Zion replied softly and turned his head slowly.
Hanette, a bit flustered, let out a small laugh and curled up beside him.
"Are you having strange thoughts?"
"Spending the night together? How do you think we would do that in this state?"
"I wouldn’t know. You told me to stay."
"Didn't you say you were staying?"
"You should have said it wasn't a good idea then."
"Why should I stop someone who wants to stay?"
"……."
Hanette was at a loss for words, staring blankly at Zion. If Zion had behaved as usual, this response wouldn't have come. It seemed that the battle with Slime Dragon had caused significant changes in his mindset.
"If we don't enjoy the moment now, we might regret it later. Didn't you say that? Not to miss the moments we have together?"
"Did you really regret it after I died?"
"Of course. I wished we had been closer."
Zion held Hanette's hand and slowly brought his face closer. Warmth flowed from her touch, and her soft breath brushed against his skin. He had nearly lost this warmth and breath, but he wouldn’t make the same mistake again. His eyes had shed countless tears, and he had suffered to the brink of death.
"Now I understand why you were so angry back then."
"Then why did you do that?"
"Even knowing it, I couldn't stop. Because you were dead."
"So you wanted to follow me in death?"
"I couldn't die alone. I had to take that monster with me. I needed to avenge you."
"Haa... you really..."
Hanette, though feeling conflicted, couldn’t continue speaking. She wanted to scold him, but she had to accept it. Foolish, emotional, and impulsive as it was, it was all for her.
"At least you're alive now... that's enough."
"Enough? Do you think it's enough looking at your own body?"
"It's not like I'm completely broken. It just takes some time."
"Can't you stop saying such things?"
Hanette muttered bitterly, caressing Zion's hand. She never wanted to let go of this hand again. It was the hand that had saved her and still guided her now.
"Now that you're stronger than me, you want to dominate me, don't you?"
"I'm holding back on that, so just do well on your own."
"Just don't hit me, and it’s fine."
"I’ve never hit you, have I?"
"You might hit me in the future."
"...Are you asking me to hit you now?"
"Would you hit a patient? Isn’t that a bit too much?"
"You seem fully recovered, seeing how you’re talking."
"How about acknowledging that only my mouth is working well?"
"Haha! What's that supposed to mean?"
Hanette laughed brightly, stroking Zion's hair. His soft and delicate hair slipped through her fingers. Zion hadn't changed, and he was still by her side. Although there were still things to resolve, the end was not yet in sight.
"Zion."
"Yes?"
"It's not over yet, right?"
"...That's right. The Demon God still remains."
"He became weaker than the Three Demon Kings, right?"
"He did get weaker, but he's still alive, isn't he?"
"Even though we destroyed the artificial Magic Sword?"
"You're right, but we still have to consider other things."
Perhaps the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities had all been annihilated. But there could still be mistakes in their predictions, and the Demon God hadn't been killed yet. The situation was better than before, but they couldn't afford to let their guard down completely.
"Even if we did everything we were told to, nothing changes. Why did I go through all that trouble?"
"You're not angry, are you?"
"I'm not angry. It's just because you're being overly sensitive."
"It's not being sensitive; it's being cautious."
"Then I'll call it being cowardly. Why are you worried when you have me?"
"Oh... you think you can do well without me?"
"You saw me fight. If it was just about killing the monsters, it could have ended faster."
Hanette harbored deep resentment towards Slime Dragon, but she didn't act recklessly. She covered Slime Dragon with flames to find the core and the artificial Magic Sword, and she tried to destroy them secretly, mindful of the Demon God. In the end, she only managed to destroy the core, but with Lesia's help, she could eliminate the artificial Magic Sword as well.
"Still, isn't it better with me than without?"
"I can't leave you alone because you're too unstable. If I disappear for a moment, you cause trouble."
"I wasn't causing trouble; I was responding to the situation..."
"And every time, you throw your life away? Do you have extra lives to spare?"
"Uh... it's not that I have extra lives, but sometimes things get dangerous..."
"Those dangers are caused by you."
"Dangers created by the environment. I can't prevent monsters from invading just because I'm strong..."
"Hey, battles inherently involve risking lives, so they're naturally dangerous. But you deliberately made things worse."
"I thought you were dead..."
"I might be the reason, but that doesn't justify your actions. If both of us died, how pleased would Serenine Cardinal be? The heads of the families might even fight over it. Do you think that's right?"
"……."
Zion swallowed his silence, subtly avoiding Hanette's gaze. Hanette sighed deeply after glaring at Zion for a while.
"You were in front with Serenine Cardinal, and I was behind. We were together enough, but we were ambushed. I was foolish for not avoiding it, but what were you thinking jumping in?"
"……."
"Haa... Zion, when you fell, I thought about dying fighting too, but I didn't just charge in. There were other things to consider."
"I was confident I could kill it..."
"Your life is more important to me. That's why I said we should fight together. Because you and others need to survive."
Hanette could guess what Zion felt when he threw himself into the fight. If Zion had died, she too would have acted emotionally. But making wrong decisions based on emotions could lead to greater losses among allies.
"Even if I get a promise from you now, nothing will change. Even if I say don’t do it, you’ll do it, right?"
"Not necessarily."
"It's just better for me to stick by your side. And getting ambushed and dying again is out of the question."
"That was because I couldn’t protect you..."
"You always did your best. But your thinking is too one-sided; you need someone to hold you back."
"I think a lot..."
"From now on, don’t think about it. Just stay by my side. I’m stronger than you now, so it’s best to follow my lead, right?"
"But still..."
"Just say okay this time."
"...Okay."
Reluctantly, Zion answered, reflecting on his actions. Hanette’s arguments were almost always right. Considering she took his feelings into account, it was likely why this ended more amicably.
'Is this what it feels like to be tied down?'
Hanette expressed concerns, not demands. She was doing it all for his sake and was willing to help actively. However, she would watch him closely from now on, possibly meddling a bit.
'I can already see my future.'
Kinesien Holy Order Cathedral, Second Cardinal's Office.
After the battle with Slime Dragon, Enrite naturally returned to his routine. Though still affiliated with the Lychness Knights, he could support the duties since Zion was the commander. Plus, the Lychness Knights, as an official order of Alain Kingdom, received sufficient support, avoiding major difficulties.
‘Sister, huh...’
Enrite looked away from the document, repeatedly thinking of one word. He had never been called 'sister' in his life. When he first heard the word, it felt unfamiliar and stirred strange emotions, embedding itself in his mind.
‘The term sister is only used for family or close acquaintances.’
He shared no blood with Hanette. It meant she regarded him as someone special and was treating him warmly. But even after reconsidering it several times, he couldn't understand the reason.
‘Are Hanette and I... considered close?’
On closer inspection, they had many similarities. Both were members of the Lychness Knights, Magic Sword users, shared a relationship with Zion Laird, and were the same gender. Why would she suddenly want to call him sister?
‘Was it because I cried?’
Enrite recalled shedding tears when he felt sorrow. Hanette’s death, Zion’s rage, his own incompetence, broken promises. What did Hanette feel seeing him in that state?
‘No, that alone isn’t enough...’
"Isn't it boring staying here?"
Lesia spoke, sprawling across the table. Enrite dismissed his thoughts and looked at her.
"I'm not doing this for fun."
"I know you have reasons, but don't you have things you want to do?"
"I don't have..."
Enrite stopped, frowning. Besides annihilating the Three Demon Kings, Four Calamities, Demon God, and dragons, he had no other goals. He had firmly held onto that mindset, both as a Magic Sword and as a human. But nearing the end, he began questioning it.
"Never thought about it?"
"My sole goal was to eradicate enemies. I had no reason to think otherwise."
"It's almost over."
"...Not yet. The Demon God remains."
Enrite tried to brush it off, picking up his pen. But Lesia wasn't satisfied with the answer.
"Can't you rest sometimes?"
"I rest during meals and sleep."
"...That's not resting; it’s what all humans do."
"I don't have the luxury."
"Why not? You have power, don't you?"
"……."
Enrite squinted, feeling exasperated. Lesia smiled, seemingly enjoying his reaction.
"Have you learned a lot?"
"Should I say I learned? I'm not sure."
"Say you used your power. What next?"
"Then I do what I want. How is that difficult?"
"You seem to have many things you want... I'm different. I only need to achieve one thing."
Enrite remained resolute, diving back into his documents. Lesia pondered for a moment, then stood up.
"Can you do what I want then?"
"...Me?"
"I achieved a lot this time. The king praised me and promised something. Can't you do this for me?"
Lesia confidently approached Enrite. Enrite showed indifference but couldn't ignore her request.
"You want to ask something of me, the one with power?"
"It's not difficult. Can you do it?"
"Haa... tell me, and I'll decide."
Enrite felt slightly tense, looking at Lesia. Mentioning power, it seemed she wanted to ask for something. How challenging could it be for her to say this?
"Take a walk with me. It's boring alone."