Avalon’s Dungeon

「—Congratulations.
You are now husband and wife.」

　In front of the closed stone door of the cemetery, Fatima smiles and says this, casting “Healing” to Alexis and Fransisca's scars and completely erasing them.

「…Well! Even though you said congratulations, but…」

　Alexis looked at a piece of silk cloth still clutched in his hand.
It was stained red with the color of blood.

　Eden, who was waiting in front of the door, looked at him with concern as she realized that what was going on inside the building was completely different from what she had imagined.

「It doesn't feel like we're married at all, you know? I can still taste the aftertaste of the blood I just drank…
Gah…」

　Alexis clutches his throat, and Fransisca says, “Did you not like it, Dear?” with a worried look.

「No, that's not the point, is it? I mean, no one likes blood.」

　”That's true!” Valencia is smiling unconcernedly.

「—But now Alexis-sama has accepted Sagrado's blood.
Sagrado's blood has been accepted by Alexis-sama's blood」

　Fransisca says, smiling and clasping her hands together.

「Now you are “one” with us」

　Fransisca looked Alexis in the eyes, and her smile deepened.

「Mmm…
ah, yeah…」

　Why is that? Alexis was not at all happy to be called one of their own.

　For some reason, her words did not seem to have a good nuance to him.

　Thinking back again, he remembers the strange figure that appeared in the cemetery when he had visited here before.

（…Maybe I'm going to be like “that.” From now on…）

　But it is the path Alexis has chosen.
Nevertheless, he feels a chill in his heart.

　Fransisca must have the same fate.
If so, he must be in the same boat.

　Now, turning back to the cemetery door, Fransisca speaks in a lonely voice.

「…Then all that remains is for me to confide in you…」

　Alexis nods, “…yes.”

　It's almost as if they've come all this way just for that, isn't it?

　”Though, I don't care,” Alexis thinks.

（Besides, Fransisca herself and the country itself.
That's what I get in exchange.
It's more than enough compensation, isn't it?）

　It is true that he has no regrets.

　He is just overwhelmed by the occasional glimpses of Sagrado's holiness and its counterpart, its horror.

「…But I really don't feel it…」

　Alexis muttered to himself.
That's all he was complaining about.

　Meanwhile, Fransisca wonders why Alexis is so upset.

（Anyway, I'll buy her a ring later…）

　Alexis was thinking like that.

* * *

　After that, they spent about an hour in front of the cemetery for some reason and returned to Fort Rohka.

　On the carriage back to Fort Rohka,

　”I'm glad the monster didn't start moving.”

　”Yes.
I was chilled when Alex made a sound for a moment…” said Fransisca and Fatima.

　Alexis heard Fransisca and Fatima talking and realized why they had become so silent in the middle of the conversation.

「…But wasn't the cemetery monster supposed to be held in check by a glowing stone?」

　Concerned about Eden's presence nearby, Alexis speaks to Fransisca and Fatima in a hushed voice, just in case.

　”Yes, but not during the ceremony,” Fransisca says with a troubled laugh.

「God will know about it」

　Fatima spoke in a calm voice.

「God…」

　Alexis wondered whether he would have to worship the god of Sagrado.

　After all, he thought, he didn't like that idea…