The Blackfoot agents rushed to the fallen Dunmel. Dunmel had been unable to get up since collapsing after cutting Tailed’s arm. Blood from his hand with severed fingers was soaking the ground. But it wasn’t just the visible injuries that kept him from getting up.
Lumil wanted to go check on Dunmel’s condition, but he couldn’t get up either. He had no choice but to leave it to Blackfoot.
‘What if Dunmel hadn’t swung his sword at the last moment?’
Lumil thought, then shook his head. You can’t put hypotheticals in battle. If even one person who was here had been missing, the situation would have been completely different.
One of the Blackfoot agents approached Loyal and Lumil and spoke.
“Are you two alright?”
“We’re not alright, but could you help us after treating Dunmel?”
Lumil said with a smile.
“Understood.”
The agent returned to Dunmel.
Irine was still motionless, embracing the dead Tailed. It seemed she would stay like that forever if left alone.
Everything had happened inside Tailed’s mind. He had already calculated this war 8 years ago. Within that calculation, dragons and humans, and the Lord of the Undying moved.
If Ruskin hadn’t existed, the Dark Lord wouldn’t have left Guanil alone. Without Grandol, he wouldn’t have entered the Rock Zone alone against Irine holding Vena Esarck. For that reason, Tailed took the gamble of handing those two over to the Lord of the Undying.
Soldiers moved busily to rescue the wounded. Many soldiers clung to the unconscious Ruenmus giving first aid, and a few also ran to Lumil and Loyal.
This time too, Lumil refused. He didn’t want to leave this place where the battle had ended.
“Loyal.”
Lumil opened his mouth.
“Yes.”
“You did well.”
“Thank you.”
Loyal sat down weakly and looked far to the north. A red dragon was flying towards them. It was Sacknadil.
“Are you going back to Aranthia by any chance?”
Loyal asked.
“I’m not sure. First I should bring Captain Deradul’s body to Rock and then think about it. But…”
Lumil continued quietly.
“I should go back, soon. It seems Irine won’t be going to Nadium for a while, so at least I should go report to Her Majesty.”
In Knadil’s two hands, drawing closer, was the collapsed Latilda. Loyal stared intently at her figure and said:
“When you return to Her Majesty, please relay my message.”
“What should I tell her?”
“That I’ve solved the homework she gave me. So I won’t be returning to Nadium.”
Lumil nodded and asked:
“Don’t you feel thirsty now?”
Loyal turned to Lumil and smiled. And instead of answering, he said:
“Lumil, please let me be by Latilda’s side when she arrives, whether she’s dead or alive.”
Loyal said this while leaning on Lumil’s shoulder.
“Alright. I think Latilda would say the same thing.”
After that, there was no more response, and when he looked back, Loyal had fainted with his head on Lumil’s shoulder.
Lumil laid Loyal down comfortably. Then he called a Blackfoot agent to leave Loyal with him and got up. He was worried about Irine, who was sitting still without crying while embracing the dead Tailed. He approached Irine’s side, then suddenly remembered and looked around.
“By the way, where did Kassel go?”
☆ ☆ ☆
Kassel was at the top of Arok’s tower. Venon, panting, sat beside him wagging its tail.
Tanya was collapsed in the middle of the top room.
“Tanya, wake up. I’ve come back.”
Tanya’s face was covered in blood. It was a mess, unrecognizable. There were also sharply cut wounds on her arms and neck as if slashed by a knife. Her clothes were soaked with blood from severe bleeding. There were so many wounds, he didn’t know where to start.
Kassel just embraced her.
“Tanya… Wake up. I’m here.”
Tanya opened her eyes faintly. Blood flowing from her forehead seeped into her pupils along her eyelids. She blinked several times, trying to recognize who the man holding her was.
“Kassel.”
Tanya barely opened her mouth to speak.
“You really came. When the master said you had come, I thought it was a lie.”
“I’m sorry. For being so late…”
Kassel had firmly resolved not to cry in any situation, but he crumbled the moment he saw Tanya’s face. She rather comforted the crying Kassel, saying:
“I’m glad I got to see you one last time. I prayed in my heart. I said I would use up to the last drop of my life, so please let me see you just once, that’s how I prayed.”
“You’re wrong. You should have prayed to live happily for a long, long time until the end. Like the last line of a fairy tale we’d read to our child, that’s the kind of prayer you should make.”
“I don’t have such a big wish. Kassel, yes. If I had lived, I wanted to be with you forever. I wanted to live like that.”
Tanya’s hands grew colder and her breath became smaller.
“I really wanted to do that.”
Her continuing voice also became so small that it couldn’t be heard unless you put your ear close. Kassel could do nothing for her like this. For her dying, no miracle of the Sky Mountains occurred, nor did Aranthia’s blessing occur. The life that the Lord of the Undying was taking last was not the Wolf Knight Order that had decided the battle, nor Kassel who had brought the Wolf Knight Order, nor Irine who had taken his life, nor Sanadiel whom he had tried to kill with four Kagua.
It was Tanya.
It was she who had blocked a hundred thousand Mozes with Rock’s barrier, blocked the Lord of the Undying, and at the last moment received with her entire life the huge magic that Latilda, Ganel, and Knadil had sent by burning their lives. Even a master of Lutia couldn’t handle such power.
“…And if we had a son, we would name him Tailed. If we had a daughter, we would have named her Nadiel. It would be nice to have both. Even if I couldn’t use magic, I wanted to live farming with you for a lifetime. Yes. Like the last line of a fairy tale we’d read to our children, I wanted to live like that. Like that…”
Tanya’s last words were almost inaudible.
“I love you, Kassel.”
She slowly lost strength in Kassel’s arms. Kassel embraced her like in Knadil’s cave. And he closed his eyes.
‘Your Majesty, Goddess. Even if you take my life, please save Tanya. Like the prayer when my father saved my mother and me, please save Tanya.’
Kassel burst into tears, despairing at Tanya’s unresponsive movements.
☆ ☆ ☆
Azwin was sitting in front of Lofin’s corpse with her head bowed. Jaymer, sitting on the opposite side with Lofin between them, was also kneeling on one knee without speaking. The Wolf Knight Order rode up on horses, then all dismounted and stood in front of them. She naturally stood at the center of everyone, but as she said nothing, everyone kept their mouths shut.
“Where did the Captain go?”
Sildire cautiously opened her mouth.
Azwin still didn’t raise her head, so Sheyden stepped forward to summarize the situation.
“Seems he went to Rock just before the battle started. Judging by what happened inside Rock earlier.”
“Will he be alright?”
Sildire asked urgently. Sheyden shrugged and smiled.
“He’ll be fine. I’ll go look for him later, so don’t worry.”
Sheyden gestured to Franz in the distance and asked:
“Did you check the personnel? Any injured?”
“About twenty. Four of them were badly hurt and were carried away. I was about to go check on them now.”
“Then please do. Eryl, you go report our situation to that commander over there. Sildire, you go with Franz too. If you have time, look for Kassel as well.”
The three immediately mounted their horses and dispersed.
“Let’s see, where did Billy and Suvel go?”
Sheyden looked around for the two who weren’t in the group. None of the Wolf Knights seemed to have seen them, as they all just looked around.
A group of knights rode up beside them. It was the Dragon Knight Order. Billy and Suvel were at the front.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Billy said as he dismounted. The dragon knight beside him also dismounted and stood in front of Azwin.
“I am Brander of the Dragon Knight Order. I heard your friend commanded us.”
Sheyden shook his head.
“He is a friend, but strictly speaking, not ‘our’ friend. Billy is an Excel knight after all.”
Brander seemed a bit surprised. Billy just made a gesture.
“It’s a blow to our pride. To think an Excel knight led the Dragon Knight Order at the most crucial moment.”
Though Brander said that, he didn’t look displeased. Brander then knelt on one knee in front of Lofin’s body. He bowed his head once, then turned to Jay and said:
“Then we’ll go ahead and wait, Captain.”
Jay immediately looked up at him with an unpleasant expression.
“Didn’t I say I won’t take the Captain position?”
“Did you?”
Brander got up and smirked.
“Then think about it.”
As he swiftly mounted his horse, Jay jumped up and shouted:
“Shouldn’t I be the one thinking about it?!”
Brander and the Dragon Knight Order kicked up dust as they rode off towards Rock, and Jay just grumbled.
The Irophis Knight Order also came to where the Wolf Knight Order was. Captain Greenrich knelt in front of Lofin’s body and paid his respects. It was a brief moment, but a salute filled with strong respect.
Then Greenrich offered his hand to Sheyden and said:
“The moment the Wolf Knight Order arrived, your face came to mind. I believed you would come.”
“I didn’t know you had come first. When Irophis’ flag followed beside us, I thought it was a lie.”
Sheyden grasped his hand firmly.
It felt like talking about the events of the past several years with this one handshake.
“How is the Wolf Knight Order faring?”
“Not bad. What I learned from Captain Greenrich works even in this order with messy discipline.”
“I’m glad to hear that. But a Wolf knight shouldn’t call me Captain. Where is your Captain? I’d like to meet in person the friend who showed a miracle.”
Sheyden glanced down at Azwin and replied:
“I’m not sure either.”
“Will we meet him later in Rock?”
For the next few years, Rock will have to fight numerous problems dealing with post-war issues. There was no way Captain Wolf, who was at the center of this war, would be absent from that place. Greenrich was probably expecting to meet him in Rock, anticipating that. But Sheyden unconsciously knew. He would not meet Kassel.
There wasn’t any particular evidence that it would be so. Sending Sildire was to check on Kassel’s life or death, not to meet him.
Sheyden evaded with a smile, and Greenrich patted his back once and left. The rest of the Irophis Knight Order followed him and all left.
“Sheyden.”
Just as Sheyden was about to gather the Wolves to decide what to do, Azwin called. Sheyden closed his half-opened mouth and replied:
“Oh, yes.”
Azwin asked without raising her head yet:
“Is Ganel safe?”
“You mean that dragon collapsed over there?”
Sheyden looked at the golden dragon collapsed next to the fallen tower. Numerous magicians had gathered around trying to heal the dragon. But it didn’t seem to be very effective. A considerable number from the Dragon Knight Order had also gone there, and Jay was looking that way worriedly.
“It’s breathing. Judging by its chest rising and falling. But it’s hard to see clearly from this distance.”
Just then, the red dragon Knadil flew from Rock, flapping its wings towards Ganel. Azwin finally raised her head. Knadil landed softly and embraced Ganel with its wings. Seeing Knadil’s mouth opening and closing repeatedly, it seemed to be saying something, but the voice couldn’t be heard.
“I’ll take the position of the Queen’s Guardian Knight.”
Azwin said slowly as she got up.
“No one would oppose if it’s you from the start. Her Majesty would like it too.”
Sheyden said.
“Thank you.”
“But what wind suddenly blew?”
“Loyal… probably won’t return to the Wolf Knight Order. Dunmel will also be absent for a while. That guy still has a lot of past to sort out. You…, you have too many things to do outside to be in the position of guardian knight. On the other hand, I’m unnecessary for anything else.”
“Don’t let the queen’s guardian knight position fall to a place for someone with nothing to do.”
At Sheyden’s words, Azwin burst into laughter.
“But what about Gerald? I don’t see him at all.”
Azwin, without breaking her smiling face at all, lightly punched Sheyden’s chest with her fist.
“He died saving me in the Sky Mountains. So this guardian knight will be for two people.”
Sheyden closed his mouth and couldn’t continue speaking. The other Wolves were also surprised and couldn’t say anything. Meanwhile, Azwin spoke to Jay, who was still sitting:
“Jaymer, let me ask you a favor.”
“Is it about Lofin?”
Jay said with tired eyes. When Azwin nodded, Jay also nodded and said:
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you.”
Azwin suddenly walked with vigorous steps and swiftly mounted one of the horses standing by. Then she spoke to all the Wolf knights looking at her:
“For a while, the Wolf Knight Order will be without a captain again. Until a new captain is born, and until I inherit the guardian knight position from the master, I will be in the captain’s position.”
All the Wolf knights present naturally accepted this fact. Azwin immediately issued orders:
“Everyone prepare to leave. Those who are injured, rest in Rock and follow later.”
“If you say that, they’ll all follow with their dying breath. We feel more at ease being by Her Majesty’s side after all.”
Vunataidol said jokingly as he was the first to mount his horse. The other knights also mounted their horses all at once.
“That’s right. Our place is by Her Majesty’s side.”
All the Wolf knights drew their swords and brought them together.
“For Her Majesty the Queen!”
While everyone was preparing to leave on horseback, Sheyden just watched with his arms folded.
“You?”
Azwin asked.
“I’ll follow later with the injured. This kind of thing is my specialty. And…”
Besides Sheyden, there were two more people who hadn’t mounted horses. They were Billy and Suvel.
“There’s plenty of room for you two in the Wolf Knight Order.”
Sheyden said.
“I thought we already gave our answer?”
Suvel said with a faint smile.
“Tell Her Majesty that we’ve repaid our debt.”
Billy added. Sheyden didn’t push further and just nodded.
Azwin turned her horse’s head and said to Sheyden:
“Tell Master Irine and Meylumil to join with the other Wolves coming after finishing injury treatment. Tell them we’ll go ahead and prepare a welcome greeting.”
“Will do.”
Sheyden replied.
Jay, who was listening, touched his injured spot and asked, looking back and forth between the two:
“The battle just ended. Is there a need to go so urgently?”
“I don’t know. Somehow it feels like we should.”
Azwin said weakly.
“Even so, what about Kassel? Is it okay to just take the captain position?”
Azwin looked towards Rock with a distant gaze, then shook her head.
“Kassel has already left our giddeur.”
Saying these incomprehensible words, Azwin drove her horse away. The other knights followed her. Some Wolves who were exaggerating about minor injuries hastily got up and mounted horses, saying they would go together.
Billy and Suvel also mounted horses and rode off in another direction.
Sheyden asked with his arms still folded:
“Leaving the giddeur? Do you know what that means, Jaymer?”
Jay grumbled irritatedly while holding his injured shoulder:
“How would I know?”
☆ ☆ ☆
It was decided to cremate Lofin’s body the next day. There were opinions to hold a grand funeral, but Jay opposed. Saying such a thing wouldn’t suit Lofin.
After exchanging brief greetings with other Dragon Knight Order knights, Jay returned to Rock only when night fell. Looking for Irine, whom he thought he could find quickly, he naturally learned about many things. Even about the fierce battle inside the Rock Zone that he didn’t know about because he was only fighting near the Tower of Blessing.
Jay went to the emergency ward temporarily set up within the Dragon Knight Order. Thinking that since Ruenmus, who was badly injured, was there, Irine might be there too. Indeed, Lumil, Loyal, and Dunmel were in the same room.
Just then, Sheyden, Franz, and Sildire were coming out of the room. Jay awkwardly exchanged greetings and asked:
“Haven’t you seen Irine?”
“Haven’t seen her. I was about to ask you?”
Sheyden asked.
Jay shook his head and asked again:
“What about Kassel?”
Cutting off Sheyden, Sildire stepped forward and asked:
“We couldn’t find him either. You don’t know either?”
Jay had no choice but to shake his head once more. He was bothered by what Azwin said as she left, ‘the giddeur has left.’ He had a rough idea of what it meant.
‘But how could she have known that in advance?’
Jay answered:
“Seems he’s gone.”
“No way! He can’t just leave like this!”
Sildire argued as if Jay was responsible for Kassel’s absence.
“How would I know that?”
No matter how much a Wolf knight she was, she was still a girl, so Jay disliked arguing and fled into the hospital room. Franz pushed Sildire away and left that place, and Sheyden followed.
Jay scratched the back of his head and approached the beds where Loyal and Lumil were lying. Dunmel was sitting in a strained posture in front of the two people’s beds. Next to him sat the Red Rose Viscountess. Jay was about to say he was glad Dunmel was safe, but seeing his hand tightly wrapped in bandages, he asked:
“What’s with that?”
Instead of answering, Dunmel just weakly smiled and waved his bandaged hand.
Jay smirked and showed his own shoulder.
“I’m injured too. Looks like I can’t use this arm. You too?”
Dunmel nodded. He looked tired but had a face that had accomplished something.
‘I hope my smile looks like that in other people’s eyes too.’
Jay furtively looked down at the sleeping Lumil. There was no sign of him waking up. He wanted to ask where Irine had gone.
Instead, Jay gestured towards Loyal sleeping in the next bed and spoke to Latilda:
“Is Loyal alright?”
Latilda replied with sleepy eyes:
“Yes, he’s fine. He woke up earlier, confirmed I was alive, and fell back asleep.”
To Jay, actually Latilda looked more like a patient.
There was a lot he wanted to ask about the battle that took place inside the Rock Zone. But he couldn’t have a long conversation with Dunmel, and Loyal and Lumil were asleep. Latilda wouldn’t know about such things. Even if she knew, she looked a bit difficult to talk to right now.
There wasn’t particularly anything else to talk about, and it was awkward to just stand there silently, so Jay asked as an excuse to leave:
“Do you know where Master Irine is?”
“She’s at the south gate.”
Unexpectedly, Latilda knew.
“Is she safe?”
“As far as I can see.”
Latilda replied in a small voice.
“Thank you.”
He was glad just to hear she was safe, even though he had wondered. Jay left the bedroom, feeling relieved.
Just before closing the door, he saw inside that Latilda was wiping the cold sweat flowing on Loyal’s face with careful hands. Heder from Blackfoot had appeared next to Dunmel, from somewhere. He couldn’t understand the sign language the two were using.
Jay limped to the city gate. Irine was standing dangerously on a cracked watchtower that could collapse at any moment. Jay looked up from below and shouted:
“Master, why are you in such a place?”
Irine looked down and smiled brightly.
“Ah, Jaymer! My proud disciple. I hear you did great work. Come up. Let me hear your story.”
“There’s not much to tell. It wasn’t great work either.”
Jay climbed the stairs and stood beside her.
Looking down from the watchtower, he could see the corpses of Mozes whose life had drained away piled up in lines on the field.
‘It’ll take weeks just to clear that up.’
Jay only asked what he was curious about. Since she would have already heard the news of Lofin’s death, he didn’t mention it to avoid touching her wound.
“Where is Kassel?”
“He’s gone.”
Irine replied briefly. He had guessed so, but it was still puzzling.
“This kind of thing, I’m not sure, but shouldn’t Captain Wolf be here? I mean, for post-war matters and such…”
“Our Jaymer, you know about such things now?”
Irine laughed teasingly, then spoke seriously:
“You’re right. The first person Ruenmus looked for when he regained consciousness was Kassel. The first person Knadil looked for when he flew in carrying Latilda was also Kassel. But the guy himself was nowhere to be found.”
Jay thought for a moment and said:
“Wouldn’t he have gone to Tanya’s side?”
Irine answered immediately as if she had been waiting for that question:
“Tanya is dead.”
Jaymer was more shocked by this than by Kassel’s disappearance. He couldn’t imagine that formidable sorceress woman dying.
“Then is Kassel by Tanya’s corpse?”
“No, Tanya has disappeared too.”
Jay frowned.
“…What do you mean?”
“I know well about Tanya’s magic. At the last moment, she received the sealing power that two dragons were emitting with her own body instead of the tower, and bound the Lord of the Undying. Tanya must have poured out all of her last life force. Even Tailed couldn’t do that level of magic. Tanya who accomplished that can’t be alive.”
“I see.”
Jay said bitterly.
“But the strange thing is!”
Irine said, mumbling her lips:
“Kassel, that powerless guy, how could he carry Tanya’s corpse alone and go somewhere? You’ve been up there too, right, that Arok’s tower? It’s incredibly high. He climbs up and down those stairs panting even alone, and he moves carrying a person? Moreover, the people in Arok’s tower said they saw Kassel going up, but not coming down.”
“That guy came riding that white-furred beast called Venon. Couldn’t he have put her on that…”
Instead of answering, Irine showed Venon sprawled asleep beside her. It had been there all along, but was so quiet Jay hadn’t noticed.
If not for the even breathing sound barely audible and the stomach bulging with each exhale, it would have looked like a large doll. It had looked terrifying when the black knight attacking Lutia was riding it, but now it looked quite cute.
“Only this guy was in the room.”
Irine said, kicking Venon lightly with her foot. Venon flinched but kept sleeping well.
“Then what? Are you saying Kassel used some kind of magic?”
“Magic?”
Irine smirked and reached into her inner pocket to take out some white powder. It was healing powder remaining in a leather pouch. She rubbed it on Jay’s injured shoulder. It seemed to glow slightly, and surprisingly, the pain in his shoulder subsided temporarily.
“It might be magic. That’s right.”
Irine said, thinking deeply:
“I definitely sprinkled this healing powder on Tanya. But it didn’t work on a strong sorceress like Tanya. So it just stuck to her clothes and skin without anything happening. It didn’t even glow like just now. I had wasted it. But when I went up to the top of the tower where only Venon was left, there was no trace of this healing powder.”
“Did someone wipe it off?”
“No, no! Tanya was dying because she used magic by drawing up her life force, but at the moment her life was about to disappear, Tanya ceased to be a sorceress. That’s when the healing powder on her body activated belatedly…”
Irine paused there for a moment. She stroked her chin and continued:
“It’s a guess. I don’t know the details either. I definitely thought Tanya had died. So I thought I would see Kassel crying while holding Tanya’s corpse, but good heavens! The guy had disappeared. So after various deductions, I came to this conclusion. Plausible?”
Jay couldn’t understand any of it and just concluded:
“So Tanya didn’t die?”
“Yeah.”
“But you said she died?”
“According to my deduction, she might have.”
“Either way, Kassel has left, right?”
“That’s right.”
“I had something to tell him…”
Jay said, feeling disappointed.
“I had things to say to both of them too, it’s a shame. But don’t you know where the guy’s hometown is? You can go find him.”
“I see.”
Jay put his hand on the railing and continued speaking.
“Yes, first I’ll go check on ‘someone’ living in my hometown, and then I’ll go look for him.”
“Do that.”
Irine gave Jay’s back a hard pat.
“Ah, that’s right. And also.”
Jay said belatedly.
“Lofin had something he wanted me to pass on.”
“Did that guy leave something like a will?”
Irine said in surprise.
“I don’t think it was a will. He said, ‘I won the bet.'”
At Jay’s words, she burst out laughing.
“He said that?”
She muttered, looking up at the distant sky.
“Don’t make me laugh.”
Jay thoughtlessly followed Irine’s gaze and looked up at the sky. Irine continued speaking, as if to herself, looking at Jay:
“The bet is still ongoing!”
☆ ☆ ☆
When Loyal opened his eyes, Lumil, who should have been lying in the bed on the left, was not visible. Dunmel, who should have been in the bed on the right, was also not visible. Only Latilda was dozing with her face on the bed.
Loyal reached out his hand and stroked her head. Even just the motion of reaching out his hand made his shoulder feel like it would fall off. With one place hurting, other places hurting simultaneously, he couldn’t even tell how much of his body was injured and where.
Latilda woke up and raised her head. She said with sleepy eyes:
“Did you sleep well, my knight?”
Loyal smiled faintly. Latilda also looked at him silently, and for a while, the empty hospital room was filled with the silence of the two people.
“Thank you.”
Loyal opened his mouth first.
“For what?”
Latilda asked, not taking her eyes off Loyal’s face.
“At the last moment, Kassel threw the sacred sword to me. Telling me to show him the teeth of the White Wolf. The moment I grasped the sword, I remembered what my teeth were. It was you.”
“Me?”
“The thought of protecting you was my teeth. And I swung the sword. Thinking of that alone, nothing else.”
“I should thank Kassel then.”
Loyal nodded and said:
“Now I know what it means to protect.”
Loyal raised his trembling hand. With this body, he could no longer say he would be Latilda’s bodyguard. The old Loyal would have already given up. But now he could say:
“So now I want to live protecting Latilda for a lifetime. Will you allow me?”
“I’ll allow it, Loyal. Please stay by my side for a lifetime.”
Latilda spoke still with eyes that seemed to know everything. With somewhat sad eyes, she tightly grasped Loyal’s trembling hand.
“Even if that lifetime is only a few years, a few months.”
☆ ☆ ☆
Dunmel looked down at his left hand wrapped in bandages. His index finger, middle finger, and the first joint of his ring finger had been cleanly cut off. They were cut off so cleanly that it was rather easy to treat. But he thought it would be difficult to use sign language from now on.
‘Once I finish minimal treatment, I plan to leave.’
Dunmel told Heder, who had been standing behind waiting for instructions for a while. Since he couldn’t put much strength in his uninjured hand either, his sign language was inaccurate and not very fast. Heder asked with anxious eyes:
‘Weren’t you going to return to Blackfoot after all?’
‘I was actually planning to. I thought I’d like to rest once this war ended safely…’
Dunmel briefly turned his gaze towards the back of the Dragon Knight Order building. The streets were filled with lines of countless people. People with bright faces enjoying the victory and people with sad faces mourning the death of warriors were mixed together.
Dunmel continued signing with difficulty:
‘But I can’t stop here. In this battle, I overheard some secret I didn’t know. Maybe it was something I should never have heard in my life. But since I heard it, I need to know.’
‘So where are you thinking of going?’
‘I’m thinking of going to Lontamon.’
Heder couldn’t hide her look of disappointment.
Dunmel stroked her head and then signed to the darkness behind her:
‘Are you there, Balak?’
Balak, who had been waiting behind a pillar, quietly revealed himself. Heder, who hadn’t sensed his presence at all, was startled.
“Yes, Master.”
‘Don’t call me Master. Dunmel or Themar is enough. I have something I’d like you to do.’
“Whatever it is, just tell me.”
‘Come with me to Lontamon.’
Balak and Heder were surprised at the same time.
‘I’m not confident in continuing adventures with these hands. So I want you to stand in front of me. Can you do that?’
At Dunmel’s request, Balak nodded but was clearly looking at Heder. Dunmel then signed to Heder:
‘Heder. I have a request for you too. As soon as I return from Lontamon, I will leave for Lutia. At that time, you should be my companion.’
“Lutia?”
Heder exclaimed in surprise. Dunmel smiled slightly and signed:
‘I’ll tell you the details then, but it seems my strength is needed in Lutia. Until I return from Lontamon, prepare a few agents to come with me and plant information agents within Rock to work in connection with Lutia.’
Heder signed tensely:
‘Somehow it seems the story is getting bigger.’
Dunmel, who hadn’t thought too deeply about it, rather found it interesting and signed:
‘The matter is getting bigger, so that’s how it is.’
Dunmel nodded and continued signing:
‘How about it? Will you join me?’
Heder and Balak said as if it were obvious:
“Yes, Themar.”
Though his body was in tatters, his heart felt light. It felt like the heavy thing that had been stuck in a corner of his chest, not moving since his master’s death, had disappeared.
When he heard that the matter seemed to be getting bigger, Dunmel rather thought it was fortunate. It meant his adventure wasn’t ending here.
Dunmel gazed at a distant part of Rock’s castle walls. Though no one else had discovered it, Dunmel knew. He could track how and where Kassel was leaving. He could have chased and caught him. But he let him go.
Earlier in the evening, Sheyden also knew Dunmel could track him but didn’t ask. They both felt the same. Kassel had become captain on his own, and now he left on his own. So they didn’t catch him.
At this moment when his own adventure was starting anew, Kassel was also starting a new adventure.
‘Farewell, Kassel. Captain of the White Wolves!’
Dunmel waved his hand towards Rock’s invisible night sky.
‘And my captain.’
☆ ☆ ☆
Kassel was looking at Rock from a distant plain. Though it was late at night, the streets of Rock were still brightly lit with torches. The cheers of people faintly echoed. But around him, only the occasional sound of horses neighing could be heard.
Though the battle had ended, Rock would have to solve numerous problems. They would have to take care of the dead soldiers and their bereaved families, repair the broken castle walls and collapsed buildings, deal with the dispatch of reinforcements from Camort, the dispatch of the Irophis Knight Order, negotiate with representatives of each country regarding this matter, and even the issue of dragons still staying in Rock.
Many council members had been sacrificed. Rock’s council would have to elect many new members and choose two new governors. It’s uncertain how much longer Ruenmus can continue as governor, but vigorous activity like before would be difficult. Rock needed someone to lead and handle all these many tasks, and Kassel knew well that he was the most suitable person among them.
Kassel looked at that scene desolately and said:
“People will curse Captain Wolf who ran away throwing away numerous problems, right?”
Tanya, sitting behind him on the horse and embracing his waist, said:
“No, they’ll remember him as a hero who appeared suddenly, saved the city, and disappeared suddenly again.”
“Well, how I’m remembered isn’t important anymore.”
At that moment when Tanya was dying, the room at the top of the tower suddenly brightened with her last exhale. The powder spread on the floor broke and flowed into Tanya’s body, and the powder fallen on her clothes and face also exploded in tiny bursts. Kassel was surprised and just stared blankly while holding her.
Tanya’s last exhale went back into her nose and mouth. And she slowly opened her eyes. The healing powder made by Tailed, it was the last gift from her master to his disciple.
Tanya, who had drained the well of magic completely, was no longer a sorceress, and Kassel, who had left Rock, was no longer a captain. But the two couldn’t ask for more.
“Yes, it’s not important.”
Tanya leaned on Kassel’s back and continued quietly:
“Because we’re alive.”
Aranthia’s blessing had called these two for all of this, and now that it was over, it let them go again. Kassel knew well that many other Wolves and White Wolves would scatter like this too.
‘We’ll be able to see each other again someday.’
Kassel thought.
At least not now. He didn’t have the confidence to turn away after meeting them again.
“Are we going straight back to your hometown?”
Tanya asked.
“No. Not right now. Because there’s somewhere we need to go first.”
In front of the horse Kassel was riding was placed one of Rai’s wings. This was where they would go first.
‘Where all my adventures began.’
This was the reason they had to hurry, because if they were caught up in Rock’s aftermath, they wouldn’t know when they could return.
“But now we don’t need miracles like pulling distances closer. It doesn’t matter how long the journey takes.”
Kassel turned the horse’s head.
“I’ll go first, my precious friends.”
And he looked back at Rock one last time and muttered to himself:
“May my giddeur be connected to you all forever.”
Kassel began a new adventure. But now he was not alone.
Epilogue. The Waiting Father
Emil, who had encountered the biggest crisis in the history of Lurun village, had been worrying for an hour about how to chase away the old man noisily chattering in front of him about that problem. He was dying of sleepiness because he had stayed up late reading a book the night before, but the village chief of Lurun village wouldn’t let him go.
“Emil, what on earth should we do about this? It’s a sign that the world is ending. How can all the potatoes being grown in the entire field disappear without a trace overnight? The neighbor was also shocked by such an incident and thought some rascal had done it, so they stayed up all night to catch them, but then they were hit on the back of the head and the culprit ran away? It must be those guys from the next village. You know, those young guys who’ve been causing trouble lately.”
“So Chief, are you saying I should go find the chief of the next village and catch those rascals and bring them here?”
Emil asked.
The old village chief laughed.
“Ah, well, that’s not exactly what I’m saying, but it would be nice if you did.”
“What if it wasn’t them? You’re already on bad terms with the chief of the next village, how much more do you want to embarrass yourself?”
“But those potatoes!”
“Yes, yes. The potatoes you’ve worked so hard to grow since spring. Moreover, pulling them all out in one night must be the work of professionals. It’s not something those young boys would do.”
Emil waved his hand in fatigue. He had a few suspects in mind immediately but didn’t want to get involved. He stood up and almost forcibly chased out the village chief.
“I’ll think about it more and take care of it. Go and rest. I need to rest too.”
“Ah, alright. Stop pushing. Oh right. And about Kassel.”
Emil had almost pushed the village chief out the door and asked while holding the doorknob:
“Yes, what about Kassel?”
“Isn’t he coming?”
“How would I know?”
“No, didn’t you bet yesterday that he’d return today? How much have you lost in drink money with bets like that?”
“It’s just for fun. They can’t beat me in other gambling so they make bets like that to try and get a free drink. Kassel won’t be coming for a while.”
“It’s really a shame. That boy is talented. My eyes are never wrong. He’ll become a great person. The position of Lurun village chief is guaranteed for him! Of course, it would be better if you took the chief position, but since you won’t, at least Kassel…”
“We’ll talk about that after Kassel comes.”
Emil slammed the door shut. But the village chief kept saying “What a waste, what a waste” as he walked away.
Emil leaned against the door and sighed. As always, when he returned home alone, the room looked empty.
‘I understand how lonely father must have been when I was gone for 3 years.’
Emil only opened the window and lit his tobacco pipe after doing the dishes and cleaning the room.
‘Should I go listen to the merchants’ stories who came to the tavern yesterday? The story about demons fighting dragons in Carnelock was quite interesting. It sounded just like it was real.’
Thus passed the boring afternoon of everyday life. The sleep he couldn’t get earlier poured over him. Emil didn’t resist and fell asleep right there. For the first time in a long while, pleasant events from the past appeared jumbled in his dream.
Even in the dream, Emil prayed for this dream not to end.
It was raining. Even though it was a dream, he could feel the coldness. It was that day 25 years ago.
The rain in Rock was warmer than the rain in Camort, but given the timing, Emil shivered as he was hit by that rain. Emil shouted at the window in the rain.
“Dalia, I like you. I don’t want to leave you like this.”
Dalia also stuck her head out the window and shouted.
“I’m dying, Emil. How can you really like a woman who has less than a year left to live? Shall I tell you the truth? I just played around with a young man with a firm face before I die. So go back. Go find your happiness. You’ll be able to make any woman happy. Just throw me away. I’ll throw you away too!”
“Alright, Dalia. I can make any woman happy. I’m really a great man. But I don’t want another woman. Ah, really! How can a woman I finally found after searching the entire continent be so passive?”
“What do you mean, ‘how can’?”
“Do you think I’ll let you go like this? You say you can only live for a year? Fine, good! Then let’s live together for that year. Let’s live together more than others do in a lifetime during that one year.”
Dalia raised her voice to not be drowned out by the rain.
“Shut up, you bastard. I’ve finally been able to give up on life. Thanks to you, I had the confidence to die happily. So why do you keep creating lingering attachments?”
Dalia burst into tears.
Emil, hit by tears mixed with rainwater, said in a not-so-loud voice.
“Alright then. If you can’t bear it that much…, just have lingering attachments. Live painfully. Live so painfully that you go crazy with every hour, every hour being precious. Let’s live painfully together!”
“You bastard.”
Dalia jumped down from the second-floor window while crying. Emil caught her as she fell and they rolled on the ground that was a mess with mud. Dalia, who was hugging Emil with her eyes tightly shut, spoke first.
“Wow, I almost died now instead of a year later.”
But Emil shouted to the sky with a cheer.
“See? I won, right? I told you I’d win no matter how much you torment me, right?”
Dalia held Emil’s hand tightly from the moment labor pains started and didn’t let go.
“Emil, if…, if something happens, you must save the baby, okay? You understand? I’m already living longer than the time the dragon prophesied. So I don’t know when I’ll die. Okay? You understand? You can’t let our baby die!”
“Don’t say such things. You’ll both be fine.”
But Dalia instinctively knew that danger. The midwife, after struggling all day unable to deliver the baby, came out and said.
“Both the mother and baby could be in danger. We might have to give up one of them…”
Emil grabbed the old woman’s collar and shouted.
“What did you say, you quack old hag?”
The surprised village chief and young men of the village pulled him away.
“Let go of this. You’re telling me to choose one of them? Don’t be ridiculous. Fine, I’ll choose! I’ll die. So save them both!”
The flustered old woman ran back inside. And after another half day passed, the baby’s cry burst out.
Emil kicked the door open and ran in. Dalia, with a face turned pale white, was holding the baby whose umbilical cord hadn’t been cut yet. The old woman, also exhausted, said.
“Here, it’s a son. I thought she was a weak-looking woman but… my goodness. Husband and wife, birds of a feather flock together.”
Dalia said to Emil with a smiling face.
“I remembered what you said. You told me to have lingering attachments, right? Yes. I had lingering attachments. I tried my hardest to survive. Look. It’s my baby. It’s your baby. It’s our baby. I did it. It has two legs, two arms, and two eyes. It has five fingers. Look at this, it’s already grasping my finger. Look at this. It’s already looking for my breast. It seems to recognize me. What should I do?”
Dalia was overcome with joy, bursting into tears.
Emil hugged both the baby and his wife and cried.
“You did well, Dalia. You naughty son. You did well too. You both really worked hard.”
Dalia cried, Emil cried, the baby cried, all three of them cried.
“What are you going to name the child?”
Dalia asked.
“Father once had an experience related to a fairy in the Sky Mountains.”
“I’ve heard that story too.”
“Whenever I heard that story, my heart would pound, and in the end, I wanted to have such an adventure, so I went on a journey and met you on that journey. So I want to name him Kassel, after the name of the adventurer who was friends with that fairy then.”
“Then our son will become a traveler of the Sky Mountains?”
“Ah, that would be troublesome. I don’t want to let him do something like what I did. That was actually crazy.”
“Is that something you should say about the crazy thing that made you fall for me?”
Dalia smiled brightly.
Dalia lay in bed waiting for the end. Emil put his son down next to the bed and sat beside Dalia.
“Look, Kassel. This is your most beautiful mother in the world.”
Dalia smiled weakly and held Kassel’s hand.
“You must be healthy, Kassel. Mommy is too tired, so I’ll rest first.”
Kassel stood alone next to the bed and didn’t let go of his mother’s hand. Like that, Dalia died while holding Kassel’s hand. Dalia’s expression looked infinitely happy.
The sound of knocking disturbed the vivid happy dream he was having after a long time. Emil frowned. He tried to ignore it, but the knocking continued.
Emil had no choice but to get up and go to the door.
“Whoever it is, if it’s not a welcome face, I’ll have to punch them. With this fist that blew away a dragon.”
Emil opened the door.
Emil looked at the young man standing outside and put his hands on his waist. Even if a monster as huge as a dragon stood before him with its mouth wide open, saying, ‘If you don’t answer my questions from now on, I’ll eat you,’ Emil would have replied, ‘Let’s come in, have a cup of tea, and hear what those questions are first,’ but now he couldn’t say anything.
Next to the young man standing outside was a woman whose face was full of scars. She nodded in greeting with a faint smile that was barely visible. Emil became even more speechless.
Anyway, Emil couldn’t use that fist that blew away a dragon and just scratched his cheek, then finally smiled.
“Welcome home, son.”
The only son of Emil and Dalia said.
“I’m back, Father.”
[The End]
–TL Notes–
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