Yuna had never expected Ethan to let her go.

At first, she had refused the idea outright, reminding him and herself that she was still technically his captive.

No matter how loosely that word applied now, the fact remained the same.

She was not free. Yet Ethan, with his usual calm and unreadable expression, had simply nodded and told her she could leave.

If that was truly the case, then Yuna knew better than to waste the chance he had given her.

With a wide smile that she did not bother to hide, Yuna accepted Ethan’s offer.

Ethan gave a brief response, then placed the last remaining bottle on the bedside table and asked Yuna to take it with her to her own room and enjoy it there.

"You can come back tomorrow morning. For tonight, get some rest."

"Alright, Ethan."

Yuna stood up, carefully holding the wine bottle that was still half full. She walked toward the door, but her steps slowed as her hand touched the handle.

Just before leaving, she stopped completely.

She turned around and looked at Ethan once more.

"Thank you, Ethan."

Ethan gave her a small, gentle smile. "Of course."

Not long after, Yuna stepped out of Ethan’s room. The door closed softly behind her, leaving Ethan alone in the quiet space.

He changed out of his uniform and into his sleepwear before lying down on the bed.

The hardest days were over. The war had ended. All that remained was to wait until the event concluded and LionArk officially emerged as the victor.

Even so, Ethan knew his own struggle was far from finished. Once the event ended, he would have no choice but to explore the Tower again.

His goal was clear.

To find Thalmera, the third goddess within this game.

I do not know what I should do anymore.

His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling as he tried to imagine the most important decision he could possibly make.

Every choice felt heavy, as if the future of too many people rested on his shoulders alone.

Every so often, Ethan let out a quiet breath and slowly closed his eyes. He did not want that moment to arrive too quickly.

At the very least, he wanted to enjoy his remaining time with LionArk.

After a few minutes of silent contemplation, Ethan finally drifted into sleep. The city soon grew quiet as well.

Unit commanders and LionArk members rested after the exhausting days they had endured.

In Yuna’s room, however, sleep did not come so easily.

She lay there awake, a faint smile refusing to leave her face. Her eyes kept drifting back to the wine bottle Ethan had given her, sitting peacefully nearby.

Ethan had done so many unexpected things for her.

For a woman like Yuna, the way he had acted throughout the war made her heart race in ways she had not felt in a very long time.

Admiration slowly transformed into something far more dangerous.

Affection.

Yet Yuna was painfully aware that liking Ethan was a terrible mistake. She already had a husband, and Ethan had a wife of his own.

No matter how gentle he was, no matter how safe she felt around him, those facts did not change.

If only... I had met Ethan earlier.

Yuna smiled to herself as she took a sip of wine, savoring the taste as she enjoyed her final night in Lion City.

Tomorrow, Ethan would allow her to return to her own city, which meant she would spend the remaining days of the event with her team.

There was a sense of happiness in knowing she would be reunited with them.

But at the same time, she did not want to part ways with Ethan.

She had grown far too comfortable being by his side these past few days.

It was a moment she knew she would never forget.

***

The next morning.

Ethan and Yuna walked together away from Lion City’s town center, heading west. They moved at an easy pace, occasionally greeting LionArk members who passed them along the main road.

"What are you planning to do for the remaining six days?" Yuna asked casually.

Ethan let out a slow breath. "Nothing in particular. The war is over. I want to relax, maybe."

"Relax with your wine?" Yuna complained lightly. "What a shame I cannot join you."

Ethan laughed. "You can come to Lion City whenever you want. I will tell my people to let you in."

Yuna’s eyes widened in surprise and delight. "Really?"

"You are the only one allowed," Ethan added. "Not your team."

"But if they want to relax," Ethan continued, "I can spare a few bottles of wine for them."

Yuna laughed softly, still unable to believe how far Ethan was willing to go for her and the Sacred Hall team.

The hostility between their factions was gone. Yuna did not know whether Ethan had truly kept his promise to help relocate Sacred Hall to the Eastern Plains.

Still, seeing how relaxed Ethan was today, she felt there was nothing to worry about.

They passed through the western gate, and Ethan lifted his head to greet the guards stationed there.

Once beyond the gate, they walked across the sandy terrain toward the city ahead of them.

The distance between LionArk City and Sacred Hall City was not far. A twenty minute walk was all it took.

Several Sacred Hall members guarding the eastern gate spotted Ethan and Yuna approaching.

One of them quickly called for Yuna’s aide to come forward and greet them.

Their confusion was obvious. Ethan had come alone, without troops, showing no signs of aggression.

"Hello!" Yuna greeted them cheerfully, waving her hand.

At a certain point, Ethan stopped walking. Yuna halted as well and immediately turned to face him.

"What is it?"

"I can only escort you this far," Ethan said. "My people will remain there until the event ends. I hope you do not mind."

"Of course not," Yuna replied. "I fought alongside your team. I trust your principles."

Ethan smiled and nodded. He then took out six bottles of wine and handed them to Yuna, surprising her.

"Five bottles are for your team. Give the remaining one to my people here."

The eastern gate opened, and several Sacred Hall members approached without weapons.

It seemed they already understood what Ethan was doing.

Yuna’s aide arrived and quickly checked her condition. "Are you alright, Leader Yuna?"

"I am," Yuna answered, turning slightly. "Ethan and LionArk took good care of me."

The man nodded. Yuna was unharmed and in good condition. He looked at Ethan and thanked him sincerely for protecting her.

Several Sacred Hall members stared excitedly at the wine bottles in Yuna’s hands. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"You got wine? Where did that come from?"

"From Ethan," Yuna replied. "We can enjoy it together later."

Their faces lit up with joy as they thanked Ethan repeatedly. Ethan waved it off.

"Consider it my thanks," he said. "Yuna helped me a lot during the war."

"The war?" someone echoed.

Yuna nodded. "Yes. The Redemption Sword has been defeated. The scavenger has been destroyed."

"Whoa. That is unbelievable."

"Looks like leaving them was the right choice," another added.

Ethan bid them farewell and turned back toward Lion City. Just as he began to walk away, Yuna called out his name again.

He turned around just in time to see her running toward him.

She wrapped her arms tightly around him.

The Sacred Hall members froze in shock, instinctively preparing themselves, but Yuna’s aide quickly stopped them.

"Calm down," he said. "This is just... a goodbye."

Ethan was stunned. He had never expected Yuna to run back and embrace him in front of everyone.

"Yuna?"

"Thank you... for everything," she whispered, burying her face against his chest as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Ethan smiled and gently patted her head. "Of course. Go rest and relax with them."

"There is nothing left for you to fear," he added.

Yuna slowly pulled away, wiping her tears and smiling brightly, her expression full of warmth and relief.

"I am heading back now, Ethan."

Ethan nodded and watched as Yuna returned to her team. Once she disappeared into the group, he turned and made his way back toward his own city.

Standing outside the western gate was Laura, alone. Ethan spotted her and smiled.

"So," Laura asked, "do we get some of that wine?"

Ethan chuckled, pulling out a bottle and showing it to her. "I have plenty. Do not worry."

Laura laughed, snatched the bottle from his hand, and ran back into the city.

Ethan followed, instructing the members to gather in front of the town center.

As a small celebration for the peace achieved during the event, Ethan planned to distribute the wine in his inventory to unit commanders, gate guards, and other team members.

Hanss arrived from the eastern side of the city after finishing an inspection with Patricia.

They both watched Ethan sitting in the open space before the town center, enjoying his wine.

Laura had been tasked with distributing bottles to each group. Hanss could not hide his curiosity.

"The war is over," Hanss said. "So this is our time to enjoy ourselves, right?"

Ethan turned and smiled. He lifted his wine bottle and handed it to Hanss.

"Yes," he said. "Enjoy it. Do not stay too busy with everything else."

And for the first time in a long while, Lion City was filled not with tension or fear, but with quiet laughter and the fragile peace everyone had fought so hard to protect.