Disclaimer: I don't own Gate or Nihon-koku Shoukan, as they belong to their rightful owners.

Arc 2: A City, A Diplomacy, A Dragon

 Noble City: Epilogue

"So what took you so long?"

As the ornate carriage, drawn by a majestic griffon, came to a stop, the doors swung open, revealing the old man and his usual expressions. The draconian apostle and the teenage adventurer, who had been waiting with visible impatience, immediately stood up from the cobblestone stairs where they had been sitting for an hour and began gathering their belongings.

The older man still a bit in his usual drunken stupor came to his senses.

"Oh, you two looked as if you went through a lot." He remarked, giving a slight laugh.

Giselle eyed him intently.

"Yeah Bacchus, a lot..."

"The fact that you have to protect thousands of innocent people while in the middle of fighting different enemies at once? Yeah, that's just a small part of that."

"And that includes nearly entering the Promise Land..." Albrecht added while yawning." You don't usually get yourself pierced on the back by a giant scythe."

The pair continued recounting their experiences aloud and sarcastically.

Upon hearing those words, Bacchus widened his eyes in shock as he fully understood what had happened.

They were telling the truth.

They actually did it.

"Alright! Alright! I am sorry!" He apologized immediately.

The old man took hold of a small pair of sturdy brown sacks, each brimming with a bounty of shimmering golden coins, the well-earned fruits of his labor.

"Here you go...no one has ever completed a mission much like this..." He nervously smiled.

The two examined the rewards and were surprised to see how much they had improved this time around.

"Are serious about this?" Giselle raised an eyebrow.

Bacchus nodded." Of course! You were the only ones who dared to take this mission and complete it fair and square."

"And besides..." He drew out a certain newspaper and presented it to the two.

Albrecht widened his eyes in wonder.

"No way!" He said aloud.

"Yes, this will be in tomorrow's main news." The old man explained." Well...at least in some bustling places to begin with."

Both of them continued to read the main contents of the headlines which revealed:

"Unknown Kingdom in Rodenius thwarts a massive aerial invasion by the Saderan empire."

For Giselle, her eyes noticed another headline and a small image of her battling the wyvern enemies from the skies.

"Apostle responsible for saving the Flame Dragon from dark magic."

That would get the people interested in her profession and her story.

"Young Hero leads the way in slaying demons in the city."

"Wait, how did you get this, old man?" Albrecht inquired after seeing the image of him on that particular carriage, slaying many of the shadow creatures while also inspiring the defenders of the city to fight back stronger.

Bacchus then cleared his throat." Well, let's just say I'm friends with that jerk with a heart of gold editor." He laughed.

"You know...that albatross-looking bird that you could easily beat in a drinking game..."

"Wait, you don't mean...?"

Giselle wanted to know more and said.." Okay, who the heck is that?"

"Chief Freeman! He is the editor of the New World Life News." The boy explained." I saw him once when he visited the city of Bellango during an errand mission of mine."

"So how's he important in this?"

"He can decide the fate of your image and reputation to the masses...heck maybe in every civilization out there!"

"And He has good people that can take these images even in the worst of situations."

He paused to see if his friend had understood what he had said.

"Though, I am not sure if you heard the concept of newspapers but...It tells every major story and event that happened in many places."

"Of course, I've heard of it!" Giselle replied with a slightly annoyed look.

However, she felt a bit amazed at this idea as the realization came to her.

After years of laying low, the concept and idea of Apostles were once again thrust into the spotlight, because of her recent actions.

Albrecht was also filled with excitement to know that even the low-time adventurers just like himself got the exposure.

In the midst of that, Bacchus simply drew out two posters. "Well, once you get your confidence up, how about we discuss these two new and exciting quests that I have for you both?" He grinned.

Two posters that contained quests that would take them to two familiar cities from the West.

Upon seeing them, both the boy and draconian woman groaned.

"Nah, we'll think about it." Both said in unison.

"Hey, I didn't say you two should take it right away." The old man tried to explain." I meant we should discuss this and I will tell you the details."

Giselle yawned." Well...I am really hungry and tired, maybe you could take us to a nice Inn with an unlimited buffet..." She grinned." That's the reward I want."

The old man gulped.

"Yes! She's right, I am so dying to get a nice vacation for at least 2 weeks before maybe visiting my hometown..." Albrecht then said.

Bacchus was sweating as he didn't expect this from them." Oh, come on you two...What more do you want? I already gave you the-"

"Hey! We saved the world from impending doom this time!" Both of them exclaimed in unison.

That probably made the old man sigh in defeat and he finally surrendered.

"Fine, I'll take you there and the treat would be mine..."

"Yes!" The teenager cheered and raised a fist in the air.

Giselle grinned proudly, "Hey, that's not bad...I think your former status as a God should be restored." She laughed for the first time.

The old man just rolled his eyes.

"Whatever just get in..."

As the two entered the carriage, Bacchus could only shake his head, unsure how he had gotten himself into such a mess. Nonetheless, he was proud of them for sticking to their jobs and maintaining their integrity in contrast to others.

And then recalled some small but important words from a certain apostle whom he had known for a very long time.

"Never stop believing for a better future, Red Nose.."

And her signature giggle and smile.

"Perhaps, you're right...Rory." He muttered to himself.

"Perhaps, you're right."

As he shook his head, a subtle smirk formed on his lips. His eyes wandered toward the two posters hanging on the wall, and he couldn't help but think about the significance of these quests. Deep down, he knew that the fate of the entire continent rested upon the outcome of these missions, and it wouldn't be long before everything would be decided.

EPILOGUE END

AN: So this is the follow-up epilogue chapter to the finale chapter. Just a short and simple one with Albrecht, Giselle, and their old friend.