Hi all I'm currently looking for a wistful novel. Something with a bleak undertone and kinda sad, nostalgic yet accepting outlook about events that have transpired in the past or events that the MC couldn't control. The "sadness" that I'm looking for isn't as immediate as a tragedy, but more like that soft sadness and regret that took place after the tragedy/ the 'happy end'/inevitable change. For examples, like coping after a loved one has passed, or maybe, a super long-lived party member of the Hero party that decided tk retrace the steps of their adventures after 100 has passed and everyone have died. I enjoy Mullberry Song, Kamisu Reina and Girl Who Ate a Death God. Any recommendations is appreciated, thanks in advance!
For a Prosperous World It's about coming back to an empty household for decades on end and never wanting to experience that again, about putting in centuries of effort to fulfill a promise, about the loneliness of never being able to form long term relationships or staying in one place, and of seeing all of one's dream turn to ash. And for all that the book has a lot of melancholy moments, it also has a lot of moments of levity and of revelation. It's really a very good book. The problem? The translation is stopped and it didn't even get to any of the really good parts yet so you'd have to read it in Chinese. Sadly the story isn't nearly as good as it could have been. It's pretty much bog standard anime harem shenanigans.
I read some of the manga of this one. https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-old-knight-of-a-frontier-district/ I haven't tried the novel, but the manga is pretty full of that wistful feeling, lots of flashbacks where the mc is remembering things from long ago, good art and it has an interesting plot. It does emphasize food alot too though.