Epilogue: The Demon Lord Achieves Peace

After an eventful morning at the beach, the family left for the castle town in a fancy two-horse carriage. The wheels of the carriage creaked as they made their way up the hill leading towards the central square.

“It’s pretty quiet, huh? I expected more to be going on in the capital.”

“This city isn’t a place for a blabbermouth like you, m’kay?”

“Pfft, okay! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!”

“Myukey, Myukey, I love your tawkin’!”

“I love your talking too, Marie.”

Luina and Anima watched as the girls enjoyed the carriage ride through the castle town that was just as quiet and serene as Myuke had noted. As they got farther in, the colorful houses were gradually replaced by older, more historic-looking buildings.

“Ah, look! We can see the castle!”

“Wooow! So biiig!”

“It’s huge, m’kay?”

They gathered around Myuke and peered out the window. They were still far away from it, but the castle had been built to allow the king to easily watch over his land.

“We have arrived.”

The carriage came to a halt, and after a few moments, the driver opened the door. Next to him stood Shaer, who hadn’t wanted to disturb their family trip, so she had chosen to fly ahead.

“Did you find the ride satisfactory?”

“It was sooo fun!”

“I’m delighted to hear that.” Moved by Marie’s genuine smile, Shaer also cracked a smile. “Lord Anima, shall we discuss the proceedings further? Lady Luina, please feel free to rest until we’ve finished. A room has already been paid for at the nearby inn. Please confirm your room number with the staff.”

“Thank you for your generosity.”

“Please, it’s only natural. I’m deeply grateful that you accepted my request, and that you accompanied me on this long trip. It must have been tiring.”

“Don’t worry about it. This was the perfect excuse for a fun family outing.”

“I’ve got a better family I could’ve ever dreamed of! I’m super thankful that you asked Anima to defeat me, m’kay?!”

“You’re welcome. Though I must admit, being thanked by someone I was ordered to subdue certainly feels strange,” she said in a gentle tone then turned around. “Shall we go, Lord Anima?”

“All right. See you in a bit, girls.”

“You goin’ out, Daddy?”

Marie stared at Anima with puppy-dog eyes. He crouched down and gently pet her head.

“I have to talk with Shaer for a little bit, but I’ll be back soon. Be a good girl and play with your sisters, okay?”

“’Kaaay!” Marie cheerfully nodded to Anima’s request. “I love paying with Myukey and Brum!”

“Good girl.”

Anima stood up and looked at Luina, who anxiously averted her gaze. Her anxiety was only natural—her family’s peace was hanging in the balance, left in the king’s hands. If the worst came to pass and the king declared Anima’s attack against Malshan to be treason, he could make Anima serve several decades in jail, or even sentence him to death.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

The gentle confidence in his tone helped Luina to relax.

“We’ll be waiting for you.”

Anima answered with a smile, then left for the castle with Shaer. Along the way, he turned toward her and spoke.

“I’d like to confirm something.”

“What would that be?”

“The king is the highest-ranking person in the country, right?”

“W-Well, yes, he is. Why do you ask?”

“I’m not a very formal speaker.”

Anima had never had a superior or come across anyone worthy of his respect, so he had never learned how to address others politely. He didn’t plan to break down the door and go in spells blazing, hurling insults at the king, but he was afraid that he might accidentally let something slip and offend him. His own mouth dooming the peace he desired was his worst nightmare. Luckily for him, Shaer noticed his unrest and answered with a carefree smile.

“His Majesty is a generous ruler. As long as you treat him with the respect he deserves, your crude way with words won’t summon his wrath.”

“Thank goodness.”

With the last sliver of worry gone from Anima’s mind, he and Shaer arrived at the castle. They passed through the castle gates, then walked the pristine stone road leading through a breathtaking inner garden. After that, they wound their way down a series of long corridors, finally arriving at a gigantic door with a guard on either side. The guards tightened their stances upon spotting Shaer, who signaled with her eyes for them to open the door.

The massive, heavy door slowly opened, revealing a long red carpet that led all the way to a raised platform at the end of the audience chamber. A golden throne, further decorated with shining golden ornaments, stood upon the platform. On the throne sat a man around fifty years of age, whose gray hair and beard gave him an air of wisdom, while his refined clothes, made only from the finest silk, proved his authority. His brawny features lent truth to the rumors that he’d spent his younger years in the military, yet his eyes were mellow, like those of a saint. Just as Shaer had said, his fair but strict nature was apparent at a glance.

“Your Majesty, Lord Anima has arrived.”

Copying Shaer, Anima prostrated himself before the throne. The king nodded, acknowledging their arrival.

“Raise your heads. The long journey must have taken a lot out of you. You need not trouble yourself with formalities.” After receiving permission, Anima lifted his head. The king sent a look filled with gratitude towards his way. “Shaer has already informed me of your victory at the bridge. You have my gratitude.”

“You’re quite welcome, Your Majesty.”

His voice was audibly strained as he forced some semblance of politeness out of himself, but the king didn’t even flinch.

“Shaer’s report stated that you came out victorious without taking a single blow. Is that true?”

The king had absolute trust in his direct subordinate, Shaer, proven by his willingness to give audience to a random citizen that she’d vouched for. However, he seemed to have doubted Anima’s strength. All in all, Anima had expected as much—to have won a battle against an opponent who had one-sidedly defeated his very best troops was questionable, so to have done so and come out unscathed should have been unheard of.

“It is.”

“Is it also true that you defeated Merkalt?”

Anima’s expression stiffened as they quickly jumped straight to the heart of the reason for the audience.

“It is, Your Majesty. And I can prove it.”

Reaching into his pocket, Anima showed the king an earring inlaid with a red gem. It was Merkalt’s Crimson Dragon stone.

“So you can. That is most certainly the earring Merkalt always wore. There is no doubt that you defeated him.”

Anima nodded again.

“Do you need proof of my strength? I could spar with one of your guards.”

Fearing that his question would be interpreted as a threat, he made sure to clarify his intentions.

“There is no need. Instead, answer me this: why is it that you lack any visible injuries? Did you also defeat Merkalt without suffering any damage?”

“It only took one hit.”

“All the more reason not to test your strength here. I can tell that you are powerful, and I’m not one to put my men in danger for entertainment.” After a short pause, the king continued. “Now, I don’t doubt the report of my loyal knight, Shaer, but it is my duty to discuss two matters with you. First, the case of Bram, the girl you took in as a daughter.”

“Bram is my daughter now. Anyone who dares to lay a finger on my family will taste hell.”

Anima shot the king a sharp glare. His burning rage threatened to ignite the throne room, yet the king did not flinch. His gentle, warm smile never wavered.

“Please, calm yourself. She will not be punished. From the information given to me, she merely desired a family to call her own. Her actions, while large in scale, amount to nothing more than a child’s temper tantrum. Last I checked, that is not a crime.”

“I’m grateful for your considerate decision.”

His words soothed Anima’s rage, but that soothing lull barely lasted a moment. The king’s serious expression put Anima on guard. They were about to get into the most important part of their meeting.

“Now, let’s discuss the Merkalt incident. Losing him is a great blow to our country’s military force. We have other powerful knights such as Shaer at our disposal, however, what happened at the bridge proved that an exceedingly dangerous foe, unable to be subdued by our most powerful knights, could appear at any moment.” Anima listened very closely to the king’s words. “Losing access to a powerful individual like Merkalt puts our kingdom at great risk should we be faced with a cataclysmic event. For that reason, I would like you to take Merkalt’s place and sign a contract with us.”

“A contract like the one you had with the Scarletts?”

The king nodded.

“I hear you married into the Scarlett family. Is that correct?”

“Yes. I’m Luina’s husband.”

“Then, given their circumstances, I assume you’re curious about the specifics, are you not? We are offering an annual salary of three hundred gold pieces.”

It was Anima’s first time hearing about the pay that came with being a mercenary for the kingdom, and three hundred gold was a lot of money. It equaled three thousand silver pieces, ten times the amount he’d sold the golem stone for. With that much coming in every year, his family would live like royalty.

“I decline.”

The king raised an eyebrow in confusion. It wouldn’t have surprised Anima if he were the first in the history of the kingdom to turn down the honor of becoming a mercenary serving directly under the king.

“And why is that?”

“Because I love my family.”

“I have heard about your undying love for your family from Shaer. That is part of the reason behind my offer. I believe your family would be happy if you would agree to this contract and bring home nothing short of a fortune.”

“I won’t deny that the money would be nice, but it would also mean that I get to spend less time with my family. For me, my time together with them is more important than any worldly possession I could ever own.”

“I understand, but you see, issues our knights or the highest-ranking Hunters can’t solve only arise once every couple of years. With your strength far outshining Merkalt’s, I’m certain that such events would be dealt with swiftly by your hand. All in all, you wouldn’t lose much time with your family.”

The king was absolutely right; it was obvious that no one was strong enough to oppose Anima. He could rush to the battlefield, defeat the enemy, then head home. It was that simple. The most he would need to be away from home was a couple of days, but there was also the option that he could take his family on a trip every time a job came up. Even so, Anima’s determination was unshakable.

“I’m afraid I can’t sign your contract. My wife… Luina lost her father during one of his missions as a mercenary for the kingdom. I don’t care if I only have to deploy once a year or even just once a decade. It’s not happening. I will never make her live with the fear that I might one day vanish from her life the way her father did.”

Politeness went out the window halfway through, but the king listened carefully to everything Anima had to say.

“You would choose your wife’s peace of mind over serving the kingdom?”

“Yes. And no amount of money will change that.”

“I see…” the king answered in a disappointed tone, but Anima wasn’t finished.

“That being said, dangers that threaten the kingdom also threaten my family. Plus, I’ve taken a liking to this country. Every place we visited during our trip was incredibly welcoming and peaceful. So, I swear on my name that if anything like the Harbinger threatens the kingdom again, I will stop it.”

The king welcomed Anima’s promise with a hearty laugh.

“Very well. I will overlook Merkalt’s disappearance.”

“I’m honored.”

Achieving what he had come to do put a relieved smile on Anima’s face.

“While I’d thoroughly enjoy conversing with you further,” the king added, nodding, “I imagine you’re dying to get back to your family. Here, take this for your trouble.”

Shaer took an envelope from the king and walked it over to Anima.

“What’s this?”

“Consider it a reward for all your hard work. Turn it in at any Hunter’s Guild, and they’ll exchange it for fifty gold pieces. You said you don’t care for money, but I would very much appreciate it if you would accept.”

“I’ll use it to treat my family to a lovely dinner,” Anima said as he took the envelope.

“I’m certain they’ll be delighted to hear that,” Shaer told him. “Your Majesty, if I may, I’ll show Anima to the Hunter’s Guild. Please excuse us.”

Shaer bowed to the king, and Anima followed her example, marking the end of his audience. The two made their way out of the castle, and Anima began walking toward his inn.

“Lord Anima, the Guild is this way.”

“I’d like to go back to my family first. I wouldn’t want to make them wait.”

“Your love for your family is truly extraordinary,” Shaer replied, and flashed an understanding smile. “I’ll wait for you outside the inn.”

“You should come in with me.”

“I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your private time.”

“You’re not in the way. Not to me, not to Luina, and certainly not to the children. Everyone has grown so fond of you.”

His confession made her fidget.

“I’m quite happy to hear that. In that case, please allow me to take you up on your generous offer.”

Her arm thoroughly twisted, Shaer and Anima made their way back to the inn.

“Daddy!”

The moment they entered, Marie rushed up to Anima and hugged him.

“I’m home!”

After he picked Marie up, Myuke and Bram ran over to him as well.

“Daddy, can you believe this?! Bram won’t let me sleep with you! She wants you all for herself!”

“Sleeping with you is so nice! I’m letting Myuke have the whole top bunk to herself, m’kay?”