Ch.369Chapter 369 Epilogue – Palace of Flowers and Spring (2)

#

The overwhelming emotion I felt when facing a being with true divinity was beyond description.

It was so overwhelming that my mind went blank, and I couldn’t even speak the words I had intended to say.

“Today, do you understand why I invited you all here?”

Because of this, when the goddess seated on the throne asked her question, I nearly created an awkward situation as no words came to mind.

“Did you call us to comfort us for our hard work?”

Thanks to Han Seize, who calmly asked about the purpose of the invitation with a gentle smile toward the goddess, the awkward situation was avoided.

Though asking a question in return wasn’t exactly the most appropriate response.

Still, despite being modest, Seize had fully mastered divinity and stepped into transcendence.

And with that transcendence, the achievement of banishing Desire was worthy of praise even in this lofty place, so Seize’s question about being called to receive comfort for hard work was probably correct.

And as if to show that my thoughts weren’t wrong…

“Huhu…”

Regina, seated on the throne, responded to Seize’s question with a radiant smile.

A refreshing fragrance rose from the smile of the goddess, whose very existence evoked images of lilies.

I guessed that with such a radiant fragrance emanating from her, only good words would follow.

“That is part of the purpose.”

As expected, Regina affirmed this with a serene tone, and I was about to breathe a sigh of relief.

“However…”

The way she playfully trailed off at the end sent ripples through my mind that had been ready to relax completely.

The ripples weren’t anything too serious.

…It was just fascinating to see such a playful side to the goddess who exuded dignity hidden within her beautiful appearance, slightly less stunning than Seize’s.

Well, judging by her expression and tone, I didn’t think she was about to bring up anything serious, so I wasn’t worried.

“…”

Seize beside me, though not speaking, tilted her head slightly, seemingly having similar thoughts.

“Ahem.”

A light clearing of the throat echoed calmly through the hall where Seize knelt.

Seeing her clear her throat to break the ice before speaking reminded me of how Alcor, standing beside her, had acted similarly toward Seize and me.

…So this is how couples resemble each other in these ways.

I wonder if someday Seize and I will unconsciously show similar behaviors?

“Before comforting you for your hard work.”

My extended thoughts were interrupted once again by Regina’s voice.

“I would like to hear your story.”

In response to Regina’s request to hear about how Seize and I had lived our lives…

“…I don’t think it’s a story that would interest a goddess.”

Seize answered before I could, her voice filled with hesitation.

The request to briefly share the trajectory of our lives was surprising to me as well, and I probably would have given a similar answer if Seize hadn’t spoken.

“It’s alright.”

Regina gave Seize a gentle smile, encouraging her despite her hesitation.

“Whatever the story may be, the tale of how you came to be here cannot possibly be insignificant.”

With those words, she expressed her firm trust in Seize and me, whom she had just met today.

It was both interesting and curious. A being who wielded such divine power could easily place her hand on our bodies and read our memories without effort, yet she wanted to hear it with her own ears.

Despite having such power and status, she chose to prioritize hearing the story from our own lips rather than reading everything hidden in our minds.

That dignity felt fundamentally different from the twisted divine beings I had encountered before.

“Then… though it’s embarrassing, I’ll tell you as briefly as I can.”

Moved by Regina’s sincerity, Seize set aside her hesitation and agreed to share her story with Regina.

Naturally, my gaze turned to Seize as well.

I wondered what story would come from your lips.

The goddess had asked for a story but hadn’t specified what kind, so we could tell her anything we had experienced.

We could briefly share the path we had walked through life.

Or we could tell her about the bloody battle with Desire that we had just overcome.

There were countless other stories that might seem trivial, so I honestly couldn’t guess what Seize would say.

“It’s the not-so-long story of a life lived with the desire to protect someone.”

Seize’s first words, though still shy but delivered without hesitation, made my mind go blank.

Um… Seize? It sounds like you’re about to say something really embarrassing?

My mind was ordering me to reach out and stop Seize from saying what she was about to say.

But I was so surprised that I forgot to even reach out, and could only stare at Seize.

“Haaah…”

Because of this, I could only blankly watch as Seize took a deep breath to compose herself before speaking.

“I don’t know if you’ve had such an experience, Goddess, but I was very frail when I was young.

I was always being cared for by someone, and sometimes that care felt burdensome and difficult. When I childishly wished they wouldn’t pay attention to me, someone lent me their broad back. I’ve come this far simply wanting to be a strength to that person.”

Her calm voice, filled with incomparable tenderness, tickled my ears like a gentle breeze.

I was so captivated by Seize’s touching words that I no longer even thought of trying to stop her, and instead listened intently.

After quickly finishing her long statement, Seize’s gaze turned toward me.

Our eyes met.

My eyes widened without me realizing it.

It was natural that I would feel tenderness seeing Seize’s eye-smile directed at me, filled with unparalleled affection despite its playfulness.

“Would you… continue with your story?”

“Of course.”

I was startled to hear both Seize and Regina speaking from such close proximity, and when I turned my head…

Regina had already descended from her throne and approached us, her eyes sparkling.

“Let me guide you to a more comfortable place to talk.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“This isn’t consideration. Rather, I’m the one being favored by hearing the story of those who protected a world that had slipped from the hands of those with missions similar to mine.”

I could see that she wanted to guide Seize and me to a more comfortable place.

Considering her status, even meeting us at eye level seemed extraordinarily unconventional.

“Al.”

“Got it. This way, please.”

The goddess put her hands together near her mouth and asked her husband to guide us, showing not the unapproachable greatness of a divine being, but rather a girlish sensibility that matched her appearance—someone who simply enjoyed hearing stories.

#

After moving to a different location, Seize and I told the goddess sitting across from us with sparkling eyes about the path we had walked.

Well, it wasn’t anything special. Our life story began with a boy who approached a girl who had sprained her ankle while wandering outside on a rainy day, apologized, and offered her his back.

At some point, I became the narrator of the story.

I told them how I, who should have been destined to save the world without any problems, fell for the schemes of a demon god who was obsessed with controlling the world according to his own desires by manipulating countless timelines.

I explained how I became a puppet meant to dominate the world according to her will, repeating numerous timelines.

And when I spoke about how the inferiority complex that the demon god had planted in my heart exploded, causing me to grow distant from the precious Seize, the expressions of Regina and Alcor sitting across from us changed to ones of sympathy.

When Seize naturally continued my story and brought up what had happened before my final regression, the faces of the two showed incomparable sadness.

“The act of freely manipulating and distorting time is an extremely serious problem even for us.”

“We express our deepest respect to you both for walking without wavering despite being caught in such schemes.”

The divine couple comforted us with the most respectful expressions they could offer after hearing our story up to that point.

Hearing their words, I began to understand.

I realized how cruel Desire’s evil deeds had been—endlessly turning back time until the world moved according to her will, using a human as her puppet.

If circumstances had allowed, I should have not only destroyed her body but completely annihilated her soul to prevent her from ever committing such evil again.

“Huhu…”

As if reading the thoughts reflected in my changing expression, Regina’s laughter came from across from me.

“Ah, excuse me. Sometimes when I’m close to people, their thoughts flow into my mind.”

“…I apologize for letting you read such intense thoughts.”

“It’s alright. It’s more my fault for reading them unexpectedly.”

“Thank you for your generosity.”

I didn’t know this—beings wrapped in transcendence have the ability to read the thoughts of those close to them.

In the future, I’ll have to be careful to empty my mind when facing them.

But even this resolution naturally takes form and might be read by those around me.

“You’ll get used to it over time. The sensation of someone’s thoughts flowing in just by looking at them.”

Unable to find words in response to Regina’s consideration of even these thoughts of mine, I scratched my head.

The goddess, showing a faint smile of satisfaction at my reaction, turned her gaze back to both of us rather than just me.

“Rest assured. Thanks to your efforts, the twisted beings who tried to claim a world as their own possession will never be able to do such things again.”

Getting back to the main point, we learned that Desire and the other demon gods would no longer be able to interfere with our world.

Though they weren’t completely annihilated, the fact that they could no longer intrude into our world and wreak havoc was certain, which allowed us to feel relieved.

“So, they’re not dead after all.”

In response to my small expression of lingering regret…

“We would if we could, but destroying a being that has reached transcendence, no matter how twisted, is not something that can be done carelessly.”

“Even twisted beings of such caliber cannot be easily annihilated. The best we can do is bind them in a state that can hardly be called living.”

Regina and Alcor informed me of how difficult it would be to fulfill that wish.

Well, I learned that they could no longer do bad things.

And since I had no desire to get worked up over something that even these great beings unanimously described as difficult…

“It’s disappointing, but I’m satisfied that things have been set right, even in this way.”

I calmly accepted reality.

For now, I should be content with the fact that the murky echoes that had disrupted my past were fading away without spreading further.