I've learned something incredibly important about this world.
It turns out the world I know is only half of it—there's another, completely different world out there.
To be honest, that's even more surprising than the fact that I'm a reincarnated person.
Here, everyone knows me. I'm famous. But in that other world... no one does.
And strangely, I like that idea.
Maybe—just maybe—if I go there, I can finally live a truly peaceful life.
It doesn't have to be a quiet village in the mountains.
Maybe I could open a diner in a small town, just like Kazuma-nii-san did.
Or maybe a tiny convenience store, like Shuuto-san's place.
I could start over from zero.
Live not as a divine dragon, not as someone special, but simply as *Ceres*.
* * *
That night, I quietly gathered my wives.
Shizuko-san, my calm and gentle wife.
Haruka-neesan, my older sister.
Sayo-san, who's always been like a second mother to me.
Misaki-san, smart and serious.
Marianne-san, once a princess, now my wife.
Frey-san, my strong and brave swordswoman.
Cecilia-san, who used to be a holy maiden and still carries that grace.
If I were to go to another world, these are the only people I'd need.
I've already made peace with Zect. I've even left my stepdaughter and my childhood friends—all three of them—in his care.
Zect's grown up now. He's strong enough to protect them, even without me.
From now on, there's no need for me—or my wives—to forget everything and start from nothing.
Still... I can't help feeling like a father who's finally finished raising his children.
Like it's time to move forward.
"So, Ceres-kun, what's this about at such a late hour?"
"You look so serious. Is something wrong, Ceres?"
"Ceres-san, you seem worried!"
"Ceres-chan, you haven't said anything since earlier. Is something bothering you?"
"""Ceres-sama...?"""
Shizuko-san, Haruka-neesan, Sayo-san, Misaki-san, Marianne-san, and the others said in order.
Everyone looked at me with concerned faces.
Bauer-sama told me not to tell anyone about it, but he also said I could talk with my family—so it's okay.
I told them everything Bauer-sama shared with me.
"Ceres-kun!? There's another world besides this one!?"
"Ceres, that's not something ordinary people should know!"
Besides Shizuko-san and Haruka-neesan, everyone else stared at me in shock.
I've been through so much—fighting gods, making friends with Goddess Ishtas-sama and the Underworld Dragon Bauer-sama—that these things don't surprise me anymore.
Even hearing something so huge, I just thought, "Oh, I see."
Maybe it's because I'm reincarnated. I've already seen more than most people ever will.
"Well, forget about that for now. How about it? Want to move to that other world?"
A different world, where nobody knows us.
There, I can live a quiet, peaceful life.
But only if Shizuko-san and the others agree.
Because what matters most to me isn't just peace.
It's sharing that peace with the people I love.
If I can't do that, then I'd rather stay here.
"Yes, Ceres-kun. I agree."
"Yeah! In this world, we can't even be adventurers anymore. A fresh start sounds nice."
"If I'm with Ceres-chan, I know we'll enjoy it, wherever we go."
"Yes... if it's with Ceres-san, we'll be fine anywhere."
Shizuko-san, Haruka-neesan, Sayo-san, and Misaki-san agreed right away.
But then came the next issue...
"My skills are calling! I'm still a former Sword Saint! I was only strong because the people around me were amazing—but among humans, I was top-tier!"
"I'm also a former Saint! I can live anywhere. And wherever Ceres-sama is, that's where I belong!"
Frey-san and Cecilia-san had no problem.
They were confident in their skills.
But...
"Can I manage somewhere else? Even now, I'm useless. Honestly, I only do night duty..."
Marianne-san looked down as she said that.
The others had strong jobs and useful skills.
Frey-san could use a sword better than anyone. Cecilia had experience helping people as a holy maiden.
But Marianne-san... didn't have a stable way to support herself.
That's how it is in this world.
Everyone knows she's the first princess of the Dhamar Kingdom.
She's also the wife of the king of Kohane Country—me. And I know her limits.
But in a world where nobody knows who she is... maybe she can finally try something new?
She won't be treated like a princess there.
She can try something as simple as learning to cook, or working a job, or even opening a shop.
Something just for herself.
"Marianne-san, in a world that doesn't know you as a princess, maybe you can try new things? Even if you can't do anything right now, it's fine. You can challenge yourself and find out what *you* want to do. Doesn't that sound good?"
"...Is that really okay?"
"Yes!"
"That sounds fun! I never had much chance to cook. Maybe I could start with that."
"...Is that so...!?"
For some reason, Shizuko-san and the others suddenly looked down.
"Umm, Marianne-sama, there are other paths besides cooking, you know?"
"Yeah, maybe look for something else that interests you!"
"...Other than cooking?"
"Shizuko-san, you can bake too, right, Haruka-neesan too?"
"Ceres! I told you before, Marianne-sama was the one who wanted to learn cooking. I only taught her a little back then."
"Oh, really? What about you, Haruka-neesan?"
She softly mumbled, "Just about as much as Maria."
So... the same level? Are you saying everything turns into charcoal?
"Marianne-san, you're free to do what you want. Try different things!"
"That's right! You don't need to live as Princess Marianne anymore. Live as yourself. It'll be fun!"
We talked for a long time that night.
And in the end, we all agreed:
We'd go to that other world. We'd live there. Together.
But...
Before we could leave, I hadn't realized something.
There were still things I needed to do.