Ch.337Chapter 337 Epilogue – The Way Back (2)

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Being carried on his back like this, countless thoughts take root in my mind like plants spreading in multiple directions, blooming and withering repeatedly.

Yet, despite the multitude of thoughts, they all begin with the memory of one person.

On a day when wind and rain were fiercely blowing.

Thoughts of that kind person who approached a helpless girl crying under a tree shade after twisting her ankle while wandering through the grass, and who offered his back without hesitation.

His back was so dependable and warm then, and even now, his back is transmitting an overflowing warmth to me.

I want to say something to him.

Thank you. Thank you for always coming to me when I’m struggling and sharing your warmth.

I want to say these words to Cal, who has offered me his back.

Maybe it’s because I’m tired.

The words I want to say just circle inside my mouth without being expressed.

I want to thank him for using his body, which is more tired than mine, not for himself but for me.

Step, step.

Each time Cal’s warm and gentle footsteps echo regularly in my ears as he treads this desolate land…

My thoughts of trying to help him while he carries me, despite his exhausted state, gradually fade away.

“…”

Without realizing it, my eyes slowly close.

If time passes like this, my weary eyes will close, and I’ll fall asleep again.

I should say something warm to him, who is carrying me alone through this place, to give him strength so I don’t fall asleep.

But I think that will be difficult because the fierce battle I fought until just a while ago is still demanding much rest from my body.

It’s frustrating to feel this drowsiness pouring over me at such an important time.

Come to think of it… I always seem to fall asleep whenever I’m on his back.

Like that first memory I mentioned earlier, when the wind and rain were fierce.

And also when he carried me on his back, not sparing his own body, trying to evacuate me to safety as Night Haven collapsed around us—a memory now known only to him and me.

And even now, when everything has returned to normal, I’m about to fall asleep again.

Why do I always get sleepy when he carries me?

…Well, in the second case, I didn’t fall asleep but lost consciousness, so it’s not quite accurate to say I fell asleep.

Anyway, why do I always fall asleep so easily when I’m on Cal’s back?

Is it the sense of security I feel from being protected by him, who even now steadily bears my weight without wavering and continues his steps silently?

Or is it simply that he happens to carry me when my fatigue reaches its peak, making sleep come naturally?

These are the two reasons that come to mind right now.

But there are also other reasons I’ve thought of before that are now emerging in my mind.

The coziness I feel from his broad back against my body.

The sense of stability his scent brings through my nose.

The gentleness I feel from his hands carefully holding my thighs.

And his footsteps, clearly showing his effort to make me feel comfortable on a path that can hardly be called good.

Countless reasons bloom and wither in my mind just by thinking about it.

I think and think, connecting thought after thought, repeatedly recalling them.

Just as I was about to shake my head at the harshness of a problem with no apparent answer…

“…Sorry.”

His sudden apology near my ear awakened my sinking consciousness.

Though it came very softly and carefully, that apology wrapped in warmth strangely pierced a corner of my heart.

If anyone should apologize, it should be me for letting him struggle all this time. Why is he apologizing to me?

As my already full head was about to burst with yet another question…

“I want to walk more carefully to make you comfortable, but the ground is slipperier than I thought. Can’t sleep well?”

I felt his words, expressing regret for the poor “ride quality,” warmly embrace my heart that was about to sink.

I think I understand a little now.

The reason why I always get sleepy when I’m on his back.

It seems his kindness, always thinking of me and not sparing his own body, makes me worry-free.

It allows me to let go of everything and fall asleep.

Truly, if I were to count the reasons to like him, there would be too many to enumerate.

And if asked for reasons to dislike him, I couldn’t give a single one because of his kindness.

“Hehe…”

A natural laugh escapes my lips.

*Squeeze*

I tightened my arms that were already around Cal’s shoulders and hugged him tightly.

Since I can’t use my legs to help him carry me right now.

This is currently the surest way I can help him.

And also the clearest way to convey my feelings to him.

…!!

I can feel it. The disruption in the flow of air as Cal takes a sharp breath, surprised by the narrowing distance between us that was already close.

Thump, thump-

And I can also feel it. The warm heartbeat of his chest, startled by our closeness, powerfully continuing through my chest.

He surprised me greatly with just a word earlier, and now I’ve properly surprised him back.

This might make us even.

But when it comes to expressing affection, I don’t want to lose to Cal.

“I love you.”

“…!!”

I’ll savor the feeling of victory as I sense his disturbed breathing and heartbeat after saying the exact same words he said to me.

It might seem a bit childish.

But I think moments like this make me a little childish because I want to make it clear that I love him just as much as he loves me.

But it seems my childishness was worth it.

“…Me too.”

He responded to my words with a shy, somewhat blurry voice, and even though I could only see him bow his head deeply from behind, it filled my tired heart with warmth to the brim.

Truly, every moment with him is simply happiness.

I hope Cal feels the same happiness that I feel.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve expressed all the emotions I could while being carried on his back like this.

I feel my consciousness, which was wavering between sleep and wakefulness, sinking below the surface again.

I should sleep quietly to rest my body and recover my weakened legs.

“…Sleep well.”

To me, who is conveying what I tried but failed to say earlier…

“Rest well.”

Cal reassures me with a gentle voice.

Then, relying on those words…

#

Walking without rest to escape the demon realm was exhausting work.

It would have been quite tiring even if I were moving alone.

Carrying Siz on my back naturally added to the fatigue.

But Siz, who was trying to keep me from getting bored by talking about this and that while on my back, gave me strength just by her presence, making any fatigue from carrying her practically nonexistent.

Just… just one small problem arose while carrying Siz.

The problem was that she surprised my heart with a sudden, gentle “I love you” whispered into my ear.

It might be small, but it made my chest flutter—something rare even during fierce battles when training with Fafnir.

Fortunately, Siz, who had been showing she was awake by shifting around on my back, had completely stopped moving and was only breathing regularly.

“Whew…”

I took a deep, light breath to quickly calm my startled heart.

The destructive power of Siz’s whispered “I love you” in my ear was this great.

Maybe next time I should say “I love you” a bit closer to her too.

“Hm…”

I noticed a somewhat childish competitive spirit activating in me, not wanting to lose to Siz in expressing love, and suppressed it with a faint laugh.

Unlike the base competitiveness driven by inferiority that made me want to win at everything.

This was more of a slightly childish sentiment—not wanting to fall behind in showing how much I like you.

I can lose to you in everything else, but I don’t want to appear lacking in how much I care for you.

If Fafnir saw me like this, he would probably be busy mocking me while clicking his tongue in his mind.

But right now, I hear nothing in my head.

When I first heard his voice echoing in my mind, I wasn’t pleased because it meant my inner thoughts were completely exposed.

It hasn’t even been an hour since Fafnir finished his task and departed for higher places, yet I miss his voice that no longer echoes in my head.

It seems I grew quite attached to him without realizing it.

Wheeee-!!

As I continued walking, feeling warmth and longing in one corner of my heart, a cold wind stung my face and exposed skin.

Even though Fafnir has left my side, the flame protecting my body prevents me from feeling cold or pain from this knife-like chilly wind.

Step, step.

I quickened my pace, thinking the cold wind might disturb Siz’s deep sleep on my back.

Perhaps because of that, I had already left behind the ruins of the obsidian palace, whose massive presence was fading with Desire’s downfall.

My footsteps were smoothly approaching the entrance of the Dragon Claw Mountains, which separate this demon realm from the human world.

Since returning here, I hadn’t sensed even a trace of Adorator, who was like Desire’s limb, despite expanding my perception.

Nor did I sense most of the beings of the demon realm who would sacrifice themselves without hesitation at a single word from Desire.

Perhaps it’s because Desire has not only distanced herself from divinity but has returned to being a demon dragon and lost her life.

I think the beings who depended on her power to take root in this world can no longer stay here, resulting in this aftermath.

Of course, I can still clearly sense the traces of beings who originally settled in this world and joined hands with Desire when she appeared.

I can sense them—the Night Clan, including Pale Sanguin, moving hastily and confusing their trail to avoid collision with my sister.

I wanted nothing more than to head straight to where they were and make Pale Sanguin’s already pale face turn even whiter in his confusion.

But I wasn’t moving around alone right now, so I couldn’t move as I pleased.

And I knew well that Pale Sanguin wasn’t such a vicious being.

So I was confident that he wouldn’t act rashly if I let him retreat from here.

“Lucky bastard.”

I lightly pardoned his “escape” with a playful mutter to myself.

Ignoring the traces of Sanguin I had sensed, I focused again on continuing my steps while carrying Siz.

Walking like this with Siz on my back really stirs up mixed emotions.

I never thought I’d be roaming this crumbling demon realm with you on my back, just the two of us.

I especially never imagined we’d be leisurely traversing it without any threat to our lives.

I’d like to share this moving moment with you, chatting casually.

But your movements, which were slightly stirring on my back, have completely subsided.

Huff- huff-

Judging by your even breathing indicating deep sleep, it seems I’ll have to postpone that.

Well, that’s okay.

Thump, thump-

Just feeling your warm heartbeat against my back, transmitting warmth to me even in your sleep, has removed all the loneliness I felt while traversing this desolate place.

Tap, tap, tap-!!

Hmm, I hear it. The sound of urgent footsteps approaching me.

I didn’t need to know who was making those footsteps.

“Cal!!”

It was Iriana, my sister, who shouted with all sorts of positive emotions condensed into that cry when she spotted me from a distance.

But something seems strange about her state.

She’s clearly overjoyed to have found me.

But beyond that, there’s a prominent sense of urgency about her.

…What on earth is going on?