Ch.139Part 1 Complete) Like a Fairy Tale (2)

All the fighting had ended. Mavet was dead, and the Extinction that had once threatened the empire had completely disappeared.

Now, all that remained was to distribute rewards to those who had contributed.

The other races had suffered many injuries, but they didn’t show much reaction to death.

The elves had lost their elder and needed to reorganize their group, the dwarves drank memorial ale for their fallen comrades, and the trolls simply said not to worry because they had all gone to the hall of warriors.

The Crown Prince… as I had known from the original story, he clearly had feelings for Scarlet.

It was obvious just by how he insisted on keeping Scarlet in his quarters instead of prison.

Of course, that request was denied and Scarlet ended up imprisoned, but thanks to the Crown Prince’s consideration, she was treated essentially like nobility.

“Do you like Scarlet that much?”

“Me? Ha, Evan. I’m not someone who gives my heart away easily.”

“Of course not.”

I had come to the imperial capital to receive a title from the imperial palace, but in my heart, I wanted to return home as soon as possible.

There was someone waiting for me, and soon… children would be born too.

Several months had already passed since the end of the battle. It had gone by in the blink of an eye.

In fact, it was only natural that we could tie up these loose ends now, in late summer, considering the time spent dealing with Mavet’s aftermath and hunting down and killing all the remnants of Extinction.

The level beyond Master still didn’t have an official name.

Some suggested Grand Master, but I rejected that name.

Grand Master? Just thinking about people calling me that would be embarrassing.

“So, how do you feel about receiving a title this time?”

“Well, the Fried family won’t disappear anyway.”

When I got married, I planned to change my surname. Not Evan Fried, but now Evan Yuris.

And the children would be Robelia Yuris and Arthur Yuris.

The surname Yuris wasn’t unfamiliar, and if there was anything positive about it, it would be that I could pass the title down to my children.

“But a viscount… isn’t that too much? Suddenly making a mere knight with no title into a viscount.”

“I tried to push for duke, but the opposition from others was too strong. It hasn’t been long since the three great families were narrowed down. They’re probably worried about another duke appearing and joining forces with Yuris.”

“I see. I don’t have much interest in politics anyway.”

I never had any interest in politics.

If I were to try to seize power now… the moment I had such thoughts, it would essentially be an act of treason.

The fact that Yuris, the North, and the other races supported me was no small matter.

Not to mention that I was the only person on the continent with the power to kill Mavet.

“Well, I think so too.”

“By the way, I heard there are people opposing my trip to the neighboring continent.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. They’re saying there’s no need to help them just because something called the King of Monsters has appeared. Anyway, you’re going there for your honeymoon, right?”

“That’s right. And I heard everything has been resolved now.”

To be honest, I was confident I could handle Mavet even if he appeared again.

The realm beyond Master was essentially something that far transcended superhuman abilities.

I seemed to have grown younger, and my appearance and physique had changed for the better.

Airine was so surprised she jumped up and down, so I would need to be more careful in public.

“Now the wedding… right, I heard it’s in autumn.”

“Will you come?”

“Of course I have to go. Scarlet will come too.”

“You say you don’t like her, but why do you always bring her to every event? Have you heard the rumors? People already think Scarlet is your crown princess.”

The Crown Prince flinched at those words, then awkwardly laughed and changed the subject.

If that’s how it’s going to be, he should just confess already. I wondered if this was how people felt watching Airine and me before.

When we announced we were a couple, the servants at the duke’s mansion were the happiest.

…Now I could somewhat understand their feelings.

Being an observer was this frustrating.

I felt completely different from when I first became aware of my existence as Evan Fried.

Back then it was a hot summer day like this, but now I could hardly even feel the heat.

It might only be five years, but so much had changed.

“I heard Lord Theorad is retiring too.”

“…That’s right. I tried to keep him, but he said he wanted to work somewhere other than the knighthood.”

“It’s fortunate he’s still by Your Highness’s side, isn’t it?”

“That’s why I allowed his retirement. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let him go until he died.”

People I had become friends with leaving their positions one by one always brought mixed emotions.

If there was one person who naturally came to mind, it was Lord Chris. I couldn’t help but smile thinking about how much he had complained about being called to the last subjugation.

If I hadn’t given Rofena a vacation to go with him, it would have been hard to appease him.

“Are you thinking about Chris?”

“…Is it that obvious?”

“Well, if you’re lost in thought after talking about Theorad, it’s pretty obvious what you’re thinking. I heard he even adopted a child named Rofena.”

Hmm, I nodded at those words. I hadn’t expected things to go this far, but Lord Chris seemed to care for Rofena even more deeply than I had thought.

I really hadn’t expected him to go as far as adoption. Fortunately, Rofena was overjoyed when she heard the news, and it seems my impression that they looked like father and daughter when together wasn’t just my imagination.

“That’s good. At least Lord Chris won’t be lonely.”

Lord Chris, who used to visit the duke’s mansion every day, gradually reduced his visits, and then suddenly announced he was moving to the countryside.

The emotion I felt then was wanting to hit him, mentor or not.

But how could I stop him if that’s how he wanted to live? I was surprised when he said he couldn’t take Rofena with him, but Lord Chris insisted he wanted to live in a quiet place.

If that’s what he wanted. In a way, I envied him.

My dream had been to build a house and live in a quiet place like Lord Chris.

However, since Airine was going to be the head of the Yuris family, I would have to remain at Yuris as her husband.

“Anyway, there’s nothing left to do now. Unification was done long ago, and all that’s left are the barbarians in the north and south?”

“I won’t fight. Call me only if the imperial capital is about to fall.”

“…Despite appearances, I’m a Master too. Do you think I’d call you to fight barbarians? It’s petty and unpleasant, so I don’t think I’ll need to call you.”

“Now I’ll have to visit the imperial capital… sigh. A lot, I guess. Since the children’s school is here.”

Just thinking about it gave me a headache, and I sighed deeply while pressing my throbbing temples.

The academy the children would attend was in the imperial capital. Of course, there was one in Yuris too, but as children of a ducal family, shouldn’t they attend the Imperial Academy in the capital?

…Surely the children wouldn’t be bullied?

Though they weren’t even born yet, I found myself smiling awkwardly at these worries.

Perhaps I was becoming more sentimental. Maybe it was because I couldn’t adjust to the reality that everything was over now.

There was no longer any need to fight for my life, nor any enemies worth fighting.

“Are you already thinking about the children? What were their names again?”

“The girl is Robelia, the boy is Arthur. Aren’t they nice?”

“They sound good.”

The Crown Prince nodded briefly, then looked up at the imperial palace that had now come completely into view.

Perhaps it was time to end the small talk. As I fell silent, the Crown Prince suddenly stopped walking and turned his gaze toward me.

“…I’ll get married someday too, won’t I?”

“Why so suddenly?”

“Watching you and the young mistress, I’ve been envious and learned a lot in many ways. But now that I’m in your position, it somehow… doesn’t feel real.”

“You said earlier you didn’t like her.”

“Soon, all charges against Scarlet will be dropped. Then Scarlet will be free, and having nowhere to stay, she’ll probably leave the imperial capital. But where can Scarlet go when her territory is destroyed and she has no family to take her in?”

“You want to take care of her?”

“Something like that.”

The Crown Prince was quite serious in his contemplation, so I thought carefully before cautiously speaking.

The answer was surprisingly simple. Not because he was the Crown Prince, not because she was Scarlet.

If the positions were reversed and it was about Airine and me, I would have acted the same way.

“Just take her in.”

“What?”

“I heard the rumors. You already confessed to her. You asked her to stay by your side, so why are you acting so passively? Just tell her straightforwardly. Ask her to live with you.”

The Crown Prince’s eyes widened at those words, and he stroked his chin slightly, apparently finding the idea not bad.

Perhaps he had already been considering saying something like that, but I simply waited silently until he spoke.

After a moment passed, the Crown Prince, with his foot on the threshold, cautiously opened his mouth. With a somewhat relieved expression.

“…I think I will.”

After Airine and I get married, perhaps we’ll soon see the Crown Prince getting married too.

A wedding that wasn’t in the original story—I smiled at the thought, feeling oddly excited.

#

Viscount, viscount. It was a strange title. I was just a knight candidate at first, and now I was a viscount.

Given the circumstances, it seemed awkward to remain a guard knight.

I would remain as a husband after marriage, but I felt a twinge of regret at the thought of giving up the guard knight position I had held for five years. I glanced outside the carriage, lost in thought.

“Do you have something on your mind?”

“No. Just thinking about various things.”

After entering the gate in the carriage personally granted by the Emperor, I felt somewhat embarrassed upon arriving at Yuris.

My name had become famous recently, but catching Mavet and becoming a viscount drew even more attention.

People were assigned as servants, and thinking that I would later assign them all to Airine, I leaned back quietly in the carriage seat.

“Are we going straight to the duke’s mansion? You should check your territory at least once.”

“It’s fine. I can do that later. And we’re not going to the duke’s mansion, but to Seiren.”

“Seiren… understood.”

Speaking informally wasn’t very comfortable either.

Perhaps because I spent so much time with Airine, it felt much more natural to speak casually.

Seiren, a place that had become so familiar. It was always the first place that came to mind when recalling memories from a few years ago.

I closed my eyes gently, thinking of the person waiting there today.

As the sun sets, the moon rises again.

As always when coming to Seiren, the moon shining from a corner of the sky emitted the same light.

A crescent moon curved like a smiling face, with stars scattered beside it. I got off the carriage and felt the wind blowing over the lake.

Humid breeze, the scent of grass mixed in, and the sound of insects between them.

The soil underfoot was damp. I walked along the muddy path toward the lakeside that glittered in the moonlight.

Thinking back to when I first came here brought up various emotions.

The prophecy I heard from Azest seemed to have come true precisely now that I thought about it.

I had shed much blood and endured many hardships. Yet despite all that, we were destined to be connected. Isn’t that exactly right?

“You’re late.”

“His Majesty wouldn’t let me leave.”

I smile faintly at Airine as she caresses her now fully swollen belly.

The same position as when we first met, different circumstances, different relationship, but the same person.

The wind blew.

It was a fitting wind for writing the final page.