Chapter 47 “Epilogue”

I still remember the day when Endou-sama and Kobayashi-sama bestowed us their last favor as if it was just yesterday. That happened in the middle of the Thanksgiving Festival which was held at the Royal Palace.

Liselotte, Finne, Baldur, Arthur, and everyone else were laughing and smiling at the fact that they were able to celebrate this joyous day together. Then, in the midst of this peaceful atmosphere, I suddenly heard Coebayashay-sama’s voice.

“Ah…. I can see them again….”

I unconsciously stopped moving the moment the goddess’ somewhat flabbergasted voice was heard for the first time in these past few days.

“You see, Lilena, who was the last boss has returned back being the goddess and the hidden boss, Kuon, has finally been sealed…. That means, our role as play-by-play and colour commentator are now over. I don’t know whether it’s because of that, or because Kuon has returned, or because this is the epilogue scene of the game, but we might not be able to see you for a while, and maybe-, no, most likely, this is the last time we’ll be able to deliver our voices through the game.”

As soon as I heard what Coebayashay-sama had said, I felt far more sadness at the prospect of parting with the two of them than the joy of successfully maintaining peace of this kingdom.

“But I’m glad that we could at least say our farewell. I’m glad that we’re able to see everyone happy. I’m glad that none of them died. I’m glad that Liselotte and everyone else were rewarded for their effort. I hope that everyone can still get along even if we’re gone.”

I gave a small nod to Endow-sama’s moving words.
The people around looked at me strangely with a complicated expression as I suddenly stopped speaking in the middle of our conversation.

“Don’t forget this very precious and rare “the best of the best happy ending” even if everything’s going back to normal again, you hear me!? I’ll get angry if you make Rize-tan cry!”

Coebayashay-sama’s jokingly voice seems as if she was in tears. I’m not sure if it was because of seeing the tears on my cheeks that I could no longer hold back or perhaps she was also unwilling to separate from us.
However, I couldn’t take it anymore, so I decided to interrupt Gods’ words.

“We are, truly indebted, to you. The two of you who have saved this world, this kingdom, Liselotte, me, everything, I will worship you as my main gods for the rest of my life.
Play-by-Play Commentator Endow-sama and Colour Commentator Coebayashay-sama. Let me pledge my unchanging loyalty to you both.”

I declared in a loud voice, got down on one knee, and lowered my head.
All eyes were on me for my sudden eccentric behavior, but it didn’t matter.

“Even though…. the first thing I said.., was that you.., don’t have to respond.., to our voices at all…geez….”

Coebayashay-sama said so in a troubled tone, and then fell silent.

“Sorry, but Kobayashi-san is currently in no condition to talk… Aah, geez, don’t cry like that….”

A while after Endow-sama replied, the only sounds I heard were the two of them discussing something in a low voice, and someone sobbing convulsively.
That was all I heard.
I felt like my surroundings had gotten noisy, but I still focused my attention on them.

“Ah, Sieg, I don’t mean to say this at the last minute, but….
Sieg, you’re pronouncing our names slightly wrong. If I have to say, Lilena is the one who almost correctly pronounced it….”

Blood drained from my face when Endow-sama awkwardly said so.

“I-I’m very sorry about that!!”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to apologize. Though, you see, we’re not gods anymore, right? And it’s a bit awkward to add ‘-sama’ to our names as well… Rather, Shihono-…Kobayashi-san also said something similar, so we thought that it would be nice if you can remember and call us properly as “Play-by-Play Commentator Endou-kun and Colour Commentator Kobayashi-san” by the end of the day, you see….”

While pardoning my preposterously rude remark, the generous Endow-sama suggested a bewildering proposal.

“However….”

It was hard for me to accept it, no matter if it was the gods themselves who suggested it.
When I looked around for help, I saw my father shaking his head as hard as he could with a pale face at a distance, and Finne nodding easily nearby.
Even those who could hear the gods’ voice were divided in their opinions.
I’m sure my father would be saying, “Discourteous! Do your best to constraint yourself!” and Finne would say, “It doesn’t matter, does it?”.

“We thought it would be safer if we act like gods until we finished our role, but it’s finally over! In the first place, we’re of the same generation! In fact, Sieg is actually a year older than us!…. most importantly, we already considered Sieg as a friend since a long time ago. So, it would be nice if you can stop with the ‘-sama’ and being so polite to us, or something like that….”

If you say it that much….

“I underst-…., Alright…”

I gave a stiff reply and was greeted by Endow-sama’s happy voice.

“Yes, like that. Alright, let’s move on to the pronunciation!”

After a couple of trials and errors, I succeeded in learning the correct pronunciation of both of their names.

“Yup, all good! Well, we don’t have anything more to say, so I guess this is really goodbye.”

“Really, thank you so much, Endou-kun, Kobayashi-san….goodbye.”

I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand, and called my friends’ name that I had just learned along with parting words with a smile on my face.

“G-Goo-GOODBYEEEE…!!”

Kobayashi-sama’s nasal voice echoed in between her loud shouting.
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing, and Endou-sama also laughed at the same time.
Our hearts were certainly connected both over here and there.
Soon after, the sound of Kobayashi-sama’s sobbing echoed several times, and the two voices that I had been listening to since the spring have completely disappeared.

――――

Five months have passed since then.
Today is the day of my and Liselotte’s wedding.
After their voices disappeared, there were a few times when I was perplexed by how difficult it was for me to understand Liselotte’s “tsun”.
But in that time, I always wondered what the two commentators would say. I also let Liselotte pause for a moment and slowly found out how she really felt.
Thus, the days we spent without the gods’ voice seemed to deepen our love for each other.

“Liselotte, I’m coming in?”

With slight nervousness, I stepped into the waiting room where Liselotte had finally finished dressing up.
What greeted me was a large number of people who had helped the bride to get ready.
However, I was petrified and forgot to breathe as soon as I saw the radiant and beautiful Liselotte who’s currently in the center of them, looking embarrassed after receiving everyone’s words of praises.

“……a Goddess?”
“Yes, it’s me!”

I let my thoughts on Liselotte’s appearance slip in public, but it seems that an unrelated outsider (Lilena) happens to be present as well.

“Not you. It was meant for Liese who is looking beautiful like a goddess…, no, Liese is even much more beautiful than the likes of Lilena…. Not good. I don’t know who else to compare her beauty to……!”

After I shouted my vexed feeling, Liese quickly averted her gaze.
However, I didn’t miss the slightest hint of a smile on her face.

“Your Highness, no matter how you put it, you’re being rude towards Lilena-sama.
Well of course, I’d be glad if you say that I’m the most beautiful woman here today, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to speak ill of her as such.”

Her voice sounded angry and her gaze was averted from me. If it was the normal occurrence, she would quickly say so, but the unnatural movement of her mouth was certainly showing her pleasure.

“Liselotte-sama is so kind…! On the contrary, Sieg-san! I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but you don’t respect me at all, do you!?”
“My main gods are Endou-kun and Kobayashi-san. I do not worship anyone except my two friends.”

After clearly declaring so, Lilena, who was drawing closer to me, stomped her feet to the ground.

“Even though, I’m the creator god……! Even though if I’m not here, Liselotte-sama and Siegward-san won’t even exist in the first plaaace!”
“It’s pathetic that the only thing you can boast is your past achievements. By chance, isn’t that what we called as a grandma?”

Lilena collapsed and fell on her knees from my remarks and scornful laugh.

“He even dissed me with a slang word that are not fitted for a prince…! D-Damn it…!”

I have been thinking that it would be more appropriate for her to have a sculpture of her that’s at least not a standing one in the temple.
As I watched her on all fours while banging on the floor in frustration, she suddenly let out an ominous laugh.

“……Fufufu, but for today, even Siegward-san will unexpectedly be grateful to me! Perhaps, you might even worship me from now on!”

Standing up slowly while saying a few words in a haughty tone, Lilena deployed some sort of magic.

“Well then, look and be amazed! This is Lilena, Goddess of Creation’s grand magic of a lifetime!!”

She chanted as if she was singing, she spun around as if she was dancing.
The light that was surrounding her flew up into the sky and converged into two sparkling images.

Eventually, a pair of translucent man and woman appeared. They were about the same age as me, or maybe a year younger.
A healthy-looking man and a lovely woman. Holding hands tightly, they looked both surprised and happy. I probably had the same expression on my face.

“Long time no see! No, is it supposed to be “nice to meet you”? In your case, it should be that one, right?”

She nodded her head and said so with the voice of, yes, there’s no mistake, it’s Kobayashi-sama!

“Eh? Are we still in the family waiting room? Is it even okay for us to be here?”

Endou-sama said so uneasily, but there was no problem.

“It’s been a while, Kobayashi-sama and Endou-sama. Lilena is also here to give her blessing to Liselotte, so there is no problem. Rather, thank you for coming.”

When I greeted them like so, they both looked annoyed for some reason.

“I don’t need the ‘-sama’!”
“Spare us from the honorifics too….”

Rather than being ashamed, I couldn’t help but laughed at their perfectly-synced words.
Lilena, who had just crawled on all fours in frustration at the lack of respect not too long ago, has a different caliber now.

“Sorry. My mistake. But to me, both of you are my most precious gods.
You have watched over us, cared for us, given us your wisdoms, properly guided us, and you also have allowed us all to celebrate this good day together. It’s impossible for me to not love and respect my wonderful and amazing friends.”

When I said so, Endou-sama scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

“Somehow, it’s kinda embarrassing…. We’re just a bunch of high school students with a little luck, you know…”
“We don’t know what to wear to a prince’s wedding, so we settled with only our school uniform….”

Kobayashi-san’s followed-up words made me feel frustrated. If I had known, I would have prepared their attires beforehand.
No, to begin with, I don’t think it would have been possible to get them to wear it. They’re translucent.

Suddenly, I noticed that Liselotte, who is undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in this world, was looking dumbfounded.
I see, this is the first time she’s even heard the two of them. I should introduce them to her.

“……that, voice…”

But as she said this, tears trickled down her cheeks. With a startled expression, Kobayashi-san shouted.

“Uweeh!? Why is Rize-tan crying!? You’re too quick! It’s not time yet, you know! Save the tears for the letter to the parents, okay!?”
“Is there even one in this wedding too? That kind of event?”

There isn’t.
I gently wiped away Liselotte’s tears with my handkerchief as I responded to Endou-kun’s words in my mind.

“Liese, these two are the gods of the other world, Play-by-Play Commentator Endou-kun and Colour Commentator Kobayashi-san.
They protected you from the ancient witch. They had also guided me when I didn’t even understand that you were the cutest thing in the world. They are our benefactors and my dearest friends.”

When Liselotte heard my introductions, she slowly bowed her head with deep emotion.

“Thank you, very much.”

When she looked up slowly, there were no more tears on her eyes nor on her cheeks.

“Nonono! We’re just fans of Rizetan!”
“That’s right. We’re just commentators who was trying our best to help Liselotte.”

Liselotte tilted her head from Kobayashi-san and Endou-kun’s words.

“…fans?”
“We’re just fans who screamed, “Geez! I can’t get over how cute Rizetan and her tsundere is!” or “Look at how cuuuute she is! You need to properly look at her, Sieg!””
“Really, trying to take over such a good girl is beyond worst, isn’t it, ancient witch?”

Kobayashi-san said to Liselotte, while Endou-kun said to Lilena.

The moment Lilena swiftly and smoothly got down on her knees, Liselotte shrieked.

“Such thing… I’m not that pretty…rather, Sieg nonchalantly said that I’m the most…
Aaah, geez! Could you please not tease me like that!?”

The three of us, the ones who cherish Liselotte, looked at each other and laughed at the same time.

She is, after all, the most adorable thing ever.

Thus, the wedding ceremony, which was attended and blessed by the three gods, was proudly added to the end of the many miracles and feats brought by “Play-by-Play Commentator Endou-kun and Colour Commentator Kobayashi-san” in our kingdom’s history books.