After a week, Arthur and Saeko took the chance to go out, enjoying themselves at the amusement park that had opened nearby. Arthur hadn't attempted any Dungeons again, believing he needed time to rest as well — to enjoy time that belonged only to the two of them.
The two grew even closer during those days, and today, they went on every ride in the park, something Saeko had never even done before.
They stopped at an ice cream stand, ordering one for each of them…
…but Arthur's scoop of ice cream suddenly slipped off the cone and splattered onto the ground, drawing a burst of laughter from Saeko.
"Don't laugh!"
"I'm trying not to, you klutz," she said playfully, licking her ice cream right in front of his face, as if showing off, silently saying, "I have mine… and you don't."
After spending the entire afternoon having fun and enjoying time just for themselves, Arthur stopped her and said…
"There's a place I want to take you."
Saeko looked at him curiously. "A place? What place?"
Arthur smiled at her question. "You'll see when we get there."
It was already night. The moon illuminated the streets of Light City, and this time there were crowds walking through them. The streets were lively... in the shops, the houses, and… the restaurants, it was impossible not to notice the excitement in the air.
Light City was going through one of its most important milestones, the day when the people fought for their freedom and defeated the dictatorship they once lived under, changing the name of their country to Luminar, a name meant to symbolize a light that would never fade.
Its Independence Day had arrived.
07/23/2068.
Among the many establishments nearby, there was a small but cozy restaurant located along a slightly narrow street.
It was packed.
"Order for table 14 is ready…!" a shout came from the kitchen.
Waiters hurried past them, carrying dishes to their tables.
There were nervous young men who looked like they were on their very first date with the girl sitting across from them.
Some couples sat together, smiling at one another while their fingers remained gently intertwined.
Friends talked about life's nonsense: telling jokes, laughing loudly, and sometimes venting about their bosses at work…
It was… ordinary.
And it was to this place that Blank — no, Arthur… arrived with Saeko.
The bell above the front door rang as he pushed it open, a sound he had long grown used to hearing.
Arthur's life in this world had been difficult. His parents had passed away young in a car accident, when little Arthur was only six years old.
Forced to learn how to live with that loss from such an early age, he went through a deeply depressive period during those years.
"Welcome to Luminous Hearth, you may take a seat—"
An elderly lady spoke as soon as she heard the bell, turning to greet the customers with a warm smile.
But the moment she saw who had entered, she froze for a brief second.
"Art?"
The owners of this establishment were, in fact, Arthur's adoptive parents. For some reason, they had chosen to adopt the most problematic boy in the orphanage at the time.
"…My God, it's been so long. How have you been, dear? Have you been eating well?"
The elderly lady, named Elena, quickly approached the young man, pulling him into a tight embrace… one filled with longing and love.
He still remembered the first time he had seen her. She hadn't changed much over the years, she still carried that gentle smile and those eyes full of kindness… something only that woman could look at Arthur with... the eyes of a mother.
Parts of her hair had already turned gray, and a few wrinkles could now be seen… but she was still her, and that was enough.
"Hey, Mom…"
It had been a while since Arthur last visited them. After finishing his studies and failing to find a job, he felt like a failure.
Because he had let fear defeat him instead of taking the risk of entering the Tower of Reincarnation like everyone else.
"…Come, come in. Your father is busy in the kitchen…"
She then turned her eyes to Saeko beside Arthur, one beautiful woman with a purple hair. As expected, her son had good taste.
"And you are?" Elena asked, a faint knowing smile on her face.
Arthur was then able to witness one of the most unexpected sights of all:
Saeko… looking slightly shy and nervous.
She looked at the woman in front of her and spoke with a small stutter.
"M-my name is Saeko, ma'am, and I am…"
She glanced at Arthur, wondering how she should introduce herself, which drew a small smile from him as he answered for her.
"She's your daughter-in-law, Mom."
"Oh, I have so many questions… but right now I need you to help me, son."
Before even waiting for Arthur's response, she handed him a tray filled with several dishes and said:
"We're short on staff. Help your dear mother while she rests a little, okay?"
"But—"
"I knew you'd accept, dear. Meanwhile, I need to catch up with Saeko."
Saeko laughed at Arthur's defeated expression as he simply accepted the order his mother had given him.
And so, the Reincarnator who had turned the world upside down… began working as a waiter.
As Arthur walked between the surrounding tables delivering dishes and taking orders, Saeko heard Elena speaking beside her.
"I still remember the first day I brought him home."
Saeko turned her gaze toward her, not interrupting.
"He was a complete troublemaker, but most of all… very quiet. I don't know if he's ever told you this, but… his childhood wasn't easy. It was hard to pull even a single smile from that face… it took me years to do that…"
Her eyes were fixed on Arthur, as if she were seeing him as a child again... running around the restaurant, wanting to help his father in the kitchen and his mother attending the customers.
"…you're the first girl he's ever brought here…"
She turned her gaze back to Saeko.
"…I hope you'll take good care of my son smile, Saeko."
Saeko, with a serious expression, answered Elena.
"I promise, ma'am."
Elena spent a few seconds looking directly into Saeko's eyes, before letting out a gentle smile and speaking softly.
"You can call me Elena, dear. Now then, let's talk a little about his stories… I believe you're curious to hear about some of his childhood mishaps. There was this one time when…"
While Arthur delivered the dishes, at one point he heard an unmistakable laugh.
He turned instinctively, and there she was.
Saeko, laughing so hard she could barely contain herself at something his mother had said.
For a brief moment, he simply stood there watching.
Arthur carried every memory of the past, everything the "former" Arthur had lived through. Over the past few days, he had found himself constantly wondering what he should do about this family…
Should he disappear?
Should he leave them behind?
Every time those thoughts surfaced, a dull pain tightened in his chest. It felt as though, somehow, the former Arthur's emotions and attachments still lingered within him… refusing to fade.
That was why, after more than a week, he had finally decided to come here with Saeko and not alone.
Because deep down, he had been afraid.
Afraid of what he would feel.Afraid of what he would see.And afraid that this place not belonged to him anymore.
But the moment he stepped through that door… all those fears quietly dissolved.
And now, as his gaze rested on the two most important women in his life... and on the man who appeared shortly after, pulling him into a firm embrace despite still wearing his kitchen apron, an answer slowly took shape in his mind.
The truth is that all of us have a place we call home.
A place where we are accepted without conditions and where, no matter how far we go… we can always return.
…and this…
…was his.