Elf Tensei Kara no Cheat Kenkoku-ki

Vol 05 Chapter 24-2: The End of the Battle

「Why would I do such a thing? You have exhausted your power destroying the monsters and reconstructing the seal. According to my estimate, it will take at least a week before you can properly use magic again. If I wanted, I could kill everyone here by myself.」

Ashno spoke as if it were a trivial matter. And it was the truth.

「But I won't do that. It was my mistake that the seal was broken. Because of that, you had to sacrifice so much. I can't exploit that. Besides, I lost the war and in our one-on-one duel. I won't disgrace myself further. I accept my defeat.」

「Can I trust your word?」

「Yes. I killed Voldeck and told his subordinates that I'm siding with Erucy. After witnessing your power while destroying the monsters, with Duke Voldeck dead, and me as an enemy, there is no one in the Empire who would dare to continue to fight.」

Given Ashno's character, it was unlikely she was lying.

「What do you intend to do now?」

「It's my responsibility that you are so beaten up and that the seal was broken. So, until you recover, I will protect Erucy in case of any unforeseen circumstances. If possible, I would appreciate it if you could prepare a place for me to sleep within Erucy.」

Everyone around us began to murmur restlessly. It was a natural reaction to such a request.

「Understood. We'll prepare a place for you to sleep.」

「Cyril, can we trust her?」

「Yes, it's okay. We can trust her.」

Ashno surely couldn't break the promise she had made with Suzina.

「Ashno, let's have a proper talk later. I want to know more about Suzina.」

「Alright. I also want to learn about you. And I need to update you about the status of the other seals.」

I shook hands with Ashno. With this, the war was over. We had won. But there was one more task that needed to be concluded. I signaled Lucy with my eyes, asking her to step back, and stood up alone. I was still unsteady, but I gathered my strength.

「People of Erucy, listen! We have won this battle! The threat to Erucy is now gone!」

Probably, the Empire would not attack Erucy again. They had invested so many of their troops and still hadn't won; with Ashno on our side now, they would have no chance in any future conflicts. Everyone's faces relaxed with relief.

「And now, I have a confession to make. Many of you might already know this. I am a monster. I have the power to reincarnate and transform into my past selves. The dragon that blew away the mountain was me.」

Everyone gasped. Those who were in the southern area had seen me transform and fly off. It was no longer possible to hide it. So, the only option left was to be honest.

「If you're afraid of me, please tell me. Erucy can now survive without me. If necessary, I'll leave.」

I felt bad for Lucy and Kuu. In the worst-case scenario, I had even considered leaving Erucy, taking only the two of them with me.

However, the moment I said that, a small shadow leaped towards me.

「Yukino doesn't want Cyril-niisama to leave,」

「Kuro also wants Cyril-niisama to stay.」

「That's right. I can't stand the thought of Cyril-niisama not being here, and I won't allow you to leave Kuu-neesama behind!」

It was the three fire foxes who had grown attached to me… Yukino, Kurone, and Kemin. They all clung to me, gripping my body tightly as if to say they would never let go.

「Hey, leader, so what if you are a monster? We already knew that. What's the big deal about being able to transform?」

「Cyril-sama is what makes Erucy. This Kurao won't accept an Erucy without Cyril-sama! If Cyril-sama leaves, I will accompany you!」

Roleau, who leads the elite unit, and Kurao, the acting village chief, spoke their opinions while smiling. Thinking about it now, I have been greatly helped by these two.

「It's not just us, everyone here feels the same! Everyone here is grateful to leader, and there's not a single person who wants you to leave.」

As Roleau shouted, everyone around nodded in agreement. Then, one after another, they pleaded with me not to leave. So, the things I had done up to now weren't mistakes. I had truly been cherished by the people of Erucy.

「Cyril-kun, it's irresponsible to say you'll leave if everyone is scared.」

「That's right. Cyril, you created the country of Erucy, so you have to take care of it until the end.」

Lucy and Kuu teased me in a playful tone.

「Anyway, Cyril, what about you? If everyone had said they were scared, were you really going to leave? Is Erucy of so little importance to you?」

Lucy's words made my eyes widen in realization. Ah, that's right. It was that simple.

「You are right, I love Erucy and everyone here. I want to stay here forever. Even if those around me say they want me to leave, I want to remain. There was never a choice to begin with.」

The moment I said that, laughter filled the air around us. Amidst it, Kuu spoke up.

「Hey, Cyril-kun, I remember once asking you if you could have been more successful and lived a luxurious life in Erin or the Empire if you were alone. Do you remember what you answered after agreeing with me?」

I thought for a moment but couldn't recall. I must have answered without thinking at that time.

「Sorry, Kuu. I don't remember.」

「Then, let me tell you. Cyril-kun, you said this… ‘I am happy now. I have two lovely wives, good friends around me, delicious food, and can laugh freely. I don't wish for anything more.'」

「You remembered that well.」

「Yes, I came to love you even more after hearing those words. …Is Erucy such a place for you now?」

There was no need to ponder. Yes, I already knew the answer.

「Yes, this is such a place. It's my ideal country.」

I smiled. Yes, this is the place (country) I wanted to create.

「Feeling relieved, I've become sleepy. Sorry, everyone, I'll leave the rest to you.」

And with a peaceful heart, I closed my eyes. As I drifted into sleep, the smiling faces of Lucy and Kuu filled my vision. It looked like I would have a good dream tonight.