kscans

Chapter 119 - At the End of the Battle, The Words Finally Spoken

"Mireille!" The moment I opened the tower door, I couldn't help but shout.

After suppressing the Magic Furnace, we found an unexpected number of bodies, and I couldn't leave until I had handed things over to the Knight Order and reinforcements arrived. I had only been able to quickly report Ariel’s condition and the success of the coup d'état before having to return, so this was our first reunion in what felt like a truly long time.

The members of the Mage Order, including Supreme Commander Julius, were all to be questioned in the royal capital regarding their inhumane treatment of Ariel, underage labor, and the matter of the frozen corpses. There was a sense that getting a grasp on the situation would be difficult, given that these facts had been neglected since Darius’s era… but investigating the plundering of the Tree Sea Defense Force’s supplies and the heavy casualties suffered by the Imperial Guard was bound to take a considerable amount of time.


We, the Tree Sea Defense Force, were allowed to return to our respective barracks and homes for a time instead of going back to the base. We passed through the Tree Sea, and I dropped everyone off at the barracks we had entered on the day of our appointment, where we disbanded.

Some cried as they embraced their families, while others were in a daze. But not a single one had deserted. …That alone was a profound relief for me, as the one who had led the unit.

Then, Kyle and I used our rings to teleport to the tower.

It would be several days until the Knight Order's reinforcements arrived. I was sure Mireille had been on edge.

The moment she saw me…

"Leonhard-san!" Mireille threw herself at me.

"Aria!" Kyle threw his arms around Aria.

Aria was still thin, but her skin had healed beautifully, and she had recovered enough to walk. Kyle must have been incredibly happy.

All that was left was for her to regain her strength under the care of doctors and apothecaries, and once it was determined she was no longer at risk of passing her illness to others, her treatment would be complete.

"So, the panacea… really existed," the two said in amazement. I made sure to stress the point.

"It was something like a miracle. Keep it a secret from everyone."

Even though I said that, anyone who saw the recovered Aria was bound to be surprised. The problem was, we couldn't respond even if various people started asking for the panacea.

"I’ll just say she was cured by the power of my love!" Kyle declared boldly. …Seriously, you probably haven't even confessed to Aria, have you? Aria's face is bright red.

Apparently, he would be nursing her at his house for a while. They would figure out the future after that.

"Wait a moment," Mireille said just before they left. She brought out a pair of pliers and snipped Kyle’s bracelet.

"If the magic is cut off, you can't teleport anymore. So you don’t have to return to the shop… but this bracelet is unusable now."

Mireille said this sadly. The bracelets Ariel had sent to Adrian and Darius for transport to the base. Darius probably wouldn't be coming back either, so he must have done the same. Just like that, one of the bonds Ariel had entrusted to the two of them had vanished.

After taking the two to the barracks and finishing cleaning up the tower, we decided to go through our own barracks and then stay at the townhouse.

I was worried about Ariel’s condition. I was sure Mireille was too. I wanted to support her from as close as possible. And, if possible, I wanted to create some time for Mireille and Ariel to be together as a family.

"Mireille." I took a deep breath.

"Thanks to you, no one died. We were able to save all the unit captains. Thank you so much."

I forced out the trembling words.

"…So, I want you to be with me, with marriage in mind."

The moment I said it, I thought my heart would explode. It might be cowardly to say it at this timing. Like I was cutting off her escape route. But I just had to tell her.

My hands were shaking. Seeing them tremble, Mireille gently touched them.

"…I’m not much, but I look forward to being with you."

Her voice was small. But the moment those words reached my ears, my vision blurred.

We noticed each other’s hands were shaking, and when our eyes met, we couldn't help but laugh. And the next moment, I was holding her tightly.

"I finally… said it."

I didn't want to let go of this warmth.

In front of the tower. With nothing to worry about anymore, we just held each other tight.