Many times during the night, my stomach churned, but the thought of Raverly and Erwick fasting and I just didn't feel like eating.

　The holy shield in my left hand is a
"You really are the boy who looked up.
　He complimented me on that.

Lunamaria is more respectable.

　There is no doubt that she will probably cut off food or even water until this operation is successful. There was also no doubt that she would pray all day long for the success of the mission.


　And so a few days pass. The dwarves were distressed at the princess's despondency, and just as her stomach was empty, the prince appeared. He appears proudly in front of the fort and announces himself.

My name is Arwick. Son of Synturan, Chief of the Elves of the West. I have come to rescue my beloved princess.

　The dwarves, in response to his brave words, "What! But the elves secretly thought, that's my prince. However, the elves wanted him to return, so I did my best to capture him.

　The dwarves and elves rush out of the fort with their weapons, but I seize the moment to unlock Raverly's prison. I follow behind them with a nonchalant look on my face and watch Arwick's grand stand.
　Erwick fighting with his slender sword. Neither dwarves nor elves aimed at killing Arwick, so the battle was quite frustrating.

　However, the elves and dwarves were outnumbered, and the battle was getting worse and worse.

　A certain dwarf's hammer snaps Arwick's rapier, robbing him of his fighting power. The dwarves try to capture him with a lasso, but Lunamaria cuts through them.

　She severs the rope with a stunning kesa-slash.
　Lunamaria screams like a goddess of war.

My name is Lunamaria. I am a priestess of the Mother Goddess Order.
By righteousness and love I intervene in this quarrel!

　The elf says to Lunamaria, who tells him in an interesting manner.

The Order of the Mother Goddess is not supposed to intervene in the quarrels of the world.

This is a road administered by the Mother Goddess Order. You've built a fort there, and that kind of language cannot be overlooked.

I said that's too much for .......

　The elf looks at the dwarf with a vindictive look in his eyes, but the dwarf ignores him with a "hmm.

"This is too late for that. What is the bother with the boy and the priestess? Tie him up!

　The dwarf says with gusto, he sounds like a bad cop, but the cops in the story should have been brought to justice here. I like promises, and I wanted it hard, but it seems that Raverly had the same idea.

　He kicked the dwarf who was about to capture Erwick at just the right moment.

Ravely!

　Erwick plays a beautiful voice.

"Erwick!

　Raverly called back in a thick but loving voice.

　They continued to enter their world for a moment, but when Lunamaria coughed lightly, they remembered their part in it.

　They clasped hands and said to the screaming elves and dwarves.


"To the elves and dwarves, put away your swords.


　His voice was full of dignity. That's the children of the chief! For a moment, the elves and dwarves relax their attack, but then they say: "Erwick!

"Cease useless resistance. You do not know what we have suffered at your service. We're going to have to deal with these loathsome dwarves.

You're more in tune than I thought.

　Returning the joke, the elf cringes.

"Ravely too!　You run off with the elves. You bring shame to the dwarves.

Love has nothing to do with race. I mean, I think everyone realizes that there is a possibility that dwarves and elves can get along. The possibility that dwarves and elves could join hands in peace.

"There is no such thing.

"Really?　Then what is this fort?　I don't care how good the dwarves are at building, they couldn't possibly build something this impressive in a week.

Mmm.

It was only possible because of the cooperation of the elves. They found the good trees and transported them for me. They sent spirits to help us build it.

"............

Yes, this fort is the proof. My elves. You know this. You have noticed that dwarves are a quiet but hardworking people. They are easily misunderstood. Together you must have noticed. Their simple, honest nature.

"............

　Both species are speechless. It is true that the elves and dwarves who have been creating together for the past few months have begun to form a friendship and cousinhood. It is true that by working together, a kind of friendship and cousinhood had begun to grow.



　They respected each other's work. The elf had come to respect the dexterity of the dwarves and the dwarf had come to respect the wisdom of the elves in the use of nature's gifts.

　The two sides had been bickering for hundreds of years and would not easily reconcile, but they could be open to change. Many began to think that way.

　Erwick and Raverly took a gamble on that, but they thought too soon.

　The age was not yet mature enough for subhumans and subhumans to understand each other.

　The dwarf exclaimed.

"I do not care what the princess says.

　Even the elves raise their voice.

"Even though he is the son of the chief, no, that word cannot be overlooked because he is the son of the chief.

　Instead of understanding each other, they ended up being mean to each other.

　Weapons begin to point in each other's direction.

　Raverly and Arwick, thinking that a battle will break out rather than a reconciliation, decided to take out the vial they had in their pockets.

What's in that vial?

　An elf asks, but Erwick speaks honestly.

"This is a poison. Drink it and you will die a sleepy death.
"What, what?

　The dwarf shakes his beard.

This will finally get us alone together, won't it?

"Oh.

　Raverly and Irwick smile at each other.

I guess the only way for us to get together is to go to heaven.

Some religions say that those who commit suicide go to hell.

I don't care if I'm in hell, as long as I'm with you.

"Me too. I love you, Raverly.

That's me too.

　They say that and sip on a vial of salve.

"Wait, wait!　You're a heartbreaker.

"Don't hurry!

　The elf and the dwarf desperately want to stop it, but they can't stop the young man whose fuse of love is lit. They gulped down the liquid in the vial and spat blood and foam from their mouths.

　The dwarf and the elf scream in astonishment at the sight of it.

"Arwick!　How ridiculous!

"Let it out!　It might not be too late!

　The elf and the dwarf jammed their fingers down their throats, but the sparkle never returned to their eyes as they lost focus.

　They died in silence.

　They committed suicide by poisoning themselves, but their fingers remained entangled and untied.

　Some dwarves tried to unravel them, but others stopped them.

...... Don't do it. Let them do what they want.

...... risked their lives to be with them. We have no right to separate them.

　That was the consensus of both races.
　So with their deaths I finally understood.

　That you can't tear apart what you love.

　That they meant business.
　How stupid we were.

　The deaths of Arwick and Raverly finally woke me up.

　Was it too late to wake up?

　Will sees a dwarf in tears and shaking his shoulders.

　He looks up to the heavens and sees an elf in wailing sorrow.

　They are the guardians who have served them since they were young. These are the ones who least expected it to end this way.

　No, they are not the only ones. All present were grieving. They were saddened. Regretted. I wanted with all my heart to turn back the clock.

　But the hands of the clock will not begin to turn backwards.

　For a while the dwarves and elves tried to stand by them, "We were fools," they lamented, and for days they stood by the corpse and then built a communal grave.

　There was talk of taking the bodies home, but most said that they would rot in this temperature. Also, they wanted to be buried together. The two tribes worked together to build a simple grave, and then they were buried as is.

　After saying their final goodbyes, both races returned directly to the forest and cave.

　When I saw that the last of the elves had left with Lunamaria, I said goodbye to Arwick and Ravali and marched north. We resumed our journey to the Temple of the Mother Goddess.

　Now that the checkpoint was abolished with their deaths, there was nothing to stop us. A week's walk north and we'll find the temple.

　--That is if we keep walking.

　We'll go north for a couple of days and then we'll turn around. Then we'll go back to where the checkpoint was and we'll dig up the graves of Arwick and Ravali.

　Before she dug up the grave, Lunamaria prayed to the Mother Goddess and asked for her forgiveness.

Oh, Mother Mother Earth, forgive me for my actions.

　The grave robbery is hard on Lunamaría, a devout believer. I suggest that I'll do it alone, but Lunamaria shakes her head firmly.



No, the Mother of Earth would be upset with you for being a jerk and doing nothing.

　I declared this and sped up the digging. I thought this was useless, and I feared for her peace of mind by ending the unpleasantness quickly.

　I let them dig the grave for a few minutes. I find a wooden coffin. There are two of them. Two of them, of course, belonged to Irwok and Ravely.

　When they opened the coffin, they found a dead body.
　As a matter of fact, they were alive. Or the corpse had vanished without a trace.

　Lunamaría is checking for a heartbeat and a pulse, but they are both dead for real.

　Only, strangely enough, their bodies hadn't decomposed. Even at this time of year, there was no sign of decomposition.

　It was some kind of trick. A person with good instincts would have thought so, but fortunately, it was only me and Luna Maria who "knew the trick all along".

　With a relaxed look on our faces, we take a vial from our pockets and pour it on them.

　They were doused in the green liquid. Then, after a few seconds, the body twitches.

　Immediately, their chests move up and down and their complexion returns to normal. Their complexion changes beautifully from the dark-brown complexion they had just had to a pale, flushed complexion.

　Lunamaria, who has a good ear, should have heard a comforting heartbeat.

　Lunamaria looked at me with deep pleasure.
"Success, Mr. Will.
　And his eyes sparkled.

"I'm not going to fail. It's our lives on the line.

　I winked at him with one eye closed, and the first thing he woke up to was a wide-eyed Erwick, looking puzzled.

This is ......

Your memory is a little cloudy. Well, I've been dead for nearly a week.

"So much?

It may have only been a flash in the pan for Mr. Erwick and his team.

　Lunamaria chuckles.

Yeah, we feel like we just took a poison pill. I can still feel the bitterness in my mouth.

It's a hallucination, or rather a taste. Anyway, it looks like Mandogora's potion worked very well.
"...... suspended animation

　Erwick mumbles and seems to be trawling through the threads of his memory. He closes his eyes for a few seconds and then gasps.

What?　And so it was. We were pretending to be dead in order to enlighten the stubborn elves and dwarves.

"Did you forget that too?

"Could be a side effect of the drug. That's understandable. You were in a state of suspended animation.

　Lunamaría defends.

"I'm all right. Well, you're back. But the question is, are they enlightened?

　About it, Lunamaria explains.

"All the elves and dwarves who were after you were deeply sorry. We cried and cried for days over the dead bodies.

"Really. It hurts my heart to hear that.

"Then will you understand us if we go back now?

That's right. If we go back now, surely they will have another answer for us. But let's not be so hasty.

Yeah. We're free now. Why don't you and I travel together for a while, Irwick?

"But you ......

"I agree with that. If you were to be accepted by both races, would you still live your life in one of the villages?　It may be the only time you and your wife are together.

"I see, that's a good point.

　Satisfied, Erwick squeezes my hand tightly.

"Thank you in any case, Will.

"Never mind. We're going to the Mother God's Temple. Goddess of the Mother of Earth is the god of marriage. God will be pleased with her if she is Cupid of Love.

That's right. Maybe Master Will was born with the favor of the Mother of Earth.

　Lunamaria says happily, "God of swords, God of magic, God of healing, God of all-powerfulness, God of earth's favor.

'God of swords and god of magic, god of healing, god of all, god of earth's favor. I'm going to be so full.

The gods of elves and dwarves will love you. The god of the hunters and the blacksmiths.



"Is it too much?

　When I say that, they laugh and say, "Of course.

　Afterwards, the four of us chat for a while, and then it's time to say goodbye.

　Irwick and Raverly pack their bags and tell them they are going south on the road.

We'll do what Will suggested and go home slowly with a hot spring or something.

　It's a honeymoon. Ravely smiles happily.

　We wish them well on their journey and continue north.

　Now we're headed for the Temple of the Mother Goddess.

　We were both sad to see each other go, but this was not goodbye forever. They walked away from each other, their steps full of hope in the midst of their loneliness. I saw their backs many times and it was beautiful to see the love that grew between them and their different species. Growing up in the mountains, I had no desire to marry, but watching them made me think marriage was a good thing. I glanced at Luna Maria and she seemed to feel the same way.

Love doesn't matter what race you are. Even tribal barriers drive it. Maybe even between organic and inorganic matter.

　Watching them made it seem like such a dream come true.


　Aside.

　Raverly and Irwick return to each other's home after a year.

　It has taken a year for them to return to each other's home, not to enhance the "dead" effect - but to make them feel that they are dead.

　Circumstances have arisen that prevented them from returning to the village.

　It wasn't trouble, it was a celebration. And, lo and behold, Raverly was pregnant. She was pregnant with Erwick's child.

　Raverly was so chubby among the dwarves that even she hadn't known she was pregnant.

　She did not need to pray before the Mother of Earth to conceive.

　Normally, children are hard to come between a dwarf and an elf. It was proof that they had worked hard and that their love was true.

　What would the people of the village think when they saw the "proof"?

　It was unclear, but Irwick and Ravali gave birth in a village on the way and returned to the village when mother and child were stable.

　--The people of the village welcomed them and the fruits of their love with open arms.