Epilogue
After that… we packed up and left the training camp, returning to the magic academy. Maria, however, didn’t come back to the dorms.
I checked with Merlin, and it turns out Maria is still enrolled. She never actually filed any withdrawal papers. She probably has no idea how to show her face again after storming off and saying all those awful things to us.
She’s such a handful. It’s not like she has anywhere else to go…
Oh, by the way, those elves who went with Maria to Fenrir’s lair? They all survived. Merlin gave them emergency healing, and I used my Perfect Heal. It would have left a terrible taste in my mouth if they’d died, so that’s a huge relief.
Anyway, setting that aside, I spent my day off wandering the city with Anastasia. We split up to cover more ground, searching for Maria.
In the early afternoon, I bought a sandwich and a drink from a stall and went to take a break on a bench by the fountain in the central plaza. And there she was.
I went back to the stall, bought another sandwich and drink, and sat down next to her, holding them out. The moment she saw me, she flinched and shot up, looking like she was about to bolt. But she stopped, let out a heavy sigh, and sat back down, as if she’d given up.
“Hey, Elf-san. You ever hear of the ‘Jade Grand Cordon’?”
“…Of course I know it.”
“It’s the highest honor awarded to a student for ‘rare and outstanding achievements,’ right? Only given to a few people a year. But… have you ever heard of the ‘Scarlet-Gold Grand Cordon’?”
“That’s way beyond students. It’s the highest honor given to the aces of the Magic Society, the top-tier prodigies.”
“Yep. It’s an award I won, a long, long time ago.”
“Figures. Sounds like something you’d do.”
Then I stood up from the bench and planted myself right in front of her.
“Come on. We’re going together. I’m going to take you there.”
“Take me where?”
“I’ve stuck with you this far, haven’t I? We’re not strangers. And I hate leaving things half-finished. So I’m going to take you all the way… to the pinnacle of honor for a young mage. To the realm of Scarlet-Gold.”
Maria looked completely dumbfounded for a second, and then she just burst out laughing.
“Wow… You really don’t make small promises, do you?”
“You’ve got to prove them all wrong, right? Everyone back in your village.”
I held out my hand to her, and she gripped it tightly.
“…Yeah. You’re right. Hehe. But still, to think you were actually the Thunder God Emperor himself. This whole thing… it’s like some badly written story.”
“You know, even after finding out who I am, you still talk to me the same way.”
“Sorry, it’s just how I am. But… I mean, considering who you are, if it bothers you, I can use polite language.”
“No, don’t. You’re fine just the way you are. It’d be weirder if you suddenly changed. Besides, I don’t mind it.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I’ve got a soft spot for headstrong women. You remind me a lot of… my wife. The one who died four hundred years ago. So that part of you… I don’t dislike it. Actually, I’d say I even like it.”
At that, Maria’s face flushed bright red, and then—
“L-L-Like?! A-A-Are you an idiot?!”
Haha. I couldn’t help but laugh.
Yep. She’s just like her in this way, too. I really don’t dislike this girl.
“You even look like her. In a few more years, you’ll be exactly my type. It’s almost scary.”
My words made Maria’s face explode in a blush so intense you could almost hear a BOOM! sound effect.
“Y-Y-Y-You’re such an idiot!”
Haha. She’s so easy to read.
“She was also an elf from the Daumier clan. That’s… the reason I challenged Fenrir in the first place, back when I was still young and reckless.”
“What about the story that there was no trouble from Fenrir for over a hundred years after the Thunder God Emperor fought him to a draw? I mean, you’re a hero because of that.”
“I managed to force a condition into the non-aggression pact. Sorry it ended up being such a half-measure.”
“But that means you were still protecting us for a while, even after you died. And… as soon as you got your power back in this life, you came to help. Besides, when my clan was wiped out ten years ago… you were just a kid, too. There was nothing you could have done.”
“…Yeah. That’s right.”
At that, Maria gave a deep nod.
“Okay, the past is the past. What matters is what we do now.”
“Yeah. You’re absolutely right.”
“And you? You can’t take back what you said, you know.”
“Meaning?”
“You’d better take me there! To the realm of Scarlet-Gold!”
Yeah, I really can’t just leave her be.
If that’s the case, then to restore her clan’s honor, I really do need to make sure she has an achievement of that magnitude before she makes her triumphant return to those elves.
“Yep. Absolutely. I swear it on the name of the Thunder God Emperor.”
“I’m holding you to that! I’m counting on it! Because that… that’s the best guarantee in the entire world!”
And then, we bumped our tightly clenched fists together.
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