Chapter 98. The Unfinished Heroic Tale and the Millennium-Spanning Curry-Scented Promise
In the Age of Myth, on the coast of the Eastern Continent, about fifty kilometers from the site where the "Ancient Deep-Sea God" was turned into "Deep-Sea Grilled Squid."
The morning sun pierced through the thin morning mist, shining upon a magically modified caravan racing across the wilderness. This vehicle, pulled by two giant Dire Wolves, was currently emitting a roar similar to an old tractor about to fall apart, but that didn't stop the mouth-watering aroma wafting from the carriage, nor... a certain stomach-aching ruckus.
"Ow, ow, ow! Gentler! That's my face! It's my most important 'facade' as a hero! Wishe, you're not changing bandages, you're performing plastic surgery, aren't you?!"
Inside the carriage, Argo was clutching his cheeks, which were swollen like a pig's head, letting out a pig-slaughtering scream.
"Shut up, you idiot with 'I am guilty' written all over your face." Wishe (Half-Elf) expressionlessly held a glob of mysterious green-glowing herbal paste, slapping it onto Argo's face without mercy. "This is a secret herbal medicine of the Elves. Although the side effect is excruciating pain, the swelling reduction is the best. Or would you rather go see the Princess looking like a 'pig stung by hornets'?"
"Waaaah... but it really hurts! Brother Emiya! Help! Wishe is murdering her own brother!" Argo cried out for help toward Emiya Shirou, who was at the driver's seat holding the reins (though actually dazing off).
"Just bear with it, Argo," Shirou said without looking back, his voice sounding a bit ethereal. "Good medicine tastes bitter. Besides, at our current speed, we should reach the 'Beginning Land' (future Orario) before sunset. If your face hasn't deswelled by then, the refugees there might catch you and grill you as a new species of monster."
"How can even Brother Emiya be so poisonous-tongued! Is this what they call 'one takes the color of one's company'? Give me back that gentle and considerate God of Cooking!" Argo rolled around in the carriage.
"Hmph, serves you right." Olna (Amazon) sat cross-legged on a pile of ingredient crates, holding a partially eaten grilled squid tentacle (last night's trophy), speaking indistinctly while chewing. "Who told you to show off yesterday and try to touch that tentacle monster's eyeballs? It's the Goddess's blessing you weren't blinded by the poison."
"That was for material! Material, do you understand?!" Even with a swollen face, Argo remained stubborn. "Chapter 15 of The Argo Heroic Tale: The Gaze of the Deep Sea! What an epic title! To write with such realism, what's wrong with the author personally experiencing the texture of the monster?!"
"What's wrong is that you're too weak." Yuris (Werewolf) leaned by the window, coldly delivering a finishing blow. He glanced at the scenery flying by outside, then at the back of Shirou in the driver's seat. His wolf ears twitched slightly, as if sensing something.
"Hey, Red-head," Yuris suddenly spoke. "Your hand... is the color a bit off?"
"Hmm?" Everyone's gaze instantly focused on Shirou's right hand.
That Dragon Bone prosthesis, which originally had a platinum texture like a work of art, was currently becoming... transparent. Not an invisible transparency, but flickering like a holographic projection with a bad signal, to the point where the reins could be seen through his arm.
"Ah, I've been found out?" Shirou looked down, his tone as calm as if he were saying, "Ah, the weather is nice today." "It seems... I've really run out of batteries."
"Out of batteries? What does that mean?" Crozzo (Blacksmith) leaned in nervously. "Is it insufficient magical energy? Or a problem with the prosthesis structure? If it's structural, I can try to fix it! Although I don't understand this Age of Myth technology, hitting it a few times with a hammer should be fine!"
"Don't touch it, it'll shatter." Shirou waved his hand slightly, stopping Crozzo's destructive repair impulse. "This isn't physical damage, it's... rejection on the level of 'existence'."
He turned around, looking at his companions in the carriage. Argo, Wishe, Olna, Crozzo, Yuris, Elmina, and Princess Ariadne, who had been listening quietly in the corner. This group of people, who originally had no intersection or were even hostile toward each other in this Age of Myth, had miraculously gathered together because of his intervention, becoming a noisy yet incredibly reliable team.
"My time is up," Shirou said with a smile. "This world... or rather, this era, is issuing an eviction notice. It's probably because my 'cheat' was too strong, and the World Consciousness finally noticed my presence."
"You're leaving?" Princess Ariadne stood up, a flash of panic in her golden eyes. "Now? Immediately?"
"I can probably hold out until sunset." Shirou looked at the sun on the horizon. "Before the sun goes down, I'll take you to a safe place. And then... it'll be time for my exit."
A deathly silence fell over the carriage. Even Argo, usually the loudest, shut his mouth, staring blankly at Shirou's gradually disappearing hand.
"Are you kidding me..." Olna suddenly stood up and grabbed Shirou's collar (the physical left side). "Leaving just like that? Without even a proper goodbye? Aren't we companions?! Aren't we 'iron brothers' who fought the Black King, grilled an Ancient God, and smelled the stench in the sewers together?!"
"Olna, calm down." Wishe pulled back the Amazon girl who was about to go berserk, but her own voice was trembling. "Emiya... never belonged here in the first place. You should have sensed it long ago, right? That knowledge not of this era, that unique magical energy, and that... gaze that seems to have seen through everything."
"Tch! I don't care where he's from!" Yuris punched the wall of the carriage with a loud thud. "I only know this guy owes me a meal! He promised to teach me how to make that 'Mapo Tofu'! If he dares to default on the debt, I'll bite his throat even if I have to chase him to hell!"
"Exactly! And my Magic Sword theory isn't finished yet!" Crozzo was also getting anxious.
Looking at this group of awkward fellows, Shirou smiled helplessly. "Don't worry, I remember everything I promised you." He pulled a thick notebook from his robe. It was something he had stayed up all night to write over the past few days—[Emiya Shirou's Otherworld Survival Guide (Including Recipes and Forging Insights)].
"All my recipes are in here, including Mapo Tofu, hamburger steaks, and even the method for making future deep-fried potato puffs." Shirou handed the notebook to Yuris (since Olna looked like she would tear the book). "And Crozzo, the last few pages contain insights on magic circuit conduction and alloy ratios. Though they might not be fully applicable to this era, they should give you some inspiration."
"As for Wishe and Ariadne..." Shirou pulled out two exquisite small pendants from his pocket. They were made from leftover crystal fragments and Dragon Bone scraps. "These are amulets. They contain a one-time charge of my magical energy. At a critical moment... they might help you block a fatal blow."
"Finally..." Shirou looked at Argo, who had been huddling in the corner with his head down, silent. "Argo." Shirou called his name.
"What..." Argo's voice had a heavy nasal tone, sounding incredibly aggrieved. "Did you prepare a gift for me too? If it's a sword that explodes, forget it; my heart can't take it."
"It's not a sword." Shirou shook his head. "I have nothing left to give you. Because you... already possess the most precious thing."
"Huh? What kind of riddle is that?" Argo looked up, his red, swollen eyes full of confusion.
"Courage," Shirou said seriously. "And... the talent to make others smile."
"..." Argo was stunned.
"What kind of gift is that! Too cunning! It's practically getting something for nothing!" Argo suddenly burst into loud tears, lunging at Shirou while crying. "I won't accept it! I won't! I want a physical gift too! Even just a rice ball! Waaaaah... Brother Emiya, you big liar! We agreed to go to the end of the world together!"
Looking at the lunging Argo, Shirou didn't dodge this time, nor did he push him away with a look of disgust. He reached out his remaining left hand and gently patted the back of this
crybaby. "Sorry, Argo." "The end of the world... can only be walked by you." "But, I will be watching you." "One day in the future... I will read your Heroic Tale. It will surely be... the best story."
"Waaaah... such a thing... such a thing is a matter of course!" Argo's snot and tears got all over Shirou. "I am... the great future hero Argo! The story I write... will definitely be passed down for generations!"
"Yes, I believe so."
.
.
.
At dusk. The caravan finally stopped on a wide open plain. This was the center of the continent and the future site of Orario. At this time, it was still a desolate ruin with only a massive, bottomless pit—[The Great Hole], silently swallowing the light.
"We're here." Shirou hopped off the carriage, his body swaying; he almost fell. His legs had also begun to transparentize. The world's rejection had reached its peak, as if the entire space was squeezing him, trying to eject him.
"Emiya!" Everyone rushed to support him.
"It's nothing... just a bit... sleepy." Shirou forced himself to stay upright, leaning against a carriage wheel. "It seems... it's really time to say goodbye."
"No!" Ariadne suddenly grabbed Shirou's hand. "Emiya, please stay. Or... or take me with you!" "I don't have to be a princess! I can go anywhere with you! Even if it's hell! As long as you're there..."
"Ariadne." Shirou interrupted her gently. He looked at that face which so closely resembled Aiz. "You can't go. This... is your battlefield."
"You have the blood of a Spirit in you; you have the responsibility to protect this world." "Furthermore..." Shirou leaned close to her ear and whispered. "In the future... there will be a child like the wind, waiting for you to give birth to them." "For the sake of that child... please live on strongly."
"A child...?" Ariadne was stunned, her cheeks turning crimson instantly. "Is that... our child?"
"Ahem! Well... heaven's secrets cannot be revealed." Shirou hurried to laugh it off. If he admitted to that, his future father-in-law (Albert) might cross time and space to hack him. "Alright, everyone." Shirou took a deep breath, using his last bit of strength to stand straight. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over him, making his gradually transparent body look like a golden statue.
"At the very, very end... let's do one thing."
"What thing?" everyone asked.
"Eat, of course," Shirou said as if it were the most natural thing. "How can we say goodbye with a smile if our stomachs aren't full?"
"Huh? You're still thinking about eating at a time like this?" Though Olna complained, her movements were fast, quickly bringing out the pots, bowls, and ladles. "However... that suits me just fine! I'm hungry too!"
"Then... let's begin!" Shirou raised his left hand. Trace—Cooking!
This was his... final cooking in this Age of Myth. No flashy techniques, no precious ingredients. Only leftover boar meat, some dry bread, and a few bottles of fruit wine. But Shirou did it more seriously than ever before.
The flames flickered. The aroma drifted. On this desolate plain, at this moment of parting, a group of people who spanned races, statuses, and even time and space sat together, sharing this last supper.
"Cheers!" "To the Argo Heroic Party!" "To Emiya's curry!" "To... meeting again!"
The sound of clinking glasses echoed in the night sky. Everyone was laughing. Though tears were in the corners of their eyes, though their voices were choked up, everyone was trying their best to laugh. Because that was the expression the red-haired cook wanted to see.
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After the meal. The moon rose. Half of Shirou's body had already disappeared into the air.
"Time's up." Shirou put down his glass, looking at the companions surrounding him.
"Olna, don't always be so impulsive; remember to use your brain more when fighting. If the axe gets notched, remember to find Crozzo to fix it." "Noisy! I know!" Olna turned her back, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"Crozzo, Magic Swords are not for destruction, but for protection. Don't be swallowed by power." "Yes! Master! I will remember!" Crozzo knelt on the ground, weeping uncontrollably.
"Wishe, take care of this idiot brother. Though he's stupid, he has a heart gentler than anyone else's." "...I will." Wishe wiped the corner of her eye. "You too... don't die."
"Yuris, Elmina, you two... forget it, I wish you happiness." "Who wants to be happy with this perverted woman!" "Oh my, thank you for the blessing, Lord Emiya~"
"Ariadne..." Shirou looked at the golden-haired girl. "You must... be happy."
"Mhm." Ariadne nodded, showing a smile that looked sadder than crying. "I will. For your sake as well."
Finally, Shirou looked at Argo. The clown was still desperately stuffing bread into his mouth, trying to use food to block the sound of his crying.
"Argo."
"Waaaah... what..."
"Stretch out your hand."
Argo stretched out his oil-stained hand.
Shirou stretched out his now completely transparent right hand and gently high-fived him.
Snap.
Though there was no sound or sensation of touch, at that moment, it felt as if something had been passed across.
"This is the... 'Final Reinforcement'," Shirou said with a smile. "The concept named 'Unyielding'." "As long as you remember this high-five... you will never fall."
"Heroes... do not die."
"Brother Emiya..." Argo couldn't hold back anymore and wailed loudly. "Thank you! Thank you!" "You are... the greatest hero... I've ever met in my life!"
"Yeah." Shirou's body began to turn into countless points of light, scattering toward the night sky. "Goodbye, everyone."
"At the end of this myth... we... will surely meet again."
The light intensified. The red Heroic Spirit completely vanished from this era.
"EMIYA—!!!"
Argo let out a heart-wrenching roar toward the empty night sky. The only response was the whistling of the wind.
He was gone. That man who appeared like the wind and vanished like the wind. The man who always complained about him but always saved him at critical moments. The man who cooked delicious food, was great at fighting, but always called himself a "passerby."
Gone.
"What are you crying for!" Olna slapped Argo on the back, sending him stumbling. "Didn't he say? We'll meet again!" "As long as we live long enough... one day we'll be able to wait for him!"
"That's right." Wishe stood up and wiped her tears. "Furthermore... what he left for us is more than just memories." She raised the harp-bow in her hand. "There is also this power."
"Yeah." Crozzo gripped the hammer in his hand. "We must use this power... to complete his unfinished work."
"And that is..." Ariadne looked toward the massive "Great Hole." "To build a... city where everyone can laugh." "A... paradise where there is no more sadness."
"Good!" Argo scrambled up from the ground. He wiped his tears and put back on the feathered clown hat. Though his eyes were still swollen and his nose was bleeding, he showed a big, comical, yet hopeful smile.
"Listen up, you guys! Brother Emiya may be gone, but the Argo Heroic Party is still here!
We're going to build right here... on this big hole!
The world's greatest Labyrinth City!
The name will be..."
Argo thought for a moment. The red-haired youth's final look toward the east flashed in his mind. That gaze was full of anticipation for the future.
"It shall be called—Orario!"
"I don't know what it means... but it sounds okay." Olna shrugged.
"Then it's decided!" Argo raised the wooden sword in his hand (though broken, it had been repaired by Shirou to be even stronger). "Starting today..."
"The Argo Heroic Tale, Part 2: The Founding of the Labyrinth City..."
"Officially begins!"
"OOOOOOH!!!"
Under the starry sky, this group of heroes, who would be called the "Ancestors" by future generations, let out a cheer that shook the era. Though the road ahead was long and filled with difficulties, the spark ignited by Emiya Shirou had already burned into a prairie fire in this Age of Myth.
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