84. We can “rest” now~
I had intended to lean against Kephir and enjoy the beautiful girl’s lap pillow and the afterglow of victory, but I quickly lost consciousness. And it wasn’t just a “short nap”; when I woke up, I found myself not only lying in bed like a patient but also…
Clearly arranged in a dream—having left the Austro-Hungarian tribe and returned to the Kingdom of Prussia.
I woke up in the room that Adéle had arranged for me in the Kingdom of Prussia, and just as I had thought, the first thing I saw upon opening my eyes was the concerned gaze of my dear fiancée. Although I always felt that it was quite “pretty boy” and embarrassing to be in a situation where “I became the patient while Kephir watched over me,” still…
Seeing Kephir safe and sound, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement and nervousness in my heart.
“Kephir, you…”
“We’re already back in the Kingdom of Prussia, what are you still worried about?~”
Despite the feigned complaint in her words, Kephir’s face was filled with concern for me. “You should worry about yourself, you idiot. Hurry up and see if there’s anything strange about you; the doctors in the Kingdom of Prussia are still waiting outside for your condition.”
Me? How could I have anything wrong? I just felt a bit heavy-headed and light-footed after what seemed like a deep sleep. In comparison, I was more worried about other things…
“I’m fine. By the way, Kephir, it’s you who—”
Just as I was about to sit up and take a look at the script, Kephir preemptively pushed me back down.
“Alright, lie down. I recover faster than you…”
Then, with a hint of reproach for my reckless actions, Kephir briefly filled me in on everything that had happened during these few days when I was completely in a “sleeping state.”
In fact, even without looking at the script, it didn’t seem too hard to guess what had transpired.
In my last memory, Ludwig had inexplicably been “blown up” and then fled, while Zelus had not revealed her true identity in front of the orcs of the Austro-Hungarian tribe. As for the great sorcerer whose conspiracy had almost succeeded, Kephir said she hadn’t paid attention to the orcs’ subsequent actions.
As for the situation on the Plutus side, the insightful fairy Icarus had not been harmed; instead, she had returned safely with us to the Kingdom of Plutus.
To put it simply: although we nearly lost our lives at the last moment, the ending was supposed to be a happy one… or not!
Lying in bed under Kephir’s gentle gaze, I suddenly felt uneasy. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to think about it; once I did, I immediately recalled some very unpleasant things. For instance… Zelus and her little fox.
That bear fox not only concealed her identity as the chief of the Austro-Hungarian tribe, but she was also one of the “self-disciplined fairies” hidden within the tribe—the shape-shifting fairy! In reality, whether that bear fox was a shape-shifter or a master of transformations didn’t matter; the exposure of her fairy identity even saved me and Kephir the trouble of searching everywhere. However…
Zelus had acknowledged me as her master!
Although it was a forced decision made to defeat the wind fairy Magnus, still… this fairy, which was supposed to empower Kephir, now recognized me as her master. How was I supposed to explain this to Kephir?
Noticing the “evasion” in my eyes, Kephir sighed softly by the bedside, “Sigh… I already know about Zelus.”
That damn fox! At least give me some time to process this! She went and told Kephir herself, which made it so awkward for me to face her now!
“There’s no need to get too tangled up in ‘whose fairy is it.’ I don’t mind. Also, during your rest, I’ve already established a master-servant relationship with Icarus.”
I felt a bit relieved.
Icarus recognizing Kephir as her master was within my acceptable range. If Icarus had done something to me while I was unaware, I really wouldn’t be able to handle it.
So… a happy ending?
Just as I was about to ask this, I noticed that Kephir didn’t seem as “happy” as I had expected. At least, the look in her eyes held a complexity of emotions that was unmistakable.
“What’s wrong?”
“Euclid, at that time, what exactly…”
Kephir hesitated, and just as I was puzzled over her vague question, she shook her head.
“Sorry, I said too much. No matter what you do… it won’t change.”
“?”
Hey, big shot, have you been reading some strange books lately? I can’t shake the feeling that your words are a bit… “cheesy.”
“But please, don’t do anything dangerous again! Because, without you, I…”
In her urgency, Kephir wanted to say something more, but… it was too late.
It seemed that my movements after waking up had been noticed, and the next moment, footsteps echoed from outside the room, followed by a group of girls bursting in one after another. Adev, Ikaros, and… Zerlus, who, despite everything being over, had stubbornly followed us from the Austro-Hungarian tribe.
“Hey? Aren’t you looking quite spirited? Still in the mood for flirting.”
“Shut up, bear fox!”
Do you even know what you just interrupted!? It was Fuli! I was really looking forward to it!
Seeing Zerlus, the bear fox, made me feel annoyed, and the fact that she was now my fairy only added to my frustration. As for Ikaros, the insightful fairy, the script had already made it clear: she had now become Kephir’s fairy.
Adev, leaning against the wall, could only maintain her composed image due to the occasion. I pretended not to notice her frequent glances.
“Finally awake, huh? I’ve heard from Ikaros about your encounter with Ludwig. Although Ludwig managed to escape in the end, at least for the time being, the Prussian Kingdom doesn’t have to worry about him causing any trouble for Ikaros. Thank you very much. Also, I have no objections to Ikaros’s bond; originally, Prussia and Ikaros were just in a cooperative relationship.”
Ikaros, standing nearby, nodded expressionlessly.
“The Prussian Kingdom is still in the process of expansion, and due to circumstances, I cannot accompany you. However, I will establish a separate communication channel to provide you with remote support.”
Remote GPS navigation? That sounds good!
“Ah, if needed, the Prussian Kingdom can also provide intercontinental magic cannon support; you just need to give Ikaros the coordinates.”
Let’s skip that; it’s too high-tech and feels like cheating.
Finally, the little fox jumped out.
“Climb!”
Fortunately, I spoke up early, directly cutting off her nonsensical ramblings.
Phew~ Now, everything should be ‘resolved’ for the time being, Kephir.
In the Kingdom of Prulus, I also acquired a self-disciplined fairy, and even received an additional self-disciplined fairy from the Austro-Hungarian tribe. At least for the “main storyline,” I’ve already completed more than half. Before the new “main storyline” comes out, we can finally take a moment to “rest.”
I turned my gaze to Kephir, and amidst the relaxation, I seemed to catch a glimpse of some… expectant sparkle in her eyes.
It seems we can really take a good “rest” until we return to the Great Ying Empire.
——
Everyone, the main text of Volume 9 ends here. There will be a .5 and a bit of extra content afterward.
Of course, with this development, I will prepare some plots that might have been long awaited. These plots will be arranged separately in another volume. Please look forward to it; I’ve even prepared illustrations.
P.S.: It’s the end of the month, so remember to cast your monthly votes! And if last month’s winners see this, join the group! The list is in a separate chapter.