460 456. "Epilogue Part 1".txt (2/2)

I'm not sure I'm ready to hide completely. It's still time for me to forget. ...... I just need to make a few corrections.

Lovingly, she touched and tasted the paper pages, rubbing and tasting them, carefully rolling them up.

I was curious to see what was inside, so I moved my gaze slightly to look at the book.

As the pages were rolled up, the words were changed. It seems that even without the use of a pen, the words are already reflected just by thinking.

Then, after about ten pages had been rolled up, Kanami took off the Tida mask she was wearing.

She stood up and put it on her companion who was sitting near her.

'Come in, scavenger. ...... I'm your hometown knight. Now you won't be suspicious when you live in the outside world.

”............

The cleaners accept her silently.

She is left behind by Fafner in ”Blood Land” and taken out by Kanami, and all the while she remains quiet.

Towards that too-quiet janitor, Kounel also approaches.

'Ah. Since you're here, let's start with your guess. Helmina Neysha is the older sister of the cleaner, isn't she? Although it's only for a short time, I think it's good to stay with your family until the last minute.

Saying so, from the bosom - or rather, from the collar, the 'Heart of Helmina' that pulses raw and pulsing.

He pushes it in through the gap between the janitor's clothes and bandages with the casualness of coordinating his clothes.

The heart was taken into the body of the cleaner's 'blood puppet' in an unnatural and natural way.

It was an action that had to be interrupted.

'Oh, hey!　That's what you inherited from Glenn: ......!

Taking over?　No, the main selling point of this magic stone from ”The One Who Stole the Principle of Blood” is that anyone can use it. It just so happens that I was able to get a good match this time, but that doesn't mean I'm going to keep it for the rest of my life. I'm just trying to save it for you, Mr. Chairman. As a matter of fact, Seldora-sama doesn't understand the essence of the strategy at all. ''No more.''

The magic stone in ”The One Who Steals the Reason” gives you the power to shake the country with just one.

However, Kounel didn't seem to be at all interested in that power.

If you think about it, she now rules many countries with money and connections without relying on such things.

That Kounel blurted out, ”And it's a bummer,” and wiped the hand that touched her heart with an expensive looking handkerchief.

'............'

Thus, two magic stones from The One Who Stole the Reason are in the hands of the cleaning staff.

The cleaner seems to be unable to endure this strange fate and suddenly blows out a laugh.

''Hmph, hmph--, haha, hahahahahahaha ......!

It wasn't the snatched voice of the 'blood doll' - but somehow it was the beautiful fleshly voice of a woman in the middle.

The cleaner continued to laugh bewitchingly and shake her shoulders.

It was hard to tell from the mask and bandages, but there was no doubt that there was a big change going on inside now.

Once she laughed out, she let out a single word, ”'Neil',” and a beautiful but disastrous voice.

Her voice is low, heavy, and painful, to the point that my triumphant feeling of buoyancy is cooling down, and my body begins to freeze.

But soon Kanami, the leader of the group, stands up vigorously and advises me to refocus on the triumph.

''Alright. From here on out, I'm going to sneakily wave back too. I'll focus on the 'Jewelcrus' and the others, so Serdra will take care of the beastmen. The Sith will be at the front of the pack, so don't be shy. I'm not going to be able to get it right. Let's do it right, ...... everyone (・・・・・・・・).

We all nodded quickly back at the instructions.

The air tightened.

Since we've made a 'contract' with Kanami, orders are absolute.

It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

--I'm not going to be able to get a hold of them.

The time seemed to speed up even more as we all focused on that task.

I could feel the heat of the town doubling.

Every time I waved my hand back, I was enveloped in a sense of elation that I couldn't resist.

There was a sense of oneness. To continue to focus on the triumph, chewing on the sensation that I would never get from a thousand years ago - for a few minutes.

We had entered through the west gate and were leaving the town through the east gate.

In the rear, the people had gathered at the town gates, and as we pulled away, our carriage said, ”To 'Acting Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate States of America' Seldora-sama, thank you! He shouts out to us and sends us off.

We kept waving back and forth until he was out of sight, and then we took a breath - no time to breathe, and soon after, Quuner said, ”The next town is right around the corner, so please keep smiling! I would be asked to do so.

It seems that the Legia country is not losing population and number of towns when compared to other 'mainland' countries.

Apparently there are similar towns not too far away.

We take a really short break, and soon we reach a similar town, and as the predetermined complaint goes, ”The heroes are back! The words, ”I'm not going to let you go.” are read out.

-- one by one, from the far west.

Two, three, four, five, and so on, in order --

Carefully without excess, the heat of the festival was lit from the western edge of the continent.

It was as polite and triumphant as if they were passing magic power through a magic formula.

As they proceeded, the towns they stopped in grew larger and larger. Before you know it, the number of carriages in the procession increases, and a gorgeous band of musicians begins to play the festival music (matsuri-bayashi).

All the while, I've been magically eavesdropping on people's gossip behind the scenes.

There were all sorts of gossip that bothered me more than I wanted to add to the unity of the festival and enjoy it even more.

For example, it was the rumor of a traveler who looked like he had met Kanami a year ago and found a hero in a carriage to talk about.

'--Hey, look. There's also a frontier hero, 'Aikawa Kanami Christ Eula ...... something or other,' in the back.

'Heh, there was a guy with that f*cking long name too. ...... That one?　I've heard you were young, but you don't look like the strongest man in the Confederacy at all.

Yeah, I used to think so too. However, I saw the final match of the ”Dance Tournament” a year ago in person. The sight of him cutting off Rowen, the ”Sage of Swords” from a thousand years ago, I can only say ...... that he was a godsend.

Kanami's bravery had reached this far west.

Kanami, the real Kanami, is smiling behind me with a cool face.

It seems that the only people who have contributed to the liberation of ”Blood Riku” are me and the Sith, so she secretly waved back only to the Jewelcrus humans.

And Kanami only waved with one hand, never letting go of the book.

For some reason, in between these triumphant moments, she opened the book and rolled up the pages.

A flutter.

The sound of the book.

Mixed in with the gossip I'm listening to, somehow it gets into my ears - I'm not sure why.

The story about the end of the labyrinth is also true because the heroes of the labyrinth confederacy are coming from this far west. The power of the apostle and dragon man (dragon newt) over there, they have finally reached the 'deepest point'.

I heard that too. Isn't that why the labyrinth was shut down once it was shut down?

''I guess we're on the verge of reaching the 'deepest' part. I'm sure it will be the main event at the end of the 'Endgame Festival', and it will be the main event at the end of the 'Endgame Festival', and it will be a major goal, right?　Think of the national interest and all that.

'It's early. For quite a long time, the story of the labyrinth stopped at the twenty-third layer of the 'strongest' explorer, Glenn. ...... ''Sword Saint,'' ''Prime Minister,'' ''Saintess,'' ''General,'' and the greats from a thousand years ago started appearing, it really didn't take long.''

The whole time around, it's a huge parade of fairytales.

It's not just the cheers that resound.

Cheers and shouts of encouragement also shake the eardrums.

Occasionally, the band would clasp shoulders in time to the festival music, and a huge chorus would erupt.

Out of it all I'm picking up only gossip, with my vibrational magic - but I'm flabbergasted (・・・・・).

I had the strange illusion that I should be listening, but I was reading.

'All these years the great powers have been competing with each other, but it's finally over. ...... In fact, is this a victory for the Hoosiers?

'Clearly, you don't say which country is the winner. That's why we created the 'Confederacy'. This is a victory for the 'Confederacy', and it'll settle for the newly created 'Confederacy' as a credit to the 'North-South'.

That's about it. Then the thing I'm most interested in right now is the 'miracle' in the 'deepest part'. I wonder what heroes wish for when they are told that their wishes will come true for anything--” (...)

A strange sensation follows.

An unnatural blizzard of flowers danced wildly, like magic.

The acceleration of my sense of time progressed, and I felt like I was somehow 'dreaming'.

Before I knew it, the carriage had come not to a provincial town, but to a large city that represented the country, surrounded by countless people.

”'No, it's not that kind of fairy tale 'miracle' where anything comes true. As I recall, I heard it's an awesome pool of magical power, right?　I don't know who told me this: .......

”'Come to think of it, I think I heard about it too: ....... As I recall, it's a place like a continent's repository of magic power. They say that if you're a wizard who can handle it properly, you can do a lot of things.

”'Oh yeah, that's it. It's the source of magic in this world, so if you can control it all off, you can reduce the number of monsters on the continent.

I'm not sure who told me about these travellers, but I know that the source of their gossip is Kanami's book.

I've seen up close how the 'Japan' and 'United Nations' of the other world have successfully 'adjusted' with the same magic.

”'Honestly, if they use 'miracles' for bad things, it's bad. ...... Well, if you're that indecisive and overly good-natured hero, you'll be fine.

”Now, these are the heroes who have risked their lives to clean up the 'Blood Land'. They won't openly and openly use it for something bad.

”'I'm ...... and I've seen all the things Kanami the Hero did in the 'Dancing Tournament'. I wouldn't be at all surprised if you shamelessly said, ”I'm going to use it for everyone's 'happiness'.

”'Yeah, you look like you're about to say it. From what I've heard, that man--

””He will bring as much peace to the world as he can within his reach...”

It was either the traveler or Kanami who said that.

Kanami, who was waving his hands on the carriage as the gossip went on, was also muttering every word differently.

Every time Kanami turned the page, he could feel the convenient rumors spreading across the continent.

The heat caused by the triumphalism, including me here (・・・・・・・), was magically and brilliantly under control.

Remembering the consequences of the world on the other side, I quickly avert my gaze and try to change the destination of the gossip I manage to pick up.

But beyond that, there are two dingy children.

'Oh, the festivities have begun ....... It's beautiful ....... So now it's finally all over.

'Yay yay ......!　We don't have to run away anymore!

In the back of the alleyway a little off the big road where the convoy was going, I watched the carriage through the gap in the waves of people.

It was a former slave beastman and a child who looked like a 'magic stone man' (Jewelculus).

They were holding hands and rejoicing.

Not long ago, they were in the depths of misery, which could be seen from the way they talked and dressed. But after this 'End of Tan Festival', the two of them would be taken into the ritual and their lives would go on to become 'happy'.

”--If the ritual is completed, further 'happiness' will be promised by the 'Magic Kanami'.

If we are going to change this trend, it is to push these two children back to the bottom of their misery.

Just as I once pushed Fafner down to the lowest level of the 'Demonology Research Institute', I will make him taste the hell of this world.

”--I can't do it anymore.

Now definitely, I and the world are heading in the direction where everyone can be 'happy'.

The 'demons' I know have always been oppressed in the north and the south.

But at this festival, every one of the beastmen are laughing with vivacity.

Of course, it wouldn't just be because of Kanami's power.

It was also because of the efforts of Tiara and Aide from a thousand years ago.

That's why, can I break the accumulation of that thousand year old friend Aide?

What justice do I have to break to do something?

”--On top of the carriage, Sith and Kounel are holding hands with each other.

Seeing this, the priests and merchants followed suit and joined hands to try to keep it even during the festival.

Then me and Kounel get along with each other, albeit on the surface.

Then the beastmen of all tribes rejoiced, and for once we forgot our fates and praised each other.

To the squire-like scavenger, Kounel, the princess of Legia, embraces him like a friend.

This Festival of the End of the Tale was rude, and everyone realized that all creatures were equal.

Even the slightest bit of discrimination that remained was wiped clean, though only during the festival.

This is what peace is all about.

This triumphal parade doesn't just change the calendar.

The End of the Festival will move the heart of the continent itself.

Towards a future where everyone can be 'happy' -

And yet?

And yet, you're going against the flow?

No, that's enough .......

I've had enough of doubting and fighting .......

Do you need to find out what the rules of Kanami are ......?

”--no.

That's right.

It's not there.

All I have to do now is root for Kanami as hard as I can.

I lost.

I made some mistakes.

That's why .......

Because of that, Kanami is the way she is because I pushed her to the edge .......

As far as I'm concerned, it's not good enough .......

The 'Test of Zero' was insurmountable: ......

A flutter.

I hear the sound of a page being rolled up.

”So, Fafner, Glenn.

Please, I want you guys to give up, too.

Please, I want you to be 'happy' with me.

No matter how much I survive, I will never be able to match Kanami's magic. It's not going to happen to anyone.

I'm sure that Magic Kanami will save even you in hell.

The pages roll up.

”I'll let Kanami do everything now.

I'm going to go with the flow.

I'll help Kanami at least make things a little easier for her.

I will follow Kanami's orders like a loser.

Even the biggest villain acts like a hero, and waves his hands in a dignified manner so that he is recorded in the history books.

I will remain in this world without ”unrepentance” and will be rewarded more and more.

I will be 'happy', I will be--

The page rolls up.

”--Yes. So, Serdra is good--

”That's fine.

When I thought that, my sense of time got even more distorted.

”Our triumphant return crossed the 'mainland' from west to east.

We stopped by every city, accompanying the front line of the 'Boundary War' not long ago.

And at the end of it all, we reached the port city of Cork.

By then, the parade had already become the largest parade in the history of the continent.

Beyond the fuss, all hell broke loose.

The port city of Cork was crammed with people, to the limit of its capacity.

The heat was so great that it was incomparable to the places we had stopped at so far, and the place was overflowing with people.

Apparently, the residents of the city who hadn't been able to stop by had rushed here in droves.

In particular, there seemed to be many travelers from the Great Sacred City.

Probably, the wealthy people on the 'mainland' are planning to follow them to the Allied nations.

I'm sure they're eager to enjoy the festival to the fullest at the hottest place on the planet.

We walk through the harbor town, looking down on a new ceremonial carriage that has somehow tripled in height.

We slowly and triumphantly made our way down a road with curved ornamentation (arches) between houses, sandwiched between the walls of the people.

And at the end of the road, a beautiful sea and a large fleet of ships awaited us.

Innumerable ships lay in the harbor, as if they were about to engage in a great naval battle at war.

The blue of the sea is so blue that you can't see it with the ships.

There are not only cruise ships, but also merchant ships and convoys, and by a light count there are more than a hundred of them.

This large fleet of ships is headed for Gliard in the Allied countries.

From now on, we are going to make a great triumph of the great voyage.

''--ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

I laughed at the grandest sight I'd ever seen, even a thousand years ago.

This time, instead of laughing, I was laughing in a normal way.

This wasn't 'fun', this was normal.

I hadn't laughed since I was a kid, but I was genuinely excited. I'm genuinely excited.

I'm genuinely excited, and I'm also nervous.

I'm dizzy.

I'm also lightheaded.

And then I remembered my cousin Ane's ”Lord of the Dragons”.

In a thousand years in the future, I felt like his wish had come true.

Right now, Seldora Queen Fillion is having a good time with the ”King Dragon (that one)”. No, on the contrary, from now on, I'm going to become ”that guy” and enjoy his fun as that guy. I've fulfilled my true ”unrequited love” and I'm two dragon people (Dragon Newt) all by myself. The luxury of being able to enjoy not only the 'fun' but also the 'fun' with him.

''Hahahahahahahahahahaha--!

Empathy with my family.

When I learned that, I already felt like the fight in 'Blood Land' was a distant past--

The pages roll up.

The chapter on ”Blood Land” ends and we enter the chapter on ”The End of the Tan Festival”.