Dana emerged from the great conference hall doors with Kaiden. After leaving the shadowed conference room, she found stairs bathed in brilliant white sunlight. Beyond them stretched a long white stone path and lush green lawns. And further beyond, she could see the knights and carriages waiting for her and the other monarchs.

At the foot of the stairs, Kaiden extended his hand. Dana gripped Kaiden’s hand tightly and descended the steps one by one. Her legs trembled as she walked down the stairs. Without the man beside her providing steady support, she might have stumbled or collapsed entirely.

After descending all the stairs and standing on the stone path, Dana suddenly looked up at the sky. The scorching sunlight blazed down intensely. It was the vivid light of summer piercing her entire body.

Dana instinctively raised her hand to shade her eyes from the blinding light. Looking at the light that couldn’t be blocked even with her hand, she thought.

‘It’s over. It’s really over now.’

The summer of her twenty-first year that she didn’t want to remember.

Dana Rowen, who had done nothing, faced her own end along with the kingdom’s destruction. Though it was summer, she was trapped in a cold, completely dark prison, crying while trapped by her own ignorance and irresponsibility.

The summer of her twenty-first year that had returned.

The war was over. Rowen had not perished and she was alive. Her husband stood beside her, and in Rowen, her young nephew who would inherit the throne was growing steadily. People remained who would continue protecting the kingdom.

The typhoon of death that had blown through Etrang had disappeared, and the firebird had flown to the divine beasts’ world. However, those who knew that terror would think that threat could return at any time.

That was enough. If it could restrain those who would endanger Rowen using divine power and protect Rowen from danger.

Many things had changed. She had changed countless things.

‘I came back to restore things. I came back to take responsibility.’

So had she taken responsibility? Had she fulfilled her duty? Had she accomplished her share of what needed to be done, what she wanted to do?

She had known what needed to be done and had done it. Recognition was duty. Judging wisely and pursuing light was responsibility. The result was now, and this was an inevitable achievement.

Now she faced sunlight befitting the hot summer, holding the most reliable hand of anyone, standing on her own feet.

Behind Dana, who was lost in emotion, Kaiden spoke.

“Perhaps…”

Dana turned her head toward Kaiden. Kaiden asked Dana.

“Don’t you have any thoughts of changing the condition about staying here until your nephew’s coronation?”

Dana, who had widened her eyes in surprise, burst into laughter.

“Ahahaha.”

Her bright laughter rang out quickly. Dana opened her mouth wide and laughed heartily without realizing it. Her eyes narrowed so much they were barely visible, and deep dimples formed at her completely opened mouth.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t finished taking responsibility yet. There was still work to be done. Actually, quite a lot.

When Dana laughed loudly, Kaiden’s eyes widened in surprise. That expression was so fresh that Dana laughed even louder. Even so, she answered clearly.

“No.”

Kaiden, who might have been disappointed by the negative answer, had no time to be dejected by Dana’s appearance as she laughed louder than he had ever seen. The man who was mesmerized by her laughing face blinked his dazzled eyes and thought.

To see that expression, I’ve been running all this time.

Dana led Kaiden’s hand forward as they walked. Kaiden held his star that sparkled even in the bright midday, following that light. Toward the direction where brilliant sunlight poured down.

The two were walking step by step on the path to return from regent and divine beast to star and her guardian.

* * *

“You’ve worked hard.”

High Priest Cecilio placed the agreement in a heavy box, then approached Michaela and spoke. Michaela remained until all the people who attended the agreement had left, then belatedly emerged from the great conference hall. High Priest Cecilio and Holy Knight Raphael followed behind her.

The moment they exited through the door leading to the inner temple where priests moved and stepped on the stairs descending to the corridor.

“Uwaah.”

Michaela, whose legs gave out completely, collapsed with a thud.

“Oh my!”

Cecilio stepped aside. Raphael immediately bent down and extended his hand to support Michaela. Michaela, who had collapsed and clicked her tongue, waved her hand and stood up by herself without taking Raphael’s hand. Raphael withdrew his hand. Michaela, who had barely stood up, leaned against a pillar and said.

“I thought I’d die from trembling.”

Cecilio answered from beside her.

“It didn’t show at all. You did well.”

Michaela looked at High Priest Cecilio.

“That’s fortunate. But didn’t you just step aside instead of catching me?”

“How could a powerless old man catch a healthy and young Your Majesty? I believed you would stand up by yourself.”

“That’s why your hair also trembled with pettiness and all ran away, leaving none behind.”

Cecilio let out a hollow laugh. He saw in the Holy King who had conducted the negotiations in the great conference hall earlier, Michaela who had instantly returned to her teenage Holy King candidate days when she received his instruction.

Michaela dusted off her clothes and began descending the stairs. Cecilio and Raphael followed behind her again. Cecilio spoke to Michaela walking ahead.

“Speaking of hair, Your Majesty should grow your hair now. With both the Holy King and High Priest’s heads like this, people might think you have to shave your hair to become a Vicanthus priest.”

At Cecilio’s words, Michaela snorted. Having completely descended the stairs, they walked the corridor.

“Why would they misunderstand that? I shaved mine myself, but High Priest Cecilio’s hair fell out by itself. The subjects are clearly different.”

“What did you say?”

Beside the bald High Priest raising his voice, the Holy Knight with abundant hair said.

“To other people, there’s no big difference between both of your heads.”

This time it was the bald Holy King’s turn to raise her voice.

“What did you say?”

Beside the bewildered Holy King, the High Priest smiled with satisfaction, thinking “that’s right.” While the Holy King who had been hit glared at the Holy Knight, the High Priest said.

“Let’s go back now. To the Holy City.”

Right. They had to return to the sacred land guarded by God’s servants. To the place that should now become the starting point where light spreads, having cleared away the disgrace.

Michaela stood at the front and walked the corridor. Behind the Holy King walking the corridor where the hot summer sun cast light, the High Priest and Holy Knight Commander walked. The three people passed through the shadows cast between the corridor’s pillars, but more broadly through the sunlight pouring down. Again through the shadows, then the light beyond.

Walking the corridor where light and shadow alternated, Michaela newly recalled what she had done today sitting in the Holy King’s position.

‘I set things right as Holy King.’

As God’s manifestation. She had done what needed to be done as God’s servant. It was work to correct the Holy Kingdom that had pursued private interests and fallen into corruption, and work to remove the darkness cast over the continent.

However, there was still much work to be done ahead, and much to be corrected. But she wasn’t worried or afraid. Because it was better than when she could do nothing. She knew what needed to be done and could do it.

The monk who had only wandered around with her head shaved and mouth shut was now in a position to determine the future of believers through her own decisions. It was also a position that had been spread before her since long ago, but which she had now returned to reclaim.

Michaela walked forward looking ahead resolutely. Since these were steps that hadn’t stopped even when walking paths that weren’t originally hers, she could step forward without hesitation.

The High Priest and Holy Knight walked following their king and manifestation of light walking ahead. They continued following behind the light they should follow and assist from now on.

On the path filled with light, the Holy King was leading her priests and Holy Knights forward.

* * *

The hot summer sunlight poured down indiscriminately regardless of location.

On the beach sand heated by the sunlight, a monk wearing old monk’s robes walked with his hat pressed down.

The deep blue sea sparkled endlessly with midday sunlight falling like starlight. The footprints of the hat-wearing monk on the wet sand repeatedly appeared and were swept away by the incoming waves.

The monk crossing the beach, Gabriella, suddenly heard singing from afar. On one side of the beach, a minstrel was singing while looking at the sea, holding a lyre.