NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 405
Chapter 403
Afterword: Completion
‘So this is how it finally gets completed.’
I sighed inwardly as I gazed at the marble statue far away.
The statue, matching the height of the highest building in the Holy Kingdom, the window of the Sun Cathedral, was the only one in the Raphael Holy Kingdom.
The statue of the living Holy One, mine. What had begun as a great effort from the Holy Kingdom was now on the verge of completion.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say it was the biggest event since my wedding, so all the people of the Holy Kingdom gathered in the Central Plaza, directly under the Pope’s jurisdiction. Not just the plaza, but every little alley was filled with crowds.
And the ‘Sun and Moon’ generously performed miracles for those gathered in the Central Plaza, ensuring everyone could witness this last moment.
As the miracles unfolded, my reputation soared to heights I never imagined. After all, an object of faith was performing all kinds of miracles for me.
—Ahhhhhh…….
A hymn formed solely of the nuns’ harmonies descended, as it could not fathom expressing me in human language, and lyrics no longer existed.
It was also one of the miracles granted by the Sun and Moon that made that song echo throughout the entire Raphael Holy Kingdom. Many subjects of the Holy Kingdom offered prayers towards the statue while listening to that hymn.
I wondered how genuine their sentiments were; even the border with the Aiternum Empire was veiled by a curtain of light. This was because no outsiders could be admitted on this reverent and sacred day.
Of course, my wife and daughters were exceptions.
“How do you feel, dear? Overwhelmed with emotion? Or perhaps so moved you’re at a loss for words?”
Floretta and Luna were ascending the staircase made of sunlight and moonlight to carve the last part at the top of the statue’s head.
As I watched them from behind, Eclipse spoke up.
“Well, I’m not sure. I can tell you right now that ‘overwhelmed’ is not an accurate description of my feelings.”
I had been using honorifics at her request. Eclipse was similar to Kaiquilia or Minerva in that respect.
She only asked for casual language during moments in bed.
Honestly, it wasn’t surprising. It would have been more shocking if she hadn’t had such tendencies. She was the type who would unabashedly call herself a “female pig” without hesitation.
“Is that so?”
Eclipse chuckled. That simple action made her covering, which concealed her chest and genitalia, flutter precariously. Though she was trying to stick to her modesty, her outfit made that quite difficult.
Considering it was a day to celebrate, her covering was much shorter and thinner than usual.
‘Thank goodness Frigia doesn’t resemble her mother when it comes to clothing.’
My desperate education had paid off. I felt a sense of pride swelling within before turning my head back.
Floretta and Luna knelt and clasped their hands in prayer with every step up the staircase. Consequently, it took a long time to reach the top.
They had to walk all the way to the very top of the 120-meter statue, repeating prayers with each step. Naturally, their speed was incredibly slow.
However, it was nearing its conclusion. Arriving at the last step, Floretta and Luna finished their final prayers, stood up, and grasped the blessed hammer and chisel.
They exchanged gazes, winked at me sitting at a similar height, and after offering one last prayer, they took the hammer and chisel to carve the final part.
At that moment, the sun and moon, floating in the heavens, were perfectly aligned with the upper parts of the sacred relic statues next to the statue. The world divided into day and night.
Moonlight fell upon the heads of those who believed in the moon, while sunlight descended upon the heads of those who believed in the sun.
It was the moment the grand journey of 163 years for the Raphael Holy Kingdom finally reached its end. Instead of singing, the nuns chose to bow their heads, and a hymn echoed from the sky.
Everyone in the Holy Kingdom, except for those beside me, bowed their heads in unison while listening to that hymn. I quietly looked down from the spire, as if the Holy Realm had descended upon the entire Raphael Holy Kingdom.
“Do you still feel ordinary, dear?”
Eclipse asked with a small smile tugging at her lips.
“Well… it’s not bad.”
For an outcome where the whole kingdom participated, a staggering amount of money was invested, and we managed not to make a single mistake in the process, my reaction was decidedly ordinary.
But it was enough.
The kingdom proclaimed this year as the “Year of Festivals.” They intended to hold a festival not for a few days, weeks, or even a month, but for the whole year.
They had every right to do so.
They had adjusted the schedule a bit from the midpoint to ensure the statue was completed right as the year changed. They must have started planning the festival from that point.
I announced the festival’s opening with a sprinkle of good wishes. I also shared some tales related to the statue.
There was a ‘small’ uproar as people, too moved by my words, foamed at the mouth and fell unconscious, but I managed to save them all in the end, so nobody actually died.
Well, as long as the conclusion was good, that was what mattered.
“Let’s head over there!”
“Ugh, that’s not fair! I’m going first!”
“Hey…! Take it slow…!”
And the fact that a festival was being held meant that it would be the perfect playground for my still young daughters. In the distance, I could hear their cheerful voices switching between day and night.
Of course, for most, they were too grown-up to run around without any decorum. The ones who had outgrown that phase had only one task.
“What are you doing in a place like this, Father?”
“Aren’t you going to come down and play with us?”
As I happily observed my wives playing with our young daughters on the hillside, Eileen and Segretus suddenly popped up. They had become quite adept at hiding their presence.
“Did you win, our daughters?”
“Of course! I completely overwhelmed them!”
“It would be impossible to monopolize Dad’s attention on a day like this otherwise.”
Pride gleamed in Eileen and Segretus’s expressions as their steps became even more confident.
I had expected this. Unless something was amiss, there was no way my side would feel empty. They always crowded around trying to steal a little more space.
I had also seen how the rest of my daughters, aside from a few playing innocently, gathered seriously in one spot.
When I explained what I had seen, my wives said there was still a year left until the festival would end, so it was fine to take turns. That was also one of the reasons for my side being empty.
“It would look pathetic if I were all alone in a place like this.”
“Do not worry. We will stay by your side.”
Eileen and Segretus, having approached right next to me, smiled brightly.
“Is that so? Then I should thank you. Thank you for keeping me from looking pathetic, my princesses.”
I returned their smiles just as brightly. Both of them immediately froze, then blushed and cleared their throats as they attached themselves to my side.
Our arms mingled softly.
“Oh, it seems they’re starting now.”
The daughters, who had been frolicking in the distance, suddenly froze as if they were nailed to the spot. My wives placed their hands on their shoulders and gestured skyward with their other fingers, explaining something.
Before long, the first firework, brimming with moonlight and sunlight, soared high into the sky and burst precisely at the boundary of day and night, painting the heavens with golden and silver light.
Soon, countless fireworks began to burst, as if competing against each other. Thousands of them ignited brightly, like stars, before slowly or rapidly fading away.
Fireworks.
It was one of the things Eclipse and I had brought from Earth.
—Are you ready to do it now?
—Of course. When will we ever get a chance like this again? If I recall correctly, a rather large firework should burst in about 13 seconds.
—So we’re waiting for that moment. I understand completely.
Eileen and Segretus conversed with each other, trying to hide it using mana, although whether it was meant to be overheard or not remained uncertain.
At the moment a gigantic firework, incomparable to any prior, blasted vertically into the sky, they both pressed their lips to my ear.
“I love you, my father.”
“I love you too, my Daddy.”
At that moment, instead of a pop, it was the kind of deafening sound that could be described as a KWAANG! that shattered the heavens. Half gold and half silver fireworks adorned the sky.
Of course, I heard my daughters’ confessions perfectly well. I wrapped my arms around Eileen and Segretus’s waists and whispered back to them.
“Yes. I love you too.”
The pitch-black eyes, resembling mine, widened slightly.
“As your father.”
“Ugh.”
“Eh.”
And then they became small once again.
How dare they try to steal the atmosphere.