Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

As if smiling, as if carefree, she embraced her mother and daughter.

*

"...Hey, Bell. Maybe we can't live in the same time as you."

What is eternal love?

Listening to the voice of the goddess, Ais asked someone.

"But I will always be by your side."

Cam has passed away.

He passed away in tears, accompanied by his beloved Lina and his sons—family members with whom he was not related by blood.

Even if death separates us for a moment... I will definitely come to see you again.

Tormented by guilt and regret for a long time, he was eventually rescued.

Through the memories of the goddess that live in one's heart.

A bond awakened by the goddess (Hestia) between him and his beloved (Bridget).

Even in the heart of Kam, who has lost her beloved, there exists an "eternity" that heals loneliness.

Although it was this very thing that had tormented him for so long.

But in the end, he was saved by something left behind by the goddess and embarked on a journey.

"Even if it takes hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of years, I will still find you who has been reborn... to see you who is no longer Bell."

Kam transformed his memories with the goddess into "eternity".

"—Then I'll say to you: Would you like to become my familiar?"

Just like Hestia now.

“—Ah…”

Belle suppressed her sobs, which gradually grew louder and louder, shaking Ais's ears.

Having witnessed Kam's death in the dark forest, he fled here. The boy, fearing he would cause others eternal heartache, was embraced by Hestia's words and wept.

"Not only me, but other gods can also make this bond eternal."

Through the small, eternal vow of love made between them.

"Because we are immortal gods, aren't we?"

Ais leaned against a tree trunk nearby and listened to their words.

Unlike Hestia, Ais and the others are not eternal.

Everything will eventually fade away.

"Eternity" still does not exist.

but.

Some things will remain.

Indeed, some things are like "eternal bonds" for the people involved, unforgettable.

Perhaps they are sometimes memories, sometimes warmth, and sometimes sentiments.

Like the "wind" living in Ais's heart.

Just like the swordsmanship of her father, etched into Ais's hands.

The things left by her parents will live on with Ais.

"Gods... I long to be with the gods forever...!"

"Um……"

Behind Ais, the boy shed tears.

"I will always be by your side, Belle."

The boy, whom the man held in his arms, kept crying.

After lowering her gaze, Ais quietly looked up at the sky above her head.

"Forever, together..."

She gently placed the boy's feelings and the goddess's words between her lips.

She felt the "wind" residing within her, as if it were embracing her heart.

"Mother……"

Looking out over the forest rooftop, she gazed at the vast night sky and the golden moon, letting her murmur blend into the air.

Ais placed her hands on her chest, then fixed her gaze on the vast, boundless sky with a determined look.

Gazing at this lower realm's sky, stretching all the way to the ends of the earth.

"Wait for me..."

She thus made a vow to the eternal bond that lived in her heart, and to the "wind" she had left for herself.

"I will definitely... take you back."

Gaiden: Sword Oratoria 9 - The Final Chapter: The Now That the Wind Awaits

The eastern sky began to lighten.

Although there was fog, the morning air was quite fresh. The rain clouds were nowhere to be seen, and the chirping of birds echoed through the forest.

Ais, along with the recovered Hestia and Bell, stayed in front of "Aidas Village".

"Goddess Hestia, Mr. Bell, please visit again."

"Yes, Miss Lina, definitely."

"Thank you, Lina, and everyone in the village. I will never forget this kindness."

"We are very grateful to everyone. It was thanks to the goddess Hestia that my father was able to pass away peacefully."

Lina, with tear stains in her eyes, smiled at Bell and Hestia.

As a result, after the festival, Ais and the others stayed in "Aidas Village" for another day to help bury Kam and pray for the deceased.

It has been five days since they met their demise in the "Bio Mountains". Led by Lina, the villagers all came to express their gratitude in unison.

"Miss Ais, you must come again...!"

"Okay... I'll come again."

Lina took Ais's hand and said with tears in her eyes, and Ais gave her a small smile.

She made a promise to meet her friends from the outside world again someday.

After some time, Ais and the others set off from "Aidas Village" with the villagers who were there as enthusiastically as ever early in the morning to see them off.

Part of the sun peeked over the mountain ridge, gradually illuminating the valleys and forests. The three of them traversed the woods, passed through crevices between cliffs, and listened to the murmuring of the stream that had become still and calm, as they made their way out of the "Bio Mountains".

"What a lovely village..."

"I wish we could go play again."

"...If you're going, I'll come too..."

"Huh! Is...is that okay!?"

"Um."

"Hey, wait a minute! How could you make such a promise on your own, Miss Warren!? Why don't you just go with your [Family]?!"

Ais would occasionally chat with Hestia or Bell, then smile.

The people walking beside her looked refreshed and cheerful. Ais felt that her experience in that village had left a special impression on everyone, while also reminding them of something.

Ais thought to herself, her heart filled with memories of those times that had returned to her mind.

(Alright, let's go back now.)

Let's go back to where we are.

He returned to her side, having once expressed his hope that she would love him (Ais).

Because Ais had briefly left the city for a short trip to the outside world, there were some things she really wanted to tell her.

Gazing at the white-walled towers that stood hazily against the sky deep in the southern mountain ridge, Ais squinted as she walked down the mountain path leading to the city.

*

The clear, high blue sky stretches to the horizon.

As if the previous incessant rain was all an illusion, the sky over Orario was clear and bright. Under this cloudless sky, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and the wheels of carriages echoed everywhere, while the innocent laughter of children skipping and jumping filled the streets.

"That idiot Ares has already surrendered in the mountains and been taken to the guild. With the main god captured, this pointless war can finally be over."

"After all, the guild sent a considerable number of adventurers into the 'Bio Mountains.' The one who should deserve the most credit is probably [Perseus], ​​who located the enemy's location and summoned reinforcements into the mountains, right?"

"It would be even better if we could do more good deeds and bring Ais and the others back as well."

Loki, Finn, and Grace chatted as they listened to the usual calm and clamor of Orario coming from outside the window.

The location is the office at the "Twilight Mansion," the headquarters of the Loki Familia.

With the Supreme God joining the leadership, the main discussion focused on the gradually subsiding war between the Kingdom's armies. Finn listened attentively to the reports on the current situation, then looked up.

He turned his gaze to the elven royalty who had offered no opinion and were simply standing there.

"Rivia?"

"Um...oh, sorry. You can continue."

Are you worried about Ais?

"...Ais is no longer a child; worrying about her is just asking for trouble."

Rivera retorted, finding his words utterly nonsensical, however…

"You say that, but I've seen you deep in thought the whole time."

"And lately, Riveria often just sits in a daze when she's alone."

"Stop talking nonsense, Grace, Loki."

But this elicited smiles from the dwarf and the goddess.

Riveria looked at them reproachfully, but the two of them were unmoved.

"Why hide it? We've been worried about her just as much as we haven't heard from her for five days."

"However, the number of my 'favors' has not decreased, so I can guarantee that I am still alive and well."

"After all, although she's run away from home several times, this is the first time she's gone to the outskirts of the city. Even if your guardian acts up again, I won't be surprised."

Hearing these enemies spouting nonsense, Riveria put on a stern face.

However, Riveria did not deny what they said. She exhaled with her small lips and subconsciously touched the golden hair ornament.

"...Sometimes I become extremely uneasy, afraid that Ais's unquenched black fire (raging fire) will, for some reason, engulf the child and take the child to some faraway place."

"..."

"Ais has grown up and become a leader. The Familia has also grown in size, and it's time for both of us to be independent. I keep telling myself that, but... I still can't help feeling uneasy. Whenever something happens, I can't help but keep my eyes glued to that child."

Finn and the others remained silent, listening as Riveria calmly spoke her mind.

"You are not alone." Rivera felt that perhaps the words she had said to Ais were actually meant to comfort herself.

A clumsy smile, which wasn't quite self-deprecating, appeared on Riveria's face.

"It's just that I feel uneasy after not seeing each other for a while."

"That's what motherhood is all about. You're not wrong to think that way."

I'll say it again, who did you say is the mother?

Rivera gave Loki a smile.

"—Commander, Commander!"

Just at this time.