On that day, I ran until my legs nearly gave out. At last, I reached the church and begged them to treat Lily. Somewhere deep in my heart, I already knew the truth—that she had left me, leaving me alone in this world.
Yet a fragile thread of hope still clung inside me. Maybe, just maybe, she was still alive.
But even that fragile hope shattered when Death claimed her.
"She's gone," they said.
The words tore me apart. My body froze, my mind blank, my chest hollow. I couldn't move, couldn't scream—I could only collapse beside her lifeless form. Lily lay on the ground, pale and cold, and all I could do was cry.
I cried until even the sky seemed to weep with me. I cried until my voice broke, until my tears refused to fall. And when no more tears came, I just sat there, hollow and broken, like a man who had lost everything.
Then Richard came. His voice cracked, full of worry, trembling. "Hey… Lily. I know you love to make jokes, but this—this isn't funny. Don't make your father worry like this. Please, wake up. Please…"
The tears poured down his face as he shook her, calling out endlessly, his voice shattering with grief. "Didn't you promise me? Didn't you promise you wouldn't die? So why… why won't you answer me?"
I couldn't bear to look at him. Shame clawed at me. I hadn't been able to protect her. I hadn't even been able to keep my promise.
Richard pressed his trembling hands against Lily's cold body, desperate to feel even a trace of warmth. But she was gone. His tears fell onto her still face, as though trying to bring her back.
I thought Richard would hate me. I thought he would rage, scream, strike me down for failing to save his daughter. And truthfully, I would have welcomed it.
But instead… he pulled me into his arms. His body shook as he cried, his voice breaking. "It wasn't your fault. None of this was your fault. Don't blame yourself."
Something shattered inside me at those words. I had been cursing myself, drowning in guilt, but hearing him—he already knew. He had already accepted what I could not.
Tears I thought had already run dry began to fall again, endless and unrelenting.
In that moment, I realized—I had lost not just Lily. I had lost my world.
On that day, Emu town lost more than just lives. Adventurers, townsfolk, even the guildmaster—all were gone. But after two endless days of struggle, the stampede finally ended.
The survivors searched desperately for those still missing, but all they found were lifeless bodies.
On the third day, we laid Lily to rest.
I stayed by her grave for an entire day and night, unwilling to leave, as if my presence alone could anchor her spirit in this world. By the fourth day, I finally returned, though my heart was still buried with her.
Richard, as always, was at his forge, hammer striking steel in steady rhythm. When he saw me, he asked gently, "Did you calm down?" His voice faltered, uncertain, but he didn't press. "You'll need to choose your own path forward, Andrew. Just… remember the promise you made with Lily."
I couldn't answer. I just stood there in silence.
After that day, I shut myself inside my room. Three days passed as I drowned in grief, until news reached us: the Second Prince had overthrown the king. It was hailed as a victory, a dawn after years of cruelty and hardship. The entire kingdom celebrated. Even Emu town, still scarred from the stampede, found reason to be happy.
But for me, the world had stopped.
My world was Lily. Without her, no joy, no victory, no future mattered.
Months slipped by, yet I remained locked away, my room sealed off like a tomb. Richard tried many times to bring me out, knocking on my door with gentle persistence, but I never answered. Our lord also returned, offering apologies for the hardships we'd endured, but I hardly heard them.
Richard, unlike me, carried his grief by helping others. He rebuilt shattered houses, gave shelter to the homeless, and helped Emu town slowly find life again wih oir lord and many people.
But I… I stayed in the dark, cut off from everything, as if I had lost all reason to exist.
Then, one day, Richard pushed open my door and stepped inside.
"Are you going to keep living like this forever?" Richard's voice broke the silence, sharp with anger yet trembling with worry. "I thought if i leave you alone , maybe one day you'll finally wake up—but right now, you're not even trying."
His words cut into me, but all I could do was whisper, my voice hollow and lifeless. "If I don't have Lily… then there's no meaning left in this world."
That was the moment Richard snapped. His fist slammed against the table, his voice rising, furious and pained. "No meaning in this world? Do you even hear yourself? Do you know what you're saying? You're spitting on Lily's dream—on her very existence—by calling it meaningless!"
I froze, the weight of his words crushing down on me. He was right… but my despair wouldn't let me admit it. My silence only deepened his disappointment.
"Lily asked you to live," Richard said again, this time quieter, his voice breaking. "She asked you to see the world for her. Are you really going to betray her last wish?"
Tears blurred my vision. My throat closed. I had no answer. My grief drowned me in silence. But Richard's words—sharp, merciless, and true—pierced through.
After staying in the room for a month like a lifeless person, For the first time, Rick's tears fell. Then Richard his voice wavered as he whispered, "Don't throw away the only thing she entrusted to you."
Those words shattered me. In that instant, Lily's final voice echoed in my mind: "Andrew… live a long life. Explore the world in my stead. From now on, I'll see the world through your eyes."
The memory broke me all over again. I wept until my chest ached, until there was nothing left inside but the echo of her promise.
That night, I lay awake, staring into the darkness, replaying her words over and over.
And at last… I decided.
The next morning, Richard was quietly making breakfast when I walked in, fully dressed in my armor. His eyes widened in shock.
"What are you doing in that armor?" he asked, almost scolding.
I bowed my head slightly. "Didn't you say to cherish the promise I made with Lily? I'm doing it."
Richard studied me for a long moment, worry etched into his face. "Are you sure, Andrew? You don't need to push yourself. Take it easy."
But I smiled faintly and shook my head. "Don't worry. I'm not forcing myself… this is my choice."
Richard's stern expression softened into a rare smile. Without another word, he set a plate in front of me. We ate breakfast together in silence—a silence that felt strangely comforting.
Later that day, I visited the guil to take on my first quest since Lily's passing. It felt different, walking forward without her by my side, but in truth… she was still with me, always. With each step I carried her memory, her voice, her promise.
Time passed, and slowly, I rose to the rank of a B-Rank adventurer.
"This… is my story," Richard finished, his voice steady but heavy with memories.
Silence hung in the air between Rick and Richard. Neither of them spoked for a long time. Then, when Richard glanced at Rick, he saw tears trailing down his face ,So he said " Why are you crying? "
Hearing that he quickly wiped his cheeks and snapped, "Shut up. I'm not crying."
Richard couldn't help but smile. "You're really kind, Rick. Just like her."
Rick frozed at Richard words, and then—for once—didn't argue.
The two of them sat there beneath the endless night sky, saying nothing more. Only the stars listened, watching over them as they silently recalled the memories of the one they both cherished most.
After a long silence, Rick finally spoke.
"So… you're keeping her promise, huh?" His voice was low, almost testing.
Andrew managed a faint smile. "Yeah. That's right."
Rick tilted his head. "And how's that going?"
Andrew blinked, caught off guard. "What do you—?"
Rick cut him off. "Let me ask you something first." His tone grew sharper. "Are you living a happy life, Andrew?"
Andrew hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."
"Lie, Are you really keeping her dream of traveling the world?"
"Yeah… I am."
Rick's eyes narrowed. "Lie, Then tell me honestly—were you trying to see Lily through me?"
The question pierced through the night. Andrew froze, lips trembling, but no answer came. He could only sit there in silence.
Rick leaned back, staring at the ground. "I don't know how much I resemble her… but I know I can never be Lily. No one can. You say you're keeping her promise, but in reality… you're just fooling yourself."
Andrew's breath caught, but Rick pressed on. His voice cracked now, softer, yet filled with pain. "Do you even know how your eyes looked when you were talking about her? They shone… alive, in a way I've never seen before. Unlike when you're smiling… but empty inside. It was real when it was about Lily."
Andrew lowered his head, unable to deny it.
Rick's fists clenched. "Do you know what I lost, Andrew? I lost someone precious too—my mother. My father abandoned us, and because of that, my mother and I starved, suffered. In the end… she died without ever experiencing happiness. And I cursed myself for not being able to protect her." His voice broke, tears burning in his eyes. "She never asked me for revenge. She never hated me. All she wanted was for me to live… a long and happy life. That was her only wish."
He drew in a shaky breath. "So I promised myself—I wouldn't make revenge my goal. I wouldn't let hatred be my end. My goal is simple: to live a happy life. Because maybe… just maybe, if I can do that, my mother will smile… wherever she is."
Hearing all that, Andrew was stunned. He hadn't known Rick's life was so cruel, or that the boy had also lost someone precious to him.
But then came a voice, sharp and steady:
"Hey, your time is up. Mark's speaking—you can go back to sleep."
Rick turned away, leaving to sleep, but not before leaving words that struck Andrew like a blade.
"Andrew… I don't know what you're feeling. But one thing I do know is that you're not keeping your promise with Lily. The way you are now… you're only making her wish meaningless. You're disrespecting her. I hope you'll understand that."
With that, Rick lay back down, leaving Andrew alone with his thoughts.
Andrew sat in silence, his chest heavy. Was I really keeping her promise? Or was I just clinging to her memory, twisting her dream into something selfish?
He thought about Lily… about the promise he made to her… and about Rick, a child not even eleven years old, who spoke with more clarity than he himself had.
"I can't believe I got scolded by a kid," Andrew muttered under his breath. But… he's right. The way I am now… I'm only disrespecting Lily's wish.
His hands tightened into fists. It's time for a change.
And so, beneath the quiet of that starlit night, a new resolve was born in Andrew's heart—a vow to keep his promise with the girl who had already left this world.
With that, the night came to its end.