I'm going to die of old age.
Kiyonoya Raimei stared blankly at the snow outside the window.
This was just meant to happen.
The lifespan of mortals is limited,and he was lucky enough to live for five hundred years.
But for the gods,especially the one who pursues"eternity,"five hundred years is just a fleeting moment.
He couldn't accompany her for that long,it was time to leave her.
Hope she wouldn't be angry.
Mortals were always just mortals.They would age,become weak,get sick,hungry,and injured,.
Most importantly, mortals will eventually die.
Kiyonoya lookes at the words that appeared in his vision:
[Human Order System]
[Kiyonoya Raimei]
[Position:Inazuma hashi kuni(The pilliar of the country)]
[Age:521]
[Level:89]
[Element:Electro]
[Status:Extremely aged]
[Martial Arts:Archon level]
[Remaining lifespan:221days]
Note:Due to the aging status,the host cannot engage in prolonged combat.
Like other transmigrator ,Kiyonoya also had an external hack called the"system,"and had experienced a brilliant and vigorous youth.
However,almost all novels only create a luxurious and splendid youth for their protagonists,but none of them depict the hero's twilight years.
Because no reader likes to read the story of an old man,most authors just brush over it,saying that the protagonist ultimately becomes immortal and lives happily.
This is a contradiction.
A novel has a big finale,and when the last chapter is finished,the protagonist is set up to be immortal.But does he have another chapter?
Does he have a follow-up story?
No,all that's left for him is the words"The End."
For readers,it's satisfying,but for the protagonist,it's perfunctory.
Maybe its better for him to just die of old age.
Nothing in this world is eternal.
Even the mighty transmigrator will eventually succumb to the ravages of time, and the most heroic of heroes will one day face their inevitable twilight days.
All things will come to an end,and now it's just Kiyonoya's turn.
Being able to die of old age was his luck.
Living for over five hundred years as a mortal was even luckier.
Apart from one thing, Kiyonoya had no regrets in his life.
He turned off the system and looked out the window again.
A thin mist was faintly revealing a few rays of sunlight, and thick snow was piled up on the pine trees outside the wooden window, reflecting a few faint rays of light that had finally fallen through. Other than that, it was a vast expanse of white.
The characters "Kiyonoya Hashi Kuni Palace" on the mansion's door plaque were also covered with a thin layer of frost.
For the ordinary people of Inazuma, the Hashi Kuni Palace was a special existence.
Five hundred years ago, Narukami evaluated the importance of the Hashi Kuni position, saying that it was like the top beam of a room for the country.
Since then, the position of 'Hashi Kuni' was established and became highly regarded, ranking above all other officials and reaching the pinnacle of a subject's position.
At the age of sixteen, Kiyonoya Raimei joined the shogunate and participated in the Imperial Court Competition, where he received Narukami's attack and made a name for himself, marking the beginning of his rise to power.
At the age of seventeen, he became the sole personal guard of the shogun and fought alongside her in many battles.
At the age of nineteen, he was appointed as the Minister of Inspection and Control, commanding the navy.
At the age of twenty-one, he reached the peak of his martial arts skills. At the same time, Inazuma faced its greatest crisis in a thousand years as a dark calamity swept across the continent of Teyvat. Despite this, Narukami went to Khaenri'ah while Inazuma was left without a leader.
Countless generals died in that disaster... In the face of imminent danger, Raimei temporarily took over the position of the shogun and guarded Inazuma for several tens of days, driving away the calamity until Narukami returned.
It was also during that time,Raimei was bestowed the honor of the 'Hashi Kuni ' by Narukami.
After reaching the age of one hundred, he severed the head of the Archon Orobaxi and successfully conquered the Watatsumi Island, adding it to the territory of the Electro Archon.
...There is much more to his story, much more to tell.
He had been protecting this land for five hundred years and accompanying her for five hundred years.
He has fulfilled all his responsibilities and it is time to leave.
He only had one regret in his life, but he could no longer fulfill it.
He was tired.
"Cough, cough. Cough, cough."
Kiyonoya coughed mildly, his tired lungs struggling to breathe. With each breath, his throat felt like it was burning.
His cough grew more and more intense, and he had to lean on the desk.
Blood.
He coughed up blood.
"Your Excellency...?"
"Your Excellency!"
The panicked voice came from the girl in front of him.
Red strings stood up against her pale white hair. She wore a snow-white kimono and had light-colored eyes, like light lake water.
She knelt elegantly on the tatami mat, with no wooden clogs on her feet, only pure white socks. At this moment, with her master's panic, her arches tightened slightly, revealing faint blue veins.
Kamisato Ayaka, that is the young girl's name.
She is the young lady of Yashiro Commission, with a beautiful appearance and noble character. She is also known as the "Shirasagi no Himegimi(the White Egret Princess)" in the town.
But at this moment, the White Egret Princess is not behaving like a princess at all. She stands up slightly flustered, stepping on the tatami with her white socks, quickly bypassing the documents, gently patting Kiyonoya's back to help him breathe smoothly.
"Cough, cough... I'm fine."
Kiyonoya coughs again and gently pushes the girl away. "I was just thinking about something from the past."
"What from the past?"
"Just an old saying." Kiyonoya joked with himself.
Ayaka closes the window sash that is being buffeted by the cold wind, pauses, and saysseriously,
"Your Excellency, you need to take care of yourself... It's cold outside, so don't open the window. Wear more clothes... the temperature has dropped recently, so I made some silver ear soup. I'll have someone bring it to you at night. It's good for your health, and also..."
She continues to ramble on, but Kiyonoya interruptes her with a bitter smile. "Ayaka, I'm going to die."