ACT 8 - Beyond Memories

Seirei Gensouki 8 - Tsuioku no Kanata (精霊幻想記 8.追憶の彼方) is the 8th installment of Seigensou light novel, it's the follow up after the attack on Amande in the previous volume, and heavily revolves around the past of a reincarnated character.

Prologue
Miharu has just awaken from her dream, she screams “Haru-kun” while moving as if she is hugging someone, she is thinking about how hazy her memory from the dream she has just saw was, she focuses on it with all of her strength, she is able of remembering that she was hugging Rio’s back but she doesn’t remember why, she then wonders why did he screamed Haru-kun while she was hugging Rio, she begins to think now in her memories with Haruto, how painful it was for her to be separated, how she was unable of being comfortable around any boy her age since Haruto was gone until she met Rio, how Rio’s and Haruto’s atmospheres are identical, about the story of Rio calling the name Mii-chan in dreams, her suspicions of Rio being Haruto’s reincarnation are growing bigger and bigger and this is causing a great conflict inside her.

Chapter 1: Atonement
Lucius and Reiss have just escaped, after she discovers that Haruto is Rio because of Lucius, Flora tries to confirm it desperately, when he tries to play dumb she makes the face of a lost puppy,  she apologises to him again and again while crying for what happened in the past, Rio keeps playing dumb and says to her that if she is sorry for something then please forget about the human being called Rio. When she hears this and interprets that he doesn't want to know anything about her she cries even more than before.

Chapter 2: Return
Lizelotte’s garden, Lizelotte and Celia are watching Rio’s Spirit Arts repelling Reiss’s black Dragon’s breath, Aishia comes back to them after defeating all the revenants and says to Celia she can undo the magic barrier already, Lizelotte thanks them for their help, Celia says that it’s nothing and offers her help with healing the wounded, then they go towards the Bertram group’s room together.

Roana is healing Hugenot’s stomach while Stewart is asking her if his father’s live is in danger.Lizelotte enters the room with Celia and Aisia, then Stewart begins to complain about the mansion’s security that allowed the monsters to reach them. Duke Hugenot silences him and says to Roana to explain everything. Celia heals Hugenot now instead of Roana and she begins to explain how a group of revenants attacked them and how she made Flora escape through the other door when a man said he would take of her, Lizelotte explains to Roana that Flora was kidnapped, Roana gets blue faced while thinking that it was her who sent Flora towards the kidnapper, Lizelotte says now that Rio went to her rescue that they just can believe in him now, Lizelotte goes back to the garden for waiting there for Rio’s return with Celia and Aishia.

Rio is jumping between roofs now while carrying Flora that had her eyes swollen from crying. He enters Lizelotte’s garden again where Celia and Lizelotte welcome him and are relieved because he brought Flora back safely. He was going to put Flora in the ground but she clung to him while lying about being sick for her to be able of staying in Rio’s embrace a little longer. Rio carried Flora to the mansion while explaining that he was the one who repelled the Dragon’s breath, that her kidnapper was Lucius, the leader of the mercenary group The Heavenly Lions and a unknown man called Reiss. Lizelotte doesn’t know who Reiss is, she heard before about Lucius’ mercenary group and she asks Rio why did he knew that Lucius was the kidnapper, Rio just says that he has a little of past with Lucius and ends the talk but this left both Lizelotte and Celia concerned about him.

They arrive to the Bertram’s group’s room, there Roana thanks Rio for bringing Flora back. He puts Flora on a chair and goes to where he fought with Lucius for searching for any trace of him and Reiss. Rio looks through the place for more or less an hour before going back, in his way back he finds Aria that went there to investigate the origin of the magic that repelled the Dragon’s breath, Rio explains to her everything about the kidnapping and his battle in Amande’s east gate, then they go to the mansion together.

Chapter 3: Discussion, then Wish
After going back to Lizelotte’s mansion again he asked to stay in a bedroom there with Celia and Aishia until Lizelotte calls him, Rio explains to Celia that Lucius is the man who killed his parents and about his revenge. He was a little worried about Celia’s opinion of him changing after knowing this but Celia answers that she knows already well enough what kind of human being Rio is. After a little more of talk a maid comes and says that Lizelotte is calling for him.

Rio enters a room with Lizelotte, Flora, Hugenot, Hiroaki and Roana already sit and waiting for him. Everyone welcomes him and thanks him again for saving Flora. They now talk about what happened to everyone today and what everyone did during the monster attack. Hiroaki tries to make the things done by Rio less amazing of how they really are because he’s pissed off for not having had enough protagonism during the whole incident. He says things as Rio having done a lot of things while not being a Hero, that he would like to be in his shoes and receiving everyone’s praise. Aria serves tea to Rio, and he notices that there’s a little paper with message under the cup that says that nobody thinks like Hiroaki and that everyone is thankful and impressed for what he did in the morning. After hearing Hiroaki’s grumbling and sarcasm, Lizelotte and Hugenot decide that it’s better to organize the talk about Rio’s reward at another time and place without Hiroaki.

Now the conversation changes to Flora’s kidnappers, Hugenot tells to everyone that the man named Reiss maybe is a diplomat from the Proxia Empire that it’s rumored to be close to Charles. Now Hugenot asks about Rio who was acquainted with him about his opinion of Lucius. Rio describes as a wolf in the cloths of a lamb, as more beast than human and as someone smart that always prioritizes his own fun and another negative things with a cold voice. Everyone wanted to ask about how their met in Rio’s past but after hearing Rio’s words everyone hesitates. Then Roana understand that she will the person less useful in future conversations with Rio no matter what she decides to be the one who steps on the mine while Flora that already knew everything pleads her with the gaze to not asks him. Rio says to everyone that Lucius killed his mother in front of him when he was five years old. Everyone gets pale hearing his answer and Hiroaki begins to retrieve his words from before making everyone exasperated and angry. Hugenot now explains to Rio how Lucius used to be a noble from the Bertram Kingdom and a candidate for the King’s sword and how his family fell due to other families of higher rank not wanting his family to earn power and after a little more of talk the conversation ends.

Next morning, Rio is called to Lizelotte’s office where she waits for him with Flora and Hugenot, Lizelotte says to Rio that this talk is for the sake of discussing what would be an adequate reward for his help up until now. Rio after thinking a little says that he wants to go the evening party that will be Satsuki’s debut and meeting her. Nobody understands why Rio wants this and he says that he can’t say it now. Rio says that he will visit Lizelotte again three weeks later and she will understand everything. Lizelotte accepts Rio’s words for the time being and now Hugenot asks him if there’s something that they can do for him too. Rio says that there isn’t anything right now and to let it in them owing him one, something that makes Flora sad and frustrated and then Rio leaves.

Chapter 4: Your Shadow
The next morning Rio, Celia and Aisia leave Lizelotte’s mansion while seen off by her, her maids and Bertram’s group, Rio carries Celia until a rocky area near Galarc’s Capital, he sets the rock house and after making lunch for Celia he says to her that he’s going to report to Miharu’s group that he found Satsuki and that coming back will take more or less two weeks, after the meal Rio teleport to the Spirit Folk’s Village while letting Aishia behind as Celia’s escort.

After appearing in the Village’s outskirts Rio decides to fly towards the government building where the Elders meet, in his way he finds Miharu, Ouphia and Latifa who went to welcome him in Aerial’s back, Rio greets everyone but he begins to avoid to look at Miharu thinking that right now, for someone like him that is going down the path of revenge she is someone too dazzling. He goes with them the rest of the way, when he lands Sara is already waiting for him in front of the government building. A little after her Alma, Aki and Masato arrive by running too, he says to everyone that he already knows where Satsuki is. Aki asks if knows something about Takahisa too but Rio denies it. Then he says to everyone that he will give a more detailed explanation in front of the Elders. Latifa that had been hugging Rio’s arm too since they landed realized that for some reason he’s avoiding Miharu and she wonders why but she doesn’t say anything for the time being.

When Rio is in front of the Elders he explains again that he found Satsuki and that he was able of getting the help of a noble of that Kingdom for meeting with her. Then he asks to Miharu’s group if they want to go back to Strahl after explaining them the risk of wanting to meet Satsuki in person. After saying them to use that day for thinking about what they want to do he explains to them that Aishia stayed in the Strahl Region as Celia’s escort and how he needed to protect her after helping her to escape certain troublesome situation. Then Rio goes back with the girls to the Rock House they share. When they arrive to the house Sara, Ouphia and Alma says to Miharu’s group to think in their rooms what they want to do about Satsuki while they prepare the dinner. Rio wants to help too but he’s said to rest now that he has just return and Latifa takes the chance for getting a lap pillow from Rio.

Miharu has been thinking alone in her room for a while already and then decides to asks Rio for advice. She goes to the living room and asks Rio who has Latifa’s head in his lap while sleeps to talk for a moment just the two. Rio puts Latifa away and goes with Miharu to the house’s entrance. There Miharu asks Rio what would he do in her situation and what his plan would be when meeting Satsuki. Rio says that he can pass a message from them to Satsuki or trying to take her out of the Castle somehow for them to meet her. He says her that if they want to meet her in person to say it too. That he won’t let anything bad to happen to them and to not worry. That as long as everyone shares the goal of returning to Japan they will be together in the end and hearing this Miharu’s doubts about Rio being Haruto’s reincarnation come back and make her sad. She now asks to Rio if he doesn’t want to go back to Japan too and if he doesn’t miss it. Rio says that he can’t go back anymore and that the person he used to be is dead now. That there isn’t a place for him to return anymore in that world and that in his current life he has his own things that he must do no matter how now too. Miharu tries to ask him now if he’s Haruto’s reincarnation but Latifa that had been overhearing the last part of the conversation interrupts them on purpose. After Latifa came out Rio says that before the dinner is ready he will go to say to the neighbours that he came back.

Now alone with Latifa, Miharu decides to try to make her some questions. She asks Latifa if she knows the reason why Rio chose Haruto as his alias. After thinking a little, Latifa asks Miharu if she is trying to ask her about Rio’s previous life. Miharu thinks it was as she expected Latifa knew everything and wonder if Sara, Ouphia and Alma weren’t told yet. Latifa says to Miharu that Rio made her promise to not tell her anything about his previous life but offers her a deal too. She says Miharu to tell her the reason why she wants to know about Rio’s previous life and in exchange she will tell Miharu about her own previous life. This surprises Miharu and Latifa says again that she’s a reincarnator too and that Miharu has just ten seconds for accepting the deal. Latifa begins to count and Miharu hurriedly accepts Latifa’s proposal.

Latifa talks to Miharu about her life as Suzune and how she met Rio in her previous life too. How he helped her to go back home when she missed her stop in the bus. How she fell for him at that time and how she began to use the bus for having a chance of seeing and talking more to him but in the end she didn’t dare. How looking at him she noticed that he was always making a sad and lonely face and always looking through the window as if looking for someone that wasn’t there and finally a year later they died in an accident. Latifa explains now how she was born as a slave, how she was forced to work as assassin and how she had already killed a lot of people when she recovered her memories. And how Rio released her when she was supposed to kill him and she says to Miharu too that she loves Rio as man. The same as her other onee-chans, that precisely because they love Rio too is that they still feel so bad about what happened when Rio arrived to the village for the first time. That she is saying this to Miharu for being able of properly face her in the competition with Rio when the time comes and that now is her turn. Then Miharu tells to Latifa her story with Haru-kun and their promise of reuniting again and getting married, that even after death he will protect Miharu and how she wasn’t able of being comfortable around any boy anymore since Haru-kun was gone. The reasons why she had begun to wonder if Rio is Haru-kun’s reincarnation and how the doubt doesn’t stop of hurting her. When the talk ends both go back to the house and Aki that looking for Miharu ended up overhearing the conversation begins to run towards her room with a pale face.

Chapter 5: Departure
During dinner the girls asks Rio about what happened while he was away. They were especially interested in the reason why he ended having to live together with another woman. He explains that he need to help Celia escape due to certain political troubles in the Bertram Kingdom. Latifa asked him if Celia was his mistress. Everyone was surprised of hearing those words and then Rio asked who taught her that after denying to have a mistress and Latifa says it's Dominic. Then Rio and Alma promise to scold him the next time they see him and now they ask Rio about the noble that will help him to meet Satsuki. Rio describes Lizelotte to then and everyone is surprised because in their minds the first thing that comes out after thinking on nobles is old men. Then he explains how he helped to protect Amande from a monster attack.

After dinner Miharu says to Aki and Masato to go to her room and there she asks them about what they want to do, Aki says that she wants to go to meet Satsuki because she may know something about Takahisa and because there are things that just can be said in person. Masato wants to see Satsuki too but he doubts because depending on the King’s attitude they may cause troubles to Satsuki and because it may be difficult to come back to the Village after leaving. Miharu says them her idea of assisting the evening party with Rio and to meet with Satsuki just her in the name of the three. Then if possible Rio will take her out of the Castle for meeting them and that if the three of them assist the party it may be difficult for Rio to protect the three of possible bad people. After ending her talk with Aki and Masato, Miharu gathers everyone in the living room and tells them her plan.

Next morning Miharu is now telling her plan to the Head Elders too. After that they order to Sara, Ouphia and Alma to help Rio to transport Miharu’s group to Strahl. Rio tries to refuse but he ends up having to accept because it was the girls’ wish too. Latifa begins to say that she wants to go too but Rio refuses strongly this time thinking that it will be hard for her to go to Strahl again due to her past traumas. But Ursula and Miharu put up words for Latifa and Rio accepts reluctantly with the condition of her having always to obey her Elders. That no objection or whim will be tolerated. Everyone teases Rio for being overprotective and Dominic says to Rio that after finishing the first Rock House, Dominic and his men made another because it was fun. He says to Rio use it during the travel to Strahl Region instead of the house that Celia and Aishia are using. Syldra say that there will be a farewell party for Miharu’s group tomorrow’s evening and says Sara, Ouphia and Alma to stay in their families houses until they leave the village for telling them their mission and for them to not feel too lonely.

Farewell party in a corner Latifa, Aki and Masato are saying their farewells to Vera and Arslan while in another Miharu is talking with the young girls and women she gave cooking lessons to while she lived there. At the same time Rio is talking with Dominic and the girls’ fathers. The three of them ask Rio to help Sara, Ouphia and Alma while they are with him. Rio says that he will be the one being helped and that of course he will protect their daughters but he says it in a way that sounds almost as if he’s accepting them as wife's and the girls get embarrassed hearing him and Dominic teases them and Rio. Taking the chance Rio begins to scold Dominic for teaching Latifa strange things like mistress, the girls father’s choke with their drinks and Alma and her father begin to scold Dominic too. Dominic tries to rest it importance that he didn’t really say the meaning of that to Latifa. Then he ask Alma if she knows it. Alma gets embarrassed and Rio says to Dominic to not intimidate her. The pressure coming for Rio makes him falter a little then Rio sighs and goes to drink with Dominic and the girls’ fathers. The next morning everyone leaves the Village.

Chapter 6: Chance Meeting
Two weeks later the group finally arrives to Strahl. At the beginning Rio can’t find the Rock House but when he enters the telepathy range with Aishia, she goes to pick him up. When the group lands Celia is thinking that somehow suddenly the place is full of cute girls. They go to the living room and while Aishia prepares tea, everyone introduces themselves to Celia. Celia takes of the magic tool and shows her real self. Celia’s beauty surprises them a little at the beginning but then Sara, Ouphia and Alma takes of the magic tools that make them to look as humans too in answer to Celia’s trust in them, Celia’s surprised of knowing the truth and begins to make them questions about the Spirit Folk and after little more of talk the girls say to Rio and Masato to take a bath while they prepare dinner.

Inside the bathroom Masato asks Rio if he has a girl he likes. Rio asks him why that question and Masato says it’s little difficult to believe that he doesn’t have his eye on anyone with a house full of beauties of that level. Rio says to Masato that he has something that he wants to do right now and that due to that he can’t have a girlfriend right now. That even after he achieves is purposes it may be still impossible because he may not be able of making a girl happy either at that time. When Masato goes out of the bath Rio praises the muscles he got for not skipping his training. Masato asked him if he was gay and Rio said that there isn’t a way to be like that.

Everyone has dinner and now the girls will take a bath while Rio and Masato wash the dishes. While they get naked, Celia begins to look to Sara’s ears and tail and asks her for permission for touching and washing them and Sara accepts. While Celia is washing Sara’s back and her tail, Sara asks her how Rio was in his childhood and that they want to know about the Rio from before meeting him from her that is someone with a long relationship with Rio. Celia says that they must know more about the current Rio than her but that their relationship can be certainly called long because he spent with Rio since he's seven years until twelve years. Everyone feels a little intimidated at knowing that she has known Rio for more than the double of time than them. They’re a little shocked too of knowing that Rio was an orphan until he met Celia and they are a little worried of being prying too deeply but Aishia says to them that Rio isn’t hiding that he was an orphan and that he didn’t say it because no one asked. Latifa says that she knew it too and Aishia explains now how it was thanks to meeting Celia that Rio didn’t close his heart completely to the rest of people. Latifa is thinking now that Celia is the strongest rival there because her time with Rio was always his healing. They talk now about Celia’s idea of Rio’s personality and the differences with the him now. The girls are impressed at how well Celia understands how Rio is and comments that lately he’s improving slowly his bad habit of always wanting to carry and to do everything by himself.

Chapter 7: To Amande, Again
The next day Rio is walking through Amande towards Lizelotte’s house with Miharu. She is a little nervous for having to meet with a noble but Rio calms her down. After arriving at Lizelotte’s house they’re guided to a drawing room. When Lizelotte enters and sees Miharu, she orders her servants to leave them alone and to make sure that nobody enters the room. She sits in front of Rio and Miharu and asks why did they came to see her. Rio says that Miharu is Satsuki’s friend that got dragged in her summoning and that he wants is help for reuniting them. Lizelotte asks for Rio’s permission for confirming Miharu’s identity and when Rio accepts this, she talks to her in Japanese. Miharu didn’t expect her to admit to be a reincarnator that honestly and looks at Rio asking for what to do now. Rio signals her to continue and Miharu talks now in Japanese too. She asks Lizelotte why did she spoke in Japanese herself and Liselotte says that she wanted to confirm that Miharu was Japanese because she was able pf perfectly talking Strahl’s language. She says that her previous life was Minamoto Rikka and that she sold products from Earth at her Firm as a signal for other people like her. She says now that for Miharu to be able of speaking Strahl’s language this well, there is the need of a teacher with knowledge of both Japanese and Strahl’s language and she asks if Rio is that teacher.

Rio praises Lizelotte’s deductions and admits to be also a reincarnator like her. Lizelotte is very excited of finally finding someone and tries to talk with Rio about their previous life's but Rio stops her questions. She’s a little disappointed thinking that maybe she asked something rude and seeing her that dejected Rio explains that if they begin to talk about their previous life's now, they will get caught in the nostalgia and the conversation will drag more and more without going to the point. But he doesn’t have any trouble with talking about their lives another day with more time for that. Lizelotte agrees to that and says that she didn’t say her secret to Hiroaki and he doesn’t want him to try to poke his nose here if they talk for too long. But Lizelotte wants Rio to confirm her just one thing and ask him if he died in a traffic accident. Rio asks Miharu to let him alone with Lizelotte and Miharu agrees to leave reluctantly.

Now alone with her, Rio says to Lizelotte that his previous life's is Amakawa Haruto. Lizelotte says him that she was the same high school girl riding the bus with him. Rio now explain to Lizelotte that their death happened four years ago after the day that Miharu and the Heroes were summoned. Lizelotte is surprised. Rio asks her to not talk with Miharu about her life in Japan until he says her that it’s already fine because otherwise she may realize the time difference. Rio says that he intends to tell the truth to Miharu soon but that he isn’t ready yet. Lizelotte accepts Rio’s condition and says him that with her help it may be possible for them to meet with Satsuki before the beginning of the party. Rio thanks her for that and leaves her house with Miharu. Then in their way back, Rio explains to Miharu that she may be able of meeting Satsuki before the party with Lizelotte’s help.

Chapter 8: Dreamland to Tomorrow
That night, Miharu is watching a dream. She sees the moment of her separation from Haruto and when they make their promise. Now she sees how Haruto grows up while giving his all in everything like the martial arts, the swordcraft, the studies, the chores, the agriculture… until one day he lowers his head to his father for getting permission for going to a high school in the city he used to live in. Miharu sees now Haruto entering the same high school as her and he making a really sad face when seeing her talking with Takahisa from the distance. Haruto now is thinking about something in his room until he makes a face as if he finally decided on something. The next day he tried to go to Miharu’s classroom but she wasn’t there. The time kept passing and finally the school admitted that Miharu, Satsuki and Takahisa were missing. Miharu sees now how with the time Haruto smiles with less and less frequency everytime and she sees Haruto that already graduated approaching the crying Suzune and finally when a truck crashing against the bus that Haruto was riding, Miharu wakes up screaming and soaked in sweat. then Aishia appears by her side and asks her if she wants to remember the dream or to forget it. Miharu doesn’t understand Aishia’s question. She explains it again. Now she says to her that Rio will tell her the truth about himself soon. That at that time if she really wants to be with Rio she mustn’t run and to properly face him. Miharu says to her that she wants to be with Haru-kun and she falls asleep again.

Epilogue: At That Time, Satsuki is.....
At the same time Satsuki is standing in her room’s balcony looking at the stars and thinking about the evening party that will be held soon.

Character Debut

 * Satsuki Sumeragi