1.6. Epilogue
"Yes… no matter what sort of end awaits… our King will not accept it."
Pink petals floated in the sky, a flowerbed that was spearing as far as eyes could see. Inside the towel in the middle of the endless blue sky, a wise sage mused.
"The road ahead will be tough indeed, and painful." He said, idly resting his chin on his hand. "They may make the wrong choice and fail to reach their intended destination…"
"But if it happens, it happens. I'm just going to sit here and watch it all unfold..."
《I will live as a girl… 》
Long ago, there was another King who had announced those words, right here, at the border of the Reserve Side of the World.
She, who had caught a glimpse of a fleeting dream, admired the strength of the humans [the boy] in it. Without hesitation, she chose to walk among the people over an eternal slumber of peace.
《Legend says King Arthur would return in Britain's hour of need.》
He had told [warned] her. Because the binding of fate wasn't something one could easily shake off. Without Authority, it was going to be a challenging and painful journey. So much that there were no words that could describe it.
Also, the magus had titled his head, shouldn't the King wish for such a thing? In the end, it was all but a fleeting dream.
She remained silent, patiently listening to his speech. Those green eyes that were like melted emeralds gazed straight at him, gleaming and refined as he had once remembered.
《So be it. I will face adversity as a human.》
And just as the day she had pulled the Sword from the stone, the King had given him the answer right away.
《Even if it was transient, there is no way I can let go of that dream.》
Not a response. Nor a reason.
But a declaration.
With a smile, as bright as a shooting star, she entered the Circle.
Putting down the golden crown, the King returned to be a human. Renouncing her wish [regret], she turned her back to the Throne.
The king had left everything to embrace the girl she always was.
An extremely selfish decision that was even made. However, the corners of the magus's lips curled up in amusement mixed with fondness. He shook his head from side to side.
When was the last time she had looked so free…?
Humans were, indeed, interesting creatures. Breaking his own vow as a watcher, he had, might and might not, arranged a few things in a spur of a moment. A parting gift, which he was sure she didn't mind, and a thank you to a certain boy. It was enough to prove how much they had grown on him. The magus wondered if this feeling was similar to a father walking his daughter down the aisle…
Faint chuckles escaped from his lips. On his shoulder, a small beast piped up, the white fur ruffling even so slightly as though asking what was so funny.
In response, he simply shot it a mysterious smirk, much to the beast's annoyance. Purple irises then moved lazily over the sea of flowers, to beyond the horizon then past the restrictions of time and space.
"What will they seek?" He hummed, inhaling when a mischievous breeze played with his long hair. A rueful smile split his face. "What will they leave behind?"
"What will they prove?"
A young woman with hair of the twilight sky.
A young man with eyes of the ocean.
And a girl with a dream of the star.
Knowledge, emotion, and willpower…
"I am certain it will all be valuable to you."
The small beast inclined its head at his words, its fluffy tail flickered. Inquisitive, it followed his line of sight to the end of the sky, wondering what was outside this Land of the Eternal Spring.
The final closure was laid at the end of the journey. In the midst of it, this tale would serve to liven up the sandbox.
"Now…"
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《It is time to begin the battle.》