Epilogue

Al slept like a log, eventually awaking in his own bed. He didn’t know how long he’d been out for.

“Ouch... I really overdid it this time. I’m aching all over...”

Al turned over in bed, still half asleep. But what he saw next woke him right up.

“Huh?”

Sharon was sleeping peacefully next to him. He no longer cared about how he’d gotten back to his bed or what happened after he passed out in the field.

“I’ve been asleep this whole time. Nothing... untoward could have happened. I’m sure of it.”

He quickly turned around so he wasn’t looking directly into Sharon’s sleeping face.

“Whoa!”

Except Feena was sleeping on his other side. After a brief emergency shutdown, his brain kicked back into action as he tried to understand the situation. All he could conclude was that, for some reason, he had been asleep between the two Divas.

“What’s going on...”

He needed some space to calm down, so he went to sit up... only to find Cecilia stretched out on top of him, covered with a thin blanket.

“What the...”

He raised his hands to his face in confusion and despair, then felt something stirring on his lap.

“Oh my. Have you finally woken?”

“Cecilia, what’s going on?”

There were countless things for Al to worry about, but understanding his current situation was the most pressing of all.

“Whatever is the matter? I’m just here to nurse you back to health,” she told him nonchalantly. She tilted her head in a refined manner, despite nothing about the situation being refined. He noticed some sanitary equipment lying next to the bed, a bucket full of water, and towels on the table. But that didn’t explain why he was surrounded by three girls.

“Oh dear. Those girls promised me they wouldn’t get into your bed. I’ll have to give them a stern scolding later.”

She said it in a joking tone, but her eyes were dead serious. Al’s concerns, however, were still unanswered. Even if the other two girls snuck in for some unknown reason, that still left one question unanswered.

“Cecilia, why were you sleeping on top of me!?”

“Well now, you were out for two straight days! We decided to take turns in looking after you.”

Her long-awaited explanation was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Lady Cecilia, how’s Al—”

Jamka froze upon seeing the current state of the room.

“Ah, Jamka! Are you okay?”

Al tried to change Jamka’s focus with a parched voice, but to no avail. Jamka’s eyes were glued to the bed. Remembering their fight, he lowered his gaze to Jamka’s right arm. His hollow sleeve was dangling next to him.

“Jamka...”

Al couldn’t bring himself to justify his actions. He just quietly hung his head.

“Ah, this? Don’t worry about it. Honestly, it’s a pretty tame punishment for a traitor,” Jamka said casually.

“Yes, I must apologize... I couldn’t heal his right arm no matter how much I tried.”

“No sweat. I’m just glad you could get the left one back!”

He happily waved his intact arm.

“Either way, what’s going on here! You’re showing off again!?”

His smile changed to a serious expression in a second.

“I have no clue. You tell me!”

“Not bad, Al, not bad. I’d like to wake up to such a feast one day myself, you damn—”

“Jamka, listen to me!”

Al wanted to explain himself, but it proved difficult without knowing how he got into this mess.

“Forget it for a second. Al, I want to tell you something.”

While Al was wracking his brain to come up with an excuse, Jamka cut him off with a serious tone. Al gulped down his desire to explain himself, and nodded.

“Honestly, I can’t fully get behind your dream. But even if I can’t get behind it, I can still help you try and realize it. And who knows, maybe I’ll find a dream of my own along the way. So, what I’m saying is, errm... would you mind taking me back?”

“Oh yes, Al. Jamka’s sworn to work day and night to help with the post-battle dealings, and he’s even promised to cast aside his flesh and blood. Please, forgive him.”

He did what now?

He sighed, doubting the authenticity of Cecilia’s words. But that was beside the point.

“Of course I’ll forgive you! The loss of your right arm is a fitting punishment for your crimes! I mean, it’s not like we have a set punishment for treason here. Anyway, just help me find out what’s happening here!”

Unfortunately, Al’s plea for help went unheard. Jamka, having been granted forgiveness, moved on to a much more pressing matter. He dramatically collapsed to his hands and knees and lamented how the man his precious sister fell in love with was now in bed with his own harem of lovely ladies.

“I know this is what my sister wants, but a damn playboy like you...?”

Al began to doubt if Jamka honestly regretted his actions. Then, just to make things worse, the aforementioned little girl leapt over Jamka and flung herself happily toward Al.

“King Al!”

Brusch stumbled through the bed and landed right in Al’s arms, rousing the sleeping Divas beside them.

“Huh? Is it breakfast time already?”

“Keep it down. Gimme just six more hours...”

“King Al! King Al! I... I...” Brusch’s eyes were cloudy, and her cheeks were flushed. “I want to be one of your bridal candidates too!”
“Huh?”

Al was completely perplexed.

“My my.”

Cecilia kept her usual smile. She had already left the bed by that point, so she wasn’t caught up in Brusch’s antics.

“Like I care!” Sharon averted her gaze.

“I won’t let you take my place as his legal wife.” Feena answered with an even more stoic expression than usual.

“Gaaah! My little sister, in the hands of this guy!?” Jamka started weeping on the floor.

“What the hell is going on!?” Al looked around, desperate for an answer. But given the room’s current occupants, it was clear he wasn’t going to get one. Just then, he heard a small knock on the door.

“Excuse me.”

Lilicia entered the room.

“Lilicia, what are you—”

Al had countless questions to ask her, but this wasn’t the time or place for them.

“King Al. Eshantel has been overthrown by the Empire.”

Lilicia urgently informed the bedridden young king of the damning news.

End.

—This script is a revision of the runner-up of the Overlap Light Novel Competition, The Demon King and the Bride-to-Be Divas.