Side Story 38. [After Story] Lake Kingdom (2)
At the very heart of the Lake Kingdom.
Once, the royal palace had been a place that endlessly spewed darkness. But now, it basked peacefully in the sunlight.
Just as we arrived, Ariel was returning to the palace as well.
“Ariel!”
I called out, waving enthusiastically as I stepped down from the carriage.
Ariel, who had just gotten off her own carriage, turned toward me.
“Ash!”
With a bright smile, she ran toward me in a hurry. I grinned and kept waving excitedly.
Behind me, Lucas bit his lip and muttered.
“Your Majesty… please, I implore you… maintain the dignity befitting the Emperor of Everblack…”
“Oh, come on. Can’t I even wave when meeting an old comrade?”
Having endured Lucas’s nagging for years, I had come to recognize two types. There were the “You must listen to this” naggings and the “I really wish you’d listen” naggings. The latter could be ignored.
Ariel and I clasped hands and started bouncing in place.
Two grown leaders of two powerful nations, playing around like excited children—it must have been quite the sight. Lucas, unable to take it any longer, squeezed his eyes shut.
Oh, whatever.
“I heard you went to the fire site. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. No casualties. Just a few buildings got scorched. Once I confirmed the fire was out, there wasn’t much left for me to do, so I returned.”
“Good. I’m really glad… though—”
Despite her calm response, it was obvious she had personally been at the scene.
Her entire body was covered in soot.
Her uniform, which resembled a riding outfit, was stained with ash. Her neatly tied white hair was now disheveled and streaked with dust.
The palace attendants collectively gasped in horror.
“Oh no, Princess! The coronation is tomorrow morning! The celebrations start tonight!”
“Will we even be able to get everything ready in time?!”
“Quickly, bring Her Highness inside! Prepare the bath! Call the royal stylists!”
Ariel tried to protest, but the attendants were practically on their knees, begging.
Sighing in resignation, she allowed herself to be pulled into the palace.
“Let’s talk more at the banquet tonight, Ash. Get some rest until then.”
“Yeah, make sure you get ready properly!”
As Ariel was escorted away, we were also led inside.
The royal palace of the Lake Kingdom, built during its golden age, was vast. Even as someone accustomed to the New Terra Imperial Palace, I found its sheer scale impressive.
We were guided to our guest quarters, where someone was already waiting for us.
An elderly couple, elegantly dressed.
The moment they saw me, they smiled warmly.
“It’s been a long time.”
“Still looking as sharp as ever, I see!”
“…Wait—huh?!”
Their refined appearance made it take a moment for me to recognize them.
Stunned, I reached out toward them.
“Could it be… Sword Demon? Spear Demon?”
“We abandoned those frightening names long ago. But just for today… we don’t mind hearing them again.”
“It really has been a long time!”
They were trying their best to speak in the formal, standardized dialect of the continent, but…
Their distinct regional accents and the sharp rise at the end of their sentences were still unmistakable.
It was them.
Sword Demon and Spear Demon.
During their time in the dungeon, their faces had been hardened and terrifying, shrouded in shadow and menace.
But now, in the sunlight, that darkness had lifted.
They just looked like a kind, elderly couple.
I clasped their hands.
“How have you been?”
“Eh, just waiting to kick the bucket in some forgotten corner… but then, we got invited to this event of all things!”
“Imagine that. We even get to step inside the royal palace. Life sure is full of surprises.”
After the war, Sword Demon and Spear Demon had played a crucial role in stabilizing the Lake Kingdom as representatives of the non-citizen class.
The Lake Kingdom had once been divided into extreme social classes—royalty, nobility (citizens), and slaves (non-citizens).
Now, with the exception of a few remaining royal family members, the kingdom had achieved a much more equal status for its people.
“The whole country got dragged to rock bottom together. We had no choice but to endure it side by side.”
“There are still some folks clinging to the old ways, but most people are too busy trying to survive to dwell on the past.”
Originally, the kingdom’s social structure had been based on magic—those who could use it held power, while those who couldn’t were oppressed.
But with magic now gone, that system could no longer function.
Even the nobles and former royals understood that reality better than anyone.
Of course, dismantling their privileges hadn’t been easy. But the biggest reason the transition succeeded was simple—
Ariel had led by example and sacrificed her own wealth and status first.
“She liquidated most of the royal family’s assets before anything else.”
“She poured every last bit of the kingdom’s remaining fortune into restoring the nation. With the royal family giving up everything, there was no excuse left for the nobles or former slave-owners to resist.”
Over the past twenty years, Sword Demon and Spear Demon had witnessed firsthand the Lake Kingdom’s transformation.
Hearing the stories of how this former dungeon had fought to reclaim its place as a nation was fascinating.
Both Lucas and I listened intently.
We got so caught up in conversation that before we knew it, afternoon had arrived.
“Ah, damn! We talked your ears off for too long!”
“Sheesh. Old folks like us just can’t help but ramble when we get the chance!”
Tonight, before Ariel’s coronation, a grand banquet was being held for the invited guests.
It was time to start getting ready.
“Here we are, keeping important guests like you busy with our chatter!”
“Go on, now! Get yourselves dressed for the party!”
“Come on, we were just having fun talking together. You two are coming to the party, right?”
At my question, the elderly couple exchanged awkward smiles.
“We were invited…”
“But events like this feel a bit… overwhelming for us.”
“Oh, none of that. It’s just a big gathering where everyone enjoys themselves. So, both of you—come! Got it?”
I made them promise before heading inside with Lucas to change into more formal attire.
Even if we weren’t the stars of the night like Ariel, as representatives of Everblack, we had to at least look the part.
And so, the Coronation Eve Banquet began.
As we entered the grand banquet hall within the palace, I was surprised by how many familiar faces were present.
Many adventurers who had once roamed the Lake Kingdom had been invited.
And then—
“Coco!”
Coco the Severer.
It had been a long time since I last saw the Grand Witch who once bore that title.
But Coco was no longer the same as before.
Her once-imposing frame had withered, and the hands that peeked out from her sleeves were little more than skin and bone.
Her legs had completely stiffened—she could no longer walk.
“-I’m just relieved… that I lived long enough to witness our princess’s coronation.”
Yet, the sharp, piercing gaze I had known for three years remained unchanged.
Fixing her deep, well-like eyes on me, Coco whispered.
“I told you twenty years ago… Thank you for saving Ariel. For saving the Lake Kingdom. Young prince… No, I should say Your Majesty now.”
Just like back at Base Camp, she instinctively reached into her robes, searching for a glass jar of jelly.
But realizing too late that her frail body no longer carried such childish indulgences, she let out a small, sheepish laugh.
“From now on… please continue to look after Ariel. And the Lake Kingdom… Young Emperor.”
Without a word, I reached out and gently placed my hand over the old witch’s.
Among the people of the Lake Kingdom, there were also many foreign guests attending Ariel’s coronation.
Naturally—
“Uncle! Senior!”
Evangeline was here too!
Well, of course. She was the lord of the neighboring city! She and Ariel were close! If anything, it would have been weird if she wasn’t here.
Grinning at the girl waving both hands wildly at us, I walked over.
“Crossroad’s Margrave! When did you get here?”
“Just a little while ago!”
Without hesitation, Evangeline latched onto Lucas’s arm, linking them tightly.
With a beaming smile, she declared, “We can properly catch up in Crossroad later! Tonight, we’re focusing on celebrating Ariel!”
“You’re saying that, but why are you gripping me so—gah!”
Evangeline yanked Lucas away, and he barely managed to stammer, “I’ll be back soon, Your Majesty—!” as he was dragged off.
Yeah, sure. Soon. Make sure you come back after the party ends.
Lucas’s absence was quickly filled by the other Glory Knights, and as I made my rounds greeting familiar faces, a commotion rippled through the hall.
At the far end of the banquet stage, Ariel appeared.
She was wearing a deep teal-colored gown, her movements careful as she helped an elderly man down the steps.
A man so aged and frail that he could barely walk.
The crown upon his head made it clear—he was the current King of the Lake Kingdom.
Ariel’s father.
After guiding him to the seat of honor, Ariel stepped into the center of the banquet hall.
WAAAHHHH!
A wave of people surged toward her, surrounding her in an instant.
From every direction, congratulations poured in.
Ariel smiled, graciously receiving them all.
I didn’t approach. Instead, I observed from a distance.
“…”
After enduring long, grueling years of recovery and rebuilding—
After overcoming every curse, every scar—
The Lake Kingdom was finally stepping forward into the present world.
“How do you feel?”
I turned my head slightly and spoke.
“Crown— No… Christian.”
A short distance away, blending into the crowd, a man with white hair and teal-colored eyes flinched.
“…Ash.”
“I was wondering when you’d finally come talk to me. But you stayed quiet, so I waited. What, were you planning on staying hidden the whole time?”
“…Haaah… If I could, yeah.”
With a long sigh, Christian finally stepped beside me.
“I was hoping to watch quietly without Ariel noticing.”
“Seriously? You, acting shy?”
Ignoring my teasing, Christian gave me a sideways glance.
“You seem well, Ash. So? Do you enjoy being Emperor?”
“To be honest, it’s pretty fun. Guess it suits me.”
I flashed him a grin.
“And you. You don’t look too bad yourself.”
“…’Course you’d say that.”
“How’s life as an explorer?”
Christian didn’t answer right away. Instead, he changed the subject.
“Damien wanted me to pass along his regards. The Eastern Continent Expedition Base is running smoothly.”
“When you get back, remind him that safety comes first. Tell him to take his time and be careful during the exploration.”
Christian, Damien, and some of the greatest explorers in the world had established an expeditionary base along the Eastern Continent’s coastline.
I had personally invested in the project as a sponsor, while Christian oversaw its operations.
As for the ships, those were funded and provided by the Rompeller siblings.
“But seriously, doesn’t it take months just to get here by ship? How’d you manage to arrive on time?”
“There was no way I was missing this event.”
Christian’s gaze swept toward the banquet stage.
First, to his father, seated in the place of honor.
Then, to Ariel, standing among the people.
In his teal-colored eyes, I caught a flicker of something deep.
A complicated emotion—one that no mere observer could ever hope to fully understand.
“It’s been ten years since I last returned to this country… And in that time, everything has changed again.”
Christian took a sip from his glass and murmured softly.
“It will keep changing. In ways so brilliant that I can’t even begin to imagine…”
“Have you ever thought about coming back?”
“Not at all.”
A self-deprecating smile curled at the corner of his lips.
“I’m the one most responsible for dragging this country into hell. If I were to stay, it wouldn’t do Ariel’s reign any good.”
“…”
“The last remaining stain of the royal family… the final shadow of its past… it’s only right that I take it with me and disappear.”
With the flair of a former jester, Christian shrugged dramatically.
“Besides, exploring the world’s edge is… surprisingly fun.”
“Wow. You’ve really mellowed out.”
“Well, I owe that to a certain someone who went and saved the world.”
We exchanged lighthearted quips, sharing a fleeting moment of amusement.
And then—
“Brother!”
A voice like thunder rang through the banquet hall.
Christian turned sharply, eyes wide in shock.
Through the crowd, pushing past the sea of people—
Ariel.
She was smiling radiantly as she ran toward us.
“You came!”
“Ugh…!”
A panicked, utterly foolish sound escaped Christian’s lips.