After the creation of the dungeon's Solitary Island, we continued with our observation for a while and occasionally adjusted the place as required like making reefs for the fish, increasing the depth of the sea bed, and making the environment more suitable for aquatic creatures.
Once the tropical island on the first floor had been established enough, we proceeded with the second floor which would mainly serve as a mana generation spot and a hunting ground for low-level residents by arranging weak monsters.
"Hmm, the self-sufficient supply of salt has been proceeding smoothly. Next, it's time to plant more world trees on the second floor. We'll use it as a mana generation region mainly, and set it up for the monsters to automatically appear."
"Teto also wants a hidden hideout-like place!"
"A secret hideout, huh? A small place would be my choice. A hot spring and tatami-floor style room would be nice on the 3rd floor."
What came to my mind was the typical room of a Japanese inn around the hot spring...... Coming up with the layout, I created a secret hideout place for us in a narrow space on the 3rd floor near the Dungeon Core and planted world trees around it.
The dungeon was open to the people of the but it was far from being an attractive place that would justify them traveling from all over the settlement to here. After all, as small as it might be, this land rivaled small nations in size.
At best, they might be interested enough to come to make salt or sugar, to gather rare tropical region fruits, to hunt the sea's aquatic creatures, or to train on the 2nd floor by fighting monsters and staying here for a short while.
Well, there was the sudden appearance of a dungeon, but I would leave the daily matters to the representatives of each race. As for me,
— I toured around the with Teto and visited each race. — Sometimes, I locked myself in the research tower and went through research that had been on my mind recently. — I spend time cooking with Teto in the mansion and reading the books we have retrieved. — On some occasions, Selene would come with her child, or Erneah-san with her compatriot for the cultural exchange and to hang out
There were also times we sneaked away from the eyes of Baretta and the other maids and ventured outside of the forest with — it was basically a whimsical life following whatever thought we had that popped up.
While we continued to live serenely following the same lifestyle for around a decade, some of our acquaintances couldn't escape the passage of time.
Three years after the stampede that had engulfed the western continent in its wake, I received a letter about the death of the retired adventurer Alsace-san.
The adventurer party and the holy sword were succeeded by his disciple Tonny, and last I heard, he seemed to be following the footsteps of Alsace-san and using his sword for the sake of the people.
Around 6 years ago, Selene informed us about the passing of her dad, Albert, the former king of Iska Kingdom, through a communication magic tool.
The previous king's health had started to take a turn for the worse, however, it wasn't an immediate death so Selene and her family were able to exchange parting remarks with her father, and then, in the company of his kids and grandkids, he succumbed to peaceful eternal slumber.
A grand funeral was held in the capital city of the Iska Kingdom.
Duke Gyunton of the Gard Beastkin Nation, too, was experiencing declining health and passed away last year after transferring the title of Duke.
I had passed them supplements made from the leaves of the world tree, however, that still couldn't defy their fate. But their passing was a peaceful one, they left the world experiencing the care of their family and loved ones until the end.
These changes were not foreign to the as well, as most of the elderly refugees that we had accepted also passed away one after another. In the settlement where they lived, the graduates of the boarding school, both the humans and the halflings, made their new homes there and raised a family.
"Is it the season of parting, I wonder?......"
As I turned 80, my acquaintances left the world one after another. Its influence had at last reached nearby our place.
"Majou-sama, Teto-sama...... I apologize for disturbing you."
"What's with that grave face, Yahada?
"Did something happen? Eat delicious food and shoo away your troubles!"
After hearing our question, Yahada, who had come to visit us with a stern face, seemed to have finally prepared himself as he soon worded out his reason.
"......Today, the Chief of our tribe has...... passed away."
Teto and I were surprised. His condition hadn't been in an optimal state for quite a while, so we knew this day would come sooner or later. We quietly received the news.
When the health of the Dragon-Demon chief had started deteriorating a year ago, I had casted recovery magic on him and handed him some potions during my visit. However, my treatment wasn't as effective as I wanted it to be.
Healing magic worked by promoting the self-healing ability of an individual while potion took effect by amplifying the effects of medicines through mana and helped out the body's condition.
My effort did improve the health symptoms that were occurring due to old age, but the root cause remained untreated as it couldn't stop the aging of cells.
"The Chief was 321 years old. He recently received treatment and medicines from the Lamia apothecaries and the maids, but he had reached the end of his lifespan for our race and he, at last, laid his life to rest."
The chief of the Dragon-Demon race had continued to handle their village after they migrated from the floating island to here as its oldest member.
He helped us with a lot of things as well and half of the reason the we had before became the of today was due to his help.
"......We've lost a remarkable person."
"......Teto also received delicious food from him."
"Having Majou-sama and Teto-sama say such words, Chief's efforts have certainly paid off."
Yahada bowed his head at our words.
Even though they had robust bodies and a long lifespan comparable to elves, there was still a limit to them. I knew very well about the capabilities of our maid team and the medical skills of the Lamias, and they must have done their best until the end.
My involvement wouldn't have changed the outcome either as I didn't know any magic to extend one's lifespan nor could I create a rejuvenation potion or something that could restore life force. At best, I could cast recovery magic and delay his parting for a few days.
This wasn't the first time the people who had migrated to this place passed away due to aging or illness.
However, hearing about the passing of yet another acquaintance once again made my forlornness swirl inside me.
"How was the Chief's final moments?"
"Was he in pain? Did he suffer?"
Teto and I asked.
"In his final moments, he departed peacefully with a calm expression to the realm of the underworld goddess, Loriel-sama. The Chief had entrusted the future of the race to the rest of us, knowing there wouldn't be anything but prosperity that would follow us."
Yahda strongly asserted.
New life had been born among the Demon-Dragon race, and they no longer had to worry about scarcity of food like on the cramped floating island they once lived in.
The gears of their once-stagnant life on the floating island had once again started moving, liberating them from the confinement of the past. He was able to watch the mythical beasts freely roam the wilderness, the forest, and the sky.
"Chief had been deeply grateful to Majou-sama and Teto-sama."
"I see...... It's great that his last moments were spent peacefully. We will attend the funeral."
"Teto also wants to bid him a final farewell."
Since I was immortal, I didn't know what kind of words I should offer to Yahada and chose some innocuous words. In response, he deeply bowed his head with gratitude.
The following morning, Teto, Baretta, and I visited the Dragon-Demon settlement and saw the peaceful figure of the chief in the coffin.
Around him were the members of his fellow Demon-Dragon race and the Angel race they had been living together with on the floating island. A little farther from where the coffin was, there were also Dragon Grandpa, the Mythical Beasts, the Earthnoids, Golems, and Earth Spirits, and the chief of the other races who came to bid the chief a final farewell.
Each and every one of them had been someone whom the chief watched over or watched over him in return.
"Majou-sama, Teto-sama. Your final words—"
"......Hmm."
We approached the coffin as the new Patriarch of Demon-Dragon race urged us, and looked at the still visage of their chief.
"Thank you for all your efforts. May your next life be filled with happiness. And someday, let's meet again in the cycle of reincarnation."
"We will be waiting with delicious food!"
I myself am a reincarnator. The chief would reincarnate once again so I wished him happiness for his next life. Baretta just lowered her head.
And with our parting words concluded, the Chief's coffin was closed and cremated with the breath of Dragon Grandpa.
Amidst the intermittent sobbing voice, the fire of the Ancient Dragon burned the remains of the chief to ashes in a span of a few seconds.
I continued to offer my prayers until the fire died down, and once the fire was extinguished and the ashes cooled down, the chief's magic stone was reclaimed.
It was the custom of the Demon-Dragon race and the Angel race to cremate the dead body and leave the remaining magic stone to the kins of the deceased as they would inherit their power and will.
Once the funeral was over, the banquet began to brush off the mournful atmosphere.
The Dragon-Demon members served the dishes they had prepared for this day. We also took part in it.
<mama! this="" is="" twasty!=""></mama!>
In the company of adults were also the kids of the Demon-Dragon and Angel races that had gathered.
Among them, I listened to the delightfully innocent voice of a young child, her face beaming and her hands and mouth sticky with food as she fumbled on the word 'tasty'.
<yes, mama!=""></yes,>
The mechanoid woman who was called Mama gently wiped the child's dirty mouth and hands while casting a loving, tender gaze upon her.
She was the girl born between an Angel race and a Mechanoid. A beautiful child who took after her Angel race father's looks, however, she didn't have the halo or wings of the Angel race. Instead, she inherited the Mechanoid race.
As we were watching the little girl, the mother probably noticed our gaze as she bowed her head to us.
<master, teto-sama.="" i="" apologize="" for="" not="" being="" able="" to="" show="" my="" face="" a="" while.=""></master,>
"Don't mind it, all that matters is you are happy."
She had wanted to live with her Angel race husband, and so she had been handling the Angel race settlement like some sort of locally assigned staff while taking care of her child.
She wasn't a lone case as there were also other Mechanoids like her who married the males of other races.
In fact, as if to take over the changing generation, the children of the Mechanoids who were the first ones to give birth were now working and learning the ropes of the maid work as the 3rd generation maid corps when they entered their early teenage years.
"Well, let's respect whatever the child wishes to do."
The child of the Mechanoid looked at us with a puzzled expression. Her face adorably changed with each second, like someone was playing with clay.
The service dolls I had created gradually acquired emotions and a soul.
However, they were mechanical beings to begin with, so many of them struggled with expressing themselves, but the children born from them possessed equally rich expressions as any other race.
It has made me excited about the future of the new generation of Mechanoids.
In addition to the Mechanoids, there were also the children from the Dragon-Demon and the Angel races, each one emitting a glow akin to the brilliance of life.
"Chief...... I am confident that the future awaiting these children will be as radiant as the clear sky after a storm."
The grief was there with the loss of the familiar ones, however, the new rising generation was also growing steadily, enough to dispel the sadness.
Editor's note - Quite a somber chapter but I like how the author pulled it back in the end and finished with a hopeful note.
