Epilogue: A Chat Between Hero and Princess
We were all aboard Fujiyan's airship. Our next destination? The biggest country on the continent—Highland. It was also the nation that was home to Sakurai and Yokoyama.
We bid our farewells to the blazing sun, white sands, and the sparkling sea. Beneath that gorgeous ocean was Deep Scar, an abyssal trench full of calamity level monsters. Even deeper was a creature of legend, Leviathan. The Seafloor Temple was enshrined on its back.
To meet Noah, I'd have to get through all of that.
I need to train and adjust my approach, I thought. Lucy and Sasa's encouragement might've cheered me up, but my objective was extremely difficult.
I was lucky to have survived... Perhaps I should thank my goddess for her guidance.
The Habhain Islands were gradually shrinking into the distance.
When will I return? I wondered.
I'd been spacing out on deck, but then Princess Sophia snapped me out of it. "Hero Makoto. You seem to be in an ill mood."
"Not at all," I answered, putting on a smile. It felt like she'd read my mind.
"The Seafloor Temple is a dungeon that mankind has never
explored," she said. "Being unable to reach it is simply nothing to be concerned about." Her tone was gentle. I suppose she was encouraging me as well.
"Well, Leviathan's more of an issue than the temple itself. I need to figure out how to get past it and into the dungeon..." I wasn't sure
whether I should talk to her about it, but I let out my complaints in a relatively familiar tone.
"You're speaking of the divine beast...the one that legends say protects the Seafloor Temple? I've heard it is larger than a town..." she commented before giggling. "I certainly wouldn't have the faintest idea of how to stand against such a huge monster."
Larger than a town, huh...
"'Town' my foot! It's more like a whole mountain range moving!
Unfortunately, the legends played this one down for once." I sighed and leaned against the railing.
"That makes it sound like you have seen it with your own eyes," she said in an amused tone.
"Well, yeah, I have. I was shaking." "What?"
"Hm?" I realized that we were talking slightly past each other.
She looked dubiously at me as she spoke again. "Just to be
certain...you claim that you have seen the divine beast Leviathan?" "I have. When it looked at me, I thought I was going to die."
When she heard my confirmation, her face twisted. "Leviathan is a monster that apparently has the ability to make it rain continuously for forty days and nights if angered. It could flood the whole world and destroy everything in it! That beast has never even been seen...has never been confirmed to exist!"
I hadn't ever heard her shout like that before. Fujiyan and the others—even the knights—looked our way.
Still...she made sense. I was feeling down in the dumps because I'd barely gotten a glimpse of the temple, and I certainly hadn't gotten
inside...but seeing the divine beast itself was still a rather rare occurrence.
"Thank you, Princess Sophia," I said. "I'm more motivated now."
"I have no idea why you are thanking me..." she murmured. "If I hadn't asked, did you have any intention of telling anyone that you had seen it? Do you know what a feat it is?"
"It's nothing that special...is it?" I'd only gotten a distant look. Mostly, I'd just planned to brag about it to Jean and Mary once I returned to Macallan's guild.
But when I explained that to the princess, she shook her head in dismay. "Hero Makoto...you lack much of our common knowledge." She left me with an invitation to her room later, so she could further explain. Sounds like a meeting with the boss to me... I was probably going to get it in the neck for not giving a proper report.
There was also the matter of the elementals... Namely, how I'd called upon too many before diving into Deep Scar. I remembered the divine figure—who was apparently the water goddess, Eir—and how she'd appeared to me. It'd been a significant amount of time since that'd happened, but I still remembered all the details. I was pretty sure Princess Sophia would be even more shocked if I told her about that...
Right after Sophia left, Lucy sidled up to me. "Hey, Makoto, what were you talking to the princess about?"
Sasa followed up immediately. "Something important?"
Those two must've been waiting for the princess and me to finish our conversation.
"Nothing big," I answered. "She just wanted to hear a bit more about the temple."
"Hmm."
"Oh, that's it?"
Neither of them seemed really interested.
Were they even adventurers?
"She told me to come see her later, so I'll be back in a bit."
Suddenly, they turned to face me again, and both of them began asking pointed questions.
"Makoto! Princess Sophia said to go to her room?" "You're going to be alone with her?!"
"I don't know about alone..." I replied. The princess had a VIP room on the ship. It wasn't big enough for a ton of people.
"Aya...this is dangerous..." said Lucy. "She'll ambush him..." "I told you she was giving him eyes!" Sasa exclaimed.
"But she's a princess! Why would she fall for a commoner like Makoto?"
"You don't get it, Lu. A difference in standing makes love burn even hotter."
"What are you two on about?" I interrupted. Whether they were joking or not, they were insulting a princess... Even if said princess was way more friendly than she used to be.
"I'm going to see Fujiyan, then I'll head for the princess's room," I told them. Fujiyan had become a noble now, so I'd get him to tell me all about manners.
As I looked over the side of the airship, I saw that the Habhain Islands had already vanished from sight.
Until next time, Seafloor Temple.
Noah was far away...but I'd get there. I'd put every effort into my role as a State-Authorized Hero to make sure of it.
But first, I needed to see my boss.
"Makoto," Lucy said, "if you're going to meet with her, then I'll come along too."
"That's right," Sasa added, backing Lucy up. "We can't allow any mistakes."
Well, Princess Sophia didn't tell me to come alone, so I guess it's fine?
Though, when we all showed up at her door, the princess seemed really put out.
What's with you? I heard Noah sigh. I'm glad you're happy again, though. I didn't know what would happen when you made it to Leviathan.
Her voice sounded slightly cheerful, but also somewhat lonely.
Maybe she'd held out some hope that I might rescue her. I'd have to live up to that hope...
I'll get to you next time, I promised her mentally.
After a moment, she answered, I'll be waiting. It wasn't her usual bright voice but was something more somber.
The next time I was there, I'd get to the temple. I swore it to myself.