Kays Translations

Epilogue: I'm home

It was as if the events of the past day had taken place in another world and that other world, in which Ren had been unwittingly caught up in.

The sight of Clausel, which I hadn't seen in a long time, naturally made me feel relaxed.

I let out a sigh of exhaustion that surged through me and looked up at the center of Clausel and thought.

(...... Finally, I’m home.)

By the way, this long journey was by horse-drawn carriage.

The reason was that traveling by horseback was difficult for the exhausted Ren.

-----It has been exactly three weeks today since I left Fiona.

The reason why so much time has passed has to do with the magic ship that visited the Baldor Mountains.

There were many knights from the imperial capital on that magic ship, but it’s not that they were interrogated or questioned by those knights.

In Ren’s case, the suspension bridge falling down was left to Fiona to explain.

However, the knights of the Clausel family were busy dealing with the aftermath, and Ren stayed behind just in case.

As for the adventurers who escorted the examinees, unfortunately, the knights decided to question them and voluntarily accompanied them to the imperial capital.

But there’s nothing to worry about.

The students who had made it safely down the mountain unexpectedly protected the adventurers.

The adventurers were bewildered at being unexpectedly sheltered, but they had no choice but to head for the capital.

Some of them were even told to come to their house by a nobleman's son.

But on the other hand, the knights of the Clausel family heard from Ren.

What has happened since the suspension bridge fell. They knew that Kai and Maidas were heavily involved in the uproar, and they also knew about the existence of the demon king’s cult.

But those things Fiona reports instead.

Instead, she would have explained that the adventurer who escorted her had disappeared en route.

The knights of the Clausel family are also on speaking terms with her.

Ren secretly thought that they had probably been asked to do so by Fiona.

“Ren-dono, finally!”

The knight who was riding in the carriage said after they passed through the gates of the castle.

“I see… it seems the most intense time of my life is finally coming to an end.”

“By the way, what was the other time?”

“Of course, it was when I was taking Lady Licia to Clausel.”

Needless to say, he didn't need to ask, because it was just a lighthearted remark.

Then Ren looked out the window.

It is, after all, a sight that never ceases to make me nostalgic. I’ve thought about this before, but it seems that life in Clausel has become my daily routine without me realizing it.

Looking at the cityscape like this, my mind and body began to calm down.

An inexpressible feeling of comfort fills everything, as if my soul is being washed away.

(Yeah......)

I worked hard.

I feel like I did my best in many aspects.

Rather, I would like to praise myself that I have returned, but it seems like a miracle that I’m still living like this.

The pain from the burns still lingering on my arms constantly remind me that those days are real.

Whenever the wheels of the carriage tread on the remaining snow on the cobblestone pavement, I just keep listening to the sound, and the hustle and bustle of the past goes away.

I suddenly close my eyes and realize that I haven’t been able to truly rest.

The knight sensed this and closed his mouth.

Looking at Ren with his chin resting on the window sill, his cheeks relaxed pleasantly in the cold air outside, and decided to have him take a good rest first as soon as they arrived at the mansion.

---- Soon, the carriage carrying Ren finished climbing the hill and stopped in front of Baron Clausel's mansion.

"Ren-dono, we have arrived."

"Eh...... we’ve arrived already?"

“You look tired. How are you feeling? Why don't you take a good rest today? We will report to the master.”

Unusually for Ren, he almost nodded at the suggestion.

However, he’s worried by the recent disturbance.

Even if the detailed report can be carried over to tomorrow, he should at least show his face to let them know that he’s safe and that he has returned home.

Ren slapped his cheek hard and woke up, then got off the carriage on his own feet.

That's when it happened.

“…Ren!”

The saint rushes to the carriage.

Her face showed a variety of emotions.

She was happy that Ren had returned home, worried about the disturbances she had heard about, surprised at what had happened in the Baldor Mountains, and eager to let him rest soon after his exhaustion.

“When the news of the disturbances in the Baldor Mountains reached us, the young lady said she would go to the Baldor Mountains even if she had to go alone.”

The knight who was in the mansion and who greeted the carriage whispered to Ren.

Ren chuckled, "That sounds exactly like Licia-sama," he said, but he was happy.

“If Weiss-sama hadn’t stopped her, she would have run out of the mansion without a doubt."

The knight who greeted the carriage stepped aside as he said so.

Then Licia finally came to Ren's side.

From the door of the mansion, Lessard and Weiss also appeared and stepped forward. Ahead of them, Licia takes Ren's hand and adjusts her breathing.

"Welcome back----."

But she quickly closed her mouth.

She instantly understood from the burns she saw on Ren's hand that the burns would be the same around the end of his arm, so she forcefully took the hand with the less noticeable burns and started walking away..

“Father! I'll take Ren with me!"

Without waiting for Lessard's reply, she takes Ren inside the main residence.

As they passed each other, Ren said in a small voice, "I'm sorry," to Lessard and Weiss, but they smiled at him, telling him not to worry, as if they were trying to help him.

The two of them also thought it was not the time to talk when they saw how exhausted Ren looked.

(...... ridiculously sleepy)

The tension that had been tautly held was easily broken, and it seemed as if all the strength would be drained from my bodies.

Now, other than the warmth I feel from my hand overlapping with Licia's, my senses are terribly dull.

Perhaps because of that as soon as I stepped into the main residence.

As they were passing by the sofa in the entrance hall, Ren's body wobbled and Licia was caught up in it, and they both collapsed onto the sofa.

“Re-Ren…?”

The two of them fell down, but mainly only Ren.

Licia sat down on the sofa to catch him and welcomed his head in her lap.

Ren’s body collapses on the sofa and gives up half of his consciousness on the saint's lap.

Excuse me. 

 I try to wake up reflexively.

“Thank you for your hard work, Ren.”

Licia's hand was placed on his shoulder.

Is it sacred magic? It was warm and calming.

I didn't feel like I could resist at all.

That’s probably why.

Ren inadvertently speaks the words that were in his heart.

“…I tried my best.”

“I know.”

"...... and I'm very tired.”

“I know that too.”

Licia's hand rests on Ren's burn and a white light envelops it.

This warmth makes my eyes tingle even more.

“What have you been up to, Ren?”

“Ummm ...... it’ll sound like a lie ......”

She smiles at Ren, who seems to be falling asleep with his eyes down on her lap. She wanted to hear his voice just a little bit more, so she talks to him selfishly.

She also finds him so cute and obedient on her lap that she didn't want to let go of this time.

“I fought those who were plotting to resurrect the Demon King, and I fought Asval, who suddenly came back to life.”

“Oh my, that's amazing. But Ren won.”

“You don't doubt me?”

“On the contrary? Why would I doubt you?”

Licia tried to appear calm, but her heart was filled with surprise. 

Soon after this, Ren showed a calm face and looked as if he was about to fall asleep.

"Are you going to fall asleep like this?"

Licia asked, and Ren nodded yes.

I don't have enough time to think properly anymore, so I just leave myself to Licia without coming to the answer she suggested, which was whether to sleep on her lap as it is.

“Then, good night."

Licia smiled kindly at him.

Licia looked at Ren, who was slightly startled, but then opened his eyes and looked up at Licia as if he had just remembered.

Slightly startled, Licia asked, "What's wrong?" and he replied.

“......I'm home."

After all this time, he answered Licia's "Welcome home," and closed his eyelids without waiting for her reply. Hearing the gentle sigh of sleep that eventually came, Licia smiled again and removed the hair that hung on Ren's cheek with her fingertips.

“Yes. Welcome back ---- my hero."

The hero slept on the saint's lap, and the saint healed the hero.

If I were to use a metaphor, it would be a scene from a holy painting.

Even to the eyes of those who had watched over the white saint since she was a child, the scene looked mysterious.

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