The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)-Chapter 734: Epilogue: A Voyage Into The Future

We returned home after enjoying the sunset and told Heraz about the city’s new name. Right away, we were greeted by the banquet to celebrate Shwa’s hundredth day.

It was Shwa’s first public appearance after the naming ceremony.

In hindsight, this was better than having the banquet after the naming ceremony where Shwa was too small to understand everything. Not that he could understand everything three months later, but at least he could be awake and enjoy the attention.

Which he truly did.

"Au--aaah!" was how he greeted the audience as Natha carried him, tall and dignified, to the balcony of the Great Hall.

The baby, bigger than his peers, raised his arm like the little lord that he was, and made the audience erupt in cheer like they were at a concert. The cheer got Shwa even more excited, and he flailed his limbs, shrieking and laughing merrily. The crowd would cheer again, and Shwa hot excited again, and...

It was a cycle.

Honestly, it was amazing. Shwa hadn’t had his nap since lunch, but his energy level seemed to be as high as Jade’s. Did he get a mana injection from Alveitya too? Or was he able to sense how happy we were and wanted to celebrate it together?

He even held on while people came to talk to us, bringing gifts--except Lesta, who only brought complaints about the additional work piles up on him. It wasn’t even a birthday, but gifts were piling up almost as high as Lesta’s work. I had no idea if Shwa understood the gifts, but he seemed to love the way people bowed and curtsied at him.

Honestly? The way he looked at the guest was the same as his father, who was holding him. It was so fascinating looking at them together like that.

Should frame the still cut from the recording.

Eventually, however, he was running out of fuel and started to become fussy. For parents, it was a very good, legitimate excuse to leave the banquet--and I used it well.

It was a full, exhausting, but also satisfying day. We took a bath together, with Natha only there to service us with refreshing drinks while I played in the water with Jade and Shwa, and took the drowsy baby to dry and clothe him.

By the time I got out of the bathroom with Jade, Shwa was having his milk and I took Natha’s place so he could have his shower.

"Can we sleep together, Papa?" Jade asked with pleading eyes, probably still attached to the adventure we had together today.

"Of course, baby. Just lie next to Shwa," I patted the green hair, and Jade immediately climbed onto the mattress, pulling the big blanket over him and curled beside Shwa--who giggled and waved his hand to pat-pat the big brother.

"Don’t laugh while drinking, baby," I tapped his nose and got him to finish the milk. When I was patting his back to burp him, Shiny shuffled inside the bedroom and curled on the chair near the fireplace, while Ignis crawled on top of the stone frame.

"We all sleep together tonight!" Jade giggled happily. "Oh...if only Vrida and Choco can be here too..." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"We can play with them tomorrow," I laughed, pausing when I heard the awaited burping. I held Shwa high and grinned. "Now we can do everything we want!"

"Mwaah!"

"That’s right," I giggled and put him back on the bed, next to Jade. "But for now, you have to go to sleep. Go to sleep and wake up fresh tomorrow so we can go and play together."

"Okay!" Jade replied and covered Shwa with the baby blanket, while he pulled the big blanket to cover himself.

"Auu...ahh...awaah," Shwa mumbled in response, wiggling his arms for a long time even though his eyes looked heavy. "Uwaah--uuh..."

I patted him while humming in response, wondering what got my son so adamant about fighting his sleepiness. But the answer came when Natha finally joined us, and Shwa made one last shout before finally closing his eyes.

"Pfft--he’s waiting for you," I chuckled softly, patting the tenacious baby and his big brother.

"Because he’s a smart boy, like his Papa," Natha said with a smile, stroking the little head.

"If he’s smart, isn’t it because of you?" I tilted my head, looking at Mister Top Student lying on his side.

Natha laughed quietly and replied with a diplomatic tone. "Let’s settle it with he’s just like both of his fathers."

I guessed? I shrugged and giggled, leaning down to kiss my sons before getting out of bed.

"Where are you going, sweetheart?" Natha asked with a frown.

I tiptoed around the bed and kissed his furrowed brows. "I’m going to write my journal first before going to bed."

Natha, however, only let me go after another kiss on the lips, which I gave him gladly. When I settled on my writing table beneath the window, I could see him patting the kids again--because they were protesting for the paused comfort. I could also see Ignis and Shiny around the fireplace, and if I looked out of the balcony, I would be able to see Vrida on the hill.

My family.

My home, which I fought hard to get. This day was the day I finally got my family as a whole; the day my home was finally mine without the threat of someone taking them again.

...well, maybe not. Maybe something else would come in the future, but hey--if I managed to argue against a deity, what couldn’t we do?

I came to this world with nothing, and faced a Demon Lord with nothing to lose. Now, I have everything I ever wanted, and a whole lot to lose. But it was fine, because I also gained the strength to defend it, a partner and families who would fight with me, and friends who would support me.

And I hope, in the future, Shwa will be able to find these precious, precious things. Of course, we would be there for him; we would love him more than anything. But in this wide, wide world, I hoped he could find lots and lots of precious things I managed to find.

* * *

Slowly, the young man closed the journal on his lap. He looked up while closing his eyes, exhaling slowly as the sunlight shone upon his sharp, handsome face.

"Haa..." when he looked at the journal again, he couldn’t help but sigh. "If you’re going to make me read this, you shouldn’t put your sexy time here, dear fathers."

Lamenting at his parents’ shamelessness, the youngster chucked the journey back to his storage ring, clicking his tongue after checking his three-realm pocket watch.

He read the journal casually to pass the time while his boat was being prepared. If he knew it would take them so long, he should have just taken one of his father’s ships.

But then, someone from that place might get triggered and attack him permanently.

Oh, well...

"Sir!"

Finally! The young man turned back, prompting the chubby man running toward him to halt and bow. The slightly shaking eyes were trying hard not to stare at the two protruding horns or the blue pattern running beneath the fair skin like veins.

"T-the boat is ready, Sir! I’ve filled it with water and provision for two weeks as requested! I’ve also procured the water chart for the western sea."

"Good; show me the way," the young man stood up, patting the light shirt that would make his father groan from the lack of proper protection.

But who would want to bother with a coat in this sweltering weather?

"B-but...where are you trying to go, Sir? There’s nothing on the west..." the chubby man asked carefully.

"Nothing that you know," the young man smiled, playing with a brooch between his fingers. "What’s it to you anyway? I’m buying the boat, so it won’t matter even if I don’t return."

"Well...that is so, but..."

The young man just laughed, looking so carefree. The chubby man just sighed and led his customer to the boat. It was small for a voyage, but big enough for five people. This young man, however, didn’t bring anyone but himself. He didn’t even seem to bring anything with him, just a storage ring and a brooch he fashioned into a necklace.

Oh, what does it matter to him? The chubby man took a deep breath and asked a final question. "At least, can you tell me your name, Sir? You know...in case you’re missing and someone is looking for you..."

The young man arched his brow, and the chubby man thought he would never get an answer. But the deep green eyes curled as the young man stepped into the boat and conjured a wind to push the boat away.

"Shwa," he said, throwing the rope off the boat. "My family called me Shwa."

- end -

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[author’s note]

And that’s it!

The story ends here, and there will be no side story for this one, unfortunately. Thank you very much for walking together with Valen and Natha until the end!

At first, I thought this story was only going to take me 200-300 Chapters at most; I had no idea it would be twice as long. Truly, thank you for reading and loving this book, the first one I completed. It was fun and challenging, but mostly fun! I’d let you freely imagine how the family would spend their days after this.

Natha would keep being a Lord until the council for the New Covenant truly established and gained their influence. He spent his retirement in the Lair and following Valen around. They lived in Aier for a while while their sons--yes, Jade also--attended the academy over there. After Shwa reached adulthood...

Well, that would be another story.

You might have guessed what the story would be from the epilogue, but I had no idea when I would write it. Fantasy is my favorite genre, but honestly...it was draining to write. And so, I want to write something...lighter, after this. Something that doesn’t require me to do any complicated world-building.

(or something already semi-established like omegaverse...maybe? I do like me some mpreg ;)

Anyway, thank you for reading this story and tolerating the many flaws it had. Truly, thank you for making me an author. I shall have a little bit of rest while finishing the other one, and hopefully, I’ll return with another title soon.

Will it be romance? Will it be another BL? Will it be a girl protagonist next time? I still have no idea. Maybe you do?

If you have some questions regarding the story, you can ask them in the comments, and I’ll try to answer them.

Once again, thank you everyone!

\(>,<)/

With regards,

Aerlev