Final Chapter: At Journey's End End

The capital city of Eltina bustled with life.

As the heart of the kingdom, it thrived as a hub of commerce. Goods from across the land filled its streets—fresh produce, handcrafted delicacies, intricate trinkets, even magical artifacts.

The main avenue stretched ahead, lined with shop after shop, each more tempting than the last.

"...We walked these streets together on the first day of our journey, didn’t we?"

"Yeah. Back then, everything felt so new—it was my first time leaving the castle grounds."

Yusuke and I strolled past storefronts, just the two of us. No Jane, no guards, no entourage.

(We snuck out. A princess doesn’t just waltz out of the palace without reason.)

He wore his old travel gear—sturdy, practical, the image of an adventurer. My outfit was simpler too, just a light brown dress beneath a deep green cardigan.

"Does it all feel familiar now?"

"Well... we've been through a lot. Seen so much."

"Heh. Same for me. Before the journey, I barely left the castle either."

"Wait... back then, you acted like you knew your way around!"

"Dumbass. If you’re walking next to someone who looks like a lost, nervous puppy, of course you play the cool older guy."

"...You were being considerate."

"Back then, yeah. Not anymore."

His pace naturally outstripped mine, but he adjusted without a thought. Side by side, we browsed the stalls.

"Check this out. A 'water-producing magical tool,' apparently."

"...So it just casts a weak water spell?"

"Pretty much. Could be a lifesaver for parties without a mage."

"Wouldn’t a water barrel be more practical?"

"...Good point."

I remembered how wide-eyed he’d been that first day, while I—reincarnated and knowledgeable—had played the role of guide.

Back then, I saw him as a kid...

"...These skewered birds aren’t bad."

"A lucky find. The spices mask the gaminess."

But now?

He’s not a child to me anymore.
The journey changed him. Changed me.

We stand as equals.

"This accessory’s kinda cool."

"Not your style."

"Eh? You think?"

"If you’re buying, go for the bracelet."

"...Might get in the way of swordplay."

"The necklace, then?"

"...Could be a choking hazard if—"

"You’re impossible to shop with."

"...Sorry."

We bicker easily—honest, but never unkind.

(I love this dynamic.)
(Built on trust, affection, camaraderie...)

I reached out, brushing my fingers against Yusuke’s hand.

“…Hey, wanna hold hands?”

“Huh?”

“With this many people around, we might get separated.”

“…O-Oh. Yeah, sure.”

His hand settled over mine—strong, calloused, made for gripping a sword. The hand of a man.

My heart pounded as I stole a glance at him.

“So, didn’t you have something you wanted to do?”

“Huh?”

“You wanted to come to the lower city, right? Was there a reason?”

“There… is one. But mostly, I just wanted to come with you, Milia.”

“…Oh. Really?”

“…Was that bad?”

“Nah, it’s fine. Just…”

So that was it? He just wanted to be here with me?

…Huh. I thought there’d be more to it.

I let out a breath, tension easing from my shoulders. Maybe I was the only one overthinking things.

Pathetic.

What I really wanted was an answer—his answer. Did he still feel the same way about me? But if I pushed too hard, he’d just get suspicious.

Maybe I should test the waters first.

“Hey, Yusuke. Can I ask you something?”

“Uh, sure…?”

“Have you ever changed your mind about taking a lover? Or a concubine?”

“…N-No? I still don’t plan to. Why?”

“Just wondering.”

Even if it’s just for show, I am his wife. Maybe he’s just saying that to keep me happy.

I pressed a little further.

“You can take one whenever, y’know.”

“Wha—?”

The second I said it, an image flashed through my mind—Yusuke, night after night, visiting some new lover. And me, lying awake, crying.

“…Actually, don’t.”

“Wha—?! I wasn’t going to!”

Ugh. I’m really losing it. Getting depressed over my own stupid imagination? What kind of clingy mess am I?

I turned to look at him.

“…………”

…Not bad-looking, honestly.

“What? Something on my face?”

A little androgynous, not too rugged. A gentle face—one that didn’t intimidate. The kind that could easily attract admirers.

…And during our travels, plenty of local girls had fallen for him.

Because he was kind.

Every time he rushed in to help some girl in trouble, they’d look at him with those sweet, adoring eyes. And every time, I got the death glares.

“Uh… Milia? You okay?”

“Hm? Oh, just thinking… you’ve got a weird face.”

“Wow. Rude.”

“Kidding, kidding. Let’s say… an eight out of ten.”

“Out of… what?”

“…Oh, hey, those pancakes look good, don’t they?”

“H-Hey, Milia…?”

I teased him, dodging the question—because damn it, something about his face just triggered this weird maternal instinct in me.

…Ugh. Bad habit.

If I kept this up, he’d get sick of me. I had to stop.

I scratched the back of my head and faced him properly.

“…Hey, Yusuke.”

“Yeah?”

Our little escape wouldn’t last much longer. If we strayed too far from the castle, this whole outing would be meaningless.

So—

—before we went back, I had to ask.

Steadying my trembling hands, I spoke.

"Hey, you... do you still—"

"Ah, sorry! Milia, there's actually one more place I wanna go...!"

He cut me off mid-question.

…Probably on purpose.

Which could only mean one thing—he didn’t want to answer.

That had to be it.

If he answered honestly, it would hurt me. That’s what he was thinking.

So his answer to Do you still have feelings for me? would have to be—

"No."

"...Oh. Yeah, sure. We shouldn’t keep Jane waiting too long anyway..."

It’s fine.

I’m not gonna let this get to me.

I already knew.

I saw this coming from the start.

But even so, Yusuke dodged the question—to spare my feelings.

Better than being outright rejected.

If things can just stay like this…

If we can keep going like we always have…

Then yeah. I can keep smiling like normal.

“…Uh, Milia? The place I wanna go is… Hill of Light.”

“…That far?”

A hill just outside the city.

I remember—back at the very start of our journey, we left the lower city and headed there.

“I’ll carry you.”

“…Don’t hoist me like a sack. At least piggyback me, idiot.”

“Ah, right… then I’ll carry you on my back?”

“Obviously.”

Not that I want to be carried.

But if he’s willing to go that far, I’ll humor him.

Even if Yusuke only sees me as a friend… I still love him.

“Then—”

“Wait, at least let’s get out of the city first…! Have some shame.”

“O-Oh. Right. Sorry.”

“Honestly, zero tact…”

“I-I’ll be more careful…”

“Tch.”

I could tell.

My smile was stiff.

But even so…

I couldn’t let go of Yusuke’s hand.

I didn’t want to.

The Hill of Light was just a nickname.

It had no official name—not even a mark on any map.

Just a lonely hill, resting above an abandoned mine. Long ago, the tunnels beneath had been rich with Magic Crystals—minerals saturated with mana, the essence of magical artifacts.

Miners once dug deep, harvesting the rarest ones—the blue crystals, dense with power, glowing like captured starlight. The colorless ones, faintly emitting a soft white glow, were deemed worthless. Left behind.

Eventually, the veins ran dry. The mine shut down.

All that remained was a gaping hole in the earth… and those discarded, pale crystals, still casting their ghostly light from below.

The way the light seeped up through the cracks was eerie. Scattered. Ethereal.

That’s why they called it the Hill of Light.

For a time after the mine’s closure, it became a small tourist spot. But now? Forgotten. Rarely visited.

Still... I never grew tired of this view.

"It's beautiful, Milia."

"Yeah."

That’s why, when we first set out on our journey, I brought Yusuke here.

A place Jane had shown me years ago.

Back then, Yusuke had been drowning in distrust, unable to accept this world. I just… wanted him to find something in it worth loving.

Now, as I watched him, I saw his expression soften.

"I'm glad this was the first thing I saw when we left the capital."

"...Really?"

"Yeah. It became a special place for me."

"...Then I’m glad I brought you."

We sat on the hilltop, watching the lights flicker beneath us as dusk settled in. The sky burned crimson, melting into the glow below.

Side by side, we watched.

We had grown so much since then—in body, in heart, in duty.

"Milia."

"Hm? …What?"

"Can I say something weird?"

Normally, I’d tell him to shut up. But—

"Go ahead."

His solemn expression made me hold back the teasing.

"When I was summoned to this world... I hated it."

"...Yeah. That’s normal."

It was practically kidnapping. No—summoning magic was kidnapping.

"They threw me into fighting monsters right away. Back in my world, I couldn’t even kill a bug."

"...You were too soft."

I scratched the back of my neck.

...So he had wanted to go home.

"I hated the training too. Being forced to wield a sword... I hated all of it."

"...I see. Sorry."

Guilt twisted in my chest.

I wasn’t the one who summoned him. But this world’s desperation did.

Because we couldn’t protect ourselves, our kingdom clung to hope—Summon the Hero.

So in a way, it was our fault.

"Then suddenly, I’m sent on a journey alone to slay an evil dragon? Like some damn RPG. Pretty cruel, right?"

"............"

"But then... you came with me."

"...I just couldn’t abandon someone from my world."

That’s all it was back then.

I couldn’t stand the thought of a boy, dragged here by our selfishness, traveling alone.

"It made me happy."

"...Good for you."

"Yeah. It was."

Yusuke looked at me and smiled.

"Traveling with you, Milia... I’m really glad it happened."

"...Me too. I’m glad we traveled together."

My face burned.

The Magic Crystals shimmered under the fading light.

"We went through a lot, didn’t we?"

"...Yeah. It was a long journey."

"Long."

Even now, memories surfaced.

Back when we were just kids, thrown into a grand adventure, fighting impossible foes—like something out of a child’s dream.

"...But I had fun."

"Yeah?"

"Because you were there."

"...O-Oh?"

Hearing it so plainly flustered me.

Even if he didn’t mean it that way.

"So... I want you to stay with me from now on, too."

My heart pounded anyway.

"W-Well... sure. We’re already married, so..."

The words tasted bitter.

A paper-thin spouse. A paper-thin marriage. A paper-thin love.

And here I was—clinging to it.

"…But I want to change our relationship."

"……You mean—"

"Yeah, it's probably what you're thinking—"

My chest ached.

It hurt.

I didn’t want to hear it.

I didn’t want Yusuke to be the one to say it.

"I… I feel about you—"

"You want a divorce, right?"

So I said it first.

If he didn’t have romantic feelings for me—if he wanted to redefine things—then it could only mean one thing.

"H-Huh? Milia?"

"...I get it, Yusuke. I get it. We were only ever temporary fiancés anyway… But it’s fine. Even if we divorce, we can still be friends—"

"W-Wait, hold on! I’m not trying to divorce you at all!?"

"……Then you just want to keep the title of ‘husband and wife’ while cutting off any unnecessary—"

"N-No, that’s not it either!"

Yusuke shot to his feet.

The calm expression from earlier was gone—replaced by something flustered. Almost panicked.

"I… I—!"

Maybe it was the sunset, but his face looked red.

"I love you, Milia…! Still… always…!"

And with those words—

A question mark floated in my mind.

"……You do?"

"Yeah, I do."

"……Me?"

"You."

"Love?"

"Love you…!"

"……Really?"

And then, slowly, it began to sink in.

"It’s true… I… I want to be your real husband. Not just in name, but for real."

Everything tangled up inside me twisted into a mess.

And then I—

"……Hk."

"M-Milia…?"

—started crying.

Endlessly. Uncontrollably.

Tears spilling down my face, sobs breaking free from my throat.

"Uu… hk…"

I tried to stop.

I couldn’t.

Wiping at my eyes with my sleeve, I gasped for breath.

I was happy.

I wasn’t sad, so why wouldn’t they stop?

"S-Sorry, Milia… Was this too much…?"

I shook my head frantically.

"N-No… It’s not that…"

Still sniffling, I wiped my tears and stood up.

Then I looked Yusuke in the face.

And I spoke.

"I don’t hate it… I’m crying because I’m happy."

"……R-Really?"

"Snf… I’ve been agonizing over this way more than you think, you dense idiot… Seriously."

"Sorry…"

I rubbed my eyes again and met his gaze.

"But… are you sure? I wasn’t even originally a woman, you know?"

"Yeah. Because I love you, Milia. Titles, the past… none of that matters."

"……It should matter."

"Then I love you enough that it doesn’t."

…Don’t just drop a "love" on me like that.

I’m not used to this—every time you say it, my heart goes crazy.

Tch. Fine. I’ll give it back.

"Yusuke…"

"Yeah?"

"I love you too… got it?"

"U-Uh… th-thanks…?"

His face burned red, his eyes darting away.

Serves you right.

A little amused, I laughed.

"But, y’know… we just confessed, but we’re already married. Kinda weird, huh?"

"A-Ah, yeah…"

"Backwards order."

"……Maybe we should’ve confessed before the fake marriage…"

"Then we could’ve been a proper couple from the start."

Giggling, I gave Yusuke a light punch on the shoulder.

And finally—punched and flustered—Yusuke smiled.

"Still... yeah, I'm glad. From now on, we're really married."

"Yeah. Truly, genuinely... a couple in love—mmh, ah, wow, this is kinda embarrassing."

"Haha... you'll get used to it."

I forced a wry smile, my own cheeks burning.

And then—

"Yusuke... hey, for good measure, how about a kiss?"

"U-Uh. Sure... not sure what 'good measure' means here, but—"

"Then... here."

"Yeah, I'll... lean down a little."

Our heights aligned.

Our lips met.

A soft, lingering kiss—nothing like the ones we'd shared for show before.

This was different.

Because now, I knew—Yusuke loved me.

And that made it sweeter than ever.

We held each other close, arms wrapped tight, as if confirming what we already knew.

Slowly, we parted.

"...Hah."

Yusuke exhaled, breath unsteady.

"...Milia. My heart's pounding so hard."

"Y-Yeah... not bad."

I wiped my mouth—more out of habit than anything—struggling to suppress the grin tugging at my lips. Then I glanced up at him.

"Hey, next time... wanna try using tongues?"

"Wha—tongues!?"

His eyes darted away the moment I tapped my lips suggestively.

"A French kiss. Normal for couples, right?"

"I-Is it...? Wait, no—we're outside! That's way too—"

"I said next time, idiot. Not right now."

"O-Oh. Sorry..."

"You pervert."

"Huh...? Why am I the one getting scolded...?"

After all that agonizing, it felt good to have things resolved.

Like finally opening a long-awaited present.

And honestly, I couldn't resist teasing him.

"...Heh. Let's start acting like a real married couple."

"A real couple...? Uh, like what?"

"Lots of things."

"Lots...?"

Yusuke flushed again.

I narrowed my eyes.

"...Thinking something perverted again?"

"W-Wait, that's unfair! How is this my fault!?"

"Nah, it's fine. If anything, I'm the one teasing you."

"...Even as a real couple, you're not gonna stop, huh?"

"...Want me to?"

"N-No, it's fine..."

"Pfft."

I couldn't help laughing at his flustered response.

"Mean. Don't laugh."

"Sorry, sorry. Call it another form of love."

"Smooth talker."

Yusuke shot me a skeptical look.

I’d teased him so much, he probably didn’t trust me anymore.

"Alright... maybe I went too far."

"Yeah, maybe."

Slightly chastened, I leaned against him, resting my hand on his chest.

Beneath my fingers, firm muscle. Steady warmth.

"...Wanna do it when we get home?"

"Do... what?"

"...Idiot."

"Huh...? What? What?"

I sighed, gave his clueless shoulder a light punch, and stepped back.

"It's late... let's head back. Jane'll yell at us."

"Ah, right. We are cutting it close... Gotta hurry. Want me to carry you again?"

"Yeah... but—"

I reached for his back.

"Don't you dare drop me, husband."

"...H-Hearing that right in my ear is... really making my heart race..."

Blushing furiously, Yusuke steadied me as I climbed on.

We set off at a careful pace.

"...Now our journey's really over."

"Huh? I thought it ended ages ago..."

"Nah... not in my head, I guess."

The journey to slay the Evil Dragon.
The journey with a boy from another world.
The journey with comrades.
A child's adventure.

All of it had ended.

And now, we'd begin a new journey.

One far, far longer than any before.

"...Didn't know you were such a poet, Milia."

"The hell? That an insult?"

"N-No! Just saying you're... expressive—"

"...Definitely an insult."

"Wha—no! 'Expressive' isn't an insult...!?"

I teased. He flustered.

Same as always—yet not.

After a shared laugh, I buried my face against his back.

"...Love you."

"Yeah. Me too."

"...Say it properly."

"Eh...? O-Oh. I... love you?"

A little clumsy, but good enough.

The journey of the "Hero" and the "Mage" was over.

From now on, it’d be "Husband" and "Wife."

Just "Yusuke."
Just "Milia."

And that thought—

Made me hold him even tighter.