summerpeanut

What Changes and What Won’t

Added 2023-08-29 08:36:32 +0000 UTC

Author’s Note(AN) :

Today’s also 1st rank in high fantasy categoryyyyyy!

It’s been about a week since the first upload. Thanks to everyone’s effort, I felt like I’m still in a dream!

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Red, red, a red sky. A completely crimson sky. Blood-like, perhaps it’s blood itself.

From there emerged dark smudges, the minions of the Great Demon Lord.

Crustaceans, fish, mollusks, bats, enormous insects–twisting nightmares and malice into them, these mindless killing machines were created solely to bring death to all living beings. They advanced upon the orc's holy ground, the Red Lake, as if swarm of clouds and mist.

Army of green against the army of red.

Faces smeared with red battle paint, veins bulging on foreheads and arms, eyes bloodshot with quiet rage, strong arms wielding swords and axes.

More than anything, a concentrated mass of murderous intent that easily surpassed that of the mindless killing machines.

For the defense of their holy ground, the orc united from all corners of the world in numbers far beyond the Great Demon Lord's expectations.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The orc roared. Their earth-shaking voices pushed them forward, upward into the heavens.

But the ones with battle resolve were not just the orc.

Humans, elves, dwarves, fairiesvarious races stood side by side with the orc, facing the ones who sought bloodshed.

And then:

"Orcish moonshine was delicious."

A yawning, unpredictable spirit blade.

"I'll write 'Here lies a drunkard who loved his drink' on your tombstone."

Rings glinting on ten fingers.

"The enemy forces are approaching."

A radiant staff.

"Alright, let's go!"

Swords and shields raised.

These were tales of the past.

◆

"Did it bring back memories of the past?"

"Huh? Yeah. It did. Hearing the name of that place made me remember things from long ago."

"Indeed. I, too, haven't heard the name 'Red Lake' in a long time."

Upon Elrika's query, Ferad, lost in thought for a moment, came back to himself.

It was a time seventy years in the past. A time of youthful days when the skin had no wrinkles or aget spots, when they simply ran and ran. Days of continuous fighting, and winning the right to live.

However, because everything at that time was so filled with the stench of blood, tales of those days were not suited for nostalgic conversations and thus rarely passed their lips.

"I doubt there are many orcs left from that time."

"Yes, orcs' lifespans aren't much different from humans', it seems."

Ferad carried a hint of melancholy. While he didn't have a particularly deep connection with the orcs, it was simply a lonely fact that most of his comrades from those days were no longer around.

"Well then, let's choose this inn."

"Shall we?"

Shaking off the loneliness, Ferad decided on the inn, but even here, there were humans wearing hoods coming and going, making it quite suspicious.

"We'll be intruding."

“We’ll be troubling you.”

"Welcome."

(Good. The staff isn't wearing hoods, and it doesn't seem to be a cult's hall.)

Entering the inn, the elderly couple breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the innkeeper was dressed normally and the interior was also ordinary.

"Customer, is this your first time in this town? As expected, an innkeeper's owner isn't going to wear a hood."

“Hoh hoh hoh”

“Hohoho”

The innkeeper, an utterly ordinary middle-aged man, seemed accustomed to guests scrutinizing his appearance. With a knowing smile, he extended his arms, a gesture that left Ferad and Elrika with no choice but to exchange awkward smiles.

"May we have your names, please?"

"Sure thing."

Prompted, Ferad and Elrika provided their real names.

"Thank you very much."

The innkeeper paid no special attention to it.

Given that Ferad and Elrika had rather common names and that it had been seventy years since the war, associating them with legendary figures was virtually impossible.

The image people today had of heroes, even aged ones, was of strapping individuals with lion-like manes of hair and sharp, hawk-like eyes. However, the actual heroes, now aged and shrunken, wore the lines on their faces and the corners of their eyes as smiles. This discrepancy in images was quite striking.

(I should avoid making hard food for the meal, I guess.)

And he were even concerned about their teeth.

Aging is cruel. Even if it was never been a source of concern when you were young, you're assumed to be weakened on the premise of aging.

"Hohoho. You know, I feel a bit apologetic for him. I'm still quite lively, you see."

"Hohohoho. I feel the same way."

Upon entering their lodging room, Ferad's wry smile caught Elrika's attention. She delicately covered her mouth to hide her amusement.

Ferad had not only realized that the innkeeper was concerned about their teeth, but he also noticed the lingering glances they received when they got on and off the carriage.

"When I was young, I used to be the one worrying, but someday I become the one being worried about. I didn't realize that until now."

"Hehehe. That's true. I never imagined it back when I was young."

Everyone grows old and becomes the one others worried about. Elrika murmured contemplatively, realizing something utterly ordinary, and Ferad nodded in agreement.

Ideally, it would be the children who start worrying about their aging parents and become aware of this reality. However, neither Ferad nor Elrika had ever fallen seriously ill, and they knew their children saw them as superhuman, so they didn't worry about being treated as elderly or provoke them by acting like elders.

"But..."

"But?"

Repeating Elrika's words, Ferad waited for her to continue.

"Ferad has always been kind and mischievous."

"Elrika is also gentle and spirited."

"Well, being spirited isn't appropriate at our age."

"In that case, I've also retired from being mischievous."

"Hohohohoho."

"Hoh hoh hoh."

Times change, and with age, some things change too.

But there are things that don't change after all.

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