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Epilogue: Twenty Tails Later
🕑 Added 2023-06-17 17:59:59 +0000 UTCEpilogue: Twenty Tails Later
When the news of their victory reached Fort Soleil, the elves celebrated as if there was no tomorrow. Beers and wine flowed freely, and they abandoned all sense of decorum, even hugging random tailfolk on the street. The cheers of the elves seemed awkward, as they were the only ones reveling in the moment. The tailfolk couldn't quite understand why they were so ecstatic about a dilapidated city, the dwarves didn't seem to care that much, and the humans had suffered dramatically due to the undead and had no cause for celebration.
But one thing was certain—everyone was glad to be rid of the undead. With the humans paralyzed, it was the perfect opportunity to establish Lily as their queen. She became the first monarch of the Commonwealth of Harmony. Less than three months later, she was given the kingdoms of Regoia, Reminiscence, and Edenthal. The human fort called Verutra Valkyrie, led by Isaac, rebelled and joined her kingdom soon after.
However, despite being a monarchy, Lily didn't act like one at all. She appointed several lords to govern the land, granting them a significant degree of autonomy, similar to how the elves governed their territories. She adopted many aspects of elven society, including the High Council and its financial systems.
Interestingly, her kingdom thrived on its multiracial composition, something unheard of in this world. Even with borders adjacent to other nations, no one dared to attack her kingdom, not even the humans. If the humans, especially those in the Valusta kingdom, were to cause trouble, it would mean trouble for Verundra citizens within Lily's territory, as well as the dwarves. I was pleased to see that she took my advice to heart.
Meanwhile, Alistar and Edelweiss had a grand wedding at the Hoeth Government buildings. As they exchanged their vows before King Garme, he blessed them with kind words befitting a grandfather to his beloved grandchildren. The marriage was a momentous occasion, considering the near-extinction of the elves, and they made it as grand and joyous as possible. While we weren't sure if the population crisis in the elven country had been fully resolved, they certainly lived an idyllic life in Northlandgard and Hoeth, and the elven civilization continued to thrive even twenty years later.
The establishment of autonomous regions proved to be an effective measure for the various races. Lhorne was elevated to the position of Lord of Reminiscence, while Alith and Sana, who married later on, became the Lords of Regoia. The former Verundra kingdom was incorporated into Mattheus' and Isaac's domains. Lily continued to rule from Edenthal, which was rather peculiar considering its proximity to the border, making it vulnerable and inconvenient to visit.
The country remained segmented, as people had never fully reconciled with one another. However, the flames of hatred never spiraled out of control again as long as Lily's kingdom stood. Her realm became a symbol of coexistence. People may have been different and desired different things, but her kingdom knew where to draw the line. All thanks to a certain group of tails that had been advising her. Yep, that's me.
I have been a tail my entire life, both here and in the world before. However, there was something different about being a tail here. It felt more comfortable. Unlike other protagonists in a story, I never aspired to become a hero. Perhaps I would have never harbored resentment towards my previous boss if they hadn't fired me and discarded me during the pandemic. I wondered if I was being too passive, but I was genuinely content with not being in the spotlight in this story. Lily had taken great care of me ever since I arrived in this world. I served her faithfully, and she loved me.
"Shiro! Is this brush comfortable for you?" she asked as she brushed me.
"Yes," I replied.
"Good!" she said, gazing upon the dreary capital of the Commonwealth of Harmony. Edenthal was too small to serve as a capital, so most of the official business took place in Regoia. This country was peculiar in a meaningful way. A capital where most of its inhabitants were farmers was unheard of. However, Lily never wavered in her approach. She never bulldozed her way to reclaim farmland that had been distributed to her citizens in Edenthal. This hindered the development of the land, resulting in Edenthal remaining a rural area forever. I almost chuckled at the irony of a rural area becoming the capital of a nation and remaining rural during Lily's reign. But that was her essence, and we loved her for it.
"Don't you want to find a husband, Lily?" I asked. It wasn't just me who had posed this question; her other retainers had also inquired about it. She was approaching forty, and the country had no successor. Some retainers expressed concern, but she never truly committed to the idea.
"I do, but I haven't found the right match," Lily replied.
"Is it because of me?" I asked her.
"No! Well, maybe to some extent. But it can't be helped, can it? After all, you are my tail. We are always connected," Lily answered. I felt a twinge of guilt. Being constantly by her side, I inadvertently caused her to shy away from romantic relationships. It was as if our love life was always on display for everyone to see. Perhaps my meddling was to blame. However, as she said, it couldn't be helped. It's not like I asked to be transmigrated into a tail.
"I hope you find the love of your life soon, someone with whom you can intertwine your tails," I said.
"That's the problem. You are my tail. That means you are the one who will be intertwined with my love. It somehow makes me jealous," she pouted. I suppose a conventional romantic love would be impossible for us, wouldn't it?
"Hmm... Maybe we should just marry Nora," I joked.
"Hey! But she's also a woman, you know."
"Same-sex marriage is recognized in my world, but I understand it's not widely supported here," I replied.
"Lily! You have a meeting at three!" Nora knocked and entered our room. Nora was still here in Edenthal, working as Lily's secretary. Despite Lily's offer to elevate her position within the Commonwealth, she declined and chose to continue sharing a house with Lily.
"Okay," Lily responded. She then stood up and walked out of the room. "Thank you, Shiro, for everything. Thank you for always being by my side. I'm sorry I couldn't do better for you."
"I'm always happy to be your tail, Lily. What you have done for me has been fulfilling. I couldn't ask for a better boss," I replied.
And with that, we left the room to join the meeting and continued our mundane life.
