Side Story 22. [After Story] Remnants
“Could it… could it heal my mother’s legs?”
“…”
I hesitated at Sid’s question, but Dearmudin answered firmly.
“That would be difficult.”
Dearmudin’s voice was stern.
“We cannot control the purpose or the form in which these remnants manifest.”
“…”
“They are, quite literally, just remnants. The only thing we can do is discover them.”
The remnants of miracles that disappeared a decade ago.
When, where, or how they gather and manifest is beyond our control.
All we can do is find them, witness them, record them, carefully extract them, and let them go. That is the best we can manage.
“…”
Sid lowered his head in disappointment.
Dearmudin’s voice remained firm as he continued.
“Of course, the possibility that the remnant you seek exists somewhere in this world isn’t zero. A miracle capable of healing your mother’s injury might still be out there. But.”
Dearmudin shook his head.
“That possibility is as close to zero as it can get.”
“…”
“It would be better for you not to expect it.”
He said bluntly.
Sid murmured in a subdued voice.
“If the miracle I want doesn’t exist… then why should I do this?”
“…”
“Is it just because it’s something only I can do? Because I’m needed?”
This time, I spoke up.
“Ten years ago, during the war with the monsters, your mother… Lilly… could have left Crossroad at any time.”
I smiled softly as I recalled my former mage.
“But she chose to stay. She stayed and fought in a war that determined the fate of the world.”
“…”
“If it were for something like money, fame, or power—any of those worldly things—it would have been better for her to leave. The front lines were far too dangerous. A place where so many lost their lives. But Lilly stayed to the end. Do you know why?”
Sid’s eyes widened as he listened to his mother’s story.
I delivered the answer with conviction.
“To protect the world.”
“…!”
“She stayed to protect the people she cherished. That’s why.”
There was no need to say it.
The one Lilly stayed to protect was Sid. And Sid, of course, understood that immediately.
“Because of those selfless choices, we were ultimately able to save the world. There’s no need to explain how much Lilly contributed to that effort.”
“…”
“She probably didn’t boast about it much, but your parents are great heroes who saved this world.”
I emphasized my words, wanting Sid to truly hear them.
“Don’t do something just because it’s something only you can do, or because people need you to do it.”
If that had been the case, Lilly would have left the front lines as soon as enough mages were assigned and the alchemy workshops became fully operational.
But Lilly stayed until the very last battle. She fought alongside everyone else on that battlefield, putting her life on the line.
“If you’re going to do something, it should be because it’s what your heart tells you to do. That’s the only way you’ll be able to truly stand your ground when the moment comes to fight.”
People who constantly look for a way out never truly face the challenges before them.
But Lilly stood tall against the towering wall of the world, challenging it head-on.
That’s why, in that moment, she became great.
“That’s why we don’t want to force you. As I said, Sid, this is a request, not a demand.”
“…”
“We’re old and jaded adults. You don’t need to feel compelled to accept this just because we asked. Don’t feel burdened by the idea of refusing.”
Even though I said that, I knew there was no way this boy wouldn’t feel some kind of burden. But I meant every word.
If Sid chose to help, collecting the remnants of magic would become much easier, and the world would undoubtedly become a safer place.
But if he wasn’t willing, then it was meaningless from the start.
“…”
After a moment of silence, Sid hesitated, then mumbled.
“My father…”
He lifted his eyes, which so resembled his father’s, and looked at me.
“Was it the same for him?”
“…”
“Did my father also fight to protect the world, to protect the people he cherished? Did he choose to fight for that?”
I exhaled the breath that had caught in my chest and nodded.
“Yes.”
“I heard my mom and dad were both mages.”
“They were. Your mother was a Fire Mage, and your father was a Metal Mage.”
“Then if I do this—if I handle the remnants of magic…”
Sid clenched his small fists tightly and asked,
“Can I become a mage like my parents?”
“Of course.”
Even in a world where magic has vanished…
If Sid were to become the sole person capable of handling the last remnants of magic,
“You could. No, only you can become the final mage of this world.”
With traditional classifications of elemental magic meaningless now… perhaps Sid could be called the “Remnants Mage.”
…No.
Maybe “Memories Mage” would suit him better.
“I… I want to try.”
Sid hesitated but then spoke up, raising his head to look at me.
“If doing this can protect the world, if it can help me protect the people I cherish, then I want to try!”
“…”
“But I have one… no, two conditions.”
“Let’s hear them.”
“If, during the process of collecting remnants, I happen to find the remnant of magic I’ve been hoping for… please allow me to use it as I wish.”
Dearmudin and I exchanged glances and nodded.
“We would need to examine it first, but as long as it poses no harm to the world, you may do as you please.”
“Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank us. We’re the ones who are grateful. And what’s your second condition?”
This time, Sid didn’t hesitate.
“Tell me. Tell me the stories of the war. About my mom and dad… I want to know about them.”
“…”
“I… I find it hard to ask Mom about Dad.”
I smiled softly and reached out, gently ruffling Sid’s hair.
“Alright. I’ll agree to both of your conditions.”
I let out a small breath and turned to gaze at the city center of Crossroad from the lord’s manor.
“Well then, let’s go get your mother’s permission.”
“No.”
Lilly refused outright.
Crossroad Central Hall, the lord’s office.
As the city grew and responsibilities increased, a new administrative building had been constructed. Lilly now worked as an aide in the lord’s office here.
She had greeted Dearmudin and me with a warm smile, but the moment we mentioned entrusting Sid with this task, her expression darkened immediately.
“You want to entrust something like this to my child? And Sid said he’d do it? Ugh…”
Lilly shook her head firmly, disbelief etched into her features.
“Shouldn’t you have asked for my permission first, Your Highness? I am Sid’s mother!”
“…I thought if I got your permission first and then asked Sid, he’d feel compelled to agree even if it wasn’t what he wanted.”
Lilly clamped her mouth shut.
Sid was a kind child, especially obedient to his mother.
If Lilly had given her approval first, Sid would’ve gone along with it no matter how he truly felt.
That’s why we sought Sid’s opinion first before coming to Lilly.
“Sid is only eleven years old! He’s too young to make this kind of decision, and far too young to handle such a dangerous task!”
“We’re not saying we’ll deploy Sid to collect magical remnants immediately. At the earliest, it would be five years from now.”
According to the Empire’s military laws, one could only begin service at sixteen.
While even that standard was absurdly low, it was still the minimum legal age set by this world.
“But even if he starts working as a mage in five years, he’ll need to begin studying magic now to ensure his safety. That’s why we’re bringing it up now.”
“In a world where magic has disappeared, you’re telling him to become a mage…”
Lilly sighed in frustration, brushing her fingers over her forehead.
Dearmudin spoke up.
“Our Ivory Tower will provide him with the best education. Not just in magic, but also in academics, culture, and everything else he’ll need to live a full and wise life in this world.”
“…”
“I’m even considering relocating permanently to Crossroad. At the newly established branch of the Ivory Tower here, I’ll personally teach Sid for the next five years. Think of it as sending him to a prestigious school.”
“…”
“And then, five years later, you can discuss with Sid and make a final decision. Whether he’ll take on this responsibility or not…”
“…”
“If he decides to refuse at that time, that’s perfectly fine. Neither I nor Prince Ash will force him. If Sid isn’t willing, it’s a task that cannot and should not be done.”
Lilly covered her eyes with both hands.
“You call it collecting remnants of magic, but isn’t it no different from being part of a bomb disposal team? How could you ask my child to do something like that…”
“Lilly.”
“I understand someone has to do it. But why does it have to be my son?”
“Lilly.”
Dearmudin met her gaze with a solemn expression.
“If it were something I could do, I’d gladly take on the task myself. Not just me—every former mage would have stepped forward eagerly. Lilly, you would’ve volunteered as well, wouldn’t you?”
“…”
“But we can no longer even see magic properly, can we?”
Dearmudin let out a dry chuckle and leaned back in his chair.
“Shall I be completely honest? I feel jealous of Sid.”
“…!”
“I envy that boy who can see and touch the remnants of magic I once loved… the boy who will monopolize the fragments of my memories.”
From the perspective of a mage,
And true to his position as head of the Ivory Tower—someone who judged solely by talent, not age or rank—
Dearmudin admitted the truth.
He was jealous of the young boy who surpassed him so completely in magical talent.
And yet, despite that jealousy, he wanted to pass down everything he knew to Sid.
“…”
Lilly, too, was a mage.
Between the two mages who had once dedicated their lives to the same craft—who had wielded the same flames—there was a wordless understanding that I, someone who was never truly a mage, couldn’t fully grasp.
“The past of this world… a past that everyone is forgetting, that no one will remember in the end…”
Dearmudin’s voice turned soft, almost pleading.
“Shouldn’t someone still discover and record those remnants and memories?”
“Just let them be forgotten…”
Lilly’s voice trembled as she covered her face with her hands.
“They’ll all be forgotten in the end anyway… Those memories, those remnants… they’ll all eventually become meaningless…”
“Lilly.”
I spoke gently.
“You’re trying so hard not to forget, aren’t you?”
“…!”
“I’m the same. All of us are.”
Ten years had passed since the war ended.
People have adapted to a world without magic.
They’ve adjusted to a world where countless lives have vanished.
They’ve come to accept those empty spaces as if they were always meant to be.
And that’s exactly why I’ve tried so desperately to remember.
By collecting the remnants of magic and establishing the History
I’ve sought to recall the past that has slipped away, and the memories of the people who have disappeared.
“And Sid… he wants to know, too. About those memories.”
About you and Godhand, and the days you shared…
“…”
Lilly, her tear-streaked face still trembling, slowly lowered her hands.
She finally spoke, her voice filled with exhaustion.
“…Promise me.”
“Name it.”
“In five years, you’ll ask Sid what he truly wants. If he hesitates, even for a moment, you must not let him take this on. And, Your Highness… you have to step back completely.”
“Of course.”
“And even if Sid does choose to start this, if, at any point, he finds it too difficult or wants to stop… you must let him walk away.”
“I promise.”
“His safety must come first, no matter what.”
“He’ll be the last and only mage of this world. Nothing will ever be more important than Sid’s safety.”
At that, Lilly let out a faint laugh.
“And you’ll have to pay him well. A proper salary with benefits.”
“I’ll start counting his years of service right now.”
“And you’ll have to give him lots of medals, too.”
“I’ll make sure he has a mountain of them.”
“And also…”
Lilly began listing off additional conditions, one after another, before falling silent and staring into my eyes.
“You must cherish him. Your Highness.”
“…”
“You’re Sid’s only godfather, after all.”
“You’re right. Sid is my only godchild.”
He is the child of my two comrades.
He is a symbol of hope for all of us who fought on the front lines.
And he is the one who gave me the resolve to stand firm in the face of the final nightmare—a truly precious child.
I smiled gently and nodded.
“I’ll treasure him. Always.”