129 – Afterword (2)

* * * *

bang!

The sight of Finn roughly setting down his drink echoed through the quiet tavern.

Thanks to Berry telling the owner in advance that he would rent the entire bar today, it became a bar only for the master and his pupils.

“Why on earth can I not even scratch my master!

“You’re drunk, man, drink in moderation. And isn’t it obvious, if you get hit by that greatsword, I’ll die in one shot, you idiot.”

Not a single one can be forgiven.

I did an overwhelming sword dance with such a single thought, but I thought you wouldn’t recognize it.

Besides, the reason Finn couldn’t surpass Berry was due to factors other than compatibility.

In the past, that is, the fact that Finn in the second round handed over all his combat experience to Berry.

Thanks to that, Berry just naturally knew what action Finn would take.

He knew all the battle patterns until he became a heavy knight, but there was no way he could ever record defeat against Finn, who was only in his early 20s.

‘Besides, the resolution of the pin from then and the pin from now is different.’

Mortal instant death Mortal instant death.

If you want to live, you will die; if you want to die, you will live.

Finn, who fought only for his own honorable death, and Finn, who swung his sword honestly in a peaceful world, have different experiences.

It was clear that Finn would probably never reach the level of a swordsman even if it took his whole life.

Even so, Berry left it as proof that the world is peaceful, so it wouldn’t be bad… .

“I never thought things would turn out this way.”

“Yes? What did you say?”

“Oh, no no. The bacon here is well-marined, so it’s delicious.”

“…Is that so.”

Yum.

Finn followed Berry with a bite of bacon and drank another beer.

“Puh…It sure is delicious. Is it Master’s regular restaurant?”

“Well, right? Before Lily ascended to the throne, the two of us often came.”

“Now…ah.”

“Yes, I can’t come to places like this easily because I have Imeris. I’m still a baby.”

Originally, Berry and Lilithiana were concentrating on raising children, but they didn’t want to enjoy drinking and singing.

I didn’t want to use the more precious break time for the husband because I had to take on the duties of my wife, the emperor.

A night that should have been sweet with my daughter and wife was with such a muscular giant.

Berry thought that if Finn hadn’t told him that he had a consultation about Grace, he wouldn’t have looked up.

Finn’s eyes softened.

Strangely reddened eyes and groaning eyes.

Finn touched the rim of his beer glass with the tips of his fingers.

“You were very pretty…”

“Why do you want to have a daughter too?”

“…”

Finn’s eyes turned to Berry.

It’s been a while since Pin got drunk and dyed both cheeks red.

“Sometimes, I wonder if Master is a real god. No, I just want him to be a god.”

Was it because, as always, I was exposed?

He started talking nonsense that didn’t even become a pin.

Berry sighed and took Finn’s glass.

“…Then they get arrested for heresy.

“There is nothing strange about what Master has done so far and what happened at the wedding.”

If he had rather been a god, he would be able to overcome this resentful sense of inferiority and defeat.

A mere mortal cannot stand against an absolute being.

“The person who gave me money and a sword when I was young and taught me is Master.”

“Because you knew how to succeed with a sword.”

“Even, Her Highness the Princess… Solving the incurable disease of Lilicia, who has now become the emperor, Her Majesty, and restoring the authority of the imperial family are all the work of Master.”

Even at the age of 10, who is not too weak.

Finn swallowed his words behind his back and drank the cold water.

Considering the timing of the plan, it was safe to say that he conceived all of this before he was even 10 years old.

It is simply beyond human scope to say that it was done for the sake of a loved one.

Leaving aside the things about herself, Lilithia, and the emperor, how about just counting the things she did before entering school?

He found Anna, who had become the world’s best alchemist, and made a connection in advance.

He handed over a huge magic beast and gave a huge amount of gold coins as a reward.

How else could she have found Grace, who would be called the greatest saint in history?

At that time, there would have been no information network like today.

Even at that time, I heard that it was before people recognized Grace’s true character.

Now that he is retired, he is living a leisurely life, but he was also full of questions about Ian Cedric, who once competed with him for the second person position.

This kind of position is not a position that is achieved by simply making an effort to cut bones.

Talent that outweighs hard work.

Isn’t this a position that geniuses can achieve only by undergoing repeated renovations?

It would be daunting to place yourself in the world, but didn’t you also find a jewel called Ian Cedric along with yourself?

In addition, he found the best colorless magic aptitude of all time, stopped the resurrection of the demon god, and connected the unfortunate victim with Ian Cedric.

An incredible achievement.

Who would dare to believe that all of this was the work of a boy before he even entered the academy?

Even if a god gave an oracle, few would believe it.

“What if a person is born with everything… How can an ordinary disciple like me make a living…”

Wealth is not overflowing, enough to fill a river with gold and silver treasures.

Even the gold and silver treasures were received as fair remuneration.

Didn’t they donate all the things stolen from vicious nobles or thieves to an orphanage or use them to discover various excellent talents?

Powerlessness is needless to say.

When viewed objectively, power holds a tight grip on the underworld, holding more power than Lilithia or the Emperor.

Due to the incident at the wedding, even Seongguk became an existence that could not be touched.

Empire first, no. Even a beautiful woman, who is said to be the only one in the world, became his wife and even got a daughter who looked exactly like his wife.

At the academy, there were times when he felt that he was superior in appearance, but as he grew older and Berry became a father, more than one woman fell for his strange charm.

To those who are not related to him, he is cold-hearted and cold.

However, in front of his wife and daughter, his mouth is so wide open,

It was to the point of making a fuss about whether all men with the surname of Ekaterina were like that on the street.

However, unlike the former emperor, he possesses outstanding abilities and a decent appearance.

Since such a person is faithful to his family, as the age of consideration for marriage approaches, Berry’s stock price soars.

“You’re more righteous than me. That’s why Grace likes you too.”

In fact, Berry was fairly tolerant of what happened in the underworld.

Gambling, prostitution, and marijuana-like drugs are ignored under the pretext that if they are suppressed too much, big things may happen later.

I thought that if I crossed the line, I would be sanctioned, but if not, it didn’t matter anyway.

“There are no demon gods in this world anymore, so what’s the use of justice… isn’t it all about small skirmishes that happen once in a while between countries?”

Even Finn’s empire didn’t even take place in such a small fight because of the national power that was so powerful.

“Grace, you know well that you care about people’s insides, so why are you doing that?”

“…The saintess is not the problem.”

“then?”

“I’m afraid that the saintess’ name will be tarnished because of me.”

“…Ummm.”

Berry groaned.

Because in Berry’s mind, Finn was still that dignified and stalwart knight.

I never thought that I would ever have to worry about something like this.

‘You were more pure than I thought.’

Perhaps the despair of losing his master and the fierce war where he risked his life made this man such a powerful knight.

Finn expressed his concerns while facing Berry’s sad eyes.

“If you become connected with me, the saintess will have to step down from her position.”

“That’s right.”

“I can’t proudly say that I’m a great man enough to give up my position as a saint.”

“…”

“For us to have a good relationship, isn’t the responsibility that rests with me and the saintess too heavy?”

Why is Berry sitting there thinking about that… I thought about it, but I nodded my head as if nothing happened.

“The saintess will say that it’s okay. She will say that she has no regrets because it was the choice she made.”

Finn caught his breath and continued.

“But I am afraid. I am afraid that my existence will become an obstacle to the saintess’ evaluation. I am afraid of the gaze and heart of those who will disparage the saintess’ eyes, saying that she chose a man who has no better qualities.”

Then, he raised his head and began to look directly at Berry.

“…What am I supposed to do?”

Finn himself knows.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot surpass the teacher in front of me.

It wouldn’t have mattered if there was even an age difference like a normal teacher-student relationship, but since that didn’t happen, the number one position would never come to him for the rest of his life.

Berry’s expression twisted strangely as Finn’s face showed such helpless emotion.

‘Anyway, isn’t it too different from the last episode?’

The moment I was thinking about what the difference was.

A few memories flashed through Berry’s mind.

– My sword… I was born because I couldn’t protect my lord.

The memory of the day when the whole world seemed to be covered with the sun.

A feat of a man who annihilated the demons he couldn’t win no matter how hard he struggled.

The memory of the day I saw the blow of the sun that split the night.

-It will be completed to protect the lord.

It was.

Finn and himself differed in the purpose of the sword itself.

A sword for killing and a sword for protection show considerable differences even in their birth.

It is natural that all weapons are for killing, so Berry was able to bloom the flower of the sword without difficulty this time around.

However, Finn couldn’t find a target to protect.

Lilithiana is already strong enough by herself, and her teacher, Berry, is escorting her.

How can a disciple who can’t even scratch his master believe that he is protecting his master?

The knight who lived his life to protect someone could not bud because he had reached a very peaceful era.

‘It’s my turn to return what I received.’

If there is no crisis, it is enough to make it.

After breaking up with Finn, I saw Berry calling someone through the contact crystal ball.

“Uh, nothing else…Do you have any plans to debut as a villain after a long time? There’s a role that’s perfect for you.”