There might be people who are eager to continue reading my work and the characters in the epilogue that Takayaki-sensei is describing. I can't guarantee that, but it seems like there might be a chance in the future, so I'm giving you a heads-up.
Now, let's move on to another topic. Have you seen the OVA? It's the anime included with the special edition of this episode. (Editor's note: This refers to the Japanese publication.)
To avoid spoilers for those who haven't seen the show yet, I can't go into too much detail here. However, I think it was fantastic... Hajime and the others sharing the stage with the Liberators was incredibly moving...
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all parties involved in the production of this animation.
For readers who did not purchase the special edition, please do not be discouraged. It may be broadcast elsewhere in the future, so be sure to watch it then!
Next, let me share some information related to the anime. You readers may have seen the blurb on the book jacket. That's right! The third season of the anime has been confirmed!
There aren't many anime series that make it to their third season, and I couldn't believe it myself when I heard about it. But it seems to be true. I'm so grateful.
Finally, please allow me to express my formal thanks.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Takaya Ki for the illustrations, Mr. RoGa for the original manga version, Mr. Mori Misaki for the daily chapters, Mr. Kamichi for the zero series manga version, the editor-in-chief, the proofreader, and all the other people who tried their best to help with the publication of this book and participated in the production and release of the animation.
Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the readers.
The seven years of your company are an irreplaceable treasure in my life.
If you've been following this work since its web version, that's nearly nine years. It's all thanks to your support that this work has been published, and that I have the opportunity to express my gratitude to you all here.
Finally, thank you all so much for sticking with us till now!
I sincerely hope that one day I can meet all of you readers again in the afterword of the book!
White rice
Another ending to the thirteenth volume
In a world that exists nowhere, in an unknown era.
In a small town on the border of a certain country, there lived a young girl.
The girl was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a short, rough black bob. Her skin was tanned by the sun, and she was wearing an old, plain dress. She looked like a girl who had no connection with the luxurious life.
She has a beautiful face and if she dresses up properly, she will become very beautiful and charming. However, the girl has no interest in dressing up and usually only keeps her appearance to the most basic level.
The girls her age who lived in the same town were all keen on dressing up and maintaining their appearance, but this girl alone always maintained an unchanging simple appearance.
Even so, no one in this town would despise her for being poor or look down on her.
"Oh! Sydney! It seems you are full of energy today as well!"
"Of course! Who do you think I am? I'm a super perfect beautiful girl!"
"Ahaha, you're still the same today, you think highly of yourself."
"Sorry~! I, Sydney, just can't lie! I'm a beautiful girl inside too, it's really not easy!"
"Good morning, Sister Xini. Today is incredibly annoying as well."
"Good morning! Thank you for your subtle criticism! I won't forgive you!"
When seeing this girl, Xini, everyone would laugh naturally, regardless of gender, age or status.
Sydney is an orphan who was abandoned at the door of an orphanage when she was still a baby.
Despite this, she never showed any signs of inferiority, and her words and actions did not reveal her unfortunate background. Her innocent and lively nature made everyone who interacted with her fall in love with her.
It's not just that.
She is also "Sidney the Know-It-All."
She had been known as such since she was young, and earned money by doing odd jobs and helping others. Because of her serious nature and talent, she won the deep trust of people.
In this town, Sydney is a famous figure known to everyone.
One morning, when the morning was still a little chilly.
On this day, Xini ran around the town as energetic as ever, spreading smiles and vitality.
Her job today was to help out at the largest store in town.
The store had some unexpected merchandise brought in at the last minute, so they asked Sydney to help unload the goods this morning.
Arriving at the store, Xini immediately got to work with the other employees. She'd been around them for a long time and knew them well. Xini was quick and efficient.
The work went smoothly and was completed by noon. She received her salary and was about to return to the orphanage...
"Uh... Hey, Sydney. Why don't you stay and have lunch before you go?"
A young man of similar age said this to Sydney. He was the eldest son of the Chamber of Commerce president, a mischievous-looking boy. While speaking to Sydney, he turned his face away, his cheeks flushed, revealing his affection for her. "The young master finally asked her out!" The store employees feigned indifference, secretly observing the two's progress.
The atmosphere at the scene was strangely tense. As for Xini's reaction,
"I refuse!"
She answered without hesitation, leaving the eldest son somewhat stunned. The employees held their heads in distress.
“W-Why!?”
"Because I promised to go back and make lunch for the kids! Bye!"
After saying this, Xini turned around decisively and was about to leave.
Normally, the eldest son would have simply said, "Yeah! Whatever!" and let her go. But today, he seemed a little different. He hurriedly tried to get her to stay.
"Wait, wait! I heard you're leaving this town, is that true?!"
He seemed to have heard something. The reason why Xini had been doing odd jobs since she was young was, of course, to supplement the orphanage's operating needs, but there was actually another purpose, which was to raise travel expenses.
The eldest son thought Xini would stay in this town forever, and hearing this news was a bolt from the blue.
His expression now looked as if he was expecting Sydney to say, "That's impossible!" And Sydney responded with the same decisiveness.
"Oh, you're well-informed. That's right! I, Sydney, am going to become a traveling woman!"
According to convention, orphans in orphanages must leave when they reach the age of fifteen and make a living on their own.
However, leaving the town is rare. Generally speaking, orphans must find a job before leaving the orphanage, and it is difficult to find a job in another town before that.
"Traveling...? Why? Do you have a destination?"
"No!"
"That's too reckless! Then why are you so confident!?"
"At my age, I naturally want to travel wherever I want. Sydney, I want to see the world!"
"Isn't that too bold!?"
This girl is really weird. But she always is.
However, the eldest son just fell in love with this freak, and there was nothing he could do about it; he was bound to be troubled.
"Forget about traveling as a girl. Wouldn't it be better to stay here? And... I've already told my dad. You... you can be my assistant! From now on, forever!"
Seeing that their young master had finally shown his masculinity, the employees stopped what they were doing and watched closely to see how things were developing.
Before they knew it, the president and his wife were also outside, peeking through the crack in the door.
Sydney is not a dull girl.
She correctly understood her eldest son's feelings for her and the feelings of the people in the Chamber of Commerce.
If someone treats her seriously, Xi Ni will definitely respond seriously. She is that kind of girl.
"I'm sorry."
No pretense. No lies. No digression.
Everyone present gasped. No, it should be said that they were overwhelmed by her aura.
"I've always felt a tightness and bitterness deep in my chest. Every night I have a dream, but when I wake up I remember nothing. I just feel helpless and sad..."
“W-What are you talking about…”
The eldest son saw the pair of dark brown eyes looking directly at him, which contained an extremely firm will.
Why does she have such a look?
How could this be the look a fourteen-year-old girl would have?
Likewise, everyone else felt awe towards Xini, as if they were facing someone of a completely different level of existence.
Naturally, everyone understood that no one could stop her and knew that she would definitely follow through and achieve the goals she set for herself.
"I want to know what I really want to know. I want to know what I'm craving, even to such a crazy degree."
For this reason, we must never stop.
Even if you don't know where your destination is, you have to keep moving forward.
After Xini expressed her will in this way, she immediately put away her extraordinary temperament, a heart-wrenching smile appeared on her face, and the atmosphere suddenly became gentle.
"So, I have to go. I'm sorry."
Although the tone was gentle, it revealed an unwavering determination.
The girl turned and left. No one could stop her.
Xini deliberately avoided the main roads she usually passed by and walked towards the orphanage through the alleys.
Because if the people in the town saw her, they would definitely come over to talk to her. But now she was not sure if she could face everyone with a smile.
What comes to mind is a fog.
Deep in her mind, at the edge of her memory, there seemed to be something very important. But this thick fog made it impossible for her to recall it, and this feeling made her sigh.
This wonderful feeling had been there ever since she could remember. When she was young, she would sometimes cry for no reason.
The dean and his wife, as well as the siblings around them, were all very kind people and were undoubtedly family to Xi Ni. Even so, sometimes she felt inexplicably lonely and unbearable.
(I always feel like I'm forgetting something... No, that's impossible.)
Xini has never experienced memory loss, but she always feels that there are some things she has not remembered.
This feeling made her heart feel very depressed, as if it was shrouded in lingering fog, painful and lonely.
Among them, what concerned her most was──
(Who are those people...?)
Although the scenes in dreams would disappear from memory in the morning, Xini still vaguely remembered a little bit.
She remembered seeing figures in her dream. It should be—no, it must be six people, both men and women.
The images in her memory were blurry. She couldn't make out their faces, and even their clothes looked blurry. In her dream, the six people each spoke to her, but their voices seemed to echo underwater, and she couldn't make out their words clearly.
Xini only knew that whenever she thought of them, she would feel an urge to see those people, and her chest would feel very uncomfortable.
Especially one person among them...
(You're dressed in all black...why do you look so helpless?)
Whenever she thought of that shadowy man, she felt incredibly sad and helpless, almost crying. Unlike the other five people, thinking of that man made her feel a knot in her chest.
Thinking of this, Xini unconsciously pressed her chest, stopped and lowered her head.
Just at this time.
"Ah, I found it! Sister Sydney!"
Sydney looked up suddenly and saw a girl a generation younger than her standing in front of her on the road. She was also a child from the orphanage, and Sydney treated her as her own little sister.
"Oh, what's wrong? Why are you so flustered?"
Xi Ni quickly gathered herself together and pretended to be normal. The younger sister, unaware of Xi Ni's abnormality, ran over and pounced on her. Then she immediately took Xi Ni's hand.
"Wait, what the hell is wrong with you!?"
"Something big has happened! A noble has come to our house!"
"A-a noble? Why are you coming to our house? We don't accept financial support from nobles, and we don't need it, right?"
The orphanage's operating funds mainly come from the business run by the director and his wife, as well as donations from the brothers and sisters who have established their own businesses. It does not accept any funding from the nobility, so naturally, no nobles come to inspect it.
"I don't know either! And I heard that person is a noble from a neighboring country..."
"From a neighboring country? That's even more baffling."
"No matter what, Mother wants me to take you back immediately!"
"Eh? Me? Why is this happening... Ah! Could it be that my, Sydney's, charm has become so renowned that it's known far and wide...? This is terrifying! My charm is too terrifying! But no! Sydney belongs to the whole world..."
As she jogged towards the orphanage, Sydney continued to behave in an irritating manner as usual. However, her younger sister's response to her was not the usual cold stare and complaints.
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