“Take you to my world…?”

What did Sara just say? Take her to my world? I had already told her that the door connecting my world to this one would close, possibly never opening again. Even so, she still said she wanted to come with me to my world.

“Yes. It will be lonely not being able to see Father, Darga, and Gina anymore, but even so, I want to be with you, Masayoshi-sama!”

“………………”

“You have saved my life countless times already. If I were to put it bluntly, I might as well not even exist in this world anymore. And if it hasn’t been decided for certain that the door to this world will close, then isn’t there still a chance that I could return?”

She wasn’t wrong. Maybe it was possible to bring Sara to my world. If I didn’t pass on the Grand Mage’s power to Ande, she might be able to live in this world with some degree of freedom.

But… would that truly make her happy? I couldn’t abandon my family and friends, so instead, she would leave behind her father, Darga, and Gina to come to my world alone?

Even if she came to my world, what would happen after that? Obviously, there were no elves with pointed ears like hers in my world. Maybe magic tools from the Grand Mage’s house or spells could help disguise it, but she would have to live her entire life in hiding.

Of course, she had no legal identity in my world either. Living as a normal person would be difficult. At worst, I could use the Grand Mage’s power to manage things while I was alive. But Sara was a half-elf. She would outlive me. What would happen after I died? Not even the Grand Mage’s power could extend my lifespan.

“Sara, I’m truly grateful for your feelings. I’m so happy that you would say that for my sake. But… I cannot take you to my world.

There are no elves in my world. You wouldn’t even be able to walk outside without a disguise. And on top of that, our languages are completely different.”

“If it’s the language, I’ll learn it! And I don’t need to go outside. As long as I have you, that’s enough for me!”

“Sara… thank you.”

I was truly touched by her words. But I couldn’t let her make such sacrifices. She was still young—I couldn’t bring her into my world and tie her down with so many burdens.

“I cannot take you to my world. Right now, I’m not capable of truly making you happy. But… could you wait for me? Even if it’s just for a little while?”

If I truly cared about her happiness, I should have told her to forget about me and live a fulfilling life. Or maybe even erase her memories of me so she wouldn’t suffer. But I couldn’t do that. I could never erase the memories we shared.

…I see. Before I even realized it, I had fallen in love with her this deeply. I wanted to see her gentle smile. I loved eating delicious meals with her. I wanted to make her happy. From the bottom of my heart, I wished for that.

“…Of course, I will wait. I will wait forever! But in that case, why not just take me with you?”

Ugh… The way she looked at me made me want to take her away with me right this instant.

“It’s okay. I will definitely come back for you, Sara! And when I do, I will be the one to propose to you!”

It’ll be okay. Ande is a true genius, unlike me. He’s someone who worked hard and surpassed the Grand Mage’s power with his own effort. If I pass on the Grand Mage’s power to him, I believe he’ll fix the door in no time.

“Masayoshi-sama…”

“Sara…”

Before I knew it, I was holding Sara in my arms and kissing her.

Age, morality, whether I could return or not—none of it mattered at this moment. Right now, I simply wanted to hold Sara and kiss her.

“You must come back to me, okay?”

“Yes, I promise!”