Book 6 Chapter 19

Chapter 143

The beast-kin crossed the parted strait under the guidance of the White Dragon Legion and moved onto the continent. They said they would cross over to the land of the World Tree under the protection of the Legion.

I tried to thank Eldvich separately, but he had disappeared by the time things were concluded. He must have returned to Harvadonia.

On the other hand, just before leaving, representatives of the beast-kin, such as Griffion, Opus, and Beduel, came to us to bid their final farewells.

"It seems we must part ways now."

Why was it, even though I knew we had to part ways, hearing those words actually made my heart feel heavy.

"I don't know how to thank you all."

"I didn't do anything…"

Though grand words were spoken, I had actually solved nothing.

It was Kirhan who solved the problem at the Wall, Alakish who inflicted a fatal wound on Shar'kas and even sealed him, and Yelliserica who brought the beast-kin to the continent.

It seemed I had gone through a lot of hardship, but most of it was meaningless. As I thought that and was about to let out a bitter smile, Beduel embraced Casena and me in turn.

"Be happy. I will always pray to the gods for your happiness…"

"Chief, you too, please rest comfortably in a warm land now."

As Casena received farewells, surrounded by the Durankus tribe who had gathered, her face was instantly covered in tears.

As I watched that with satisfaction, Griffion approached, knelt on one knee before me, and met my gaze directly.

"Take that back."

"Huh?"

"You said you didn't do anything. That's not true at all. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been able to cross the Wall, and by now we would have become the White Lord's slaves, wandering up there."

"The one who defeated the White Lord was—"

"—you. Kayvon's son, Rein Ludwig. It was you who shed tears for us, you who went to the Wall for us, and you who returned for us. It was also you who fought for us again and again."

As I met his noble gaze, memories of the past six months unfolded in my mind like tens of thousands of fragments, and my eyes welled up.

Even though it seemed like I tried very hard, I truly hadn't accomplished anything…

"We will not forget a single thing you did for our honor. I, and all our kin, will not forget."

Then Griffion unfastened a fist-sized silver-blue gem from his neck, and placed it directly into my hand.

Though dormant, I could sense an incredibly powerful force swirling within it.

What on earth could this be? Given that the Black Yang-Lin was resonating, it certainly wasn't an ordinary object.

"Cheonghyeon (Pure String). It is a relic left by the hero Enuel to our ancestors."

"Huh?"

"They say it was a gem attached to the guard of the True Holy Sword Sharillion, passed down to those elected as High Chief from generation to generation."

"That, why are you giving that to me? Take it back. I can't accept this. Absolutely not."

"No, you must accept it. This isn't a gift. It's entrusted to you. As a token of a covenant."

"A covenant…?"

"We promise. That whoever, be it you or your descendants, comes to us with this gem and asks for help, the entire beast-kin will unconditionally assist them without asking any questions or weighing the importance of the matter. Our friend."

The beast-kin value honor, and never make any promise lightly. They stake their lives on a promise, and keep it until their last breath.

As I realized the meaning embedded in the words of such a High Chief of the beast-kin, and the weight contained in the act of handing over this Cheonghyeon, tears streamed from between my tightly shut eyelids.

"You are a great warrior, Rein Ludwig. Do not bow your head. Nor shed tears. Warriors do not show tears when they part ways."

"…!"

"They bless each other's future and send them off with smiles. So that when a friend becomes deceased, they can remember their last smile and find peace."

Barely holding up my collapsing posture, I managed a faint smile and clasped Griffion's large, fearsome raptor-like hand.

The warriors gave enthusiastic applause, as if agreeing with Griffion's words.

At that moment, only Casena, her eyes red and swollen from tears, grumbled with a pout.

"Why didn't you give me one? Give me one too! I want to remember you all with something like that too!"

Then, Griffion, as well as all the beast-kin, scratched their heads as if they couldn't understand.

"But aren't you two one?"

"One?"

"Since you two were together day and night, we naturally assumed you were a married couple."

Silence fell for a moment.

Aki, who was comfortably asleep in the swaddling cloth in my arms, sneezed, "Achoo," in her sleep.

Casena's face, having understood the meaning of those words, turned bright red in an instant, and she began to wildly make gestures in the air.

"No, no! I'm far too good for him! What nonsense! It's utterly astounding and infuriating! Why would I marry someone like Rein?! Huh?!"

Immense psychokinesis… Small stones from the ground floated up and rained down on the warriors like a shower. The warriors fled in terror.

"Stop! We were wrong! We get it! Even if Casena's descendants bring that, we will help them with all our might!"

"Don't act like it's an afterthought!"

Indeed, only Beduel, the chief of the Durankus tribe, could stop Casena's rampage. Beduel placed the ring he wore on his index finger into Casena's hand.

"Compared to Cheonghyeon, it is severely lacking, but this is a symbol passed down only to the chief of our Durankus tribe."

"…?"

"Casena, this is a token that we are friends. Will you accept it?"

As the Durankus tribe cheered, Casena, who had slipped the ring onto her thumb, bit her lip sadly. Was she desperately trying to hold back the tears that were about to burst forth again?

The beast-kin then quietly paid their respects to Aki, Alakish's avatar, and led by Griffion, began to cross the parted sea.

We parted ways with the beast-kin like that. From the time I was transferred to Harvadonia until arriving here, it had truly been a series of miracles.

There, the Durankus tribe was the tribe that had warmly welcomed us… and the tribe where Barzelen had been.

As I stared blankly at their backs, receding coldly into the distance, the images of my old hero party comrades suddenly overlapped with their departing figures, and a single tear traced its way down my cheek.

The pain of severed ties, feeling as if we would never meet again like this… Just as I reached out my hand, Casena shouted in a voice suppressing her tears.

"We can meet again!"

"Huh…?"

"After graduating from school, we can visit and meet once a year! Right?! We just need to meet again! It's not a permanent parting!"

Yes, that's right… Casena's words, cried out to comfort herself, warmly permeated my heart.

We can meet again.

Because we will be able to meet again.

As I watched the procession of beast-kin waving goodbye disappear into the darkness, someone approached from behind.

"Casena."

It was Madelia Page, a heroic woman as beautiful as Casena, but taller and with dignity in every movement.

"Mom."

At that naturally returned word upon hearing her name, Madelia's expression twisted in pain, and abandoning all dignity, she tightly embraced her daughter and sobbed.

"How could… you make me, me… worry so much, because of you, I…"

She had intended to give her a good scolding upon meeting again, to tell her she'd aged decades because of her, and to firmly declare she wouldn't tolerate her stubbornness again.

The moment she felt her daughter's body temperature again.

The moment she smelled her daughter's scent again.

The moment she heard her daughter's laughter again.

All the words she had thought of throughout her journey here could not be formed into language, and only tears streamed down endlessly.

"Young Lady."

"Young Lady Casena."

"It's truly a relief that you are safe."

Even the Magus Royal Guard and escort knights of the Page family, who had served and protected Casena since childhood, wiped away tears and paid their respects.

"You know, beyond the Wall, I met so many beast-kin! And I learned magic from a cool True Dragon named Alakish, Huh? But it's strange, I had so much I wanted to tell you, Mom, but the words aren't coming out…"

Casena thought it was strange that her mother was embracing her and crying. Not even realizing that her own throat was tightening.

Watching that scene from a distance, I felt a pang in my chest.

Therefore, I couldn't help but look up at Pipi, who was perched on my head, and whisper a strange question.

"If I could have returned 300 years earlier… would they have cried like that for me too?"

"Freide, cried often. Cried, cried."

"Really?"

In the past, I would have simply swallowed my sadness, but now that Yelliserica said the severed chain of fate might be reconnected…

"We're going south, Pipi."

"South? South? South?"

"I need to take Aki to <Blazing Myriad Miles>. You're coming with me, right?"

Then Pipi, who had been vigorously flapping her wings as if asking "what a silly question," landed on my shoulder and rubbed her face against my ear.

"Freide said, Pipi, when Rein is ready to travel, tell me, I'll wait at <Blazing Myriad Miles>."

"What…?"

"Success, success, if he succeeds, I'll be waiting at <Blazing Myriad Miles>. Freide said."

Success, what success was he talking about…?

In that moment, Freide's smiling face, who used to blow cigarette smoke directly into my face and laugh heartily, faintly flashed through my mind.

It must have been 200 years ago, so there's no chance he's still alive. Still, even so…

"Rein Ludwig."

Around that time, the sound of elegant horse hooves was heard, and Crown Prince Raider Aijin appeared, riding a white thoroughbred.

"I haven't seen you for a while, and you've had another child. They say someone like you is a 'King of Virility,' don't they?"

"No, Your Highness, this is…"

My appearance was quite ridiculous.

Aki was in a swaddling cloth, and Mirngardia was in a basket Alakish used to use, carried on my back.

Raider teased me with a playful smile.

"I know. It was just a joke. The Water Dragon did issue a gag order to the Imperial Army and adventurers, but I don't know how well that will be kept in this era."

He must have been referring to me taking charge of Mirngardia.

Only Madelia and Raider knew Aki's true identity, besides the beast-kin, but as Mirngardia was in the state of a dragon egg, there was no room for excuses.

"Of course, I will do my best to keep it a secret. But don't expect too much."

"Not at all."

"My apologies."

"Huh?"

"I spoke as if I would solve everything, but in the end, someone else actually solved it all."

"No, not at all! If Your Highness hadn't been here, we wouldn't have avoided bloodshed, and the beast-kin's standing would have been severely diminished. And mine too."

"Even if it's flattery, I appreciate you saying so. Well then, if the opportunity arises, let's meet again later."

As Raider turned his horse's head to face the Imperial Army camp, I shouted.

"I will seriously consider it."

"Hmm?"

"The position of Magus Lord… I will truly seriously consider it."

Raider raised an eyebrow significantly, then the next moment, he let out a chuckle, laughed heartily, and nodded. No sooner had Raider departed than Magus Lord Seygan, who was accompanying him, pulled on his reins in front of me.

"Scourge Ludwig's grandson, Rein Ludwig. I look forward to the day we contend for the Magus Lord position again."

"I'm just thinking about it, so don't get your hopes up too much."

"Hmph."

By the time Seygan had departed, following Raider, silence was already settling over the wetlands, which had been filled with chaotic uproar.

The Imperial Army, orderly clinking with spears, swords, and armor, was boarding their warships, the beast-kin, exuding a wild scent and roaring, were crossing the sea, and the White Dragon Legion, scattering sacred energy, was also departing one by one.

I glanced at Casena, who was having a tearful reunion with Madelia, and let out a bitter smile.

'Now it's our turn to part ways, Casena.'

***

In Bellewyn, the Ludwig family mansion, an formless darkness had always lingered since that day.

The laughter that once brightly filled the mansion had long ceased, and the maids and butlers lived each day holding their breath, fearing they might be swallowed by that darkness.

"It's getting cold. Let's go inside…"

Madam Brim Ludwig, the mistress of the Ludwig family, always spent her nights by her deceased son's grave, weeping.

She barely ate or drank, so her body was emaciated… Could it be that she wished to follow her son in death?

"Was he happy?"

"…?"

"Did we ever make that child happy…?"

As Brim Ludwig burst into tears again, Kayvon Ludwig let out a tearful sigh and patted her back.

"Of course, he must have been happy. Having met a good mother like you… Now, shouldn't we take care of Brand too? He's only four years old."

It was around that time that the mansion became noisy.

Now that Se-ri Ludwig, who had become the family's legitimate heir, had left for <Rivarden> Academy of Magic, the mansion should have been eerily quiet.

The commotion showed no sign of stopping, and just as I was getting annoyed wondering what was happening, a maid came running.

"Lord! Madam!"

Something was strange. Since Rein Ludwig's death, all the servants had conducted themselves carefully, and had never acted so fussily.

The maid, who had nearly stumbled several times but finally reached the two, opened her mouth, breathless but with a full smile on her face.

"He's back, he's back. Alive, he's back…!"

Kayvon was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even think to press for more details.

Back, who?

Did Se-ri Ludwig return? Or his father? Or his younger brother who had gone back to university?

"Master Rein, Master Rein… just came back! He said he was hungry, so we immediately served him a meal…"

Kayvon's eyes froze.

For a moment, he thought it might be a cruel prank, but why would a maid risk her life to play a trick?

"What did you just say?"

It felt utterly unreal. That his son's name was spoken by the maid again, that his son's actions were being reported through the maid.

Why wouldn't it be?

These were stories only possible if the child was alive.

"That child, is alive?"

So, he merely repeated what the maid said, in a blank, uncontrollably trembling voice. At the same time, Brim's sobbing also ceased.

"Yes, Lord. He is currently in the banquet hall. With Young Master Brand. Uh, um, and…"

"…?"

"I don't know how to say this. Young Master Rein's daughter is also with him…"