By Zephyria 
As I spoke, I suddenly became curious.
“But who are you? How do you know all this?”
Could Ophelia be one of those who created Aska? And what was the reason they needed a body that could withstand being outside the boundary?
“I’m just one of the Forgotten Race. I’ve lived a long time, so I know a lot.”
“How long have you lived?”
“About 10,000 years. I’m actually a very old woman.”
Ophelia burst into a frivolous laugh, clutching her stomach. I don’t know what’s so funny. Besides, 10,000 years is such a long time that I can’t even fathom how much time that is.
“I think you guys used to be called elves, but why were you forgotten? And why are you living here alone?”
Aska asked, looking a little better than before, as if he felt a little better.
“Why were we forgotten…? That’s a hard question to answer. Maybe it’s because we couldn’t adapt to the times and were left behind? Also, it was hard to reproduce because we had a strong individualistic tendency. We don’t have much curiosity, we don’t learn anything, and we generally have faint emotions. I’m a bit of an oddball.”
Ophelia rested her chin on her small hand and continued.
“I’ve had a lot of questions since I was a kid. Among them, I wanted to know the secrets of this world the most. As I investigated and learned about this and that, I naturally came to know a lot.”
She began a long story without warning.
“A long time ago, there was a great war. Countless things died, disappeared, and were destroyed over many years. Probably the most species went extinct since the world was created.”
I almost clicked my tongue without realizing it. Anyway, there was nothing good about war.
“At that time, humans had achieved a civilization that was incomparably more advanced than it is now. They were able to create artificial life using Mana and even change the climate at will. Thanks to that, it took some time, but the war ended in the victory of the humans.”
“Who was the opponent?”
Ophelia shook her head at my question.
“I don’t know. They were not just extinct, but completely banished from the world, so no one will know. It’s as if they never existed in the first place.”
Ophelia pointed to Aska and said.
“That’s why you were created. Because of that arrogant decision.”
Was it because I knew she had lived for an immense amount of time? Even though she was clearly small, I felt a strange sense of intimidation.
“I don’t know if they weren’t satisfied with simply killing them, or if they couldn’t kill them. They ended up opening the door that had been firmly closed in order to banish them from the world forever. Thinking that it would close if they pulled the doorknob again.”
“……”
“What’s worse, it wasn’t even a door. They just tore down a perfectly good wall. Things from the outside began to invade through the gap, and everything collapsed. The world was on the verge of destruction. Not the extinction of life, but the true end of the dimension.”
I felt like I was listening to a bard’s song. Like the kind where the legendary hero defeats the demon king…
“They desperately created you to fix their mistake. To somehow repair that torn gap.”
“……”
“There were many challenges, but they all failed miserably. Once a gap was torn, it could not be reattached by any means, and in the end, they only managed to block it temporarily. Like covering a gaping hole with a cloth.”
I wondered why the talk about a tailor suddenly came up, but this was the reason.
“But then another problem arose. What if the cloth covering it falls off? What do we do then? Should we create a second Aska in that generation? Of course, that wasn’t bad, but everyone was skeptical. Why?”
Was it because it was a story about Aska? It was absurd, but I started to focus more and more.
“Because it’s hard to make?”
Ophelia, not satisfied with Aska’s answer, looked at me. She seemed to want to hear my answer as well. Is she a teacher or what? I was about to say something, but I remembered that she was an old woman, so I just answered quietly.
“Lack of materials?”
Ophelia shook her head.
“Neither. It’s because High-level magic had to disappear. We can’t leave the power to destroy the world behind. Creating artificial life is also High-level magic. So, after much deliberation, we decided to make Aska an immortal being.”
“……”
“Of course, that goes against the laws of the world. Just as the dead cannot be resurrected, nothing is eternal in the world. Everything must have a beginning and an end. That’s how the world was designed.”
‘From then on, your pale time and memory will become an endlessly dying symbol of immortality.’
‘Memories must be inherited through blood and flesh…’
I muttered without realizing it at the sentence that flashed through my mind.
“Memory…”
Meanwhile, Aska said to Ophelia.
“Do I need to be immortal? I can just leave descendants. Like inheriting a family business.”
“Chimeras don’t have the ability to reproduce.”
“Is it easier to make me immortal than to make me able to reproduce?”
Aska frowned as if he didn’t understand. Now that I heard it, it was true. Isn’t the former much easier than the latter?
“Isn’t it because you’re not an ordinary chimera?”
What exactly did they mix him with…? I was so curious about what the race that had disappeared from the beginning was, but I felt like I would never know.
“And there are too many variables in leaving descendants. Lack of a sense of duty, lack of ability due to genetic limitations, risk of secrets being revealed…”
Now that I heard it again, it was true. One way or another, the current method seemed to be the most efficient.
That is, the immortality of memory, not the immortality of existence. As expected, Ophelia said exactly what I had expected.
“So, after everyone put their heads together and thought about it, we decided to have the memories inherited. Over time, life dies and is reborn, but if you can remember your past life, it’s no different from immortality.”
With this, the lack of a sense of duty and the risk of secrets being revealed that she had mentioned disappeared.
“The reborn body begins to mutate according to its own choices in the process of regaining its memories. Adapting to the surrounding environment is probably a reflection of the characteristics of the race.”
At that, I turned my head and looked at Aska. Is that why he can recreate or degenerate his body? It was an amazing story, but Aska didn’t seem to be very impressed.
Actually, it didn’t really resonate with me either. No matter what happened in the past, the most important thing now was whether Aska could be cured.
“Considering those characteristics, you are…”
Ophelia narrowed her eyes and scanned Aska up and down. Then she sighed deeply.
“You’re really ignorant.”
It was a sudden remark.
“Looking at your condition, it seems like you’ve regained some of your memories, but I don’t know if you know it or not…”
“What do you mean?”
When I frowned, Ophelia frowned as well. Then she thought for a while and said to me.
“For example, let’s say your arm was cut off instead of your heart. Then it’s like Aska cut off his own arm and attached it to you, and cauterized his own wound to stop the bleeding.”
“……”
“The problem is that it doesn’t heal, so it keeps bleeding. Every time that happens, he keeps cauterizing it or freezing it, or whatever… He just keeps taking emergency measures in such an ignorant way.”
I was so surprised by the unexpected words that I couldn’t help but look at Aska. No, I expected it to some extent, but I didn’t know it would be this bad. Aska slowly avoided my gaze, wondering if he didn’t know his condition.
“Looking at your wings earlier, it seems like the mutation failed too…”
“It wasn’t originally shaped like that. Someone said they weren’t pretty, so he said he would degenerate them himself.”
“Why are you telling other people about me without my permission? And it’s not because they’re not pretty, it’s just because they’re uncomfortable…”
When I tattled, Aska frowned and grumbled. That liar.
“It’s even more serious if you did it on your own will. Anyway, it’s certain that only one can exist at a time, so if you die like this, you’ll be re-impregnated in the most suitable host.”
“Die? Who’s dying?”
“Can I die?”
Unlike me, who was horrified, Aska’s expression bloomed like a spring flower. It was so absurd that I turned around, but Aska didn’t even look at me.
“Then can I die of natural causes too? Can I die of old age?”
Ophelia tilted her head with a puzzled expression. It was understandable that she was dumbfounded because he was so happy even though he was dying.
“Anyway, your current condition is almost like a corpse, so you won’t live long. I don’t know about aging, but if you stay like this, you’ll die soon. It’s closer to dying of illness than dying of natural causes.”
At those words, Aska grabbed my hand, jumped up from his seat, and cheered.
“……”
I raised both hands in the air along with him, and I was breathless. I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t say anything and just opened and closed my mouth like a goldfish, then asked urgently.
“Why a corpse? Because of the wound?”
“Wouldn’t his own will be the biggest factor? Looking at how he’s even degenerating…”
“What will?”
“Uh… The will to become a corpse?”
“……”
Without knowing my absurd heart, Aska continued to shout silent shouts of joy.