Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 234

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 234 – Epilogue of Childhood Part 4

“…Where am I?”

It was the night Ain met up with Chris again.

Warren, who had been in a coma for a while, had also woken up.

“How did I get into bed…?”

Warren moved his body, but he felt lazy all over.

Maybe that was why he realized that he had been in a coma for a while.

“Have you finally woken up?”

“…You are?”

His voice sounded familiar, but Warren couldn’t see his face.

His silver hair swung in the night breeze, occasionally reflecting the moonlight. He stood by the window, staring out.

“Warren, I knew two loyal retainers.”

“…Two loyal retainers, you say?”

“The first is Marco. He was an irreplaceable subordinate to me, and there was no knight who boasted more loyalty than him.”

“You… no, you are…!”

“…He protected the former royal capital alone for hundreds of years. In other words, he was a hero―and I am proud of that.”

Then he shook his silver hair and turned to show Warren his exquisite face.

His face, illuminated by the moonlight, was more fantastic than anything else, and it colored Warren’s eyes.

“And the second is you, Warren.”

“Ca-Cain… Cain-sama…!”

“You followed my son, Mark, and even after his life was gone, you continued to devote your life to Ishtalika. You kept changing your name and your appearance, and you kept killing yourself and dedicating yourself to Ishtalika. Therefore, I will proudly call you another hero.

“…If you trace my origin, it is not something to be praised. After all, it could be said that I was chasing after a woman’s bottom…”

“Hahaha! If you have that feeling of dissatisfaction, that’s enough. In other words, you’re not a man who was already consumed by lingering regrets, but just a man who loved the land of Ishtalika. There’s no need to think about it too much and lose sight of yourself. That would be tactless.”

Cain let out a laugh at the end and then approached the sofa, looking satisfied.

He grabbed the lying girl by the neck and lifted her up, placing her on his shoulder like a bag.

“A-Arche-sama…!”

“Yes, my foolish little sister is here. Ask the current king for the details. At first, you probably think I’m just a dream, but I’m real.”

“U-Uwahh… Onii-chan…”

She probably didn’t like the rough way he treated her. Arche delivered her voice to Cain, even though she was still half asleep.

“Arche, you’re supposed to be a succubus, but you sleep so soundly at night… it’s ridiculous.”

Arche bends her body like a cat being lifted and climbs onto Cain’s shoulders.

No matter where you looked at her, she didn’t look like a demon king, and even if you were told that she was the demon king who went on a rampage in the past, it would be impossible to believe.

“What in the world happened…?”

From Warren’s point of view, there were so many things he didn’t know.

Cain was here. Arche was here. Even if it was just a fading memory, there’s no way he could forget it. But it was still impossible.

Was he still in a dream world… or had he already entered the afterlife? Warren’s confusion continued until Beria returned.

◇ ◇ ◇

The next morning.

Sylvird invited Ain, Lloyd, and the others into a small room at the back of the throne room to discuss things.

“In short, we’ll have a big parade in a few days to show everyone our victory!”

“That’s a good idea. Let’s use the few days before as a pre-celebration so we can celebrate for a while.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea! Let’s have it in each city at the same time!”

“…Well, that sounds like a festival that will drain our energy.”

Ain, who had been listening to them, smiled wryly at the thought of a festival that would be exhausting just to imagine.

However, he knew that holding such a festival made sense, so he did not voice his disapproval.

“Of course. If we don’t do it, it might become troublesome to tell the people about the incidents that happened around Ain.”

“I guess we have to tell them anyway.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that, Ain-sama.”

“…What do you mean?”

“You are a hero who defeated not only the sea dragon but also the country’s sworn enemy. Even if they call you the Demon King, it probably won’t be a big problem.”

“I agree with Lloyd’s opinion as well.”

However, from Ain’s point of view, it was nothing but fear.

Tormented by his anxious feelings, Ain tried to speak up with a little objection. When someone spoke up with a preface, “Well…”

“Yes. I agree with that opinion as well. Besides, there is even an anecdote in Magna that brings about fertility. If that’s the case, then going after it from that angle would be one way to go.”

With a staff in each hand, he shook his long beard nonchalantly, just like his personality.

Wearing several luxurious cloaks, he entered the room with a nonchalant expression on his face.

Then he opened his mouth with another nonchalant expression.

“Here is the script I just came up with. First of all, instead of just telling them that you’re the Demon King, it would be better to emphasize that you’ve become a race equal to the gods, the World Tree. If possible, it would be best to make some trees grow at that time and share the fruit with the people. Also, since the arch-enemy used the power to become the Demon King… as a result of purifying and absorbing that evil power, let’s summarize it as the World Tree receiving the power of the Demon King.”

His plan, which he spoke about a little too quickly, was so well thought out that it was hard to believe that he had come up with it in just a few seconds.

However, the three people in the room had something else to say.

“…What’s wrong? Why are you all looking like that?”

“It’s not a ‘what’s wrong’! Warren… when did you wake up…!”

“Haha… Hahahahaha! Warren-dono! You woke up! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this!”

Sylvird and Lloyd let out a surprised yell. Of course, they hadn’t received the news that he had woken up until now.

“Actually, I woke up last night, but… for some reason, I was busy confirming the facts for a while. So I asked Beria to find out what had happened, and it was only this time that I found out.”

“What on earth could be the matter with you not calling me first…?”

“Yes. As always, you are a free-spirited prime minister.”

The three of them were happy to be reunited, but Ain, who was sitting in the back, had mixed feelings.

… Sensing this, Warren approached Ain, knelt down, and looked up at him.

“Ain-sama, I heard about what happened from Beria. About what happened when you returned from the elven village.”

“…Yes.”

“It is my sin that I kept it hidden. No matter how much I served my homeland of Ishtalika, the fact that I am a red fox will not change. It is my fault for causing so much worry and doubt about it.”

“T-That is not true. I found out later that Warren-san didn’t betray us. It was just that I could not trust Warren-san and Beria-san…”

“Ain-sama, you must not say that. Please punish me.”

The two of them had different ideas. It was true that Warren, who had kept the secret, was to blame, but he and Beria had both done their duty in their own way.

No one else could understand the pain of having to devote oneself to another for hundreds of years.

Still, Warren wanted to be punished.

“Fufu… Ain. You said you were unhappy with my punishment, right?”

“…Is this for me and Krone?”

“Yes, that’s right. Since you laughed at my punishment, Ain, you can give Warren the most appropriate punishment, right?”

When he said that, Ain certainly showed an attitude of dissatisfaction.

Sylvird spoke to Ain as if he was laughing at him and asked Ain to punish Warren.

“Then, Warren. As Crown Prince, I will give you your punishment.”

Until then, Ain had been tormented by complex emotions, but Sylvird gave him the opportunity to vent them.

He smiled a mocking, fearless smile, and after looking Sylvird in the eye, he told Warren of his crime.

“Warren, you will not be allowed to finish your service to Ishtalika until His Majesty says otherwise. Your punishment is to show His Majesty and me that you can contribute even more than you have so far, together with Beria.”

The other three were stunned.

Only Ain smiled happily, enjoying the expressions on their faces.

“…A-Ain-sama? I don’t think this is my punishment…”

“Don’t worry. If you say this isn’t a punishment, then Grandpa was also disqualified yesterday. So I’m sure he’ll approve of this.”

“W-wait, Ain! Then you’ll share in the punishment I’m giving Warren!”

“It’s a joint responsibility, Grandfather. Isn’t that right? You’re the king, and I’m the crown prince… we’re in this together.”

“Hahaha! Your Majesty! Just as I thought, Ain-sama has grown up so strong! This is going to be fun from now on…!”

In the end, Lloyd let out a loud laugh, and the room was filled with a warm atmosphere.

At last, the people who were important to Ain in the country of Ishtalika—no, they had finally woken up.

This really was the grand finale… all that needed to be done was done.

There was one more thing that needed to be done in Ain’s heart.

“…Now it’s just my turn to show my courage.”

Where should he give it to her? How should he get her there?

Ain put his hand on his heart, which was beating loudly, and plucked up the courage to tell her.

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