Chapter 137
At first, the mages of Snaud said nothing. They simply stared blankly at the dead Elarion.
As a little more time passed, angry shouts began erupting from here and there.
In particular, the parents whose children had been taken hostage by Elarion lunged at his already-dead body as if determined to kill him one more time.
“For all those long years! We lived our lives being deceived by you!”
“What, winter came to Snaud because you were bearing the evil of the world? Believing that nonsense so completely was our own fault!”
“The evil itself was you. Damn it—ptoo!”
The mages kicked and trampled Elarion’s limp body without restraint.
The end of the mad dragon, who had been filled with ambition to seize the world, was utterly hollow.
Fortunately, the children who had had their vitality drained by Elarion all regained consciousness as time passed.
It seemed to be a similar principle to when Nox had collapsed on the day the Grand Duke’s residence was completed and later recovered.
The fact that they were children, with faster recovery, probably helped as well.
“Uh… Mom…?”
“Oh my goodness, my baby!”
Seeing a mage clutching her awakened child and crying made my own eyes sting with tears.
Someone who appeared to be the leader of the Snaud mages quietly approached me and bowed his head.
“First, please accept our apology. We truly did not know Elarion was that kind of person. We had no idea at all that he was the dragon who caused that tidal wave.”
With Elarion’s death, the ice that had covered Snaud was melting away at a rapid pace.
The leader let out a small sigh as he gazed at the overwhelming sight.
“We have lived being swayed by Elarion all this time. Now, we simply want to live quietly again. Of course, we have no intention of waging war, and we certainly have no intention of demanding compensation. In the end, it was our fault for being deceived by Elarion.”
“I understand. Elarion was a very cunning one.”
When I slowly nodded, a look of relief spread across his face.
“Snaud will return to being a quiet land of mages once more. We will live peacefully, farming and living alongside nature.”
“I truly hope it will be so.”
“You are Gianna, correct? After some time has passed, please visit Snaud again. I would like to show you the true Snaud—no longer a cold land covered in ice, but one where abundance and peace coexist.”
Since I wanted to see the spring of Snaud as well, I nodded with a warm smile.
Leaving the handling of Elarion’s body to them, we exchanged final farewells with the mages and boarded the Veltin.
“Ugh, that was really exhausting…”
Perhaps because we had just gone through a massive battle, my entire body felt like it was melting into a puddle.
Nox approached with a smile, firmly holding my hand as he asked,
“Our Gianna really worked hard. So, what do you want to do now?”
“I want to lock myself up in a quiet cabin and take a nap. I’m completely sleep-deprived right now.”
“In that case, I suppose I should at least lend you my arm as a pillow.”
“No, absolutely not. You’re banned from approaching. You’re just going to try something inappropriate again while pretending to help me sleep, aren’t you?”
“Oh dear, to slander me as such a conscienceless man.”
“You are conscienceless, though.”
Bickering, we headed toward the cabins.
However, the ship was strangely noisy for napping. A ruckus kept spilling out of the Veltin’s kitchen.
“What is all that noise…?”
At times, it sounded like someone was shouting angrily; at others, panicked, flustered voices mixed together.
“Did I not tell you to prepare the madeleines?”
“Th-they’re right here, Lord Garry!”
“Tch, this flavor is all wrong!”
It seemed Garry, famous for his picky palate, was thoroughly tormenting Karun and the Three Idiots.
“This time, present the financiers.”
“Th-they are here.”
“Karun, have you still not quit drinking? You can’t even make the batter properly? Even a five-year-old child would make them prettier than this!”
Unable to suppress my curiosity, I cracked open the kitchen door. Inside, Garry—now exactly five years old—was wreaking the cutest havoc imaginable.
“There’s no helping it. At least bring out some plain milk bread.”
“Th-that is… we’ve run out of milk…”
“What? You ran out of milk?”
When Garry glared, Karun’s neck shrank back like a turtle’s.
“Isn’t it because Lord Garry secretly drinks milk every night…?”
“Are you making excuses for yourself right now?”
“N-no! I’m sorry! It’s my fault!”
“When I said I was boarding this ship, you should have loaded an abundance of things like milk! How could a great dragon who just finished battling a blue dragon be left without snacks and starve?”
With his short arms planted on his hips as he lectured them, Garry looked like the incarnation of a miniature tyrant dragon ruling the Veltin’s kitchen with terror.
Garry issued his command proudly.
“Make huge quantities of madeleines, cookies, milk bread, and financiers until they suit my taste! I will personally supervise you here!”
As Garry puffed out tiny, adorable flames, the tips of Karun’s and the Three Idiots’ hair singed and curled.
Watching the scene of chaos with a smile at my lips, I slowly closed the door.
After barely managing to shake Nox off, I took a deep nap and woke up around the time the sun was sinking low.
I was also able to have a brief call with Arines. Thanks to the Mage Tower Master’s great efforts, the chaos that had occurred in the capital seemed to have been neatly resolved.
There was truly nothing left to worry about.
As I stood on the deck, holding the railing and gazing out at the sea, Nox came and stood beside me.
“My sea diver. Did you sleep well?”
It was a title I hadn’t heard in a very long time.
When I shot him a mildly reproachful look, he smiled and added,
“I’m suddenly craving a rich, savory mussel soup.”
“We can’t use the kitchen today because of Garry. I heard it’s completely covered in flour. Dinner will probably be something like ruined egg toast or pitch-black burnt croissants.”
“Oh dear. Then how about octopus tangtang, which doesn’t require fire?”
“How are we supposed to catch octopus in the middle of the sea?”
“I thought my sea diver could do anything.”
He lightly pulled me into his arms from behind.
The fresh, clean scent coming from him brushed pleasantly against my nose.
“If you want it that badly, should I just fly off quickly by myself and catch a few?”
When I complained lightly, Nox tightened his arms around me and shook his head.
“Absolutely not alone. From now on, I plan to stick to you for the rest of my life.”
“Just hearing that sounds sticky.”
“And you’re the one who chose that sticky man as your husband, Gianna.”
As he chuckled low behind me, his warm breath brushed my ear.
A faint shiver started at my fingertips and spread through my entire body.
My face flushed for no reason, and my toes curled.
As he pressed himself closer to me, I could clearly feel his heart pounding fiercely.
“Now there’s no one left threatening your life, and all those dangerous wars are over. Being able to stay peacefully like this with you makes me so happy.”
Nox spoke with a slightly heightened, emotional voice.
“And on top of that, my wife is this beautiful—how could I possibly leave you alone?”
He loosened his arms slightly, took hold of my arm, gently turned me around, and kissed me.
The kiss we shared while watching the sun set over the sea aboard the ship was… truly sweet and soft.
After sharing several breaths over a long time, we finally pulled apart.
The Veltin was sailing slowly toward the territory of Lupellen. A small island came into view alongside the ship’s route.
As if something had suddenly occurred to him, Nox asked me,
“Do you still hate islands that much?”
Leaning into his embrace, I gazed at the sea glowing with the setting sun and the small island.
“Well… I’m not sure.”
After a moment of thought, I slowly spoke.
“I think, more precisely, I hated the time when I was trapped inside, surrounded by the sea on all sides. I was sick of the helplessness of being unable to do anything.”
I hated my father, who left my mother and me behind and sailed off to the sea he loved.
I hated the helplessness I felt while watching my mother die, trapped on an island, unable even to go to a hospital.
“But now I’ve gained wings, and I’ve gained strength. And I even have a husband who’ll stick to me wherever I go.”
It was true. The island I had once hated so much no longer felt hateful at all.
