The funeral proceeded smoothly, with Mingrui attending under the alias "Gehrman Sparrow." participating as Klein's friend throughout the event.
"Gehrman Sparrow" was the identity he would use next within the resistance, distinct from his "Medici" persona.
Mingrui chose this alias for the funeral for a simple reason: he could no longer go about with Klein's face. Doing so would hurt Benson and Melissa and might startle uninvolved onlookers. The "Gehrman Sparrow" persona, crafted with Mr. Azik's guidance and based on Mingrui's appearance before his transmigration, allowed him to attend the funeral as himself, in a sense.
Only when the tombstone was raised and the coffin fully buried did Mingrui realize, in a daze, that Klein was truly gone from today onward.
From this day forward, he could be Zhou Mingrui, "Sherlock Moriarty," or the resistance's "Gehrman Sparrow," but never again "Klein Moretti."
Even though a part of him belonged to Klein.
"Are you alright?" A gentle voice tinged with concern sounded beside him. Mingrui looked up to see Mr. Azik.
He, too, had attended Klein Moretti's funeral.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Azik, for hiding my true identity from you all this time." Mingrui said with a sigh. During the funeral preparations, he had written to Azik, revealing the truth.
After all, Azik had first known the real Klein, not him.
"No need to apologize. You've done nothing to wrong me." Azik said, shaking his head. He glanced at the tombstone, letting out a sigh of his own.
For Azik, Klein was just an ordinary student with whom he had a decent but not particularly close relationship. It was only after Mingrui took Klein's place that their bond deepened, evolving into the mentor-friend, almost father-son relationship they shared now. Learning the truth didn't hit Azik as hard as it did Benson and Melissa; he merely sighed... for this cursed fate.
Mingrui managed a faint smile at Azik's words, then looked at the tombstone. "Sometimes I wonder whether living in this unfamiliar era or dying in that apocalyptic moment back then would've been better for me."
Azik didn't respond, simply watching him quietly.
"But living is better, isn't it? At least this way, I can do what I'm able to... whether it's saving the world or…" Mingrui glanced at Benson and Melissa nearby, leaving the rest unsaid.
Azik understood. He knew Mingrui wanted to look after Benson and Melissa, regardless of how they now saw him.
Azik spoke suddenly, "A long, long time ago, I did something similar to what you've done. I, too, once lived under someone else's identity…"
Mingrui paused, turning to look at him.
"At first, I didn't think it was wrong, but later, I chose to discard that mask... the one that let me become someone else, live as someone else." Azik said, his eyes lowering as if lost in memory. "Mingrui, you don't need to live as anyone's substitute or take on responsibilities that aren't yours. You can care for them, but don't see yourself as a replacement. That will only bring pain to you and them."
"I know. Thank you, Mr. Azik." Mingrui said, his smile less forced now. "I won't see myself as a substitute. I'm clear that I'm Zhou Mingrui, fused with some of Klein's emotions and memories. Because of those and the time we've spent together, I see them as family. But I'm still Mingrui at my core, not anyone's replacement."
"That's good." Azik said, his gaze softening with relief.
He knew the pain of such circumstances all too well and had worried Mingrui might get lost in it. Thankfully, that fear hadn't come to pass.
After the funeral, Mingrui escorted Benson and Melissa back home.
"Thank you for your help during this time. You must have your own matters to attend to, right?" Benson said, thanking him before asking.
"I do have some things to take care of." Mingrui nodded, not hiding it.
"Then go handle your work. Melissa and I can take care of ourselves." Benson said. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "If we need to write to you, it's still the same address, right?"
"Yes." Mingrui confirmed.
Though he'd be in a border city for a while, any letters sent to the villa would be forwarded to him.
"Good." Benson said, pausing. He looked at the young man before him, whose face was unfamiliar yet whose demeanor felt so familiar, and sighed. Suddenly, he reached out and ruffled Mingrui's hair.
Mingrui froze, caught off guard by the gesture.
"Don't be sad. Whether as a friend or a new family member, I want you to be happy." Benson said earnestly. "Klein's passing… it's irreversible. We'll carry his share and live on, but we'll also move forward. So should you."
Melissa, watching Mingrui, spoke up, "If Klein saw us all grieving like this, he'd probably be sad too."
"Sorry for making you comfort me instead…" Mingrui apologized instinctively, then looked at them both. Unable to hold back, he asked, "Can I hug you?"
"…Yes."
Benson and Melissa exchanged a glance, both nodding.
The three shared a light but warm embrace.
"Go, Mingrui. Live well. Don't worry about us too much... it's not your burden to carry. You're free." Benson said, his tone like that of a brother sending off a family member. "We held a funeral for Klein. It's his end, but it shouldn't be yours. I hope you see this as a new beginning."
Melissa added softly, "Goodbye, Mingrui."
"Goodbye, Benson. Goodbye, Melissa." Mingrui said, releasing them. The embrace seemed to give him strength, as if their actions had affirmed something for him. With a relieved smile, he turned and walked into the crowd.
As his figure faded, Benson said quietly, "We lost one family member, but we've gained a new one. He's not Klein, but he loves us, just as we can't fully let go of our feelings for him."
Melissa, still watching where Mingrui had gone, didn't contradict him. She only said, "If Klein were alive, I think they'd have been good friends."
***
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