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(Kamei POV)

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It seems that Winter is about to come in Terra… or well, this area of Terra.

The sun had stopped hitting so strongly with its light, and the sky is becoming cloudy.

There is a cold breeze that reaches your bones and makes you shiver a bit…

Today I had once more made lunch with Gwendolyn and the rest… it was… a nice day.

After we defeated the small organization of Thieves that existed in the underground of this town, days have been quite peaceful…

Although I have gotten notices that call for Frank to go to a certain area to meet with other Heroes…

I always have to decline them.

I know that my brother… has become a Hero in this world…

But… It's not like I can talk to him while he is sleeping, can't I?

…

I…

I have tried to be strong…

But…

I…

It…

Every time I see him…

Sleeping…

For so long…

I begin to think…

That he might… be dead…

Brother…

Why did you have to sacrifice yourself for us?

Were we… so weak?

Why… why?

Why do you have to shoulder all the burdens?

Why must you carry everything on your back for us?

You know that I have not gotten stronger because I wanted you to carry more burdens!

I…

Stupid…

You are so stupid!

You should have not… done that…

…I miss you so much.

But it is not like you had gone anywhere…

You are right here… sleeping in front of me.

The day when that bright light covered your body and created a strange crystal around your body… I was a bit relieved that you were alive…

But… after… so long…

My hands begin to shiver as I think about what… could really be of you…

Nii-sama…

Why…

Why did you have to do that…

To fight alone…

To almost die…

It hurts so much to see you like this…

Something deep within my heart…

Haahh…

I just want to scream and cry so loudly…

Yet I cannot…

My tears… have been dried long ago…

After so many months…

Today, as always…

I sit at your side…

I read your books…

And I talk to you about what we have gone through…

I wonder if you can hear me…

I like to think… that you do…

Nii-sama…

"Today we didn't do much, but Gwendolyn went to buy stuff…"

"Tomorrow we are going to celebrate Annabelle's birthday… She is getting a bit older now… Well, everyone has grown since you went to… take a nap,"

"Asterion and Hilvera's birthdays were a month ago… I wish… you could have been here with us… But… Well, you are always here, aren't you? Protecting us…"

"Nezhit and Zero had been growing strong, and they are always looking over for us… There is also Yurei, the whole house… she is always protecting us as well…"

"A-And Aaronarra is always watching over you when we aren't here… Orb too, she is… such a lovely girl…"

"Ruby and Zhulong had gotten very big…! I wish you could… see them one day… They always come to rest at your side…"

"Ginseng is helping us make the crops grow bigger… he's a nice little guy…"

"Viper too, she often likes to crawl around the house… Oh, and Nyar is often hunting rabbits for us with Ruby and the rest! Everyone is… so lively…"

"Mommy and daddy are resting for now… without your mana to supply them, they need to take longer naps… But I am sure that whenever you wake up… you will be able to help them…"

"Vheslia-chan has been trying many potions and tonics to destroy the crystal around you but… nothing seems to work… I tell her that she should stop already, but she's… an obstinate woman… She won't stop until getting the result she wants…"

"Oh! Yesterday there was some news about Rabrudion, the Golden Lions! They are doing fine! They have been exploring the dungeons around the big city and growing stronger… since that day that Rabrudion and his party changed a lot… they are very… grateful for what you did to help them…"

"And about Grandwing and Melodia-chan, they have finally moved to new adventures… Grandwing has fully recovered now and can even use magic again! It is all… thanks to you… They often send letters every week… It is very fun to read about their adventures…"

"Clishya-chan comes to see you sometimes too… we had to tell her about some of our secrets… but she is a good girl, and she had kept them as secrets… for all these months… She is nice and we are helping her cultivate faster… She has recently reached Rank 2! She is definitely different than before… Yet… she is still… very worried about you and… I guess she's into you or something… Nii-chan, you're such a charming prince to be charming all the cute girls around, fufu…"

"I wish you could… open your eyes and see all these things by yourself…"

"O-Oh... And about me… Well… I recently reached Level 40! It really took a while… and my Mana Core Rank is 3 too! I have… grown stronger since then! Do not think that we have been simply slacking off… Even without you, we always do our best… So we can finally become useful to you… so we can finally become… not so weak… So we can… bear some of the burdens you always do…"

"It was rather hard to reach Level 40… Orb-chan can produce Rank 2 monsters now, but even then, we haven't gone anywhere all this time, because we wanted to watch over you…"

"Everyone is very strong… I just want you… to know how strong they are… We have really… been doing our best…"

"So please…"

"Please…"

I cannot bear the sorrow anymore as I break my words and begin to cry…

Perhaps my tears are not so dry as I thought…

Every time I see my brother's face sleeping so peacefully… I cannot stop but cry…

Is he okay?

Is he… happy as he is?

Maybe… he just wanted to sleep…

Do not worry… I will always be here for you…

I will always… wait for you, nii-sama…

Days…

Weeks…

Months…

Years, if necessary…

I just want you to know that… you will never be alone, alright?

No matter how much time it takes…

No matter how long it takes!

No matter… how old I grow…

I will always… wait for you…

At your side…

I see you are happy…

You always sleep so tranquil, so peacefully.

Just by looking at you, I feel at ease, despite all the sorrow I feel…

We were so foolish…

So weak…

It is all our fault…

We had really thought we grew strong yet… there was so much yet to go…

We were weak…

But maybe… now… we are not so weak?

I often wonder…

If even after training so arduously every day… Will we be able to bear some of your burdens?

I just want you to know that… I will try to carry as many as I can…

I do not want you to carry anymore…

I want you… to live happily!

I just want you to be happy, that is all…

We have gone through so many horrible things…

Yet… I am the only one that gets to enjoy living at ease… while you always were doing everything possible to grow stronger…

Y-You don't have to bear all, you know?

It is… it is so frustrating…

To be weak…

You feel like no matter what you do, nothing changes.

You feel like no matter how hard you try to change things, nothing will ever change…

It is as if fate was pulling its strings on us.

The only way to fight against fate is by being strong…

I have… understood this…

So…

Make sure to recognize that we had grown strong, alright?

Even if… by a little bit…

I want you to… not bear so many burdens…

I want you to live a happy and carefree life, to enjoy yourself… to laugh… to eat delicious food… to see you… smile…

I wonder what you are dreaming…

Maybe you are dreaming about us?

Or perhaps… about other things?

What… do you dream… Frank?

…

I sigh, as I wipe my tears.

There is no point crying…

It is not like he is going to come out of the crystal because I begin to cry like a baby!

I have to be strong…

I have to be strong for Frank!

Just you wait… I am going to get into Rank 4 soon! And then… To level 50…

A-And…

I do not know…

I do not even know if that will change anything…

I do not even know if I will be able to do anything for you…

I am so tired of fighting… of killing…

Kill this, kill that…

I just want to… be with you and be happy…

How hard is that?

They say that something is… awakening within the world…

Something they call the Demon King…

The Heroes of other races are gathering and training for that day…

Will you be there, brother?

…Do not worry, I will make sure to… Fight for you… with everyone…

We will be there with the heroes and we will… protect this world…

This world that you… love so much…

I move near Frank, as I gently pat the crystal, glancing at his peaceful smile.

And… I cannot help but… cry once more…

"Just wake up already! You have been sleeping for months! Wake up, you idiot!"

"Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up! WAKE UP!"

I begin to cry as I hit the crystal that covers my brother…

No matter how loud I cry for him, he never hears me…

He is… sleeping so peacefully…

I miss you so much…

'Crack, crack…!'

Eh?

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