Maseki Gurume – Vol 5 Epilogue & Afterword

It’s Ko-Fi’s Supporters’ chapter (99/116), enjoy~

ED: Lonely-matter

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Epilogue

 

A few weeks after the meeting with Heim.

It was a day with a cloudless blue sky. On the pier in the harbor of the royal capital, Krone sat down next to Ain with her back against a wooden box and began to read a document she was holding in her hand.

“Thanks to Ain, the number of casualties was miraculously low…”

“…I can’t rejoice because there were a few who were killed, but I’m glad that we were able to save as many as possible.”

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the entire port city of Magna was engulfed in flames, but the number of casualties was really low, according to reports.

Incidentally, that day, the great ice tree disappeared as soon as the fire was extinguished.

In the end, Ain’s physical strength had reached its limit.

“How long do you think it will take to recover?”

“Most likely… it will take about two years to restore the city to the way it was before. I asked my grandfather the other day, and he said that.”

It was a shorter time than Ain had thought.

According to Sylvird, the royal family has also promised a full recovery. It is natural, but there is no doubt that it will play a role in the swift recovery.

“The twins saved the day, too.”

Ain laughed as he looked at the twins jumping around offshore.

“Fufu, Katima-sama said, ‘Thanks to me-nya,’ you know.”

“That’s probably true. Katima-san has been feeding the magic stone to me… and it is connected to the increase in strength.”

“Do you want me to thank her?”

“I’ll tell her that. I’ll do it. It’s the least I can do.”

Then Ain straightened his back.

There has been a lot of work lately.

Because it seemed to be a bit of a busy season, as well as the incident at Magna.

“Do you want to take some time off?”

Thump, thump.

Next to him, Krone tapped her knee.

“Um… eh?”

“Are you pretending not to understand? Or do you really not understand?”

“…I wonder which it is.”

Thinking it would be a bad idea to be embarrassed, Ain slowly lowered his body.

He put his head on her lap, looked up, and was greeted by a happy smile looking down at him. The care with which she gently moved her head so as not to be dazzled by the sunlight was typical of Krone.

The gentle sea breeze caressed both of their cheeks.

He listened carefully to the sound of birds hunting for small fish and closed his eyes.

He felt as if he was going to fall asleep before long.

“I’ll wake you up, so you can go back to sleep.”

“You know exactly what I mean. I’m going to doze off at this rate.”

“Because it’s Ain.”

“Is that how it is?”

“Yes, that’s how it is.”

The smooth touch of Krone’s hand softly caressed Ain’s cheek. Her scent filled his nostrils and soothed his mind.

“But I feel like we should just keep talking.”

“Geez… you’re so selfish.”

But Krone didn’t say “no,” she smiled.

“Maybe we should go to Magna sometime when we have more time.”

Perhaps she was concerned about Ain and wanted to give him a chance to visit it.

And then.

“R-really?”

The two of them collapsed in a heap. Quickly reaching out, they rolled over in a hug on the pier.

“…Ain?”

“I’m sorry, I just got excited.”

The two faces are so close together that their breaths can reach each other as if they were sleeping together.

 

 

They stared at each other.

They look at each other without saying a word.

Krone was unhappy, and Ain chuckled apologetically.

“Isn’t it possible to solve this problem if I just sleep like this…?”

The words that leaked out spontaneously surprised Ain himself, but Krone extended her arm before Ain could rephrase them. She used Ain’s hand as a pillow and gently closed her eyes.

“It’s a wonderful invitation, isn’t it?”

“No, I mean, I said it unconsciously.”

“If you tell me I’m making a mistake here, I’ll be so sad I might cry.”

She will certainly not cry, but such a holiday might not be bad… for a change of pace.

“I don’t think it’s a mistake… Yeah.”

It is necessary to pray that no one finds out.

However, it does not mean that he is unhappy about this situation.

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

From a short distance away, Dill was there, watching the two of them and letting out a sigh.

“Hah… Ain-sama… You should think about the place…”

On a fishing boat anchored in the harbor, he let out another big, loud sigh.

“O-oh… I’ve heard rumors about the two of them, but…”

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to pretend you never saw them.”

“No problem. His Highness has been so kind to me. I haven’t seen anything!”

The stall owner where Ain bought the serpent fish said boldly, “I didn’t see anything!”

The reason he was in the capital was to thank Ain. Ain’s actions at the time of the disturbance were a feat for which all the people of Magna were grateful.

So the shopkeeper had come to the capital as a representative.

The wooden boxes he was piling up were filled with fresh fish that had been kept cool with magic tools.

“Is that all you have over there?”

“Yes! The whole city’s fishermen have been catching them! They packed a lot of great stuff!”

“I understand. If you don’t mind, why don’t you go to see Ain-sama later?”

“Oh… That’s tempting, but I’d better get home and get back to my reconstruction work.”

The owner of the stall smiled and crossed his tanned arms.

“Oops, I almost forgot. If it’s okay, I would appreciate it if you could deliver… this letter to His Highness.”

“What’s this?”

When Dill looked at the letter handed to him, he saw that it was poorly written on a cheap envelope.

“It’s a letter from the girl who was saved by His Highness that day.”

Then Dill remembered it too.

“It might be rude for His Highness to accept it, but…”

“No, Ain-sama is very pleased with these letters. He will probably write a reply, so don’t worry.”

“Hey, hey! As expected of our hero!”

Dill said goodbye to the stall owner, who laughed again and said, “Take care.” 

When he returned to the pier, Ain and Krone were nowhere to be seen, but he looked in their direction and muttered.

“…I suppose I should let it pass for today at least.”

It would be tactless to say anything, considering the feats of that day.

Dill moved over and sat down on a wooden box so as not to disturb the two of them. He held up the letter he had just received to the blue sky.

“Even heroes need a mental break.”

He carried a gentle tone of voice on the wind.

 

Afterword

 

I’m Yuuki Ryou, the author. Thank you very much for picking up volume five.

There’s one more thing I want to thank you for.

As of writing this Afterword, it has gone into its third printing.

As the author of the original story, I am very happy, not to mention delighted that so many people have read “Magic Stone Gourmet” drawn by Sugawara-sensei.

I hope you will continue to enjoy the original work as well as the manga.

Now, let’s talk about the sixth volume of the original story.

The new place Ain visits is the village of the elves, which is also Chris’ birthplace. The elves are a race that doesn’t have much interaction with other races, but because of Chris’s family name, a new story awaits Ain.

The Red Fox ─── who is said to have controlled the Demon Lord in the past, and Ain is now evolving into that Demon King. How will Ain, who has become the Demon King, deal with the strange fate that has been going on for hundreds of years? A story that involves not only Ishtalika but the whole world will unfold.

As in the past, I will not only revise the web version but will also add a new story.

The sixth volume, which will also feature a “new magic stone,” will be finished so that everyone can enjoy it, and I hope you will look forward to it.

Last but not least, I would like to thank everyone who worked on this fifth volume.

Naruse-sensei drew a larger version of Ain on the cover this time after he became a Demon King.

The “Magic Stone Gourmet” would not have been possible without Naruse-sensei’s help. I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful illustrations and drawings.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the designer who was in charge of the bookbinding.

I would also like to thank the two editors in charge for their continued support. Thanks to them, we have been able to publish the fifth volume, and I really can’t thank them enough. I would also like to thank the bookstores and everyone involved in the distribution process, including the sales staff.

I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has picked up the fifth volume.

Thank you very, very much.

 

I hope to see you again in volume six, and I would like to conclude my greetings with this fifth volume.

Please look forward to more “Magic Stone Gourmet” in the future.

 

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