I retraced my steps. A long road. A far one. Yet, it led back to the village where the Elder waited.
I held the pouch close to my chest. An empty pouch. A pouch with no one left inside. But it felt warm.
"…Let’s go home."
I walked on.
I made my way down the mountain path.
The morning light illuminated the forest. Sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling the ground in patterns. A gentle light.
It was the same path I had taken to get here, yet it looked different now.
The trees were different. The air was different. The world was different.
I paused, resting a hand against a moss-covered trunk. I could feel the texture of the bark against my fingertips. On the way here, I hadn't noticed the warmth of the wood, but now I felt it clearly. The birdsong was high and clear, and every time the wind brushed my cheek, the scent of leaves filled my senses.
I had delivered the three gods. As a Gatherer, I had completed my first journey. That experience had changed me.
Midday came.
I cleared the mountains, and the village came into view. The Village of the Boundary. Wooden houses stood in rows, with trails of peaceful smoke rising from them.
"…I’ve missed this," I whispered.
How many days had it been since I left? The days spent fleeing from the Observers, running for my life. The parting with Shiori-san. The farewell to the gods. It felt as though a vast amount of time had passed.
A gatekeeper stood at the entrance, just as before. When he saw me, his eyes widened in surprise, and he stepped aside immediately.
"The Gatherer! You’re safe!"
Hearing his voice, the reality of my return finally sank in.
Evening fell.
I headed to the Elder’s house. A familiar building. Light leaked from the hearth inside.
I stood before the entrance.
"…I’m home."
I opened the door to find the Elder sitting there. He looked at me with the same gaze as always—stern, but warm underneath.
"…You have returned."
The Elder’s voice echoed softly.
"…Yes."
I sat before him. I couldn't find the words; my heart was simply too full.
"Welcome back."
The Elder smiled. The moment I saw that smile, the tension I’d been holding finally snapped. It felt as if the heavy burden I had carried throughout the journey was sliding off my shoulders. My throat grew tight, and my vision began to blur.
"…Yes."
The Elder poured me a cup of tea. The tea was warm, and tasted of home.
"…I delivered them all," I reported.
"The God of Signposts to the first location." "The God of Shrines to the second location." "The God of Waterways to the third location."
"I see."
The Elder nodded slowly.
"All three? You have done well."
"…It was hard. Shiori-san… she stayed behind so I could escape."
I told him about Shiori-san’s end. About the benefactor who had been "Fixed."
"…I see. Shiori."
The Elder seemed to know the name. His voice carried a resonance of both nostalgia and suppressed pain.
He closed his eyes.
"She, too, fulfilled her role. As a Chronicler—and as one who protects the future."
I pulled out the pouch. I showed the empty pouch to the Elder.
"It’s… it’s empty now." "There’s no one left inside."
The Elder gazed at the pouch. It was as if he were looking at his own past self.
"…But you can still feel the connection, can't you?"
"…How did you know?"
"I do," the Elder said. "The bond with the gods you have delivered remains inside that empty pouch as lingering warmth. Someday, it will become the power that guides you."
"Elder," I asked.
"The Kamiatsume… is it really coming?"
The Elder answered while staring into the flames of the hearth.
"Yes. It will surely come." "The time when all the gods gather, and the world regains its Fluctuation once more."
The words of the Waterway God overlapped with the Elder’s.
"Until then, I should…"
"Prepare for your next journey."
The Elder stirred the fire before looking back at me. The flickering light cast deep shadows across his aged face.
"The work of a Gatherer has only just begun. There are still countless forgotten gods left in this world."
"So I have to… gather them again?"
"If that is what you wish."
The sun sank completely. Night fell over the village.
I left the Elder’s house and looked up at the night sky. A sea of stars stretched overhead. But among them, I felt I could see three special glimmers.
Blue in the north. Gold in the west. Saffron in the east.
The three gods. They were all waiting in their respective places.
"…We'll meet again," I whispered. "At the time of the Kamiatsume."
The first journey was over.
I had delivered the three gods and inherited Shiori’s will. The lonely boy had risen as a Gatherer.
An empty pouch. And yet, a certain bond remained within.
This was not the end. From here, the true path toward the Kamiatsume would begin.
I clutched the pouch tightly. It wasn't cold. It was very, very warm.
A new night was beginning. While dreaming of the time of the Kamiatsume.