Chapter 142: Epilogue III – The Story of Connections Forged

[The Sixth Connection]

They say the earth hardens after rain.

Following Levans’ Rebellion, the Frenche Royal Family consolidated their power and took a proactive approach to governance.

Their policies were largely aimed at stabilizing the kingdom and benefiting its citizens.

As a result, the people of the Frenche Kingdom spent each day praising the royal family.

Of course, there was opposition to these policies.

The nobles resented the royals for prioritizing commoners over themselves.

However, Heroes Pablo and Greg, now reinstated as Captain of the Imperial Guard, kept them in check.

Moreover, when Hero Pablo married Crown Princess Page, the royal family’s position became even more secure.

The Frenche Kingdom grew stronger with each passing day. Yet, despite its prosperity, one concern lingered: the absence of an heir from the union between the crown prince and princess.

As the Frenche royal family had no close relatives, any child born to Princess Page and her husband would be the kingdom’s sole successor. However, even after seven years of marriage, there was still no news of a pregnancy.

Desperate for an heir, Pablo, Page, and even the king himself sought out various fertility remedies rumored to aid conception. Yet, despite their efforts, success eluded them. As Princess Page approached middle age, experts began shaking their heads, suggesting that bearing children might now be difficult.

It was then that Pablo, the crown prince, brought a massive marble slab into the palace grounds.

The king observed Pablo’s unexpected behavior and communicated telepathically:

What do you think you’re doing?

I wish to offer my prayers.

…?

Leaving behind the confused palace staff, Pablo began carving marble in the garden while fervently praying:

“Oh Louis, dear Louis, I pray on bended knee, please grant me just one child!”

Pablo muttered like a madman as he poured his heart and soul into sculpting the marble. Bystanders whispered that he had lost his mind from desperation.

For two months, Pablo devoted himself to this daily task without fail. In what was once an empty patch of garden, a statue emerged—a magnificent white baby dragon standing over three meters tall. Its vitality was so lifelike, it seemed almost alive; truly a work of breathtaking beauty.

The next day after completing the statue, a miracle occurred:

Congratulations! The crown princess has pregnant!

It was an open secret in the palace that Pablo had spent the entire day singing praises before the baby dragon statue upon hearing the news of Princess Page’s return.

Ten months flew by since her first pregnant.

When word spread about Page’s labor pains, both Pablo and the king rushed over anxiously pacing outside her room. Their nerves frayed as time dragged on without any updates.

Finally, unable to bear his anxiety any longer, Pablo dropped to one knee and pulled something from within his robes.

“Oh please, oh please,” he whispered fervently. “Oh Louis, my lord, I beseech thee! Please spare Page and our child!”

Pablo clutched a small, pure white dragon figurine tightly in his hand.

The king, upon seeing this, couldn’t help but ask incredulously:

”…What on earth is that?”

“I’m praying, if you must know.”

“As a member of the royal family, show some decorum!”

“Decorum be damned in this situation! The health of my Page and child mean more to me than empty courtesies!”

“Cough, well, even so…”

“And if I may suggest, Your Highness, could you please stop tapping your foot? It’s been echoing across the floor for ages, making it impossible for me to concentrate on my prayers.”

”…”

Having received such a rebuke, the king stared dumbfounded at Pablo, who remained deeply engrossed in his devotions. However, he found himself unable to muster any further response.

The king watched Pablo fervently praying with his eyes closed and muttered:

“Hey there.”

“Why do you keep interrupting me? My prayers won’t work if I’m constantly being bothered!”

“Pardon, um…” The king cleared his throat awkwardly. “So… does it actually work?”

He gestured towards the statue Pablo was holding.

Pablo nodded solemnly at this. “Of course! Haven’t you seen for yourself? The very next day after I finished sculpting Sir Louis’ likeness, we received news of his safe return!”

”…Indeed, that’s true.”

Even if it were just a coincidence, it was truly an astonishing one. For the wish he had been desperately hoping for came true as soon as the statue was completed.

Thanks to this, Pablo was certain: This wasn’t superstition but genuine protection from Louis himself.

“There’s nothing more effective than these statues in terms of granting wishes!”

The king was swayed by Pablo’s impassioned plea.

“Hmm, is that so? Then…”

“One for you, sire.” Pablo produced another identical statue from his robes and offered it to the king.

After accepting it, the monarch looked at him incredulously. “How many of these do you have?”

“The more there are, the better they work.”

“…” The king was rendered speechless.

A thought suddenly occurred to him, prompting him to ask:

“But tell me something—I’ve been curious about this for a while now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Why exactly do you call these statues Louis? Isn’t Louis…the prince you served before?”

“…?!” Pablo flinched at this keen observation.

“That—that is because…” He scrambled for an explanation as he darted his eyes around.

Click.

The door that had been closed for so long finally opened. Both the king and Pablo whipped their heads around as fast as lightning strikes.

“W-What happened?”

“The baby? Is she safe?!”

They rushed over to the midwife who had just exited the room. Seeing how anxious yet hopeful they looked made her smile warmly. She bowed respectfully towards the king.

“Your Majesty, it’s a prince.”

“Oh!” The king’s face lit up with joy.

Standing beside him, Pablo anxiously asked again, “Wh-what about the page?”

“Both the crown princess and the prince are perfectly fine.”

“Haaah…” Finally relieved by this news, both men sighed deeply.

Pablo kissed the hatchling statue he held tightly in his hands. “Ohhh! Thank you, Louis! We’re grateful beyond words!” He was speaking these heartfelt thanks to someone not present but somewhere beneath the same sky above them all.

The news of the heir’s birth in the Frenche Royal Palace spread like wildfire beyond its walls, engulfing the entire kingdom in a festival atmosphere.

Not long after, a curious rumor began circulating throughout the Frenche Kingdom:

Since Pablo had indeed prayed at the statue and gone on to father a prince, the rumor blazed across the Frenche Kingdom like a prairie fire.

As a result, Bernium Palace’s gardens were inundated with visits from noble ladies eager for children.

Bloodline

On a deserted island near the Spring Continent.

Long ago, some mysterious event had ravaged the island’s trees and forests, leaving behind only desolation.

After a fierce battle ended, peace once again settled on the deserted island.

Following the natural cycle of life, new trees began sprouting from the barren earth one by one.

Fifty years passed in this manner.

The miraculous power of nature restored its former lushness to the land.

The lake at the center of the island was no exception.

Once completely dried up, water slowly filled it again until, after fifty years, it resembled its past self.

It seemed as though peace would reign forever on the deserted island, but then change came.

At the heart of this transformation lay the dam reservoir.

Gurgle…

The lake began to vibrate.

Soon, a whirlpool formed at its center, rapidly draining the water as if someone were deliberately emptying it.

Shwooo…

Before long, the entire bottom of the lake was exposed.

In its center appeared an enormous crystal:

A transparent crystal containing a pure-white dragon.

This crystal was the very thing that had been creating changes on the deserted island.

The medium maintaining the barrier to protect the dragon for so long had reached the end of its lifespan.

Crack.

A fissure started from the top of the crystal.

Crack.

At first, only thin cracks occurred, but they soon spread throughout the entire crystal.

And then…

Krrrk!

As the crystal shattered, its fragments scattered like dust in the air. The white dragon remained motionless with his eyes closed amidst the sparkling shards that glistened under the warm spring sun. Suddenly, a blinding light erupted from within the dragon’s body—so intense it was nearly impossible to look at directly. After a brief flash, where the dragon once lay now stood a beautiful woman.

She had snow-white hair and skin even fairer than her locks, exuding an aura of holiness. Her name was Valentina.

“Mmm…” With a soft groan, Valentina’s eyelids began to flutter. After several quivers, they half-opened to reveal crimson irises.

Despite slightly different eye colors, she looked exactly like Louis.

After waking from her long slumber, Valentina blinked as she gradually took in her surroundings.

Suddenly, her gaze turned skyward.

“Huh?”

High above, something was approaching her.

The corners of Valentina’s mouth curved upward ever so slightly.

“Oh dear. I wouldn’t have found my way here without you.”

She smiled at how considerate he had been, arriving just as she woke up.

Not much time passed before a voice rang out across the heavens:

“Darlingggg! Vaaalentinaaaa!”

Valentina’s smile grew even wider at Genelocer’s joyful call.

Soon, Genelocer dropped down swiftly and embraced Valentina tightly.

“You’ve been through much hardship, my love.”

“Hardship? Not at all. I just woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated,” she replied with a bright smile as she tried to pull away from his embrace. Suddenly, she paused mid-sentence.

“Huh?”

After reuniting with her husband, it was then that she noticed something new—a round white head peeking out behind him. A boy of about nine years old, standing shyly behind his father’s legs, caught her attention immediately.

The moment their eyes met—hers filled with surprise, his with innocent curiosity—Valentina found herself speechless.

“Oh…”

Seeing Valentina frozen in shock brought a smile to Genelocer’s face.

With that, Genelocer gently pushed Louis forward.

“What’re you waiting for? Weren’t you the one who wanted to hurry up earlier?”

Prompted by his father’s nudge, Louis approached Valentina.

She looked at him incredulously as he drew near.

“Louis…?”

He didn’t answer her question but instead respectfully held out something wrapped in both hands toward her.

“It won’t hurt, Mother.”

Resting on those small palms was a Faster-than-Light medicinal herb—a nourishing treat prepared by Louis for Valentina after she had just awakened from sleep.

Meanwhile, hearing the word “mother” spoken to her for the first time, Valentina covered her mouth with surprise.

“Ohhh…”

Look at him blushing and turning away with his soft little hands held out like that. He’s my son but really…truly…

“You’re just too cute!” Valentina gushed as she wrapped her arms around Louis tightly. She squished their cheeks together repeatedly until Louis looked like he had been pinched by a giant invisible hand.

“Oh dear, who did you get your looks from? You’re simply adorable!”

“…”

“Sweetie, say it again.”

“What?”

“Mama! Say mama one more time!”

It was only natural for Louis to oblige since this was his first encounter with his mother after three hundred years apart.

“Mama…”

“One more time!”

“Mama…”

“Just once more!”

Faced with her repeated requests, Louis gently pushed Valentina away and spoke firmly.

“Mother, this is highly inappropriate for me here.”

“What did you say?! Mother who? Don’t talk like that to your mother! Just call me Mom!”

”…”

Louis let out a long sigh.

They do say couples become alike over time…

Or perhaps they had become husband and wife precisely because they were so similar. In any case, Louis found himself caught between his overbearing father and now his overbearing mother.

I guess there won’t be a moment of peace at home until I become a castle dragon and live independently…

As he lamented while looking up at the sky, Louis was once again ambushed by an unexpected hug from Valentina, leaving him squashed like a rice cake.