[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 370: The Story After (2). [Side Story 2]

The Fairy Queen calmly explained to Ketal.

“The Spring of Mystery has burned away and evaporated. Lady Serena gathered as much of its essence as she could from the air… but it is still far too little to restore the spring. Therefore, we will carry out a special process. Please, this way.”

The queen led Ketal to the place where the spring had once been.

Now, only an empty hollow remained.

Floating in the middle was a black sphere, about the size of a human fist.

Ketal asked with curiosity.

“May I touch it?”

“As long as it does not leave the spring, you are free to handle it.”

“Alright.”

Ketal picked up the sphere, letting out a small sound of surprise.

“Heavy.”

“…You can lift that with your bare hands?”

The queen muttered in astonishment.

Though it was no bigger than a fist, the sphere contained an extreme concentration of mystery.

Its density was absurdly high—at least a thousand times heavier than a solid gold sphere of the same size.

Even placing it lightly on the ground could be enough to collapse the earth beneath.

And yet, Ketal had lifted it with a single hand.

The queen was once again struck with awe at Ketal’s strength.

“This is an artifact created by gathering our tears. Inside, Lady Serena placed the essence she had collected from the spring, and now it must be compressed once again.”

“To what size?”

“Down to that of a small seed.”

Ketal stroked his chin.

“Is that even possible?”

“Most likely not.”

The queen smiled bitterly.

Even though the artifact was already compressed to its limits, it had to be compressed once more.

It was no exaggeration to call this an attempt to surpass the boundaries of density itself.

Even fairies, who freely manipulated mystery, had failed to find a way.

“We consulted the Tower Master, but even he replied that it would not be easy. The difficulty is immense, and with so many urgent matters, he said to leave it for later.”

Even the Tower Master could give no definitive answer.

It could take decades before the spring was restored.

And yet, the queen’s expression was not dark.

It would only take time, but in the end, they could succeed.

They would restore their spring.

That alone was enough to inspire hope.

The queen bowed her head in gratitude to Ketal.

“Thank you, Hero. You helped us with no expectation of reward, out of pure goodwill. On the honor of the fairies, we will never forget this grace.”

“Hm.”

But Ketal was not listening to the queen’s words.

He was staring at the sphere with a fascinated look.

The queen grew flustered.

“L-Lord Hero?”

“There’s something I wish to know. All that’s required is for this sphere to be compressed to the size of a seed? No need for any special process?”

“Ah—yes. The artifact itself is already complete. We simply lack a method to compress it further. The means don’t matter.”

“Then that’s convenient.”

Ketal grinned.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“…What?”

“Serena. If you please.”

“I am here.”

Serena, as though understanding Ketal’s intent, handed him the gathered essence.

Ketal placed it into the sphere.

“Uh, Lord Hero?”

“Step back.”

Ketal gripped the sphere with both hands and exerted his strength.

Woooooom!

A wave of force spread outward.

The queen’s body was shoved back at once.

The Fairy’s Holy Land trembled violently.

“W-what’s happening?”

“Wh-what is that?”

The fairies, who had been celebrating the spring’s recovery, panicked and rushed to the source of the disturbance.

Their eyes widened in shock.

“…What?”

Ketal was crushing the sphere with his bare hands, forcing it down through sheer strength.

“That’s…”

Impossible.

That was a sphere of ultimate density, condensed to the utmost with mystery.

A thousand times heavier than a golden sphere of equal volume.

And yet it was now being pressed into the size of a seed.

This was something even the greatest sorcery and mysteries could hardly accomplish—something that might take decades of work.

And he was attempting it through nothing but raw strength?

Impossible.

Not even Ketal, the great Hero, should be able to do such a thing.

And yet—

Crack. Crrrk.

The sphere slowly, steadily shrank in size.

It was being compressed by nothing more than physical force.

“…Not easy.”

Ketal bared his teeth, drawing in aura and flooding it into his arms.

He pressed harder.

Wooooom!

“Waaah!”

“Kyaaah!”

Even this simple act of compression warped space itself.

The fairies stumbled back, pushed away.

Their bodies shielded with mystery, and still it was useless.

This was not something their magic could block—it was the very fabric of space being crushed by force.

“…Unbelievable.”

The queen, barely able to hold her footing, wore a stunned expression.

That which could not be achieved even by supreme mystery was being accomplished by sheer strength.

Crack. Crunch.

At last, the sphere was perfectly compressed.

Ketal smiled, opening his hand.

Resting on his palm was now a tiny seed-sized sphere.

“There. Will this suffice?”

“……”

The fairies could only gape, unable to answer.

* * *

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

High Elf Queen Karin.

Naturally, she was quite busy.

As one of the few remaining Hero-class powerhouses left on the surface, she was being summoned here and there to deal with the aftermath of the war.

It had been decades since she was this busy.

But her expression was not dark at all.

After all, they had won.

And in that dreadful past life, she had survived.

Rumbleee!

Karin flicked her fingers.

She was restoring a forest that had been reduced to ashes by demonic fire.

The wind stirred, scattering countless seeds across the entire woodland.

“This should be enough. Now we just have to wait for the seeds to sprout.”

“Yes! Lady Karin! Thank you so much!”

“Then I’ll be off to handle the next task. Everyone, keep up the good work.”

“Yes!”

Their joyful voices rang out:

“Thanks to Lady Karin!”

And then,

“Glory to the Hero, Lord Ketal!”

At that cheer, Karin gave a strange little smile.

“Phew.”

Work done, she returned to her home.

One of her few pleasures before bed was a glass of wine.

But upon stepping inside, she frowned.

Someone was sitting in her beloved rocking chair, swaying leisurely.

Seeing who it was, Karin let out a sigh.

“The Tower Master.”

[Well, Karin. It’s been a while.]

“What brings you here all of a sudden? I thought you were buried in work with no reason to come outside.”

[I escaped. I need a break too.]

“Elian must be running wild, then.”

Muttering that, Karin sat opposite the Tower Master.

With a flick of her fingers, a wine bottle and two glasses floated over on the breeze.

“Care for a drink?”

[Gladly. It’s been a while since I’ve had High Elf wine.]

The Tower Master lifted the glass and drank.

Karin watched with fascination.

It was always an odd sight—liquid entering that body of bones, only to vanish.

[So, is he enjoying himself?]

“Seems like it. I heard he recently restored the Sacred Spring of Pysaraphia, the holy land of the fairies.”

[…Yes, I was contacted about that. The magical framework required was quite advanced, so I put it off for later.]

“I don’t know how he managed it, but apparently he solved it through sheer force.”

[Heh.]

The Tower Master let out a dry laugh.

[What a brute-force method.]

“But he got it done. The Sacred Spring has been revived. Everyone is praising him.”

The one who slew the Demon King and defeated the being from Forbidden Lands.

And afterward, without asking for anything in return, he traveled the world, helping those in need.

The people’s faith in Ketal was, in truth, no less than worship.

Everyone believed him to be a living saint.

Of course, those who knew his true nature thought differently.

“He must be enjoying himself quite a lot.”

[He gets to satisfy his curiosity, find amusement, and receive adoration. Quite the pleasant life.]

The driving force behind Ketal’s actions was his own amusement.

He did not move for the sake of others.

He moved to enjoy himself, and it just so happened that this benefited others.

Karin stretched.

“In the end, it’s good for us too. A win-win.”

[Hmph.]

The Tower Master did not agree, showing a subtle unease instead.

Karin tilted her head.

“You look uneasy.”

[…He.]

The Tower Master slowly opened his mouth.

[He moves purely according to his own amusement. What he does now is because it entertains him.]

“That’s true.”

[Then what if, one day, he grows bored of this world?]

The wineglass in Karin’s hand froze mid-sway.

“You mean, what if he turns against the world?”

[To him, this world must seem like a treasure trove.]

From the White Snowfield, he met elves, studied alchemy, crossed swords with demons, drew the holy sword, and even encountered gods.

A story shining brighter than legend.

[But pleasure fades, and thrills dull over time. If he grows tired of this world… what if he seeks new pleasure in a different way?]

For example—pleasure in destroying the world.

Karin frowned.

“I think that’s an overblown concern.”

[I tend to worry too much. But it’s not an impossible scenario.]

“So you’re planning to find a way to control him?”

[Hardly.]

The Tower Master shook his head.

[I’m not that shameless. If not for him, this world would already be destroyed. And besides, stop him? Who in this world could possibly stop him?]

Karin gave a bitter smile of agreement.

The Tower Master swirled his wine.

[So the only thing I can do is… make sure he doesn’t get bored. Set things up ahead of time, here and there.]

By creating new amusements for him in advance, so to speak.

“Hmm.”

But Karin’s expression was doubtful.

“I don’t think the kind of thing you’re worried about will happen…”

The Ketal she knew did indeed seek enjoyment, but he was not the sort to cross the line. Still, she didn’t say it outright.

“Do as you wish.”

If he wanted to prepare in advance, there was no reason to stop him.

With that, she dropped the matter.

The Tower Master sank deeper into thought.

And a few days later—

Ketal met the Tower Master.

His face lit up with delight at the sight.

“Oh! Tower Master! Long time no see! Have you been well?”

[I’ve been leading a very busy life. It’s been so long since I’ve come outside like this. Where is Serena?]

“She’s gone to the Sun God’s Church for a while. Said she had business there.”

Ketal grinned.

“So, our task is to restore the land? Then, I’ll be counting on you.”

The Tower Master looked at him for a moment, then spoke.

[Likewise, Ketal.]

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]