“I-I can’t believe this,” Liz murmured. After all her suffering since leaving the orphanage, all in the name of her sister’s treatment, everything had been resolved in less than a day. Drained, Liz slumped to the floor, then lifted her head, hesitant. “Zenos, about the payment...”

“Normally this type of surgery would cost around this much,” he said, showing her a piece of paper with the amount.

Liz clenched her fists. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t have it right now, but I’ll work hard and pay you back.”

“Hmm? Oh, you don’t need to pay me.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Remember back at the orphanage when they accused me of stealing the director’s money? They even talked about selling my organs. And then you came to my rescue. Thanks to you, I didn’t end up with a debt of several million wen.”

“Y-Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?” she asked anxiously.

“That means you’ve paid me already. Way back when.”

Speechless, Liz brought a hand to her mouth, and soon tears began to spill from the corners of her eyes. “Th-Thank you. Thank you, Zenos,” she murmured, her tearful voice carrying across the clinic, the place aglow with bright sunlight.

Hee hee hee. Ah, the joys of youth, echoed a quiet whisper from the second floor.

Epilogue (I)

A week had passed since Gina’s surgery, and the incessant cries of cicadas filled the air, heralding the arrival of summer.

Liz stopped by at the clinic in the ruined city, with her little sister at her side and a large man, Gaion, following behind them.

“Hey, Liz. What’s up?” Zenos asked as he came out to greet the trio alongside Lily.

“Oh! I just came to tell you something,” Liz replied, a bright expression on her features.

“What is it?”

“We’ve decided to quit the Black Guild.”

“Oh, you have?”

The leader of their faction, their boss Dalitz, had vanished. With that, the whole faction was disbanding.

“So...” Liz continued, her hands rubbing together nervously for a moment before her voice took on a determined tone. “I’m thinking of starting an orphanage.”

“Oh...” Zenos murmured.

“A lot has happened, I know, but... I want to make it a place where children can smile.” The sins she’d committed would never disappear, but she wished to atone, even just a little.

“I see. I think that’s amazing, honestly. And I know you can do it.” Zenos nodded several times, then shifted his gaze to Gaion. “And you’re going with her?”

“What’s the problem with that? I’ll protect Lady Liz.”

“He says that, but he’s just following me around. Though we will need someone strong to do the heavy lifting, and he’s a good guard, so it won’t be an issue,” Liz explained, seemingly concerned. “It’s just... I mean, I’ve been using my succubus powers on him, so...”

A mutant’s powers manifested quite suddenly—and conversely, they could just as suddenly become unusable. Now that Gina was cured of her condition, Liz was conflicted about continuing to command Gaion using her powers.

Zenos glanced at the bigger man, then turned his gaze back to Liz. “Speaking of which, Liz, how long does your manipulation ability last?”

“Well, if I do it via blood, it lasts only a few hours before it’s metabolized.”

“And what do you do when the effect wears off?”

“If I need to maintain control, I reapply the blood before it wears off.”

“And when was the last time you did that to him?”

“That was...quite a while ago, actually.”

“So he hasn’t been under your powers’ effect in a while, right?”

Liz tilted her head in confusion.

“Which means,” Zenos continued, “he’s not doing it because he’s under your thrall. He really does want to protect you.”

“Huh? He does?”

“Y-Yes, Lady Liz!” Gaion said, looking flustered. “Why did you think it was?”

“Well, you’re simple, so I thought the effect of my blood was lasting an unusually long time...”

“M-My feelings...” the big man muttered, looking like he was about to cry.

Gina, for some reason, told him to hang in there. She really seemed to have completely recovered.

“So, Zenos,” Liz continued, “will you come visit once we’re all set up?”

“Of course,” Zenos replied.

Liz stared at Zenos’s face for a moment, then glanced at Lily briefly before turning on her heel. “I’ll see you around, then, Zenos, Lily.”

“Yeah. See you,” Zenos said.

“See you, Liz!” Lily exclaimed.

The healer and the elf saw the trio off at the front door, and Liz gave them a big wave. Behind the pair stood the clinic that had once felt so ominously oppressive, yet now looked so warm and peaceful.

“Are you sure this is okay, sis?” Gina asked as she walked alongside Liz.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you want to be with Zenos?”