Side Story 23. [After Story] Yun & Kuilan
Six months later.
Imperial Year 662.
Ten years after the final battle against the monsters.
Central Continent. Near the Great Forest. Beastkin Village.
Bang! Boom!
Fireworks bloomed in the clear morning sky.
Colorful fabric decorations, densely hung from the branches of a Maple tree in the village center, fluttered in the wind.
The entire beastkin village was steeped in a festive atmosphere. The village children ran around laughing, holding pinwheels and toys wrapped in yarn.
It was the wedding of Kuilan, King of the Beastkin, and Yun, Princess of the Ariane Kingdom.
Their marriage signified the union of their two nations, and the entire Great Forest had prepared for this historic celebration. Kings and envoys from all over the world had gathered in the Great Forest to offer their congratulations.
“Yun-unnie! You look sooo beautiful!”
Bridal waiting room.
Wearing the traditional wedding attire of the beastkin, Yun smiled warmly at the guests offering their compliments.
Her dress, adorned with flowers and greenery, was draped with a cape decorated with Maple leaves and feathers. She shimmered with vitality. Having spent the past six months diligently eating, exercising, and recovering, Yun had regained her health to the point where she was almost unrecognizable.
“Does it look weird?”
“Weird? No way! You look stunning! Wow, seeing the beastkin’s traditional outfit up close, it’s really unique…”
Evangeline gushed, practically spitting in excitement.
The other women gathered around—members of the once-famous Hero’s Party—nodded in agreement.
For those accustomed to the human tradition of white wedding dresses, Yun’s ensemble, adorned with the colors of nature, was not just unique but truly mesmerizing.
“Your skin was already pale, but after sleeping for ten years, you look even whiter.”
Yun scratched her cheek as she looked in the mirror.
The traditional markings of the Leaf Tribe were painted on her fair cheeks.
“I’m a bit worried I might look too ghostly. I really have recovered a lot, though…”
The naturally pale complexion of northern folk had always been a minor insecurity for Yun.
Being praised as having “porcelain-like skin” was only a compliment when one wasn’t so white that they blended into the snow.
Ten years ago, she had put in the effort to tan her skin to a soft cream color. But after spending a decade unconscious in bed, she was now even paler than before.
“Oh, come on, you’re complaining about that? Then swap skin with me!”
“Yeah, yeah! Take my freckles too!”
“And my blemishes!”
“My acne as well!”
“Hey, take my husband too! Let’s trade—I’ll take Kuilan instead!”
The last remark came from Orange, a perfumer from the Gambler’s Club.
Her seasoned joke, brimming with experience, had everyone applauding and laughing.
When asked about the plans after the wedding, Yun smiled sheepishly and replied.
“For our honeymoon, we’re heading to Crossroad…”
At that, Evangeline threw up her arms and struck a pose.
“I’ve reserved the top-floor suite at Hotel Crossroad! Enjoy yourselves in the South’s best tourist city!”
“So jealous… My lord, will we get to stay in the suite if we visit too?”
“Of course! You know what, instead of just talking about it, how about a Hero’s Party vacation?!”
The women buzzed excitedly at the idea.
But plans for a vacation could wait. Today was Yun’s special day.
As everyone eagerly asked, “What’s next?” Yun chuckled and continued.
“After that, we’ll take the Rompeller Cruise up the eastern sea and visit my homeland.”
“Wow, that sounds luxurious!”
“Well, of course, it has to be! Our dear Princess Yun suffered enough—it’s time for her to enjoy nothing but the sweet life!”
“A real honeymoon, huh~? So jealous~”
Since waking up, Yun had yet to visit her homeland.
She had been too weak, the distance was too far, and the wedding preparations had kept her busy.
Now, as part of their honeymoon, she planned to visit her home with Kuilan.
“And after that… we’re planning to settle down here for good.”
Yun gazed out the bridal waiting room window at the lively beastkin village.
“Living here, I’ve realized it’s truly a wonderful place.”
“And you’ve got your beloved here too, huh?!”
“Well…”
Yun smiled, slightly embarrassed.
“That’s about right.”
A chorus of squeals erupted from the room.
“Okay, okay, but who confessed first?!”
“How did the proposal happen?!”
“Come on, spill the details!”
“This is what we came for! Out with it, out with it!”
Her guests swarmed around her, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Yun clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably, before finally starting her story.
“Well, here’s how it all happened…”
At the entrance to the wedding hall.
Amidst the crowd of guests, Kuilan was busy shaking hands, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Seeing him, I called out loudly.
“Congratulations, Kuilan! You’re finally getting married!”
“Captain!”
Kuilan’s face lit up as he turned toward me.
“Madam, and Sir Knight! Ah… and Daram, and even Lady Elize, you’ve all come!”
He took the time to greet each member of our delegation from the Bringar Duchy.
Aside from Daram, who had been addressed incorrectly, everyone smiled warmly in return.
“Oh wow, Madam, you’ve come all this way despite your condition.”
“Haha, how could I miss your wedding?”
“I’m grateful… and I feel bad at the same time…”
As we entered, we all took turns congratulating Kuilan on his wedding.
I took one look at Kuilan, who was dressed to the nines, and let out a whistle.
“You look great today.”
Kuilan was dressed in the traditional attire of the northern Ariane Kingdom.
True to its cold, wintry climate, the outfit was a snug leather suit that clung to the body from the neck down. The white garment, tanned from polar bear hide, was as pristine as freshly fallen snow. Thick white fur densely covered his shoulders and back.
“Yun is wearing the traditional attire of the beastkin, and I’m wearing Ariane’s traditional outfit. We decided to swap.”
Kuilan grinned.
“How does it look? Not too weird, right?”
“It suits you perfectly.”
The Ariane Kingdom, after all, valued physical aesthetics, so their ceremonial attire was designed to complement the body. Given Kuilan’s towering stature and muscular build, the outfit looked like it was made for him.
I circled around him once, inspecting him with a smirk.
“But seriously, what happened to your stomach?!”
I gave his belly a firm pat.
Gone was the sculpted body of a prime warrior—he had softened into a well-fed muscle pig.
Kuilan scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“I did lose some muscle, but it wasn’t this bad. It’s just… Yun needed to gain some weight, so we’ve been eating well together, and, well…”
“Hah. They say people gain weight when they’re happily living together…”
For the record, I had also ballooned up during my honeymoon. I had turned into a pudgy Ash, and it was only thanks to Lucas mercilessly forcing me to train that I managed to lose it again.
Serenade, seemingly recalling that time, covered her mouth and chuckled.
“You were adorable back then too.”
“Ahem.”
Daram and Elize shot me a look that practically screamed, Here they go again. I cleared my throat. Today, the only ones allowed to show off their love were Kuilan and Yun!
“Well, anyway, at least during the ceremony—like this!”
Hup!
Kuilan sucked in a deep breath and tensed his abs. The round belly vanished, and his old six-pack reemerged.
A chorus of admiration rippled through the group.
“Oooh!”
“Hoo…! If I stay like this, I’ll look decent enough, right?”
“Good, good! That’s the body we remember! Keep it that way all day, got it?”
Just then, Lucas silently stepped up beside me.
With a casual flick of his finger—poke!—he pressed into Kuilan’s side.
“Graaah!”
Kuilan instantly deflated like a punctured balloon, his belly bouncing back into place.
Lucas?! What the hell was that for?!
“Fufu.”
Lucas smirked evilly and slipped back behind me.
“The final victor of the muscle war… is me.”
Since when was that even a competition?! Actually… now that I thought about it, maybe we had competed over that before…?
Anyway, since Kuilan still had guests to greet, we didn’t tease him any further. After exchanging a few more words, we made our way into the ceremony hall.
“Congratulations! Be happy!”
“See you at the reception, Captain!”
Leaving Kuilan behind, we stepped inside the hall.
The space was alive with chatter, filled with guests holding drinks and enjoying their meals.
In one corner, a fountain gushed with liquor and refreshments, with glasses stacked high beside it. Nearby, a buffet table was piled with various dishes, allowing guests to serve themselves freely.
Ah, so this was how the feast was arranged.
“We’re heading to the bridal waiting room now, my lord.”
“Alright. I’ll stop by later.”
Since the waiting room was already crowded, we decided to send Serenade in first.
Serenade, Bodybag, and Elize made their way toward the bridal waiting room at the back. Since Serenade was heavily pregnant and moving with difficulty, Bodybag and Elize supported her on either side.
Lucas and I proceeded further into the banquet hall.
“Let’s see…”
Nearby, a group of northern guests had gathered, and among them, a loud, boisterous laugh rang out.
An older man with a ruddy face, missing an arm, was grinning broadly.
Miller Ariane. The King of the Ariane Kingdom.
Kuilan’s father-in-law and Yun’s father.
“These dumplings are fantastic! I bet they’d do well in the north too!”
Miller was clearly in high spirits. I approached him with a smile.
“It’s been a while, Miller. Congratulations.”
“Oh! Prince Ash! It has been a while!”
We shook hands, exchanging friendly smiles.
Once the most self-centered king, focused solely on his own kingdom, Miller had changed after the war ten years ago. He had become one of the most proactive rulers in ensuring peace and stability across the continent. Naturally, our relationship had improved significantly.
“Now that Yun has returned alive, I have nothing more to ask for.”
With a face flushed from alcohol, Miller took another swig and let out a long sigh.
“I just want her to be happy.”
“I hope for that as well.”
“Come to think of it, isn’t this quite the amusing situation? Yun was originally supposed to marry you.”
Gulp.
A long-forgotten memory resurfaced—the grand banquet in New Terra, where my father had publicly announced my engagement to Yun… which I had promptly broken off.
Miller gave me a sly smirk.
“Shouldn’t you be giving a very generous wedding gift?”
“D-Don’t worry. I’ve got it covered…”
“Pwahaha! I’m just messing with you!”
Miller laughed heartily, then gazed across the banquet hall with a distant look in his eyes.
“The times have truly changed.”
“…”
“A daughter I thought was dead has returned. The warriors who were once young and reckless are now marrying and having children.”
Time flowed like a river, turning even the bloodiest of battles into distant memories.
After a brief silence, Miller spoke again.
“I’m planning to step down soon.”
“Step down…?”
“I’ve already transferred most of my ruling authority to my eldest daughter. She’s strong and wise.”
Nearby, the First Princess of the Ariane Kingdom was visible.
The towering woman was openly sobbing, overwhelmed with emotion at her younger sister’s survival and wedding. Her husband gently wiped the tears from her eyes on her behalf.
“She will govern Ariane well.”
“Miller…”
“The times have changed. The world must now be led by the young.”
Miller raised his glass and looked directly at me.
“The same goes for you, Prince Ash. You will be Emperor soon.”
“…”
“Guide the coming era into something beautiful. I will step back and watch with joy.”
He downed his drink in one go, then grinned before striding off toward his people.
“The young kings are arriving. It’s time for this old man to step aside.”
I watched Miller’s retreating figure for a moment before turning around.
And there—
“Ash!”
Mikhail, the young king of the Vermillion Kingdom, was walking toward me with a bright smile.