Even after Catastro had stepped aside, a steady stream of people I’d come to know over the past year arrived with gifts to celebrate my birthday.
Truly, having an occasion like this made me realize all over again how many people I had met... and how much kindness I was currently living within.
I’d been swept up in a Hero Summoning, something I’d only ever read about in fiction, and now I found myself surrounded by such a vast crowd.
I used to have these vague dreams—no, fantasies—about going to another world, becoming an unrivaled hero with cheat powers, and gaining wealth and fame. But my actual life here was quite different from the one I’d imagined.
Even in this other world, I remained weak—so weak I couldn’t do anything alone. I spent every day being helped and supported by those around me.
But thinking about it now, that wasn't really so strange.
There were probably people out there who could live entirely on their own if you looked hard enough, but they were likely few and far between. Everyone had things they could and couldn't do; we lived by complementing one another.
Honestly, I had more weaknesses than strengths. But even Kuro or Alice, who seemed capable of anything, or Shiro, a being who was practically almighty, weren't perfect in every way.
There were things they didn't understand, things they didn't know, and moments where they surely felt lost. If I could fill those gaps even slightly—if I could support them in return—then nothing could make me happier.
Yes, that was it. My life in this world might not be what I had originally pictured, but instead...
"Alright, it's finally time for Alice-chan's present! We’re heading outside the castle... Okay, Eden-san, if you would. Please teleport everyone."
"...Incomprehensible. Doubt. I... Execution of instructions. Obligation. None."
"It’s for Kaito-san’s sake, you know?"
"Minor dissatisfaction. However... acknowledged."
While I was lost in my thoughts, Alice had somehow started giving Eden instructions to move everyone out of the venue.
A gift she couldn't give me inside? Was it because of the size? Setting that aside... was it just me, or were those two starting to get along?
The fact that Eden, who usually ignored everyone, was following the directions of someone who wasn't even from her own world—even while grumbling—suggested she had at least some degree of respect for Alice. Normally, Eden just gave a cold shoulder to anyone from this world who tried to speak to her.
As I pondered this, the scenery shifted in an instant. We were standing outside the castle. There were no precursors like those typical of teleportation magic; the background simply swapped as if a camera had cut to a new shot. Her behavior might be outrageous, but she truly was the God of a world.
"Now then, everyone, please move exactly as I've instructed. Magnawell-san, another fifty steps back, if you please."
"Mmm. One must mind one's footing."
"You can just float, can't you? Hey! You, Rotten Angel! I told you about this already! You’re on the edge. What is it? If you have a problem, take off those bothersome wings."
Alice created dozens of clones, guiding everyone into specific positions with individual instructions. I was led by the main Alice to join the group, lining up alongside the rest.
The arrangement immediately reminded me of a group photo.
Magnawell and the massive Megiddo were placed in the rear. Clustered right around me were Kuro, Isis, Sieg, Lilia, and Alice—the five of them.
Once everyone was in place, most of the clones vanished, leaving only a few standing a short distance in front of us.
"Alright, everyone! Look this way, please! And make sure you give me a big smile! Here we go!"
In that moment, I felt like Alice’s clones flickered with a faint light, as if they had moved at a speed far beyond human perception.
I understood what she had done soon enough.
Alice walked over with a smile and handed it to me—a single painting encased in a magnificent frame.
"Kaito-san, happy birthday. This is my gift to you. I’ve even applied Status Preservation Magic to it."
"..."
She had completely won. This was playing dirty. There was no way I wouldn't be moved by this.
"...Thank you."
The painting was as precise as any photograph, yet it possessed a warmth in its colors that only a brush could capture. It showed me standing there, surrounded by all the people who had come to celebrate my birth.
The 'me' in the painting looked truly happy, wearing a smile that came from the bottom of my heart.
Ah, I really was lucky. This wasn't what I had once imagined, but it was much, much more... It was a life more wonderful than anything I could have ever conceived.
That painting held every bit of that happiness within its frame.
Dear Mother, Father—Humans, Demons, Gods... even me. No one is perfect, and that is exactly why we support each other. Our thoughts overlap, our hearts connect, and through that, memories are woven. It isn't something you can see, nor does it have a physical temperature. But there is undeniably something warm there. I guess you’d call that a bond.
Every time I look at that painting of happy memories, I remember that day. And, at the same time, I feel a wave of regret. Over and over, yes, over and over... Even though I know the past can't be changed, I still look back and wish I'd done things differently. Ah, why didn't I say it back then? Why didn't I make sure to tell them... "Next time, a normal scale is fine," I should have said...
???: "Did you think it was going to end on a serious note? Too bad! It’s a gag!!" Serious-senpai: "You traitor! You betrayed my expectations!!" ???: "Well, it’s Chapter 600, so it felt right to wrap things up nicely... but we still have Eden-san’s present left, don't we?" Serious-senpai: "Ah..."