◆ Chapter 26: Epilogue
“UGGHH… How many more trips do I have to make?”
I slump back in a chair on top of Grantz castle’s rooftop garden. I came out to get some fresh air and blow off some steam building up from my chaotic daily routine.
“It’s backbreaking work,” I whine.
“You would have a much easier time if you could purify them all at once, but you can only do so many a day, m’lady,” Lex consoles.
Half a month has passed since we vanquished the two dragons. I have since made frequent visits to purify the Cladorca zombies. The expedition is the same each time: return to Grantz’s royal capital with everyone we manage to save.
I wish we could set up basecamp next to the city, but we prioritized safety over accessibility. Covering that much ground roundtrip for two weeks takes a toll on the body just the same. It’d be a thousand times faster if we could drive there on a paved road, but that’s the same as asking for the moon.
“Either way, I’ll do my job till the last person.”
“You are a remarkable woman, Lady Mizuha.”
“I volunteered to do it. Aren’t you more exhausted than I am, Lex? Unlike me, you’re also luring and knocking down zombies. How are you holding up?”
“You needn’t fret over me. I have been trained for this.”
Lex pounds his right fist against his chest. That’s superman Lex for you. He’s not pretending to be okay when he’s not—he actually isn’t fatigued. That said, even if he’s not physically tired, he must be feeling the mental strain. And yet he has a special kind of strength that stops him from complaining or scowling. Having this man by my side encourages me to work even harder.
“…Thank you for everything,” I mutter quietly. Saying it out loud is embarrassing. Lex looks stunned by my abrupt thanks, though he immediately responds with a sunny smile.
“It is only natural for me to assist you as your knight, Lady Mizuha.”
“That’s true, but that’s not what I mean…”
“You may set your fears at ease. Your feelings have reached me unhindered.”
It’s my fault for not coming out and saying it, but I’m pretty sure my feelings haven’t reached him at all. I wasn’t thanking him as a priestess to her knight. Agh! What a pain in the butt. I suck at these things! I just switch the subject to escape my mounting frustration.
“By the way, what happened with that one problem?”
“What problem might that be?”
“You know, the thing with Kodbyen’s family. I heard we located them during the last expedition.”
Every single person we purify in Cladorca has extensive background checks done on them by Grantz Kingdom. The lucky ones often reunite with their family the same day. Even if we can’t find their family that first day, having records on everyone allows for smooth reunification every time we bring back more people.
“Ah, that matter? I was planning on officially reporting it to you later. Long story short, they were able to safely visit with him. Mr. Kodbyen was overcome with joy.”
“I see. Good for them.”
“He expressed his gratitude to you as well, Lady Mizuha. He said, ‘Tell her thank you from the bottom of my heart.’”
My intention has always been to purify the whole world. But I only had my eyes set on an ambiguous goal and failed to see the problems that might arise between the various factions. It isn’t a stretch to say that Kodbyen was the trigger that made me think seriously about this world and my role in it going ahead. It was horrible getting kidnapped, but I’m genuinely happy if that man and his family have been safely reunited.
“Wait, what do you mean they visited with him? He hasn’t been let out of prison yet? I think you can release him now.”
“Unlike the time with Miss Iris, you are now recognized by His Majesty as the official Holy Priestess of our kingdom. Ample punishment is due for the crime of kidnapping you, or else we risk future cases of it.”
“Ah… I guess that plays a role in this too, doesn’t it?”
I’m the most affected by this matter. As someone who is constantly being protected, I can’t tell them to lessen his sentence in good conscience.
“Nevertheless, he did not directly harm you. He shouldn’t have to serve a long prison sentence,” Lex says to console me.
“Glad to hear it. Being with your family is the best thing in the long run.”
Not that I have any right to say that after I chose to stay in another world when I had the opportunity to go home. Still, I believe that a family who wants to be together should be.
“Big Sister, would you like to have tea together?” a lyrical, soft voice asks. Cia is standing in the pillared corridor connecting to the garden. Beside her is a trolley cart with a variety of tea sets.
“Did you prepare all that for me, Cia?”
“I did. You’ve been busier than usual lately, so I chose a relaxing tea that helps ease fatigue. Would you like some?”
She’s such a good girl! Knights and maids are watching over her from a distance. It’s easy to see she asked them to give her space to be with me. I just want to squeeze the cuteness out of her!
“Heck yeah! I mean...yes, please. I would love to have some tea,” I say, correcting my language for royal tea time.
“I’m ever so glad you said yes! Please wait just a moment. I will bring it right to you.” Cia lifts the tray under the tea set with both hands. Lex springs into action to help her before she hurts herself, but is stopped by her sharp glare. “I can handle it myself, Lex.”
“B-But Princess—”
“Please, Lex. This is the only thing that I can do.”
Cia always feels contrite about not being able to participate in the expeditions. Her statement just now brims with the sentiment. She takes slow, careful steps toward me, her brow adorably furrowed with the effort. The tray sways dangerously from beginning to end, but she manages to safely place the tea set on top of the garden table. A sigh of relief slips through her small, pert lips. Her every gesture is cuter than the last.
“You really are my happy place, Cia.”
“Y-Your…h-happy place? I don’t know what that means, but I’m happy if it means I’m helping you.”
Cia tilts her head and smiles when I accidentally let my inner thoughts slip out. If angels exist, I’ve never been more certain they would be like Cia than I am at this moment.
“Oh, I don’t see Miss Nady with you today,” Cia observes while preparing the tea. There are four cups—she must’ve been planning to serve Nady too.
“She’s returned to the Lucor village briefly to greet her mother. You know, because we’ve got that event tomorrow.”
“I see. That makes sense.”
She understands without me even explaining what it is. That just goes to show how big of an event tomorrow is for Nady—and me.