Out of nowhere…
Rubia is beautiful.
Her hair sparkles in the light.
Her mystically shining blue eyes.
Her gaze that holds softness within sharpness.
Her elegantly shaped nose.
Her alluring pink lips.
Super, super pretty.
The prettiest in the world.
So beautiful that not even any artifact from this world or the brush of any painter could capture her beauty.
Hermila is also pretty.
Her somewhat dull blonde hair harmonizes well with her light green eyes and round eyes.
Delia, Yuria, Mia, and Hephaestus too.
Each has their own appeal, but they are all beautiful.
And then there’s Heinzel.
Heinzel is… bald.
And Charlotte.
The Charlotte smiling in front of me is also pretty.
Her sun-kissed skin, her sun-like blazing eyes.
Countless piercings and a sharp gaze.
Plus, she left about four buttons of her shirt undone, exposing her upper chest. Below that, a toned and slender figure, the exact opposite of mine.
Yeah. Charlotte is… pretty.
Pretty, but…
“Uh, Noah?”
“…What?”
The first thing I did upon seeing Charlotte’s face was wrap my arms around Rubia’s waist.
“Why are you suddenly acting like that?”
I don’t really know why…
But the moment I saw Charlotte’s face, I felt the need to protect Rubia.
No, I know why.
Charlotte is… a golden sun.
A textbook definition of a golden sun.
Especially the smile she bestowed while looking at Rubia in her casual wear seemed very, very dangerous.
Actually, it is dangerous.
Charlotte likes women.
And she likes Rubia too.
Moreover, she’s an empress. She has power, money…
Before, I didn’t see well, and I just worried about Charlotte’s appearance.
But after seeing her now…
“Oh, no…!”
My instincts screamed.
My gut instinct rang alarm bells.
Rubia is in danger…
I have to protect Rubia.
“After meeting after such a long time, instead of greetings, you’re only saying things aren’t allowed. What do you mean by not allowed?”
With a look of disbelief, Charlotte chuckled as she sat down and rustled something out.
“Here, eat this.”
Then she swiftly threw something at me.
Plop- it landed on my shoulder even before I could catch it.
“Jelly…?”
It was a bag stuffed with jelly.
And not just any jelly, the kind I had never eaten before.
“This jelly is a special production for the coronation. I heard you’re back, so we hurried to make it. I’m not sure how it tastes, but give it a try and let me know.”
“…Mmm…”
I carefully released my arm wrapped around Rubia’s waist and held the jelly in my hand.
It felt quite heavy.
Squeeze-squeeze- it had a bouncy texture.
“T-thank you…”
It looked delicious, so I bowed my head slightly.
“Great. The tea will be coming soon. You ordered strawberry milk, right? Is that okay?”
“Ah… thank you…”
I’m tired of strawberry milk… but still, since she prepared it thinking of me…
I once again bowed my head and hugged Rubia tighter.
“Uh…? Hehe, hehehe… haha…”
Seeing that, Rubia’s expression completely melted, letting out a silly giggle.
While I was in a huge panic…
Hermila let out a sigh and shook her head.
Charlotte, on the other hand, said,
“Yeah… I know you don’t want to part after meeting for the first time in a while, but damn, I’ve been so busy lately I might end up caught in a web? I’m already so lonely I might as well sit down before I throw you in prison for disrespect.”
“Eek…”
I ground my teeth and wiped my face.
*
Dusk had fallen, and it was time when everyone was asleep.
“This… huh… I was prepared in my heart, but I didn’t expect this much.”
My story.
So, the name known to the world is the Monster of the End.
Charlotte, who had calmly listened to the stories of forgotten heroes, seemed exhausted as she buried herself deep into the couch.
Hermila gazed at the notes she took with a serious expression.
Rubia, meanwhile, was sniffling while hugging me like a teddy bear.
I’m a bit scared she might drop snot in my hair.
“So all of them were like you, formidable enemies… No, they were heroes of that era?”
“Yes. Though their races were different, they all… were incredible heroes.”
“I see…”
Eventually, Charlotte covered her face with both hands and let out a deep sigh as she flopped down.
“This isn’t something to be wrapped up in a speech; I need to write a book about it.”
“Right. It doesn’t seem bad to write it down as a story.”
Hermila sighed as she leaned against the couch.
Everyone seems really exhausted…
And we haven’t even started the main story yet.
“Mmm…”
“…Noah. Why does your expression look like that?”
“Y-yes?”
“Don’t you have something to say?”
“Um, no… that… um…”
I slightly raised my head to look at Rubia.
She nodded, as if she knew what I wanted to say, and smiled slightly.
So it’s okay?
“Ah, there are still many things to discuss…”
“…I know there are leftovers, but you’re saying there are many?”
“Yes…”
“How many?”
“Um, well, the last one I just told is not even half…”
“Uh…”
Charlotte shuddered like she’d eaten a lemon and jumped up to press the button nearby.
With a click, the office door opened, and an incredibly dignified maid entered, bowing her head.
“Three cups of coffee and…”
Charlotte’s gaze turned to me.
“Ch-chocolate milk…”
“Three cups of coffee and chocolate milk. Oh, and please bring a bit of the jelly and cookies I brought earlier.”
“Understood.”
The maid bowed gracefully and retreated quietly out of the office.
Click. After three seconds of the door closing…
Charlotte, with a serious expression, opened her mouth.
“Let’s start again. Please.”
I nodded and spoke.
The story of Sirin.
Everything she had done.
The reasons she had to do so.
Regrets, sorrow, loneliness, pain, guilt.
With every sentence I recounted Sirin’s story, Charlotte’s serious face crumbled, and Hermila’s lips quivered.
Rubia ultimately couldn’t hold back the tears.
“Going through such things, and having seen those, even I… can’t believe this story.”
Charlotte, who had already emptied five cups of coffee, let out a sigh.
After a while of silence, Charlotte pressed the button again to call for a maid.
A different maid entered this time.
“Let’s postpone the coronation for two more days.”
“Understood.”
Just like before, the maid bowed obediently and exited the office quietly.
“Is there more left?”
Charlotte’s voice was slightly thick.
“…Yes.”
How much is left now?
“Let’s take a little break and start again? Or…”
Charlotte glanced back and forth between Hermila and Rubia.
I also looked up at Rubia.
Then, peck. Rubia kissed my forehead and shook her head.
“I’m fine to start right away.”
“…Yes. I’m fine too.”
Hermila answered while crunching on a cookie in front of her.
“Okay. Then… I’ll ask you again, Noah.”
Looking out the window, Charlotte spoke in a tone that seemed to have lost some of its sharpness.
A dim light was rising outside the window.
The light of dawn.
Seeing that light, I began to tell a story I could never forget— the story of a mage.
*
In the heavy atmosphere.
When Ser’s story ended, it was bright daylight.
I don’t know what time it is.
Charlotte’s soldiers and servants, under her command, bustled about, putting up papers while loudly amplifying artifacts announced the postponement of the coronation.
“…Now, is there just one left?”
Charlotte, having barely stopped crying, asked with eyes red and voice cracking.
One. Well, if split in detail, it’s three stories, but they all connect as one… right.
I should say it’s one.
“Cough… Yes.”
I cleared my running nose as I answered.
“…Right.”
Thud- thud- sound of Charlotte’s sigh echoed as she tapped the desk.
Hermila was tapping her fingers on the desk.
Yeah. Hermila always had that habit of tapping when she was deep in thought…
Rubia wasn’t struggling, she held me tighter than before. Our backs pressed against each other, her chest was damp with sweat.
I hope my words… got through well.
Did they… understand?
I worry because I lack eloquence.
But I did my best to express it… there might have been parts that were misunderstood.
Should I review what Hermila wrote down later?
That should work out fine.
Now that I can see…
“Shall we… s-start?”
Nod. Charlotte nodded.
Hermila, who had put down her fan, picked it up again.
Clears throat. I composed myself and opened my mouth.
The End, no.
My story.
I don’t know what path she has walked.
But I know what she has accomplished.
For me, for this world.
She sacrificed everything for everything.
I know her story.
I recounted it.
As in detail as possible.
As splendidly as possible.
As the story unfolded, Charlotte’s mouth dropped open. Hermila’s face contorted.
Rubia’s sobs grew louder.
My story did not stop.
I spoke of the existence of the Nameless One.
How pathetic that guy was.
Everyone gnashed their teeth in anger.
Charlotte’s teeth cracked.
Hermila smashed thirteen fans.
Rubia clenched her fists so tightly that blood flowed.
Still, after hearing how much I beat that guy, everyone cheered in a way.
It felt good.
And then, after that…
Lilith.
When I talked about meeting ‘Rubia,’
“…What did that girl do to Noah?!”
I could feel killing intent in Rubia’s voice.
…Did I say too much?
