“Hey, wake up.”
“Ugh… ah…”
When Aston opened his eyes, a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes was looking down at him.
His entire face throbbed with pain.
He must have been unconscious for a while.
“You…”
“I came here after a report of a monster appearing, but this is the second time we’ve met. You got away from me last time, didn’t you?”
“Ah, yeah…”
He remembered now. She was Krishna, the Vice-Commander of the Imperial Guard Division.
Aston slowly raised his upper body.
“Zenos, is…?”
“I met him on the way here and heard the story. It’s a miracle that no one died in a disaster of this scale. You should be eternally grateful to Mr. Zenos.”
“…Yeah, you’re right.”
Aston muttered softly, holding his aching cheek.
Krishna pointed her magic gun at Aston.
“Aston Beringal. I’m arresting you on multiple charges, including attempted assault, escape, perjury, commissioning revenge, indiscriminate assault, and destruction of property. Be prepared for a commensurate punishment. Of course, you’ll tell us everything you know about the ringleader as well.”
Krishna glanced over Aston’s entire body.
“And I’ll add indecent exposure to the list.”
“…?”
During the regeneration process, most of his clothes had been damaged, leaving only a pathetic amount remaining.
“…It’s gone.”
He realized then.
His beloved sword, a treasure from the underground labyrinth, was missing.
He was sure he had it on his waist the whole time.
“Oh, and there’s a message from Mr. Zenos. ‘While you were unconscious, I confiscated your sword. It’s a rare item from the underground labyrinth, so it should sell for a considerable sum. It should be enough to cover the cost of the collapsed houses. Besides, I’m the one who got it in the first place, so give it back already, you thief.’”
“…Hah.”
Aston laughed weakly.
Everything.
He had truly lost everything.
After all he’d done, his adventurer’s license would probably be revoked.
His status, his comrades, his wealth, everything he had built up over a long period of time, had crumbled away.
“Why are you just standing there in a daze? It’s all your own fault.”
“Yeah… I know…”
He had nothing left.
No, maybe he never had anything to begin with.
Once he’d told them everything, he would…
“…?”
He suddenly noticed something.
There was something in his clenched left hand.
He slowly opened his fingers, and there was an old gold coin.
“Oh, I almost forgot. There’s another message from Mr. Zenos. ‘Consider that severance pay. Don’t ever get involved with me again.’”
“…”
Aston stared at the gold coin, speechless.
The message conveyed by the gold coin was Zenos’s declaration of eternal separation.
It might not mean anything more than that.
But…
“Zeno…s…”
He had lost everything.
Everything had slipped through his dirty hands.
However, there was a man who proved that a single gold coin could change a life.
Aston clutched the gold coin tightly and crouched down.
“Ugh, ughhh… Uwaaaaaahhh…!”
Krishna shrugged as she watched the man shaking.
“Don’t cry like a baby. You’re going to cry for real soon. My interrogations are tough as hell.”
“So, the Imperial Guard Division has made their move…”
On a hill far away, “The Guide” murmured quietly.
Until now, the central government had always been indifferent to what happened in the slums.
The Hazes Kingdom, known as the Sun Kingdom, has continued to shine its brilliant light on the surrounding countries.
However, a light that is too strong also casts a deep shadow on the ground beneath it.
In such a country, something is starting to change little by little.
At the center of it all is probably a single healer in a corner of the ruined city.
“A very interesting person. I’d like to know more about you, but…”
Information about the hideout would likely leak from a man like Aston.
He hadn’t been that careful, because he hadn’t expected him to survive.
He would have to lie low for a while or leave the country.
He would also have to discard all the research he was working on.
“I won’t forget you. Let’s play again sometime, Zenos.”
The “Guide” muttered lowly from within his gray robe and turned away.
“Ah, I’m so tired…”
Meanwhile, Zenos was walking through the ruined city with zombie-like steps.
He had treated hundreds of people in the middle of the night, assisted in the battle against the golems, and finally regenerated humans while fighting himself.
“At this rate, I’m going to collapse from exhaustion…”
The waves of fatigue made it difficult for him to reach the clinic.
“Sensei, are you alright?”
“Zenos, you look quite pale.”
“Your gait is becoming more and more unsteady. Let me lend you a hand.”
The demi-humans accompanying him looked at him with concern.
“I’m fine. You guys are tired too, right? I just don’t have much stamina.”
“…”
The three exchanged glances, nodded, and lifted Zenos by his shoulders.
“Hey, you guys…”
“It’s okay, Sensei. We’re always indebted to you.”
“This much is only natural. In fact, Ringa wants to be even closer.”
“I won’t allow you to get ahead of me, Ringa.”
Zenos let out a small sigh.
“…I guess I’ll take you up on your offer. Just this once.”
Carried by the three, Zenos finally arrived at the clinic.
“Kukuku, you’re safe. You’re a persistent one.”
When he opened the door, Camilla was sitting on the bed with her legs crossed.
“Sorry I didn’t kick the bucket.”
“Indeed. Just when I thought peaceful days were returning.”
“Camilla says that, but she was worried about Zenos being late, so she kept pacing around the house.”
“S-Stupid! Lily, that’s a lie. There’s no way that would happen.”
“Hmm…”
“W-What is it? What’s with that face?”
“Lily was worried too after hearing from Camilla, but I knew Zenos would definitely come back.”
Lily, carrying a tea cup on a tray, approached with a big smile.
She handed him the cup and said in a loud voice.
“Welcome home, Zenos.”
“…”
Zenos blinked a few times, then nodded slowly.
Then, he looked around at everyone’s faces and answered with a smile.
“Yeah, I’m home.”
A/N: This is the epilogue of the first chapter.
The first chapter is scheduled to end with the next short episode (planned).
ninguém morreu…que lixo!!!!