After Story - Happy Ending
After Story - Happy Ending
****
Seven months later.
Rattle, rattle—
Pshhhh~
Under a pastel-toned roof that looked as if it had been lifted from a painting, the sound of a rice cooker in operation and the sound of a pot lid spewing foam and steam echoed.
It was a kitchen that could be called small.
But it was a kitchen with a charming, cozy feel, equipped with everything it needed.
Two pots were bubbling away, and the rice cooker, puffing white steam like a steam locomotive, was making one hungry with just its smell.
“Oh dear. The baby should be sitting and resting.”
“Hehe. No, it’s alright, Mother. I can still move.”
Renia, who was carrying the food placed on the table one by one to the garden outside, grinned and spoke to her mother-in-law, Mi-hwa.
Her belly was now quite prominent, giving her the appearance of an expectant mother.
The goat horns that had been on her head were gone, the swaying tail was gone, and even her heart-shaped pupils had become perfectly round—she was in a completely human form.
Since she could no longer wield mana, Polymorph was out of the question.
Mi-hwa looked at Renia with a pleased expression, then picked up a piece of the beef and almond stir-fry she had specially made for Renia and put it in her mouth.
“Mmm! This is really delicious?!”
Renia’s eyes widened as she chewed.
Just then, Na-yeon entered, pushing aside the kitchen curtain.
She was holding an empty tray in her hands.
“Mother. Is only the eldest daughter-in-law allowed to have a mouth?”
“Ah, hoho. Our second baby, come here too.”
Na-yeon, who readily accepted a bite of the beef and almond stir-fry from Mi-hwa, brightened her previously sulky face.
Then, she started smacking Renia’s arm and making a fuss.
“Mmm…! Wow…! I-I’ve never tasted anything like this before!”
Smack smack smack smack—!
“Ouch! O-oww….”
“Ah, s-sorry. It was just so delicious.”
Renia rubbed her stinging arm, and Na-yeon’s eyebrows drooped into the shape of the 八 as she apologized.
It had come out of habit.
Because Renia hadn’t been in pain back when she was a succubus.
It seemed a little more time was needed to get used to it.
“Hehe, it’s okay. Our Chae-rin will get revenge for me later.”
“Aack! No…! I’m going to be the aunt who’s adored by her niece…!”
Wrap!
Na-yeon, who had hugged Renia from behind, began to plant kisses all over her cheeks, neck, and ears.
It was because she knew well that the one thing Renia couldn’t stand was being tickled.
Smooch smooch smooch smooch smooch smooch smooch!
“S-stop! Please! It tickles!”
“Are you going to tell on me! Smooch smooch smooch! Or not!”
“Aack! O-okay! I won’t! I promise! Really!”
“Okay!”
Only after getting a promise did Na-yeon release Renia.
Renia, who said she would tell on her to Chae-rin; Na-yeon, who showered her with kisses, saying she couldn’t let that happen with her niece; and Mi-hwa, who watched them with a pleased expression.
They were all the picture of a harmonious family, a happy family.
“Now, now, babies. Hurry and carry these. The preparations are almost done.”
““Yes! Mother!””
Renia and Na-yeon quickly carried the delicious food, and Mi-hwa, wearing oven mitts, carried the final dish and headed to the garden outside.
It was boisterous.
With the voices of Tae-jin and Yu-ra.
“Ah! Just test it for me once-!”
“Are you trying to send your Oppa to his grave twice?”
“Why is a man who came back from corruption being such a baby-! It has to be someone like you, Oppa, to test my special machines, you know?”
Yu-ra, who had brought a strange mechanical device and was throwing a tantrum, and Tae-jin, who was steadfastly refusing, saying he didn’t want to go to his grave a second time.
Na-yeon and Renia were watching the two with pleased expressions as they neatly arranged the food on the wooden table.
“Eek! I really didn’t want to say something this cheap, but Oppa, honestly, if you didn’t have the Mana Booster device back then, could you have killed God R'hell? Could you?!”
“……”
At Yu-ra’s trump card, Tae-jin was rendered speechless.
Who could argue with that?
That even a reckless challenge becomes a song of praise once it succeeds.
“Haaah……. Just this once.”
“Yes-!! Try this on your head.”
Yu-ra quickly took out a headset device from her carrier. It was an ordinary-looking headset with six thin wires attached to the earpad area.
It was a device that visualized the wearer’s memories using brainwaves, and it was still a prototype.
Naturally, since it was a device that required strong mental power, Yu-ra had chosen her brother as the test subject.
Tae-jin, holding the memory visualization device with a reluctant expression.
Fortunately.
A relief pitcher to save him was appearing over the hill.
Na-yeon and Renia, who saw the pitcher, shot up from their seats.
“Yo—”
“What the! Kim Hye-seo?!”
“Kya-! You said you couldn’t come, but you’re here?!”
Hye-seo, who smiled awkwardly as if the enthusiastic welcome(?) was uncomfortable, approached the garden.
In her hands were a 24-roll pack of toilet paper and a paper bag.
Hye-seo, who had approached the table, gruffly handed them to Tae-jin and said.
“Heard it was the housewarming party today. It’d be a shame to miss out on a day like this.”
Then, after looking at the food that was densely packed on the table, she bowed her head and greeted Mi-hwa.
“Ah, Mother. Have you been well in the meantime?”
“Hohoho. Still the same, Hye-seo. Thanks for coming.”
“How could I miss Mother’s feast?”
“Hohoho. Come and sit down.”
“Yes.”
Hye-seo promptly took a seat.
Tae-jin, who had finally placed the pack of toilet paper he was holding on the floor, looked inside the paper bag and said.
“But what’s all this?”
“What do you mean? It’s a housewarming gift.”
“Oh~ As expected of Tsundere Noona.”
“Wh-what. I just bought them on the way here.”
For something bought on the way, baby supplies, lighting, couple candles, and other indispensable housewarming gifts poured out of the paper bag.
Hye-seo, who was terrible at such cheesy things, had bought everything from the [Housewarming Gift List] that popped up on the internet.
“Thanks. I’m touched.”
“Whatever. By the way, when’s the due date?”
At Hye-seo’s question, Renia made a V with both hands and said.
“The 22nd of the month after next-!”
“Has it been that long already? Time flies.”
“Hehe, right?”
“Now, now- the food’s getting cold. Everyone, sit down.”
At Mi-hwa’s command, everyone took their seats in an orderly fashion, and Mi-hwa, sitting at the head of the table, looked over Tae-jin, Renia, and Na-yeon.
It was a house for the three of them that Tae-jin had built.
The day Renia returned, Na-yeon had tried to leave the house, saying she had kept her promise, but Renia had held her back.
Saying she wanted to live together if it was okay.
Naturally, Tae-jin had agreed, and since then, Na-yeon had been living in this house, assisting the pregnant first daughter-in-law(?).
“Now— shall we fill our glasses first? Is it okay if this mother gives the first toast?”
“Of course~! Mother.”
“Naturally!”
…Tae-jin, who was supposed to be the host of the housewarming party, didn’t even have a chance to answer.
So he just silently held up his glass filled with beer.
“Hoho. Thank you.”
Mi-hwa stood up, holding her glass.
On the left side of the long rectangular wooden table were Tae-jin, Renia, and Na-yeon.
On the right side were Yu-ra, Hye-seo, and one empty seat.
It was always an empty seat, but it was a seat that always had utensils and a plate set.
As Mi-hwa looked at that seat, all eyes turned to it at once.
Remembering the comrade who could not be with them on a good day.
Hye-seo silently poured alcohol into the glass placed at Ercia’s seat.
With that, all preparations for the toast were finished, and Mi-hwa lightly held her glass forward and began her toast.
“Now- thank you all so much for gathering, and for building this house…….”
However, the toast did not last long.
It was because the flow of mana was felt by the sharp senses of the awakened.
Mi-hwa looked under the shade of the tree, and then Tae-jin, Na-yeon, and Hye-seo also turned their gazes there.
And…
Hwoong—
Under the shade of the tree where there was nothing, a gust of wind blew. It was not a wind that passed in a straight line, but rather, a wind that began to gather at one point.
A moment later.
“……Kyaak!”
With Renia’s scream, everyone was able to realize the identity of that wind.
A halo of light that shone brightly as the wind gathered.
That halo of light poured down from top to bottom, and as the halo disappeared, what appeared from within was none other than a smiling Ercia.
Ercia, with an extra layer of wings, had appeared in a more goddess-like form.
“Fortunately, I wasn’t late.”
Ercia said so as she looked at her empty seat with emotional eyes, and everyone slammed their glasses down and ran to Ercia.
“E-Ercia—!!”
“What… the? Really? Is this for real?”
“Kya— It’s our goddess Unnie—!!”
“Miss Ercia…?!”
A comrade they had missed.
With the reunion with a comrade they thought they would never see again, the housewarming party became a housewarming party like no other.
Of course, with a spoonful of emotional tears.
Tae-jin handed Ercia a full glass, and the saviors, who had reunited on the picturesque hill, began to toast until their drinks overflowed.
“Now—! Everyone, let’s toast—!”
“Let’s get soaked, Brother.”
A wave of drinking that began with Ercia’s cool one-shot.
The finale was decorated by Yu-ra, who had her coming-of-age ceremony quite a bit early.
“Kyaak— It’s so delicious-!”
And so, the reunited saviors had to spend a busy time unpacking their story bags until the night deepened.
No one held any sadness.
No one left any regrets.
No one refused any joy.
Happy, beautiful, and peaceful days were beginning.
The celebratory cannon that announced that beginning belonged to Tae-jin, who had dared to challenge the apprentice god to a drinking contest.
“Urp, bwaaah—!!”
—Happy Ending.
***
T/N: Finally… finally I finished translating this novel. This was the first novel I ever worked on, so I made a lot of rookie mistakes along the way. To be honest, this novel may not be anything special, but it holds a very dear place in my heart.The ending is long overdue. This was supposed to be finished in mid-2025, but a lot of things happened. There were many obstacles, and above all… my own laziness lol.
But now that it's finally done, I feel both happiness and sadness at the same time.
Anyway… this is Chaos, signing off—