"I don't know if I can become something as grand as a replacement family... but I want to do whatever I can for her."
Perhaps everyone shared that same feeling. When he proposed actively pushing for events and festivities in Chaldea, almost everyone had agreed without hesitation... Surely, everyone felt the exact same way.
Even if they weren't connected by blood, even if their races were different. Hoping for them to feel the warmth and togetherness of a family, and acting on that hope... he would believe that it would never end in vain.
He mustn't think of this as atonement for burdening her with the heavy weight of saving the world. But still... no, getting overly analytical wasn't good.
"...You kids are allowed to be happy."
If you saved the world, you have the right to be happy in it. He couldn't let—mustn't let—their precious, youthful time be spent on fighting.
That was precisely why they had adults around. Though they kept piling on responsibilities and heavy burdens inherited from the past, there were still things they could genuinely do for them.
It might be a stretch to call this a part of that... but if, in one way or another, it became a small, sweet enjoyment in their lives, he would be happy.
"It's okay to have fun. That is the very privilege of your lives... the meaning of praising life itself..."
As those words left his mouth, her voice—the one that had spoken to Goetia—flashed through his mind.
—Cross through death and severance, cradling love and hope. A journey that sings the praises of precious life.—
"—Because your journey has only just begun."
Isn't that right? Getting to be seen off by a princess—what a lucky break you got.
Roman chuckled. His former familiars were all gone now. Every single one, without exception.
That meaning... was nothing less than the fact that they had found something to which they could entrust all their hope.
Since they had found their answer, he couldn't afford to lose, either.
He had to do everything he could, to the absolute best of his ability. This time, he was going to use his life the way he wanted to use it.
Praying for their happiness—that, too, was a form of the freedom he wished for.
"To do that, first comes Halloween! I have to pull all kinds of strings so everyone can enjoy themselves!"
Roman moved his hands with newfound vigor—though calling it 'skillful' might still be a stretch.
"What would look good on the Director? Rikka-kun is cool, so a vampire would suit her... Hm? What would suit Gil? Mash is... hmmm, that's surprisingly tough...? Ah, Sheba-nyan gets a wolf cosplay! She already has animal ears!"
The former King, who desired a single person's freedom above all else, now laughed freely, enjoying the tranquil everyday life.
"I wonder what the Princess will wear...? The King of Heroes has zero fashion sense, though... I just hope she doesn't end up in a weird outfit..."
His heart fluttered with excitement over such ordinary, modest joys, praising the everyday, laughing for the sake of someone else's happiness.
This was the very concept of taking action to make tomorrow better, to make the future brighter.
...In short, it was Rome, and it was Roman.
And to Roman, who was enjoying such freedom—
"Ho-ho, now this is a delightful event, isn't it, Archaman? A handmade costume—how remarkably thorough!"
Merlin appeared, teasing him.
"Naturally, my attire shall be something opulent and magnificent in gold, yes?"
The King of Heroes chimed in merrily, already beginning to apply gold leaf to Roman's costume.
"Wait—!? The prime ringleaders who love tearing my modest freedom to shreds have arrived! Give me a break, I'm in the middle of side-work here!"
"Seeing you enjoying life so thoroughly is magnificent! Say, if it's costume-making, I believe I could lend a hand as well?"
"As if I could trust your sense of style! I know it's just going to end up being something overly revealing and suggestive!"
"How cruel, Archaman! Even though you're completely right!"
"Is it already that season? Ea, do you have any requests? I shall pick out a outfit or two for you, as many as you wish."
—T-This is...! The lightning-fast implementation of Masked Pumpkin Lamasse, racing through the moonlit night...! A phantom thief of lions and pumpkins... a chivalrous thief who elegantly hands out treats to everyone: Masked Lamasse...! Halloween, a Halloween debut...!
(Ea gets so hyped up for Masked Lamasse... Dangerous Beast doesn't fit Ea's concept at all. Outfits driven by lust and suggestion... let's leave those to Mash. She's got a surprisingly lewd body, after all. I'll have to feed her some dango!)
"Naturally, I shall don the cosplay of humanity's oldest lord, yes? I expect a sharp contrast of gold and black."
—A fluttering cape, gold racing through the night—man or lion! Masked Lamasse! Lamasse... Lamasse!
"Alright, alright. I'll have a custom one made for you. Make sure you wear it well, understood?"
—Thank you very Lamasse! Ah, I'm so looking forward to it! Fou, you too! Please join as Masked Lamasse's reliable partner!
(Leave it to me. A lady phantom thief always needs a sidekick, after all!)
"Ah, by the way... what about Rikka-kun's costume...?"
" " "..." " "
—W-Why did everyone go quiet all of a sudden!?
(Ea, do you have an image of a disguise for her?)
—Times like this call for a princess cosplay! A chance for Rikka-chan to become everyone's dream come true!
(Calling it Ea's outfit... you're quite confident, aren't you...)
—N-O-O-O! That's not what I meant at all~!
Flustered and panicking, she scooped up Fou and rubbed him frantically. Fou seemed to be having a great time teasing Ea.
"There is no need to push her. ...Siegfried's armor shall suffice."
—Ugh, Rikka-chan would look so cute in a pretty dress, too...
And so went another page of their ordinary days. A page that would continue to be woven, unchanging, into the future...
Nothing lasts forever, and in the end, suffering awaits.
Yet that is by no means despair.
Those who face death and severance with their limited lives.
Those who, knowing the end, repeat partings and encounters. ...A fleeting journey like the sparkling of brilliant stars.
This is what we call a story of love and hope.
And a journey that crosses through death and severance, cradling love and hope, singing the praises of precious life. That... is the answer to this journey.
Congratulations. This modest yet irreplaceable moment is the reward granted for ten years of freedom.
May this moment, this ordinary everyday, continue endlessly into the distance.
...For that future, which everyone wished for but could never reach, has only just begun—
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