403 – Afterword: Completion
‘It is finally complete.’
I looked at the marble statue in the distance and sighed inwardly.
There was only one statue in the Holy Kingdom of Raffaella that could be at similar eye level to the window of the spire of the Cathedral of the Sun, the tallest building in the Holy Kingdom.
A statue of me, a living saint. What Raphaella Seongguk started to create with all her might is now nearing completion.
It is no exaggeration to say that it was the biggest celebration since my wedding, so everyone in the Holy Kingdom gathered in the central square of the Papal Territory. Not only the central square but every small alley was filled with people.
And the ‘Sun and Moon’ generously performed miracles for the people gathered in the central square so that everyone could see this final moment.
As the miracle unfolded, my evaluation soared to the point where I wondered if there was any room for further improvement. Because the object of my faith is performing all kinds of miracles for me.
ㅡaaa…….
Hymns that don’t even have lyrics anymore and are composed only of nuns’ harmonies, saying that I can’t dare express myself in human language, are everywhere.
Making that song resonate throughout the Holy Kingdom of Raphaela was also one of the miracles bestowed by the sun and moon. Many subjects of the Holy Kingdom listened to the hymn and prayed toward the statue.
So serious was it that the border between the Aeternum Empire and the Holy Kingdom of Rafaella was blocked by a curtain of light. This was because outsiders were not allowed on this pious and sacred day.
Of course, my wife and daughters are an exception.
“How do you feel, you? Are you saying your emotions are endless? Or that you were so moved that you were speechless?”
Floretta and Luna were climbing the stairs made of sun and moon light to carve out the final spot on the top of the marble statue’s head.
Eclipse spoke to me while I was looking at the back.
“Well, I don’t know. I do not know. “First of all, I understand that the word ‘overwhelming’ doesn’t suit my current mood at all.”
I was still using honorifics at Eclipse’s own request. Because Eclipse had similar tendencies to Caecilian and Minerva.
This is the tendency to ask people to only use informal language in bed.
Honestly, I wasn’t that surprised. In fact, it would have been much more surprising to hear someone say that they do not have that tendency. This is a woman who without any hesitation calls herself a sow.
“Is that so?”
Eclipse chuckled. With just that simple movement, the veil covering his chest and private parts flew dangerously. I didn’t forget to do my duty, but I was wearing clothes that made it very difficult to do so.
Since it was a day to celebrate, she said she dressed with special care, but this was largely due to the fact that the covering was much shorter and thinner than usual.
‘It’s a good thing that Freesia doesn’t take after her mother when it comes to her clothes.’
My desperate education worked. I felt proud and turned my head again.
Every time Floretta and Luna climbed a flight of stairs, they knelt down and prayed for a long time with their hands clasped together. Thanks to that, it took a while just to get to the top.
You have to walk up to the top of the 120m tall statue, and this involves reciting a prayer every time you climb the stairs. Of course, the speed had to be slower than expected.
But that too was about to come to an end. Floretta and Luna, who arrived at the last compartment, finished their final prayers, stood up, and grabbed the hammer and chisel with the blessing on them.
The two exchanged glances with each other, smiled at me who was sitting at a similar height, said a final prayer, then took a hammer and chisel and chipped away the last remaining part.
At the same time, the sun and moon in the sky were aligned exactly with the top of the relic statues placed on both sides of the statue. The world was divided into day and night.
Moonlight fell on the heads of those who believed in the moon, and sunrays fell on the heads of those who believed in the sun.
It was the moment when the 163-year long reign of the Holy Kingdom of Raphaela finally came to an end. A hymn rang out from the sky on behalf of the nuns who chose to bow their heads instead of singing.
Everyone in the Holy Kingdom, except for the people next to me, bowed their heads in unison while listening to the hymn. I quietly looked down from the top of the spire at a scene as if a sanctuary had descended on the entire Holy Kingdom of Raphaela.
“Do you still feel normal, do you?”
A small smile appeared on Eclipse’s face as she asked such a question.
“What…… “It’s not bad.”
It was an ordinary sentiment considering that the entire castle country participated from generation to generation, a huge amount of money was invested, and there was not a single mistake in the process.
This was enough.
Seongguk declared this year as the ‘Year of Festival’. It was declared that the festival would be held not for a few days, weeks, or even a month, but for an entire year.
It was deserved.
The schedule was slightly adjusted from the beginning so that the statue was completed according to the time when the sun changed. I guess that’s when you started making plans for the festival.
I announced the opening of the festival and also gave some good wishes. Tell me a little bit about the statue.
There was a ‘small’ uproar where people who heard the good words were so moved that they foamed at the mouth and died as a group, but I saved everyone, so in the end, 0 people died.
Well, as long as the conclusion is good, that’s fine.
“Let’s go from there!”
“Oh, this is shameful! “I come first!”
“Hey…… ! Go slowly…… !”
And the fact that the festival was held also meant that the best playground would be provided to the daughters who were still young. From afar, voices were heard running noisily back and forth between day and night.
Of course, most of us have grown too much to just run around like that informally. There was only one thing for the daughters who had grown so much to do.
“What are you doing in a place like this, father?”
“Why doesn’t dad go down and play with us?”
As I was happily observing the wives playing with their young daughters on the hill, Eileen and Segretus suddenly appeared. My skill at hiding my presence has improved considerably.
“Did you win, my daughters?”
“Isn’t it obvious? “I have brought everything down overwhelmingly.”
“Otherwise, it would be impossible to be by Dad’s side on a day like this.”
Eileen and Segretus’ expressions were filled with pride, and their steps became even more majestic.
This was something I had expected a long time ago. Unless there is something planned, there is no way my side will be empty. It was always crowded, trying to occupy a little more space.
I also saw all the daughters gathering in one place with extremely serious expressions, except for a few who were playing innocently and purely down there.
When I explained what I had seen, the wives said it was okay since there was still a year left until the festival ended and gave up the order. That was also one of the reasons why the side next to me was empty.
“If you are alone in a place like this, you will look miserable.”
“I want to feel safe. “We will stay by your side.”
Eileen and Segretus, who had come right next to us, smiled.
“Really? Then I guess I should say thank you. “Thank you, my princesses, for not making us look awkward.”
I responded with the same smile. Then they both hesitated, their faces instantly getting hot, and they both cleared their throats and clung to me.
Arms and arms were secretly intertwined.
“Ah, looks like it’s about to start.”
The daughters who were running around happily below stopped as if they were nailed in place. The wives were saying something, putting their hands on his shoulders and pointing to the sky with their other fingers.
Soon, the first fireworks, soaked in moonlight and sunlight, rose high into the sky, exploding exactly at the boundary between day and night, emblazoning the sky with golden and silver light.
Soon, numerous firecrackers began to explode as if competing with each other. Thousands of flames burned the body, shining brilliantly like stars, and then slowly or quickly dying out.
Fireworks.
It was one of the things Eclipse and I brought back from Earth.
-Would you like to do it now?
ㅡI have to do it. When will an opportunity like this come again? According to the order I remember, a fairly large firework will explode in about 13 seconds.
ㅡThis is a story about aiming for that moment. I fully understand.
Eileen and Segretus were talking on both sides. It was unclear whether they were communicating using Mana to hide it, or whether they were communicating using Mana so that they could hear it openly.
Just as they whispered to each other, they took advantage of the moment when a flame so huge that it could not even be compared to anything before rose vertically, and pressed their lips to my ear.
“I love you, my father.”
“I love you, my dad.”
At the same time, boom! Not this, kkwaang! A loud noise that could be described as “Shocked the heavens and earth.” Fireworks divided exactly into halves of gold and gold colored the sky.
Of course, that didn’t mean I couldn’t hear my daughters’ confessions. I put my hands around Eileen and Segretus’ waists, held them in my arms, and whispered to them together.
“Yes. “I love you too.”
Jet black eyes that looked exactly like mine widened slightly.
“As your father.”
“Ugh.”
“Eck.”
And then it became smaller again.
How dare you try to jump on the bandwagon.