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Epilogue.

The moon hanging in the sky was enormous. The night sky was clear, without a single cloud, as if to comfort those who had ended a great battle. The moon was so bright that it illuminated the ground like the sun, giving the feeling of silver snow falling.

After healing all those with minor and major injuries, Cullen sat with the sleeping Kiyen lying on his lap.

The Dragon, no longer immortal, now felt hunger occasionally, and on days like today, when he had exerted himself too much, he truly fell asleep.

The Dragon, with his beautiful golden hair spread out, slept with a peaceful expression. Looking down at his pretty face, breathing softly without moving a muscle, Cullen smiled. As he gently stroked Kiyen’s hair, Ulli plopped down beside him.

“Are you that happy?”

Though her words were gruff, Ulli’s face was full of smiles. Lasano sat down beside her.

“It’s a terrible sight for anyone who’s alone, enough to make their eyes burn.”

Cullen replied nonchalantly to Lasano’s teasing remark.

“Lord Kiyen is beautiful just to look at, so that’s unlikely.”

“You’re funny. You two fought like that without even looking at each other, and now it’s like nothing happened?”

Ulli laughed genuinely at his words, defending Kiyen. She looked back and forth between Kiyen and Cullen, then leaned her body against the rock Cullen was leaning on. The wasteland, with only rocks and dry ground all around, made it uncomfortable to lean against anything but a tree, but their hearts were more at ease than ever before.

“Ah, this is nice.”

Ulli said, stretching.

“Well, it is nice.”

Lasano also leaned his back against the other stone buttress beside Cullen. Gazing at the sky together, they were silent for a while.

“So, are we heading back to Mount Tesnia now?”

Ulli asked, her face now much calmer as she watched the bustling people.

“It seems so. What about you two?”

I nodded and asked.

“I have to go back to the territory. There are many people to look after, and I want to make my father’s land a better place to live.”

“I think I’ll just keep wandering. It seems I have to live my life doing good deeds until I satisfy the goddess’s will.”

Hearing Lasano’s answer, Ulli suddenly remembered something and asked.

“Speaking of which, how long can the High Priest actually live?”

“I am no longer the High Priest, but, well. Usually, High Priests can choose the time of their death. And most humans don’t last long enough to choose death on their own. The council Cullen saw in the Imperial Palace was just a special case among them.”

“What, so you can live for an incredibly long time?”

Ulli said that, then suddenly put on a sulky expression.

“Wait a minute. Am I the only one who’s going to die the fastest here?”

“Ulli, you’ve probably said a lot of mean things, so you’ll likely live well over 100 years.”

“Lasano will live forever, won’t he?”

Cullen chuckled, watching the two of them bicker.

The peace I was fully experiencing for the first time in my life was cozy and sweet, so much so that I never wanted to lose it again. So much so that I was almost afraid to enjoy such a moment.

As their conversation flowed, the Young Dragons flew towards them. They all looked determined, as if they had made up their minds. Cat looked especially so.

“I have something to say!”

Cat declared in a voice full of energy, as if making a declaration.

“What is it, Cat?”

In response to Cullen’s question, Cat’s face softened for a moment, but then she shook her head resolutely. She then said with determination.

“We’ve decided to help you two humans and protect this place. Kiyen almost made a dangerous choice because of this passage, so we’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen again!”

Cullen frowned slightly at the unexpected words. He didn’t want children who should be out seeing the world and enjoying themselves, especially Dragons who hadn’t even reached adulthood, to make such a sacrifice.

“There’s no need for that. This is not a responsibility for Dragons to bear.”

“We’re doing this because we want to. I hate seeing life die, and I have the power to protect it.”

White calmly refuted Cullen’s words, and Black continued.

“We have infinite time anyway. The moment of protecting this place will be fleeting.”

“Still, we don’t know how long you’ll be here.”

Just as Cullen was about to retort, Junon’s voice was heard from beside him.

“It won’t take that long. There aren’t that many creatures left on Dark Island. At most 10 years, think of it that way.”

Junon walked over to them with Kihelene. Looking intently at the sleeping Kiyen, Junon continued.

“I am primarily responsible for this passage, so I will protect it.”

“And I’ve decided to stay here as well. Yurisis did this, and at the same time, it’s a way to lessen the sins I’ve committed, even if only a little.”

Kihelene seemed to have made up her mind. Looking around at them, Cullen asked.

“Can you endure in a barren wasteland with nothing?”

“It’s the price of our sins.”

Junon said so, and Kihelene nodded. Lasano, watching them, raised his hand.

“If it’s a gathering of sinners, I think I should be included.”

“Lasano, we don’t need you. Yuri-nim wouldn’t want that either. He didn’t want you to get involved in this.”

Ulli also stepped forward at Junon’s words.

“Lasano repents in his own way. If necessary, he can come to our territory and do odd jobs first.”

“Oh my, you’re exploiting labor like this.”

“This is a rather generous treatment.”

While exchanging words with Lasano, Ulli looked at Cullen and asked.

“Don’t you want to do anything, Cullen? Besides going home. Like a trip for enjoyment, not this kind of arduous journey. Even if the world is like this now, won’t it become more livable later? Well, I’m not necessarily saying you should come visit our territory.”

Cullen let out a small laugh at her pouting words. Seeing Cullen’s expression, Cat blinked. Soon, the child’s ears turned red.

“You’re pretty!”

Cat said that and then ran into Cullen’s arms. Because of that, Kiyen, who had been sleeping soundly, woke up with a frown.

Kiyen pushed me away and stared at Cat, who was hugging Cullen, with a look of incomprehension.

“What is this now?”

“Kiyen-nim, I want to marry Cullen-nim!”

Kiyen’s expression instantly turned cold. Kiyen, his face sternly set, grabbed Cat by the scruff of her neck and pulled her away from Cullen. In the blink of an eye, Kiyen dropped Cat and pulled Cullen into his own embrace.

“You’re picking fights you’ll lose.”

“No! I want to get married!”

“Cullen won’t be interested in a weak and small Dragon like you.”

Kiyen said words I hadn’t spoken and held me tighter. At that, Cullen burst into laughter and gently touched his arm.

“Just you wait! In 10 years, I’ll be younger, stronger, and more handsome than Kiyen-nim!”

Cullen wore a perplexed expression, as these were not words one would expect from a child. Then Lasano clapped his hands.

“I don’t know who taught you, but your vocabulary is excellent.”

“Lasano, what did you teach the child?”

Ulli poked Lasano in the side, scolding him. At Cat’s bold declaration, a small smile appeared on everyone’s faces.

Even Kihelene and Junon, who hadn’t shown smiles, showed faint ones as Cullen leaned into Kiyen’s embrace. Completely entrusting himself to him, Cullen was held by Kiyen, whose lips touched his cheek.

“You’re not going to fall for that nonsense, are you, Cullen?”

“Who knows.”

Cullen said that, feigning to tease him, and Kiyen’s eyes widened. With eyes that looked as if he had been betrayed, Cullen burst into laughter. The Dragon used to call me naive, but now it seemed that Kiyen himself was the naive and tearful one.

“That depends on what Kiyen-nim does.”

Kiyen’s expression immediately became earnest. He made a pathetic, pleading face, looking weak and pitiful, his eyes curving. Rubbing his lips against my cheek, Kiyen whispered.

“I’ll do better. As I said, I will never do anything you don’t want, and I will make you happy.”

Gazing at Kiyen whispering the confessions he had made so carefully while bringing me here, Cullen turned his head. The lips that had been on his cheek lightly brushed against his own.

Despite having done more than that, Kiyen’s eyes widened and he froze at the mere touch of lips. Looking at his surprised, blinking eyes, Cullen said.

“I know.”

Because even if they were to fight, they were different now.

“So don’t worry, it would be good for you to find what you want to do from now on, Kiyen-nim.”

Their gazes intertwined. Kiyen’s widening eyes soon softened with joy.

“Whatever you want, I’m fine with it.”

“Whatever Kiyen-nim wants, I’m fine with it too.”

Exchanging the same words, laughter erupted. The voices of Lasano and Ulli grumbling beside them made their laughter even deeper. After a moment of thought, Kiyen opened his mouth.

“But I do want to see a market, like the ones humans talk about, at least once more.”

“Then I must stay by Kiyen-nim’s side to ensure you don’t get scammed.”

Then, Cat, who had been pushed away earlier, squeezed back between them.

“What’s a market? I want to go too!”

“I want to go too.”

Cullen smiled, watching White, who followed Cat to join them, and Black, who quietly observed them from behind.

The weather was good, precious friends were by his side, and family he thought he would never have again were before him.

Looking at them, Cullen cast one last glance at the sky. Gazing at the white moon, Cullen whispered to his precious ones who would one day return to this land.

I am happy, so you don’t have to worry.

— The End.