(TL Note: After careful consideration, I've changed Van to Ban. Why? Ban sounds more feminine.)
Snap!
As Damien reached for the [Black Queen], Kureha seized his hand.
"Damien."
"..."
"The malevolence I sense from this gun is extraordinary. Are you sure about this?"
"Let go. Now."
"Even the Crown Prince warned you. This is..."
"Let go!"
A rough voice, uncharacteristic of Damien, erupted from his mouth.
"I need to see Ban! Let go of me!"
"...Damien."
"If I have this gun, I can meet Ban again... What's the problem? I meet Ban, you all get rid of that snake; it's a win-win for everyone, isn't it?"
"..."
Slowly, Kureha released her grip on Damien's hand.
"Just remember this, Damien. There are people here who care about you, too."
Without even acknowledging her, Damien grasped the Black Queen tightly.
"...Never forget that."
Whoosh!
An aura, many times darker and more malicious than before, enveloped Damien's entire body.
"Welcome, Damien."
A voice echoed within him.
"Let's dream."
The voice sounded like it could belong to Orlop... or perhaps Ban.
"This time, I'll make sure you dream a dream so pleasant that you'll never want to wake up."
Upon hearing that sweet voice, Damien lost consciousness.
***
When he came to, he was at the summit of a mountain.
Disoriented, Damien looked around.
It was the wee hours of the morning on a secluded small mountain. Before him stretched an endless land under a vast sky.
Damien soon realized his current situation.
It was the dawn of the day when he had escaped the orphanage and reached the summit of this mountain.
'Something... I feel like I've been through a lot...'
Damien rubbed his throbbing forehead.
His head was cloudy. Thoughts weren't connecting well.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember anything besides escaping the orphanage and arriving here.
Was there something else?
"Damien, make a promise with me."
At that moment, a familiar voice came from beside him.
He turned in surprise; it was Ban.
Her tanned skin, short hair like a boy's, and scarred cheeks.
The face of the girl Damien loved was right before him. Damien blinked slowly.
"Huh? A promise? What promise?"
"To explore this entire outside world."
Ban smiled brightly.
"Let's fill our eyes with the sight of this vast world."
For a moment, Damien blankly stared at Ban's dazzling smile before shaking his head.
'...No'
"Let's not do that."
"Huh? What?"
"Don't become mercenaries for a get-rich-quick scheme, don't head south to see the end of the world."
"Damien? What are you talking about?"
Even Damien himself didn't know what he was saying. However, he was certain that they should not set out on any more adventures.
He approached Ban, who was blinking in confusion, and carefully took her chin in both hands.
Then, he kissed her.
"...?!"
Ban's face flushed red in surprise. Damien slowly pulled away and gave her a faint smile.
"I'm sorry for the suddenness. But you would've made the move if I hadn't, right?"
"You, you, youu...!"
"If we head north from here, there's a big city. We'll have plenty to do there. Let's start there."
Damien reached out and tightly held onto both of her hands.
The girl's hands were warm.
"Let's quit adventuring, quit the dangerous stuff like sword fighting and healing magic... Let's live quietly and peacefully, Ban."
"…"
Ban looked blankly at Damien for a moment, and then broke into a small smile.
"If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do, Damien."
Ban's fingers intertwined with Damien's.
"As long as I'm with you, I'm good anywhere."
"...Yes!"
The boy and girl ran down the mountain hand in hand.
Their faces overflowed with hope.
***
And so, a new life began.
In a corner of the bustling city, the two started to build their lives.
They lived in a cheap lodging and did odd jobs. They cleaned alleys, washed dishes in restaurants, turned on streetlights, and delivered mail.
They yelled to attract customers at market stalls and peeled potatoes until they had blisters on their hands. They saved every meager cent they earned while holding back their hunger.
The income wasn't good, so they always had to tighten their belts.
But happiness was everywhere.
Damien cooked with leftover ingredients he got from the restaurant. It was amazing how good he could make stale bread, wilted vegetables, and tough meat taste.
They couldn't afford theater tickets, so they sat on a tree branch outside and peeked at the plays, which were tear-jerkingly moving.
Even when walking hand in hand through the city late at night, when they smelled of sweat and their hands smelled of fish.
Every day was beautiful.
Since they were diligent, they soon gained recognition.
Damien, who was smart and quick at calculations, was able to get a job as a clerk at a nearby Merchant Guild, and Ban, thanks to her cheerful and friendly personality, became a regular salesperson at a shop.
They had long forgotten about healing magic and swords.
They were happy without any of that.
***
Time passed.
Both had become adults. Damien and Ban had each become indispensable at their respective workplaces. Although they were still poor, their youth was vibrant and fresh.
And then, on a certain fall festival day.
Pop! Boom!
The square was overflowing with people dancing and holding hands, noisy songs were playing everywhere, and fireworks were bursting in the autumn night sky.
"Let's get married."
Damien got down on one knee in front of Ban and proposed.
He nervously held out a cheap silver ring, his face red as if it were about to burst. Damien proposed with a somewhat tearful expression.
Ban, who was looking down at his silly face and holding back laughter, eventually said,
"...Yes!"
She wiped away the tears that had gathered in her eyes and accepted.
They exchanged rings and kissed. The citizens enjoying the festival around them collectively let out cheers and whistles in celebration.
They couldn't afford a wedding. They just registered their marriage and started their honeymoon life.
They couldn't afford a house, so they rented a small, shabby room. They cleaned away the cobwebs, scrubbed off the mold, and painted the walls white.
They picked up furniture that the neighbors had thrown away, repaired it, and painted it. It became quite a decent newlywed home.
Hand in hand, they fell asleep on the bug-ridden bed every night, and the two were perpetually joyful.
Weekends were a special time for them. Dressed in their best casual attire, they would head to a small theater in a back alley to watch a one-act play. On their way home, they would dine out.
Though they had to be mindful of cost-effectiveness, opting for inexpensive restaurants with generous servings, they were grateful to live such a life.
And then, a few months later.
"I'm pregnant," said Ban, who had been waiting for Damien at home, her eyes filled with tears.
"I said I'm pregnant, Damien!"
Stunned, Damien rushed over to Ban and embraced her tightly. Ban let out a joyful scream, clinging onto Damien.
"It's our baby, our baby! I'm going to be a mom!"
Time flew by in an instant.
Ten months later, the midwife arrived at their home, and as Ban's laborious cries echoed, Damien stood gnashing his teeth by the door.
Whimpers turned into cries; the baby was safely born.
"It's our son," Ban asked with a weary but smiling face as she cradled the tiny bundle.
"What should we name him?"
"Ah, I hadn't thought about that," Damien responded.
"You're always like that," Ban playfully rolled her eyes.
"How about naming him after someone you admire the most?"
Caught off guard, Damien blinked. Someone he admired the most?
'A person I admire the most is...'
A man's name flashed through his mind. Without even realizing it, Damien uttered it.
"Then, our son's name will be..."
***
Years passed.
The child grew like a sprout, shooting up from the ground.
Juggling parenthood and work left the couple exhausted.
But since both incomes were needed, neither of them gave up on work or childcare.
Their once constantly crying baby had now started crawling, standing, and even walking.
The day their child took his first steps, Damien proudly paraded him through the neighborhood. Ban was embarrassed, covering her face with one hand while smacking Damien's back with the other, yet she followed along.
"Father! Mother!"
The child started speaking.
He was weaned and started eating solid food. Teeth sprouted between his gums. His hair grew long enough to need a trim.
Time went on.
The child turned seven.
Both Damien and Ban, who hadn't received proper education in their youth, vowed to give their child the best education possible.
Their son, who loved reading from a young age, made his mark when he entered school.
Whenever their son brought home an award, Damien and Ban would proudly announce, "Our son is a genius," boasting to everyone in their neighborhood.
The family would go on picnics over the weekends. Packing lunch and a mat, they would head to parks or riversides for an outing.
Time went on.
At thirteen, their son enrolled in a boarding school. With a mature air, he assured his parents not to worry as he entered the dormitory, leaving Damien and Ban silently tearing up.
Time went on.
Damien climbed the ranks within the Merchant Guild. Having served nearly 20 years, his standing in the Guild was high.
Ban purchased a commercial building and opened her own store. Though they took on some debt, the store did well, allowing them to repay it quickly.
It was at this time they left their beloved basement apartment for a fine mansion on the outskirts of the city.
Time had passed.
Damien's son, having graduated from school, passed the exams to become an administrative officer in the city hall.
The day the results were announced, Damien and Ban hugged their son just as they had when he was a child, parading around the neighborhood, bragging about him.
The son covered his face, embarrassed yet pleased.
Time had passed.
The son got promoted and secured a place near the city hall, starting his own household.
The wrinkles on the faces of Damien and Ban had increased noticeably.
Still, the couple went on dates every weekend, holding hands. They went out to the central city theater and dined at fancy restaurants.
Time had passed.
Their son introduced them to a beautiful young woman; they were already engaged.
Damien and Ban, who never had a proper wedding, decided to host a grand wedding for their son.
Many people came to their son's wedding, showering the young couple with applause and flower petals as they celebrated their union.
Watching this, Damien and Ban held each other's hands tightly.
"Shall we have another wedding too?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Though Ban chided Damien for his suggestion, not long after, they indeed had a twilight wedding ceremony, quietly and without letting their son and daughter-in-law know.
"Wearing a wedding dress at this age...really."
In a quiet temple, bathed in dusty sunlight, Ban, even with her wrinkled face, was beautiful. She smiled brightly and said, "You must really love me, old man!"
Damien silently embraced Ban and kissed her lips.
Time had passed.
Time had passed.
...Time, had passed.
***
Lying in bed, Damien awaited death.
Ban sat next to him, tightly holding his hand.
"Were you happy, dear?"
"Of course, I was happy."
Barely able to see, Damien mumbled as he stared at the ceiling.
"What more happiness could I ask for..."
"..."
"Were you happy, dear?"
When Damien asked, Ban smiled faintly and replied, "Yes, I couldn't have been happier."
For a moment, they held hands in silence, not exchanging a word. A peaceful quiet filled their cozy bedroom.
Then, noise erupted outside their bedroom door. The sound of children laughing was heard.
"Ah, it looks like our son has arrived."
Ban quickly opened the door.
"Father!"
Their son, who had ascended to the position of the city's mayor despite being a commoner, entered the bedroom with his grandchildren. Damien spread his arms to greet him.
"Come here, my pride and joy."
And then, Damien spoke his son's name.
"...Ash..."
The moment that name left his lips.
"Huh?"
A faint moan escaped from the aged Damien's lips.
In his foggy mind,
A feeling as if clear ripples were spreading.
Step by step,
The son standing before him grinned.
With jet-black hair and similarly dark eyes, he was a young, handsome man.
Ash spoke,
- Damien.
- Are you really just going to sit here, waiting to die?