“Will it be okay?”
“He’ll manage. He’s not an idiot.”
He’s already crossed a river he shouldn’t have.
All we can do now is trust that it’ll work out.
“Do you really think so? I’m anxious.”
“I agree. He’s unpredictable.”
Whether it’s because of the difference in species or just human nature, Ern has a tendency to act impulsively, without warning.
Not that all humans are like that, but considering he’s worked in covert operations where patience is a must, this trait of his is especially striking.
“He’s got a sharp instinct, so he’ll figure it out.”
Still, his stubbornness isn’t baseless, and Valtean trusted that Ern wouldn’t make the wrong decision.
*****
The bright afternoon sunlight flickered before his eyes.
Had the sun already risen high in the sky?
It felt like he had fallen asleep just as dawn was breaking, yet so much time had passed already.
The warmth of someone nestled in his arms was comforting.
Epherna was fast asleep, breathing softly, almost like she had passed out.
“…”
She’s adorable.
Her face might have changed since she was younger, but her sleeping habits hadn’t changed a bit.
Lying on her side with her head tilted down, she looked like she’d get a stiff neck any moment.
He used to fix her posture every night.
Gently, Ern poked at different parts of her face and body: her ears, cheeks, eyelids, lips, chin, forehead, and even the smooth curves that had developed over time.
Maybe he was too playful.
“…Are you awake?”
Epherna opened her eyes and glared at him, her discontent evident.
Her annoyance was understandable—he had disturbed her sleep.
But judging by her flushed red ears, she wasn’t entirely upset.
“…You’ve changed so much.”
“I’ve always been like this. I just held back before.”
He smirked.
Ern had always been sly.
He wasn’t the type to bottle up his emotions, even trivial ones.
It’s just that what was inside him hadn’t been affection—until now.
“…We’re not even married yet.”
Her voice came out as a quiet mumble.
Was she embarrassed because he had lightly touched her chest?
It made sense—she had always been this way.
Even when she was the one who seemed to like him more, Epherna was always the one who blushed in moments like this.
“So what? We’re going to be, anyway.”
She’s my wife now. Who cares how or where I touch her?
“So let’s just stay like this a little longer.”
Ern pulled Epherna into a tight embrace, holding her so firmly that it felt like his breath was being squeezed out.
“…Hmm.”
Epherna’s face turned red all the way to her neck as she instinctively lowered her head, revealing a dazed expression that only made her look more vulnerable.
“…”
Hmm. Should I cross the line now?
Why not? I already broke the trial—I might die at any moment anyway.
Maybe now’s the time to leave an indelible mark that she’s mine.
“You’re thinking something weird, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t you deny it?”
“Should I? …Do you dislike it?”
“…”
Epherna averted her gaze slightly, her voice trembling.
“…I-I don’t dislike it, but….”
“…”
Hmm. If she reacts like that, it’s even harder to hold back.
If she keeps teasing my restraint, I can’t guarantee what I’ll do.
Trying to cool his head and return to reality, Ern began organizing his priorities.
“Epherna, you know my name, right?”
*****
Now then, what’s the next step?
Oh, trial holding my fate, what’s your move now?
You can’t kill me immediately.
There’s nothing around me that could threaten my life.
I’ve gathered essences from the Mythical Era and even made a wish.
I know this much.
The world enforces causality with strict precision.
And also—
“I’ve been thinking. Why do the hints my ancestors left always point to the Imperial Capital?”
Because a trial ultimately represents something to be ‘overcome’.
That’s why Ern was confident.
He had every reason to be.
“It wasn’t about the capital. It was always about you.”
The instructions themselves were peculiar.
Do not let Epherna discover the trial.
At first, Ern didn’t try to understand the reason behind it.
Why bother? It didn’t seem necessary.
“The answer was with you all along.”
“…”
Epherna couldn’t know the nature of the trial, even though she held its answer.
To solve the trial, one had to break it—a contradiction Ern eventually realized.
And giving up on deceiving her was the trial itself.
“Father told me everything.”
Without hesitation, Epherna answered clearly, as though she had no intention of beating around the bush.
Now that Ern thought about it, Simon had mentioned something.
The emperor had spoken with Epherna one last time before his passing.
This was the moment that conversation’s content became clear.
“There’s a special power in the royal family. My father had it too, and because of that, he knew.”
The First Prince Gerard had the Sword.
The Second Prince Elius held the Heart.
And the First Princess Epherna possessed the Magic.
Thus it was.
“They could see the past and the future. That’s how my father knew—about his own end and what would happen after.”
A sorrowful fate.
To see both past and future but be bound by the strict causality of the world, unable to change anything.
And as a man with a family, to even think of defying heaven was unthinkable.
The late Emperor Clarius Grandeum was a man who only wished to be an ordinary husband and father.
“He never spoke of himself to the end. Said that even if we were related by blood, we were strangers to one another. He didn’t say a word about you either. Talking about the future was forbidden.”
And then, he died.
Perhaps he had forced his frail body to keep going for the sake of his remaining family.
Using the last of his strength, the emperor spoke his final words before succumbing to death.
“…Doesn’t it make you sad?”
“Why would it? We were related by blood, sure, but we only exchanged a handful of words.”
It was simply unfortunate.
Still, Epherna bowed her head in solemn respect, acknowledging the man who had brought her into the world and endured such a pitiful life.
She offered him her silent condolences and a proper burial.
That much, she could do.
*****
I left the palace after ensuring Epherna, still exhausted, was sound asleep.
I needed to inform those who had been worried about me that everything had concluded.
Perhaps because things had gone better than expected, everyone seemed relieved and returned to their quarters.
Except for one person—Valtean.
He stayed back, saying he had one last question.
“So, what is it?”
“…Pardon?”
“What’s your name?”
Ah, that.
“Well…”
“Well?! Don’t tell me—!”
“Don’t worry. I heard it properly. But…”
It’s a bit ambiguous, to be honest.
Why did I go through so much just to find my name, only to feel like this?
“Commander, about our names… Are they really just combinations of codenames and nicknames?”
“Of course. That’s the tradition.”
“…”
I hadn’t known.
Names of the Dragon Clan were derived from nature itself.
Astra.
That was my name.
And the codename given to me by the empire was Ern Astra.
It seemed too similar to be a coincidence.
I had even been prepared to adopt a new name, but now there was no need for that.
Ern Astra.
I decided to embrace it as my identity and define myself by it.
“How did this happen?”
I looked up into the empty void.
The Gods of Time and Space, who had been calling out to me, appeared in a flash of brilliance.
“…Is it safe to ask now?”
The figure took the form of a young girl wearing a monocle.
Did the fortune teller and the witch not come?
“It’s been a while, but fine. How did this happen?”
“Asking questions you already know the answers to is a bad habit, don’t you think?”
“Still, you need to confirm whether what I’m thinking is correct.”
First, there was the Colton couple and their child, Sonya.
Among them, Colton—a pureblood member of the Dragon Clan—had once mentioned another Dragon Clan member he had met in the past, a woman.
That story had always puzzled me.
“It felt odd. Hints left behind by a kin I’ve never even met?”
When Colton told me about her, I assumed she was my mother.
The woman who, according to my lineage, held the role of my biological mother.
I wondered if she had been secretly helping me all along.
That was my initial thought, but—
“It didn’t make sense. It seems far more likely that the Gods of Time and Space meddled a little to help me.”
“You’re right. It’s just as you’re thinking.”
Because my father and mother—at least in the traditional sense—had never existed.
“I’m grateful. Without your help, it would have taken me several times longer.”
“It’s fine. The choice was ultimately yours to make, and our help could have had unintended consequences.”
Besides—
“The Dragon Clan cherishes their offspring to the point of obsession. If your father—the Dragon Clan member—had been alive, your fate would have been very different.”
“So you’re saying there’s a chance my mother might still be alive?”
“Yeah. But if your memories have returned, why do you keep asking?”
“Because I need to be absolutely sure.”
When I came of age, the Dragon’s essence within me awakened, and perhaps because of that, fragments of my memory returned.
But they were incomplete, unclear, and that lack of clarity made verification essential.
“In any case, you should think about that later. You’re alive again, so enjoy it. You can take your time figuring out the rest.”
“I’ll do that. Speaking of which, how about having a hearty meal before you go?”
“Why does the conversation always lead to food with you?”
“Well….”
Because now it’s time to celebrate my return to life.
