IPUAVNP Chapter 152

Epilogue

 

My name is Lily Main.

I am eighteen years old and a wolf living in the Asgar Western Main Plains.

“Haa…”

But despite that, here I was, sighing as I stood in Rubinus Wilderness, located in the central region of the Knohen Continent.

I wasn’t entirely sure if I had the right location since I had stolen this map from my parents, which they had drawn twenty years ago.

But after passing the Kelkov Hills and reaching the thawed-out fields, I was fairly certain that I had arrived in Rubinus Wilderness.

It wasn’t too bad when I was still in the forest, but now that I was in the open field, the biting wind was relentless.

As I trudged forward in a daze, I started imagining that this wind could just carry me southward. After all, I had barely eaten since catching a single squirrel back in Ennea Forest, and I had lost a lot of weight.

To make matters worse, for three days, there had been no snow or ice in the wilderness, meaning I hadn’t had a single drop of water.

Hunger, thirst, and exhaustion from my long journey had drained my spirit. My body wobbled with every step.

How did my parents manage to travel through a place like this?

They had crossed the entire Asgar and Knohen continents with nothing but this very map twenty years ago.

Growing up listening to their adventure stories, I had one dream—to travel across the continents myself.

Especially, I wanted to see the southern lands, where winter doesn’t exist.

My plan was to start here in Rubinus Wilderness, then make my way to the Erbe Plateau, where my dad’s cousins lived, and finally reach Roden Valley, my father’s homeland.

So, when I turned sixteen, I proudly declared to my parents that I would travel to the southern continent.

…Of course, the result was obvious.

I was locked in my room for an entire week. If my twin uncles hadn’t let me out, I probably would’ve been stuck for two weeks.

Back then, I was furious at my parents for stopping me.

The Rebellious Lily Main.

They had only done it because they knew how harsh and grueling traveling could be.

But regrets belonged to my present self, not the foolish girl from back then. I was the kind of person who had to taste something myself to realize whether it was food or dung.

So, when I turned eighteen, I stole my parents’ world map from their room and ran away.

A full-fledged midnight escape.

I managed to evade the scouting captain Kel, the capital’s guards, and even the border soldiers, who were basically the walls of Main Plains.

But now, I understood.

I hadn’t escaped at all.

My parents had simply let me go.

Still, I left my homeland, crossed the sea, and arrived at Knohen Continent.

From there, I traveled eastward along the coast, then headed south, following the same path my parents once took.

At first, it wasn’t too bad. By the sea, I even followed my dad’s advice and caught seals to eat.

And let me tell you—seal meat is delicious.

But the fun ended when I reached the wastelands.That place had nothing but crowberries for food.

I thought things would improve when I reached Ennea Forest, but I was wrong. I only managed to catch a single squirrel there. And once I entered the wilderness, I had been starving ever since.

No food, no water.

For days.

“…Ugh. I can’t walk anymore.”

I collapsed onto the endless, frozen plain.

Regret crashed over me, if I had known it would be this hard, maybe I wouldn’t have come.

But at the same time, I still desperately wanted to push forward and achieve my dream.

However, more than hunger, thirst, or exhaustion, the thing that pained me the most was…

“…Hic…”

…I missed my family.

Mom… Dad…

Unable to hold back, I started crying pathetically.

…Did I fall asleep crying?

When I came to, I felt warmth—something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

“…Hm?”

I blinked. Was I… still dreaming?

There was a campfire in front of me.

And not just that, there was a delicious smell filling the air.

Dazed, I staggered up and then froze. Beyond the fire sat a red fox.

“Oh, hey there, wolf friend. You’re awake?”

“…”

The handsome fox greeted me with a bright smile.

A fox.

A fox who, despite being a beastkin, showed no fear in front of a wolf.

Somehow, I was the one feeling awkward. As I stood there blankly, the fox picked up something roasting over the fire and handed it to me.

“Here, take this.”

The delicious smell I had noticed earlier was coming from this.

A roasted rat.

The moment I saw it, my hunger returned with full force. Without even thinking, I snatched it up and devoured it.

And it was amazing. I never imagined a rat could taste this good.

I almost felt guilty for ignoring them all my life.

Only after finishing my meal did I finally look up at the fox again, feeling more clear-headed.

He grinned and asked,

“So, where are you from?”

“…Asgar.”

It was the first time I had spoken to someone since arriving on the Knohen Continent.

I hesitated, unsure if he would even know about Asgar, but then…

His eyes widened with interest.

“Oh! You’re from the Asgar Continent?”

“…You know about my homeland?”

“Haha, of course! Who doesn’t know about the Asgar Continent? Besides, I even have a connection to someone from there.”

The fox spoke as he tossed some twigs into the campfire, then, looking slightly embarrassed, he added,

“Though… it was when I was just a baby.”

“Oh, really?”

Hearing that he had a connection with someone from my homeland made me feel a little less wary.

I looked at him with curiosity, and the fox nodded.

“Yeah. They were the ones who helped me. I don’t remember their faces, but I still recall the moments when we gazed at the stars together.”

He smiled warmly, as if recalling a cherished memory.

Hearing him speak so fondly of my homeland and its people made me feel a little proud as an Asgarian myself.

Of course, the moment I realized that, my face flushed with embarrassment.

As I cleared my throat awkwardly, another question came from across the fire.

“So, what brings you all the way from Asgar to Knohen Continent?”

“Oh… I’m on a journey. Ever since I was young, I’ve dreamed of traveling across Knohen.”

I found myself saying more than necessary, probably because I hadn’t had anyone to talk to in so long.

The fox listened attentively, then genuinely marveled,

“So, you crossed the sea and came here all alone to make your dream come true? That’s amazing!”

“Haha, it’s not that impressive.”

I waved my paw bashfully.

After all, just a little while ago, I had been crying about missing my parents. I wasn’t exactly someone who deserved praise.

Feeling flustered by his compliments, I decided to change the topic and ask him a question instead.

“What about you? Where are you from?”

“I’m from this wilderness.”

“Oh, I see.”

I nodded and followed up,

“So, do you live here?”

“No. I live in Volcan, the capital. I just stopped by for work, and now that I’m done, I’m heading back.”

“Oh? What kind of work?”

I was curious about what kind of job someone could have in this empty wasteland.

The fox glanced around at the vast plains before replying,

“Purification work. This land is filled with strange magic, so I came here to cleanse it.”

My eyes widened in shock.

Purification work?

That wasn’t something just anyone could do.

“Wait… does that mean you’re a wizard?”

The fox smiled and said,

“Yep.”

“No way!”

I shouted instinctively. But instead of getting offended, the fox just chuckled. Then, he suddenly stretched out his paw into the air.

A moment later…

WHOOSH!

A flame flickered to life above his palm, danced for a second, and then vanished.

“Whoa! You really are a wizard!”

I sprang to my feet in shock. I had heard of wizards and witches before, but I had never seen one in person!

The fox laughed at my reaction, then raised his paw again.

This time, with a soft whooshing sound, rays of light shot out from his hand. They soared high into the night sky and burst like fireworks.

“Wow!!”

I was so amazed that I started jumping around, watching the dazzling light show he created.

We laughed and played like that for a long time. By the time I realized it, my guard was completely down.

It wasn’t until much later that I noticed that we had been playing and talking this whole time without even knowing each other’s names.

“Wolf friend, what’s your name?”

The fox suddenly asked.

I grinned brightly and answered,

“Lily!”

“Lily… Lily, huh?”

The fox repeated my name softly, as if it were something precious.

For some reason, the way he said it made my heart flutter. So I turned the question back to him.

“And what about you, fox friend? What’s your name?”

Mimicking his tone, I made him chuckle.

Then, like a proper gentleman, he smiled gracefully and introduced himself.

“My name is Ronald.”

“Ronald…”

“Just call me Ron.”

His smile deepened as he added that last part.

Ron became the first friend I made after arriving on the Knochen Continent.

I promised myself that when I finally returned home, I would tell my parents all about this night.

I would tell them that if I hadn’t met Ron in the wilderness…

…I might have ended up like my father, collapsing from exhaustion on the White Stone Plains long ago.

But just like Dad survived by meeting Mom, I survived by meeting Ron.

I had walked the same path my parents once took.

Had the same adventures they did.

And I would make sure to tell them all about it when I got home.

— The End.

Who is cutting onion (⁠ ⁠ꈨຶ⁠ ⁠˙̫̮⁠ ⁠ꈨຶ⁠ ⁠).

Dear readers, we are finally here. I am so proud to have picked this novel and met you all. It was a wonderful experience really, I would have never finished it so fast without your support >⁠.⁠<. For those who would still want to see my other translations, I will leave their names in the comment section.

Bye and see you soon ~