Chapter 354: Going Back Home
Calen had secretly been happy when Azul stayed behind. After all, it meant he had one less rival competing for Roxanna’s attention.
But now, seeing her cry so helplessly, that small bit of happiness disappeared without a trace.
"Hey, we’ll definitely see them again," Calen said softly, doing his best to comfort her.
He scooted closer until he was sitting right beside her. After a brief moment of hesitation, he gently rested a hand on her shoulder.
"And when that day comes," he continued, "Azura will be healthy. She’ll be able to breathe on her own, and she’ll be waiting for us."
Instead of calming her down, his words made Roxanna cry even harder.
She had been holding back her emotions ever since she left Aquillian, trying to stay strong, but she couldn’t do it anymore and all the sadness she had been keeping inside finally poured out.
Without thinking, she leaned into Calen and buried her face against his chest, letting herself cry as much as she needed.
Calen let out a soft sigh before carefully wrapping one arm around her shoulders, holding her gently as she cried her heart out.
Zeir also walked over and sat beside her. He gently rubbed her back, offering what little comfort he could without saying a word.
===
The journey from the Aquillian Kingdom to the shore took about a full day. They left the kingdom in the morning and reached the coast the following morning.
As they arrived, Mr. Kraken carefully wrapped his tentacles around their bodies and gently carried them onto the beach.
He lingered in the shallow water for a moment, watching Roxanna with his large eyes.
The ocean was his home, so matter how much he wanted to follow her, he couldn’t leave the sea behind.
"Mr. Kraken, thank you for the ride," Roxanna said as she gently patted one of his tentacles.
Mr. Kraken let out a soft, mournful sound that reminded her of a lonely puppy’s whimper. It was almost as if he were telling her that he didn’t want her to leave.
Roxanna’s heart softened and she gently patted his tentacle again.
"I’m so sorry," she said softly. "But I can’t stay in the ocean for too long."
As Mr. Kraken lowered his head even more and let out an even louder whimper, Roxanna finally said, "But I promise I’ll visit the beach from time to time. If I want to see you, how can I call you?"
[I already have the title Sea God’s Bride, and it says I can summon the demon sea beasts whenever I want, but... how am I supposed to do that?] she wondered.
Mr. Kraken blinked his large eyes before gently tapping the side of his head with the tip of one of his tentacles.
Roxanna tilted her head. "My mind?"
The giant sea beast nodded eagerly. Then he pointed one tentacle toward Roxanna before pointing it at himself, as if trying to tell her something.
Roxanna stared at him for a moment before her eyes slowly lit up with understanding. "You mean... I only have to call your name in my mind?"
Mr. Kraken immediately let out a cheerful cry and nodded so hard that small waves rippled across the shore.
Roxanna couldn’t help but laugh. "Really?"
He nodded again. "So if I think about you and call for you in my mind, you will come?"
Mr. Kraken patted his chest proudly before raising one of his tentacles high into the air.
Roxanna smiled warmly. "I see... Then if I ever want to see you again, I’ll just call your name a few times."
Mr. Kraken quickly shook his head. One of his smaller tentacles reached out and gently poked her forehead.
Roxanna blinked in surprise. "Just one time is enough?"
The giant sea beast nodded eagerly, letting out a happy chirp.
Roxanna couldn’t help but giggle. "You’re that easy to summon?"
Mr. Kraken proudly puffed out his chest before nodding again.
Calen folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Doesn’t that mean you’ll come running the moment she thinks about you?"
Mr. Kraken nodded without the slightest hesitation.
Calen clicked his tongue. "You’re just as hopeless as your king, I see."
The Kraken didn’t seem offended in the slightest. Instead, he happily swayed his tentacles from side to side, looking almost proud of himself.
Roxanna couldn’t help smiling at the adorable sight. "Then... I guess this is goodbye, Mr. Kraken," she said with a gentle but sad smile. "I want to spend more time with you, but I really have to go home."
Mr. Kraken let out another soft whimper, making her heart ache.
[I’ve really been missing my home,] Roxanna thought. [And I miss Cyrus and Luan too.]
She couldn’t help wondering what they had been doing while she was away.
Had everything been peaceful in the settlement? Had they been taking good care of themselves? Or... had they been worrying about her every single day?
The more she thought about it, the stronger her longing to return home became.
"Please be safe when you return to the ocean. And tell Azul that I’ve made it back to land safely," Roxanna said.
She leaned forward and wrapped both arms around one of Mr. Kraken’s tentacles.
"See you again, Mr. Kraken," she whispered.
The giant sea beast let out a long, gentle cry. Slowly, he curled the tip of his tentacle around Roxanna one last time, almost like he was returning the hug.
Roxanna smiled through her tears and gave his smooth skin one last pat before letting go.
Mr. Kraken looked at her for several more seconds, as though trying to memorize her face. Then, with one last mournful call, he slowly turned toward the open sea.
His enormous body slipped beneath the waves, disappearing little by little until only the ripples on the surface remained.
Roxanna stood there quietly, watching the ocean long after he had vanished.
"Let’s go," she said softly.
Calen nodded. "Yeah."
Zeir gave the sea one last glance before turning around as well.
The three of them began walking away from the shore, leaving the sound of the waves behind them.
The journey back to the Vixeria Settlement would still take several days, but with every step they took, Roxanna could feel herself getting closer to home.
A gentle breeze brushed against her face, carrying the familiar scent of the forest instead of the sea.
For the first time in days, she felt a small sense of comfort.
She had left behind her daughter, her husband, and many friends in the Aquillian Kingdom. But she was also returning to the place where more people were waiting for her.