My eyes catch its head as it tries to roar once more, another cry saturated with pain.
It is over. No part of its body remains intact—except the head itself.
Yet… why do I find myself savoring this? The thought forms just before—BLAAAM—I sink.
Father? Mother? Who are they, Oliver? As I descend into the sea, I no longer see only three shadowed figures drifting toward me.
My vision darkens before their faces become clear. I run out of breath.
"Hiro? Son? Boy?" Their voices echo faintly. The crowd before me blurs. I lift my head slowly as my sight sharpens again.
"Are you all right, son?" the captain asks.
Rose offers a faint, gentle smile. "You are all right, aren't you?"
"As always," I reply, "there is nothing to worry about."
I rise amid the crowd before me, and they begin to part as I stand.
"Huff!" I release a heavy breath. Somehow, the sensation I felt earlier is strange.
How can I enjoy this—
"Hero?" a woman says as she steps out from inside the ship.
"Hero!" She nods and smiles warmly at him.
"Hero, hero…" the children shout as they run toward him, wrapping him in warm embraces.
Now everyone cheers. "Hero, hero, hero, hero, hero."
The captain, holding a bottle of champagne, the crew raising their own, calls out, "To the hero," lifting his glass to the sky.
Clink! Clink!—the crew strike their glasses together.
All of them cry out in unison, "TO THE HERO!"
---
"Well then, it seems his turn has already come," the figure says, rising from the chair in the dimly lit room.
"Is there something you wish to say to me?" he asks, lifting his gaze toward Loki.
"All eyes are on you, Johan," Loki replies with a frown.
"Hm, of course," Johan answers with a warm smile, then shifts his gaze toward Albert.
Albert taps his staff once. "Return safely, Brother," he says, not looking at Johan's face, his eyes lowered as he removes his glasses.
"Certainly, he will remember that," Johan replies, his gaze moving toward the sofa where the figure seats himself once more. "It is good to see you again, Jiza," he adds, though Jiza does not recline as usual this time.
"Is there anything you wish to say before he departs, Jiza?" Johan asks warmly.
"His Majesty summons you before you leave, Johan," Jiza says.
Jiza's gaze shifts toward Loki. "Lately, I believe His Majesty has begun to doubt his servant's ability to fulfill his duties, Brother."
Johan smiles gently. "So it seems. But that does not mean the outcome will be the same without trying, does it?" he says, beginning to step out of the room.
He pauses before closing the door. "We await your return, Brother," Loki says into the silence.
"I trust you, Johan," Albert adds.
Jiza looks toward Johan, wishing to say something.
---
The grand carriage emerges from the magnificent building, and Johan begins his journey across the lands of Nimurelle, heading toward the Kingdom of Nimurelle.
His gaze drifts outward, one hand supporting his face, his eyes vacant.
The journey is long, yet before he realizes it, they arrive. At first, villages pass by; then the land turns rocky, a sign that they are entering noble territory.
Small kingdoms lie scattered between the great kingdom, nestled at its very heart.
The rocky road transforms into a Red Carpet, stretching far from the immense and opulent palace.
Guards stand everywhere, disciplined, while nobles move about calmly. At last, the carriage comes to a halt.
The carriage doors begin to open. "Huft, finally… a tedious journey, hahah," Johan mutters as he steps down, his eyes immediately drawn to the palace, its towers adorned with fluttering banners. "Yet the reward surpasses all measure—this view never fails to amaze," he says reverently, walking slowly toward the palace.
Indeed, the grandeur of Nimurelle Palace beneath the blue sky stands in stark contrast to the coastal lands Hiro and Rose once traversed.
Inside the palace, exquisite furnishings are arranged with precision. Red carpets line the floors, leading to staircases that ascend higher and higher, all the way to the summit.
The height of the steps barely registers, for Johan's attention is claimed by every corner he passes within the palace. Upon reaching the highest level, after countless chambers on each floor, only a single room remains at the very top.
He exhales slowly, then walks forward with measured steps, the sound of his shoes echoing softly. Not long after, the massive doors begin to open gradually, guided by the palace guards.
Johan enters the chamber, flanked by two guards on either side of the doorway—figures unlike any ordinary guards or soldiers he has seen before: the Covenant.
He stops walking, brings his feet together, and places his hands behind his back. "Your Majesty?" he says in a low voice.
"Sit," the figure behind the shadows says, gesturing toward one of the chairs before him.
Johan walks forward slowly and takes a seat on one of the grand chairs indicated.
The figure rests his face upon his hand. "As before, there has been no desired result. Must I decide that it is over?" he says firmly, his tone hard.
Johan lowers his gaze slightly. "He apologizes for everything that has given rise to hope and expectation, Your Majesty," he says quietly, drawing and releasing a slow breath. "With a heavy heart, the end comes after his presence yields the same result, Your Majesty," he continues.
"Very well. Everything depends on you. All await the outcome. There will be consequences—remember that." His tone is firm once again.
"Understood, Your Majesty," Johan replies.
He rises and walks slowly toward the exit, his gaze heavy and vacant between his steps.
Unbeknownst to him, while that empty stare remains fixed ahead, someone near him walks into the chamber. "Johannn…" the figure says in a low, proud tone.
Johan freezes. His gaze falters as he turns toward the voice, yet the figure's eyes are directed at someone beside him. "Huh?" he murmurs in confusion.
"Come here, child. There is something worthy that I shall grant you," the figure says again.
"With great honor—what is it, Your Majesty?" someone replies, approaching him.
"Huh—?" Johan mutters.