Last Episode
Laura was placed in an orphanage. She didn’t know why it happened. She couldn’t remember ever having a father. Her mother had been there, but she disappeared at some point.
Various adults led her by the hand—some were kind, some seemed annoyed—and before she knew it, she was at the orphanage.
A Scary Place
That was Laura’s first impression of the orphanage.
A large, symmetrical building with black stone walls, a sturdy iron gate at the entrance, and tall brick walls surrounding it.
Once I go in, I might never come out.
Laura stood frozen in front of the gate, her body tense. The woman who brought her smiled gently.
“It’s okay, Laura. It’s not as scary as it looks.”
She squeezed Laura’s hand softly, warmth radiating from her touch.
“I was in this orphanage too, a long time ago.”
“Really?”
Laura looked closely at the woman’s kind face.
“What was it like?”
“Well…”
The woman thought for a moment before continuing.
“It was very tough.”
“Tough?”
“We had to learn many things. Cleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking, and studying.”
“So many things?”
Laura started to worry. She couldn’t do anything well. She had never been praised for anything, only scolded for failing.
“I can’t do anything.”
The woman squeezed her hand a little tighter. Laura wanted to go back, but there was nowhere to return to.
“It’s okay, Laura. They’ll teach you gently and patiently. Each thing you learn will give you confidence. You’ll start to feel like you’re getting better at things. The director here calls it ‘finding your value.’”
“Value?”
“Yes, value. Everything has value. Food and clothes in stores have prices, right? That’s their value. But the most important value is the one you give yourself. It’s the most important thing in life, but it’s not easy to find. That’s why you have to work hard here.”
“Did you find your value?”
Laura couldn’t quite grasp the idea of “finding her value.” She imagined it like putting a price tag on herself, like fruits and vegetables.
“Yes, of course!”
The woman’s words were bright and confident.
“I believe I’m the most valuable person in the world. No amount of gold could ever match my worth. No matter what anyone says. That’s who I am.”
Laura looked the woman up and down. She looked ordinary. Not particularly beautiful, but bright and confident.
“I know you’re anxious. I was too, back then. But it’s okay. Coming here might feel unfortunate, but it’s also lucky.”
The woman’s words gave Laura a little push, and she stepped through the iron gate.
In the wide yard, children were diligently working—cleaning, tending plants, even repairing the building.
They noticed Laura and waved. Laura, surprised, waved back. She had never done that before, and it startled her. The sight of children doing the kind of work that adults do seemed unreal, like something out of a fantasy.
As they approached the building’s door, a woman appeared.
She wore a white robe, her hair like golden thread, her skin like silk, and her red eyes like rubies, radiating strength. She looked young, somewhere between a child and an adult.
“You must be Laura,”
she said with a gentle smile.
“I’m Luna, and I’d like to welcome you..”
Life at the orphanage was as hard as they said.
Laura had to do many chores: cleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking. She wasn’t thrown into it all at once. First, she watched the older kids, then they taught her patiently, and finally, she did it herself.
It didn’t go well at first, but they praised her for what she did manage to do. She wasn’t scolded much for her mistakes, which made her want to try harder.
Despite the tough days, the meals they made together were delicious, and they had plenty of sleep, so she didn’t feel too tired.
Her mind was always filled with thoughts of how to do her tasks better.
Director Luna was a strange person. Though the orphanage seemed to run smoothly, there were inevitable conflicts among the children. It is not just one or two.
Luna mediated these conflicts skillfully and joyfully.
“I have all the time in the world for you.”
That was Luna’s motto.
Luna’s office was always open, and the children would go there with their problems.
Laura once went there after a fight with a girl her age.
“Fights happen because you’re interested in each other,”
Luna said, lighting a green flame on her fingertip. Everyone knew Luna was a magician, but her occasional displays of magic fascinated Laura and the others.
“If you weren’t interested, nothing would happen. You’d just ignore each other. But that’s not fun, right? Things happen because it’s interesting. I enjoy it when something happens with you all.”
Luna blew on the green flame, which spread out like a mist, surrounding Laura in countless tiny stars.
“Wow…”
Laura didn’t understand the magic, but it was so beautiful she couldn’t help but be amazed.
“Fights aren’t bad. Don’t be afraid. It’s about facing each other head-on, saying what you want to say, and then understanding the other person. The kids here are good, but outside, there are all kinds of people. Some are sly, some are bad. You won’t get along with everyone. But if you have a strong heart, bad or sly people won’t come near you. So you need to become strong here.”
Luna patted Laura’s head.
They didn’t talk every day, but Luna’s words always stayed with Laura.
As Laura became better at her tasks, she started studying
She learned reading, writing, and simple math. These were useful for shopping and other daily activities, so they came naturally to her.
What she had thought she could not do at first, she began to be able to do more and more, and Laura gained confidence. Some kids were more capable, some less, but it didn’t bother her.
Luna often said,
“People aren’t equal. So there’s no point in comparing yourself to others, is there? Be proud of yourself for being able to do things you couldn’t do before. That’s where value is born. After all, what value is there in someone who was rich from the start? It’s just that their parents had money, right? That doesn’t become the person’s own value. Everyone has a different starting line, but what matters is what you’ve built up from there. Warrior King wasn’t great just because he was born a king. He’s evaluated based on what he did after becoming king.”
Luna often spoke of Warrior King, the most famous historical figure, still loved by the people. Talking about him always made Luna happy, nostalgic, and a bit sad. Sometimes, she even called him Rath.
Eventually, Laura was adopted by a childless couple.
Luna was always very careful about who took in her children, and took her time to determine the best place for them. The couple who adopted Laura were kind. hey were pleased when she helped her mother with the household chores and surprised when she helped her father with his work. They cherished Laura. When she visited the orphanage, Luna was always there, unchanged, welcoming her warmly.
Laura got married, had children, and grew old.
Her adoptive parents passed away, and her husband died before her. On her deathbed, surrounded by her children and grandchildren, she felt a mix of happiness and a little loneliness.
One late night, ready for the end, someone stood by her bed.
In the moonlight, Laura saw red eyes.
“I’ve come to say goodbye,”
Luna delivered the news of death like a reaper, but with the gentleness of an angel. Laura was afraid of dying, but seeing Luna, who looked so much younger than herself, brought her a sense of relief, and her fear began to fade.
“Thank you, Luna. I’m glad I could see you at the end.”
Luna gently took Laura’s outstretched hand.
“Say, Laura. Would you like to live forever?”
Having taken her hand, Luna posed a single question.
“No. I’ve lived a life of sufficient value. I’m scared of dying, but it was a life I wouldn’t trade for anything. And you came to me. There couldn’t be a better ending. It’s all thanks to you, Luna.”
“I’m glad.”
Luna smiled lovingly.
“You’ve lived a full life. It was beautiful and valuable. There’s nothing to fear. Be proud.”
Luna’s words eased Laura’s heart, and she drifted into eternal sleep.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
Afterword
The ending episode is original to the book version, but there’s another ending I wrote.
That one involves Kahn’s vampire ritual, but my editor rejected it, saying it because he felt that Khan was looking at Luna as a woman, which was weird.
That wasn’t my intention. I wanted to explore what Kahn, who pursued magic all his life, truly desired and what happened then.
Since my editor felt that way, others might too, so I reluctantly changed the ending.
The rejected episode can be read by answering the survey via the address on the book’s cover and back. Though it was cut, it’s still part of the main story, so I’d be happy if you read it.
Finally, I want to thank my editor, illustrator Enta, designer, and everyone involved in this book. They made it a beautiful story. I’m glad it became a book.
TLNOTE : What a beautiful story, Daken sensei never miss! all of his novels are masterpiece! That’s why I implore you dear readers to read other masterpiece novels that also written by the same author :
- When the Monster Meat I Ate Led Me to the Throne (LN)
- Who killed the Hero?
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
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Thank you very much for the translation!
In the afterward the author says there is another ending, did you already include it, or were you not able to find it?
I’m also not sure if this would have a sequel, any news about that?
The survey is region-locked to Japan. If someone can provide the Japanese text, I would gladly translated it. Sadly, there’s no news about a sequel yet.
I am not sure, but can’t that be solved with a vpn? If we can have the addres maybe it will be possible to get it.
already tried that with several vpn but no luck
I see. That is what was used for the same survey locked content for Mobuseka. If you are willing to share the address, I could try to contact a Japanese friend to get it.