Days passed one by one. As if forgetting that Lin would eventually leave, the two of them traveled everywhere. They visited almost every fun spot in the Far East and later took planes to travel around the world.
Lin actually hadn't been to many places. He spent the first half of his life in the Far East; after joining the Fire Moth, he focused on missions in Shenzhou, the Far East, and Mu. He didn't have the habit of slacking off during missions. Headquarters—Branch—Mission Site: this three-point line constituted his later life.
In contrast, Elysia had traveled the world before joining the Fire Moth. Even in different worlds, her experiences before joining were similar.
So during this trip, Elysia acted as the guide, introducing Lin to the customs of various places—from the fairy-tale scenery of Mount Titlis to the blood-red waters of the Crimean salt lakes and the romantic black gravel beaches of Santorini. The camera in Elysia hand recorded countless moments of memories.
"Hahahaha, Lin, look at this photo!"
On the train, other passengers couldn't help but look at the vibrant young girl. She rested her chest on the silver-haired man's head, waving a photo in her hand.
In the photo, the man stood in a plaza with a towering statue. Three pigeons were perched on his head and shoulders, making him look like a scarecrow for pigeons. Combined with his expressionless, grumpy face, it was even funnier.
"..." And he looked exactly the same right now as in the photo.
When Elysia was tired from laughing, she leaned into Lin arms and stretched comfortably. She flipped through the thick album, which contained photos she took of Lin, photos Lin took of her, and photos someone else took of the two of them together.
These photos were the gift Elysia prepared for Lin. Even if he went to a place she couldn't find, he could remember her through these photos.
Turning to the last page, there was a large blank space. The biggest photo was still missing here. Elysia looked at this page with a soft gaze. She already knew what photo she wanted to put in this most important spot.
...
"Truly blissful, Yama-chan. Can you fix me up with a happy life where a beautiful girl sleeps and travels with me every day?"
"Shut up."
Yama scolded impatiently. This guy was incredibly annoying. Not only was he a chatterbox, but he also liked to call people by weird nicknames. What was "Yama-chan"? Was he going to turn her into jam?
The man didn't care about being scolded. He sat on a mechanical arm, gazing at the sunrise. "You went through so much trouble to find that world, yet you let him live in it. Honestly, I don't understand your logic. If you wanted to kill him, you could have done it three years ago when he fell into the Sea of Quanta. He had lost all will to fight then, and his Pseudo-Herrscher abilities could be sealed by the Oath of Judah. Killing him would have been easy."
"Moreover, think about it. Ever since you met him, you haven't hunted a single Lin from another parallel world. Even if you won't admit it... he changed you, didn't he?"
Yama looked up, her silver hair draped behind her, her cold pupils staring at him. "Whether he did or not, does it matter?"
"Of course... it's not that important. I just need your help. As for what you do now, it doesn't matter." The man curled his lips playfully. "There are two 'special' Lins, aren't there? Whether you die or he dies, it doesn't matter to me. I only need one of you."
"My turn to ask. Why does it have to be a 'special' Lin?"
"By the way you ask, you haven't misunderstood 'us,' have you?" The man scratched the back of his head, showing an incredibly innocent smile.
"A simple answer. Because 'I' am also special."
"You must have heard countless stories about the Hero's Sword that only a Hero can pick up, right?" He held up a finger and smiled. "Is only power inherited by the Hero's Sword? No. It's also 'Will.' The previous Hero passes the sword to the next. Only when the next Hero possesses an unrivaled Will can they unleash the sword's power. Thus, the most important thing for picking up the Hero's Sword is that 'Will'."
Yama listened to the man's words with a frown, then responded coldly: "Don't worry. The Hero's Sword won't be passed to me."
"It will." The man's smile became eerie as he looked at Yama. "Just as you are certain he will want to return to his Proper World. Just as, deep down, you have already accepted his ideals."
After saying all this, he became harmless again and waved at Yama. "Then, goodbye for now, Yama-chan."
...
"Finally home! Mmm, my big dragon..."
Elysia pounced onto the dragon doll, rubbing her head against the comfortable fabric like a koala.
Lin set down the luggage and picked up the groceries, preparing to enter the kitchen for dinner. He was stopped by Elysia, who jumped off the doll. She looked at Lin seriously and said, "Today, I'm cooking."
"Why?"
"Because I want to try, just once, to let Lin eat food I made."
"...But I can't taste it."
"It's not a matter of whether you can taste it!"
Elysia always did unexpected things. For instance, if Lin told Vil-V that, she would stop doing such a meaningless thing... or rather, Vil-V wouldn't even have the idea of "making a gourmet meal for someone with no sense of taste" in the first place.
But Elysia would, and she would certainly put all her effort into making it the best.
Perhaps he was used to Elysia various nonsensical behaviors, or perhaps he just didn't want to think about anything; Lin mostly didn't express opposition to such actions.
Hearing Elysia busy in the kitchen, Lin leaned against the sofa and slowly slid to sit on the floor.
The wedding was set for the day after tomorrow. This would be Lin first time attending a wedding... whether someone else's or his own. Even within the Fire Moth, few people held weddings. Firstly, it was too much trouble; secondly, it was unnecessary.
No one knew when they would die on the battlefield. Weddings and balls were different in nature. Balls were meant to make people forget sorrow, while weddings were meant to make people remember beauty. When pain flared up in the future, that beauty would sting the heart even more.
Elysia had picked a proper suit for Lin. The location was by a lake, with just the two of them.
Lin hugged his knees, listening to Elysia light humming, and then...
Ding...
The sound of the phone was like a message from hell.