27 - Grave

Van clumsily trudged through the open fields on his way back to the city.

Sleep-deprived, hungry, thirsty, and dehydrated.

'Haah... If it wasn't for my resistance and vigor, I'd have died... Now I could probably go on like this for four months before I even start to die... Even with these seals inked onto my skin...' He thought as he reexamined the still-visible seals.

'I'll need to find a Dragonkin Priest to undo these seals... Now, if I could just earn some money and find a priest at the highlands, I could probably get those—' His thoughts were abruptly interrupted as he stumbled upon something, crushing it with a loud booming noise.

Van slowly looked down to see what he had trampled.

It was a concrete grave marker.

'Ah... I've stumbled into the capital's graveyard...' He realized as he looked around, surrounded by thousands of graves.

He sighed, 'It's going to take a while to get out of this place...' He thought, frustrated as he continued walking, carefully avoiding the other graves.

As he moved deeper into the graveyard, the graves became more orderly, neat, and clean.

'Yep. Pecking order, even among the dead,' He mused as he navigated.

Near the exit of the graveyard, a tall building blocked his path. He had to circle around it.

'What's this...? Too elegant and regal to be a morgue...' He wondered as he walked around it.

'Holy damn, I think this is a grave... What kind of person gets a church-sized grave...!? Who did this person impress to get a grave this big!?' He thought to himself as he came full circle to look at the name carved at the front of the church-sized tomb.

Van froze as he read the name engraved on it.

'What is the meaning of this...?' He thought, his eyes widening as he saw the words:

||HERE LIES A LOVING HUSBAND, FATHER... AND A FRIEND. THE HERO, MAGUS VEIL||, with the date of passing listed as two years ago.

"Haah..." Van gasped, his voice shaking as he collapsed onto his knees before the grave.

"Don't bullshit me...!!!" He clenched his teeth in anger, his fists digging into the soft earth.

"Oh...? A visitor at the Hero's grave so early...?" An elderly figure remarked calmly as he approached Van.

"...Hey. Old man..." Van managed to say, struggling to control his shaking voice.

"What is the meaning of this...!? WHO KILLED HIM...?" He demanded, his vision blurring with wrath.

"Haah.. Another one of these fanatics..." The older man sighed, eyeing Van's body and mistaking the seals for tattoos.

"I am not in the mood... Answer me... Immediately... What is the meaning of this..."

He murmured softly, feeling his grip on sanity and self-control slipping.

"Shoo! Go away, you rude ruffian, or I will call the Royal Guard—" The elderly man started, but in a flash, Van pinned him against the ground, creating a small crater as the man coughed up blood.

"I... Am seriously... Not in the mood for games, old man..." Van seethed as he glared into the man's eyes.

"Right now... I used my hand to stop your head from crashing against the dirt... I will not do it a SECOND time..." He growled, his grasp trembling as his hands were stained with the old man's blood, gripping his shirt collar tightly.

The old man looked up at Van, terror filling his eyes.

"Answer me... Why... Is there a grave for Magus Veil...?! That harem FUCKER couldn't have died with all his overpowering skills... WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS...!!!? WHO KILLED HIM!!?" Van bellowed.

"S-... Su..."

"Suicide...!" the man finally stammered.

Van's face paled as a memory flashed before him—a forced smile from Magus during their last encounter 16 years ago, his solemn words and the request that Van should visit him when possible.

"N-no..."

"No..." 

"H-he...!"

"He wouldn't...!"

"He... Ha-as... A harem... W-why... would..." Van stammered, his grip on the old man loosening as he clumsily rose to his feet, staggering toward Magus's grand grave.

The old man sighed and breathed heavily in relief. He raised his head, watching Van's retreating figure.

'Wait a... Those markings on this young man's back... They're seals...!! Ridiculously powerful ones, too... Ones that are meant to seal ancient dragons rather than people!! With those on him, he shouldn't even be able to breathe... Much less perform such physical feats...!' The old man's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Hey... Harem bastard...!!!" He called out as he struggled on his feet, his voice echoing across the graveyard as he entered the church-sized grave.

In the midst of the church-sized grave, rows of statues lined the path leading to an imposing statue of the Goddess cradling a concrete coffin.

"F-found you... You stupid fucker... You girlfriend stealer...!!! You died to... You did that just to shag the goddess too, right!!!? You're actually alive down there, aren't you? Fooling everyone while she milks you dry, huh!?!!? Nah, I bet you ain't even there!! Exploring the world to expand your harem!!!" Van shouted, his voice echoing within the walls of Magus's monumental grave as he advanced towards the coffin.

The old man struggled to his feet, his mind urging him to call for security, yet his instincts propelled him to follow Van inside.

He entered, watching Van stride towards Magus's grave.

"HEY...!!! YOU FUCK...!!! WAKE UP!!! YOUR BEST FRIEND JUST CAME TO VISIT YOU...!!! WAKE THE FUCK UP!!!! WHERE'S YOUR MANNERS, YOU FUCKBOY!!!?" Van bellowed at the top of his lungs.

'Best friend...? No way... Is this young man...' the old man pondered in astonishment as he observed Van with a mix of curiosity and awe.

Van then placed both hands on the concrete lid of the coffin, forcefully sending it flying through the grave's window. He peered inside.

"FOUND YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH...!!!" He yelled, leaning over the coffin with a manic smile, looking at the perfectly preserved body of his best friend, dressed in his hero uniform, appearing as if he were in his 40s or 30s, with his eyelids closed, as if merely sleeping.

"Haha... You fucker. You really fooled everyone, huh..?!" His voice cracked as he lightly slapped his friend's cheek.

"Come on... Wake up...!" He whispered with a strained smile.

"Young man... Or should I say... Van Hellix..." The old man called softly as he approached from behind, "Magus Veil... The hero... is dea—"

"SHUT UP!!!" Van roared.

"You're fucking blind, old man...!!! One foot in the grave does that to people, huh!?" He shouted as he turned, his eyes filled with denial, meeting the old man's sympathetic gaze.

"LOOK AT HIM!! LOOK!!" He screamed, signaling the old man to inspect the dead body more closely, "HE'S SLEEPING!! HE'S JUST SLEEPING WHILE THE GODDESS SUCKS HIM OFF IN HER HEAVEN OR WHATEVER!!! LOOK AT THAT SMILE!!! LOOK AT HIM..!!! HE'S HAVING THE TIME OF HIS LIFE...!!!" Van reasoned, frantically pointing at the deceased Magus.

The old man's gaze merely softened as he observed Van.

"THAT SELFISH BASTARD WON'T WAKE UP EVEN TO GREET HIS BEST FRIEND WHO CAME TO VISIT HIM AFTER 16 YEARS....!!! HERE... IF I SLAP SOME SENSE INTO HIM, HE'LL JOLT RIGHT BACK UP...!!" Van argued, turning swiftly to Magus, repeatedly slapping his cheek.

"Wake up, bitch!" he called as he slapped him, each hit slightly harder than the last.

"Young man... Cease this..." the old man implored softly.

"I SAID WAKE UP...!!!" Van screamed, slapping even harder. A snap sounded as Magus's neck tilted violently to the side from the force of the slap, as Magus's closed eyes and serene smile remained unchanged.

That snap froze Van. He stumbled backward, tripping and falling to the ground, his gaze fixed on the coffin in stunned disbelief.

The old man watched silently, his gaze softening.

"Young man...? I think you should..." he began, reaching out to reassure Van, but Van pushed his arm away.

"Leave me alone...!!" Van murmured, his eyes wide open in disbelief.

"Youn—" The old man tried again.

"LEAVEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!" Van roared, tears filling his eyes as he turned to face the old man.

"JUST... PLEASE... LEAVE ME ALONE... PLEASE... JUST... FOR ONCE... LET THINGS GO MY WAY... JUST ONCE... LET ME HAVE MY WAY... JUST ONCE IN THIS DAMNED WORLD... PLEASE... JUST ONCE... DO SOMETHING THAT I WANT FOR A CHANGE... AND JUST LEAVE ME ALONE..." He murmured as he curled up into a ball, burying his face in his knees, his tears beginning to soak his pants.

The old man stood silently, recognizing that no words could ease Van's pain. Acknowledging the depth of his plea, he bowed his head silently, then turned and walked away, leaving Van to his solitude. The sound of his retreating footsteps echoed faintly, leaving Van alone inside the Hero's Grave.