Waves can be heard and there is a feeling of being enveloped in something gentle.

Hades awoke as he tried to roll over.  The light of the setting sun pierced his eyes and he shut them tight while curling up.  At that movement, the small hand that had been stroking his head came to a stop.

“Are you awake, You Majesty?”
“…Jill…”

He seemed to be laying down on a ship’s deck, but his head was resting on something soft.  Jill was giving him a lap pillow.  That was probably why he felt so at ease, so happy.  It felt like a dream.

However, with the setting sun painting the sea red, he became aware of their circumstances and the passage of time.

“…I… and, rave…?”
“Oh, he’s here.  As for Rho… he’s still fast asleep.”

Rave’s face came into view.  Although he was hard to see against the backlight, he hadn’t changed.  He was still the same Rave he had known since childhood— he hadn’t lost his divinity.

“Earlier, Her Highness Elynsia came with the Dragon Knight Order.  She’s currently handling the situation.  Apparently, at His Highness Vissel’s instruction, they had been on standby across the sea, ready to fly to Laica.  Your Highness, do you remember?  The aerial magic circle.  They said they saw it.”
“…I don’t remember, but… yeah, something like that, it would reach even the dragons…”

She must have immediately flown after that surprise.  Elynsia might be lacking when it comes to politics, but she’s well accustomed to these kinds of on-the-ground efforts like reconstruction.  And then there’s that man named Roger, he’s probably—

“You can keep sleeping.  Everyone has everything properly handled.”

As if to shield him from the strong sunlight, Jill placed her hands over both his eyes.  Certainly, he might still need to rest.  He was extremely tired, as if he had cried until his tears had dried up.

“Ah, but at this rate, my legs might start going numb—”
“…a terrible, dream…  Everyone… was gone…”

Jill, who had been about to lift her waist, froze in place.  His movements were sluggish, but he clung to her waist and closed his eyes.

“Just a dream, thank goodness…”
“—That’s right, Your Majesty.  This is our happy family plan, after all.  We’ll be together until we become grandparents.”
“Oh, the Little Miss’ plan just keeps getting more and more grand.”

Rave was laughing.  I’m glad.  For some reason, he savors that thought over and again.  Surely, those salty drops falling onto my cheek must just be my imagination.

“…Little Miss, what’s with the tears?”
“Please keep it a secret from His Majesty, Rave-sama.  I’m just… being sentimental.”
“…Did something, happen?  Just now?”

Rave asked with a serious expression.  He apparently also had no memory of when the laws were rewritten. Somehow that struck Jill as funny, and she laughed while sniffling.

Yes, it was an illusion.  That was why the wound she should have taken to her shoulder disappeared so quickly.  It was an illusion shown by a law that was not correct.

“Little Miss, some time ago you mentioned knowing the future… Was it this?”
“No, that’s already a story of the past.”

Saying that firmly, Jill stroked the head of Hades.  He had again fallen asleep.  The one from before was the previous Dagon Emperor from her past.  Maybe she should be thinking more carefully about what that truly meant, but right now—

“I, will use the worth of two lifetimes, to make His Highness happy.”

Along with Rave who murmured, “I see,” she looked up at the sky.  Its color was changing.  Night baring darkness was coming.

Of course it is.

Time only moves forward— that is the way of the law.

T/N: I would like to add a small clarification.  These past few chapters have used the terms “law,” “logic,” and “reason” interchangeably as was best suited to the moment.  They should all be understood to mean something like, “the way something is” or “the way something should be.”

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