“Thank you for entrusting the city's construction to our Giabella Construction Company!” Noir said with a bow.
Dozens of demonfolk were lined up behind Noir, who was wearing a hard hat over a suit.
With Noir’s employees consisting of many different races of demonfolk, each with their distinct differences, the group of demonfolk was displaying a great array of different appearances. Among their number were a few succubi like Noir and also quite a few Daemons, the most common race of demonfolk. The giants stood out from the rest with their huge bodies, and there were even a few demonfolk with multiple pairs of arms.
They were all part of the executive staff of Giabella Construction, and just like Noir, they were dressed in hard hats and suits, with the words “Giabella Construction” printed across each of their hard hats.
“Now then,” Noir said, holding her arms up high.
At this gesture, the eyes of everyone attending the Inauguration Ceremony were drawn upwards.
A huge curtain was hanging behind Noir and her executives.
Noir savored the attention of each and every gaze that was fixed on the curtain behind her and announced with a bright smile, “Allow me to reveal the Lionheart’s new mansion!”
Swiiiish!
As the curtain drew back, a large mansion was revealed. Pampababam, pampababam, pampampampam!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Fireworks soared into the sky amidst the loud fanfare before erupting in a colorful and flowery display that covered the clear, blue sky. Eugene and the rest of the main family had already seen the mansion several times while they were inspecting the construction, but not everyone who was attending the Inauguration Ceremony had seen the mansion before. There was an extended cry of amazement at the beauty and grandeur of the stately mansion.
The previous Lionheart mansion had already been beautiful enough to rival any mansions belonging to the noble families on the continent, but this new Lionheart mansion was literally on a different level. Even the Emperor of Kiehl, who owned several castles, was so shocked that his jaw dropped open speechlessly.
Of course, the mansion wasn’t as tall or as large as a castle or palace. This had been done because if one counted all of the main family members who regularly lived at the main estate, that number didn’t even add up to ten people. Even if one included the butlers and servants, the mansion was still only ever meant to house a few dozen.
However, the size didn’t matter, as the finished mansion as a whole looked like a work of art. No, in fact, all of the sculptures decorating the mansion were actually works of art renowned all across the continent.
“Well then, where should I start with my introductions? If I were to explain the artistic intentions and origins of all my favorite features, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I could keep talking about them for weeks. Or are you all perhaps curious about the functional features? The outdoor swimming pool perfectly replicates the beaches of Sernia Island, the most beautiful holiday resort in the whole continent; the open-air bath was inspired by the Livar Hot Springs, a famous attraction in Ruhr, and….” Noir began to deliver a long explanation.
The dozens of guests invited to the Inauguration Ceremony were guided through the grounds of the mansion as they listened to Noir’s explanation.
But the outer appearance of the mansion wasn’t the only noteworthy thing here. There was also the carefully landscaped forest growing around it. Behind the mansion, the saplings of the World Tree stood tall, as if they were standing guard, and they were surrounded by the other fairy trees, each of which was several times more valuable than their same weight in mithril. The guests could feel the perfect harmony that had been cultivated between the forest and the mansion.
As Vermouth stood there silently, someone approached his side and said, “This took me a lot of hard work.”
It was the White Tower Master, Melkith El-Hayah. The moment she approached him, Vermouth unconsciously took a few steps to the side to distance himself from Melkith.
The impression that Melkith had left on him from their first meeting had been ingrained deeply into Vermouth. This was the Spirit Summoner who had chased after them while screaming when they had left the battlefield. The one who Sienna had cast a spell at and sent falling without any hesitation or mercy. At the time, he couldn’t understand why she would do such a thing, but now….
During the time he spent at the main estate, Vermouth had come to know exactly what kind of person Melkith El-Hayah was. She might be similar to Carmen in a way, but at her core, she was far more insane.
“Phew…,” Melkith pursed her lips and blew a kiss at him.
The sweetly scented breath that she exhaled should have been too far away to reach Vermouth, but the wind spirit that was summoned by her will carried her breath over to him.
Whooosh….
Her breath, now reinforced by the wind, tickled Vermouth’s ear. For Melkith, who held contracts with four Spirit Kings and could exert total control over any of the lower-ranking spirits, distance held no meaning when it came to blowing her kisses or whispers.
“Dear~[1],” Melkith whispered with a sickly sweet voice and smile.
The touch of her breath and the way her whisper lingered in his ear sent goosebumps running throughout Vermouth’s whole body. The way he hunched his shoulders and shakily glanced at Melkith made it seem like Vermouth was confronting some primal and ancient fear.
“I did a lot of work. All for you, dear. And for the family,” Melkith slowly whispered.
The family? Whose family? Vermouth felt afraid because it wasn’t quite clear which family Melkith was referring to.
“You can feel it, can’t you, dear? You were the greatest spirit summoner before I came along, after all. An incredible depth of spirit-summoning expertise went into the design behind this mansion and its forest,” Melkith proudly declared.
Melkith was telling the truth. The successful construction of this mansion and the forest, no, of this entire city, was only possible thanks to the cooperation of Aroth’s Archwizards, and even among their number, the Red Tower Master and the White Tower Master, in particular, had played significant roles. Led by Lovellian, the summoners of the Red Tower of Magic had provided much of the labor needed for the construction, and the spirit summoners of the White Tower of Magic had used their earth spirits to build the city’s roads.
Melkith had also devoted much of her time to creating the forest. Thanks to her, the spirits of the earth had been thoroughly taught how to keep the land fertile so long as the forest above wasn’t somehow burnt down, and they had also been trained to arrange the growth of anything new that was planted so that it wouldn’t mar the existing landscape.
“So anyways, dear,” Melkith’s voice and the look in her eyes grew even more sickly sweet.
As she took a step forward towards him, Vermouth had to swallow back a nervous gulp.
“Don’t I deserve some praise…,” Melkith’s whisper was mixed with a note of wistful desire, her breath continuing to tickle the corners of his ears.
The one who saved Vermouth from this human-shaped source of dizzying fear that was making him feel like he was suffering from vertigo was Carmen, who resolutely stepped forward to defend Vermouth.
“Don’t get so close to my father,” Carmen spat out, glaring at Melkith with eyes full of disgust.
Melkith sniffed and said, “Why are you calling my dear your father?”
Carmen narrowed her eyes, “Why are you calling my father dear ?”
But could this really be called salvation? Caught in the center of this verbal duel, Vermouth squeezed his eyes shut. Even as he tried to ignore what was happening around him, Carmen and Melkith continued to exchange fierce glares.
Why was Carmen Lionheart calling the Great Vermouth, the Founding Ancestor of her clan, father? And why was Melkith El-Hayah addressing the Great Vermouth as her dear?
The honored guests who had been invited to the Inauguration Ceremony were very curious about the reasons behind such strange behavior, but no one dared to ask the participants directly. This was because both women looked to be taking this argument far too seriously for anyone to feel comfortable asking them what was going on, and the Great Vermouth appeared too distressed to welcome any further disturbances.
“If I could, I would like to guide you through the interior of the mansion, which boasts a decor just as artistic as its exterior, but unfortunately, that is meant to be the living space for the main family. There is also the issue of privacy, so please inquire separately with the members of the Lionheart’s main family about viewing the inside of the mansion,” Noir finished her long spiel with a bright smile. “Now then, let us continue by touring the Lionheart’s new city that is built around this mansion!”
Just like the Lionheart’s previous mansion, their new mansion also had a warp-gate installed on the grounds of the estate. This was necessary because the grounds of the new mansion were far too large for anyone to walk out of easily.
As Eugene followed Noir, who was leading the tour group away while still wearing a hard hat, he suddenly asked a question, “How are the preparations?”
“They’re all complete,” Sienna replied. She had been sticking closely by his side.
Although she had been up all night until early morning hours, preparing to teleport the entire forest, Sienna’s face didn’t show even the slightest trace of fatigue.
She lifted her chin and proudly declared, “Hmph, who exactly do you think you’re talking to? Of course, I, Lady Sienna, finished preparing everything perfectly.”
“There’s no room for even a single mistake to be made,” Eugene warned her.
“Don’t worry about it. After all, you’re not the only one who’s been looking forward to this,” Sienna assured him as she exchanged glances with Molon and Anise.
Anise nodded back silently. Molon’s expression was hidden behind his thick, bushy beard, but his fists were clenched in excitement and anticipation.
“I won’t be participating in this,” Kristina responded when Sienna’s eyes turned towards her.
She had received their offer to be involved but refused their invitation, and Eugene had no intention of forcing her to participate.
“If you don’t want to do it, it can’t be helped. But if you do change your mind, you can join in any time,” Eugene said with a bright smile as he looked back over his shoulder.
Even now, Vermouth was being tortured to the point of insanity while he was caught between Carmen and Melkith.
Stepping through the mansion’s warp-gate, they arrived at one of the city’s many landmarks.
Ooooooh.
The guests erupted in gasps upon arriving at their destination.
Unlike the mansion, there wasn’t a curtain hiding the site from view.
However, just like the last time, Noir held her arms up at the entrance to the landmark and shouted an introduction, “This is the symbol of the Lionheart’s new city! The only institution of its kind in the entire history of the continent! A place of learning that will pave the way to the future!”
This site was the only location in the new city that made use of as large an area as the Lionheart’s new main estate. Magnificent buildings that looked like they had been copied from a royal palace had been built on this site.
Noir suddenly shot Eugene an enthusiastic look. The other guests also seemed to be expecting him to step forward. Eugene hesitated amid this atmosphere of eager anticipation, only for Sienna to push him forward with a mischievous smile.
“What are you doing? Go ahead and give them an introduction to your new school,” Sienna said teasingly.
Eugene stumbled forward a few steps due to her push. He shot a resentful gaze back at Sienna, but sensing the many eyes directing eager looks of anticipation towards him, Eugene swallowed back the curses he had been about to blurt out.
“This place is…,” Eugene began to speak, only to pause and clear his throat as he glanced back over his shoulder.
Behind Eugene were six statues erected on the campus plaza that connected the various buildings together. The statues were of Eugene, Sienna, Molon, Anise, Kristina, and Vermouth. The dwarven craftsman who had been living at the main estate had especially carved out these statues just for today.
“...the Dynas Academy,” Eugene finished announcing.
Eugene had discussed with many people what to name his academy. At first, he had just wanted to name it Lionheart Academy without giving it much thought, but Gilead had opposed this idea. He said that the Lionhearts had no intention of claiming ownership of the academy and that the name as a whole didn’t fit the purpose of the academy or represent what the academy meant to Eugene.
Since “Lionheart Academy” had been rejected, if he truly had to name it something else, Eugene wanted to name his academy something that sounded impressive and appropriate. However, all the names that Eugene suggested had been rejected by the various people he had spoken to.
The only name that had finally made the cut after all the discussion was over and done with was Dynas Academy. The name had been taken from Hamel’s last name. It was just an idea that Eugene had mentioned without giving it much thought, but surprisingly, everyone had accepted it and thought it was a good idea.
Vermouth had fathered the Lionheart clan. Molon had founded the Kingdom of Ruhr. Sienna had created the Circle Magic Formula and was admired by all wizards. Anise’s deeds as a Saint had even been recorded in Yuras’ religious scriptures, which meant that every future priest of Yuras would learn how to cultivate their faith through the life and writings of Anise that were passed down through these scriptures.
However, Hamel hadn’t left behind any legacy for the future generations. If one really had to pick something, there was the “Hamel-style” that had been passed down through Genos’ family, but that had actually been something left to them by Vermouth, not Hamel himself.
Because of that, they all agreed to name this place “Dynas Academy.”
“This place is… um…,” Eugene awkwardly trailed off.
He had prepared a lot of things to say in advance, but now that the time had come to actually say them, Eugene felt too embarrassed to do so. In the end, just like he had before, Eugene continued his speech by saying whatever came to mind.
“Here, you can learn a lot of things. It won’t just be swordsmanship; there are all sorts of other weapons…. You can also learn various types of magic and spirit summoning. Then there are pure theology courses… ah, in the case of theology, we don’t just teach the doctrine of the Light. If you want to, um, you can also study the doctrine of War or Victory… and once you graduate—? Or maybe as an internship? What I mean is that I’m thinking of making it possible for you to become a priest or a paladin…. If you want to become a knight instead, you will need to take a course on your weapon of choice and another course on the subject of chivalry,” Eugene hastily concluded.
Although he may have just made it up on the spot, everyone had been listening intently to Eugene’s speech.
Eugene felt pressured by the intent silence of his captive audience, but he just continued to speak without stopping to think about it. “I also plan to include opportunities to study abroad, like with Aroth’s Towers of Magic, as well as actively inviting experts in the various subjects to speak to the students, allowing students to make an informed choice on whether they want to further their studies in a subject…. But for now… the Dynas Academy that I have always wanted to create is a place where you can learn everything and become anything. Of course, their final outcome still depends on how hard the students are willing to work for it, but as the principal of Dynas Academy I will do my best to ensure that my students don’t waste their precious youth and that they can realize their dreams for the future.”
“A round of applause!” Noir shouted as soon as Eugene had finished speaking.
Pampababam, pam, pam, pam!
The fanfare everyone had heard earlier was played once more as fireworks shot up into the sky.
Clap, clap, clap….
Eugene felt embarrassed by the applause that all the guests were showering him with and he quickly returned to the side of his companions.
“Why are you crying again?” Eugene scolded Gerhard, who kept wiping away his tears with a damp handkerchief.
However, unable to stop his tears, Gerhard simply stammered, “M-my son… to think that my son would have such grand ambitions.”
“What do you mean, grand ambitions,” Eugene awkwardly mumbled.
“To think that you wouldn’t just be satisfied with saving the world, but would go on to try and make the work a better place,” Gerhard sobbed into his handkerchief.
Eugene tried to defend himself, “I never said anything like that….”
“But the more exceptional people there are, the better the world will become,” Gerhard insisted.
Just a quick glance around showed that Gerhard’s reaction wasn’t unusual.
Gilead’s eyes were also red, and it appeared as if he had been deeply moved by Eugene’s speech.
“If you officially open a course on chivalry, might I be able to give a few lectures as a Visiting Professor?” Alchester requested.
“I’ll allow it if you also give my students a chance to train with the Knights of the White Dragon,” Eugene counter-offered.
“Haha, as long as they’re of sound mind and solid skill, I would be willing to take them on as full-time members, not just as trainees,” Alchester said with a bright smile.
“I’m saying this just in case, but don’t think that I’ll favor Leo just because he’s enrolling in the academy,” Eugene warned.
“Of course, that’s how it should be,” Alchester said with a quick nod. “There’s no need to think of him as my son. If Leo tries to use the Dragonic family’s influence as a shield, please feel free to expel him immediately.”
As they were having this conversation, everyone had walked through the campus plaza and were about to enter the main building. Since the academy buildings were so large and spacious, it would be impossible to showcase and introduce everything in the time they had left, so everyone started moving separately after entering the main building.
“Where should we do it?” Eugene asked.
“The plaza that we passed through earlier should be fine,” Anise said.
“One of the classrooms would also work just as well,” Eugene argued.
Sienna shook her head and said, “That wouldn’t give it the right sense of openness, it needs to be done out in the open.”
Eugene couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion at Sienna’s response. What was so important about being out in the open? In the end, as Anise had suggested, the campus plaza was confirmed as the location for their plan.
Eugene nodded decisively and said, “Well then, let’s get a move on.”
After looking around the academy for thirty minutes, the tour group was ready to move on once more.
Noir continued to act like a skilled tour guide, her mouth constantly moving without a moment’s rest. “The place we’re headed to now is the dwarven industrial zone. That is where the dwarven artisans who originally lived on the Lionheart estate, as well as the other dwarves who formerly lived in the southern islands, will be forming their independent commune. From there, the dwarves will be able to create and receive commissions freely, unlike in the past, and by doing so they will contribute their strength to the economy of the new city.”
The King of Shimuin’s face crumpled at this news about the dwarves.
Originally, the dwarves and their skills had been virtually monopolized by the kings of Shimuin, but during the construction of the new city, all of the dwarves who had been living on the islands of Shimuin began preparing to move to the continent. However, out of fear of Eugene, the King of Shimuin couldn’t even express any of his complaints regarding this….
From the industrial zone, Noir then launched into a full-scale tour of the city.
They were shown past the city hall, which stood ready to listen to any complaints of the city’s citizens, the guild complex, the library, the park, and the downtown area. The new city had been installed with more warp-gates than any other city on the continent. There were also floating stations in the sky above the city that controlled the city’s weather while also providing access to flying carriages that gave a great view of the city below; and below the city, there was a subway, just like the one in Giabella City. Thanks to that, even though the tour group had visited many different landmarks, it was still daytime when the tour finally ended.
“The new city looks even more beautiful at night,” Noir promised with a grin as she looked at the sun slowly setting in the sky. “And such a beautiful night view can only truly be complemented by a splendid festival. Now then, since it has reached this hour… shall we head back to the city gates?”
Hundreds of thousands of people had gathered at the city gates, waiting to see the new city. As soon as those gates opened, all of the lights in the city would be turned on, and the festival would begin.
Although no one had moved into the city yet, there wouldn’t be any problems with running the festival. Noir’s vassals, who had lost their jobs with the collapse of Giabella City, would be doing all of the work in the city for today only.
“If you do anything strange, I’ll kill you,” Eugene threatened Noir.
“I’m already deceased,” Noir pointed out.
Eugene frowned gravely, saying, “Do you want to know what it feels like to die a second time?”
“When you say it like that, instead of a warning, it actually sounds quite a tempting promise, you know that?” Noir teased.
Eugene shot the grinning Noir a glare.
“Fine, fine, I understand. Haven’t I already said that I won’t show anyone a fantasy or a dream? I also won’t steal any life-force. In the first place, there’s no longer any need for me to suck out someone’s life-force,” Noir said with a giggle as she pointed up to the city walls. “Well then, shall we get going?”
There was still a lot of work that needed to be done before the end of the Inauguration Ceremony.
Aaaaaaah….
The crowds of people who had been making a fuss in front of the tightly shut city gates all cheered when they saw the group of people who had suddenly appeared on top of the gates.
“Do I really have to do this?” Eugene turned to Noir and asked, his face twisted in a scowl.
“Of course you do! This is truly the whole point of the Inaugural Ceremony,” Noir answered firmly. She still hadn’t taken off her hard hat. “Now then, everyone, line up quickly.”
“I really don’t want to do this…,” Eugene groaned.
“This act is one that will truly signify the opening of your new fief,” Gilead said encouragingly.
In contrast to Eugene’s uneasy muttering, Gilead showed great enthusiasm for this next part of the ceremony. He stepped forward with Ancilla, whose smile seemed to be trembling slightly.
Since the Patriarch had already stepped forward, it really couldn’t be helped. Gion stood next to Gilead and sent Eugene an encouraging glance. Then, Cyan led Ayla by the hand to stand next to his father, while Ciel also stepped forward to stand next to Ancilla.
“Father.”
A silent Vermouth was also dragged forward by Carmen.
Next came Gerhard. Tucking his tear-soaked handkerchief into a pocket, Eugene’s father stepped forward. Now that everyone else had gone forward, Eugene sighed deeply before moving forward to stand next to Gerhard.
“Sienna Merdein.” Noir turned and called out her name.
Sienna stuttered, “Wh-why are you calling me?”
“I guess you have no intention of truly becoming part of the Lionheart family? If that’s the case, there’s no need for you to step forward,” Noir muttered.
Sienna, who had been trying to sneak away, was left with no choice but to fall in line following this murmur. She quickly took the place next to Eugene.
“Sister,” Kristina said as she grabbed Anise’s arm and pulled her forward.
This would be Anise’s first time standing in front of so many people since she had started possessing her doll’s body.
“Pl-lease hold on a second, Kristina,” Anise stammered. “At least let me get into your body first — no, never mind, if you just stand there on your own, they’ll just assume I’m standing there with you—”
“You can’t do that,” Kristina said, refusing to allow Anise to run away or hide.
In the end, Anise had no choice but to step forward along with Kristina. She was worried that the crowd might make fun of her, but the already riled-up crowd didn’t show any confused reaction upon seeing Anise — who had died and become an angel but was now standing next to Kristina — apparently alive and well.
Eugene turned and scolded the two remaining children, “You two should also be standing up here, so what are you waiting for?”
“I was just waiting for you to call me, Sir Eugene,” Mer said with a cheeky smile.
“Benefactor, the fact that you are calling us to stand with you, does that mean we will still get to live with you from now on?” Raimira asked excitedly.
Eugene scoffed and said, “Were you planning to move out? Get over here already so we can finish this quickly.”
Mer and Raimira quickly hurried over to stand in front of Eugene. They were too short to stand next to him like the others were.
“Now then…” Noir said, looking at the members of the main family all lined up together with a satisfied expression. She clapped her hands together.
At this signal, a colorful ribbon appeared in front of the members of the main family.
Noir handed a pair of platinum scissors to each of them before saying with a bright smile, “Please cut the ribbon on my signal.”
After passing out the scissors, Noir quickly moved to the back of the crowd.
Left standing in front of hundreds of thousands of people, all looking up at him with eyes full of anticipation, Eugene gulped nervously as he stood in the center of the group.
“Smiles please,” Noir whispered from behind as everyone obediently burst into smiles. “With this, we will soon be cutting the ribbon to announce the opening of the Lionheart’s new city! Now then, one, two, three!”
Eugene kept a forced smile on his face as he cut the tape with his scissors.
Aaaaaaaaaah!
Their excitement reached its peak, and the crowd let out a loud cheer as fireworks erupted all across the sky! The tape that had been cut into dozens of lengths transformed into flower petals that fluttered beautifully through the air.
Creeeeeeeak!
The closed city gates began to swing open.
At that moment, Noir’s eyes shone with light as she shouted, “Don’t push the people in front of you or standing next to you! Please enter the city slowly! Don’t run in the city! Please enjoy the festival and your tour of the new city while maintaining order at all times!”
Noir had activated her Demoneye of Fantasy as she called out these instructions.
Over the long course of Noir’s life, her Demoneye of Fantasy had never been used for such a mundane purpose as it had just now. The powerful hypnosis that was affecting hundreds of thousands of minds at the same time led the crowd to enter the city in an orderly manner as if all of the excitement they had been showing just now had disappeared.
“We should get going as well,” Eugene said, shaking off the flower petals stuck to his body.
Anise nodded and turned to the side, saying, “Sir Vermouth.”
Vermouth let out a sigh of relief as Anise approached him.
Pulling his arms free of the tight hold that Carmen and Melkith had at some point gotten him into, Vermouth quickly responded with a nod, “Anise.”
“Why don’t the six of us go and enjoy the festival as a group,” Anise suggested.
“Aaaah…! O-of course we should. Lady Carmen, Lady Melkith, please allow me to take my leave,” Vermouth said before approaching his companions with a bright smile.
“As a group? You’re not actually planning to run away are you?” Ciel asked with a glare, feeling suspicious due to their earlier precedent.
“No way,” Eugene said with a smile, throwing his arm across Vermouth’s shoulder as the latter stood beside him.
***
In the campus plaza at Dynas Academy.
“Why have we come here?” Vermouth asked.
“All of the other places will be filled with people. However, this place is still closed, so no one can come in uninvited,” Eugene explained.
The gates to the new city may have been thrown open, but the Academy's gates were still closed.
Vermouth nodded in acceptance of Eugene’s response, commenting, “I see.”
Standing in front of the six statues, Vermouth looked up at his own statue. The statue had been made by a skilled dwarven craftsman and was so exquisitely detailed that it almost looked as if it were alive. For a few moments, Vermouth couldn’t help but lose himself in examining his statue, which had a faint smile on its face.
“Whether it's statues or portraits, ever since the war ended three hundred years ago, I’ve seen plenty that were made of me. Most of them weren’t made with me standing up, but this one…” Vermouth trailed off.
This time, it felt different. Agreeing to the dwarven craftsman's request, Vermouth had stood in front of him and modeled for the sculpture. Unlike three hundred years ago, he had had no reason to refuse, nor had he felt any desire to.
“I… I have never liked the statues and paintings made of me. So, I have never looked at any of them deeply. However… this one… haha, it’s a strange feeling,” Vermouth said with a quiet laugh as he shook his head. “But it’s not a bad feeling. My chest… it feels warm.”
“Is that so?” Eugene responded.
Eugene and the rest of the party were standing behind Vermouth.
“I never thought that I would actually feel this way. But that’s only natural since I never thought… that a day like this would actually come,” Vermouth said as he turned his gaze to the rest of the buildings that made up Dynas Academy.
Now that the new city had finished construction, the Academy would begin recruiting students and faculty in earnest, and admissions would start next year. Vermouth smiled once more as he thought of the many students who would be coming here to learn something.
“Dynas Academy. There is no better name to symbolize this place,” Vermouth said with a sigh.
“Why is that?” Eugene asked.
“That’s because Hamel, you… you are able to do so many things,” Vermouth said proudly. “You were able to do all of the things that I couldn’t. And the reason everything now exists the way that it does is the life that you lived as Hamel.”
Neither Sienna, nor Molon, or Anise had had anything to do with Agaroth. They were all Hamel’s companions. That also applied to Vermouth. He hadn’t actually known Agaroth personally. The person that Vermouth had first met was, and would always be, Hamel Dynas.
“The world that you saved will continue into the future, and the students of Dynas Academy will be the ones to cultivate that future. Haha… this means, in a way, your name has gained its immortality,” Vermouth chuckled as he turned to look back at the others.
Eugene, Sienna, Molon, and Anise were standing in a line behind him. For some reason, Kristina was standing slightly apart from the others.
Vermouth tilted his head as he took in the strange sight his companions were making. A bit uncertainly, he asked, “Why are you all standing like that?”
“Vermouth,” Eugene said with a wide smile.
Molon, Sienna, and Anise also had similar smiles.
Vermouth returned his companions’ smiles with his own.
Seeing this smile, Eugene threw his cloak open.
Flutter!
What fell out of the cloak was a rolled-up rug made from spun straw.
Vermouth blinked in confusion, not knowing what he was looking at. He asked, “What is that? A picnic blanket?”
“Something similar,” Eugene replied as he spread the unrolled rug across the ground before continuing to speak. “This is something that we used to use in my hometown of Turas; it’s called a straw mat.”
“Is that so,” Vermouth said curiously.
“I have to admit, my hometown was extremely rural, even for Turas, and it had a certain custom that the people living in the city wouldn’t be familiar with,” Eugene commented idly.
“A custom?” Vermouth didn’t know why Hamel had suddenly brought up such a topic, but since Hamel had mentioned that it was a custom from his hometown, Vermouth asked out of pure curiosity, “What kind of custom was it?”
“It will be faster to demonstrate it than it would be to try and explain it.” After carefully spreading the mat to lie flat on the ground, Eugene stood up and told Vermouth, “Lie down here.”
“Huh?” Vermouth was puzzled.
“I said, lie down already,” Eugene said, rushing Vermouth.
Vermouth still didn't understand what was going on. However, since all of his companions were smiling, he just tilted his head to the side curiously as he stepped onto the mat.
“You want me to lie down on this…?” Vermouth asked uncertainly.
The mat he was stepping on seemed quite coarse. He had thought it was meant to be a picnic blanket so they could sit on the grass and have some drinks, but he was being told to lie down on it?
Vermouth felt a bit uneasy, but he still did as he was told and laid down on the mat.
“This doesn’t really feel like it should be used as bedding…,” Vermouth slowly observed.
Clicliclick!
The moment Vermouth had lain down, Sienna’s spell was activated. The end of the mat rose and wrapped around Vermouth until he was rolled up tight.
“Wh-what the?!” Vermouth yelped.
Startled, Vermouth tried to struggle free of the mat, but while it might have been possible for him to do that three hundred years ago, it was impossible even for Vermouth to escape from Sienna’s spell now. All he could do after being wrapped up in the mat was wriggle his body around, rolling the mat across the ground like a worm.
Eugene immediately pulled some dark-stained clubs out of his cloak and handed them to his companions.
“Get him!” Eugene shouted.
“Aaaaaah!” Molon let out a roar as he raised his club high into the air.
[Illustration 1]
“Die!” Sienna also ran up to Vermouth, swinging her club with both hands.
[Illustration 2]
“Ashes to ashes!” Anise called out a prayer of mourning when she took her turn raining down blows with her club.
[Illustration 3]
“Oh Lord…!” Kristina, the only one not holding a club, fell to her knees and prayed.
Bam!
Pow!
Crack!
[This son of a bitch!]
[Aaaargh!]
[Oooooh!]
[Gaghk…!]
[Watch out for your ribs!]
[Kaaaaagh!]
[Go ahead and die already!]
[Ka-heuk….]
Gilead, who had just been enjoying a glass of wine, ignored the way his wine was spilling down the front of his shirt as he stared up at the sky.
High up in the sky, where everyone in the city could see it, a video was being played of the Great Vermouth, the Founding Ancestor of the Lionheart clan, being clubbed by his comrades as he was wrapped up in a mat, unable to put up any resistance. Gilead’s jaw had dropped at this shocking sight, allowing a sip of wine to spill out from the corner of his mouth.
“Wh-what is going on…?” Gilead stammered.
Everyone felt the same sense of shock as they watched the video being played in the sky.
The beating was taking place in the campus plaza of Dynas Academy, right in front of the statues of the six heroes. The Great Vermouth was letting out groans and cries of pain as he was unable to defend himself against the rain of clubs that were being slammed down onto him.
This video wasn’t just being broadcast in the skies about the Lionheart’s new city. Sienna’s spell was perfect in its coverage. Just like in the past, during Eugene’s duel against Gavid, the baptism of violence that Vermouth was experiencing was being broadcast all across the continent.
[Stop… please stop…!]
[What do you mean, stop, you bastard!]
[Illustration 4]
[We’ve still got a lot left to go!]
[We aren’t going to kill you, so don’t worry about that.]
[Hey now, it looks like a lot of your bones are broken. Let me heal them for you.]
Even though his bones were crushed into dust, the violence didn’t end. After Vermouth’s body was engulfed in light, and all of his wounds were immediately healed, the beating resumed once more.
“Gaaaah…,” Vermouth cried out in agony.
It hurts!
Vermouth was all too familiar with various kinds of mental anguish. He was also well-acquainted with the agony that was felt when one’s whole body was being torn into little pieces. So Vermouth had the confidence to say that it would take more than just a moderate amount of pain before he would even let out a single groan.
However, he wasn’t able to endure the current agony that he was experiencing. He couldn’t even defend himself because both his arms were firmly pinned to his side by the mat wrapped around him.
If this had just been an ordinary beating, it wouldn’t have even scratched Vermouth’s skin, let alone broken any of his bones. But right now, the strength of each of the four people who were beating Vermouth was strong enough that any of them could easily break Vermouth’s bones, and the heavy pain that was somehow being transmitted through all of the layers of rolled-up matting was sinking deep into Vermouth’s bones.
Just how on earth had these things been created? Their clubs weren’t breaking despite all the force put behind their swings, and the mat hadn’t even torn after being struck so many times.
On top of that, this ordeal of violence couldn’t be escaped by falling unconscious. Whenever Vermouth felt like he was about to faint, Anise’s miracles immediately woke him up, and even if his bones were broken, they would be healed immediately.
“Stop, please just stop…!” Vermouth begged. “I was wrong, it’s all my fault….”
Eugene snorted and said, “We already know that you were in the wrong.”
“So don’t apologize!” Sienna scolded.
Molon nodded, saying, “That’s right, just accept your beating!”
“Sir Vermouth, your sins have already been forgiven,” Anise said in consolation even as her club kept swinging through the air.
Bam, bam! Crack! Pow!
Despite Vermouth’s pleas, the beating continued. Mercifully, the beating was solely aimed at the parts of Vermouth’s body that were rolled up in the mat, and no one tried to target his head.
“Gaaaaagh….”
In the end, Vermouth gave up all resistance and could only groan and scream in time with the beatings, praying earnestly in his heart for this terrible stretch of time to pass quickly.
Bam, bam, bam….
Kristina kept her eyes closed and continued praying even as the sounds of the clubs landing their blows streamed into her ears. She couldn’t bear to join in on their beating of the Great Hero. However, with that said, she didn’t try to mediate and stop the violence either.
At the very least, in Kristina’s opinion, Vermouth did deserve this beating.
“Huff… huff… huff…,” Eugene panted heavily as he put down his club, sweat dripping down his forehead.
The sun was slowly setting, and the sky was covered in its soft, red glow.
The clubbing had continued until the point where even Eugene was left exhausted. He felt tempted to activate Ignition and continue beating Vermouth, but if he did that, Vermouth might actually die.
[Illustration 5]
“Gagh… gaaaghk….”
Still rolled up in a mat, Vermouth looked like a dried-up corpse. His once neatly arranged hair was a tousled mess, his pale skin was covered in dirt, and blood was foaming around his lips. His half-lidded eyes were golden and cloudy, just like they were back when he was sealing away the Demon King of Destruction.
“Aha… ahahaha….”
At this sight, Sienna felt like a bubble of tension had burst within her, leaving her with a refreshing sensation; it was a much different feeling from that time long ago when Vermouth had actually blown a hole straight through her chest.
“Hahaha!”
Molon also burst into a hearty peal of laughter as he set down his club.
For over a hundred years, Molon had single-mindedly hunted the Nur, and never once during all that time had he ever let out a smile. Molon had never resented Vermouth for burdening him with such a life without any apparent hope of salvation in sight. However, even without being burdened by such resentment, he had still felt the urge to beat up Vermouth more than once, so he was in a very good mood right now.
“Ahahaha!”
Anise laughed as she shook the flask she had taken out of her pocket.
In fact, Anise had never once been directly harmed by Vermouth’s actions. At most, she had just been inconvenienced after she was forced to preside over his funeral despite Vermouth having faked his death. However, just because she wasn’t harmed didn’t mean she had never gotten the urge to beat Vermouth up. And wasn’t it a fact that she had suffered a lot because of Vermouth, who had silently kept everything to himself?
“With this, all of our hard feelings have finally been cleared,” Eugene said to Vermouth, who was still writhing in pain.
There was no response. Vermouth wasn’t in any condition to say anything.
Anise giggled as she began to heal Vermouth.
“Congratulations,” Kristina said. She approached Eugene with a handkerchief from the side where she had been kneeling down and praying. She wiped the sweat off Eugene’s face with a soft smile as she said, “Now everything truly has ended.”
“The end…” Eugene muttered as he caught his breath.
The end.
It was just as Kristina had said. Now, everything truly had ended.
The Demon King of Incarceration was dead.
The Demon King of Destruction had also died.
The demonfolk still remained, but they could no longer run wild like they once had. In the world to come, the demonfolk would become just another race living alongside the humans and the other races. The elections going on in Helmuth still weren’t over just yet, but whoever the winner was, once they were finally confirmed, they would be left with no choice but to develop friendlier relations with the other countries.
Dynas Academy had also completed construction. Eugene had finally achieved the dream he had been carrying ever since he was Hamel.
Molon had already founded his own country. But instead of returning to the Royal Family of Ruhr, where his descendants now ruled, he had said that he intended to stay in the forest next to the Lionheart mansion.
Sienna had yet to build her lakeside mansion, but even though there wasn’t a lake, they already had both a forest and a mansion. She had said that she wanted to live in the mansion along with Eugene and continue to educate young wizards by going back and forth between the Academy and Aroth’s lecture halls. While doing so, she also intended to find the spare time to develop new magic and write up a new book of spells. Of course, the first thing she would be writing wouldn’t be a book of spells, but instead, a fairy tale titled “The Legend of Balzac.”
Anise wouldn’t be returning to Yuras. Her dream was to run a bar that doubled as an inn. The building had already been constructed for her, but its interior had yet to be decorated. Anise had said that it was just a daydream that she once had and that she didn’t have any real intention of running the business, but… judging from the fact that she had met up with several merchants by using Ancilla’s connections, it seemed that that issue had yet to be fully determined.
Just like Anise, Kristina wouldn’t be returning to Yuras either. She would also be staying with the Lionhearts. She seemed a little hesitant about giving lectures at the Academy but judging from the fact that she was secretly encouraging Anise to do so together, it seemed like she did have some intention of giving lessons on theology.
Everyone was now busy pursuing their dreams. They had arrived at an end that couldn’t really be called an end, as it was an end that would just lead into their new future. Just like they had so longed for, three hundred years ago, they were finally happy.
But was that really the case?
Could things really end like this?
Was this truly a happy ending?
Eugene silently stared at Krisitna’s face.
The warmth of her hand was transmitted through the handkerchief that was wiping his cheek. Kristina tilted her head in confusion at his intent gaze. Her blue eyes sparkled like jewels as Eugene looked into them.
“Sir Eugene? Is something the matter?” Kristina asked.
Eugene remained silent.
Had she always been this beautiful? Seeing Kristina’s face from such a close distance, Eugene couldn’t help but think about how pretty she was.
Eugene coughed and turned his head. He was now looking at Anise who was still drinking from her flask.
“What’s the matter?” Anise asked with a smile as she lowered her flask from her lips.
Her appearance was still slightly disheveled after having recently worked up a sweat. Transparent beads of sweat were running down her cheeks. Her eyes were curved in a deep smile.
Had she always been like this? Was Anise really always this pretty? She was similar to Kristina but also distinct from Kristina.
Eugene gulped as he turned his gaze once more. This time, his gaze landed on Sienna, who was taking off her hat.
“What are you looking at?” Sienna snapped, her cheeks a little red, perhaps out of excitement.
No, perhaps it was because her skin was dyed by the setting sun. Sienna’s refreshed smile as she used her hat as a fan set Eugene's heart throbbing.
Eugene silently raised his head. He looked up at the six statues, the buildings that made up Dynas Academy, and the red sunset that was looming behind all of them.
Agaroth’s wish had been to slay all of the Demon Kings.
Hamel’s wish was to kill the Demon Kings and then build an Academy on his return home.
Eugene had taken the unfulfilled regrets from his past life as his wish in this life. He had fulfilled his wish by slaying the Demon Kings. He had also built this Academy.
Now that everything had been wrapped up, that still left Eugene’s wish.
A wish that didn’t have anything to do with Agaroth or Hamel.
“Let’s get married,” Eugene suddenly said.
They had just thoroughly beaten up Vermouth. The completed Academy looked quite amazing. And the sunset was truly beautiful.
After having lived through two lives, Eugene had finally learned to live for the present. He felt a great sense of satisfaction and an unprecedented level of peacefulness wash over him.
And Sienna, Anise, and Kristina looked especially beautiful today.
As such, Eugene had said those words without really thinking them through. Let’s get married. He had been planning on asking them this question after giving it another year or so, but the current circumstances surrounding Eugene and the emotions evoked within him had caused him to blurt out his true feelings without any preparation.
His sudden proposal was met with silence.
Sienna stared at Anise. Anise looked to Kristina. Kristina turned to Sienna. Right now, all three of them were feeling the same emotion.
“Who are you going to get married to?” Molon asked cautiously.
No matter how much Molon thought about it, this didn’t feel like the right time. Molon wondered if he could still stop Eugene before his friend made a mistake, but before Molon could even finish his thoughts, Eugene had already replied.
“Sienna, Anise, and Kristina,” Eugene confidently stated.
Molon held his tongue.
“Please marry me,” Eugene repeated his proposal.
Molon closed his eyes.
Aaah….
His sudden proposal was also caught by the spell, which was still broadcasting this scene to the rest of the city and the whole of the continent. There were countless sighs and many exclamations from the unwitting audience to Eugene’s proposal.
Sienna silently stared at Eugene, her shoulders shaking.
Her face was now completely red. This shade wasn’t because of the sunset, or due to embarrassment, or even because of her joy.
“Why would you ask us that now?” Sienna barely managed to keep her voice level as she squeezed out this question.
“Hamel, are you insane?” Anise asked, her eyes flashing like a snake’s behind her crooked-eye smile.
“Sir Eugene… what you said just now has made me extremely happy, but…,” Kristina staggered backward and sighed. “I didn’t want to hear those words at a place like this.”
“That’s right!” Sienna chimed in with a shout.
“I agree with Kristina.” Anise also nodded along vigorously.
Still intoxicated by the situation and his emotions, Eugene couldn’t understand the trio’s reactions.
“What’s wrong with this?” Eugene asked in confusion.
“What do you mean, what’s wrong?! Do you really not know the answer to that?!” Sienna yelled.
“Who would bring up such an important matter in a place like this, while we’re all standing around holding clubs?” Anise complained.
“Did you at least bring rings?” Kristina asked patiently.
Only for Eugene to helplessly shut his eyes in embarrassment as he desperately began rummaging through his cloak.
“Hamel.”
Swish….
Rolling himself free of the mat, Vermouth staggered to his feet.
Without even wiping his blood-stained lips, Vermouth’s bloodshot eyes widened in glee as he told Eugene, “Lie down.”
“Why should I?” Eugene nervously asked.
“Because everyone is going to want you to lie down soon,” Vermouth said in satisfaction.
Eugene turned to look at Sienna, Anise, and Kristina.
Sienna and Anise, who had already been holding clubs, raised their clubs with both hands. Kristina, who had taken a few steps backward while Eugene was searching his cloak, slowly strode over to Eugene and plucked the club from his hands.
“I don’t want any part in this,” Molon said as he handed the club he was holding to Vermouth.
Eugene silently alternated between looking at the mat and everyone else, a bewildered expression on his face.
“What are you doing?” Sienna asked.
“Please lie down,” said Anise.
“I’m sorry, Sir Eugene,” Kristina apologized.
“Lie down already,” Vermouth impatiently insisted.
“Ahem,” Eugene cleared his throat.
The thought suddenly occurred to him. Should he just try to run away? However, if he ran away from this place right now, he got the feeling that he would never be able to return to this place ever again. The feelings that had previously intoxicated Eugene had already cooled down, allowing him to reflect on his mistakes calmly.
“Please be gentle,” Eugene said in a small voice as he lay down on the edge of the mat.
Then he rolled over, wrapping the mat around his body all by himself.
“Die!”
Accompanied by Sienna’s scream, the clubs began to fall.
[Illustration 6]
The End
1. The original text uses the word oppa , which literally translates into a term women use to address their older brothers. However, as those familiar with Korean culture should know, it is also used by girlfriends to address their boyfriends. ☜
Openbookworm & DantheMan's Thoughts
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OBW: So this is how the story ends. I guess it’s appropriate that it ended on such a funny note, though it feels like the author might have a bit of a grudge against handsome guys.
Momo: It was such a wholesome chapter and funny too. I really didn’t like how all the ladies treated Eugene violently, but for once, I really laughed hard. Still, I feel they should have accepted that proposal happily, knowing how unromantic Eugene was in the first place. 😀