Epilogue – Promise

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Chrono sat on a chair and stared at his men. They were gathering their weapons and armor. Cecily hadn’t looked overly happy, but when he explained that it was for the sake of buying time, she had come to terms with it.

“Lord Chrono, the hard bread is done.”

“Oh, it’s you, Landlady?”

Once he looked in the direction of the voice, Shaela was standing there, looking all depressed. She said the hard bread was done, but she didn’t have anything with her.

Considering that odd, Chrono tilted his head in confusion.

“I already passed the bread to Mino. But I gotta say, it was really a close call,” Shaela said, trying to make a joke.

“…I see.”

Chrono stood up. The main force was deeper inside the narrow path. Beltil, Leonhart, Cecily, and many soldiers were looking their way.

“Let’s go, I guess.”

“Yeah, let’s. Sheesh, I just intended to earn some small change, and yet it turned out to be the worst,” Shaela murmured as Chrono started to walk towards the main force.

“Well, it’s going to be the worst for Mino and the others, though. Ah, don’t misunderstand me. It’s not like I’m blaming you. This world is full of things you cannot change, after all.”

Chrono assumed she already knew the gist of the strategy, saying all of this to console him.

“I told them to use up all the extra flour. It’d have been hard for you, right?”

“Yep. Thanks.”

Chrono stopped. The main force was right in front of his nose now. He was about to extend a hand, but stopped himself. Shaela looked back after advancing two more steps. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his embrace.

She looked as if she was scared, but he greedily devoured her lips without caring about that. He inserted his tongue, entwining it with hers while caressing her ample chest. A button popped off in the process.

“Pffaaah! What are you doing all of a sudden!?”

Shaela distanced herself from Chrono by thrusting him away and wiped her mouth with her sleeves.

“I thought I’d give you a goodbye kiss.”

“Goodbye, you say――gh!” Shaela gasped.

“I’ll stay back with Mino and the others.”

“You’re going to die if you remain here!”

“True. I might die. But, if I come back alive――”

“Don’t you dare to finish that sentence!” Her voice was loud, her eyes were moist, looking as if tears would start to trickle down at any moment.

“If I come back alive, I’ll fuck you silly.”

“Just what are you spouting at a time like this!?”

“No good?”

“Ugh, I got it. In return, make sure to come back to me, okay?”

“I promise.”

Chrono turned around and started to walk away from Shaela. Mino, Arided, Deneb, Horus, Lizad, Taiga, Nasul, and his other 500 men were waiting. Their faces were colored with fear and anxiety. Chrono wondered what face he should pull and what he should tell them. Even as he thought about that, the distance to them shrunk.

Suddenly, he recalled his foster father’s words. And then he felt like he knew what he should do.

Chrono came to a halt――

“Everyone, let’s go back home alive,” he declared with a broad smile.

Yep, in the face of imminent death――――laugh.