The wedding somehow ended. It seemed to have been at least passable. At least, no complaints were heard. Hans sighed and sat in a corner, feeling incredibly tired.

After the wedding, the Elves were dancing with the bride and groom or chatting over food and drinks. Up to that point, there were no problems. The real issue was the clothing.

Or should I say the dresses? The dresses worn by the brides were incredibly revealing. A style that exposed their belly buttons, and a sheer white mesh that barely covered their sides and breasts.

Even the skirt part was so short that their underwear was practically on display. What kind of wedding dress is that? It looked more like a barmaid’s outfit. All seven brides were wearing identical dresses.

Thanks to that, Hans couldn’t find a place to look and ended up staring at the sky. Well, if they were happy among themselves, it shouldn’t matter, right? Plus, it seemed to be some sort of tradition.

Interfering with someone else’s tradition wasn’t a great idea either. So, Hans said nothing and just kept drinking. If they hadn’t come over to him, he probably would have just kept going.

“You were here all along.”

“Why are you drinking alone?”

“Cluna, Clara.”

Cluna and Clara, who had gone to greet acquaintances, returned. He had tried to hide in the corner to avoid interruption, yet they found him so easily.

“Did you meet your acquaintances well?”

“Yeah, they said they were happy.”

“I don’t get it. With war looming…”

“They’ve had to endure a lot until now.”

War, demons, death. Faced with those, he had to step back and endure. But can suppressing one’s heart really solve anything?

Instead, having suppressed his feelings, it finally exploded, and he could no longer hold back. That was exactly what he was witnessing right now. With nothing left to say, Hans quietly took another drink.

Cluna settled right next to Hans. Clara was a bit bolder and decided to sit on Hans’s lap. Drinking, Hans frowned and said:

“It’s annoying. Get off.”

“Do you dislike me?”

“Not really.”

“Then it’s fine!”

Thanks to Clara, who was claiming his lap with miraculous logic, drinking was now quite uncomfortable for Hans. Eventually, he sighed and set his glass down.

Still, it wasn’t a bad feeling. Rather, with warmth radiating from both sides, Hans felt a sense of comfort. Yet he was trembling with anxiety. Is this really okay?

It was a concern that anyone about to marry would feel at least once. Am I really meant to be a father? Can I take responsibility? What if things go wrong?

“…What did you think of them?”

“Them, as in, your mom’s friends?”

“Yeah. Did they say anything about being anxious about marriage?”

“They all said the same thing. It’s scary and uncertain.”

It was only natural. In modern society, far from war in Korea, even people there felt anxious—let alone now, when nothing was certain. They had to fight against powerful demons.

But there was no guarantee that they would return alive. Still, they chose to marry. There was no way they wouldn’t feel anxious about that. Yet, they appeared quite happy.

“But they’ll definitely regret it later. That’s why they made this choice.”

“Regret.”

“The chance to be with someone you truly love. Even if that chance never comes again.”

Hearing Clara’s words, Hans looked back at them. Beyond their happy smiles lay suppressed anxiety and fear. However, they weren’t forcefully swallowing it down.

They sincerely loved this moment. Yes, they were facing each other. Not turning away. How could they stand so strong? Hans felt a pang of jealousy inside.

But he didn’t let it show. However, the Elven mother and daughter beside him noticed that unusual feeling in Hans. Come to think of it, no one knew the Commander’s past, did they?

“By the way, where is your hometown, Commander?”

“Hometown? That was a thing I used to have.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“It no longer exists. There’s nowhere to go back to, no one I loved.”

In a way, it was a natural response. For Hans, who had resolved never to return, he didn’t have a hometown anymore. But Cluna took it differently.

‘The Commander has definitely lost his hometown.’

She had been pondering that for a long time. Why had he never once brought up his story? At first, she thought it was due to a lack of trust. But she realized that wasn’t the case.

The Commander must have a heartbreaking experience of losing his hometown. That’s why he sought to fight with a weapon in hand. No, perhaps the Commander wished to die while fighting in the end.

Helia had caught on to it long ago, and eventually led to that rampage. Cluna finally pieced together the puzzle in her mind, unaware that it was a mere illusion.

“Commander, if you don’t mind, how about a little mood change with a walk by the nearby lake?”

“A lake, huh? That doesn’t sound bad.”

Hans willingly accepted Cluna’s suggestion. He was in a rather gloomy mood, and it was much better than sitting here alone looking miserable while everyone else was happy.

“The lake is just down that side path.”

“Aren’t you coming with me?”

“We have things to prepare. We’ll catch up with you afterwards.”

“Can’t I just wait here…?”

“No.”

Hans had planned to sit and wait here, but Cluna immediately blocked him. What exactly were they preparing? Reluctantly, Hans walked down the side path first.

Walking through the darkening forest path, he gradually felt his heart calm down more than he expected.

*

Following the side path Cluna had mentioned, he indeed saw the lake. A beautiful lake untouched by human hands. It was a mystical lake that sparkled like a blue jewel, no lie.

In awe of the spectacular view, Hans couldn’t help but gasp. It was clear that Elves truly had a love for nature. He had never seen a lake like this before—like a sheet of glass laid out.

It was so beautiful that he was almost afraid to spill mud on it. Just as he was blankly admiring the lake, he heard footsteps behind him. Hans turned his head.

“You’re late. What were you doing…?”

Time passed quickly while he was enjoying the view, but he couldn’t deny that he had waited longer than expected. He was about to give them a piece of his mind when Hans couldn’t say another word.

“Sorry! Commander! I’m a bit late!”

“Uh, how do I look?”

“Well, my mom couldn’t decide what to wear, you know? It’s so pretty!”

“Clara! Enough already!”

“…”

Clara’s silliness seemed to be overshadowed by her incredible beauty. Maybe it was the influence of the lake, shining like a jewel in the darkness. She wore a white corset that hugged her chest, rivaling Yuren’s.

However, unlike ordinary corsets, the belly button area was completely exposed, and the only thing covering her lower half was a sheer fabric over her thighs, aside from her underwear. The exposure was quite excessive.

But the way Cluna harmonized with the blue light in the darkness made her look absolutely like a jewel. Cluna was slightly obscured, but Clara was dressed the same way.

“What’s with that outfit…?”

“I just wanted to feel like it, Commander.”

“Right, honestly, the future is uncertain, after all.”

Clara hit the nail on the head. The Royal Knights were knights fighting at the forefront against demons. Even if they had the upper hand now, one could never know when or where someone might suddenly die.

So this was their way of trying to enjoy the moment. Hans nodded. He wasn’t merely looking on with pleasure; he wasn’t just letting it slide. He cleared his throat and said:

“Ahem! Well, I can understand that.”

“I knew you would allow it, Commander!”

“Then let’s hurry! Night is just around the corner!”

The lake amplified the moonlight coming down from the sky like a lamp. Thanks to that, Hans felt like he was walking on the moon. He loved the dreamlike atmosphere.

After walking for a while, Hans found a suitable spot and sat down. Cluna gently held Hans’s head and laid it on her lap. Hans smiled and said.

“I’m enjoying this thanks to you.”

“Let’s rest for a bit before we go.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

The effects of the alcohol began to rise. Had he drunk too much? Cluna’s face was so close, he couldn’t tell if it was Clara or Cluna. At that moment, their lips met, and he instinctively held his breath.

The sensation of their soft tongues and lips intertwining told him it wasn’t a dream, but he didn’t bother to reject it. Instead, he embraced Cluna from behind.

Eventually, his hands began to explore Cluna’s genitals.

And…

Morning came.