Moving Forward With Emptiness

Some moments later…

Kurose finished the whole honey bread basket.

“It was delicious!”
Kurose murmured,
his face filled with satisfaction,
his cheeks slightly warmed.

“The food Mother makes
is always good!”
Kurose remarked.

Kurose lay on the grass.

“Now—
let’s do some work,”
Kurose said,
his expression composed,
his eyes calm.

Kurose exhaled slowly.

“I have to train for the next two years,
because I wasn’t allowed to train
for the past five years,”

Kurose said,
his face composed,
his eyes filled with tiredness.

“But… it’s fine.”

“Let’s look at that.”

Kurose murmured.

With composed eyes,
relaxed shoulders,
and a steady expression—

“Access status.”

Bare moments later…

Nothing happened.

“It still doesn’t work?”

“Because I’m not the Hero
or the One Ruler anymore…?”

Kurose murmured in his mind,
his expression weary,
his eyes showing fatigue.

“But I still have to train…”

“That sounds exhausting…”

Kurose whispered.

“Besides that…”

“Let me ask Father
for a sword for training.”

Kurose said.

Moments later…

Kurose entered the house
with an empty basket.

Kurose walked to the table.

Hely was sitting on a chair.

Kurose put the empty basket
on the table.

“Mother,
the honey bread was delicious!”

Kurose remarked to Hely,
his gaze steady,
his face filled with satisfaction.

“I see.
Thank you, Kurose.”

Hely replied to Kurose,
her shoulders eased,
her softened gaze wrapped in maternal warmth.

Shortly afterward—

“Mother,
where is Father?”

Kurose asked Hely,
his posture steady.

“He left while you were out,”
Hely replied to Kurose,
her shoulders relaxed,
a faint smile on her face.

“I see.
When will he come back?”

Kurose asked Hely,
his posture straightened,
his gaze steady.

“He could come back any minute,”
Hely replied to Kurose.

Moments later—

Ven opened the door.

He was carrying
a heavy box in his hands.

He went straight upstairs,
breathing heavily.

After some moments…

Ven came downstairs,

exhaled slowly,
relaxed his shoulders,

and walked to the table.

Kurose interjected.

“Father!
I want to ask something!”

Kurose remarked to Ven,
steady shoulders,
straightened posture overflowing with anticipation.

“What do you want to ask?”

Ven replied to Kurose,
with relaxed shoulders,
a collected gaze.

“I want a sword,”
Kurose said to Ven.

Ven choked a bit.

“A s-sword?
Why do you want it?”

Ven asked Kurose,
his shoulders stiff.
Their gazes met.

“To be specific,
I want a training sword,”
Kurose remarked to Ven.

Ven realized something.

“Oh! I see,
you want a sword to train!”

Ven replied to Kurose.
He exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing,
with a faint smile.

“Yes!
I want to participate in the ceremony
that is happening after two years,”
Kurose said.

Ven and Hely
looked into each other’s eyes.

After a brief pause…

“Seriously,
you want to participate,
Kurose?”

Hely asked Kurose,
her posture straightened,
looking into Kurose eyes.

After exhaling slowly, she added,

“You don’t have to worry about it,
Kurose.”

“Yes, Kurose,
even if you participate,
your efforts will be in vain,
as other children's
have already started their training
months ago.”

Ven said to Kurose,
his shoulders composed,
his gaze firm.

“Honey!”

Hely said to Ven,
anger on her face,
her posture straightened,
meeting Ven’s gaze.

“I can’t help it, Hely.
This is the truth,”
Ven stated to Hely.

She averted her gaze.

After a brief pause,

Hely exhaled slowly.

“Now!
I’m not talking to you!”

Hely said to Ven.

She puffed her cheeks in disbelief,
averting her gaze with softly angered eyes.

“S-sorry, Hely!”

Ven replied to Hely,
an apologetic posture wrapped in regret,
with a sheepish smile.

“This family really is joyful..”

Kurose murmured,
his shoulders relaxing,
his gaze soft.

“And—
may I have permission
to go to the forest for training?”

Kurose interrupted politely.

with composed posture,
a small, expectant smile.

“You want to train alone?”

Hely asked Kurose,
her shoulders steady.

She tilted her head,
her fingertips pressed together,
then added,

“Will you be okay?”

“Yes, Mother!”

Kurose replied,
his shoulders relaxed,
a smile brimming with anticipation.

“Then,
you can have the sword tomorrow,”

Ven said calmly to Kurose,
his posture steady,
with a smile.

“Thank you,
Mother and Father.”

“Do your best,
Kurose!”

Hely remarked.

“Mother,
I’m going upstairs to rest.”

Kurose said,
with composed posture.

“Okay!”
Hely replied.

Kurose moved toward the stairs.

“I’m going to rest then, Mother!”

“Yes!
Sweet dreams, Kurose,”
Hely said to Kurose,
her shoulders softening.

Kurose went upstairs…

“I know…
this is neither a lie nor truth.
I really don’t care about practicing.
But…

"I want something to fill that hollowness that
came after rin died.”

Kurose murmured, as if drowning in the void,
his posture straightened.

The next day…

Kurose went downstairs
with anticipation.

“Dad!
Where is the sword?”
Kurose said.

He walked to the table.

“Oh! You’re here!”
Ven remarked.

Hely was plating food on the table.

“Good morning, Kurose!”
Hely said,
her shoulders relaxed.

“Good morning,
Mother and Father!”
Kurose replied,
with composed posture.

“Father!
Where is my sword?”

Ven picked up the sword from the table.

“Here!
It’s made from Great Tree Sertia wood—
a tree that lasted a hundred years.”

“Oh!”
Kurose exclaimed,
his shoulders calm,
brimming with excitement.

“It can last seven to eight years,
but it depends on how you use it,”
Ven said,
his posture dignified,
a quietly pleased smile on his face.

“Thank you, Father!”
Kurose replied.

Hely finished plating the food.

“Don’t overdo it, Kurose,”
Hely said calmly,
her posture relaxed.

She looked softly into Kurose eyes and added,
“If you ever feel tired,
your mother is here for you.”

“Thank you, Mother,”
he replied.

“I’m going to the forest
to practice now,”
Kurose said.

“Wait!
Eat breakfast first!”
Hely called out,
with composed posture.

“Okay!”
Kurose replied.

Within moments—

“Now I’m going,
Mother and Father!”
Kurose said,
his shoulders steady.

“Do your best,”
Ven said to Kurose,
a smile filled with quiet pride.

“Yes!”

Kurose left the house.

Clear sky,
Clouds drifting on cool winds,
farms full with golden harvest...

Kurose walking on the walk path.

"I have the place to train,
but what training i should do?."
Kurose murmured.
with composed shoulders tinged in thinking.

"The only training
i know is from my past life with a sword,
is the training i did when i was a hero."

"It's a training to improve
stamina and agility."
Kurose signed and added
"I guess that works for now.."


"Since i have to pass from the village,
to enter the forest,
i will buy something delicious to eat.
Kurose murmured.
with exhausting posture..

Moments later..

At the village gate,

"Yesterday, i won!
Do you still wanna guess?."
A guard said.

"Leave it!,
You will win because
the church priest is a friend of you."
Another guard replied,
he sighed and added
"If he's biased then is he really a priest?."

"He really is a priest!."
"He devoted his life
to worship the goddess who controls over dest-"

"What are they talking about?."
Kurose murmured..
with steady shoulders.

Kurose sighed and added.
"I don't really care about
what they are saying anyway."


Kurose passed the gate
and entered the village.

Kurose glanced around him
as he walked on the path.

"Oh! The shops are open now!."
I think yesterday,
it was a day off!.

Kurose murmured.
with relaxed shoulders.

"Oh! That means
the bakery would be open too!."

Shortly after.

Kurose founds a bakery.

"The bakery is open from the front!."
Kurose murmured.
with anticipated shoulders.

Kurose goes to the bakery's counter.

"Granny!
is shop has opened yet?."
Kurose asked the shop owner.
with composed posture.

"Oh! isn't kurose?."
Granny said.
With collected shoulders.

with a faint smile, she added,
"Yes! the shop is open!,
And kurose,
Your favourite honey bread is available!."
Granny replied to kurose.

"Then!, I'll take one!."
Kurose asked.
with a smile filled with happiness.

Granny sees the sword on his waist.

"You're training too? kurose?."
Granny asked.
with relaxed composure.

"Yes!."
He responded.

"Do your best!."
Granny calmly said to kurose.
with a faint smile on her face, she added
"After training,
make sure to eat the honeybread."

"Thank you! Granny!."
Kurose answered.
with a smile overflowing with happiness.


Kurose goes back to
walk along the path.

"He'll be alright,
because he's the kid
of the great heroes who saved this village years ago."
Granny murmured in her head.
with a faint smile on her face.

Some moments later.

Kurose almost arrived
at the forest gate.

Kurose glances around
and sees a lot of kids training.

"They're not going to the forest?."
"Forest is safe right?,
They why?.
Kurose murmured in his head.
with composed shoulders.

Kurose sighed and added
"It's okay as long as it doesn't bother me."

Kurose arrives at the forest gate.

He saw two guards standing.

"Hello!,
I want to enter the forest."
Kurose asked a guard.
with relaxed shoulders.


"You're kurose, right?"
Guard answered.
with steady posture.

"Yes!"
Kurose replied.

"Ven-sama had already informed us,
You can enter the forest."
Guard answered.

"Thank you!."
Kurose said.


As kurose was entering the forest,

A kid training noticed him from behind.

"Is he going to the forest alone?."
Kid murmured in his mind.
with stiff shoulders,
he grinned his teeth and added,
"I will not lose!."

Kid swings his sword.

After some moments..

Kurose goes a little deep into the forest.

He saw a big tree.

"So this is the
great tree vertis!,
that have been alive for two hundred years."
Kurose murmured.
with steady composure overflowing with anticipation.

He sighed and added,
"Lets make this my training area for two years!."

"Kurose drew out the sword from its sheath,
with holding it firmly with both hands."

"Lets start the training now!."