The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years – Chapter 238 – Epilogue (1)
Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Elliah looked out as the cold winds buffeted her. She liked snow. Unlike rain, snow piled up and covered everything.
That was why she’d chosen the Frozen Lands as her territory. By adding her power to the weather of this cold territory, she had managed to create a never-ending snowstorm regardless of the season.
Just by looking outside, she’d be able to see her beloved snow flying around.
But today was different. She couldn’t help but feel uneasy while looking at the snow.
“You are the last Demigod.”
“…”
Elliah turned around to find Lukas standing there.
She lowered her head slightly before murmuring in a soft voice.
“I see. And you… are no longer human.”
“…”
“Did you come to kill me?”
“No.”
Lukas was silent for a moment.
“Do you want to die?”
“No way. I still have a lot of unfulfilled wishes in life.”
“That’s a lie. I can’t feel any motivation from you. Nothing is more futile than a life without purpose. It’s as if there’s a huge hole in your chest.”
“…”
Elliah’s heart felt heavy.
Lukas was right. Nothing he’d said had been incorrect.
She turned to look at the snowstorm once again.
“Originally, I wanted to live with Riki, here in the Frozen Lands.”
“…”
“Maybe it’s because I tried too hard to convince him. But he didn’t like it. As you know, our race can be very stubborn. Ha. Shit. Now, I feel like I should’ve kept trying till the end.”
Elliah let out a laugh which sounded like air leaking from a balloon.
“Son of a bitch. I knew this would happen. In the end, everyone else died and I was left alone.”
“What do you think is the reason?”
“What?”
“The reason you alone survived.”
“What difference does it make? I’m no different from a deserter. A coward who ran away without hesitation just because she didn’t want to get involved in a terrible and fierce war.”
Her voice was strained as she continued.
“And it’s always the coward who survives in the end.”
“I disagree. I think there are still things for you to do.”
Her cynical attitude didn’t change even after hearing Lukas’ serious words.
“Don’t be ridiculous. What am I supposed to do in a world without Demigods?”
“Those who followed the Demigods.”
“…!”
Elliah froze for a moment at those words.
“There are still many people like that on the Continent. They have already closed their eyes and ears. Even the words of their families wouldn’t reach them. Elliah, you, a Demigod, are the only one who can save them. You can lead them to the right path.”
“The right path? Me? Haha. That’s easy to say.”
“You want to find a way to atone. If you just stay still, you will only wallow in your guilt.”
“…”
Those words made her heart shake.
It was true.
Lord and Riki.
When the situation became such that she could only follow one of them, Elliah chose to run away. She cut off all her relationships, froze the door to her heart, and ran to the Frozen Lands in the North.
No. It was even worse than that.
In truth, she couldn’t stop paying attention to everything that was happening. She was a coward who could only look at the situation from the outside.
“…I’m not saying that my words are the perfect answer. But you’ll definitely feel even more lonely if you stay here in the Frozen Lands on your own.”
“…”
“I can’t do anything if you refuse, but… I will leave this with you.”
After saying that, Lukas took a bottle from his pocket. Black liquid could be seen moving on its own within the bottle.
“That’s…?”
“It’s your people. I believe you are the one who should bury them.”
“…”
Seeing Elliah’s devastated expression, Lukas placed the bottle on the table.
“I’m leaving now. I don’t have much time left… I hope that you can make the decision you find the most satisfying, last Demigod.”
With those words, Lukas disappeared like an illusion.
Elliah kept staring for a while before getting up.
Then she picked up the bottle with a hard expression.
* * *
Nix woke up in the middle of the night.
She didn’t even know why. But when she sat up on her bed, she realised that there was someone else standing in the room.
“Ah…”
She’d never seen this man before. But Nix was able to realise who he was at once.
Pure joy appeared on Nix’s face.
Lukas looked at her before speaking in a soft voice.
“You did a great job with Agni’s crystal.”
“Yeah.”
“Well done.”
It was definitely a compliment filled with warmth. Nevertheless, hearing it made Nix feel so cold that she shivered.
She sat on the bed and looked at Lukas. Her mind was clear, but she was uneasy.
“Are you leaving?”
Nix asked.
Lukas laughed for a moment before nodding.
“…please take me with you.”
“The best place for you is not next to me.”
“But.”
“Nix.”
Lukas called her name.
“Is there anything that you want to do?”
Something she wanted to do…
Nix hesitated for a moment before speaking in a soft voice.
“…I… want to find my people.”
“The Phoenixes are a race that isn’t easy to find, but it shouldn’t be too difficult in your current state.”
“Will they accept me?”
“That’s not something I can answer. But you shouldn’t be afraid of them rejecting you. Since you are a powerful being now, you don’t have to be in their shadows. Keep that in mind.”
“Is Torkunta still there?”
“…yeah.”
“Sharing a body with someone is not something that many can experience. Moreover, he’s a monster who lived for almost 1,000 years. His character is poor, but your relationship isn’t that bad.”
“Right.”
Nix smiled softly and nodded.
As he said, Torkunta had become like Nix’s other half.
“Treat him well.”
“…when are you coming back?”
Lukas paused for a moment when Nix asked this question in a sad voice.
He hesitated before sighing deeply.
“…I’m sorry.”
“…”
Nix lowered her head.
Lukas whispered in a faint voice.
“Torkunta, please take care of Nix.”
At that moment, the tears, which Nix had been holding back, burst out. She couldn’t raise her head.
Lukas had probably left already.
Not wanting to accept this fact, Nix didn’t lift her head for a long time.
* * *
‘I didn’t think it would turn out like this.’
Ivan grumbled inwardly.
He never thought much about death, but at least he never thought it would visit him so soon. He also thought that he’d have a dramatic death.
For example, after saving someone, he would cough up blood and leave a note…
No. He didn’t even care that much about a heroic death.
But this was still too much.
Lord killed him instantly with nothing but a hand gesture.
‘So is this death?’
If so, then it couldn’t have been more boring. His consciousness just floated in a place filled with nothing but darkness.
He wouldn’t have to live like this forever, would he?
‘This is bad.’
Just as Ivan realised the gravity of his situation, something changed.
He felt like he’d been at the bottom of a pond and was now slowly rising to the surface.
“…”
Ivan blinked.
He could see light.
After blinking a few more times, his blurred vision returned to normal.
“Huh?”
He was confused.
He could feel the ground, he could smell, and he could see.
“This is…”
Isn’t this the castle in Hitume Ikar where he’d died?
“H-, he’s really alive.”
The Great Medium was staring at him in shock.
“What happened?”
“…that…”
The Great Medium’s eyes turn to look somewhere else.
A man was standing there. The man had blonde hair and wore an auburn robe. (TL: I thought Frey had brown hair…)
He’d never seen this person before. Nor had he met him before…
But he felt that he was extremely familiar.
Especially his expression.
Before he could even think too deeply about it, a name popped out of Ivan’s lips.
“Frey?”
“Right.”
“Huh… is that what you really look like?”
“You could say that.”
“What about Lord?”
“He’s dead.”
“…I see.”
Ivan sighed while making a frustrated expression.
“So it’s all over. Damn. I was a bridesmaid again.”
“…”
“In any case, thanks for saving my life.”
“I didn’t save your life. I just took you out of a gap in space in which you were trapped.”
“Same thing.”
Ivan tried to scratch his head while saying that, but he spazzed as he felt intense pain from his right hand.
Lukas looked at his hand.
“Your right hand has been completely crippled. It’s a wound so severe that there’s no hope of curing it.”
“I know.”
“Even if you successfully learn to use it again, you will never be able to put any force behind your punches.”
“I know that too.”
He said this with a calm voice.
Lukas looked at Ivan with a strange expression before speaking once again.
“Would you like me to fix it?”
“What?”
Ivan looked at Lukas for a moment before shaking his head with a smile.
“Thanks, but I’ll have to decline.”
“Why?”
“When I swung it, I already had the determination to never use this fist again. While it wasn’t able to do anything in the end, I already made the decision.”
Ivan frowned.
It seemed he could not think of the words to express his feelings.
“…so this injury… I’ll call it my medal, my battle scar. I don’t think I’d feel good to have it healed for nothing.”
Such words could be called a luxury from Ivan.
Lukas smiled.
“Right. You don’t want to erase your determination from that time.”
“Well. It’s nothing so fancy. I’m just saying I don’t feel like it.”
“…Ivan. You truly are an amazing person.”
Lukas was showcasing genuine respect for this man.
Ivan frowned at his words. He felt like he was being teased.
In the end, he didn’t solve anything nor did he help in any way.
It was the same the last time with Agni.
No. He was even more pathetic than back then.
In the end, Lukas was the one who solved everything.
Lukas understood Ivan’s feelings, but he decided not to say anything about it.