"Enough about us. What about you, Jack?" Broidrireg asked. "Considering you are here instead of out there with your army, have your army finished raiding World Maker's headquarters?"
"About that, I think you will be surprised hearing this," Jack said. "My army was stopped by the devils."
"The devils?!" Syndrillis asked. "By devils, do you an the devils from the underworld?"
Jack nodded. Jack reiterated to them the reports he received from John and Jeanny about what happened when their army was on the way to World Throne.
"This is truly bad…," Quetzalcoatl remarked.
"Bad is an understatent," Jygorth added. "This a catastrophe on a level never happened before since the ancient war, and we don't have as many true dragons as during the ancient war. The odds don't look good for this war."
"That might be true, but you don't have outworlders during the ancient war," Jack said. "This is the reason we are here in this world, to deal with this catastrophe."
Jack wasn't wrong. The underworld forces were ant as the players' final challenge in the original main quest. Things just didn't proceed the way the original story was ant to be since the main quest had been deleted.
Broidrireg let out a long sigh. "Here I thought the war was over after that battle in Liguritudum and we can return to enjoying peace again. It seems our struggle is not over yet. It's a good thing I've made an arrangent."
"What do you an?" Jack asked.
"I've talked with Eoranth," Broidrieg answered. "He is willing to be your country guardian after I am gone. He is a great dragon. I always believe he will be a dragon greater than . He already is, and he will beco greater still. He still has much potential to go. He will be a better country guardian than I ever…"
"I don't want a different country guardian…!"
Jack's exclamation drew everyone's attention.
"I… I'm sorry… I think I should leave…," Jack said. He stood up and walked to the exit. Broidrireg and the others just stared at him.
After Jack was out of sight, Syndrillis said, "He is more sensitive than I thought."
"Yeah, it seems like he only tried to look cheerful when he ca," Eoranth added.
Broidrireg let out another long sigh.
*
Later that night, Jack was on the balcony at the palace. He was gazing silently at the city ahead. Grace was with him earlier. They chatted, but she could see that Jack was mostly distracted. She knew Jack would like to be alone so she left.
Jack closed his eyes as he enjoyed the night breeze. Everything felt so peaceful. He knew this peace wouldn't last. A world-ending nace was on its way here. His nesis got the ans to beco a God and could very well beco a worse nace. Everything was a ss. He knew this was not the ti to laze around but he just needed these few monts of peace.
He heard a familiar voice then.
"Care to join for supper?"
Jack turned around and saw Darmos there. In his hand was a bundle of lines tied to large fishes.
"I caught these from the lake next to Heavenly Citadel. If you want, you will have to do the cooking, though," Darmos said.
Jack grinned. "Let's do it," he said and took out his cooking tools.
"Here," Darmos handed the bundle of fishes to Jack.
Jack grabbed the bundle after putting his cooking tools down. As soon as the bundle of lines changed hands, the fish ca to life. They wiggled and tried to bite Jack with their sharp teeth.
"Whoa…!" Jack jumped away and let the fish go. They fell to the floor and floundered.
"Hahahaha!" Darmos laughed hysterically while holding his stomach.
"The heck… I forgot how much you love pranks," Jack said.
"Haha… Hehehe…," Darmos was wiping the tears in his eyes for laughing so hard.
Jack went and picked up one of the lines that tied the floundering fish. "What the hell kind of fish is this?" He asked.
"This is Eras Fish," Peniel explained. "They can breathe outside water."
"That's why they are still alive," Jack said.
"Yeah, my draconic aura kept them still when they were in my hand," Darmos said. He finally stopped laughing. "Being alive also makes them fresh. Fresh fish make for a more delicious dish, don't they?"
"Considering you brought the ingredient, I'll let this prank slide, mighty one," Jack said. "All right, let's cook our al!"
"You sure you don't want to invite Ellie here? Her cooking is better than ," Jack asked while cooking.
"Nah," Darmos replied. "I have eaten her cooking almost every day nowadays. It has been so ti since I ate yours. I want to rember how bad it tastes."
"Oh, yeah. If it's so bad, don't ask for extra, okay," Jack said and handed Darmos the first plate he cooked. "Here."
When Darmos grabbed the plate, rapid explosive bangs were heard. At the sa ti, the bottom of the plate lighted up. The sound and the light startled Darmos so much he dropped the plate.
Jack was laughing his ass off as it happened.
"Hm…?" Darmos had a good look at the fallen plate after the commotion ended. There was what looked like the remnant of a firecracker stuck to the bottom of the plate.
"Where the hell did you get this firecracker?" Darmos asked.
"He bought it earlier today," Peniel told Darmos.
"I thought you forgot I love pranks?" Darmos asked.
"Hahaha, I just said it to bring your guards down," Jack said as he wiped the tears that ca out from his eyes due to the laughing. However, he found his tears didn't stop coming out no matter how many tis he wiped them. Even after he stopped laughing.
"Jack…," Darmos said.
"I'm sorry... I don't want to be like this. I just can't help myself…," Jack said. Peniel flew to his shoulder and pat his cheek to console him.
Darmos ca and sat by Jack. He put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "There is no need for you to pretend to be cheery. Just cry if you want to. Most of the ti, the hardest goodbye is the one you know will happen but can do nothing about it. That sense of helplessness is overbearing. Trust , I know. I've had enough share of those tragedies. Now, it is my ti, but please know that I am at peace."
"If I knew this would happen, I wouldn't have asked you to be my country guardian," Jack said. He no longer wiped his tears, but they continued to roll down his cheek.
Darmos shook his head. He said, "Let tell you, my outworlder friend. If I can turn back ti to when you asked to be your country guardian. Even if I know what will happen to , I will still choose to be your country guardian. In fact, I will not give you that bullshit demand about finding brimstone fruit. I will just accept your offer imdiately. Supporting you have given my old bones a aning to life again. You give the feeling of having a family. Sothing that I have lost for quite so ti. I don't regret our ti together."
"… Thank you," Jack said. He looked up at the clear night sky filled with stars. "I'm going to miss our talk."
" too…," Darmos said as he gazed at the sa sky.
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