Ch.188[Episode 188] Anomaly: Epilogue

“We’ll meet again soon…”

Miss Sweet Sweet was to be deported from Gachaland under the escort of Inspector Javert.

There were questions about whether this was too harsh when other villains were still operating freely, but the actual reason for Miss Sweet Sweet’s deportation was something else.

“To think there was an illegal resident in Gachaland. I’ll have to request the Central System to strengthen dimensional security.”

Inspector Javert said to Sir Dominic.

Sir Dominic had never seen anyone being deported during his time in Gachaland, but this opportunity gave him a clear understanding of Gachaland’s deportation system.

There was nothing fancy or special about it.

It was simply a matter of throwing the deportee into an unstable part of System Industries.

That was all.

“The unstable parts of System Industries also serve as connections between Gachaland and other dimensions.”

Unryu Hime explained.

Even while being deported, Miss Sweet Sweet kept grinning as she looked at Sir Dominic.

She flinched slightly whenever her gaze touched his shield, but she maintained her composure throughout.

“I’ll say it again—we’ll meet again, Sir Dominic.”

Those were Miss Sweet Sweet’s final words to Sir Dominic.

With that, Miss Sweet Sweet was thrown into the unstable part of System Industries.

With a “pop,” Miss Sweet Sweet vanished without a trace.

Sir Dominic continued to stare at that unstable area long after Miss Sweet Sweet had disappeared.

“Why are you standing there in a daze?”

“Ah, Lady Hime.”

Noticing something odd about Sir Dominic’s state, Unryu Hime approached with concern.

“It’s nothing. I’m just troubled by her final words.”

“Ah.”

Unryu Hime nodded as Sir Dominic voiced the doubt in his mind.

“Don’t worry too much about it.”

Unryu Hime took a step closer to Sir Dominic.

Her fox ears and tail swayed gently.

“Most of what villains say is just convincing nonsense.”

“Which implies that some of it might be important.”

Sir Dominic replied.

Though Unryu Hime’s words had somewhat eased his mind, for some reason, a sense of discomfort remained in a corner of his heart.

“…Sir Dominic.”

Unryu Hime called out to Sir Dominic, perhaps sensing his unease.

Sir Dominic turned his head toward her.

Unryu Hime took another step closer to him.

The distance between them was now close enough that one could reach out and touch the other.

“What exactly is making you so anxious?”

“…”

Sir Dominic wore a blank expression at Unryu Hime’s question.

“Come to think of it, you’re right. There’s no reason to be anxious.”

Sir Dominic pondered for a moment before nodding.

“Actually, my intuition was warning me.”

“Your intuition?”

Unryu Hime asked with wide eyes.

“Well, I suppose Sir Dominic’s intuition would be quite honed, having survived battlefields.”

Unryu Hime nodded as if understanding.

“In truth, since my intuition has mostly been correct until now, I assumed it would be this time as well.”

After saying this, Sir Dominic looked back at the unstable part of System Industries.

“Well, saying that intuition is almost always right also means it’s sometimes wrong.”

Sir Dominic’s expression cleared as if he had gained insight from Unryu Hime’s words.

Unryu Hime stared intently at Sir Dominic.

Indeed. Unryu Hime stared at Sir Dominic.

What if she had been in his situation?

She would surely have been consumed by anxiety in her own world, ignoring all advice from others.

That’s what Unryu Hime thought.

Perhaps that was why Unryu Hime admired… no, was interested in… no, loved Sir Dominic.

For his confident and straightforward demeanor that was so different from her own.

Was that why?

Unryu Hime’s expression filled with the shyness of a girl in love.

But Unryu Hime was a kunoichi who had long passed the age to be called a girl.

Gathering her courage, she called out to Sir Dominic.

“Sir Dominic-!”

“Wait.”

No, she was about to call out.

“Hold on a moment. The weather seems strange.”

Sir Dominica interrupted, stepping between Sir Dominic and Unryu Hime.

Sir Dominica had been talking with Inspector Javert until just now.

Being quite far from Sir Dominic and Unryu Hime, she had no idea what they were discussing.

Perhaps that’s why?

Sir Dominica had inadvertently interrupted their conversation at the moment when Unryu Hime had made her biggest resolution.

“…The weather?”

Sir Dominic asked, looking at Sir Dominica.

“The weather…”

Unryu Hime replied dejectedly.

She had been full of enthusiasm for once, but that enthusiasm quickly cooled when interrupted.

“Let’s get out of here first. The weather can’t be properly observed in this unstable area.”

At Sir Dominica’s words, Sir Dominic and Unryu Hime moved away.

Unryu Hime was still dejected, her ears and tail drooping.

“What on earth—”

As Sir Dominic returned from the unstable area to a stable one, something touched his nose.

It wasn’t cold, but it was something white and somehow sweet.

Sir Dominic touched the white substance on his nose with his fingertip and examined it.

It was some kind of granule.

A light crystalline granule.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Sir Dominic tasted it with the tip of his tongue.

It was sugar.

And quite well-refined white sugar at that.

“…Sugar?”

Unryu Hime said, catching the falling sugar in her hand.

At that moment, a system message appeared before everyone’s eyes.

[The forecasted sugar blizzard has been changed to sugar snow due to the restoration of the weather system.]

[We apologize for the late recovery that prevented us from stopping it completely.]

[We apologize to the citizens of Gachaland who have been affected by this abnormal weather—]

“…It seems they managed to contain it somewhat.”

Unryu Hime said to Sir Dominic.

“Indeed.”

Sir Dominic replied, gazing blankly at the white sugar falling from the sky.

Sugar was rare in Feralant.

There was sweet syrup extracted from sugarcane or sugar beets, but even that was exclusive to nobles, and Sir Dominic, who had been a poor knight, had no connection to such sugar.

Of course, he had tasted things containing sugar once or twice when accompanying his lord to social gatherings as a guard, but even those memories were too old to recall.

Since arriving in Gachaland, Sir Dominic had been able to eat plenty of sweet things containing sugar, but this was the first time he had seen so much sugar.

Sir Dominic marveled at how white sugar was.

Then, feeling someone’s gaze on him, Sir Dominic turned his head.

“…Lady Hime?”

“Ah. Yes.”

Unryu Hime, who had been staring at Sir Dominic with blank eyes, was startled by his words and answered.

“Are you not feeling well?”

Sir Dominic asked with concern.

Unryu Hime’s face was flushed red enough to worry Sir Dominic.

“No, no, I’m fine.”

Unryu Hime waved her hands in denial.

Then, as if trying to change the subject, she hurriedly looked at the sugar snow.

“By the way, isn’t this quite romantic?”

“Romantic?”

Sir Dominic asked.

Sir Dominic looked up at the sky again.

Then he looked down at the ground.

The ground, which had been a mess of jelly, broken candy, and injeolmi powder, was now being gently covered with white sugar.

The world was turning white and sparkling.

If this could be called romantic…

“Indeed. It is romantic.”

Sir Dominic nodded.

After all, the sugar snow falling on Gachaland now was beautiful.

“By the way…”

Sir Dominic suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at Unryu Hime.

“Why did you call me just now?”

“…What?”

When Sir Dominic recalled the previous situation and asked, Unryu Hime was flustered.

Her tail wagged fiercely, and her ears perked up in tension.

“N-n-no, it was nothing important.”

“Is that so?”

Seeing Unryu Hime’s excessive panic, Sir Dominic nodded and looked back up at the sky.

Sir Dominic truly believed that Unryu Hime hadn’t been about to say anything significant.

Such was the misunderstanding possible only for someone with such a straightforward personality.

But Unryu Hime actually breathed a sigh of relief at this.

“…When my feelings are truly sorted out… then…”

“Hmm? What did you say?”

“…Nothing.”

Unryu Hime murmured her resolution quietly.

“Just thinking how romantic this situation is.”

Unryu Hime looked up at the sky.

The sugar snow continued to fall beautifully, shimmering as it descended.

…

Deep within the Executive branch.

Here, executives from System Industries and the top officials of the Executive branch had gathered.

There was also one person from the Black Group—Chairman Morgana Black.

[“I will now relay a message from the Unborn President.”]

As everyone gathered and focused, the Central System addressed them.

[“As you know, those of you here are aware that the Unborn President has… other children besides our Gachaland.”]

Those gathered nodded.

The Unborn President wasn’t always born only at crucial moments in Gachaland from the beginning.

In fact, everyone present knew that in Gachaland’s early days, the President was always watching over Gachaland.

But they also knew that as other dimensions emerged, the Unborn President’s attention became divided, resulting in the current situation.

[“The President has proposed something.”]

Everyone’s attention focused on the Central System.

[“An exchange between dimensions.”]

This was a statement that would have significant implications for Gachaland.