Epilogue: Banquet in Cameron
After our battle with the blighted hydra, we returned to Cameron, and I met Estelle once more in the Temple of Time.
"Good work on the investigation," she told me.
I'd thought Sakurai or Princess Noelle would be here as well, but apparently not. I had also invited Furiae, but she'd decided not to come.
"The investigation was one thing," I said, "but the blight dragon was a whole other ordeal."
"Yes, I have heard the rumors in the town. The Hero of Light and the Hero of Roses saved Cameron. Quite the feather in your cap, disciple of Noah."
Was that supposed to be praise? Her eyes seemed as cold as ever, and under that gaze, I decided to complain a little.
"You could have warned me about the blight dragon," I griped. "Honestly, things were really touch and go for a while. My other party members weren't even there. Can't you...see the future?"
She was silent in response. "Lady Estelle?" I pressed. "I could not."
"What?"
Her shoes clacked on the floor as she walked over to me. That cold gaze morphed into a slightly awkward look.
"I already told you—your zealous devotion to Noah means that I cannot see your future. None of it."
"None...at all?"
"Indeed. It's a real problem," she admitted. Her tone of voice seemed more casual now.
"S-Sorry for the—"
She cut me off. "If I had known of its presence, I would have sent more soldiers. That ghost ship may have been a trap set for the Hero of Light, and the situation certainly put him at risk. You...have my thanks."
Her face was the kindest I'd ever seen it.
"Sakurai's strong, so he would've been fine, right?"
"No. He is the only one that can defeat Iblis. The Hero of Light is our only trump card, and we cannot afford to lose him."
"Then we need to protect him, right?" I asked. She stared steadily at me without speaking. "Lady...Estelle?"
"You throw me off. I thought that a disciple of Noah would be more broken, but you're such a good person. I can understand Sister Eir's recommendation now, and..." she trailed off into muttering that I couldn't catch, but then spoke up more clearly again. "As Ira's
priestess, you have my thanks. Is there anything you desire?"
Her tone was as curt as ever, but she seemed more considerate of me now. She's asking if I want anything?
"Not really," I replied.
"I see. Inform me if you think of a request." At that, she concluded our meeting and saw me out.
In the end, that report had gone rather smoothly.
◇
That night, we all ended up at a party.
"Fujiyan, what's the celebration for?" I asked.
"To show gratitude for the two heroes who defeated the blight dragon. The head of the Franz Company proposed the idea."
I glanced around.
The food was amazing, and there was a band playing elegant music. Everyone was in formal wear—I saw a sea of dignified dresses and the like—and partygoers were talking and dancing.
This celebration even stood up to Highland's event.
The densest group of people was clustered around Sakurai, who also had Princess Noelle at his side.
Well, he is the guest of honor, after all.
"You are aware, my esteemed Tackie, that you are also a guest of honor, no?" Fujiyan prompted, obviously using his Mind Reading.
"I'll just grab some food and stay on the outskirts," I said. "People won't be able to find me if I use Stealth."
"I believe you are the first person I have met who would use such a skill at a party... I was asked to introduce you to the Franz Company head later, so I would appreciate you being present for that." Fujiyan looked at me with a long-suffering expression before heading off to give greetings to his other acquaintances.
I piled food onto my plate, using Stealth to draw as little attention as possible. Ultimately, I wanted to spend the party on my own.
Cameron was a trade hub and a cultural melting pot, and that meant that there were dishes from all over the continent. I'd ended up getting carried away and had picked up too much food. Could I even eat it all?
"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked. She was wearing a daring red dress. "You're the guest of honor."
"People are looking for you," Sasa added. She had a cute dress on as well.
"The food in Cameron is great, so I was investigating," I replied.
The buffet featured food similar to French cuisine, along with dishes that seemed close to Indian, Chinese, and Japanese food. All of it was delicious.
"Really?" asked Lucy. "I've been talking with so many people that I haven't had a chance to try anything yet."
"Yeah, a ton of people want to speak to us since we're in your party," Sasa remarked. Both of them looked tired.
Lots of folks in Cameron were fairly proactive with networking, and that was part of why I was hiding—if strangers were talking to me, I wouldn't be able to eat.
"You could both use Stealth as well."
"Hey, you shouldn't go that far for a party..." Lucy protested.
"No fair, leaving us and going off on your own!" Sasa exclaimed. "Gimme some of that food!"
"Can I try it too?"
The pair of them proceeded to pick pieces of food from my plate.
"Take what you like. I can't eat it all on my own anyway..." I admitted.
As the three of us ate, a beauty in a black dress weaved her way through the crowd and over to us—Furiae.
"You look kinda tired, Princess," I remarked.
"My knight...explain to me why the people of this country are willing to speak so easily with the Priestess of the Moon..." Her expression looked utterly confused.
The largest group of people was around Sakurai, the Hero of Light. The second largest, though, had surrounded Furiae.
"Probably because Highland officially announced that they're cooperating with you," I explained. "The people of Cameron are taking the opportunity to make connections."
"But...why? I'm supposed to be an ill omen..."
"From what I've seen, the people in Cameron aspire to have pleasant relationships with others," I answered.
"I see... Though I cannot understand it." She sounded worn out. Honestly, I felt the same way.
I brought her some food since she was tired. Then, I spoke to the head of the Franz Company like Fujiyan wanted. When I did, I got spotted by a few nobles, so I was caught up in conversation for a while.
As the party drew to a close, we would've normally headed back to our own lodging, but apparently, the hotel hosting the party had a room reserved for me—a single suite.
Since it was there, I decided to use it.
However, Fujiyan stopped me as I collected the key.
"My esteemed Tackie, I assume you have a guest room for tonight... I must advise you to not stay alone."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
I'd been told that the booking was for a single room.
"I believe that certain nobles who wish to get close to you—that is, to the Hero of Roses—will have organized some honeypots to hound you. If you are in the room alone, women will make their way in."
"S-Seriously?"
That was crazy.
"Hold on," Lucy said, her sharp ears catching the conversation. "You're spending the night with someone? I'll join you, then."
"No fair, Lu!" whined Sasa. "I'm coming too!"
"Oh? Everyone is staying with you? I will too, then." Furiae had also invited herself.
I guess the four of us would be spending the night in the same room.
There goes my chance at a luxury suite... Well, whatever.
We headed up to the top floor.
"It's huge!" Sasa cheered as she entered the room.
"Aya, this bed could hold at least five people!" exclaimed Lucy. "Oh, there are even snacks," Furiae added.
The three girls were all exploring my room.
Well, it was a good thing that the bed was scarily big—it was wide enough so that all three of the girls could sleep on it. I'd probably take the sofa.
I glanced out of the window. This country had so many casinos that the streets were still lit, and since the bars were also open late, nightlife here was really something.
I kind of wish we could spend more time sightseeing...
I'd told Princess Sophia that we'd be back within a week, though, so we had to leave soon if we were going to make it.
I was thinking about what sightseeing I'd like to do tomorrow, when suddenly, I heard a noise from behind me.
"What are you two doing?" I asked Lucy and Sasa. There was a collection of wine on the table spaced out among various snacks, like
fruit. The spread was similar to room service, but it had been here before we'd arrived.
"We didn't get to drink during the party," Lucy explained. "Right," Sasa chimed in. "This is our after-party."
You two have so much energy, I thought. Also, where did Furiae go?
I looked around the room and finally found her in the middle of the bed, asleep and breathing softly. She was probably exhausted from all the conversation earlier.
You could be a bit warier, I complained mentally, but I pulled a blanket over her.
"You're being awfully nice to Fuuri," remarked Lucy.
"Did something happen on your adventure together?" Sasa asked. They both stared at me.
"Nothing," I replied. "That blight dragon was just tough."
After that, I toasted with the two of them, leaning back on the soft sofa and sipping at a colorful cocktail.
There were all sorts of pictures hanging on the wall, and the room was filled with luxurious furnishings. The tabletop (which was littered with food) looked like marble, and the plates were inlaid with gold.
Even the glasses were complex and decorative. Everything seemed so expensive.
It's kinda unsettling...
Honestly, I felt out of place.
Lucy and Sasa must've seen my feelings written on my face. "What's up?"
"You seem down."
Really, there was no getting stuff past them.
"I can't relax since the room is so fancy," I admitted. They looked blankly at me.
"Really? I love it."
"Yup, I'd happily spend every night in a room like this."
"Really?" I asked. I was the only one that felt awkward in the too-big room, it seemed.
"Guess I'll need to earn more money then," I mused. "Get someplace better than the house in Macallan." I seemed to remember some magazine saying that a man's worth was dictated by his income.
Lucy draped herself onto my side. "Well, I'll be fine as long as I'm with you," she murmured, pushing her chest into me.
Hang on... You're not wearing anything under that dress, are you?!
"I'd be happy with the guild floor if it was with you," Sasa said. Her grip was tight and competitive on my other side.
"I couldn't make you sleep there forever," I protested. "Really?"
Once that conversation died down, I spent the next while relaxing between the two of them.
At some point, there was a knock at the door. It soon opened to reveal a scantily clad woman who apparently had something to discuss with the Hero of Roses. However, she left in disappointment when she saw Lucy and Sasa on either side of me.
Fujiyan was right... Cameron's a scary place.
I kept talking with them for a while, but fighting the blight dragon had evidently exhausted me more than I'd thought—I passed out partway through my normal training.
◇
"Morning, Makoto." "Noah? Good morning." I'd awoken in her realm.
"Mornin', Mako!" Eir said cheerily. "Well done—you took down another blight dragon! Roses will be in an even better position now!" She wrapped me in a hug.
"Hey, no tempting Makoto!" Noah protested.
"What's the harm?" She started tousling my hair and making cooing noises.
"Things have been hectic recently," I complained. "We stopped the stampede in Macallan and defeated a blight dragon in Cameron. Can I get a break now?"
I thought I should be able to take things easy for a while. And though I did still have to visit Springrogue and Great Keith, that was just to give greetings.
The two goddesses exchanged meaningful looks.
"You see, Makoto, I don't think you can relax just yet," Noah began.
Eir explained a bit further. "It looks like all of this turmoil might've just been a diversion from the Snake Sect's real plan..."
"What?" No, no, no! There'd been ten thousand monsters, an ancient dragon, and a blight dragon! Hadn't I done enough?
"You should go to Springrogue next. Freya asked for help."
I sighed. Well, I had been intending to travel there anyway.
"Apparently, there's something going on in the Forest of Fiends," said Noah.
"Really?!" I exclaimed. The Forest of Fiends was a massive dungeon located in the center of the Great Forest. People said it was even tougher than Labyrinthos, and it's supposed to have more dangerous monsters too...
"That's...going to be an absurd challenge," I said.
"We're not asking you to go on your own!" Noah clarified. "Freya's gonna give you support—she's rallying some of the elves and beastmen to help out!"
A lot of Springrogue's inhabitants were demihumans. In other words, elves and beastpeople.
"Lucy's from Springrogue, isn't she?" I asked.
"Yup! Her grandfather is the chief of one of the biggest villages. Also, her mother's the Hero of Springrogue, so you'll get to meet her."
"Oooh..." Meeting a hero in the elven village! Sounds like fun. "I guess I'll head there next," I decided.
Noah seemed happy about my enthusiasm. "Oh, you're all fired up now!"
"Yay, Mako!" cheered Eir. "Love you. ☆" "Stop hugging him!"
At some point, while the two goddesses were playing tug-of-war with me, I passed out.
◇
"Mmrhg..."
I awoke in a luxurious room.
Right, it's that fancy hotel. I looked toward the massive bed and saw the three girls sleeping in a pile. As I walked over, Lucy's long ears twitched as her eyes snapped open.
"Oh, good morning, Makoto."
"Morning, Lucy... Uh, why are you naked?" "It was hot."
I knew that would be the answer...but I still asked every time.
"You should have joined us," Lucy said with a teasing grin. "I could've told my family that I'd done it."
The mention of Lucy's family reminded me of the discussion with the goddesses.
"Oh, right. We're going to your village in Springrogue next."
"Huh?" Lucy seemed flabbergasted and her mouth dropped open. "Ah? Wait a minute. What do you mean?"
"I figured we could go visit your family."
The other two girls began to stir—Lucy's yell had apparently woken them up.
"What's wrong, Lu?" murmured Sasa. "Oh be quiet..." Furiae complained.
But Lucy kept her focus on me. "Wh-What do you mean, see my
family?!"
"You don't want to?" I asked.
"Th-That's not what I meant! Not at all!" "That's what we'll do, then."
It was decided. Elven villages were a staple in fantasy series, but I had never been to one. I was looking forward to it.
"Uhm, is this an engagement...? A meeting? No, Makoto's an otherworlder... S-So I should just introduce him as my boyfriend...?" Lucy was muttering away to herself. What brought that on?
Are you doing this on purpose? Noah asked.
You're a bad man, Mako... chided Eir.
But...I was only doing what you two goddesses told me to... Neither of them replied. Still, this plan would work out, right?
And so our next destination was decided: we'd be visiting the elven village in Springrogue...and Lucy's family.