Dragon Princess Will Do Her Best To Prevent The World's Destruction

Chapter 66: Childhood's End

On that freezing, stagnant, soulless, miserable, and indifferent day, I died. Or rather, she died.

The nameless girl died a pathetic death. It was harrowing to watch. It would have brought tears to my eyes, if not for the unsightly manner in which she left behind that world. A life for a life, but in the end, was it worth it? I certainly hoped it was. I was rooting for her, after all.

The girl was born on an evening like this, given a meaningless name. A life of misfortune awaited her, but even so, those seven years were pleasant to her. It was a great seven years, it was a terrible seven years. Even so, much like her name, it was largely meaningless. Nobody cared for her struggle, not even life itself. So why should she herself care about the meaning imposed onto her? Ah...

It was a worthless journey after all.

The final name that was rendered unto her was certainly of some value. It was beautiful, gorgeous, elegant...but most of all, it bore life. In the hollow reaches of what was referred to as life, it was the only piece of sanity she could possibly hold on to. A name granted by those who were beyond the trifling matter of life's meaning. They were life itself, after all. They embodied the values of what "life" should be.

Even so, this value largely remained as something of "attached value". Something akin to that of the glories of your ancestors. That did place value on oneself, but it was not true value. That nameless girl's name was a gift bestowed from the higher ones, but she herself held absolutely zero meaning in regards to her name. Hence, the meaningless girl without a name.

What a waste. At the end of this short road, I wonder what she felt, looking back at those worthless years? Ah, really, what a shame. If only she was given a second chance. If only things could have been done differently. If only I...

Well, I suppose it no longer matters now. The girl who was burnt to death would soon fade into the greater history of this world, the memory of her erased from existence, much like her features under the intense flames. Don't worry, though. As I watched the nameless girl's body being incinerated, she suffered little. Her eyes had long closed on that world as the fire took hold of her. Really...

It was a depressing time spent on that world after all.

Even so, amidst all the death, misery, emptiness, travesty, and insanity...she was happy.

In the end, it was a good life. If one was to determine everything based on emotional satisfaction, then yes, it was certainly a good one. The things that could have made her happier could be counted on just a single hand, such was the manner in which she lived. There was so many things to simply kill herself over, but even so, life was worth living. Was it a life that held meaning? No. Not that it mattered, really.

Oh? Odd, to think there was a person visiting her dying body.  It was...ah, it was him. The boy who she envied, even if for a little bit. Of all the lesser individuals she had known, he perhaps led the most glorious life. He lived life as he spoke it, even though it may be somewhat idealistic at times. But so what? The greatest fools were the ones who cried out about the miseries of life, while at the same time condemning those who lived without a concern for reality. Neither of them were wrong, but to live and let live.

Despite all that, the nameless girl could only observe the actions of Isaac with silent jealousy. He led a life that was essentially all that she could wish for. The desperate desires for meaning was answered effortlessly by the boy who went against the decrees of those around him, as he proclaimed with the ideals of a hopeful young boy, "Who cares about what others think of you?"

It was patronizing how he had advised her, in a way. Still, the values he held were laudable. Of course, things weren't that simple for the girl. Life was busy, after all. There were things to do! There were people to repay! Above all else, there was a life to live! What else could I do if my life was built around serving someone else!? How could I not care!? Answer me! I...! All I ever wanted was to just...!