Epilogue: Her Return

……….

…It’s crumbling.

No, perhaps it’s more accurate to say it’s returning to normal.

“Farewell, Re=L.”

What in the world happened?

The world of Princess, which had painted over my own, is slowly collapsing.

The world I love so dearly is gradually regaining its original form.

“Well done, well done… You did wonderfully.”

Princess’ figure, embracing me and stroking my head, grows fainter, little by little, ever so slowly.

“The reason you didn’t lose yourself… the reason you didn’t lose your world, is because of your own strength and your feelings. If you hadn’t been strong… if you hadn’t loved your world… it would’ve been destroyed long ago, or I would’ve become you. Either way, you wouldn’t have been able to remain yourself.”

“…I see. I don’t really understand, but…”

I shake my head and mumble quietly.

“But… it’s probably not my strength alone.”

“…?”

“I heard the voices of everyone in class, giving me strength through some mysterious thread. Sistine and Rumia, desperately trying to save me… and, well, I could feel Eve nearby too, I guess…”

And then.

“…And… probably, Glenn helped me. That’s why I…”

“I see… Yes, that’s right. You’re not empty anymore. You have so many precious things now, don’t you? Cherish them. Protect them.”

With that, Princess gently pulls away from me.

“Well then… haha, I guess I was completely meddling, wasn’t I? To begin with, I was like a pathogen trying to destroy your world… Haha, some hero I am, huh?”

Princess laughs vaguely, a little awkwardly.

But I say to her:

“Princess, too… Princess was there for me.”

“…?”

“Because you encouraged me… that’s why I could stay myself. So, it’s thanks to you… Thank you.”

“…I see. Then… maybe it was worth showing up before you after all…”

I pose a question to Princess.

“Hey, why did you try to help me? I mean, you and I… we’ve never even met before.”

Princess looks up at the sky, troubled, choosing her words carefully.

“Hmm… Part of it is just my nature, I suppose… but the biggest reason is probably because you remind me of her.”

“Her?”

“Yeah. She was a terrifying witch… always acting reckless, thinking she was empty and had nothing… I used to take care of her a lot.”

“I see.”

“You thought of yourself as empty, too, like you had nothing, and you seemed ready to give up so easily… so I couldn’t help myself. That’s all.”

With that said,

Princess’ presence rapidly fades.

Her body shatters into particles of light, disappearing bit by bit.

“Oh, oops… Looks like I’m really being eradicated now… Well, I’m just mental data at this point. To you, I’m nothing but a harmful pest, so it can’t be helped.”

“I see… That’s a shame. Will I… never see you again, Princess?”

“…Who knows? It seems you carry a fragment of what was once my soul. That’s probably why we can talk like this. We’re compatible, you and I. So, maybe a tiny piece of me will linger somewhere inside you… perhaps.”

“…I see. Then I’ll try hard to make sure it stays… I don’t really get it, though.”

“Hehe, thank you.”

Then,

Princess turns around.

“…Well, this is goodbye. Farewell, Re=L.”

And so, Princess, her existence crumbling, walks toward the dazzling light.

“…Wait.”

In the end, for some reason, there’s something I desperately want to ask her retreating figure.

“Princess. What’s… your real name?”

“!”

“I feel like… if I don’t know your name, I won’t be able to remember you.”

“I see. Well then…”

Princess hesitates, seeming a little embarrassed.

“What should I do? Even if I’m being generous, my name’s probably pretty famous by now. It’s likely in textbooks… Oh, but what year is it in the Holy Calendar? Maybe everyone’s completely forgotten about me by now…? Ugh… It’s proof of peace when a hero’s name fades, but it’s still kind of lonely…”

Princess mutters to herself for a while.

Eventually, with a hint of pride, she says to me:

“…Elliot. I’m Elliot Haven《The Sword Princess》. The partner of the renowned《The Witch of Ash》, known as the strongest sword in the history of the Empire—”

“That’s kinda long. Princess’ fine, after all.”

“…Huh!? Geez, you little…”

For some reason, Princess stumbles, scratching her head in exasperation.

“Well then… Once more, farewell, Re=L. Until we meet again, someday.”

She vanishes into the light—

—And I gaze after her, seeing her off.

—.

“…So that’s how it is.”

“Exactly. Re=L has been saved. With Eve and the others crushing Cyrus and his group, your mission is likely complete. There’s no need for us to fight anymore.”

Some time has passed, and perhaps they’ve recovered a bit.

Glenn and Albert, both battered and bruised, sit side by side against a wall near a building, leaning back and looking up at the sky, explaining things to each other.

A vast panorama of countless stars gazes down upon them

“It’s about time you spilled the beans. This is just my guess based on the situation, but… you trying to assassinate Her Majesty, killing Christoph and Bernard… it was all a ruse, wasn’t it?”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

I figured as much, Glenn thinks, letting out a relieved sigh.

“Currently, under Her Majesty’s secret orders, a highly classified mission is being carried out.”

“A secret mission?”

“Yes. It’s—the eradication of Heaven’s Cross.”

“!”

Glenn glances at Albert’s profile, and Albert begins explaining calmly.

“Heaven’s Cross… A covert organization within the imperial government, secretly tied to The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom. It’s a cancerous entity for the Empire.”

“I’d heard rumors, but… it really exists?”

“After the death of the traitor Lord Bartley, who was connected to The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom, the existence of Heaven’s Cross, which he had secretly operated, began to come to light. And finally, through《The Hermit》’s investigation, it was revealed that Cyrus, the new head of the Special Missions Annex, is likely the leader of Heaven’s Cross, with《The Strength》,《The Sun》,《The Temperance》, and《The Moon》as his key members. They’re almost certainly guilty.”

“…”

“If we arrest and expose Cyrus, the leader, the full scope of Heaven’s Cross, cleverly hidden behind government institutions, will come to light, allowing us to crush them in one fell swoop. But there’s no evidence.”

“I see. So that’s why you orchestrated that bizarre charade.”

“Exactly. By staging an assassination attempt on Her Majesty, I drew Cyrus and his group away from the capital. Meanwhile, a select group of elites searched locations tied to him, gathering evidence. Once the full picture was revealed, we’d crush Heaven’s Cross.”

“But… something troublesome happened before the plan could fully unfold, right?”

Albert nods at Glenn’s question.

“Yes. Around the same time we were executing our plan, we received intel that Cyrus was preparing to achieve the true completion of [Project: Revive Life].”

“…”

“The details are still unclear, but if [Project: Revive Life] is truly completed, it could endlessly resurrect the heroes who once made their mark on the Empire. With The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom backing him, if that knowledge fell into their hands… this country would be finished. Even if we managed to crush Heaven’s Cross.”

Finally, Glenn begins to see the whole picture.

“I get it. That’s why you deliberately stationed yourself here in Mares, guarding the temple from Cyrus and his group to disrupt their plan.”

“…”

Yes, if the goal was merely to gather evidence and keep Cyrus’s attention, Albert could’ve moved from place to place. There was no need to stay in one spot.

But Cyrus’s plan had to be stopped at all costs.

So, Albert had to buy time for his allies to secretly secure evidence against Heaven’s Cross while simultaneously thwarting Cyrus’s scheme.

If Cyrus caught wind of the military’s secret plan, Heaven’s Cross members within the Empire would likely rise up in resistance. To achieve the fully realized [Project: Revive Life], the rogue mages of The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom might even get involved.

A full-scale clash with the imperial army would have caused immense casualties.

Thus, Albert alone bore the fate of his comrades and the future of the Empire.

“Man… what a tough gig.”

Glenn mutters, gazing distantly at the sky.

“…Hmph. I’m jealous of how carefree you are.”

Albert murmurs, eyes closed, head slightly lowered.

“Hey, there you are! Sensei~!”

“Albert-san, too! Are you okay~?”

From a distance, Sistine and Rumia come running toward the two.

“Hmph, stubborn guys… honestly.”

Eve, carrying Re=L on her back, approaches with a sigh.

And so, under the watchful gaze of the shining moon, this commotion comes to a close—

—Afterward.

The imperial government, having thwarted the ambitions of Cyrus, the new head of the Special Missions Annex and leader of Heaven’s Cross, and uncovering the connection between Cyrus, Heaven’s Cross, and The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom, succeeded in arresting all members of Heaven’s Cross, who had been hiding behind various imperial magical institutions.

During this operation to eradicate Heaven’s Cross, Lord Azel le Ignite, Chief of the Imperial Army’s General Staff, demonstrated exceptional strategic command, earning him heroic praise from the soldiers. His influence and authority within the imperial government grew even stronger.

Heaven’s Cross had been a major reason the Alzano Empire was consistently outmaneuvered by The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom. With its destruction, the end of the long, fierce battle against them came into sight, and government officials rejoiced, celebrating Lord Ignite’s historic achievement.

Some even began to whisper that Lord Ignite, rather than the current Queen Alicia VII, might be more suited to rule the Alzano Empire.

As a distant relative of the royal family, Lord Ignite’s string of heroic deeds was creating a momentum among the upper echelons of the imperial government that was far from a joke.

However,

While the imperial elite and the masses reveled in this glorious victory, Cyrus, Fergus, Nicole, Charlotte—former members of Heaven’s Cross—were quietly assassinated by an unknown party while being transported to the capital. Illia, too, vanished without a trace.

It was rumored that Cyrus, in his cell, had said something about being “deceived by Lord Ignite,” but for some reason, this was never recorded, and the truth remained shrouded in darkness.

As for Illia, her disappearance wasn’t merely an escape—it was as if “no one had ever been there” to begin with, like mist or smoke vanishing without a trace.

Had there been no record of Illia’s imprisonment, the guards might not have even noticed her absence. That’s how mysterious her disappearance was.

Yet, in the jubilant atmosphere of victory, such strange events went unmentioned and were forgotten.

And then,

Unaware of the unsettling movements within the imperial upper echelons—

“Oooohhh! Re=L-chaaaan!”

“Welcome baaack!”

The moment Re=L returned to the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy in Fejite,

she was swarmed and overwhelmed by her classmates rushing toward her.

“Sniff… Thank goodness! You’re safe…!”

Kash sobs, tears streaming down his face.

“…Hmph.”

Gibul watches from a distance.

“…Thank goodness… Truly… I’m so glad…!”

“Yes, indeed…”

“Yeah… yeah…”

Wendy, Teresa, and Lynn, too.

Everyone, without exception, rejoices and celebrates Re=L’s safety and return.

At first, Re=L blinks in surprise at the crowd of students gathering around her.

But soon, with a shy smile, she mumbles:

“…Um… I don’t really understand, but… I heard everyone’s voices. Probably… thanks to all of you, I was able to come back…”

Her classmates exchange puzzled looks at Re=L’s cryptic words, tilting their heads.

“…Um, well… I’m back.”

And then, with a radiant smile—

Re=L, who always wears a sleepy, expressionless face, beams with a dazzling grin.

“Being back here… with everyone at the academy… makes me happy.”

Her words render everything else unimportant.

The group erupts into an even greater uproar, centered around Re=L.

And watching this scene,

“…Heh.”

Glenn, Sistine, and Rumia observe warmly from a distance…

“Hmph…”

Eve turns away, quietly slipping away from the commotion.

The voices of the students, celebrating Re=L’s safety, echo through the academy endlessly.

And then—

Far from the magic academy, in the imperial capital of Orlando,

“Good work.”

Lord Azel le Ignite, quietly working at his desk in his private office, murmurs to a figure who appears like a shadow in the corner of the room.

“…Your secret mission has been successfully completed, my lord. Including the cleanup of Cyrus and his group!”

The girl, speaking in a light, upbeat tone, is none other than—Illia.

But not the black-haired Illia who vanished from her cell like mist.

It’s the “cute junior” Illia who first appeared before Glenn and the others—

“Phew, this time I had to layer so many world-dominating illusions, I’m exhausted… When you go this far, you start losing track of which one’s the real you!”

“…The results?”

Ignoring Illia’s playful antics, Lord Ignite continues his work, asking calmly.

“Oh, yes. Here’s the data in question.”

Illia swiftly moves to Lord Ignite’s side, placing a small magic crystal on his desk.

“With this, the final form of [Project: Revive Life], [The Ritual of Heroes’ Rebirth], is complete, right? This is probably ahead of even The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom, isn’t it?”

“Exactly. With this, my pawns will eventually surpass even that organization.”

“Honestly, Senpai, Cyrus and everyone were so comical, weren’t they? Sure, to reach the final stage of [Project: Revive Life], analyzing Re=L-san’s [Para-Origin Ether] while she was dying from ether dissociation syndrome was absolutely necessary… but there was no need to go to Mares and perform such an elaborate ritual to analyze and verify it, right?”

Giggling, the “cute junior Illia” laughs mischievously.

“I mean, I already collected Re=L-san’s data on the way, so that was more than enough, wasn’t it? And yet, everyone went all the way to that remote place? Glenn-senpai, Eve-san, Albert-san, the military—all of them desperately trying to stop it, so silly. Cyrus, too, frantically trying to carry out the ritual, so silly. Everyone was so silly! The moment I made contact with Re=L-san, it was already too late! And the clueless military higher-ups, wasting Albert-san’s efforts—great job, everyone!”

“Don’t mock them. Making Cyrus and the military brass believe that was part of your ‘illusion,’ wasn’t it? Truly a terrifying girl. With you, it’s impossible to tell what’s real and what’s fiction… Even I might be deceived someday.”

“Oh, come on. My [Moon Cradle] is designed for humans only. It wouldn’t work on you. And besides… I’d never betray you, Lord Ignite.”

“…Heh.”

Lord Ignite responds to Illia’s fawning smile with a cold chuckle.

“Still… was it really okay? Cutting Cyrus and Heaven’s Cross loose so easily?”

“It’s fine. I eliminated Lord Bartley and temporarily took control of Heaven’s Cross to secure the true [Project: Revive Life]—[The Ritual of Heroes’ Rebirth]—in my grasp.

Besides, there are still plenty of sharp and capable people among《The Hermit》Bernard and the Queen’s faction. Holding onto such bad debts for too long would eventually trip me up.

And to capture the hearts of the foolish masses, a narrative is necessary… the story of ‘uniting under a strong leader to crush a conspiracy.’”

“So you cut them off? Took what you needed and used the rest to solidify your influence and position in the imperial government… Oh, and after all the trouble you went through, pulling strings behind the scenes to get Cyrus appointed as head of the Special Missions Annex. Poor personnel department—they got sacked for being held responsible for Cyrus’s appointment!”

“That was necessary. No progress comes without sacrifice. To save this decaying Empire, we need a truly strong leader, not that soft Queen.”

“Haha, you’re a scary man, my lord. At this rate, I might get cut someday too, huh?”

“Cut you? Hardly. Unlike that lowly Eve, you’re useful. I have high expectations for you… going forward.”

“Yes… My beloved lord. As you command.”

Illia bows respectfully, pledging even greater loyalty to Lord Ignite.

“…By the way, what’s the next move, my lord?”

“For now, we observe until the situation is ripe. But we have much to do. Especially the movements of our neighbor… the Rezalia Kingdom. We must pay close attention.”

“Oh, speaking of which, it’s starting soon, right? That ‘Magic Festival.’ Along with the summit between the Alzano Empire and the Rezalia Kingdom.”

“Indeed. For now, we must focus on ensuring the success of the festival and the summit. We need time, above all.”

“Haha, this is a chance to show ‘loyalty’ to Her Majesty, isn’t it? She’s got a lot of sharp people on her side, so we’d better rack up some points here, right!?”

“Hmph. You’ll be busy, Illia. Very busy.”

……….

And—in the imperial capital, Orlando,

At the rooftop of the Imperial Court Mage Corps’ headquarters,《The Tower of Demonic Arts》,

(This incident… it doesn’t sit right with me.)

Having completed all his missions and reports, Albert gazes out at the sprawling cityscape of the capital below.

The familiar, sturdy, and historic streets remain unchanged.

Looking far into the distance, toward Fejite, he can faintly see the silhouette of the Sky Castle.

(Cyrus’s accusations, the simultaneous arrest of government officials aligned with The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom and Heaven’s Cross… the complete eradication of Heaven’s Cross… the weakening of The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom… lately, everything is going too smoothly. Everything is heading in too perfect a direction.)

But that was precisely the path Albert had aimed for.

To bring peace to this empire. He had borne countless burdens and charged forward toward that goal.

Yet… something about it didn’t sit right with him.

And then there was Lord Azel le Ignite, the leading figure of the martial faction, who had recently been thrust into a position of prominence by circumstances, effectively seizing control of the military’s full authority.

Were all these events… truly mere coincidence?

He had been frantically carrying out missions as ordered by the military higher-ups under Lord Ignite’s command, but… he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was pulling the rug out from under him, leaving him uneasy.

(And then…)

On top of that, there was something else that weighed on his mind.

Before taking on this current mission, Albert had been assigned to escort a routine maintenance team to the “Sealed Realm.”

There, Albert had secretly initiated a separate operation, taking advantage of a long-planned opportunity to conduct a certain investigation, heading toward the deepest reaches of the Sealed Realm.

His goal was to uncover the secrets of the royal bloodline and the true origins of this nation.

Of course, it was a long shot. With his level of authority, there was no way he should have been able to reach the deepest layers of the Sealed Realm.

But, strangely enough… at that time, Albert had somehow managed to reach the deepest region—a place even royalty couldn’t access—far too easily.

It was as if the Sealed Realm itself had accepted him, welcoming him in.

And there—he discovered it. Likely a fragment of what Jatice Lowfan《The Justice》had once seen. The very thing that had triggered Jatice’s change of heart.

And then—…

(If… if that is the truth… then the enemy I must truly defeat… the one I must destroy—…)

Chari, a faint sound.

Albert pulled something from his pocket.

He faced, once more, the object he had previously set aside, undecided.

It was—a single “blue key.”

—Welcome to the chamber of a singular truth.

—Those who can reach this place are truly few. Congratulations.

—The fact that you’ve arrived here means—you have the “qualification.”

When Albert had reached a certain truth in the Sealed Realm, a boy had appeared before him out of nowhere and handed him this key, saying, “If you desire power, use it as you wish.”

Who was that silver-haired boy, dressed like a traveling performer?

Why was he in such a place? How had he infiltrated it?

Before Albert could press him for answers, the boy had vanished like mist—and the entire truth remained shrouded in mystery.

The only undeniable fact was the single key left in Albert’s possession.

“…”

Albert gazed at the key.

(If that is the truth… I cannot allow such a thing to exist in this world.)

But as he was now, his power was far too insufficient.

How insignificant a single human was in the face of the grand tides of fate.

So, what then? Sacrifice one to save nine—naturally, that which must be cast aside included himself.

(I… my convictions…—)

Then, what was the most efficient path? The most certain one—

As Albert stared at the key, entranced, as if drawn in by some unseen force—

—You’re always, always carrying too much on your own, damn it!

—In the end, the world only turns out the way it’s meant to, and all we can do is struggle within it. So… wouldn’t it be easier to share the load with everyone?

“That’s right… that’s how it was, wasn’t it?”

With a faint smirk, Albert tightened his grip on the key.

As Albert focused his will, a pre-chanted spell—Stock Spell, activated with a delayed trigger—Delay Boot, and a jolt of electricity crackled through his clenched fist.

The key shattered into pieces… and then, as a black mist, it dissipated and vanished completely.

“Hmph, to think I’d falter like this. …If my heart is this weak, the road ahead will be a long one.”

With a self-deprecating chuckle, he looked up at the sky.

“Oi, there you are, there you are! Al-booooy!”

“You’re safe and sound, thank goodness! Great work on this mission, Albert-san!”

Bernard and Christoph appeared on the rooftop, approaching Albert.

“Man, oh man! This time around, we all had it rough, didn’t we?! Al-boy, I heard ya got a ton of medals for this one? Heh heh, quite the achievement! Thanks to you keeping Cyrus at bay, we had it easy over here! Gotta say, when it comes to crushing organizations, taking out the head is the way to go!”

“Indeed. And Lord Ignite’s leadership was nothing short of brilliant. This whole affair feels like a major step toward true peace for the empire! It’s like history itself has shifted!”

“But if things get too peaceful, it’ll be boring, won’t it? Say, how about we use this momentum to completely wipe out The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom and then move to the adventure-filled Southern Continent…”

“Oh, Bernard-san, really now.”

Albert quietly watched Bernard and Christoph, who were bantering excitedly.

With a subtle, faint twist of his lips, Albert stood in silence.

“Still… things around us have been pretty turbulent lately, haven’t they?”

“Quite so. I hope everything continues to go smoothly.”

“Oh, right, have you heard? About the new head of the Special Missions Annex, replacing that traitor Cyrus… you won’t believe this, but it’s none other than someone from the Ignite family—…”

As the two continued their lively conversation—

“Old man. Christoph. …I have something to discuss.”

Albert spoke, his resolve firm.

“Hm? Discuss? What’s that?”

“I’ve uncovered something concerning about the very foundation of this empire.”

“!”

“As trusted comrades… I want you to hear this in confidence. But be warned, once you hear it, you’ll bear a heavy burden. It may even shake your loyalty to the empire.”

“…Oh?”

In an instant, Christoph and Bernard’s expressions grew serious.

“Even so, I… I want you two to hear it. Truth be told, it’s too much for me to carry alone. Honestly, I don’t know what to do on my own.”

Then—

Albert’s unusually candid words caught them off guard.

For a moment, Christoph and Bernard blinked at each other in surprise.

“Please, tell us, Albert-san.”

“Aye, aye! We’re comrades, after all!”

Without hesitation, they responded with unwavering conviction.

Albert gazed into the distance once more.

Toward the far-off horizon of Fejite—where, surely, the illusory castle floated in the sky.

Picturing Glenn’s face somewhere beneath it, he muttered softly.

“…Hmph, this is fine, right?”

As if asking no one in particular, a gentle breeze swept through the scene.

It softly stirred Albert’s long hair and the hem of his formal attire—