Volume 1, Chapter 79 – Epilogue

When Fia and her three companions emerged from the half-destroyed temple, the sun was already setting, painting the sky in shades of tangerine.

As Fia had guessed, the Inquisitor and Cardinal had no authority to decide on the enormous war reparations. Faced with Fia’s demands, the two could only give evasive answers most of the time.

This led to most of their communication being fruitless. Eventually, as they couldn’t delve into details, the conversation turned into the Cardinal offering Fia’s group a bitter smile while slowly explaining how the Church had ended up in its current state.

—Why had the Church, after receiving the divine prophecy five years ago, chosen to wage war rather than communicate with the elves? What had the Church been doing during those three years in between?

After receiving the divine revelation five years ago, the Church’s first action was naturally to seek confirmation from the Goddess of Life for more details about the prophecy. Questions like when exactly the apocalypse would come, who would trigger it, what the world would become, and how to prevent it.

Just seeking these answers took a full six months.

The gods weren’t super-intelligent being that would respond immediately when called. The Pope’s prayers often went unanswered, and each time the goddess did respond, the information conveyed was minimal. Moreover, the Pope’s prayer rituals required extensive preparation in terms of manpower and time—communicating with the gods was a high-level divine magic.

Thus, even with the Pope sparing no expense, obtaining the incomplete revelation they had now still took six months.

In the early stages, differing views on demi-humans split the Church into two factions, precursors to the war and peace factions. Though they shared ultimate goals—human supremacy and accumulating strength before the apocalypse—their differing methods and limited resources drove them apart. Historical conflicts between them only deepened the divide.

The peace faction believed that since the goddess hadn’t specified when the apocalypse would occur, it might not come for decades. They could take their time to manipulate events, covertly interfering with neighboring nations’ politics. For instance, supporting a powerful faction to overthrow the ruling one. Even if the coup failed, internal strife would weaken the nation, leaving military action as a viable last resort.

The war faction, however, argued that cooperating with lowly demi-humans violated the fundamental tenets of the Yuna faith—that demi-humans were born to serve humans. Achieving results by defying doctrine was sacrilege to their divine calling. They couldn’t accept such a slow strategy, which felt like compromising with demi-humans.

Moreover, by the time their supported factions rose to power, it might be too late to unite against the apocalypse. Better to prepare for war from the start, gather intelligence on neighboring nations, and strike when they least expected it.

The Pope at the time remained rational, siding with the peace faction. While placating the war faction, he implemented the peace faction’s strategies.

They executed a subversion plan in the southern beastkin alliance known as ColdMoon, supporting the stronger wolf tribe to overthrow the ruling lion tribe. Within just two years, the plan showed remarkable success. The more numerous but less privileged wolves grew increasingly resentful of the fewer but more privileged lions, leading to escalating conflicts and even racial hatred.

Unfortunately, just as the plan neared success, the Pope passed away.

This became the turning point. The waning war faction resurged, invoking Yuna doctrine to incite followers to adhere to fundamentalism and reject cooperation with demi-humans. When the war faction’s Inquisitor launched a swift attack, seizing vast territories from the ColdMoon alliance, the war faction’s momentum became unstoppable. The new Pope emerged from their ranks.

Thus, the efforts of the previous Pope and peace faction came to naught.

After that, the Church swiftly changed course, targeting the eastern elf kingdom. By concentrating their forces to breach the elves’ western defenses during their annual winter troop movements to the southern front, they could capture the Elf King and the sacred tree the elves depended on, forcing their surrender.

This led to the two-year war.

Looking back, the Church’s actions were undoubtedly foolish. Yet, had the elf princess not foreseen the shift in the Church’s factional dynamics and advised the Elf King to reduce winter troop deployments to the south—tripling the western garrison—the outcome might have been different.

Even with several times the usual forces, the elf western front had been at a disadvantage early in the war. Without the princess’s foresight, the Church’s scheme might have succeeded.

But history favored the elves. With the war of attrition dragging on endlessly, the war faction lost its earlier fervor and had no choice but to propose withdrawal and peace (though they called it a truce).

Gazing at the tangerine sun dipping below the horizon, Fia finally relaxed, stretching with a long exhale.

“Haah, it’s finally over.”

“Though it’s a shame we couldn’t settle everything outright, we’ve gauged their stance. With the peace faction regaining influence, future negotiations will go smoother. This is all thanks to you, Your Highness,” Anastasia said with a respectful bow, admiration in her eyes. “Had you not foreseen the Church’s attack on our western border, things would be dire now.”

“Ah, it wasn’t that big a deal.”

Fia replied with an embarrassed smile.

It wasn’t really her foresight.

From this perspective, she still fell short of the elf princess.

Rеαⅾ оո КаtRеaⅾіոɡСafе

Anastasia continued, musing.

“I can’t decide whether your memory loss was good or bad. In the past, negotiations would never have turned out like this. I could never have managed this alone.”

Anastasia was probably referring to how the former elf princess wasn’t fond of speaking. If she hadn’t just gone along with Anastasia’s little act, the gains certainly wouldn’t have been this plentiful.

With the war’s failure and the threat of Claire’s forbidden magic, the Inquisitor and Cardinal had pledged to send a delegation within a month to formally sue for peace with the Elf King, bearing reparations.

Fia also received half the treasures from Aurora City’s temple as advance compensation. Her storage artifact upgraded from a small backpack holding a few cubic meters to a chest nearly the size of a living room.

That said, since the backpack was a gift from Claire and more portable, Fia had no intention of abandoning it.

“Seeing their reluctant expressions, I finally understand the thrill of psychologically defeating an enemy. Especially after destroying the Unsinkable Moon—once we return, even your uncle won’t dare covet your throne. We’ll only need to watch for traps or poison.”

“When Father steps down, Big Sister will be the next elf queen. Brother will be so happy to hear this!” Liti chimed in with childlike glee, her rose-colored eyes sparkling. “Taking things openly from the Church is unprecedented!”

“Ah, you’ve worked hard today too, Liti.”

With a wry smile, Fia patted Liti’s head, and the girl nuzzled against Fia’s waist like an affectionate cat.

Though Liti seemed like an innocent child, she’d shown remarkable wit during the negotiations—nowhere near the elf princess’s level, but enough to impress Fia.

No one could dislike a cute, capable, and polite little sister.

But the negotiations’ end signaled the start of something else.

Fia couldn’t help glancing back at Claire, who followed closely behind.

At Fia’s request, Aurora City’s Cardinal had prepared a carriage and horses for Fia’s group’s return. Claire, unable to accompany them, would use High-Speed Flight—an advanced form of Flight magic—to travel to the Dragonfall Lands in the southern continent and reclaim her belongings.

The Dragonfall Lands were a small landmass separate from the World Tree Continent. Often visited by dragons, and with elder dragons rarely leaving once they entered—like a dragon graveyard—it was dubbed “Dragonfall” by mainlanders. Rumored to be a lawless, primitive island without nations.

Fia wasn’t worried about Claire’s safety. After casting eighth-tier magic, Claire’s stamina still matched Fia’s. Even dozens of moon dragons like last night’s wouldn’t stand a chance. What weighed on Fia was their impending separation.

Reading Fia’s thoughts in her eyes, Claire smiled gently and deliberately changed the subject, glancing at the nearby square.

A large cauldron in the square simmered with meat stew. The rich aroma of wolf meat and spices made the air itself delicious. Ragged slaves and refugees sat on the ground, eating with expressions of both joy and hardship.

“Hungry? After talking with the Church for so long, you must be. Their food looks good—we could ask the Church for some. Wolf meat’s tough, but the stew’s flavor is unmatched by other monsters of the same rank.”

“Mmm…”

Fia grunted.

No matter how tasty, she wouldn’t steal food from refugees and slaves.

Besides, nothing mattered more than their remaining time together.

Fia smiled softly.

“I’d rather eat your cooking.”

“Then let’s head back? Though time’s short, fire magic can tenderize meat quickly.”

The food didn’t matter—Fia just wanted to be with Claire.

Holding this thought, Fia hesitated before finally offering Claire her hand under Anastasia and Liti’s watchful eyes.

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Their hands joined in the sunset.

Though Anastasia’s expression froze for a moment and Liti’s mouth formed an “O,” Fia didn’t pull away. Instead, she tightened her grip.

My dear sister and sister by blood, just this once, don’t make me waste time explaining.

Silently praying, Fia set off for the clinic.

◇

The next day arrived swiftly.

On the verdant outskirts of Aurora City.

Three rows of holy knights stood alongside a carriage by the road.

The spectacle drew curious glances from passersby, but upon spotting the figures before the knights, they widened their eyes and hurried away, pretending not to see.

Before the knights stood three elves and one human.

If Aurora City’s citizens hadn’t known the elf princess’s appearance days ago, they did now. Her legendary feats—battling a moon dragon barehanded, annihilating the Unsinkable Moon with forbidden magic—inspired both gratitude and fear.

They were grateful for her rescue but feared she might become their enemy. This ambivalence extended to the holy knights, though their helmets hid their conflicted expressions.

Today marked Fia’s group’s departure from Aurora City.

The Cardinal and Inquisitor, citing letter drafting, didn’t attend, sending only a knight captain to see them off.

Fia didn’t mind. As the defeated, their absence was expected—sending knights was likely just to ensure the carriage wasn’t stolen, avoiding further offense.

As for the clinic, a symbol of their love, Claire had sealed it with magic earlier. No one could enter now. Even if the Church sought to vent their anger by destroying it, they’d have to weigh the consequences. Fia had warned that damaging the clinic—her and Claire’s property—would bring forbidden magic down on Aurora City.

Not even the Cardinal would dare such a pointless, troublesome act.

Under Anastasia’s arrangements, Liti boarded the carriage while Anastasia checked its stability. Only Claire and Fia remained outside.

“Princess Dofilia, the carriage is ready. Shall we provide an escort? We can accompany you up to ten miles beyond Aurora City.”

Facing the knight’s impeccable manners, Fia in her black dress waved lightly.

“No need. You may return.”

“Then we shall take our leave. The carriage bears the Cardinal’s seal, allowing free passage through the Holy Kingdom’s eastern territories.”

“Mm.”

As the knights departed, Fia’s gaze naturally settled on Claire.

Instead of her usual indigo dress, Claire had worn a pristine white gown since the night before, a blue quadrilateral hairpin adorning her locks, enhancing her ethereal aura.

Claire caressed Fia’s cheek, her clear jade eyes filled with bittersweet warmth.

“Time to board. Anastasia must have figured us out by now. Any longer, and we’ll never leave. The sooner we part, the sooner we’ll reunite in the elf kingdom.”

“True, but… you gave me a gift, and I have nothing to give you in return…”

Fia touched the crimson pendant at her neck, then Claire’s hand on her cheek, her expression troubled.

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Claire’s lips curved slightly.

“Didn’t you already give me yourself? That’s a one-of-a-kind gift. Though strictly speaking, we gave ourselves to each other—you gave me a little more.”

She pinched her fingers to emphasize “a little.”

To distract Fia, Claire sighed dramatically.

“Only two nights, and the clinic’s walls were too thin. Otherwise, I’d have left you too exhausted for farewells.”

“If I got serious, you’d be the exhausted one.”

Fia retorted defiantly.

Claire raised a brow.

“Oh? Then at our reunion, I’ll have to test that. You’ve learned too few spells to challenge me.” Half-joking, she rested her hands on Fia’s shoulders. “Now, it’s time. When you miss me, try channeling magic into the pendant—not to activate its defenses, but something else.”

“Also, by our reunion, I hope you’ve learned to wear underwear properly. My treasures are all in Dragonfall, so I have nothing to give now. But next time, I’ll surprise you.”

“Me too. Ah—wait!”

Remembering something, Fia hastily drew a silver dagger from her backpack, sliced off a lock of black hair, and tied it with a ribbon.

“…It’s not valuable, but it’s all I can think of. When you miss me, take it out.”

“Mm.” Without hesitation, Claire accepted the lock, treasuring it as she carefully stored it away. Then she stepped closer, chest nearly touching Fia’s, and whispered, “Anything else? Keep it simple.”

The herbal fragrance and Claire’s nightly scent tinged Fia’s cheeks pink. She looked up timidly.

“A… farewell kiss?”

“Understood.”

With a helpless smile, Claire stepped back, disregarding onlookers as she embraced Fia, one hand on her back, the other cradling her head. Before Fia could react, warm lips met hers.

Like a bird skimming water, the kiss was fleeting, devoid of impropriety.

They’d gone further already—this ceremonial kiss sufficed.

Claire knew that more would only make parting harder for Fia. So she held back—she was the mature one, after all.

As Fia stood dazed, Claire stepped back, her expression solemn.

“I’ll reach the elf kingdom within a month. We’ll meet again then, Fia.”

“Ah…” Fia touched her lips, then nodded firmly. “And I’ll clear any obstacles to your curse research before you arrive—don’t regret us in a month.”

“Never.”

Claire’s jade eyes sparkled with amusement as she leaned in, her breath warm against Fia’s ear.

A shy whisper followed.

“Because… I’m already yours.”

End of Volume 1

Reαⅾ оո KαtRеαdіոgСαfе

Author Note

Afterword

Another afterword.

Though my last one was in August last year, having just written a release notice, I wasn’t keen on this one.

Initially, afterwords were just clumsy imitations of Japanese light novels. Now, that’s no longer the case. Not that I look down on them or forgot my roots—I’ve realized that no matter the format, the core is writing stories I love. And that shouldn’t be constrained.

But since I dislike adding author’s notes to paid chapters (feels like padding and disrupts immersion), I’ll save my ramblings for this afterword—or “volume end notes.”

First, something I forgot in the release notice: post-release chapters are longer, around 4.5k words each. Pre-release updates were two 2k-word chapters daily—actually fewer words than now. Just clarifying.

Of course, if needed, I can split chapters. Combining them saves me from naming extra chapters, improves readability, and stabilizes subscriptions. Splitting them would just mean slightly more work—no big deal.

Second, the reader group number is 1014795426 (inaccessible to search; join secondary group 568442429). After two GC bomb incidents, low-level QQ accounts can’t join. If it happens again, I’ll have to make a full-subscription group—accessible to anyone who’s fully subscribed to any of my works.

Chapters like “Night of the New Moon” might get expansions. Maybe.

I once promised my friend would “go underwater” if we hit 1,500 monthly votes. Now he curses me daily, calling me an idiot.

As for Volume 1’s content—with only a fraction of the world revealed, much would be spoilers. For now, I’ll just say every named character will return, with Claire reappearing earliest.

Since Volume 1 mainly sets up the world and factions, most early characters have deeper arcs later. Rest assured—I don’t write brainless harem tropes. Every character has their own soul, desires, ideals, and boundaries. That’s a guarantee.

That’s all I can say for now.

Finally, thank you, dear readers, for staying with me this far. Your subscriptions, votes, and support fuel Fia’s journey. I’m deeply grateful (∠ゝз).

See you in Volume 2.

2022/6/21

Yomi

Volume 2: World Tree Key and the Annihilated Vampire

Translator Note

here~ illustration!!! though there’s big watermark…

This Claire!!

Fia… well same with the cover

Fia Design~ smh that long named staff look like that =v=

Anastasia

Anastasia Design

Liti