Epherna felt more fear than joy about Ern’s change.
Swish, Swish.
His hand, brushing her hair, was as gentle as ever.
There was no reason to feel flustered, as she had been receiving this warmth since childhood.
“……!!”
The subtle touch of his fingertip grazing her neck.
Unlike usual, this gesture felt like it carried ulterior motives rather than his usual tenderness.
Epherna couldn’t help but think.
‘It doesn’t seem to be because of the dragon’s instinct.’
Ern carried within him the dragon’s instincts, imprinted in his genes.
That was why she had been sharing a bed with him, hoping to calm him down a little.
Since then, Ern had never acted purely out of his dragon instincts.
In fact, there had been many times when his overly restrained and careful behavior felt stifling.
But today, it was entirely different—so different, it was strange.
There was an odd feeling in his instinct-driven actions. And they were blatant.
It wasn’t the kind of behavior driven by a male’s desire for flesh.
He was warm, just like his usual self.
But there was another emotion layered over it.
Epherna could vaguely sense what that was.
“All done.”
“… Yeah.”
Today was the day they were to take the carriage back to the capital.
There was no longer a reason to stay in the North, as they had completed all their tasks.
Having relied on the Duke of Lemea’s estate quite a bit, they had scheduled their departure as soon as possible.
With plenty of time left before the carriage arrived, Epherna decided to catch up with an old friend.
“Oh my, look at you. When did you seduce Sir Astra?”
“…”
Epherna shook her head.
“No way. I saw Sir Astra escorting you earlier, and his eyes—he looked at you like a husband gazing at his wife. He was practically dripping with affection!”
It wasn’t like that.
Epherna swallowed her words.
Because Ern’s usual behavior would’ve been enough to refute that claim.
But today, things were different.
His changed behavior couldn’t happen without the emotion called love.
She understood because she had experienced love.
She understood because she loved him.
That’s why…
“Now’s the perfect time for a confession!”
Her friend, Cyan, encouraged with excitement.
Blushing, Epherna hesitated.
Normally, she would’ve said it wasn’t the right time yet.
She had been sure that if she confessed, she would be rejected a hundred times out of a hundred.
But now, maybe this was the right moment.
Who knows when his feelings might change?
If she kept hesitating and missed the opportunity, she would regret this day for the rest of her life.
So, Epherna made up her mind.
“Yeah. It’s time.”
“Kyaa!! You’ve finally decided!! You know you have to tell me first if it works out, right? And obviously, I’m getting the wedding bouquet!! Oh, and your baby has to call me ‘Auntie’ first!”
“I’m not doing it right away.”
“Of course not! The perfect moment will come soon!”
Epherna’s coming-of-age ceremony.
The day she would be recognized as the bride of not only a man but also as a princess of the Empire.
Now, less than 21 days remained.
*****
After the Winter Blizzard, the party and all post-battle matters were taken care of.
Once everything was over, neither the Empire’s elite troops nor the shamans had any reason to remain in the North.
First Princess Epherna and her personal guard, Ern Astra, along with their elite forces, departed the North one by one.
Some of the warriors sent from the Shaman Union returned to their homeland, while others headed to the Empire.
Their king, Achaz, the Forest Elder, remained in the Grandeum Imperial Palace.
It seemed everything was going smoothly, but there was one obstacle no one had anticipated.
“So, how do we make the wish?”
This question lingered during their discussions, yet they had failed to find a solution regarding how to gather the essences and make a wish.
“Can’t we just try to figure it out?”
Meriel and Epherna tilted their heads simultaneously.
They might have seemed foolish, but it was an unavoidable situation.
No historical texts provided any examples of how to gather the essence of the divine king to make a wish, so there was no way to know the method.
“How about resonating our powers first?”
At that moment, Achaz offered his opinion.
Epherna nodded, thinking it was a good idea.
If there were no issues, it would be better to try something.
Following that suggestion.
The Master of Spring, Temur.
The Master of Summer, Epherna.
The Master of Autumn, Achaz.
The Master of Winter, Ern.
The four beings, each possessing the essence of the Divine Kings, gathered in one place.
“But how did you come to possess the essence?”
Achaz inquired.
While he knew that Ern had seized the Winter Blizzard from the Evergreen, he only learned in this moment that Ern had absorbed it.
At that question, Epherna shot a sharp glance at Ern.
Ern cleared his throat, attempting to defend himself.
He explained that he had sealed the chill emitted by the Winter Blizzard but ended up absorbing it instead.
When he stated that he didn’t fully understand the principle behind it, Achaz stroked his beard in understanding.
“I’m not trying to pry, so don’t worry. I was just curious. The essence of the gods is not something that can be understood by ordinary logic.”
Though he said that, Epherna felt differently.
No matter what, she had been lectured several times about the potential abnormalities in the body from consuming something like that.
“Now, now. I understand your concern, but let’s put that aside and get started.”
Thanks to Achaz’s intervention, the scolding finally ceased, and they began to draw upon the power of the essences each held.
Though it was called the essence of the divine king, its principle was not very different from mana.
If mana was likened to the two arms a person naturally possessed, the energy of the essences represented two new arms that had been created.
While there might be difficulties in using them, once accustomed, they would be no different from mana.
Zzzt—!
The four different energies collided, creating a spectrum of colors.
It was as if they were showcasing their domains, explosively expanding in size.
This was not a harmonious resonance but a struggle.
While it was true they were amplifying their powers, it was a fierce fight among predators, not to aid each other but to devour.
‘Is this going well?’
It felt dangerous, yet there was an instinct urging not to stop.
The other three remained still, not contributing any energy.
Consequently, they stood silently for over ten minutes.
“…!!”
The amplifying energies converged at the center of the four, forming a small vortex.
The vortex, shimmering in various colors, eventually coalesced into a small halo.
As they stared at it with strange expressions, a sudden realization struck them.
‘The winter that had been in my heart has flowed out halfway.’
Exactly halfway. It was hard to define, but it felt similar.
The rising halo floated gently in the air, doing nothing.
“…What just happened?”
Epherna questioned.
At that moment, when everyone was united in spirit, the halo rapidly expanded until it grew large enough to envelop the entire gathering.
As their vision darkened, a pure white space unfolded around them.
*****
I thought to myself.
This space felt reminiscent of my previous encounter.
When I had seen the Dragon King, a similar space had opened up for our conversation.
[Did you notice?]
With that voice, someone appeared before me.
It was a man dressed in black.
A man with blue eyes.
Just like mine.
“…”
[Are you not surprised?]
“Somewhat expected it.”
[Oh? So you anticipated this space would unfold?]
“Honestly, that’s a stretch. I only expected you to appear the moment I saw my surroundings.”
[Even so, your level of surprise seems minimal.]
“I’ve seen it once before, haven’t I?”
[Well… it doesn’t look that way.]
His vertically slit dragon eyes stared at me.
Before those eyes, no one could lie recklessly, but I didn’t even need to.
[I see. Are you feeling comfortable?]
It seemed the Dragon King realized that my time was limited.
I didn’t care.
No matter what he talked about, I had already made up my mind.
[Poor child. What has been so difficult for you?]
The Dragon King asked.
His voice, altered as if speaking like an ancestor, resonated with a mysterious power.
“At just ten years old, I was rigorously trained and educated as a trainee of the special forces. After that, I carried out numerous missions during the war and lost many comrades.”
[Isn’t life a journey to find the flower of happiness hidden within suffering? Has there truly only been pain in your life? And you cannot deny that your happiest moment is right now.]
“If you’re referring to Epherna, then yes, that’s true. I do have feelings for her.”
[Then why do you accept the end of your life? Is it merely because you are tired?]
“Because I have come to understand.”
[What have you understood?]
“That just as my life has little time left, so does hers.”
[…]
“At first, I was uncertain. I only thought Epherna’s talent surpassed human limits.”
“But upon further reflection, something felt strange.”
The Spring Leaf, the Autumn Wind, the Winter Blizzard.
These were all powerful forces that only heroes could wield.
That was the reason the Second Prince could not absorb the Winter Blizzard.
I had uncovered the hidden secrets of Epherna’s past.
Why she had been confined in the mansion of the Much Sector.
Why she had come to possess the Summer Sun.
Through the memories implanted in the Winter Blizzard.
Thus.
“I cannot bear to see Epherna die. So, I plan to die in her stead. Would that suffice as an answer?”
