My new power to 'replace' not only the mind but even the state of the body.
I acknowledge that this is the latest and greatest magic.
Even Rastiara, who was on the verge of death from [never to return] wounds, was completely restored. For the purpose of recovery, there is nothing better than this.
However, the response I had when I used it this second time - was empty (・・・・).
I didn't feel like I had recovered, nor did I feel like I owed anything 'instead' to it. I was surrounded by a lack of accomplishment, as if I had grabbed air and put it in my mouth.
'Success ...... No, it's a failure. After all (...), shouldering the disease doesn't change anything.
As I spoke my thoughts honestly, Dia, who was watching right next to me, raised her voice and grabbed me by the shoulders.
'Shh, fail ......! It wasn't good enough! You're not going to wake up again!
As my body shakes, I turn my attention once again to my patients.
There were two dark-haired girls in line.
--We are now in the underground city of the Great Holy City.
After escaping Ragne and Fafner's chase, we headed straight for the underground.
Then we found a mansion that was different from the one Ragne knew of, and we are now hiding and preparing ourselves.
When we reached the mansion, first and foremost I offered to treat the wounded. I was proud to be the most skilled of these men, but I simply felt that I was the only one who could heal them.
Perciona, Noir, and Sera, who had been defeated by your father, were slightly injured and easily made a full recovery. Rustyala, Dea and Snow, who were on the attacker's side, were nearly unharmed. The last two remaining were the unconscious Maria-san and Yotaki-sama--
I rented one of the larger bedrooms in the mansion. Then I spread a blanket on the floor, laid them both down, and treated them with the best magic I could.
However, the result was empty (from).
There was no debt to be 'replaced' at all.
Maria, who had been hit by Ragne's blow without me looking, just fainted.
Yotaki-sama, who was supposed to have had a serious illness for a thousand years and a 'curse' that never woke up, is also unchanged. The only thing that remains in her body is the cold air that makes her skin tense with a chill.
...... No, Dear. There is no disease that I can't cure with my current strength. With this, Yotaki-sama is now fully recovered. The illnesses in the original world, the first aid treatment of the founder a thousand years ago, and the magic he received from the apostles are all gone. However, there seems to be some effects from years of sleep and ...... it will take some time for him to awaken. I think I'll wake up as early as tomorrow or the day after tomorrow .......
My experience in the war a thousand years ago gives me an accurate picture of their condition. As I falsely stated the facts of the matter, Dear took her hand away from me with a sigh of relief.
'Oh, tomorrow or the next day ......? Then it's okay ....... Ha, ha, now one of Kanami's wishes has been granted ....... Finally, Kanami's wish is ......, and yet Kanami is -- ugh, .......
Next, I held Yotaki-sama's hand as she slept, tears pooling in her eyes.
As I watched her, I spoke the rest of the story.
''Maria-san is fully recovered. This one will happen soon. However, her magic power is exhausted, so I wouldn't recommend forcing her to wake up now.
Is Maria fast: ......
Dia-san gets on her knees and buries her head in the chest of the sleeping Maria while holding Youtaki-sama's hand. She hides her tear-stained face and continues to call the name of her unconscious, dependable companion.
'Hey, Maria ....... Wake up quickly ....... I don't even know what to do anymore .......
As it was, Mr. Dear stopped moving.
Her body is intact, but her mind must be different. She looked terribly tired and was about to fall asleep with me.
His unsteady voice makes me feel uneasy.
If only Ms. Dear was a girl with no powers. But she has a magical power that rivals that of the Apostle and The One Who Steals Reason. I don't know when she will face the limits of her mind and go out of control.
Seeing the anxious expression on my face, Snow-san, who had been watching from the corner of the room, starts to move.
''I'll be watching you, Dia. I need to take it easy too ....... I'm resting here.
She is calmer than Dear, and she gently touches Dear's shoulder as she sits down and offers to nurse her.
It was just a word that felt like I was being told to leave without saying it.
I know that is her kindness. I think she is trying to keep me away because she doesn't want to cuss me out in any way.
I thank Ms. Snow for her calm judgment, say a quick 'yes' and walk out of the bedroom.
I hear Snow's voice behind me, "Kanami ......," she spills. A sobbing voice arrives with her.
I never look back and walk down the lonely corridor of the mansion alone.
''......!''
In the process, I almost fell down.
I put my hands on the wall as if to tap and manage to support myself. Then I check my condition, the last patient, to make sure I'm okay.
I can't stop bleeding from my abdomen.
I administered first aid with a cloth from the mansion, but it was of little use. If I wasn't the 'one who steals the reason for light', I would have died of blood loss long ago.
But that's still the warm side.
The more serious problem is the mind. Basic things like pain and nausea are fine because I'm used to them, but the magical symptoms are more painful than the other magic.
The anxiety that tightens my mind, the muddy regret that fills my head, the fear of the enemy that binds my limbs.
His sense of equilibrium and perspective is broken, and his breathing becomes shallow and thin.
When the tension is broken, you recognize it all. I stop, lie down, and almost fall into an eternal sleep with no worries.
I tighten the bandages on my abdomen and warn my mind to intensify the pain in my body.
Don't be distracted by the fact that we're in a safe zone.
Keep acting. If you stop, you will fall asleep.
The next time you fall asleep, it will be because you are--
I wobble down the hallway.
Then I reach the front of the living room and find the Knights of the Hoosiers discussing with grim faces.
Serah and Perciona were providing information to their Lastiara counterparts. Noir, who doesn't have much of a connection, seems to be quiet at the edge of the room.
What they were talking about was - about a past companion who had become an enemy.
Perciona goes on to talk about Ragne Kaikwola.
''-- Ragne was a knight working for a village named Sidore. As I recall, most of that thing's income was contracted to be sent to its homeland.
Rustyala sits at the table in the center of the living room and examines the information.
'So you were born on the frontier. Hmm ....... How did you come to Hoozeyards, Ragne, who was in that region?'
'As I recall, it was Palinkron and Hine who pulled Ragne out of the ground. I've checked out that one's homeland, but I don't think there was anything funny about it. Ragne was loved by those around him, and that one was truly grateful for that. Hence, Ragne really wanted to give back to his hometown, and that's why he's working his way up as a knight ...... Yes, I thought that .......
As Perciona speaks, she admits her inadequacies and lowers her voice.
Seeing this, the junior Sera takes over the conversation.
''After Ragne became the 'Seven Knights of Heaven (Celestial Knights)', she basically moved as my subordinate in many cases. Also, due to the fact that she was close to my age, I was also often guarding the young lady's surroundings. ......
'Yes, I know that part. I've talked a lot with Ragne and played with her a lot since I was born ....... I just didn't realize what Lagne-chan was really like at all, but ......
I hear that the three of us here had a family relationship with that Ragne.
But still, she's like that. All three of them darken their faces at that reality.
''That's me too. I never realized that Ragne had that much ambition at all.'
However, Sera wasn't the only one who couldn't just regret it, so she quickly looked up and looked forward. She would try to tell Rustyala as much as she could about what she knew.
'...... I used to share my holidays with Ragne. So, as his boss, I heard his personal story as well. I asked him at the time. I asked him if it wouldn't be hard to just send home what he'd gotten in the Allied countries. He replied with a smile, saying that if I became the first, my mother would come to see me, so I wouldn't be worried. At the time, I lightly overheard him say that he had a lot of trust in his family, but ...... now I feel like they were important words.
'It's your mom again ....... Serah, do you know where this Ragne's mother is now?
'Is it now ......? The wife of House Caiquira, I believe--
'No, not that one. A mama when she wasn't a knight, a nobleman's adopted child, or a dependent maid of honor. You don't know what it was like when little Ragne was spending time with her birth parents or something?
'That's a quandary: ....... But if you've been adopted out of the hands of your foster parents, isn't that mum or whatever the hell she is, already dead?
'Yes ....... Once you get to that Sidoa village, you'll have to go to that Sidoa village to find out more about it or .......
It seems that Rustyala's policy still hasn't changed.
From every word, one can see the effort to understand Ragne.
The two former squires of Rustiala watch it with a bitter face, and Perciona picks up the continuation of the current conversation.
''I'm sorry, Miss. Even if I wanted to go and check it out, that Sidoa village ...... or rather that whole region was the 'Great Disaster' of a year ago, and it's already .......
'Huh? Could it be that it's gone because of the 'Great Disaster'?
'No, it hasn't disappeared. It was at the edge of the continent, so it wasn't within the scope of the continental collapse. However, because it was a small village on the edge, the effects of the 'Great Calamity' seemed to be fatal. I heard that the harvest of agricultural crops had been drastically reduced and trade with the center had stopped completely, and the village had been abandoned. However, I also heard that the villagers did not die of starvation and were able to evacuate cleanly. Thanks to Ragne's sending money, that village had a lot of room to spare, so ......
Someone didn't die ....... Still, was that a cut-off point for you, Ragne? She wants her discarded home back? No. You want to see your mom again? No, hmmm ......, hmmm ......
Rastiara is trying to find out what Ragne's true wish is, somehow.
She doesn't seem to fully believe the motive of 'I want to be the best' that she heard earlier in the castle. No, to be precise, 'I want to be the best' is one of the means, and she probably thinks that her true goal is something else.
I agree with that.
If "I want to be the best" is all she has to offer, she can't have become that much of a "theft of reason" (...).
After all, she killed your father and became the most powerful enemy that everyone here recognizes.
Ragne had succeeded in her means. However, the real goal he had planned to achieve was not achieved. It has become a strong 'unfinished business'. This would be her current state.
And I have a feeling that we will never know its true purpose.
I am sure that Ragnet will not tell anyone what is in her heart until she dies. No, perhaps she will keep it hidden, even to herself, until she dies. She has the pretense that she is like your father, that she is living a life of deception.
If she could find out what is deep inside her, it would be only the same being.
That's why Ragne hated your father in particular. She wanted to kill him before anything else.
I feel like that.
I'm not sure if I should convey that impression of me to Rastiara.
Surely she would welcome any information about Ragne. And if it will add even a little bit to the upcoming battle--
Don't go in there.
But it was stopped by a voice from behind him.
When I turned around, I saw Ryner there with his hood deeply pulled up. He had taken the liberty of acting as a scout on his own while everyone else was resting in this mansion. It seems that he has returned now.
Rastiara is good. But those two serious knights over there are still suspecting you of being the enemy. Your presence will only lead to more complications.
And then he goes on to give me some very straightforward advice.
Despite the fact that the enemy side had been turned upside down, the fact that I was manipulating Perciona and Sera didn't change the fact that I was manipulating them.
I'm used to being resented, but I didn't want to complicate the conversation and cause trouble for Rustyala. I stop myself from entering the living room.
'Besides, what we're talking about right now doesn't really matter to us. What do you want to know about your enemy's past after all this time? No matter how much I think about it, he's not going to make it. Better yet, you come over here.
Ryner is not interested in what Ragne has to say, and Ryner beckons him to join in.
From the way he looks at it, Ryner's unwaveringness is evident.
Even if Rastiara prepares to reconcile with Ragne, he'll only prepare to kill Ragne with the 'worst' in mind.
As I recall, Ryner also had a long history with your father. Honestly, it's safe to say that he was fascinated by him. Still, unlike Dia-san and the others, he didn't show any signs of stopping at all.
The strength of his heart overwhelms me, but I try to say it back so that he doesn't feel self-conscious about it.
'...... haha. Reiner, I'm still sick as ever. You speak as if you can see right through me.
You were so predictable before, but now you're so predictable. You can't do that either, now, can you? That's a bad idea. ...... really.
However, the vanity was easily detected.
I used to torment Ryner through tormenting him when he was in the labyrinth, but it seems that I will no longer be able to gain an advantage over him.
The repeated 'cost' of the light will no longer allow me to be strong.
I don't have the energy and strength to push myself anymore.
...... Right.
Deciding there's no point in putting up a false front, I obediently listen to Ryner.
Then, as I am taken away, I move to the garden outside the mansion. There, I first check out his achievements in the Great Holy City on earth as a scout.
''Ryner, what happened to the Great Holy City?''
...... The ground is in chaos. The blood of the castle has encroached on the city and the army is on the move in a big way. Naturally, the civilians have begun to evacuate and are fleeing to churches and government offices. Maybe this underground city will be used as a shelter in the near future. After all, the 'Senate' that gave us this place is no more.
'You've seen the castle, haven't you? How was Ragne?
Now he's in front of the castle against the Fooziers' army.
It would be a fair point.
It's been a few hours since Hoozeyards Castle was engulfed in blood.
Back in the old days when I was fighting the war, the core of the army was all private mercenaries held by the great families, but today, there are many soldiers that are directly taken care of by the state. That meant that there were garrisons of soldiers in various parts of the Great Holy City. Even though the big guy in Huzzyaz Castle was dead, the chain of command wasn't completely dead. In this era, there was enough time to decide on emergency action plans (manuals) for various unusual situations. It's more than enough conditions for the Great Sacred City's military officers to end the siege when they see the abnormality in the castle.
''When I saw it from a distance, Lagune was in the middle of a great struggle against multiple Knights of the Hooziers - about a hundred knights. It looks like a rebel is here to stay, stationed on the bridge, releasing all the fancy magic you've just learned. If I wanted to, I could assassinate only the commander, but I don't do that ...... Maybe the goal isn't just to kill everyone.
'Yes, maybe she's showing the world. Because she was obsessed with being the 'best' at what she did.
The people who gathered to retake the castle would become victims of Ragne, who had lost control of her self-expression. --a numb ache in my chest at that fact.
''That Fafner guy looks like he's doing something on the roof of the castle. I could see a thin layer of magic floating in the sky. ...... To be honest, this one is more unsettling to me. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this. That blood-soaked castle is also clearly beyond the scope of magic. The knights I know went around the back and bombarded the castle with magic, but they didn't budge. Or rather, the blood knights were boiling out in response to that attack and were destroyed in reverse.
'Even Aleith and the Lands a thousand years ago had a hard time with that blood castle, so ....... Modern wizards, far removed from actual warfare, would have a hard time even getting inside.
Of course, modern wizards would be better in the field of research, not actual combat. If we take advantage of their strengths rather than bumping into them head-on, it's possible that we can capture the Blood Castle.
I try to explain that method to Ryner, including my own experience from a thousand years ago.
''Ryner, there are multiple ways to attack that castle. First of all, as a basic rule, the blood knights that automatically counterattack cannot come out of the pool of blood. And by irradiating them with non-hostile magic, the expansion of that pool of blood can be prevented.
'You've noticed that. Several of the knights had formed a flanking force and were holding it down with their magic.
''I'm going to prepare a wooden spell that is compatible with the blood attribute, and then I'm going to plant a tree around it--''
No, Nosfi, wait. That's not what you need to talk about right now.
But in the middle of it all, Ryner got a stern look on his face and chastised him for digressing from the conversation.
'If you pass on ...... my information to someone you know, we can reduce the number of needless deaths.
'I'm sorry, but I don't have time for that. I've got more work to do than that over here.
But that would be too ......
The death toll was calculated to be sobering on a lightly considered basis. Multiply that by the insanity of Ragne and Fafner, and you have no idea how much grief will hit the people.
'You've got a good head on your shoulders, don't you? We should focus on killing both Ragne and Fafner. That will ultimately be good for the country.
...... Right.
We don't save people we should be able to save. I'm used to making that decision a thousand years ago.
I accept the pain in my chest and listen to Ryner honestly. We go over the information he thinks is necessary to win.
'What I want to know now is not how to save Lagne or others. I want you to tell me who is stronger, ...... Christ or Ragne. I don't care what you feel.
It's ...... definitely your father. If there is no surprise attack and there is nothing to defend, your father will always win. The defeat at the castle was my fault. In defence of me, your father will take the first sword .......
I was a little confused, but I assure you.
The reality is that even now that Ragne has killed your father, I still have a feeling that it's not really true.
If I hadn't been there, your father would have had a little more time to spare. At least if he hadn't pushed me away, he wouldn't have lost his dominant arm. If he had his arm and sword, he would have been able to survive the onslaught that followed. Yes, if it wasn't for me, your father would definitely not be defeated.
I'm sure your father would have--!
...... Right. Then it's simple. I'll get to work on your true "magic" in order to get Christ to defeat Ragne. That 'magic' is the Elixir of Immortality, and it's the means to bring Christ back to life, right?
Ryner seemed to agree with my answer. I concluded that the most important thing in the next battle was the resurrection of your father.
At the same time, Ryner had seen through my lies.
All along I had been telling everyone that I would definitely bring your father back to life, but in truth, I hadn't been able to reach the magic of 'immortality'. I can only vaguely imagine that I can use the 'chanting' mentioned earlier to manage your father's corpse.
That's not good enough, Ryner has been strictly pursuing it.
''You understand very well ....... That my magic is still inadequate .......
...... Well, yeah. Just let's get this over with. Before Maria's guy wakes up ...... no, I'll have it completed before his body reaches its limits, no matter how painful it is. That's the only magic that can never fail.
Ryner stared at my abdomen and used the term 'physical limitations'. I can see that he can see through my lie, as well as the state of my body.
It's true that I'm on the verge of annihilation right now with a burden that exceeds my 'unresolved' feelings, but I'm on the verge of annihilation.
A few days with it - no, I won't be able to move anymore in the morning. If I'm not good at this, I'll disappear before Maria wakes up.
That reality is mentioned without reservation, and I return the sarcasm with a bitter face.
'...... Hmmm, that's like flogging a dead man.
Of course. You'll suffer as much as you can and end up dying for Christ.
However, I was immediately returned with a distracted rant.
Really, Ryner sees and knows me well.
No. Does he feel well? Anyway, he understands that if I use the magic of the example, I will disappear, and he urges me to do so without stopping.
--Die for your father.
Good words. Yes, I know. I know that's the 'magic thread', but I'm not going to cut it off.
'Death, huh ....... Reiner, you really don't like me, do you?
'Yeah, I hate you. You're the most annoying, the most disgusting, and the enemy I hate the most.
............. Your first is a very weird story. Please, can't you just be second best? You have Ragne now, don't you?
All right. Come on. Try your magic in front of me for a second. Practice. Practice.
When I think about it, he's the one I've known the longest in this modern age.
Even though we met in the labyrinth, parted ways with the Lord, and lost your father on earth - he's still by my side as a good enemy. He's a really stubborn guy, even though he's almost died many times.
Maybe that's why, in the future, I had a feeling that Ryner was the only one who would survive no matter what.
There are things that he was born with and his skill structure, but it seems like his soul specializes in survival. Even if the world disappears, I feel like he's the only one who will remain, .......
I'm sure Reiner Helvirshine will fight to the end.
Down the road, even after I'm gone, he's the only one who will remain by your father's side.
I don't trust him, but I can trust him.
With that thought in mind, I show my power without hiding anything at all.
''-- 'Now I will abandon the flag' --'
He lit up the garden, while lightly limiting it.
The target is a snatch on the back of Ryner's hand.
Moving it to me.
When Ryner saw it, he braced himself, his eyes widened, and his body shook. It's a magic that can be activated effortlessly for me, but the amount of magic power that is actually operated is extreme due to the 'price'.
Ryner swallowed raw saliva and uttered his first impressions.
''Soooo, that's awesome ....... But compared to Rowen-san's, it's a bit--''
Yes, it's not enough. We don't even have a name for the magic.
It's incomplete. It's too weak even compared to the magic 《Replacement Light (LilyLife Northfield)》 that you used against your father.
''As for the magic name, is that the end of the 'chanting'? Isn't there at least two more verses in there?
'Is this a continuation of "Chanting" ......? That being said, I'm not going to go any further: ......
It doesn't come out of my throat.
During the magic 《Replacement Light (LilyLife Northfield)》, three verses suddenly popped into my head, but this time it stopped at just one short verse. Naturally, the name of the magic didn't come up either.
Seeing me groaning and troubled, Ryner interjects his advice.
'From what I've heard at ......, you should imagine a cool magic and shout out a cool magic name.'
What?
But I couldn't help but feel a deep-seated contempt leaking out of my gut at the vague and juvenile story.
'Isn't it best to think back on your life like this and compose a cool poem about it?
"What about ............ and ......? It's a sickening percentage of the usual, Reiner.
I made an effort to understand. But soon I heard the same insults leaked back again, and by the way, I even got my real feelings out.
'...... I know. It's just that Christ said this is a venerable magical operation by the 'Founders'.
Your father? Go to ......, heh. I see. When you think about it, maybe you're not totally off the mark.
You're not ....... No, you're not that good anymore: ......
Reiner is a little taken aback by my quick flip-flop, but he quickly regains his composure and tells me the rest of the story.
He says, "...... Christ also said that the act of shouting is a 'price' in itself. I was a little skeptical at the time, but now I think I understand it a little better. The 'quid pro quo' is something I can choose to do as I please.
Ryner's own thoughts are mixed into it, bit by bit.
'Here's my take on things from here on out. Listen to me on that basis.
That's the view of the person who has played against us 'stealers of reason' the most times in this modern age.
I give a small nod and listen quietly to the idea.
It's a good thing that you're able to get your hands on some of the most important things in the world," he said, "because I think that even something as vague as an act can be 'compensated for' ....... It's a good thing that you're able to do that, because it's the only way to get the most out of your life, and that's why I asked you to write a poem about your life as a stealer of reason. If you make everything you've ever done, everything you've ever walked, and the one who is here now, the one who steals the logic of light, pay for it, then magic will become the ultimate thing.
"Even yourself, 'for a price' ......?
When I heard that, I remembered Ragne's words.
--I've been searching for the number one thing for a long time. The meaning of life that you have been seeking for a long time. You must have worked hard to find the answer to that question, Nosfi-san.
Is that what is missing from my 'chanting'?
If so, if I keep my feelings for your father in mind - no, if that's how it will be completed, it will have been completed long ago. I've always lived my life thinking only of your father. That's not enough to 'chant' yet.
In other words, it's not the thoughts of your father that are important, it's something else that is more important.
Suddenly I think back.
As Reiner told me, I think back on my life.
Not just now, but the past.
Not just your father, but myself.
If I don't connect the two, I think I will never find the meaning of life and the answer to my life.
What was my life?
What did I want and hope for in the beginning--
That is a distant and distant memory.
Before the World's Offering Camp, before I met my father, before I became the Banner of Light. I feel like I was walking long before that. I don't know why I walked out of that tower of Fuzzyard's Castle--
When I go back in memory to the most difficult moment for a person to recall - I realize (...)
I'm not sure yet, but I felt like that was my answer.
At the same time, I felt like it was Ragne's answer. That's why Ragne asked me. As if facing a mirror, to himself in the depths of it.
'Oh, ah, ....... That's what it was about, wasn't it ......--
And the moment he realized the answer, the world shook dramatically.
''--?''
The shaking of the ground and the sound of an explosion. And the high temperature spreading all the way to the underground mall.
Black smoke was rising from a part of the building.
Rainer and I immediately understood the cause.
''--! Hey, this looks like the ...... Maria one happened. Hey, Nosfi. We're on pause. We're going to go take that guy down.
No, Rainer. It's not an interruption, it's the end. Now we know what we need to complete.
Ryner hurriedly tries to get back inside the mansion.
I calmly mutter to that defenseless back.
''-- 'Now I'm abandoning the flag'--''
I wrap the liner in [the reason for light] and bear some things 'instead'.
With that, my true 'magic (...)', that 'chanting' verse will increase.
"-- 'I don't need the world's (your) blessing anymore' --
That's two verses. I'm almost there.
There's also a verse left to hit.
However, of course, Ryner, who was about to head inside the mansion, turns around with hostility in his voice.
''Hey! What are you doing to me now ......!
'I'm sorry. It was desperately needed to be done.
I bow my head deeply and profoundly and ask for forgiveness.
Ryner's face contorts and he looks at his hands.
Checking his own change, he asks calmly.
'...... Nosfi, is that what you need to do now?'
Ryner seems to have read my inner thoughts.
Against my power, which can be called a robbery, he only turns a mysterious face without fighting back.
''Yes. I'm going to do the same thing to Maria from now on. That will probably complete it. My real 'magic (...)'
You can go to ....... Let's get a move on. It's gonna be tough to deal with Maria's guy without you.
I guess Ryner is just like me, and even if he doesn't trust me, he trusts me.
He shows me his unprotected back again and runs off.
I follow behind him and croon the 'Chant' one more time.
' -- 'Now I'm abandoning the flag,' 'I don't need the world's (your) blessing anymore' --'
My body is still the same, but I feel lighter.
It's a contradiction, but it feels like I'm in great shape even though I'm in great shape.
Now I have nothing to lose but my existence as the 'price'.
I guess that's no longer the 'price'. Perhaps, but this is the part of the true 'magic' that your father and Tiara-sama aimed for a thousand years ago.
I wanted to tell Lagune and your father about this new 'chanting' as soon as possible.
I also wanted to quickly show them the true value of the 'One Who Steals the Reason of Light' that I finally found.
Hence, my steps grew in exuberance, not in impatience, but in elation. Little by little, my steps towards the place where they are, become faster and faster. Little by little, towards the end, faster - faster.