Rodrigo stood up to go look for Ana, but at that moment he ran into Epona, who was a little past tipsy.

  “Hi, Rodrigo. You look really good today!” the Celtic goddess said with a smile.

  “Epona, tell me—have you seen Ana?” Rodrigo asked, intrigued.

  “Sorry, Rodrigo, but I haven’t seen her in quite a while,” the horse goddess replied, sounding slightly irritated.

  “Alright, thanks, Epona,” Rodrigo said as he turned around—but just then, he felt Epona grab his arm.

  “Before that, Rodrigo… there’s something I want to tell you in private,” Epona said, making Rodrigo’s heart pound like a drum.

  “O-okay,” the young man replied, cursing himself internally because he was supposed to be looking for Ana.

  Epona smiled and said, “Follow me,” as she led him away.

  They moved away from the party, near the place where Rodrigo had first learned to control his divine energy. Epona sat down facing the sea, watching the waves, and Rodrigo quickly followed suit.

  “A long time ago, I lived far from civilization, in a small stable, and I barely interacted with people. You could say I was a peasant. Even among my siblings, my accent was strange and rough,” Epona said as she hugged her knees to her chest.

  “I don’t know much about your past, Epona,” Rodrigo said softly.

  “There isn’t much to tell. I woke up, milked my cows, herded my horses, made the land fertile for my little ones. I lived like that for hundreds of years,” Epona said.

  “That doesn’t sound very exciting when you put it that way,” Rodrigo replied.

  “Even so, I miss that simple, quiet life. Among humans, I started to feel arrogant, as if I were important just because I was a goddess—but you’ve never acted that way. I met two Nephilim who, the moment they discovered their divine blood, tried to dominate mankind. But you’re not like that. You’re a wonderful person,” she said.

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  “I don’t think I’m that great,” Rodrigo replied shyly.

  “They say power reveals who you truly are. I’m afraid power went to my head a little—but when I met you, I started to admire you,” Epona said.

  Rodrigo blushed and thanked her.

  “What I’m trying to say is this… Rodrigo, when our mission in Vinland is over, I want to return to a peaceful life in this world. To live like Tania does, somewhere I can be with people and help them. I don’t like fighting or war. If we could live in Vinland, far away from Lel… I’d like to do it with you,” Epona said.

  “Me? Really?” Rodrigo asked, startled—though deep down, he felt excited. The woman he liked wanted to live with him.

  Epona looked at him and smiled.

  “I really like you, Rodrigo. I want to live with you,” she confessed.

  Rodrigo felt like he was in heaven. In that moment, he completely forgot about Ana and only wanted to hug and kiss the woman in front of him.

  “Before anything else, Rodrigo… tell me… do you feel something for Ana?” Epona asked.

  The young man froze again. Once more, that question—about the woman he saw as his mentor. Did everyone really believe he felt something more for her?

  “I care about her a lot, but I can’t stop seeing her as my teacher. But you, Epona… I see you differently. You always supported me—even when you learned I was a tannin, you defended me,” Rodrigo said.

  “That’s only natural. People should be judged by what’s inside,” Epona replied with a smile.

  “And I never thanked you for that,” Rodrigo continued.

  “Rodrigo, you saved my life in Denmark. You thought you were going to die. You knew nothing about your tannin blood… and yet, when I saw you impaled by that horrible serpent, I couldn’t stop thinking about you from that day on,” Epona said, blushing.

  “I didn’t want to lose anyone that day,” Rodrigo replied quietly.

  “No one gives their life for others so easily… only you do. You’re my hero, Rodrigo,” Epona said emotionally.

  Her smile was beautiful. Her face was flushed, her eyes closed, tiny tears forming. Rodrigo was completely captivated by her expression.

  At that moment, Epona cupped Rodrigo’s face with her hands and kissed him.

  Rodrigo returned the kiss with overwhelming passion. He held her tightly as their tongues met.

  When the kiss ended, Epona rested her head against Rodrigo’s chest.

  “It’s incredible. When I kissed you on Mars, I didn’t think about the consequences. And yet, strangely enough, your saliva didn’t poison me,” Epona said.

  Rodrigo remembered being told that Epona had kissed him to restore his health, and he blushed.

  “So… will you live with me, Rodrigo?” Epona asked softly.

  “Of course I will, Ep,” Rodrigo replied.

  “You make me very happy,” the horse goddess said as she curled up in his arms.

  It felt as though the sky itself had opened for Rodrigo. From the moment he had first seen Epona, he had fallen for her. Yet a trace of sadness lingered—because this meant leaving Tania and Ana behind, and he had grown fond of them as well.

  They both fell asleep outside, gazing at the full moon as it illuminated their faces.