The Adventure of a Boy with the Mind of a Middle-Aged Man
Vol. 3 - Ch. 57 - Funeral

Straheim's cemetery.

Right now, funerals were being held for Gill, the children in the basement of [Laguna]’s mansion, and the members of Breathgarm who had become victims during this incident.

Many of them were reluctant to have a funeral with those who were responsible for this incident, but in the end, it was Gill's will.

When they’d heard the details from me, they said, "Gill would want that," bowed to me, and asked me to hold the funeral with them.

In the end, the funeral was unanimously held together.

"Silent prayer!"

Everyone closed their eyelids at my voice.

A while after the silent prayer was over, a sobbing sound echoed in the cemetery. Aria was also crying out loud while looking down. Normally, the calm Krama was staring at the gravestone in a daze with an expressionless face. That was natural. For Krama and others, Gill was like half of their bodies, someone who had gone through joy and sorrow together. They might not have been able to accept the fact that they had lost him.

Now, Olivia and Lilinoa also gave their silent prayers. When I’d fainted, I was rescued by Hatch, and when I woke up at the company's residence, Olivia and Lilinoa were raging with an incredibly menacing look.

Most likely, the root of their anger wasn't the fact that I’d left them there, but the fear of losing their acquaintance once again.

For both of them, this would be the first time that someone close to them would suddenly disappear like this. On top of that, I, who they had spent more than a little time with, would also be gone. This might have caused them a lot of fear and anxiety.

Anyway, ever since then, they hadn't said a single word and we were silently mourning.

"I'm sorry, Grey," Aku approached me and bowed.

He must have been crying. His state of mind was obvious from his swollen eyes and the fact that his face looked morbid.

"Don't apologize for the mistakes."

The most important thing right now was to protect Aku. My body had been too exhausted from using [Liberation] when I was instructed to show my face in the guild, so I visited them with my helplessly heavy body. There, I’d been asked to protect Aku by Willy and Gaius.

Aku knew about his origin now, and there was no telling where that information would leak. If it did, the guild alone wouldn't be able to protect him. After all, he was wanted for his father's crime.

Of course, there was no way I was going to allow such an illogical and unreasonable punishment. Even without Willy and the others’ request, I had planned to get involved in it.

But that was only if Aku acknowledged it. There wouldn't be much difference between me and the scum [Laguna] if I forcefully compelled him to do so.

In short, Aku needed to be persuaded about this matter, but it wouldn't be easy given his character.

"Grey-sama!"

I felt a warmth on my back that I hadn't felt in a while.

"Stella?"

"I don't like it. Why did everyone have to go?"

I knew what she wanted to say.

She had become a good friend of Aria and had also become attached to Gill.

"Isn't that enough? I will come with you."

"Definitely not. In the first place, are you planning to leave Aria in that state?"

"But! But!!" Stella stomped her feet like a spoiled child.

"Once started, you should go till the end."

Even if my instruction was almost forced, it would be bad for Stella's education to fling it midway.

"Why!!? I hate it, I just don't want to disappear in an unknown place!! I absolutely hate it!!" Stella, who was hysterically ranting like a little kid, reminded me of the time I’d met her for the first time.

"Stella, whether it's family or friends, they will leave one day. It's just a matter of being too early or too late."

"G-Grey-sama too?"

I knew what kind of face Stella was making right now even without turning back.

"Um, that's right."

"I don't want it!"

"It's not about whether we want it or not. That's—"

"Grey, don't say anything more than that for now."

When I looked up, Akuido placed a hand on my shoulder and murmured sadly.

"I.......see."

Why was I arguing with a child in such a place? Even though I should have known better than anyone how much it hurt a child's heart. I really was out of my mind today.

Now, I had to report to the emperor about what had happened in this incident and take over Gill's last business.

Above all, this was the place where we said our final goodbyes to the dead. I'd already said goodbye to Gill. There was no reason to stay here any longer.

I shook off Stella's arm and said, "Now then, please excuse me."

I bowed lightly to the others and began teleporting.

"I-I too—" Stella pleaded with a voice full of impatience.

"No, I alone is enough. You should stay with Aria."

"........."

Stella bit her lower lip and grasped the hem of her skirt tightly.

Right now, Aria, who's unstable, needed a friend. Actually, Stella was a serious and kind person inside, so she wouldn't leave Aria alone. However, when it came to me, who was like a relative to her, she turned a blind eye to everything. She had the tendency to run away from unpleasant things.

Stella had finally found a life after separating from me. It wasn't to her interest to get attached to me here. Because I wouldn't be able to stay beside her no matter how much I tried until the end.

I turned my back to her, invoked teleportation, and left for Sagami Co.

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