[Epilogue]
“The sound… has it stopped…?”
As the deafening explosion ceased, the people who had been crouching in place cautiously peered out the window.
Our city, ravaged by the magic dragon. Just when we thought it was all over, standing there was not the magic dragon, but the [Saint].
“Boss Dude…”
One of them asked me, as if to confirm it wasn’t a dream.
So, I nodded firmly to reassure them and replied.
“Yeah… he won.”
“It’s… it’s a miracle…! A miracle has happened!”
“I’m alive…! I’m really alive…!”
“We did it…! The [Saint] did it…!”
The people who had been watching the fierce battle in the sky from the command center raised their fists to the heavens. Some even crouched down, shedding tears.
That’s how much of a threat the magic dragon posed to humanity.
Our built-up history and technology have been preserved.
With the threat of the magic dragon gone, the miscellaneous monsters beyond the fortress are no longer formidable enemies.
We can just drive them away with our proud magical tools as we’ve done before.
We can do this because he minimized the damage from the magic dragon.
“…Am I dreaming…?”
If I’m not mistaken, at the end, the magic dragon bowed its head to Ouga-Vellet and flew away into the sky.
Its appearance was like a knight swearing loyalty to its master.
Surely only a handful of people, including myself, witnessed this scene, but rumors will soon spread to various regions.
Ouga-Vellet. The new light of humanity who became the [Saint] at the young age of fifteen.
This is truly a great achievement.
And the prosthetic arm fitted to his right arm… There’s no mistake.
My daughter made it. The magical tool created by Yueri helped the [Saint] defeat the magic dragon.
What I couldn’t do… she did…
“…I see. The time has finally come to free her from that useless admiration…”
She used to always say she wanted to be like her dad and spent all her time in the workshop.
At first, I thought it was just my daughter’s cute behavior… but when I saw the magical tools she made, my thinking changed.
This kid will undoubtedly become a far more skilled mechanic than I am.
That’s why I never wanted her to work in my workshop. She shouldn’t aim to be like me.
It would be a waste of her talent. I had to let Yueri experience the outside world…!
I gave her a forge for training but absolutely refused to employ her. That’s how this distorted structure came about. No matter how much I was disliked, I had no intention of giving in.
Isn’t it a father’s job to do anything for his child?
I was wondering if there was an environment suitable for her to showcase her skills. It couldn’t be halfway. It had to be somewhere that would definitely encourage growth… While I was pondering this, a letter arrived from a client.
It was from Rajinis-Kabunika, asking me to “take care of the prosthetic arm for a kid named Ouga-Vellet.”
I had heard of Ouga-Vellet. A young man who had earned the title of [Saint] for dedicating himself to fighting evil for the sake of the country.
And I immediately devised a plan.
I would deliberately refuse Ouga-Vellet’s request and arrange for Yueri to meet him by driving her out. If he learned that Yueri was my daughter, Ouga-Vellet would surely take interest.
Things unfolded exactly as planned, but… he turned out to be an exceptional individual beyond my imagination.
He’s a man who defeated the magic dragon. He probably saw through my intentions easily.
Looking back on our interaction in the workshop… his behavior suggested he understood our intentions.
A man of unparalleled strength in both brawn and brain, huh.
“Heh… I might have witnessed the beginning of a new legend.”
Ouga-Vellet’s name will resound throughout the land.
And new trials will surely rain down on that man.
With the Flone-Milfonti incident and all, he’s definitely a man born under such a star.
If that’s the case, those around him will inevitably be forced to grow.
“…Indeed, she’s the only one.”
Amidst the joyous cheers, I made a decision.
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After piercing the magic dragon’s belly, I shook off the green blood on my arm.
[True Dragon Slaying Fist]… It turned out even more impressive than I had imagined.
It might be more accurate to call it an arm weapon rather than a prosthetic arm.
Although it was used without any prior testing, there was no discomfort in my body.
All that’s left is to have Yueri check if there are any abnormalities in the [True Dragon Slaying Fist]—
“Ouga!”
“—Karen!”
Karen, whom I had instructed to hide while I fought the magic dragon, came running and leaped at me.
Catching her as she enthusiastically embraced me, I spun around once to keep us from falling, then hugged her back.
“I’m so… so glad…!”
When connecting the prosthetic arm to my right arm, Karen held my hand tightly and covered my eyes with her other hand.
In other words, she heard the sound and felt the moment when the prosthetic arm’s connection dug into my arm.
That’s why she must have been praying even more strongly for my safety.
Behind Karen, Yueri stood with a grin, her fist thrust out just as she had when she sent me off.
Her expression was filled with a sense of accomplishment.
“You did it, boy!”
“Yeah, I proved its power.”
“You bet!”
As I bumped fists with the [True Dragon Slaying Fist], Yueri shouted towards the sky, as if expelling the sense of accomplishment welling up from the depths of her stomach.
“Did you see that, you damn old man?! This is my true ability!! …Hah… cough, cough… Ah~, that feels better…”
After expelling everything that had been pent up, she inhaled deeply as if seeking oxygen, then collapsed on the spot.
Then, she thrust both arms up again.
Seeing this, Karen, whose tears had completely subsided, laughed along with me.
I was right to believe in her passion for her goals.
Yueri is a person who can strive to fulfill her dreams and move forward.
This level of skill… it would be a shame to end our connection after just one prosthetic arm creation.
I had been thinking about it for a while. If she made a satisfactory prosthetic arm… No, that’s not it.
From the start, she abandoned everything else for the prosthetic arm creation. She completed the [True Dragon Slaying Fist] and bounced back from failure without being discouraged.
What I need right now is exactly someone like her.
Yueri must have realized it. The joy of seeing her own magical tool in action. The sense of accomplishment as if everything had paid off.
She’s probably uncertain about her future now. Because she’s experienced new emotions in the small world where Luludahn Workshop was everything until now. Because she’s feeling refreshed, with her heart now empty.
If that’s the case, I just need to fill that void.
“Kukukuku… I’ve decided, Yueri.”
I grasped her hand, which was stretched towards the sky as if yearning for the next path after achieving her goal.
“I’m going to take you to Vellet territory.”
“…!”
Yueri’s shoulders trembled slightly.
“…What are you saying, boy? You know, right? I want to work in my old man’s workshop. I even made a magical tool that can defeat a magic dragon. This time for sure—”
“Yeah, I know. But I’ve decided I want you. Me, the eldest son of the Vellet family and the [Saint].”
“That doesn’t matter. This is the Independent Mechanical City of Encartón. Your position won’t help you here.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not the case this time. I’m the hero who saved this city, after all.”
“That’s…”
It’s true that Encartón is a city unaffected by noble influence, but it would be in poor taste to refuse the request of the one who saved them from annihilation.
If they were to respond in such a manner, no one would come to their aid even if they were attacked by a magic dragon in the future.
That would be troublesome for Encartón as well.
After all, the [Dragon Crusher Bullet] that defeated the magic dragon in the past couldn’t repel it this time, and the only thing that can counter a magic dragon, the [True Dragon Slaying Fist], is on my arm. Even if Yueri were to create another [True Dragon Slaying Fist], the number of people who could use it would be limited.
“So, you have no choice but to come with me.”
And why am I acting like such a villain?
It’s to show Yueri my determination to never let her go.
It’s to prevent her from having regrets by making her choose between [Luludahn Workshop] and [Ouga-Vellet].
By taking her back like this, Yueri can use the pretext that she was forcibly taken away by me, eliminating the need to feel indebted to Luludahn Workshop, or more specifically, to her father, Mr. Dude.
I have no desire to continue serving the kingdom even after defeating Flone.
I’m lowering my reputation among the people here on purpose.
“You don’t need to hesitate. Just aim for the top and keep honing your skills.”
And, I continue.
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