Chrome Shelled Regios-Volume 8, Epilogue

She seriously couldn't stand him…

On her way back to her accommodations at Zuellni, Leerin repeated this silently to herself again and again. Because it was going to be a long time before the next roaming bus arrived, there was nearly nobody staying here, and the hotel had a very empty feel to it. 𝒇𝘳𝐞𝚎𝓌𝑒𝑏𝒏𝑜𝙫ℯl.c𝚘𝒎

"What are you talking about, 'very cheap'? No matter how slow you are, there's gotta be a limit. Do you want to participate in the Slowness World Series?"

Leerin angrily grumbled to herself as she placed her luggage beside the bed and just lay like that on the bed.

She was alone now.

It wasn't because she hadn't lived alone for a long time, it was just that it felt like she had been suddenly thrown into a silent world, and it brought Leerin an empty feeling.

It really had been a hectic day. With the help of Savaris she had managed to cross two fighting cities and reunite with Layfon.

If she were to describe it with words like that, it would only take a sentence or two, but she had experienced a really long day. On her way here on the roaming bus she had crossed paths with filth monsters, realizing for the first time how terrifying their existence was.

There was no other way that any other city had a group of Military Artists such as the Heaven's Blade Successors with such immense power. Nor were they blessed with the leader of the Heaven's Blade Successors: the Queen. That's why, in comparison to other cities, filth monsters weren't really a big issue. That's why, destruction was more likely for the other cities; at least that's what people who lived in cities without Heaven's Blade Successors said.

But as she thought about Layfon standing on the battlefield, her feelings suddenly became complicated.

But as she had never seen Layfon being injured as much as this time before, perhaps it was true that other cities were even more dangerous than Grendan.

Leerin continually pondered this question. Was it more dangerous in other cities or in Grendan… Whichever one was actually more dangerous was of little consequence, as this question swirling though Leerin's head was unimportant.

That was just a buffer of sorts.

A necessary buffer for her to accept reality.

"……………"

Wriggling silently on her bed, she reached into her luggage bag with one hand.

As she touched what she wanted, she tugged it out of the bag. It was a wooden box wrapped up in a cloth. It was something very important that her adoptive father had entrusted to her.

It was to be given to the Psyharden successor, a katana Dite.

It was the proof of her adoptive father's forgiveness, the proof of her adoptive father's apology.

It was also the proof of the bond between them.

"I still haven't given it to him yet."

It wasn't that she was too busy and forgot to give it to him. But Leerin couldn't just give it to Layfon like that.

Maybe he would be so happy that he would start crying.

If Layfon started crying, what would she do? Would she be happy as well? Of course. But, that's not the only thing she would feel…

"It really is a mess, eh?"

Her eyes turned a little warm. There was something rising up from her throat.

They would probably start crying together.

But, she didn't want to start crying with him. She couldn't say to him, "Isn't this great?"

Because, before that, there were other things that she wanted to say.

"I'm so happy that Layfon's safe."

She was alone in this room. A place where nobody could hear anything, where Layfon couldn't hear her, where nobody else could hear her.

And so, she couldn't bear it any more.

"I'm so happy…" said Leerin openly, her wrists covering up eyes that were overflowing with tears.