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This chapter is a side story based on a “what if” scenario and has no connection to the main plot.
Please note that it is completely unrelated to the main storyline.
It is merely a service content imagining what would happen if Yuda didn’t leave Serenia Castle to collect fragments and instead lived there with Zentia.
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‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Side Story 1, Zentia – If I Stay Here for You… ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
Several years after arriving here, I finally obtained a fragment. It was a ring named the 〈Twenty-Fourth Fragment, Carpe Diem.〉 Yuda quietly looked down at the ring resting in the palm of his hand. Originally, he had planned to leave Serenia Castle after obtaining this fragment.
That was the intention.
That was the plan.
To reclaim all the fragments and return to the original world, he intended to play along with Sian’s plans. However, after spending these past few years with someone and giving his heart to them, leaving this place hastily was no longer easy.
Yuda slipped the ring onto his finger. Although he had obtained a fragment coveted by many, he felt no particular excitement. The only thing he felt was reluctance to leave this place.
“Should I just stay here?”
That temptation cautiously raised its head in his mind. Yuda went downstairs and entered her room. She was lying on the bed.
“Yuda?”
She called his name. Her sleepy eyes soon lit up with delight. Lying on the bed, she gave a warm smile and stretched out both arms.
“Come here, let’s sleep together.”
Without a word, Yuda slipped into her embrace.
“You said you wanted to be alone earlier. Changed your mind?”
With her eyes closed, she asked. Her voice, though tinged with sleep, was bright enough as if simply sleeping together brought her joy.
“I was going to, but I wanted to be with Tia.”
“Heh, as expected.”
“?”
Tia slightly opened her closed eyes and gave a smile.
“You can’t sleep without being in your teacher’s arms, can you? Oh, my Yuda. Even as an adult, nothing’s changed.”
That wasn’t it, but it didn’t matter if she thought that way. Holding Yuda in her arms, she wore a pleased expression and soon fell asleep, breathing softly.
I’m going to leave.
No, I was planning to leave.
To return to his original world.
But Tia, sleeping beside him, lingered in his heart as a source of reluctance. She was becoming a point of compromise. Would it be okay to stay here? If she was here, did he really need to endure hardships? Even if he collected all twenty-four fragments, would Sian really let him go so easily?
Doubts and questions swirled in Yuda’s mind. As he gazed at her sleeping face, his thoughts chained one after another.
Did he really need to return to his original world? There were reasons to go back. He missed his family and wanted to see his friends. The thought of precious connections waiting for him had always given him strength. But those connections weren’t the only ones that mattered as his bonds here had become just as precious.
Above all, he loved Tia. His love for her had become a lingering attachment, chaining him like shackles around his ankles. Yuda closed his eyes, thinking he’d stay a little longer to sort out his feelings.
The next day, however, was spent in a whirlwind preparing for the coming-of-age ceremony. Without doing much, evening came quickly. After enjoying a delightful banquet and conversation at the ceremony hosted by Kaseun, they returned home. Tia, feeling grimy, grabbed Yuda’s hand, urging him to wash up quickly and they ended up heading to the bathroom together.
Perhaps because they were tipsy, their eyes met while washing each other in the bathroom. Without either taking the lead, they naturally began exploring each other’s bodies and made love. Having already shared such intimacy before, there was no hesitation.
Also, no one was there to interrupt their private moment. After making love, Tia and Yuda fell asleep in the same bedroom, staring at the same ceiling. Yuda didn’t know when he dozed off, but he woke up in the middle of the night. Moonlight was streaming through the window.
Turning his head, he looked at her sleeping beside him. She was asleep with a content expression. Watching her quietly, Yuda’s face took on a tearful expression, though no one had struck him. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. Feeling the soft texture of her hair at his fingertips, a sudden question crossed his mind.
“Come to think of it, she has four ears.”
She had human-like ears on either side of her face and beast-like ears atop her head. Thinking it a curious structure, he toyed with her ears. But his curiosity was fleeting, and he began to feel melancholic again.
“…….”
At that moment, perhaps feeling his touch, Tia opened her eyes. Her sleepy gaze met Yuda’s, and she gave a gentle smile.
“You’re not sleeping yet?”
“Tia.”
When he called her name, the beast-like ears on her head perked up.
“Yes?”
Yuda gazed at her silently. With the hand that had tucked her hair back, he touched her cheek, nose, and ear. Feeling the softness of her skin with his fingertips, his expression remained troubled.
“Why you making that face? Are you hurt?”
Yuda shook his head. Looking at her, he slowly poured out the words he had kept suppressed in his heart.
“I-I love you so much, Tia. I love you, my teacher. What should I do? I was going to leave, but I don’t think I can.”
Speaking in a trembling voice, she widened her eyes in surprise before smiling and closing them again. She wrapped her hands around Yuda’s, which were touching her cheeks. The warmth from her hands felt comforting.
“Can I ask you something?”
He nodded instead of answering. Though she couldn’t see with her eyes closed, she seemed to sense it and spoke with her small lips.
“Were you really going to leave?”
“…Yes.”
“No. Don’t go. I won’t let you. You’ve already carved a place in my heart, and now you’re saying you’ll leave?”
That was the plan. But the lingering attachment and fear of regret made it painful.
“I love you too. I love you. The thought of spending a day, tomorrow, or every day without you is unbearable. Don’t go. Let’s live together. I’ll make sure you never have to lift a finger. This big sister, this teacher, will love you and treat you well. So… don’t go.”
Tia’s eyes also grew teary. At that moment, Yuda’s resolve crumbled. He chose her over returning to his original world. Yuda smiled brightly.
“But isn’t that something a guy says to a girl?”
“Psh, who decided that?”
“Well… true.”
Yuda let out a chuckle for no reason. Hearing such a confession from her filled him with uncontainable joy.
“Come here, Yuda.”
She pulled Yuda into her arms. Bare, they embraced each other, feeling each other’s warmth as they shared a kiss. The sound of their passionate kiss filled the room. After the intense kiss, they slowly closed their eyes and fell asleep.
+++
Morning came, and Yuda opened his eyes. Having clung to each other all night, they were drenched in sweat. It was already hot in the summer, and their bodies felt sticky. But he still liked it. As he gazed at her, Tia opened her eyes too.
“It’s embarrassing when you stare like that.”
“You get embarrassed too, Tia?”
When they made love or in her usual demeanor, he couldn’t recall ever seeing her embarrassed. As if reading his thoughts, she placed her index finger on his lips and playfully twisted her body.
“Ugh, that’s why I’m going to act like a young girl from now on. Then it’s okay to be shy, right?”
Hmm, claiming to be a young girl with such a mature body? Impossible. Yuda smiled and shook his head. Tia’s eyes twitched.
“Hey, what’s with that reaction? What, you prefer me not being shy?”
“Well, if I had to say, I prefer the confident Tia.”
“Fine. If that’s what you want, I have no choice.”
“Huh? Wait, ah!”
Suddenly, she threw the blanket off the bed, climbed on top of Yuda, and reached down to touch his penis.
“Wait for what? I’ll show you what happens when you mess with a mature woman’s temperament.”
With a few deft movements, she made it hard, then with a playful growl, took it into her mouth. It seemed her plan to revert to a young girl was completely abandoned.
After sharing passionate love with Tia in the morning, Yuda washed with cold water in the bathroom with her. Having confirmed their feelings, every action and gesture was filled with love. His heart felt as if it were being filled from the bottom up with something indescribable.
Yuda canceled all the plans he had made after the coming-of-age ceremony. He had intended to prepare and head to the western forest to recruit the blue lance knight as a companion once dawn broke, but since he decided to live here with Tia, there was no need to seek the knight.
After confessing their love, Yuda and Tia grew even closer. They still went hunting together to earn money, but he reduced hunting time to spend more with her.
Two months later, the blue lance knight was nowhere to be seen. Word spread that he had gone missing in the western forest, likely defeated in a battle with the martial knight Ea.
The martial knight, somehow connected to Kain who had completed his coming-of-age ceremony, left the castle with Riel. Together they headed for Philoria, the land of knights. Whether they would find the fragments like in the original game story was uncertain, but Yuda wished them luck.
About a year later, as rumors spread, Yuda and Tia held a wedding ceremony. Kaseun called Tia a thief, and she didn’t deny it. The lord, Piercen, congratulated them, and many others blessed their union.
They say marriage reveals sides of a spouse you never see before, but that didn’t apply to Tia. On the contrary, they became more considerate of each other, and there was never a reason to fight.
Everything matched perfectly with her. They communicated well, liked the same food, and enjoyed hunting together. Above all, their physical compatibility was exceptional.
But perhaps due to her becoming a virtuous wife, her demeanor changed significantly. The seductive aura that naturally emanated from her was gone, replaced by a refined air. However, at night, she transformed into a passionate temptress, teasing Yuda relentlessly.
A few months later, she suddenly felt nauseous. She was pregnant. It was evident from her belly gradually swelling.
He was thrilled to become a father, something he hadn’t experienced in his original world. Yuda took care to ensure she wasn’t stressed, but she continued doing everything as usual. She was perfect in every way, but she was depressed about one thing: they could no longer enjoy their daily intimacy. To ensure he didn’t stray, she used her mouth to satisfy him daily.
She showed slight possessiveness, but otherwise, everything was fine. While human pregnancies typically last around 40 weeks, she reached full term in about 15 weeks and safely gave birth.
One daughter, one son.
Twins.
He was overjoyed. Above all, Tia was ecstatic.
Saying she was happy, she kissed him and thanked him. But he felt he was the one who should be grateful.
Another year passed. Yuda became a renowned hunter in the castle and gained fame by defeating Requiem, the leader of the black wolves. Lord Piercen spared no praise. Though his actions were for earning money, eliminating the black wolves that terrorized the residents earned him great favor.
The children, though mixed with human blood, grew rapidly, likely due to their beastman heritage. They toddled around, calling “Daddy, Daddy.” Their growth rate was incomparable to humans.
Thinking of seeing his children, Yuda quickened his pace home after hunting. The scenery whizzed by. When he saw the castle gate, he ran past it.
As usual, he sold leather and magic stones, bought something delicious, and headed home. With a joyful heart, he turned the doorknob, opened the door, and stepped into the entrance.
Just as he was about to say, “I’m home,” a lullaby came from inside the room.
“Lullaby, lullaby, my baby.”
Her voice was beautiful. Listening, Yuda unconsciously stopped taking off his shoes. Her singing continued. He stood there, focusing on the lullaby coming from the room. When the babies fell asleep, the song ended. With light steps, she emerged from the room.
“You’re back, my dear?”
She called Yuda in two ways: by his name or, as just now, “my dear.” Tia approached, her dark eyes sparkling seductively, and whispered in his ear.
“I want to have another child. What do you think?”
To someone else, it might sound unsettling, but not to Yuda. Smiling, he lifted her up. She naturally wrapped her arms around his neck and pointed to the second floor.
“Let’s go. I’ll make it unforgettable, my dear.”
…
..
.
Many years passed. Though he had obtained a fragment, Yuda was human, and Tia was a beastman. Her lifespan was longer than his, and Yuda, losing his youth and aging, was nearing death.
Many around him had passed away. Kaseun Sabnak, the Spirit Sword Bearer, the librarian, the east gate guard captain, the fruit vendor. Countless people had gone before him. And now, it was Yuda’s turn.
Knowing this, Tia stayed by Yuda’s side, always holding his hand. And so, he faced death beside his beloved Tia.
He said he was happy to have been together.
He said it was joyful to be together.
He said he had no regrets about being together.
He was glad he could say he loved her. Not returning to his original world remained a lingering regret, but thinking of the time spent with her, he had no regrets.
At Yuda’s death, Tia burst into tears. Her sobbing figure looked utterly heartbroken. Someone had been watching this entire scene from beginning to end.
Tap.
He emerged from a hidden dimension. At that moment, the world turned ashen, and time froze.
The First Lord, Sian.
His feet touched the ground. His face looked conflicted, as if wrapped in guilt. With a small sigh, he sat in a chair and approached Yuda, who had died of natural causes.
“And so, one fate has come to an end, Creator. But I cannot be satisfied with just one fate. I won’t ask for forgiveness. I know well that you won’t forgive me.”
Sian reached out toward Yuda’s body.
“Please resent me and use that resentment to push forward to the end. If you reach that end, I will give you everything without hesitation.”
“The memories and youth of the woman you loved and shared your end with in this fate, along with everything you will achieve in countless fates to come, and all that you hold dear—I will give them to you. So, please.”
“Do not falter and keep moving forward.”
…
..
.
..
…
“Gasp!”
He opened his eyes, breathing heavily. Startled, he looked around, trying to grasp the situation.
-Where am I?
It was a room on the second floor.
-Didn’t I die?
He had died. He had said everything he wanted to his beloved Tia and closed his eyes. So why was he standing here? With a sudden thought, Yuda slowly lowered his gaze. The wrinkled hands were gone, replaced by the clenched fists of a healthy young man. Feeling something in his palm, he slowly opened it. There, in his hand, was the twenty-fourth ring, Carpe Diem.
This world was not yet over.
─Side Story 1, Zentia – If I Stay Here for You…
──Ending
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
This chapter is a side story based on a “what if” scenario and has no connection to the main plot.
Please note that it is completely unrelated to the main storyline.
It is merely a service content imagining what would happen if Yuda didn’t leave Serenia Castle to collect fragments and instead lived there with Zentia.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
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***Author’s Note***
Ta-da, it’s a gift for you all.
Oh, and regarding a comment asking why the clothes are Unique grade when there are three sets: it’s because Requiem’s leather is a unique item. Since the clothes were made from that leather, they are set as Unique grade.
🍿🍿🍿