Epilogue

“Damn, here you are. Jeez, you have some nerve running away from the party when you are the epic heroine of the Ultimate Battle.”

Nona smiled and looked over her shoulder.

“Sorry, but I promised my parents that I would be in time to blow out the candles, so I had to leave for a bit.” She waited until Thorny sat next to her, on the same hill close to her home where everything started. “How is the party going? Adish and Zander are still with that arm-wrestling drinking game?”

“Nope, to no one’s surprise, the sexy captain is with pointy-ears now. Zander and the mage left it at a tie because Adish was so wasted that he tried to arm-wrestle Waffle instead. I think Isabella is still laughing at that.”

“And what about Vesper? Last time I saw her, she was about to take a walk with Enutrof.”

“Ehhh, yeah, about that, I don’t think we see them for what remains of the night.”

“What?! Why? Don’t tell me they got lost in Monster Land!”

“Gosh, you’re still calling it that way? Anyway, no, they are not lost. Let’s say that your friend druid has definitely changed her worshiped god, at least based on the name she was enthusiastically calling from the forested area.”

Nona laughed as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. “Please, promise me that you won’t be too mean with Vesper.”

“Nah, I’ll be good with the bestiary girl. But Enut? Oh boy. I'm going to throw it in his face for the rest of my life.” Thorny patted Nona’s head. “And now, move your ass, champion leader. You are the guest of honor of the party,

“Wait, before we go, are you sure that you won’t regret it?”

“Oh shit, here we go again…”

“I’m serious, Thorny! I mean, Enutrof himself said that you were welcome to recover your position Up There with the other gods.”

“Yep. So?”

“And he also said that with all the knowledge you gathered about humans during all these centuries, you even had possibilities to end becoming the Main God!”

“Aham, what else?”

“A-And on top of that, you would be hot! I mean, not as hot as Aecor, but pretty hot still!”

“Oh yeah, that felt certainly nice. Especially because pointed-ears was struggling too much not to stare at my pecs, hehehe.”

“So does that mean that you’ll reconsider?”

“Nope.”

“But why?! If it’s because of me, I’m an adult now! And I’ve learned to take care of myself, and even if I’ll obviously miss you, I don’t want you to stay here when you could be happier Up There–”

“Nona,” Thorny approached her, placed both of his small hands on her cheeks, and smiled fondly at her, “I’m right where I want to be.”

A trembling, happy chuckle escaped Nona’s mouth before she nodded.

“Okay. I won’t insist anymore then.”

Thorny smiled, satisfied, and patted Nona’s cheeks playfully.

“Good. So now, let’s get back to the party. And tomorrow, we’ll start planning our trip to the South Continent. I really want to see that Uno Monster with my own eyes.”

“Okay, but before that, I really want a date with Aecor. We have been postponing it too long already.”

“A date, huh. Please, tell me that you are really an adult and that I don’t have to give you a talk about using protection.”

“Ah, don’t worry: now I always carry my shield with me in case I have to–T-Thorny, why are you laughing!”

“Oof, oof, my sides hurt. Oh damn, like hell I’m going to come back Up There. Being with you is infinitely more fun.”

“Thorny, don’t be mean, tell me why you are laughing!”

The imp was still in stitches when they crossed the portal back to Monster Land to join the others.

By then, Nona was smiling happily too.

As selfish as it may be, there were still a lot of places she wanted to visit; a lot of adventures that she still wanted to live.

And she knew for certain that those experiences would also be infinitely more fun with Thorny by her side.