On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

"I am home."

"You have said that before."

"No, I just feel that looking at your face really makes me feel like home."

"... I don\'t know how I should take those words."

I shrug my shoulder as a way to tell Valeria she can freely comprehend it the way she likes. She shakes her head faintly with a small smile just at the same time we arrive in front of the door connecting us to the garden.

The door opens even though none of us activate the Rune inscribed on it, which slightly surprises me considering it has never happened before. I am quick to shrug it off though; after all, this world is a Magic world.

Whoosh!

The last time I went to the garden was roughly two weeks ago, which was right after my Awakening. Valeria brought me there because she wanted to show me how far the gap between me and the Heroes was.

I don\'t know if it will be the same this time, but I didn\'t know I missed the eerie yet comfortable atmosphere of the garden until now.

"I have expected this, but this place really doesn\'t change even in the evening," I remark.

The sky of the area where the garden is located in looks the same no matter what time it is. It is in the middle between day and night, but instead of seeing an orange light in the sky due to the Rayleigh scattering, you see a greyish light in the sky.

They sky looks neither bright nor gloomy. It looks solemn, but it is not depressive, so you can still find comfort when you look at it.

"State your business!"

By the time I know it, Valeria and I have arrived in front of the arbor of the garden that is guarded by the same two Gargoyles on each of its sides. They stop us with their spears, and it honestly amuses me how they can\'t still remember us.

"We want to bless our eyes with the beauty of the garden\'s scenery," I answer before Valeria opens her mouth.

"State who you are!"

"Ilschevar—"

"Liar! You are the Third Wing Warrior Layland Kleinhaus!"

Looking at the Gargoyle neutrally, I say, "Why did you even bother to ask if you already know?"

"Just to make sure that the handsome Demon we see is the same pathetic brat that we met a couple of months ago. Ka-ka-ka!"

Seeing the Gargoyles laugh honestly slightly surprises me. I thought they were no different from Golems—they only do what they are commanded to do—so I never expected them to say something like that.

"Enjoy your time!"

Retracting their spears, the two Gargoyles allow us to pass through the arbor. They immediately turn into statues again the moment we pass through it, making the earlier situation seem like a mere hallucination.

"What are they actually?"

"Gargoyles are creatures that are born from the soul of the dead Demons. They are inanimate objects that gain sentience because of the soul inhabiting their inanimate body."

"Who makes their body?"

"Sometimes their family, and sometimes themselves. It is not that hard making a statue that looks like that, so anyone can do it as long as they know the right Rune to inscribe."

Humming to myself, I say, "Does that mean the soul of the deceased Demon Kings are now living as Gargoyles? If so, why is there a need to give them a proper burial? They are, after all, technically still alive."

"The thing is, when you die, you die."

Valeria stops in her tracks, prompting me to do the same since I am holding her hand. She turns to the left and gazes at the pond below the bridge we are standing on.

"Even though you live as a Gargoyle, nothing can ever be the same. You will not remember who you were, who your lover was—everything about you dies the moment your soul leaves your original body. That is why a proper burial is needed."

Sighing softly as she looks at me solemnly, Valeria adds, "There are many occurrences where Gargoyles pay their respect to their previous self. It is ironic when they sympathize with their own death, so never think of becoming a Gargoyle."

Turning away, Valeria resumes her walk and drags me with her. She stays silently ever since, allowing me to entertain the thought of me someday being a Gargoyle.

The two Gargoyles guarding the arbor look like they are enjoying their duty to be honest. Although they are bound to their duty for the rest of their life, as long as they love what they are doing, I don\'t think it is a bad life to live.

Still, I want to keep myself alive as long as I can, so I will never hope to be a Gargoyle.

"Here we are."

"This is... The lake—the lake that I have never visited."

Our destination is revealed to be the lake on the south of Path of Reminder. Even though this is my third time visiting the garden, I have only seen it from afar before, so I am slightly astonished by how beautiful it is up close.

"You know, I would have taken a bath here if I knew this place could be visited."

"It was your fault for not asking," Valeria rebukes.

"Well, there was a certain someone who told me I could only ask her three questions."

"Rules are made to be broken." Valeria shrugs, then starts taking off her dress. "What are you waiting for? Are you going to enter the lake with—oh, you can do that."

Valeria is a little bit surprised by the fact that I can take my clothes off in an instant with the help of my Spatial Storage. I am sure she can do the same, but she still keeps taking off her dress manually; probably, as an attempt to tease me.

Shrugging, I watch the whole process of her taking off her dress keenly. I pay attention to every crook and cranny of her body, making her somewhat self-conscious.

"Kuhum! Let us get into the lake," Valeria says with an almost unnoticeable blush.

With a small smirk, I reply, "After you, Madame."

Splash!

Upon entering the lake, we immediately immerse ourselves until the water reaches half of our chest. We sit side by side, and enjoy the silence between us as we gaze at the sky.

The silence is perceived for more than a minute, but rather than feeling uncomfortable, I am getting cozier the more I enjoy Valeria\'s presence. It is at this moment that I realized I haven\'t rested well for the past two weeks.

The chaotic days I have passed made me feel I was in a constant danger 24/7. Different from the days of training when I could sleep like a baby at night, I needed to always stay alert even when I was asleep.

The outside world is such a dangerous place, but I know I have only tasted just a part of it. There will be crazier things waiting for me in the future, so I really enjoy this peaceful moment I have with Valeria.

"How much have you grown?"

"2 inches."

"I am not asking about your height, but your power."

Turning to Valeria, I quirk my eyebrow. "Can\'t you tell? You never had a problem with gauging my power before."

Valeria smiles softly in amusement. "You don\'t need to be cheeky. I admit your skill in hiding your power already."

Talking about hiding my power, I am reminded of Luxia. She has said that she also had a hand in it; she is one of the reasons why it is so hard for people to gauge my strength or detect me nowadays.

\'P-Peek... O-Oh my... That appendage looks as cute as it is terrifying!\'

Upon hearing my pervert of a Forest Spirit\'s remark, my eyes can\'t help darkening. \'Please, don\'t examine it as if it is an exotic animal. Also, why are you even looking?!\'

\'W-Who is looking at what?! There is no way I want to look at that b-big dangly thing of yours!\'

\'Then, how could you know it is dangling?\'

\'...\'

I stop hearing voices in my head ever since. I don\'t know what Luxia does after that, but I still feel my nether region is being gazed at.

I can\'t tell for sure, however, if it is Luxia since Valeria is also gazing down there intensely. She looks irked for some reason, but I am wise enough to not ask her about it.

"Anyway, about my power, why don\'t you see it later?" I say, making Valeria break her her eye contact with my schlong. "There are many Warriors using the Training Field, right? I can spar with some of them to show you how strong I have become."

Just before Valeria responds me, I hear a splash on my right. Both Valeria and I turn our head to the right, and find naked Millonia smirking at us—me, in particular.

"You didn\'t sense me, did you?"

"I would have been surprised if I didn\'t." My answer managed to falter her smirk.

"Anyway, what about sparring with me instead? My Seal has been partly lifted—you\'ll be surprised by how strong I really am."

Although I didn\'t know she had a Seal on her, I am not too surprised at the revelation because I have expected something like this to be the case. I mean, why would an unexceptional human attract the Demon King\'s interest?