One month had passed since then.
I was now near the exit of the forest at the Earth Dragon Valley.
Simple wooden buildings lined the surroundings, and in the clearing carved out of the trees, various people hurried about.
The Supard Race, human carpenters and laborers hired by the Kingdom of Biheiril, loggers... and the
"Big brother, could we have the forest on the east side cleared a bit too?"
She strolled through the village, issuing directions at various points.
Linia and Percena appeared to be directing the corps members who received those instructions.
At this rate, nobody could tell who was actually in charge.
"Sure, got it."
I was also among them, working on the reconstruction of the Supard Race's village.
Clearing the forest with magic, building house foundations with earth magic, creating roads to the Earth Dragon Valley village...
There was plenty to do.
Now then.
Why were Aisha and the Rudeus Mercenary Corps here?
Why had no one been present when Alex arrived, aside from
I ought to explain that.
Though, to be honest, it could be summed up in one word.
It was Aisha's doing.
Saying "doing" made it sound like she'd pulled some prank, so perhaps I should call it "work" instead.
It was Aisha's work.
When the Teleportation Magic Circles and communication stone tablets had gone down, Aisha and the mercenary Corps had also been thrown into the depths of confusion.
Cut off from communication and movement in a distant foreign land, anxiety and frustration mounting.
Yet Aisha had remained calm.
She calmly assessed the situation and thought.
If the battle had already begun at the front lines, then by the time they reached it from the border, it would be too late, and there would be little they could do, she reasoned.
Aisha's conclusion was to focus on recovering the Teleportation Magic Circles while also accounting for the possibility that Geese might escape.
In short, restoring infrastructure.
That said, in addition to the Teleportation Magic Circles, the backup magic circles Aisha had possessed and the corresponding office circles had all been destroyed.
There was nothing to be done.
That's what I would have concluded.
And in fact, I had given up.
But Aisha had an idea.
Her genius intellect had recalled the secret technique of a certain individual.
That secret technique involved identifying a destroyed Teleportation Magic Circle, drawing the corresponding circle, and teleporting to any desired location.
Who was this certain individual?
None other than Pergius, the Dragon King.
She went in search of the monument of the Seven Great Powers near the border, intending to plead with Pergius.
Upon finding it, she used Pergius's flute to reach the Aerial Fortress.
Pergius, who was reluctant upon learning that we were trying to help the Demon Race.
He told Aisha he would "connect one route for her," and she chose to have him link the magic circle near the border to a Teleportation Magic Circle leading to the Supard Race's village.
And that was how it came to be.
"I'm glad Lord Pergius agreed to help."
"He was quite reluctant about it, but when I told him this battle could earn him a favor from Orsted, he came around."
After that, while I was fighting, they moved to the Supard Race's village.
Once they learned of the situation, they immediately used the Teleportation Magic Circle to evacuate the residents and others to a town near the border...
If
As it turned out, Aisha's actions compensated for Roxy's mistake.
Though it couldn't be helped, Roxy was quite contrite and withdrawn about that part.
"Here?"
"Yeah, just blast through it. Might as well make it a bit wider, right?"
"Fair point. Got it."
"Once you're done, call me again. I'll have the mercenary Corps handle transporting the lumber."
"Roger."
And so, one month after the battle.
Though we had remained vigilant and prepared for another fight, no further battle came.
There would be no more battles.
So Roxy,
Since the Zero Type's summoning magic circles and those used for the evacuation had been destroyed in Orsted's battle with Alex, they had to be sent via Pergius once again.
They were tasked with rebuilding the office, restoring the communication stone tablets, and repairing the Teleportation Magic Circles.
Shariah, apparently, had experienced no incidents.
The elf girl at the reception desk was safe as well.
The weapons and armor buried in the office basement, and the documents Orsted had been writing every day, were simply buried under rubble. That was the extent of it.
The evacuated Supard Race members had reconnected from the border through the magic circle in the second city of Ierel and returned.
Subsequently, they were formally accepted into the Kingdom of Biheiril.
The Kingdom of Biheiril had been positive about welcoming the Supard Race as citizens.
Having lost their third city and the Kishin, they were hardly in a position to say no.
As a condition for domestication, a minimum of three people from the village would have to be dispatched to serve the kingdom.
This was the same arrangement as with the Ogre Race.
The selection of those three was complete, and preparations for the village's reconstruction were now underway.
If reconstruction continued without incident, the Supard Race would find their place within the Kingdom of Biheiril.
We had defeated all the Apostles and brought the Supard Race, the Ogre Race, and the Kingdom of Biheiril into our alliance.
We had won.
But could we truly call this a victory?
"Lord Rudeus."
"Chandel."
As I continued clearing the forest while lost in thought, I noticed Chandel standing behind me.
Chandel was not alone.
Gilleen, Isolte, and Doga were there too.
Chandel had returned about ten days after the battle.
He had been knocked into the sea during his fight with the Fighting God, washed ashore on Ogre Island, and had been recovering there.
He had fought the Fighting God and survived to return. One might say that was something.
"Good work. What can I do for you?"
"No, it's just... we were thinking of heading back to
"...Right."
Chandel's group had finished their work.
They were, after all, Ariel's subordinates.
If there was no battle to be fought, they had to return.
"Chandel. Thank you. Without you, none of this would have been possible."
"If you wish to give thanks, give them to Her Majesty Ariel."
"Of course. Please tell Her Majesty that should anything come up in the future, she should contact me first. I won't hesitate to offer my cooperation."
"Understood."
Chandel, Doga, Gilleen, Isolte.
Each one was a swordsman of
I could never fully express my gratitude to Ariel for assembling such a force.
"Gilleen. Thank you as well."
"No need for thanks... But I'm thinking of visiting the graves again next time."
"I'll be waiting."
Gilleen said just that one thing.
"Doga, thank you too. If you hadn't been there when I fell into the valley, I'd be dead."
"Un."
"If you ever need help with anything personally, just say the word. I want to repay this life debt."
"Un!"
Doga only managed an "un," but he seemed somewhat forlorn.
"Isolte. Thank you as well. If you hadn't stood in the way back there, I would have died."
"Not at all. This was an assignment where I learned a great deal. Thank you, truly."
Isolte gave an elegant bow and smiled warmly.
She was as beautiful as ever.
The idea that she was still unmarried made one want to ask what the men of Asura were doing with themselves.
"Please convey my regards to the medical team as well."
"Yes. Then... we'll take our leave."
Chandel gave a bow and turned to leave.
But as I watched his back, I remembered something I had forgotten to mention and called out to him.
"Ah, regarding Lady Atrofie... I'm afraid there's no news."
Chandel had returned.
But he was the only one who had.
Atrofie remained missing.
If she had been swept out to sea, it could be years before she was found.
Moore was in the same situation.
"As for my mother... please don't worry. She'll probably turn up again out of the blue before long. The real loss was the Kishin."
"...Yes."
The Kishin's death had been confirmed.
He had fought well against the Fighting God.
But he was not an immortal demon race. In the end, his strength gave out, and he perished.
We had only just managed to make peace with the Kishin, too.
"Still, there's no point lamenting the dead."
"True. We have to look forward."
I had made a promise to him.
That if I died, I would protect the surviving members of the Ogre Race.
Currently, there was no entity threatening the Ogre Race, but if anything were to happen, I wanted to keep even that promise.
"Well then, take care."
"Yes. Good work."
"Oh, one more thing... please look after Alex."
"...Of course."
Chandel said that and departed.
Just as he left, I spotted
Elinarise was with him.
"Rudeus."
"Cliff, Senior."
"So they're leaving too?"
"Yes. Are you as well, Cliff?"
"Yeah. Seems like things have more or less wrapped up... We never did figure out what caused the plague, but it's been a month with no recurrence, and they've relocated... So I think I'll head back for now."
I owed Cliff a great deal too.
Without him, the plague could never have been treated.
Well, calling it a plague might have been inaccurate—it may well have been the Kishin's doing.
"Cliff. Thank you. If you hadn't come, who knows what would have happened..."
"Well, knowing you, you probably would have found a way on your own. But if the plague ever comes back, let me know."
"Yes... Cliff, I've been nothing but a burden to you. I don't know how to properly thank you."
"The only reason I can be in Millis working hard while leaving Rizel and Clive behind is because your family looks after them in Shariah. We're even."
Hearing him say that was a relief.
"Well then, see you. I'm planning to stop by your place on my way out—is there anything you'd like me to pass along?"
"Tell them I'll be home soon."
"Got it."
Cliff said that and departed.
Finally, Elinarise gave me a wink. I owed her too, but I couldn't find the words... Ah well, we were neighbors. I'd show my gratitude through actions.
This time too, I had been helped by so many people.
First, Cliff. Without him, the Supard Race might have perished from the plague.
Chandel and Doga. Without them, I wouldn't be standing here.
Atrofie's timing had been nothing short of divine.
The Atrofie Hand, striking Ogre Island at the perfect moment.
Our near-bloodless victory owed much to Atrofie.
For that Atrofie to still be missing... it felt like the height of ingratitude. Once things settled down, I wanted to head out to sea and search for her.
The battle was over, and everyone was leaving.
It felt like a major event had concluded and everyone was disbanding.
It was oddly lonely.
"Alright."
While I'd been lost in thought, the forest clearing had been finished.
Before me spread a pristine expanse of land.
The great trees I'd uprooted had been neatly arranged with earth magic.
Even I had to admit, I'd done good work.
"Now then, Aisha should be..."
Turning around, I spotted
"Oh, Big Brother!"
"Norn! Perfect timing. Could you go tell Aisha that the clearing's done?"
"Sure!"
Norn immediately turned and ran back toward the village.
Ruijerd, left behind, walked toward me.
"Rudeus."
"Ruijerd."
"Thanks. You've helped us out a lot with all this."
"You don't need to thank me, Dad."
"I never agreed to that."
"Exactly."
Ruijerd was working on the village's reconstruction.
After this, he would likely start coming and going from our office, or perhaps take on the role of negotiating with the Kingdom of Biheiril.
Norn had been following Ruijerd around.
She intended to keep helping here until the village was at least completed.
"Once the village is finished, please come visit Shariah again."
"Yeah. I want to see your kids too."
"They're super cute."
"Well, your own children would seem that way to you."
Ruijerd laughed, then looked at me.
Our heights were no longer so different.
"...You've really grown strong. I never imagined you'd become one of the Seven Great Powers."
"Right now, you could become one too, Ruijerd. With you, I'd go down in one punch. One punch."
"Don't joke around."
"But it's true that I didn't get here on my own strength alone."
"That in itself is a testament to your strength, though."
"Perhaps."
"..."
Ruijerd looked at me for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. He removed the pendant from around his neck and held it out to me.
Roxy's pendant.
"I believe it's time I returned this."
"But this..."
"You should keep it after all."
The pendant I had given Ruijerd when we first parted ways.
Roxy's pendant.
The pendant that had somehow become my emblem.
The pendant that had been the catalyst for my journey through this world.
"Alright."
I accepted the pendant.
When I'd first given it to him, it had been for a trivial reason.
When we parted, I'd asked him to keep it rather than return it.
Or perhaps I'd wanted to maintain our bond.
But now, it was returned to me.
He was no longer a stranger—he was one of us.
There would be no more partings for the time being.
"Ruijerd. I'm counting on you going forward."
"Aye. I may not have enough strength, though."
"What we lack, we can supplement together."
"Ha. Fair enough."
I smiled, and Ruijerd smiled back.
--- Norn returned with the mercenary Corps, and Ruijerd departed.
I stepped away from the work site and headed toward the magic circle.
I was thinking it was about time to head back to Shariah once.
"!"
That was when I noticed someone approaching from ahead.
It was Orsted.
As always, his black helmet.
He was not alone.
Behind him walked a dark-haired boy, following like a loyal retainer.
Alexander Ryback.
Since that day, he had taken to following Orsted as a subordinate.
Much like Moore had to Atrofie.
Like Silvaril to Pergius.
As if to say, "I've been in this position for a hundred years."
I wanted to assert seniority, but knowing I'd lose in a fight, I kept my mouth shut.
But seeing his figure, I couldn't help but be on guard.
"Something the matter?"
"...No."
"If I've given offense in any way, please tell me. I'll correct it immediately."
That said, Alex had been remarkably obedient since that day.
So much so that it felt like there must be some ulterior motive.
He was absolutely subservient to Orsted, and to me as well.
"I understand your wariness.
But through the recent battle, I came to understand my true standing.
How immature and insignificant I truly am.
For the time being, I intend to train under Lord Orsted and Lord Rudeus, and within that, rediscover what it means to be a hero and what the North God truly represents.
As proof of that, and as a reminder to myself, I've had my dominant hand sealed."
With that, Alex raised his right hand.
His right hand had been cleanly severed at the wrist, and patterns had been engraved on the cut surface.
A sealing technique applied by Orsted.
As one of the immortal demon race, Alex could regenerate even if dismembered.
Not at the speed of Badigadi or Atrofie, but given time, he would certainly regenerate.
So he had asked Orsted to seal his dominant hand to prevent its regeneration.
As proof of his loyalty.
Incidentally, I was the one who had poured mana into that sealing magic circle.
"With just my left hand, I shouldn't be much of a threat."
"...No, I think even without both arms, you could take me down. Headbutts and whatnot."
"You're too kind... No, that humility is precisely what matters. I look forward to your continued guidance."
"Mm..."
Orsted seemed to trust Alex, allowing him to stay close without complaint.
But I had a feeling that someday, he might stab me in the back.
Honestly, it was terrifying.
"...Hey, if you ever want your ranking among the Great Powers back, just let me know. I'll give it right up."
"No. I'll make that request again once I've grown enough to consider myself no longer immature."
"Make sure you ask properly, okay? No sneak attacks from behind?"
"I may challenge the Sword God instead of you, Lord Rudeus—but if I do, I will do so face-to-face, openly and with honor!"
"Let's do it without killing each other, alright? No lethal combat?"
"Yes!"
Currently, my ranking among the Great Powers was seventh.
First: "Technique God" Laplace.
Second: "Dragon God" Orsted.
Third: "Fighting God" Badigadi.
Fourth: "Demon God" Laplace.
Fifth: "Death God" Randolph.
Sixth: "Sword God" Jino Blitz.
Seventh: "Quagmire" Rudeus Greyrat.
Something about my entry felt so out of place it was almost sickening.
There would surely be those who came seeking my ranking in the future.
It was a heavy thought.
That said, my emblem was that of the Migurd Race.
I had rarely shown it off publicly. I'd just gotten Roxy's pendant back, but I had no intention of flaunting it, so no one would know who held which ranking.
My fame wasn't particularly widespread either, so challengers wouldn't come easily. Yeah.
For the time being, I'd remain the seventh-ranked "Unknown."
Hmm.
Incidentally, in that battle, the Fighting God's ranking had not changed.
According to Orsted, the ranking would not shift unless the Fighting God Armor was completely destroyed.
I averted my gaze from Alex's eager expression and looked at Orsted.
"Lord Orsted... How are you feeling?"
I turned to Orsted, who had been listening to our exchange in silence.
"Not bad. All I did was use a moderate amount of mana—nothing worth worrying about."
In the final battle, Orsted had used mana.
A great deal of it.
Roughly half of his total reserves, by his own account.
To my eyes, it had looked like an easy victory, and if he'd been at full HP and used only fifty percent of his MP, then an easy victory it certainly was.
But if that MP couldn't be recovered, the situation was entirely different.
In this battle, Orsted had spent the mana he had been saving for Laplace and the Human God.
We had won.
But the Human God, too, had met his victory conditions.
Could that still be called a win?
"My allies have grown and my enemies have diminished. Going forward, there should be fewer occasions requiring me to use mana than before."
That said, Orsted didn't seem particularly concerned.
Perhaps he was making the best of it.
"I hope so."
"Even if that's not the case, this time was different. If so, we simply need to take a different path forward. I've already made that resolve."
Orsted had placed his bet on me.
He had chosen to use the mana reserved for Laplace and the Human God, deciding instead to fight alongside me.
He seemed to consider this a complete victory.
If he believed he had won, then perhaps he had.
After all, casualties had been minimal.
The Kishin, a few members of the Supard Race, and a few of Atrofie's personal guard.
That was the extent of our losses.
There were no elements of defeat.
"Ah, so what brings you here?"
"I'll be heading back to Shariah soon."
"Understood. I was actually thinking of returning myself... Oh, but the office hasn't been rebuilt yet, has it?"
"That's fine. There should be enough space to sleep."
The basement for the Teleportation Magic Circles had been dug out with magic, at minimum, but if we were to continue restoration work, expansion would be necessary as well.
Given that it had been destroyed by the Kishin this time, we needed to think of countermeasures.
Though no good ideas had come to me so far.
Perhaps it would be better to do without magic circles in countries other than the major ones.
Up until now, I had given surprisingly little thought to the possibility of enemies exploiting them to invade.
"Before that, I want to take one last look at him."
"..."
"Him," huh.
"I'll accompany you."
--- That night, Orsted and I headed into the depths of the Earth Dragon Valley.
The floor of the Earth Dragon Valley.
A flat path carpeted with blue mushrooms and moss.
A small hole hidden in the wall face.
About a meter wide, and slightly curved, so that from outside it appeared to be a dead end almost immediately.
But going about ten meters deeper, one found a vast chamber.
Within it, a massive magic circle centered on a single sword radiated light.
Massive being relative—it was perhaps five meters in radius at most.
Inside, a man lay sprawled.
"Oh, you've come."
It was the Fighting God, Badigadi.
His body had been divided into five parts, each sealed in a different location within this valley.
His main body was here.
This barrier could not be removed unless the remaining four seals were undone.
Moreover, the barrier was powered by Badigadi's own mana, amplified and maintained by the Fighting God Armor and the Dragon King Sword.
It would operate semi-permanently.
A barrier magic circle crafted personally by Pergius.
A divine-class barrier spell created to seal the Demon God.
The stronger the sealed subject serving as the medium and the magical tool serving as the catalyst, the more powerful the barrier became.
With both the Fighting God Armor and the Dragon King Sword incorporated into the barrier's structure, even Orsted had no means of escape, supposedly.
Using two divine-class artifacts as parts of the barrier might have been somewhat wasteful.
But both were far more terrifying in an enemy's hands than in one's own.
After all, Teleportation Magic Circles had just been used against us by the enemy, so using them here wasn't the worst decision.
As long as this seal held, not only Badigadi but the Fighting God Armor and the Dragon King Sword were effectively sealed as well.
If someone could breach this, there was nothing left to do but resign oneself.
That was the judgment.
Orsted had requested Pergius to set up this barrier.
He had humbled himself and asked for his help.
And Pergius had agreed.
He had become Orsted's ally.
But Pergius was someone who would eventually have to be killed.
Orsted had chosen the path of betrayal.
I owed debts to both Pergius and Orsted.
Personally, my feelings were complicated.
But I understood that Orsted hadn't wanted to take that path.
If he had chosen it regardless, it wasn't my place to judge.
If only there were a way to reach the Human God without using the Dragon Race's treasure... but I knew that a cursory investigation wouldn't reveal one so easily.
Well, perhaps that wasn't something I needed to concern myself with.
For now, there was the matter before me.
"I must apologize, Your Majesty. Being an Apostle of the Human God, we had no choice but to do this."
"How stifling. Will I be unable to move for much longer?"
Badigadi spoke imperiously from his lotus-buddha pose.
Even someone like me, who had strong opinions about imprisonment, had to admit this sealing barrier was uncomfortably confining.
But killing him was out of the question.
His plea to not be killed had also been Kishrika's request.
"I'm sorry, but this is the best we can do."
"Hmm. Then so be it."
Badigadi said that and let out a hearty laugh.
Two arms. His body was also smaller than before.
A result of the sealing.
"So, what brings you here? Surely you didn't come to drink sake while gazing upon my magnificent form?"
"Lord Orsted has something to say."
With that, I yielded the floor to Orsted.
"Fighting God Badigadi."
"Good evening, Dragon God. What business brings you here today?"
"Abandon the Human God and submit to me."
Badigadi looked momentarily taken aback.
But he quickly burst into booming laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
His laughter echoed throughout the cavern.
"You—the outcast of the Dragon Race—ask me, an immortal demon, to become your subordinate?!"
"We were enemies for a time, but you are Rudeus's friend. Alex, Alexander, and Atrofie have all joined our side. Surely there's room for reconsideration?"
"None!"
He said it flatly, without hesitation.
"Why not, Great-Uncle?"
Alex, who had been standing near the entrance, stepped forward.
"You have been defeated. According to the code of the immortal demon race—"
"Alex, don't misunderstand. That's not the code of the immortal demon race. That's my personal rule."
"Then you swear loyalty to this Human God?"
"No."
Badigadi sat up and shook his head.
Then, crossing his two remaining arms, he sat cross-legged.
"I never liked fighting anyone in the first place.
I enjoy traveling, drinking sake and laughing, flirting with women I meet along the way, embracing them, occasionally getting scolded by my fiancée, making friends and drinking with them, laughing, singing, and watching the satisfied faces of weary people as they fall asleep.
This time, the Human God came to me personally and asked. That's the only reason I went.
He said: 'I need you to kill Rudeus Greyrat and the Dragon God Orsted.' He asked me to remember what happened 4,200 years ago and repay the old debt.
In exchange, I agreed—'Just this once.'"
"..."
"And that one time is now over.
I will no longer take sides!
If the choice is between fighting or being sealed here, I choose the seal."
Hearing that, I almost felt he should be released.
Of course, as a Human God Apostle, I couldn't just let him go on those sweet words alone.
Hmm...
"In the end, once your fight with the Human God is over, you'd probably release me anyway?"
Badigadi grinned as he said this to my troubled expression.
"...Right."
Watching Orsted nod, I understood.
Yes. As long as I was alive, it wouldn't be possible—but once Orsted defeated the Human God, there would be no reason to keep Badigadi imprisoned.
"It'll be at least a hundred years."
"Then it's no time at all. I'll wait patiently."
Badigadi said that and lay back down.
Orsted nodded and turned to leave.
So that was that.
How anticlimactic.
"Your Majesty... I know it's belated, but I want to thank you for everything at the Magic University."
"Hmm. Rudeus—I don't know if this will be the last time, but let me say: congratulations."
"Congratulations?"
"You've won. Hence, congratulations."
"Did I really win, though..."
That was the crux of my doubt.
In the end, Orsted had used his mana.
Right at the final moment, the blemish had appeared.
But Badigadi made no mention of it.
"You did. You gave the Human God a sense of defeat."
"A sense of defeat?"
"Yes. You made the Human God think, 'No matter what I do, I can't kill this one.' The Human God was completely demoralized. The last glimpse I caught of him—words can hardly describe it, but he had the appearance of a defeated man. If that doesn't make you the victor, what does?"
"...Is that really true?"
"If you like, take off that bracer and meet him face to face once."
At his words, I instinctively covered the bracer with my hand.
"I'll... politely decline."
"Very well. That's fine too."
I had no desire to see the Human God ever again.
But.
Come to think of it, when I'd seen him at the bottom of the valley, he had looked desperate.
Perhaps it was true that this victory had dealt the Human God a significant sense of defeat.
Whether that meant he'd lose all motivation and never act again—I couldn't believe that.
"Is there anything else?"
"Nothing more from me."
"Then take care."
Following Orsted, I turned to leave.
At that moment, Alex burst in with an anguished expression.
"Great-Uncle... I—"
"Alexander. If you wish to become a hero, seek out your true enemy. It is the thing your father never managed to find. When you defeat that, you will surpass him as a hero."
"...Understood."
Alex, too, turned and left.
This was likely the last time I would see Badigadi in this life.
I could visit once every few years, but one thing or another might lead to his seal being broken.
In that case, it was better not to come.
I hadn't told any of the other Magic University attendees about Badigadi's imprisonment here.
Only five people knew of this location: myself, Orsted, Ruijerd, Alex, and Pergius.
Ruijerd had been posted at the village entrance to keep watch and ensure no one visited this valley.
Moreover, few could descend to the bottom of the Earth Dragon Valley, and fewer still could climb back up.
The chances of the seal being accidentally broken within a hundred years were negligible.
And furthermore— "Rudeus, the entrance."
"Yes."
I sealed the small entrance I had created.
Unless someone deliberately dug it up, it would never be found.
Farewell.
"May your curse be lifted, young Dragon God."
I thought I faintly heard Badigadi's voice as we left.
--- The next day.
I returned to Shariah in the early morning, before the sun had risen.
The office, still under construction.
The ruins of the former office.
There, Zanoba and the others, who had apparently been directing construction, were sleeping in a pile.
I owed Zanoba a great deal this time too.
I hoped we could continue our mutually supportive relationship.
"Rudeus. I'm counting on you going forward as well."
And with Orsted, too.
"Yes."
I parted from Orsted outside the town and walked through the misty morning streets.
In my hands were souvenirs from the Kingdom of Biheiril.
The presence of soy sauce, in particular, was significant.
With this soy sauce, I could live out the rest of my life just fine.
Shariah, unchanged from before.
The people, too, unchanged.
Those heading out to work in the fields, adventurers training in inn courtyards.
A man in robes who might have been a university lecturer.
Passing them by, I made my way home along paths still touched with snow.
Through the central plaza and into the residential district.
The scene filled me with a vague sense of nostalgia.
I walked this road every day, yet somehow, the feeling that I had finally returned home welled up inside me.
I turned from the main street into a back alley.
Too narrow for even a carriage to pass.
This shortcut, which I knew by heart, was a familiar path.
Emerging from the alley, I could see my home.
The vines wound around the gate pillars opened the gate as I approached.
In the yard, the kitchen garden had become somewhat neglected.
The armadillo Jiro, spotting me, waddled over.
I crouched and scratched his head, and he rolled over to show his belly. What a cute fellow.
Just then, the front door of the house opened soundlessly.
Out stepped the Sacred Beast Leo and Eris.
"Oh, Rudeus. Welcome home."
"I'm back. How is everyone?"
"Safe and sound."
"No, I mean, what are you all doing?"
"...Lillia and Sylphie are preparing meals. Roxy and the children, and Mother, are still asleep. I was about to go for a short run."
"Got it."
I murmured, and took Eris's hand.
Eris responded by squeezing my hand tightly.
Was she fresh from practice? Her hand was somewhat warm.
Looking at her, I noticed her face was slightly flushed.
"What is it?"
"Eris. Let's make today a day off."
"I... I understand."
The way she said "I understand" made it seem as though she could see right through what I had in mind.
Perfect answer.
"Leo, sorry, but let's cancel the walk."
"...Woof."
Leo looked somewhat disappointed, but he licked my remaining hand briefly before heading back inside.
Hand in hand with Eris, I entered the house.
And headed straight for the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Lillia and Sylphie were cooking side by side.
"I'm back."
"Ah, welcome home, Rudy."
"Welcome home, Master."
Sylphie offered her usual smile, while Lillia's expression was one of relief.
"Lillia. Thank you for watching the house."
"Not at all. It's most important that you've returned safely, Master."
"Norn and Aisha will be staying a bit longer."
"Understood."
After Lillia bowed, I turned to Sylphie.
"Sylphie. Let's make today a day off."
"Eh? A day off is fine, but..."
Sylphie tilted her head.
But she seemed to catch on quickly.
"Understood, ma'am. I'll handle the cooking."
"Oh... I see."
Sylphie smiled bashfully and took my hand—the one Eris wasn't holding.
Having been doing kitchen work and handling water, her hand was somewhat cool.
"Lillia. Let's all go eat outside for lunch."
"Very well."
Her smile suggested she understood everything perfectly.
That was a little embarrassing.
But well, at this point, what did it matter?
Holding Sylphie and Eris's hands, I made my way to the children's room.
Quietly opening the door, I peeked in to find all four children fast asleep.
Lucy, Lala, Ars, and Sieghart.
In the corner of the room, curled up as if to guard them, lay Leo.
During the battle, I had worried about home many times.
But despite my worries, the children had been safe. Perhaps somewhere I didn't know about, there had been a fight, and Leo had protected them...
In any case, after confirming the children were healthy, I quietly closed the door.
Next, I climbed the stairs and headed for Roxy's room.
As a courtesy, I knocked.
"...Yes."
A few seconds later, the response came.
Opening the door, I was greeted by Roxy's sleepy face.
Her hair was mussed from sleep, and there was a trace of drool at the corner of her mouth.
"Aaah... Rudy. Welcome home."
"I'm back. Roxy. I was thinking of making today a day off. What do you think?"
Roxy looked momentarily blank, then seemed to grasp the meaning of "day off."
Twirling a strand of her bedhead around her finger, her cheeks slightly flushed: "I wouldn't mind..."
She glanced at one of the two women on either end of my outstretched hands.
"Has Eris agreed to this?"
I looked at Eris.
She had a slightly dazed expression, her face red.
"I was about to ask."
I turned back to Eris.
"Eris, I was thinking of the four of us going to the bedroom together. Is that alright?"
Hearing this, Eris seemed to understand the implication.
Her face turned even redder, and she pouted her lips.
If both her hands had been free, she would have struck her usual pose.
"If Rudeus insists that much..."
I'm sorry, Eris.
Today, I wanted to treat myself a little.
I wanted to say goodbye to the chaste Rudeus.
"Thank you."
I said my thanks.
Not just for Eris agreeing.
To all three of them, who had supported me until this very moment.
For the fact that we had all survived the battle without losing anyone.
Geese and Badigadi had said it.
It's over.
The Human God would never touch me again.
Of course, I didn't believe those words for a second.
As long as the Human God lived, he would remain my enemy.
But today, at least, I would rest.
To gather strength for tomorrow, to spend another peaceful day.
To feel with my own hands that there were still things to smile about— ...That's what I told myself, anyway.
In truth, I just wanted to do something lewd.
From today onward, I was Rudeus, the Unchained.
With that thought, I made my way to the bedroom.
Chapter 23 — Youth Arc, Final Battle Chapter — End — Next Chapter: Final Chapter, Conclusion Arc