Chapter 43

Several days passed. Now that I'm no longer tied to Elerina, I could hang around and do stuff much easier on Earth. Frederick tried to grill me for details on why I changed back to my previous self, but honestly, he wouldn't believe me if I told him the truth.

While not being tied to Elerina does have its benefits, it can be really lonely, especially since now that we weren't connected, the middle dimension no longer exists. We could no longer use video calls. Turning to the left and not seeing her there feels off, hence why whenever I could, I would spend my time next to her instead.

And eventually, we reached the carriage.

“Phew, home sweet home!” Angen said with delight, riding her hoverboard straight toward it.

“Pretty sure that's not our home, Angen.” Memorus caught up to her. Elerina and I exchanged glances, then increased our speed to catch up with her. We put Duke Willeherima at the rear of the carriage, before finally heading south, back to the elven kingdom.

•••

“Grass! We're finally here! We're finally back!” Angen shouted in excitement, her eyes sparkling as she gazed upon the open fields in front of us. Green trees, green grass, green mountains, green everywhere. It was a fresh sight compared to the dull brown and black that painted the northern landscape.

Honestly, it's kinda funny seeing how excited she is, considering the implications of touching grass in my world. Then again, after being away for so long, I understand her excitement.

“We're finally back, huh?” Memorus murmured, looking nostalgic at the sight before us.

“I never expected myself to go beyond this place… I'm happy to be back,” Elerina said, breathing in the fresh air.

Not long after we crossed, we were greeted by a group of monsters. They weren't a problem, and Elerina decided that she could use some magic training. Despite years being under that curse, her powers weren’t to be underestimated. A few blasts were enough to take out entire groups. It was smooth sailing from there.

“This really digs home the fact that we're successful,” Elarina said.

“Are all monsters this weak?” I asked.

Elerina shook her head. “Supposedly, no.”

“We did face stronger ones when the war first started… maybe they're all gone at this point? I did hear that the advance slowed down after the first few weeks. Maybe it's because of that, or because we adventurers become active at that time. We first joined around that time, right?” Angen tapped on her chin, trying to recall something, then turned to Memorus.

“Pretty sure yeah.”

“How about you, Ellen?”

A small smile appeared on her face. She probably recalled the true meaning of that nickname. “I joined in just a few days after the war began.”

“You're a veteran aren't you, Ellen?”

This time, Elerina didn't glare at me. She smiled sheepishly and lightly elbowed my side. “Yep, you can call me that. A veteran, I mean.”

“We’re all veterans now huh… I wonder if we’re all needed…” Angen murmured. Now that the monsters were no longer as powerful, our services would no longer be needed. The average adventurer could now take on more quests, and the alliance troops could fight on their own. The need for S-Rank adventurers would certainly drop. It’s a perfectly valid concern to have.

“You’re worried?” Memorus asked. Angen shrugged her shoulders.

“A bit. We could still get some cleanup quests, although I doubt we’ll get as much money as before.”

Elerina glanced my way. Since she would be moving to Earth after this, whatever happened is no longer her concern. At least, that’s the case if she didn’t change her mind. A lot had happened. I wouldn’t be surprised if she wanted to stay.

“What’s your plan after this, Ellen?” Angen asked.

“I’ll need to talk about it with Nicholas. How about you?”

“We’ll stay together, right?” Angen looked toward Memorus. Memorus, though, reacted with a shrug.

“I’ll return to my farm.”

“You became an S-Rank adventurer then went back to your farm? Isn’t that a waste?”

“What do you mean a waste? Who says I ever planned to continue adventuring?”

“I guess not… Oh well, guess I’ll be a merchant or something.” Angen sighed. I could tell she’s a bit sad that we wouldn’t be adventuring together anymore. The trip the four of us spent together out in the desert felt like ages. It felt as if we would always be together.

“You know, you can try working out on my farm, if you like,” Memorus said rather awkwardly.

“I’m not cut out for farm work… but, I guess I could give it a go, if I’m in the mood for it.”

“I need sincerity.”

“I am sincere.”

While Angen and Memorus discussed their future plans together, Elerina came closer to me.

“About coming to your world… I… I’m not so sure anymore.”

“It’s alright, I understand.” It’s not like I need to choose anyway. I could just go back and forth anytime I like.

“I would still love to visit, though.”

“Yeah. To tell you the truth, I would love to try living here.”

This world is so different from the hustle and bustle of Earth. Thanks to the amount of money we made through Elerina’s gold cups, I wouldn’t need to work a lot, either. I could probably take some freelance work then invest the extras while spending my time here.

“About those golden cups…”

“I’m still willing to sell them.”

“Are you sure?”

“Regaining my memories didn’t really change anything on that front. They’re just cups.”

I wouldn’t call such expensive things ‘just cups’, but if she says it’s alright, then I guess I’ll just agree.

When we eventually reached town, we created quite a ruckus. We presented the demon stone in front of the leaders of the alliance, as proof that we were the ones that took down the ‘demon king’. We were hailed as heroes. The alliance offered us generous rewards, and I do mean really generous. We were given a ton of money. All of our worries in regards to our living from that point onward had been paid. We would no longer need to work, if we’re careful on how we spend it.

Elerina tried denying it, because she knew about the true cause, but Angen jumped on the chance, forcing her to end up accepting it. Contrary to what we thought, that wasn’t the last of our adventures together. As the party that defeated the demon king, we were asked to help with the clean-up. Thus, we hunted monsters together, making even more money in the process.

It didn’t take long for the alliance to reclaim the fallen territories. Within less than a month, we reached the northernmost town. Everyone could finally focus back on the rebuilding process.

At long last, peace had finally returned to the world.