Epilogue: We Became a Family
As for what happened afterward... following the incident, the Honorary Viscount House of Eberne was stripped of its title.
Rest's father, Lucas Eberne, had been tasked with managing dangerous magic items in his capacity as a court magician.
But when one of those items—the Demon's Staff—was taken and misused by his son Cedric, Lucas was naturally held accountable for his grave negligence.
Lucas was stripped of his position as a court magician, lost the noble rank attached to his office, and was demoted to a commoner. Furthermore, his assets were seized down to the last copper to pay compensation to Rest—the victim of Cedric's assault—leaving Lucas with nothing, turned out into the streets.
Having lost his status, his office, his fortune, and even his beloved eldest son... whatever had possessed him, Lucas actually tried to turn to Rest and beg for help.
He asked Rest to intercede with Marquis Rosemary, to take care of them, to spare them some money... For a man to shamelessly attempt to depend on the very son he had abused for years was the pinnacle of brazen audacity.
"If you show your face before Lord Rest again, I will have you sent to the mines as criminals," Deeble warned calmly. "Or perhaps you would prefer serving as test subjects for our newest potion experiments... What will it be?"
Threatened in such a manner by the butler Deeble who had answered the door, Lucas and his wife Liza fled into the back alleys in utter ruin.
Liza aside, Lucas was still a magician. So long as he was not picky about his work, there remained a chance for him to get back on his feet.
That was assuming, of course, that he was willing to cast aside his title as a former noble and start over from scratch as an ordinary commoner.
At any rate... the bonds between Rest and the Honorary Viscount House of Eberne were severed completely, putting a final end to their lingering past.
◇ ◇ ◇
Be that as it may... Rest had far more important matters to attend to than the tragic fate of his former family.
Having slain Cedric after his transformation into a demon, Rest returned to the estate of Marquis Rosemary, where two figures stood waiting to greet him in front of the entrance.
The two girls waiting with hands clasped as if in prayer—Viola and Primula—brightened with joy the moment they caught sight of Rest.
"Ah, Rest!" Viola called out.
"Lord Rest!" Primula cried.
"Huh? Were you both waiting for me?" Rest asked, blinking in surprise.
Seeing Viola and Primula standing outside as the setting sun dipped below the horizon, Rest couldn't help but widen his eyes.
He hadn't told them when he would be back... Just how long had they been waiting out here?
"Ah, well... we were worried," Viola admitted awkwardly. "I mean, after where you went..."
"The carriage came back without you, so we thought something terrible had happened!" Primula added, a slight pout on her lips.
Viola spoke with embarrassment, while Primula sounded mildly indignant.
"Right... I'm sorry. Looks like I really made you worry," Rest said apologetically.
As he offered his apology... Rest felt a soothing warmth spread through his chest.
On the way back, his spirits had been weighed down by the fact that he had killed his own older brother, even if it was out of self-defense and unavoidable.
Yet now... looking at the two sisters' faces, the grim remnants of battle melted away, replaced by a gentle tide of warmth.
A place to return to... Right. This was my home all along.
He was accepted here. There were people who cared about him and worried for his safety.
Ever since losing his mother, he had forgotten how profoundly wonderful it felt to have someone waiting for his return.
"I'm sorry for making you worry. But... thanks to you two, I was able to settle everything properly," Rest said with a gentle smile.
He offered them a soft smile as he spoke.
Although he needed to report what had transpired to Albert, the Commander of the Court Magicians, as soon as possible... there was something else Rest had to tell the two girls first.
He had kept them waiting for far too long.
He had no intention of putting it off for even another second.
"Viola, Primula," Rest said softly.
Feeling his heart thumping wildly against his ribs, Rest dropped to one knee right there on the spot.
Reaching out his left and right hands toward them, he voiced the words of his proposal.
"Please marry me... Become my family, both of you!"
"...!"
At those words, the sisters' eyes widened simultaneously in identical expressions of shock.
After freezing in place for a brief moment, they glanced at each other... before their faces burst into brilliant, radiant smiles like flowers in full bloom.
"We'd love to!" they cried in unison.
"Whoa!" Rest gasped.
Viola and Primula grabbed his outstretched hands and leaped forward, tackling him in a fierce embrace.
"I won't let you take it back! You're definitely going to be our husband!" Viola declared, holding him tight.
"And we're going to bear your children too! Sister and I will have at least ten between us, so prepare yourself!" Primula added eagerly.
"Haha... I wouldn't have it any other way," Rest chuckled sheepishly.
Pinned beneath the soft weight of the two girls, Rest offered a sheepish grin.
Their soothing, comfortable warmth enveloped him completely. Even without them saying so, he had no intention of ever letting go of this warmth again.
"Thank you, both of you. Let's take good care of each other from now on," Rest said softly.
"Right!" they cheered together.
Lying flat on his back upon the ground, he looked up to see the sisters' faces, their eyes welling with tears of happiness.
These were the maidens who had agreed to become Rest's fiancées. A true, loving family bound by genuine affection—the first he had known since the passing of his mother.
I'll make them happy, no matter what...
Along with the weight of the two girls resting against him came a heavy sense of responsibility.
It was a crushing burden—one heavy enough to crush a lesser man.
But... he had zero intention of letting it defeat him.
Countless hardships would surely lie ahead for Rest and the Rosemary sisters, but he would overcome every last one of them.
I won't ever let anyone steal my precious family again... It's okay. I have infinite magical power on my side!
The story of the magician who would one day be hailed as the "The Infinite Magician" had only just begun.
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