End 3/3
To the Distant Sea - The Conclusion
Reached at the End of the Abominable Prince's Wanderings
Translator : PolterGlast
・Ashley
In the dead of night
when everyone had fallen asleep, I went out to the deck of the light galleon
and looked up at the starry sky.
Sitting down on the
deck and leaning my back against the mast, I was rocked by the cradle known as
the ocean.
Red stars, blue
stars, dazzling white stars, and a giant moon could be seen.
To these dragon
eyes, even small stars invisible to ordinary people were reflected as stardust,
captivating me.
The boy who was
alienated by his father and raised confined in a tower admired the outside
world while looking up at the starry sky.
Every time the old
man told me stories of the world, I daydreamed and wished for a journey.
That pitiful boy
from back then probably never dreamed that he himself would be traveling the
southern seas aboard a galleon.
「Is Zirant...
in the recreation room?」
Lately, Zirant
too has come to prefer walking in the outside world rather than being inside me.
She manages the
underground empire in my place, and seems to be quite enjoying the present in
her own way.
Me? I am not suited
to be a god or a statesman.
No, more than
anything, ever since we regained peace... I...
「You
were here. You weren't in your cabin, so I went looking for you.」
「...Yeah,
I was looking at the stars.」
As I was doing that,
Carral came out onto the deck.
She sat down right
next to me and, just like me, leaned her back against the mast and looked up at
the starry sky.
「Hehe,
a premium seat, huh. I thought I was already used to the starry sky, but when
I'm with Shinza, it really is beautiful...」
「I
agree.」
This journey won't
go like the ones up until now. We finally took the route to the longed-for
South.
Beyond this sea,
there is apparently a dangerous world where sandworms live.
I don't know how far
the sea extends, but if there's a country over there too, I want to establish a
sea route.
No, that is Carral's
dream; I just want to go and see it.
For me, who was
raised in a tower, the world might just be something to travel, explore, and
enjoy.
「But
you know, I really didn't think you'd become a sailor on my ship...」
「I took
a liking to the ship. When I ride on a ship with you, I can feel a childlike
joy. I almost want to be a sailor here forever.」
「Is
that so... Hehe, so that's how it is, Ashley...」
This is a dangerous
journey to the South.
If we were about to
sink, I could create a new ship using the creator's power I received from
him――it would be great if I could use it so conveniently, but I have absolutely
no idea how to use it...
Being half-baked
immortal is also problematic.
That means even if I
fall into the sea, I won't die. Thinking about it that way, the sea is a
terrifying thing.
「Hey, Shinza...」
「Is
something wrong?」
Whatever she was
thinking, Carral's voice suddenly changed to a confessional whisper.
「There's
something I've always been meaning to tell Shinza once things became
peaceful. But things were kind of hectic and I couldn't say it, but I thought
maybe I could tonight...」
「That
is 90% Sigrun and Zirant's fault. They are both extremely
reliable, but...」
「Sleeping
and snoring at the bow, it's unbelievable, isn't it...」
「You
mean Sigrun... But if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have survived until
today. She is an existence necessary for us.」
With her around,
even if a giant octopus appeared from the sea, she would slash it to pieces.
However, when I
directed my gaze at Carral, her expression was somewhat stiff.
「That...
about that... Me too...?」
「Yeah.
You're necessary too.」
When I answered like
that, she let out a sigh of relief, yet looked at me somewhat dissatisfied.
Then her expression
stiffened again, and while blushing, she returned a completely tense gaze.
「U-Um,
you see... I have something I really want to tell Ashley. I, I...」
I slightly regretted
accepting the Supreme Heavenly Treasure.
My imagination still
isn't working well, but one day I will be by Carral's side when she
passes away. The reverse cannot happen.
「Carral.」
「W-Wait,
I'm about to say it so wait, I, you see...!」
No, that is exactly
why I want to watch over her by her side.
I want more time
with Carral Hezu. I want proof that I lived together with her.
「Carral,
please stay with me forever. I want to be with you until death.」
「Eh...!?
Th-That means... in other words... A-Ashley...」
「Here,
I am Shinza.」
「R-Right,
that was it... B-But Shinza, does that mean!」
I've been strange
since I received that hidden treasure.
Not having an end
means having to witness the end of others.
Just imagining
parting with Carral, I felt myself clinging to her.
「Things
became peaceful, I was acknowledged by everyone, no one called me a bizarre
monster anymore――and I realized something. I'm lonely without you. I want to be
with you. That's why I've thrown away my political affairs and am riding your
ship like this. Just being by your side makes me happy.」
I put my feelings
straight into words without thinking.
I've come to
understand Zirant's feelings well too. A parting will come someday. That
is why I want to cherish the present.
「M-Me
too...! I want to be with Ashley forever too! I'll be lonely if we
aren't together forever and ever!」
No, just because a
parting will come, what does that matter.
It is a far better
conclusion than me dying first and Carral being saddened. I will watch
over her until the very, very end.
「I love
Ashley! I like you as a boy! It's selfish of me to say this to His
Majesty the Emperor of the underground empire, but when you're off duty, please
be with me forever and ever! Become an Ashley just for me!」
「Don't
say it first... I like you too. As a woman, it seems I like you... This is the
first time in my life I've felt an emotion like this... I haven't even felt it
for my older sister.」
「No,
don't bring up Atomina-sama's name in a situation like this...」
「Sorry,
my standard for women is my older sister.」
「That
hurdle is way too high, isn't it!?」
「You're
a better woman. Also, from now on it's not Atomina-sama, but
sister-in-law Atomina.」
When I told her that
as a joke, her complexion, already dyed with excitement, turned bright red.
「Marriage
all of a sudden!? That's... that makes me happy, but it's way too early for
that...!」
「That's
true too. I think our bond is tied more than enough, but... should we take it
step by step?」
I felt better after
saying what I wanted to say.
I looked up at the
starry sky with my dragon eyes once more and confirmed the world before me.
From now on,
together with my older brother Georg, I will thoroughly protect the
order that my father sacrificed his life and affection to protect. While on my
journey, that is.
Father, we protected
the Empire. There's a mountain of tasks, but since I've ended up with a body
that can't go to heaven, I've decided to take my time and do things at my own
pace.
While I was just
looking up at the sky, whatever she was thinking, Carral grabbed my
hand.
I obediently
squeezed it back, and feeling a bit embarrassed, I stared fixedly at the sky.
「Then,
a wedding ceremony... I'd like to hold one...」
「Sure,
let's do it. As long as you don't mind being called Empress-sama.」
「I kind
of don't want that. Because I'm not really cut out to be an Empress.」
「Then,
let's do it secretly right here.」
「Eh, by
here, you mean here!? Wah, wait a minute, Ashley!?」
I pulled Carral's
hand and made her stand up.
Even though I told
her I'm Shinza here, it's troubling when she shouts so loudly.
「I will
be with you until I die. You stay with me until your life runs out, too.」
「W-Wait,
I haven't mentally prepared my――nn!?!」
I hugged Carral's
toned body tightly.
Also serving to
silence her, I stole her lips. No... that's wrong. I just wanted everything of
hers and followed my desire.
「With
this, we'll be together forever. Forever... we are together until death.」
「G-Geez...
you're too passionate... My head is spinning... what should I――wait, something
is glowing!?」
I had been busy
lately so it had been a while, but the bizarre book emitted light, strongly
illuminating the deck.
When I opened the
pages, the light immediately subsided, and words surfaced on the pure white
page.
『Congratulations
on your marriage, you two.』
「W-Waah,
this, this means we were being w-watched!?」
「Yeah,
peeping is Zirant's hobby, after all.」
Under the starry
sky, I saw Carral looking down, holding her hot cheeks.
At such a bright and
adorable sight of hers, I unintentionally smiled.
It really is hard to
lose... If only this girl could become mine for eternity...
That is why
I――prayed to God, that the day of the end that will visit someday, would never
come.
「By the
way, didn't you just glow?」
「I'm
not Shinza, so there's no way that would happen...」
「That's
true too. Then it must be my imagination.」
「It's
definitely your imagination... Hey, we're being watched, w-wait, wait Ashley!」
「It's Shinza.
Come here.」
Thinking that we
will part ways someday makes it so painfully regrettable.
I pulled Carral
next to me into an embrace, and under Zirant's gaze, I stole her small
lips once more.
「You
really are glowing a little bit, aren't you?」
「Geez,
you're the one who glows regardless of the place, Ashley...」
The day of the
end――never came for eternity.
-
The End -
☆
★
☆
★
☆
【Book
of the Evil Dragon】
- Table of
Contents -
|
Stat |
Value |
|
Name |
Ashley |
|
Lv |
53 → 66 |
|
Exp |
12620 → 20150 |
|
STR |
130 → 159 |
|
VIT |
330 → 382 |
|
DEX |
281 → 315 |
|
AGI |
281 → 305 |
·
Skill:
o Shovel
LV5
o Scoop LV1
o Bonds
of the Empire LV2
o Sense
of Direction LV1
o Movement
Speed LV2
o Digging
30x (Active)
『As the King of Paradise, live through eternal time together with Wagahai. And when the day comes that the earth is swallowed by the sea and the sky forgets the starry sky, let us cross worlds together. Wagahai am Zirant, the dragon who crosses dimensions, and the sole spectator to see through the story known as the world.』
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