Is That My Alter Ego - Chapter 132



Chapter 132 – The Savior

The swiftly running automaton carriage was diligently turning its wheels toward the eastern part of the Empire.

“Now… this is truly the end.”

“You said we’re heading to the East… to Espilia?”

“Espilia… I heard the entire city collapsed and was rebuilt.”

“Indeed. The most developed city in the Empire… has already vanished.”

“What has it become now?”

“Hmm… it’s changed into just a small village. They build houses from wood, gathering food from nature and such.”

—

The day I departed. They say the entire city of Espilia crumbled, reduced to ruins beyond any hope of restoration.

Kali spoke of how the city’s downfall was due to the noble factions, including Ronan, who had sustained it by grinding people into energy. But once they vanished, the city could no longer hold itself together.

I thought it was for the best. Maintaining a city through the sacrifice of the innocent was an absurdity.

“…Espilia was the first to begin, wasn’t it?”

“A village where beastfolk and humans live together… is that what you mean?”

“Exactly. As far as I know, that’s how it was. Now… they say many villages coexist like that.”

Espilia was said to have ushered in the end of the long era of discrimination against beastfolk, opening the door for humans and beastfolk to live side by side.

Even when I left, the upper-class humans and the lower-class beastfolk fought fiercely… but perhaps it was for the best.

To me, there was no difference between beastfolk and humans. And isn’t it better if there’s no conflict at all?

“Ah, I think we’ve arrived. From here, it’s best to walk, I believe?”

Kali spoke while gazing out the window. We followed her gaze, but all we could see was a vast, dense forest.

“…So that was Espilia.”

“It’s truly all in ruins. How could it ever be restored?”

For a moment, we stepped out of the forest and gazed at the distant remnants of the city. The buildings were so utterly collapsed that their shapes were unrecognizable…

Yet, seeing a place where I had spent a considerable amount of time reduced to such emptiness stirred a twinge of sadness within me.

“What shall we do about the carriage?”

“Just leave it. I’ll conceal it with a recognition-inhibiting spell, so no one will find it.”

As I stretched while looking around the surrounding forest after disembarking from the carriage, Ariel muttered something, and in an instant, the carriage vanished.

The curious thing was that, though it felt as if it were cloaked in invisibility, all that was visible was the natural scenery. At this level… it seemed truly no one would be able to find it.

Kali led the way, walking and walking for quite some time.

The new Espilia was said to be nestled within a vast forest right next to the ruins of the old Espilia territory.

“It has a charm that’s… a bit different from the west.”

In truth, it was my first time in this forest. It was only natural, as I had never left the city of Espilia even during my time as a doppelgänger.

The appearance of this dense forest was, how should I put it… truly reminiscent of a forest one might find in a fantasy world.

If one were to imagine a summer forest, it would typically be filled with green trees and blades of grass, with colorful flowers dotting the landscape. But the eastern forest was a blend of reds and blues, exuding a dreamlike fragrance.

If I were to describe the feeling… it seemed like a forest where blue-skinned beings rode upon butterfly monsters.

In any case, it was beautiful and unlike any forest I had ever seen before, leaving me in awe.

“Alright. We’ve arrived. That’s the new Espilia!”

After walking for a while and pushing through the thick forest, Kali pointed to a spot and spoke.

“…Is this the place?”

“Such a small village.”

“Oh… this is a first for me.”

What lay before them was a quaint village nestled deep within a dense forest. The buildings were all crafted from wood, as if everything around was made from the very essence of the nature that surrounded it, a tapestry woven from the resources of the wild.

“….Espilia.”

Though its appearance had changed greatly, one thing remained unchanged.

The distant laughter of the villagers and the warm, inviting atmosphere. Now, even humans lived alongside them, and that ambiance had only intensified.

“Let us go, Venice. No, ‘Master.’”

“Yes. Let us proceed.”

Kali and I exchanged smiles, facing each other, before we slowly stepped into the welcoming embrace of Espilia.

*

It was truly a warm and cozy day.

Slurp—

Inside a wooden house, a beastfolk sipped fragrant tea while gazing out at the landscape.

Fresh white snow had settled upon his head, reaching even to his beard. To the untrained eye, he might appear as a peculiar old man, yet his eyes held a depth and warmth that spoke of wisdom.

“….Shall I take a stroll?”

Having finished his fragrant tea, the beastfolk rose slowly from his seat and stepped outside.

The sweltering summer sun beat down, yet the coolness of the forest balanced it, wrapping him in a gentle embrace.

The sounds of chirping insects, which some might find repulsive, sang to him like the melodies of nature, beautiful and serene.

“Good day, Chief Hudi!”

“Ah, greetings. Nothing of note… has happened, I trust?”

“Of course! Nothing ever happens around here.”

“Indeed… that seems right. Carry on.”

“Yes! May you have a wonderful day as well, Chief!”

The old fox beastfolk, Hudi, warmly welcomed the human youth who greeted him, then resumed his leisurely stroll through the village.

—Hey! Try this!

—What is it?

—Apple wine! It’s incredibly delicious!

—Gulp gulp… Oh! What is this? It’s amazing!

—Right? I made it with great care.

From a shaded spot in the distance, a wolf beastfolk handed a bottle of his homemade brew to a passing human, who, without a hint of suspicion, gulped it down and laughed, exchanging playful banter.

—

Not only they, but in this Esphilia, no one rejected or despised one another.

“….What a truly splendid sight.”

Even for Hudi, who had lived many long years, such a scene was difficult to adapt to. Yet, it was not that he disliked it.

From that day onward. The day a new Esphilia was born, where humans and beastfolk chose to live together. That day marked the third best decision of Hudi’s life.

Was he not, a mere cantankerous old man, now the chief of such a beautiful and magnificent village?

Humans and beastfolk. Their mutual hatred and discrimination had reached a peak, yet that misunderstanding vanished all too swiftly.

On a late night. Everyone gathered quietly, seated around a great bonfire.

With Hudi’s tale as the spark, they began to share their own stories. Tales of hardship. Stories of sorrow. And those filled with overwhelming joy and delight.

At first, many were shy, some even refused. Nevertheless, as they exchanged their narratives, the boundaries between them grew ever fainter.

Look at the result. That dreadful line has disappeared, and now they all live as one family.

Though they had lost the glory of the past, the present was all the more radiant and beautiful.

“….It is a day I long to see you, my lord.”

Thus, it was a day when one face rose vividly in his mind.

The one who had reached out to him and Rania, who were withering away without a single coin, offering hope and a small shop to call their own.

The one who helped him cast aside the notion that all humans were despicable, allowing him to see people as they truly were.

….The one who breathed warm yet brilliant hope into all our withering hearts.

He was not particularly strong. He had wealth, though it was not vast.

Despite being remarkable, he possessed no extraordinary traits, yet that made him all the more deeply etched in our hearts.

As Hudi recalled the savior of all Esphilia, he found himself walking, almost unconsciously, to the grand statue in the village center.

“My lord…”

Crafted with care by skilled hands of beastfolk and humans alike, each stitch imbued with love.

The impression he had felt upon first seeing it lingered, a hint of doubt still clinging to its form.

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Beneath the towering statue lay countless flowers and offerings in his honor. Every passerby, upon seeing the statue, would bow their heads in prayer.

On the day he departed, we lost our savior. All suffered in anguish. We spent nights weeping.

Yet, even in that moment of departure, he saved us. For he was the greatest link that allowed us to unite and understand one another.

You are… truly a saint, are you not? Your life was filled with sacrifice, generosity, and boundless love. Even after you left, do you still save us?

– Hwaaang…

From beneath the statue, a familiar voice echoed, and squinting through dim eyes, Hudi saw his granddaughter, Rania, kneeling in prayer.

“Ugh… Hic… Mr. Venice…”

“……..”

Always bright and cheerful, her granddaughter. On the day the lord departed, Rania truly cried as if the sky itself were falling.

Yet, Rania lived on with courage. How had she grown so dignified? Now, she had truly become an adult.

With her usual bright smile, she greeted the people, and as she lived her life as before, before the statue, she returned once more to a child.

“….I miss you.”

Weeping, Rania longed for Lord Venice. The passersby, hearing her cries, each offered their own prayers in remembrance.

…I shall never forget. You, Rania. And you, who saved us all.

“From the heavens… may you watch over us. I vow to protect this village you have built.”

With her hands clasped together, she closed her eyes and bowed her head, remembering you, the only saint in this bleak and harsh world.

Thud-thud…

“There’s no need for that… really…”

“…….!”

At that moment, footsteps echoed from behind, and a youthful voice rang out.

But… something was strange. Though it was clearly the voice of a child she had never heard before… how could it resonate so deeply within her heart?

Hudi. And Rania embraced her pounding heart and turned around.

“…..Oh my.”

“Uh… uh-oh…?”

A familiar face, beside Kali stood a small child. Yet, she did not fail to recognize who it was.

Jet-black hair. Crimson eyes. Though it appeared to be a child, and it wasn’t a slicked-back hairstyle nor a meaningful squint…

“Nice to meet you. Hudi, Rania… have you been well?”

In those eyes lay the dormant goodwill. The warmth. And the brilliance that had once led everyone to hope was still there.