If it wasn’t enough, I was prepared to offer my magic stones.
However, they were all collected.
Easily, all of them.
I watched Fafnir and Glen, who had managed to escape, and the condition of Kanami and his companions who possessed the magic stones.
In the room, which was shaking slightly, four faces were lined up.
Currently, the party of the “First Exploration Team” was traveling by carriage.
The carriage seemed to have been used for a ceremony in the Great Holy Capital, as the roof had been beautifully removed, allowing a view from the outside. A barrier created by magic tools prevented insects and wind from entering, making the ride as comfortable as a VIP room.
It was large enough to carry ten adults. The luxurious fabric covering the built-in benches was excessively soft, and the furnishings and the driver knight exuded an air of elegance.
Inside the ornate carriage, five of us – Seldra, Kanami, Sis, Kuuneru, and the cleaner – were face to face.
—Half a day had passed.
After letting Fafnir and Glen escape, we had walked across the parched wasteland and returned to the earthworks of the final defense line.
From there, we were comfortably advancing by carriage along a well-maintained trade road.
The surroundings were plains dotted with vegetation. Wagons of escort, each manned by aristocratic knights, formed a line before and behind our ornate carriage.
This is important.
There was a reason for forming such a large procession without using “Connection” deliberately.
It was a ritual of triumphant return, as heroes who had conquered the “Blood Land.”
It served not only as a signal for the “Final Festival” to begin but also as a “Price” for the realization of Kanami’s “Plan.” Therefore, the conquest of the “Blood Land” could not yet be declared over, and it was not yet time to relax.
Or so it should have been, but inside the carriage, Sis had been relentlessly theorizing with a cheerful demeanor.
“—Alright, we’ll be making our triumphant return in the first town soon! Of course, I’ll be standing at the very front, in the most conspicuous spot! I absolutely won’t give it up, not after being left out of the ‘Blood Land’! Isn’t that right, Kanami!”
She had been turned into a magic stone by Glen’s “Black Threads,” but she was already back to her old self.
A little bit of magic from Kanami was enough to fully revive her once she was retrieved from the magic stone the cleaner had recovered.
Facing Sis, who had gained a more convenient body than a thousand years ago, Kanami wore a wry smile.
“Actually, if you didn’t, I might be in trouble? Gathering the honor of conquering the ‘Blood Land’ is an important job for Sis and Seldra. …By the way, I’ll be hiding behind a mask. I’ve had enough of being given strange titles.”
Between the two cheerfully chatting, Kuuneru and the cleaner stood in the center of the carriage.
“Then, Sis-sama will be leading the triumphant return. By the way, I’ll be staying in the back, like your attendants… Therefore, I’d like to give the cleaner a matching attendant outfit too! I have a lot of clothes I bought from another world, so I can arrange them however I want! However, I can’t do anything about your face with makeup, so a mask it is! But masks are common during this festival, so there’s nothing to worry about!”
“…”
Kuuneru lined up various clothes on empty chairs and enjoyed dressing the cleaner like a fashion doll.
The cleaner said nothing.
Currently, her grotesque skin as a “Blood Doll” was covered by the “Cursed Cloth” taken from Kanami’s “Inventory.”
This is peace.
In the end, the “First Exploration Team” returned without a single loss—in fact, they had gained a new companion.
We had won completely.
That’s why we were able to cheerfully discuss the arrangements for our triumphant return.
“…”
I, alone, was not satisfied.
According to the plan I had heard beforehand, Fafnir Helvishein and Glen Walker were supposed to be on this return journey as well.
When I asked Kanami about it, he replied with a cheerful grin, “When there are people who desperately fight to survive, fate can sometimes deviate.” But was that really true?
At that time.
The moment the battle for the “Blood Land” was almost over and everyone had gathered in one place.
Indeed, there had been interference from a third party.
Glen had unleashed power beyond his limits, and the “Black Threads” were dangerous.
Fafnir, even after receiving “Dimensional Battle Calculation ‘Re-tale’,” maintained his fighting spirit and held his sword.
It was a counterattack beyond my expectations.
But had it also surpassed Kanami’s expectations?
With Kanami’s omnipotent dimensional magic, he should have been able to forcibly conclude the situation.
That unnatural conclusion made me suspicious of Kanami.
—Now, Kanami is acting based on rules that I am unaware of.
One of those rules is “The Reaper Who Yearns for Shadows.”
After letting Fafnir and Glen escape, she was now lurking within Kanami’s shadow without consequence. It was the same treatment as Noi—no, it was even better treatment.
After the interference from “Midnight of the Abyssal Dimension,” Kanami and Reaper reconciled immediately.
Kanami’s side apologized, saying, “It was a violation of the dueling rules to try to force salvation on Fafnir when he didn’t want it,” and Reaper accepted it.
The rules of “Duel.”
They were adhering to them, even going so far as to prepare Reaper as a “Judge.”
Perhaps, like the triumphant return and the “Final Festival,” it was a ritual and a “Price” to strengthen “Magic Kanami” to its limits…
I was curious about the details of the rules.
However, the heart of our leader was now dark and deep, and it was difficult to see through.
If there was any possibility of seeing through it, it would be the eldest vampire frolicking in the center of the carriage—
“Cleaner-chan, you’re so stylish! The fusion of otherworldly Japanese attire and our ethnic clothing is very fashionable! Isn’t it a bit too cutting-edge?! No, we are the pioneers of the era! We’ll make this trend with this triumphant return!”
Kuuneru, who had surpassed me, might understand the rules.
The only problem was that I didn’t want to owe him a favor.
As if sensing my feelings and gaze, Kuuneru, having finished coordinating the cleaner’s outfit, came to a seat near me, wiping his sweat with a “fuii—.”
Then, with a mischievous smile, he brought his small mouth close to my ear.
“You seem restless, Lord Seldra. …Does that expression suggest you are pondering the self-imposed rules that the chairman is adhering to?”
“……!”
He read my mind just by looking at my face.
Despite everything that had happened, it was a skill comparable to Kanami’s or Hitaki’s.
“Why don’t you just ask the chairman? If you wish, the chairman will surely grant it. If you’re too embarrassed to ask directly, I’ll tell you secretly later.”
Kuuneru offered a benevolent smile.
However, I shouldn’t nod and be tempted by that smile.
I knew that if I owed him one favor, he would somehow return it three times over.
More importantly, I held a grudge.
“It’s not necessary. It’s information I don’t need to complete my job this time. …More importantly, I have something else to say to you. Regarding your interference in the battle between me and Glen. Because of you, Glen will soon die… He was a talented man who could have become my magic stone successor.”
“If you didn’t want me to interfere, you should have just gotten serious and defeated him faster.”
Kuuneru replied instantly to my complaint, not with a benevolent smile, but with a cold, expressionless face.
“I was serious. Even though it was an unexpected development, I would never hold back in an important battle like that.”
“Huh! Is that your serious effort? Battling endlessly to withstand Glen Walker’s attacks? The serious effort of the legendary Seldra!”
“I did counterattack. It’s just that I was hit with an incurable poison, and I couldn’t muster the strength to land a decisive blow.”
“…Hmph. Even so, you have a body that doesn’t starve, so being careless enough to eat and drink in enemy territory and get poisoned is a lack of vigilance.”
Kuuneru, sensing my nonchalance, reached behind her waist and held up a bag.
This was a specially made leather bag that had been protecting Kuuneru’s stomach throughout our exploration of the Blood Land.
Kuuneru had made thorough preparations for conquering the Blood Land.
She had apparently used a variety of magic tools to protect her eyes, nose, and mouth, and had embedded magic stones for defense throughout her body. One of her countermeasures was to swallow a special bag beforehand and let it settle in her stomach. She claims this prevented Glen’s poison—though I don’t know if it’s true.
Furthermore, being accustomed to assassination, she feigned being poisoned, drew the Thief of the Law of Blood from behind Glen, and even stole the antidote.
Afterward, she displayed an even greater Affinity with the Thief of the Law of Blood than Glen, used blood magic, and cleanly removed the incurable poison from my body.
In other words, this girl, Kuuneru, had completely surpassed both me and Glen in the battle within the Blood Land.
“When food was served, Glen wasn’t an enemy yet…”
“That’s what I mean by carelessness and half-heartedness. Frankly, if I hadn’t caught you off guard, you would have been seriously injured. I deserve your gratitude for that.”
“That was my goal. It wasn’t the right atmosphere to talk to Glen unless I was injured.”
“Talk? You think a mere injury would create that atmosphere? Besides, that’s none of my business. As a member of the First Conquest Team, I took the Magic Stone when it was most achievable. Which of us was right in the operation?”
I had no retort.
In contrast, Kuuneru’s expression returned to a smile.
“Yes, that’s the end of our discussion. …Now that you understand, let’s make up, shall we? We need to show the citizens that we get along. It’s the most important job for Seldra, the Deputy Acting Commander-in-Chief for the Victory Parade, to be admired by everyone. Just like Apostle Sis.”
This was a jab, implying that, like Sis, I had been completely useless in the Blood Land.
Kuuneru, triumphant, surveyed the plain and pointed.
A town was visible in the distance.
From afar, it looked like a town of a few hundred people.
It was surrounded by stone walls about two meters high, with wooden houses lined up, and numerous plumes of smoke rising from daily life.
Our current location was the Regia Kingdom, at the western edge of the Mainland.
It was effectively a rural town on the further western edge.
The news of the Blood Land’s liberation had already been reported by the knights at the forward base, and the simple wooden gate on the west side was open. Drawn by the open gate, our carriage proceeded and passed through.
And waiting beyond the gate was a gust of heat.
And a crowd of people.
First, a thunderous cheer erupted.
The vibration, not inferior to my Dragon’s Roar, made my skin tingle and my vision blur.
A path adorned with the minimal Magic Stone Line stretched out, with townspeople lined up on both sides.
One of them shouted louder than anyone else.
Conveniently, as if reading the words I had been waiting for.
“—The heroes have returned!!”
The sky, the village, and the earth trembled.
As the carriage creaked, like an echo, various people repeated, “The heroes have returned!!”
Upon closer inspection, all the townspeople were wearing something like masks.
This was the ceremonial attire for festivals, a tradition of the Fuziaze.
It was proof that beastmen and non-beastmen were equal friends.
This time, they were also praying for the liberation of slaves and Magic Stone Humans.
That’s why my position as a returning hero, representing the beastmen, was extremely important.
However, before I, reacting late, could respond, Sis had taken the front of the carriage and was waving both hands, responding to the cheers.
“Yes! I’m back! As an apostle who saved this world! As a representative of Revannism! I, Sis, have returned from the Blood Land! Worship me! Pray to me every day!”
The highlight of the victory parade was me and Sis.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that our performance here would determine the future of Revannism and the beastmen. I quickly moved behind Sis, raised my hand, and responded to the cheers. I couldn’t slack off. I turned my face to each person and responded properly. I also listened to the voices mixed in.
“—Ah, thank you! I can finally sleep soundly!”
“Apostle Sis, congratulations! As expected, city religions are something else! From today on, I’ll convert and worship the gods of Revannism!”
“I’m so glad! If the Blood Land is gone, we can go out again like before!”
The townspeople lined up on both sides of the road waved enthusiastically at us.
Small children were being held on their parents’ shoulders, shouting “Thank you!” towards us with what seemed like little understanding of the situation.
Some brought out instruments and played.
From the decorated houses, large amounts of flower petals were scattered.
There were various people, welcoming us in different ways.
This was the victory parade.
The carriage proceeded through it at a reduced speed.
I could see the Magic Stone Line behind us glowing purple. While Kanami was busy repairing the Magic Stone Line for the past month, someone must have made preparations connecting from the labyrinth to here.
As I confirmed this, I noticed a group of knights forming a line.
As our carriage approached, they all saluted the knights’ salute.
“—All personnel, salute! As of this moment, the Final Festival has begun in this Regia Kingdom, and the defense mission has concluded! Your duty is over, but do not enter rest yet! Send off the heroes from the town with respect, not as a job! Then, follow, pay homage, learn, and then, celebrate and rest to your heart’s content! That will be the ceremony to announce the beginning of the new calendar to the world!!”
Thanks to them, it seemed that this simple yet orderly victory parade was possible.
However, judging from their relaxed expressions, once we left, they intended to enjoy a feast and indulge in delicious food in this town.
“Hahaha, that’s right! Starting today, the calendar changes! Just as it went from the old calendar to the new, now from the new calendar to the ‘New Holy Calendar’! The representative of Revannism, the living legend Apostle Sis, announces the beginning of a new calendar here! Let’s count it as Sisth Year One, for short!”
Sis was spouting nonsense.
I thought her undignified remarks might diminish her status as an apostle, but the townspeople’s reaction was not bad. Faced with Sis’s intense and clear magic, many felt an unbidden sense of divinity and prayed.
Even those who didn’t pray were shouting in unison, “Blessings from Revannism!”, “Long live!”, “Blessings upon the Regia Kingdom!”, and joining in the excitement. It was no wonder, considering it was a religion that had ruled the continent for thousands of years, luring people with Level Up. Now that Rustiara Fuziaze was gone, she was the symbol of Revannism, and that information had reached even this faraway western land.
Behind the thunderous cheers, my ears pick up the quiet voices from the common folk, whispering amongst themselves.
Their raw voices tell me who the returning heroes are focusing on the most.
“Is that Sis-sama… She’s just as the rumors say.”
“The rumors about Seldra-sama are true too. That large physique, that face. Being covered in old scars is rather cool, don’t you think?”
“Is that the ‘Deputy Acting Commander-in-Chief of the North-South Alliance,’ Seldra-san? They’re a Dragon Person, like Snow-sama.”
Most of the gazes are directed at me, not Sis, who is at the forefront.
“Isn’t Seldra that legendary general from a thousand years ago? They say he stood on the front lines to protect the persecuted Beastmen of the North back then…”
“It seems he came from a thousand years ago through the Labyrinth. He usually guides our Snow-sama, but when troublesome things happen, he takes the lead.”
“Oh. And he supposedly killed all of the monsters from the ‘Blood Land’ with no trouble? Isn’t that a bit too strong?”
“Even among those ridiculously strong Dragon People, he was legendary for being the strongest. He’s probably the ‘Strongest’ in the entire continent’s history.”
They must have been informed beforehand.
The requirement for this liberation of the ‘Blood Land’ was the subjugation of Fafnir, the ‘Thief of the Law of Blood.’
And when it came to battle, it was the turn of the continent’s greatest military power, ‘Deputy Acting Commander-in-Chief of the North-South Alliance,’ Seldra.
While keeping the existence of Kanami as hidden as possible—
Therefore, the ‘First Conquest Team,’ the populace believes, was led by the battle-hardened Dragon Person Seldra, who achieved more than anyone else.
They believe he fought bravely, standing most forward while protecting the slightly foolish Apostle beside him.
These voices reach my ears one after another.
“I hate to say it, but they’re more magnificent than Snow-sama. I don’t mean to bring up gender, but their presence is so commanding.”
“Of course, among the many heroes throughout history, they’re top-tier. That’s what a ‘True Hero’ would be like.”
Those misguided praises, they—somehow, they make me happy.
I’ve always liked being treated as a hero.
Of course, I’m not a ‘True Hero,’ nor am I the ‘Strongest,’ nor am I a good person.
The populace is merely deceived by the aura I project.
It’s so amusing, it makes me want to laugh, it’s so trivial.
No matter how unenthusiastic I am about returning, a smile breaks through. I boldly play the hero, and raise my hand in response.
Seeing this, Kuuneru, who had been quietly following behind like a servant, praises me as I act the hero in a courteous manner.
“—Precisely. That is Seldra-sama’s role. You must never slacken your efforts. You are to bear the beginning of the ‘Dragon King’ of a new era. Their bloodline will be manipulated from behind by the ‘Senate’ for eternity. This path leads to a world without the ideal Aikawa Kanami for them.”
Whispered into my ear, a future flashes in my mind.
The image of the ‘Dragon King’ is that of the ‘Ruling King’ from a thousand years ago.
From now on, I too will probably fly around various places and save many people like he did. I’ll defeat Monsters that do evil, go to resolve conflicts in regions, and sometimes even meddle in a country’s internal affairs.
Furthermore, unlike the ‘One who steals the logic of the wind,’ whose end seemed to have no end, I can actually see my end.
Even if I fall halfway, I’m just a substitute’s substitute.
The work will simply be passed on to the next substitute, Snow Walker.
It’s easygoing.
I have no sense of responsibility.
I’m just playing the hero as a leisure activity in my old age, which I can quit anytime.
As I pictured it, I reconfirmed that my difficult days were completely over—
“K-Kuh. Ku, hahahaha.”
“Seldra-sama, it must be enjoyable, right? And having a predetermined future must be ‘reassuring,’ correct? This is the Chairman’s true power… However, it seems not everything is going according to plan, which is a little troublesome.”
As I waved my hand, laughing, Kuuneru’s gaze remained fixed on one spot behind me.
Amidst the commotion, an unusual group was prostrating themselves. They had gathered as if in worship, hands joined towards us. The masks worn by this group were not those of beasts, but simple masks to hide their faces.
“Ah, the Shiso-sama. Levann’s Shiso-sama is here, now…”
“It’s the Shiso-sama. Our Sacred Kanami-sama who changed our ‘Destiny.’ Kanami-sama, ah, Kanami-sama Kanami-sama Kanami-sama—”
“The god of the dispossessed… we finally get to meet you…”
It’s clear that most of the group are ‘Magic Stone Humans.’
The fact that Kanami, standing even further behind Kuuneru, can see them, likely stems from their intense faith making them completely uninterested in me or Sis, and their equally high ‘Aptitude.’
I find a troublesome group and report it to the leader.
“Kanami, those are the ‘Magic Stone Humans’ from the lowest level of the Cathedral before… no, they’re not. In any case, perhaps due to their similar circumstances, you can see them.”
Kanami has been sitting in the carriage seat since the triumphant return.
And for the first time since ‘The Eightieth Ordeal’ a month ago, his gaze wanders, unfocused, into the sky.
Having nothing to do, perhaps he was looking at an imaginary Rustiara?
When I pull Kanami back to reality, he quickly grasps the situation.
“…It seems so. If Neil and Glen-san were here right now, there would have been a way to deceive them… but reality just doesn’t work out that way sometimes, Seldra.”
Though it seems to be an event outside of the ‘Plan,’ he shows no surprise.
Rather, he smiles as if he had been waiting, and opens the book he had been cherishing.
“It seems I cannot completely hide myself just yet. Time is what’s needed to be forgotten… I’ll have to make a slight correction.”
He touches and rubs the pages affectionately, savoring them, then carefully turns them.
Curious about the contents, I move my gaze slightly to peek at the book.
As the pages turned, the text was being rewritten. It seems to reflect his thoughts as he thinks them, without needing a pen.
Then, after about ten pages were turned, Kanami removes the Tiida mask he was wearing.
He stands up and places it on a companion sitting nearby.
“Here you go, Cleaner-san. …This is the knight from your hometown. With this, you won’t be suspected even while living in the outside world.”
*…*
The Cleaner silently accepts it.
Left behind by Fafnir in the ‘Blood Land,’ taken in by Kanami, she has remained quiet ever since.
Kuuneru also approaches the excessively quiet Cleaner.
“Ah. Since we’re at it, please have this from me too. Hermina Neisha, so you were the Cleaner-chan’s older sister, weren’t you? I believe it’s best to stay with your family until the very last moment, even if it’s for a short time—”
Saying so, she takes out from her collar—or rather, from her collar—the still-warm, pulsing ‘Hermina’s Heart.’
With the casualness of coordinating an outfit, she pushes it through the gap between the Cleaner’s uniform and bandages.
The heart was incorporated into the ‘Blood Doll’s’ body, unnaturally naturally.
It was an action I had to object to.
“Hey, hey! That’s what you inherited from Glen…!”
“Inherited? No, isn’t the best selling point of this ‘Thief of the Law of Blood’s’ magic stone that anyone can use it? It just so happens that I was able to ‘Affinity’ with it this time, but that doesn’t mean I intend to cherish it forever. I only obtained this for the Chairman this time~. Honestly, Seldra-sama, you completely fail to understand the essence of the Operation. Geez!”
The Magic Stone of the Thief of Principles holds the power to shake nations with just one piece.
However, Kuuneru seemed completely uninterested in that power.
When I thought about it, she already controlled many countries through money and connections, without needing such a thing.
Kuuneru then muttered unpleasantly, “Besides, it’s too much.” and wiped her hand, which had touched her heart, with an expensive-looking handkerchief.
“…”
And so, the cleaner ended up with two Magic Stones of the Thief of Principles.
The cleaner seemed unable to contain herself at their extraordinary fate, and suddenly burst into laughter.
“F-fufu—, ah, ah, hahahahahahaHAHA……!”
It was the raspy voice of the Blood Doll—no, it strangely transitioned into a beautiful, clear human voice midway.
The cleaner continued to laugh seductively, her shoulders shaking.
Though her mask and bandages hid her face, it was clear that a significant change was occurring inside her.
After finally having her fill of laughter, she let out a single, beautiful yet sinister sound: ” ‘Neel.’ ”
Her voice was so low, heavy, and pained that it chilled the triumphant mood I had been enjoying, and my body stiffened.
However, Kanami, our leader, quickly stood up and admonished us to refocus on the victory parade.
“Alright. From here on, I’ll be waving back discreetly too. I’ll focus on the Magic Stone Humans, so Seldra, please handle the Beastmen. Sis, you’re at the very front, no favoritism. Kuuneru and Cleaner, you’ll be assistants for everyone, filling in any gaps. …Everyone, let’s do our best.”
Upon receiving the instructions, we all nodded in unison.
The air grew serious.
Since I had a Contract with Kanami, his orders were absolute.
With the same swiftness as during the Blood Land incident, we carried out our leader’s instructions.
—We waved back at the people lining the streets, responding with all our might.
As we all concentrated on this task, the flow of time seemed to accelerate even further.
I could feel the town’s fervor intensifying.
With every wave, I was enveloped in an irresistible sense of exhilaration.
There was a sense of unity. I savored this feeling, something I could never have experienced a thousand years ago, and continued to focus on the victory parade—for about forty minutes.
Having entered through the west gate, we were now exiting the town through the east gate.
Behind us, the townspeople gathered at the gate, cheering, “To interim-acting-deputy-commander of the North-South Allied Nations, Seldra, our gratitude!” as they saw us off.
We continued to wave until we could no longer see them, and before we could even catch our breath, Kuuneru asked, “The next town is just ahead, so please keep those smiles on!”
Compared to the other countries on the Mainland, the Regia Kingdom matched them in population and number of towns.
It seemed there was a similar town not too far away.
We took a very short break and soon arrived at another town, where, as if reciting a predetermined line, they announced, “The heroes have returned!”
—One by one, from the western edge of the continent.
Two, three, four, five, in order—
They ignited the festival’s fervor from the western edge of the continent, with meticulous care.
As we proceeded, the towns we visited grew larger. The number of carriages in the procession increased, and a magnificent orchestra began to play festival music.
Behind the scenes of this victory parade, I had continuously been eavesdropping on people’s conversations with Vibration Magic.
While I wanted to enhance the festival’s sense of unity and enjoy it even more, there were several rumors that piqued my interest.
For instance, a traveler who seemed to have met Kanami a year ago spoke of a rumor upon seeing the heroes in their carriages.
“—Hey, look. Over there, isn’t that the hero from the Frontier, Aikawa Kanami Christ Yura… something or other?”
“Hoh, so he was here too, the one with the ridiculously long name. …Is that him? I heard he was young, but he doesn’t look like the strongest man in the Allied Nations at all.”
“Yeah, I thought so too. But I saw the finals of the Dance Battle Tournament a year ago with my own eyes. His duel with the Sword Saint Rowen from a thousand years ago was… simply divine.”
Kanami’s valor had reached even this far west.
Kanami himself, the person in question, was standing behind me with a cool smile.
He apparently wanted the credit for liberating the Blood Land to go to me and Sis, so he was discreetly waving only at the Magic Stone Humans.
Furthermore, Kanami waved with only one hand, never letting go of his book.
For some reason, amidst the victory parade, he kept opening his book and turning pages.
Rustle, rustle.
The sound of the book—
Amidst the rumors I was eavesdropping on, it inexplicably reached my ears—
“The heroes of the Labyrinth Allied Nations have come all the way to the western edge, so the rumors about the Final Festival marking the end of the labyrinth must be true. Did they finally reach the Deepest Part with the power of the Apostle and Dragon Person over there?”
“I heard so too. The temporary closure of the labyrinth was for that reason, right?”
“They must have found a way to reach the Deepest Part. They’ll probably make it a big, grand finale for the end of the Final Festival, right? Considering national interests and all.”
“Time passes quickly. The talk of the labyrinth had stopped for quite some time at the twenty-third floor, the level of the strongest Explorer, Glen… Ever since the great figures from a thousand years ago—the Sword Saint, the Chancellor, the Saintess, the General—began to appear, it’s been remarkably fast.”
Around us, it was a magnificent parade, like something out of a fairy tale.
The sounds that echoed were not just cheers.
Applause and war cries vibrated against my eardrums.
Sometimes, to the beat of the festival music, people linked arms and burst into a grand chorus.
From within this cacophony, I was using Vibration Magic to pick out only the rumors—but, rustle, rustle.
Though I was listening, I had a strange illusion of reading.
“The great nations competed for a long time, but it’s finally over. …In reality, is this a victory for Fuziaze?”
“They won’t explicitly state which country won. That’s why they created the Allied Nations. This will be considered a victory for the Allied Nations and the newly formed North-South Allied Nations will get the credit.”
“Something like that. Then, what I’m most curious about right now is the ‘Miracle’ in the Deepest Part. When they say heroes can have any wish granted, what would they wish for—”
The strange sensation continued.
An unnatural amount of flower petals swirled around us as if by magic.
The acceleration of time continued, and I felt as if I were in a dream.
Before I knew it, our carriage had arrived not in a provincial town, but in a major city representing the country, surrounded by countless people.
“—No, it’s not some fairy-tale-like ‘Miracle’ that grants anything. I heard it’s a place with a tremendous accumulation of magic, right? Who did I hear that from…?”
“—I think I heard something similar too… I heard it’s like a magic reservoir for the continent. If a mage can handle it properly, they can do many things.”
“—Yes, that’s right. It’s the source of magic in this world, so if you can control it, you could even reduce the number of monsters on the continent.”
By this point, I could tell that the source of these rumors, which I couldn’t recall hearing from any specific traveler, was Kanami’s book.
I had witnessed firsthand how he had skillfully “adjusted” things in his world with “Japan” and “the UN.”
“Honestly, if a ‘Miracle’ were used for evil, that would be bad. …Though, given how indecisive and overly kind that hero is, it’s probably fine.”
“They are the heroes who just cleaned up the ‘Blood Land’ at the risk of their lives. They wouldn’t openly and shamelessly use it for evil, would they?”
“I… saw everything that hero Kanami did during the ‘Dance Battle Tournament’. So even if he shamelessly says, ‘I’ll use it for everyone’s ‘happiness”, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.”
“Yeah, he looks like he’d say that. From what I’ve heard, that man –”
“‘As much as possible, he will definitely bring peace to the world –‘”
Was it a traveler who said that, or Kanami?
As the rumors spread, Kanami, who was waving his hand from atop the carriage, echoed them word for word.
With each page Kanami turned, I felt convenient rumors spreading across the continent. The fervor of the triumphant return, including myself, was wonderfully controlled as if by magic.
Recalling the ending of the other world, I instinctively averted my gaze, trying to change the subject of the rumors I managed to catch. However, ahead of me were two grimy children.
“Ah, the festival has begun… It’s beautiful… So, it’s finally over, isn’t it.”
“Yay, yay…! We don’t have to run away anymore!”
They were watching the carriage from a back alley slightly off the main road where the procession was advancing, peeking through gaps in the crowd. They were a beastkin who used to be a slave and a child who seemed to be a ‘Magic Stone Human’. They were joyfully holding hands. It was clear from their words and attire that they had been at the bottom of misfortune only a short time ago. But, with this ‘Final Festival’ as a turning point, they would be absorbed into the ritual, and their lives would move towards ‘happiness’.
“—If the ritual is completed, ‘more happiness’ will be promised by ‘Magic Kanami’.”
If I were to change this course, it would mean plunging these two children back into the abyss of misfortune. It would be like making them taste the hell on earth, just as I once plunged Fafnir to the lowest level of the ‘Magic Pest Research Institute’.
“—I can’t do it anymore.
Right now, surely, I, the world, and everyone are heading in a direction where ‘happiness’ is attainable. The ‘Demons’ I know were always oppressed, whether in the north or the south. But in this festival, all the beastkin are alive and smiling. Of course, it’s not solely thanks to Kanami’s power. It’s also due to the efforts of Tiara and Aid from a thousand years ago. Therefore, can I shatter the efforts of my friend Aid from a thousand years ago? Do I have a justice that would accomplish something by breaking it?”
“—On the carriage, Sis and Kuuneru are holding hands. Seeing that, priests and merchants followed suit, shaking hands to decide to refrain from arguments during the festival. Then, I and Kuuneru, on the surface at least, start getting along. Then, beastkin of all races rejoiced and forgot their grudges for the moment, singing praises. Kuuneru, the princess of Regia, hugs the cleaner, who is like a retainer, as if they were friends. This ‘Final Festival’ is a period of anarchy, where everyone realizes that all living beings are equal. Even the slightest remaining discrimination is being cleanly wiped away, albeit only for the duration of the festival. This is what peace is. This triumphant parade is not just changing the calendar. The ‘Final Festival’ is moving the very heart of the continent. Towards a future where everyone can be ‘happy’—”
And yet? And yet, go against the flow?
No, it’s fine now… I’ve doubted and fought enough… Do I need to find Kanami’s rules…?
“—No—”
That’s right. No. All I need to do now is wholeheartedly support Kanami.
I lost. I failed. It’s because of that… because I pushed him, Kanami ended up like this… Even if I try my best, nothing good comes of it… ‘The Zero Trial’ was insurmountable…
Rustle, rustle. The sound of pages turning.
“So, Fafnir, Glen. Please, give up too. Please, become ‘happy’ with me. No matter how long you live, you can never defeat Kanami’s magic. No one can. ‘Magic Kanami’ will surely save even you who are in hell—”
The pages turn.
“Let’s leave everything to Kanami now. I’ll go with the flow. I’ll help Kanami as much as I can to make it easier for him. Like a loser, I’ll follow Kanami’s orders. I’ll act heroically even as a great villain, and wave my hand with dignity to be remembered in history books. Even without ‘lingering desire,’ I’ll remain in this world and be rewarded more and more. I will become ‘happy’—”
The pages turn.
“—Yes. With that, Seldra is fine—”
“That’s fine. The moment I thought that, my sense of time became even more distorted.”
“Our triumphant return spanned the ‘Mainland’ from west to east. We made stops in various towns, following the front lines of the recent ‘Border War’. And we finally reached the port town of Cork at the end. By then, it had already become a parade of unprecedented scale in the continent’s history. It was beyond a commotion, it was a great confusion. The port town of Cork was crammed to its capacity. The fervor was immense, overflowing with people, far beyond any of the places we had stopped at before. It seemed that residents from towns we couldn’t visit had all rushed here. There were particularly many travelers from the Great Holy Capital. I suspect the wealthy of the ‘Mainland’ intend to follow us all the way to the Allied Nations. And judging by their cheerful faces in line, they intend to enjoy the ‘Final Festival’ to the fullest in the hottest spot. We looked down upon that port town from our new ceremonial carriage, which had somehow become about three times its original height. We slowly paraded through a path adorned with curved decorations between houses, sandwiched by a wall of people. And at the end of that path awaited a beautiful sea and a grand fleet. Countless ships filled the harbor as if preparing for a great naval battle. The blue of the sea was obscured by the ships. There were not only passenger ships but also merchant ships and escort ships, easily over a hundred. This grand fleet will head to Griad of the Allied Nations. From now on, we will embark on a great triumphant voyage. ‘—Ah, ha, ha, hahahaha!’ Faced with such a magnificent spectacle, unseen even a thousand years ago, I laughed. This time, it wasn’t a sneer, but genuine laughter. This is ‘fun,’ not ‘enjoyment.’ Perhaps since I was a child. I’m purely excited. My heart is pounding. I’m feeling dizzy. I’m also swaying. And I’m reminded of my cousin, the ‘Dragon King.’ It feels like my cousin’s wish has come true in this future, a millennium later. Now, Seldra Queen Filion is spending enjoyable time with the ‘Dragon King.’ No, moreover, from now on I will become the ‘Dragon King’ and experience her joy as her. Having fulfilled my true ‘lingering desire,’ I am two Dragon People alone. Fortunately, I can savor not only ‘enjoyment’ but also ‘fun.’ ‘Hahaha, ha, hahahaha—!’ Empathy with family. The moment I learned that, I felt as if the battles on the ‘Blood Land’ were a distant past—”
The pages turn. The chapter ‘Blood Land’ ends, and the chapter ‘Final Festival’ begins.
