she entered the house. The front door opened to a clay floor that led to an elevated living room, where a sunken fireplace was set up to warm the area.

  “You don’t need to be so loud, Ruri. I can hear you perfectly fine... Oh?”

  After a moment, an old woman appeared. She spotted Rio standing behind Ruri and Sayo in the entrance and narrowed her eyes.

  “Hello — it’s nice to meet you. My name is Rio. I have come today to ask you a few things, village chief,” Rio introduced himself cordially and took a step forward. The old woman widened her eyes.

  “Oho, what a polite one we have here. Your clothes are unfamiliar and you have a slight accent... A traveler from a foreign country, perhaps?” The old woman’s gaze analyzed Rio, as though she was trying to identify his origins.

  “Yes, I am not from here. I have been traveling through many different countries.”

  “I see, I see. ...Ah, forgive me. My name is Yuba. I am sure you are aware of this already, but I am the chief of this village.”

  “Pleased to make your acquaintance.” Rio bowed.

  “Yes yes, enough of the formalities. Please, do come inside. Ruri, Sayo, go pour some tea.”

  “Okay! Let’s go, Sayo,” Ruri replied energetically to Yuba’s order. Sayo nodded awkwardly before heading to the kitchen with her.

  “You. Come up to the living room. ...Oof.” Yuba directed Rio to one of the seating cushions before the sunken fireplace and sat down.

&nbsp
; “Excuse me.” Rio gave a simple bow before taking off his shoes and stepping up to the living room. Then, he removed the hooded overcoat he had been wearing over the sword and armor he had received from the spirit folk, and placed them on the floor along with his sheathed sword.

  “...Those clothes you are wearing under your overcoat are rarely seen in this area. That sword is splendid, but the shape is rather odd. You definitely don’t seem like someone from this country.” Yuba was gazing at his appearance curiously, just as Rio had expected she would.

  “Neither my weapons nor my attire were made in this country. I normally wear an overcoat to avoid drawing attention to them.”

  “True, your appearance does attract the eye. Not to mention how high quality your equipment is, especially for an average traveler.”

  “Yes, these items are excellent. A craftsman I am greatly indebted to made them for me as a special gift.”

  “...Is that so. Well, I won’t pry any further than that. The tea is ready now, so let me hear your story.”

  Ruri and Sayo were bringing the tea over precisely at that moment, so Yuba cut off the conversation there. The girls split up to each serve Yuba and Rio the tea.

  “Thank you very much.” Rio thanked Sayo, as she was the one who left the tea in front of him.

  Shaking her head in embarrassment, Sayo retreated to the corner of the room. Her behavior made Ruri smile in amusement. Rio had been wondering about Sayo’s strange behavior for a while now, but tried to put that aside as he began to speak.

  “I am searching for someone who knew of my parents when they were alive. The reason I am visiting this village is because I have heard that Lady Yuba has the most extensive connections of those who live in this area.”

  “Hm, I see...” Yuba gave a small nod of understanding, before prompting him to keep talking.

  “I believe my mother and father lived in the Yagumo region around fifteen years ago, but I am not sure of the details... Have you ever heard the names Zen and Ayame before, Lady Yuba?” Rio said, naming his parents.

  “...Did you just say... Zen... and Ayame...?” Yuba’s eyes widened, the arm that had extended to grab her teacup completely frozen. Her head shot up as she carefully fixed her gaze on Rio’s face.

  She definitely seemed to know something; her reaction clearly displayed that. Even Rio’s typically calm demeanor disintegrated as his eyes widened, too.

  “Ah, no. I’ll have to hear more about them first,” Yuba hesitated, before giving a vague reply and looking to the girls. “Ruri, Sayo — our discussion may go on longer than expected. You two can return to your work,” she ordered.

  “Eeeh... But why?” Ruri pouted her lips unhappily.

  “Go on, now. Don’t poke your nose into other people’s personal business. Make sure you keep your lips sealed around the other villagers, too.”

  “Okaaay. Tch. And it seemed kind of interesting too... Let’s go, Sayo.” At Yuba’s strict and unyielding words, Ruri reluctantly backed down.

  “Y-Yeah.”

  After Ruri and Sayo left the house, Yuba looked at Rio and slowly began to speak. “Now, could you give me more details about your parents’ features and characteristics? They may just be someone I know.”

  “Sure, of course...” Rio concealed his wavering emotions with a nod, then calmly began to recount their history.

  His parents had been born in the Yagumo region. When they were young, they had spent years on a long journey to migrate to the Strahl region. After that, they wandered for a while until Rio was born, and they settled down in the Kingdom of Beltrum. However, Rio’s father Zen died before Rio was old enough to know him. After that, he lived alone with his mother Ayame.

  Rio also explained Ayame’s personality and what kind of mother she was, with Yuba listening intently to every one of Rio’s words.

  “...After that, when I was still young, my mother passed away, too...” Rio’s expression darkened a bit as he spoke about his mother’s death. He didn’t offer any specifics to how she had died; he didn’t want to remember it, and he didn’t want to speak of it.

  To be honest, he still hadn’t organized his thoughts about what had happened.

  “Thank you for telling me. I must have made you recall some difficult memories... But there’s no mistaking it. Those two are definitely the same people I know. In fact, if I look carefully, I can see some of their features in your face. Dear me, old age really does no favors. Hmm, no... Perhaps you could say that it was this old age of mine that allowed us to meet,” Yuba said with a somewhat helpless and regretful expression.

  “...If you don’t mind me asking, how did my parents know you...?” Rio asked fearfully, desperately keeping his voice from wavering.

  “I am Zen’s mother, and your grandmother. It is nice to finally meet you,” Yuba answered, smiling rather awkwardly.

  “You’re my father’s... Ah, umm. It’s nice to meet you too.” Rio stared at Yuba’s face blankly for a moment, before bowing his head uncomfortably. Yuba seemed to recognize her next question as being a difficult one, but she couldn’t help but ask it anyway.

  “...I’m sorry, but could you tell me a little more? I’d like to hear about your reason for coming to this land from so far away, just to search for information about those two. The effort you’ve put in, and the hardships you have gone through to reach here, must be far beyond my imagination.”

  Rio hesitated for a few moments before answering. “...I wanted to make a grave. I don’t have any remains or mementos, but I wanted to mourn them in their own homeland. And mom... my mother had promised to take me to her hometown some day. She passed away before we could make that happen, but I wanted to try to make it to this land myself,” he answered carefully.

  “I see. You did well to make it here. However, the truth is... How should I put this? Their graves already exist,” Yuba said with a hint of reluctance.

  “Their graves... already exist? But didn’t they leave this land alive?” Rio unintentionally asked out loud, taken by surprise.

  “Yes, that’s correct. But their graves exist. Judging by your reaction, it seems you are unaware of their reasons for abandoning their homeland. Is that right?” Yuba asked while peering at Rio’s face.

  “Yes, that is true. Does that mean you know why, Lady Yuba?” Rio asked in return.

  “Indeed, I know the reason. However, you’ll have to forgive me, as I cannot tell you the details myself.” Yuba shook her head with an apologetic look.

  “May I ask why...?”

  “Certain circumstances drove the two of them to leave this country in secret. Since there was no chance that they’d return, those who knew the truth constructed graves for them on the hill. That is all I can tell you right now,” Yuba replied, selecting her words carefully.

  “They left this country... in secret...”

  “For now, I will lead you to their graves. Would you like to hold a memorial service for them?” Yuba offered to a contemplative Rio.

  “...Yes, of course. Please allow me to do that.”

  To be honest, there was still a lot that was left unclear, but there was no point in Rio pondering over it any more than this. If Yuba had no intention of answering him, then he wasn’t about to force her to. Rio decided to focus on the matter of his parents’ graves first.

  ◇◇◇

  Afterward, Yuba led Rio to the small hill a little ways north of the village. The top of the hill offered a sweeping view of the village below and the mountains surrounding it, making the scenery quite beautiful.

  Two stone pillars stood before that backdrop. They had been maintained very well, as they were neat and tidy, with no signs of wind erosion.

  “These are their graves. Their names aren’t carved on them, but they’re filled with their keepsakes,” Yuba said as she stood before the stone pillars.

  “...I see.” Rio nodded vaguely, his eyes fixed on the stone pillars.

  “...Perhaps I can tell you what happened to your parents when
the time comes,” Yuba said slowly as she looked at Rio. Rio’s eyes widened, and he stared back at her.

  “Would you consider staying in this village until that time comes?” Yuba asked, her expression filled with affection.

  “...Would that be all right?” Rio questioned worriedly.

  “You are my grandson. There’s no need for a grandchild to act modest around his grandmother,” Yuba replied with a bright smile on her face.

  “Grandchild... Grandmother...” Rio muttered the words, as though he was mulling over them.

  “There are more than enough spare rooms. My relatives have all died from war and sickness, so it’s just me and Ruri right now. She’s the older girl who led you to my home,” Yuba explained as Rio stood there in silence.

  “And Ruri, is she...?”

  “She’s the daughter of Zen’s older brother, which makes her your cousin. She’s fifteen right now.”

  “I see. That makes her one year older than me.”

  “...I’m surprised to hear you’re so young. While your face is still childish, your personality is so mature that I mistook you for being older.”

  “That’s not true.” Rio finally cracked a faint smile and shook his head. That made Yuba give a huff of laughter.

  “Is that so? Well, that’s that. Can I take that as a yes to my offer?”

  “Yes. I will be in your care,” Rio said hesitantly, bowing his head at Yuba.

  “It would be my pleasure to have you with me. I know it may be difficult to adjust immediately, but there’s no need to be so stiff. Relax, and be at ease,” Yuba said with a small shrug.

  “Okay... Yuba.”

  Rio decided to simply call her by her name, instead of “Lady Yuba.” When he thought about the fact she was his real grandmother, he found it easier to call her that.

  “Fufu. Oh, speaking of which... Is it all right if we hide the truth of your heritage from the rest of the villagers?” Yuba asked with a cheerful grin.

  “Of course, that would be fine,” Rio agreed, picking up on the implication behind Yuba’s words. They couldn’t reveal Rio’s origins to the village because of the circumstances that had caused Zen and Ayame to leave the country. It was possible — no, it was almost certain — that there would be people in this village that had known them.