Extra's Perfect Ending

Chapter 167: Old man

The night sky looked as beautiful and surreal as ever. The field of reeds stretched endlessly across the horizon, making it feel as though this place extended forever. But Reeva knew better—if he walked long enough, this place would eventually come to an end.

However, something had been bothering him since his last trip here. No matter how far he walked, he never came across the house where the old man burned his reeds. He had spent a long time walking through this field but never once saw the old man’s house.

Yet, he could reach the end of the reed field. So, something was preventing him from finding that place, or maybe there were rules that made it impossible to locate.

But he’d figure that out eventually. So, he started walking again. The reeds rustled slightly when he brushed against them, reacting only faintly to his touch. This suggested that they either had little to no mystic properties or that he himself was a mystic. The former seemed more likely.

After walking for a while, with nothing but his thoughts for company, Reeva realized he hadn’t gotten anywhere. The field of reeds and the stone formations seemed endless. He was certain he’d walked a few kilometers by now, but he was still in the same place.

Maybe I’ve been walking in the wrong direction.

He turned east—at least, that’s what he believed was east. The reeds swayed as he pushed through them, and when he glanced back, he noticed that the reeds he’d parted had already closed up, as though he’d never passed through them.

It would be easy to get lost here.

This time, however, he had a goal. He wanted to find the house where the old man had lived.

He continued walking, the field of reeds blurring as he passed. Then, something caught his eye—a house.

The very same broken-down house he’d seen before, where the old man had appeared. Reeva’s face lit up with a smile, and he ran toward the house. But before he could reach it, a wave of pressure crashed down on him.

It felt like a wall of water was slowing him down, pushing him to the ground, making it impossible to move. He tried crawling, but no matter how much effort he put in, he couldn’t get closer.

Creek.

The old wooden door swung open, and out stepped the middle-aged farmer, just like before. Reeva couldn’t recall the man’s face, but this time he understood why—it wasn’t meant to be remembered. This man was likely a god, and if someone as weak as Reeva could remember the face of a god, it would probably mean he was already dead.

"Who are you?" the man asked, his voice utterly natural, as if it belonged to the wind. HE wore the same farmer tatter hat as before. Reeva could tell since he remembered the shirt that the guy wore.

"I... can’t..." Reeva struggled to form the words under the crushing weight. But as if sensing his struggle, the man eased the pressure, allowing Reeva to take a deep breath.

"Thank you..."

"Speak. Who are you?" the man repeated. This time more serious than the first.

"I’m Reeva, son of House Antores, one of the Dukes of Eyre."

The middle-aged man looked at him, stroking his beard. "You’re not telling the whole truth, but it doesn’t matter. Why are you here?"

After listening to the man speak more, Reeva realized something: the man was speaking in a very old language, but somehow, Reeva could understand him perfectly. Reeva then replied in perfect Eyrish.

"I’m here to find this place... I came to find you, so you could help me?"

"Why do you think I can help you?" the man asked.

"Is this the place you go when you die?"

"Yes, this is my heaven," the middle-aged man said, giving Reeva a strange look. "Usually, those who die under me turn into reeds, but you seem... special. How did you come here, anyway?"

"I take a nap, and then it brings me here. I’ve been here many times." Reev tells another truth, trying to buy the god’s trust.

"Curious..." The man glanced up at the night sky. "You didn’t appear in my mystic sense... are you still alive, by any chance?"

"That’s what I’ve been saying."

"Forgive me, but I don’t trust the word of a stranger I can’t confirm—especially in a place like this. Sorry, I haven’t spoken to anyone in a long time. What exactly do you want from me?"

"Just to confirm... are you the Sun God?"

"Many would call me that."

Reeva held his breath as the man confirmed his suspicion. He had half-expected this outcome, but it still surprised him. The god seemed far more casual than he had imagined for a deity.

"So... I’m currently being held by your priests, and I want you to send an oracle to pardon me."

The Sun God smiled and looked at Reeva, as though he had just heard the best joke of his life.

"And what do I get in return? If my priests caught you, you must have done something wrong, right? My father always told me not to deal with criminals like you." He points at Reeva who’s felt very bad.

Reeva hesitated, not knowing what to make of the Sun God’s peculiar way of speaking. "What could I possibly offer you? Your priests are going mad, siding with a demon cult. I just helped them stop a cult from summoning a demon, but I got caught in the process because I’m a mystic unaffiliated with the church."

"And?"

"What...?"

"I’m not hearing the full story. You’re telling the truth, but I can tell there’s more you’re holding back." The Sun God looked over the endless field of reeds. "Normally, I would have smitten your soul and obliterated you already. Consider this my gift for being the first person to speak with me in a long time. Now, answer me properly."