Ch.370Chapter 370 Epilogue – Palace of Flowers and Spring (3)

Even after it was over, the lingering echoes in my mind about the whereabouts of Desire and the other demon gods disrupted the clean aftertaste of victory.

I had predicted this outcome since witnessing the dragon-transformed body vanish without a trace.

The two demon gods, Desire and Renium, having lost their power to influence our world and other material realms, were now adrift in the crevices of time and space—a fate that could be defined as existing in the gaps between dimensions.

While not comparable to a death that would have made them pay for their sins and fade away…

Hearing that these beings could no longer exercise their immense power in the material world and were reduced to twiddling their thumbs gave me a strangely satisfying feeling.

I couldn’t help but feel smug when I recalled Desire’s boastful claims about ascending to a higher existence and unifying all material worlds from his lofty position.

‘Serves you right.’

This mockery would taste better if I could deliver it to your face, but I’ll restrain myself for now. There are two precious listeners attending to the conversation between Shizu and me, and I can’t waste their valuable time with thoughts I could indulge in anytime.

“Now that I’ve learned everything I wanted to know and have nothing holding me back, I’ll continue with our story.”

With that respectful preface, I signaled the resumption of our narrative.

Regina and Alcor, seated across from us, nodded silently, ready to listen attentively to what Shizu and I had to say.

“Hoo…”/”Hoo…”

After preparing ourselves with a light breath that came simultaneously from both of us, Shizu and I resumed recounting the footsteps of our lives.

I would speak first, and as I finished, Shizu would pick up where I left off.

Similarly, I would continue the story when she finished speaking.

I never expected we would be telling our story like this in front of others.

While it should have been difficult to maintain a smooth flow in such an impromptu narrative…

Surprisingly, the story Shizu and I exchanged and delivered to our two listeners flowed naturally without interruption.

It was as if when one of us spoke, the other instinctively knew how to continue the narrative, like the next part of the story naturally emerged in our minds.

Whether it was because the subject matter itself was fresh, or because our storytelling flowed so naturally that it was comfortable for the listeners, I wasn’t sure.

But the audience’s reaction was quite good.

When I calmly recounted the hardships I had endured, Alcor would nod with an unchanging expression, showing deep empathy for my story.

When Shizu continued the narrative, Regina would show the same reaction as Alcor, greatly empathizing with her.

Though their responses might have seemed subdued, it was more than enough for me.

The mere fact that these transcendent beings, who had achieved what was beyond imagination, were listening to our story was an overflowing reward for both Shizu and me.

Perhaps that’s why our lengthy recounting of our life’s journey was now approaching its end.

It was a predictable ending, perhaps—the final battle with Desire, who had gambled by transforming into a dragon and losing his physical form, and how Shizu and I, having realized all the truths, overcame the tragedy of being manipulated in countless time loops and finally reunited.

“That concludes our story.”

With Shizu’s final words, the narrative from our lips came to an end.

Perhaps because we were recounting events that weren’t too distant, Shizu’s face showed a very slight flush that would be difficult for anyone but me to notice.

Even I could only tell that she was flushed, not what emotions lay behind it, but her faint attempt at a smile showed no signs of regret for her actions in the story we had just told.

Despite not knowing at the time, she had been manipulated by Desire and other demon gods, fighting me as their puppet, hurting me, and ultimately causing my death. I worried she might express remorse toward me as she recalled these events.

“Though our power is insignificant compared to the two before us, this is the world we protected with all our might.”

Seeing Shizu conclude with such a spirited expression brought me a sense of relief.

Yes, that’s right.

What we should hate are the demon gods who used us to achieve their desired outcomes through countless time loops, not our own weakness as we resisted their manipulation.

If we can understand each other, love each other, and think only of spending our remaining time happily together…

That’s enough.

Having reached my own conclusion about my struggles to escape the countless repeated timelines, I turned my gaze to those seated across from us.

Regina sat demurely, with Alcor standing naturally beside her as he listened to our story.

Since they were the ones who had requested to hear our story, their attentive posture as listeners was impeccable, and their expressions hadn’t changed much since the beginning.

But that didn’t mean our story hadn’t moved them.

“A pain beyond words…”

Alcor murmured in a slightly subdued tone.

“…Indeed.”

Though Regina’s response was brief, her tone revealed reverence fitting for warriors who had overcome great adversity, rather than the brightness I had heard when we first met.

It was clear that our story had been well-received by these two divine beings.

Their lack of dramatic reaction was merely due to their transcendent nature—their emotional fortitude was far greater than I could imagine, preventing them from casually displaying their feelings.

“I’ve listened well. Facing situations that would drive ordinary people to despair and surrender, you persevered in protecting what you valued. Today, I have learned something from your story.”

Regina’s words, spoken as she rose from her seat with hands clasped in a respectful posture, were proof of this.

“…Hoo.”

Hearing the goddess’s appreciation, Shizu let out a light sigh, seemingly having sorted through the emotions that had welled up during our storytelling.

Even though we had shared the narrative between us, it had been quite lengthy, and the strain of speaking without rest was finally showing.

And the same was true for me.

“…Hoo.”

Before I knew it, a light sigh escaped my lips as well.

It was identical to Shizu’s sigh, without the slightest difference.

Hearing my sigh, Shizu turned her head toward me, forgetting that she had just sighed herself.

Her gaze showed confusion at my sudden sigh, but…

“…Pfft.”

As the tension released, a smile rather than a sigh escaped from Shizu’s lips as she looked at me, her expression slightly crumbling.

She tried to hold it back, but the laughter burst out involuntarily.

And such laughter was contagious.

“Haha…hahaha.”

Laughter erupted from my lips as I faced Shizu.

“Huhu…”

“How wonderful.”

Even Regina and Alcor, watching us from across, let out light laughter tinged with admiration.

#

Right after our lengthy story ended, I realized that it wouldn’t simply conclude at the level of storytelling.

The already gentle atmosphere had become even more so after our narrative ended.

“As I said before, I once again express my gratitude and respect in the name of Liliacer for your efforts and sacrifices.”

Regina’s praise, delivered with extreme politeness and gentleness yet maintaining the dignity befitting a being of high status, was evidence of this.

It felt somewhat awkward to receive such praise for simply recounting what we had done—actions that anyone with power would naturally take.

“Having power doesn’t mean everyone would act as you did.”

Regina’s voice, calm yet resolute, as if she had read my thoughts, affirmed the value of what Shizu and I had done for the world.

Having power doesn’t mean everyone would act the same way.

…That’s true. Just thinking about the demon gods who used their power to prioritize their twisted values over the principles that govern the world, committing all sorts of atrocities, made me agree.

And those who risked their lives to confront such beings, with the exception of rare cases like Shizu and me, mostly possessed power that was negligible by their standards.

I recall the souls who perished at the hands of monsters that moved at the demon gods’ slightest gesture.

In this timeline, things ended well with minimal casualties—what could be called a miracle.

But in my mind, the resentment of those who were innocently sacrificed due to the demon gods’ obstinacy remains etched.

It’s a wound I must carry forever.

A wound that makes me aware that I reached this point because I didn’t collapse and stayed true to my path despite seeing such horrors.

Of course, it will remain painful, bitter, and tormenting whenever I recall it.

But unlike before, I no longer feel only suffering from that wound.

Not because those souls no longer exist due to the reversed time, but because the determination to protect this precious time more perfectly has been added, naturally lessening the pain.

That’s why I naturally understood Regina’s words, both in my mind and heart.

Is that why the goddess wanted to hear our story from our own lips, rather than simply reading our memories with her abilities?

Did she want to understand beyond mere memories, to comprehend the emotions we exuded while telling our story, to observe every subtle movement of our bodies?

Clap-!!

As if to signal that my contemplation shouldn’t continue for long, the sound of Regina’s hands clapping cheerfully reached my ears from across.

“I’ve been a poor host to my hastily invited guests. Please wait a moment.”

With those words and a gentle smile, Regina turned her gaze to Alcor, silently giving him an instruction that was close to a request.

Alcor immediately nodded and left his place.

“Wait just a moment. I have an important gift for you both.”

He left us with only those words, telling us to anticipate something.

We had set foot in this lofty place.

Being praised by the goddess who owned this place and another deity who served her was already an honor beyond what we deserved, yet now they were even preparing gifts for us.

“Every moment I’m breathing right now is already a gift to me…”

Shizu’s whisper toward Alcor’s retreating figure resonated clearly in my ears, as if strangely echoing what I was about to say myself.

Apart from my curiosity about the gift these two were going to give me…

I too agreed with Shizu that this moment of being together was like a gift.

More precisely, every moment since banishing Desire from this land has been like a gift to me.