Chapter 304: Magic Tower, Again (3)
Haylech’s terrorist attack continued systematically. Dark energy exploded first, causing confusion, and the n.o.bles ran away, clutching the hem of their dresses or throwing off their suit jackets. The knights who had been dispatched were helping them evacuate. Haylech was the largest wealthy village in the Empire, so an attack there would create greater social pressure than the genocide of commoners.
“Come here! There are escort knights!”
“Don’t worry. We will protect you!”
However, the situation didn’t improve even with the dispatch of the knights. Rather, a thick cloud of purple smoke suffocated them. The concentration of dark energy was so thick that it would kill you in ten minutes without a gas mask.
Swoooosh…
Blue and white mana flowed through the air, freezing the dark energy as I walked by. The knights and n.o.bles smiled brightly when they saw me.
“It’s Count Yukline!”
Then, a dull explosive sound followed. The largest building in the village center began to crumble.
—Kyaaaaaaaaah!
Screams filled the air.
Bang–! Bang–! Bang–!
More bombs went off in the surrounding area.
“…Tsk.”
I quietly closed my eyes. The magic I was trying to implement was simple, utilizing Psychokinesis with my entire body as a magic circle.
I froze s.p.a.ce. The fragments of buildings that hung in the air, the magic detonating across the village, and the terrible smoke devoured the ground. All of them.
“…”
I opened my eyes again and looked up. A swarm of flies soaring above… that seemed to be the group behind this terrorist attack.
Shoot-!
They threw dark energy bombs at me. In response, I pulled out the rocks from the road and the steel frames from the collapsed building.
Thump—
Then, a pain shot through my heart.
“You b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.”
However, that pain soon turned to anger to slaughter the Altar worms. The steel frames pierced the sky, leaving them no room for escape.
…It took only three minutes to destroy them. I stood calmly amid terror and looked around. The scenery was still the same. In other words, the collapsed buildings and fragments were still caught in my Psychokinesis. The n.o.bles standing nearby watched me with bewilderment.
“Escape.”
I said. However, there was no response.
“P-Please, leave!”
When the knights shouted, a woman standing by turned and ran away.
“You’re trustworthy after all.”
Sophien. She grinned as she approached me.
“Go back. We don’t know if another bombing will follow.”
“Hmph. I’m not weak enough to die in a bombardment. Rather, Deculein.”
Sophien glanced at me from the side. I nodded.
“Rohakan said that I would one day kill you.”
“Yes.”
“…I once went to the future with your disciple.”
And then, a bomb-like revelation exploded. I hurriedly looked back at her.
The future that Sophien experienced with Epherene. It was an intriguing topic.
“Are you talking about time travel?”
“Yes. There you left a letter for me.”
Sophien pulled out a piece of paper. A crinkled letter, worn with use.
“Are you going to read it?”
“…Yes.”
I read it without hesitation. The content was brief.
“Your Majesty.
I am Deculein after some time has pa.s.sed.
However, I agree with everything about myself and Your Majesty, even my death. Therefore, it is correct not to undo things that do not need to be reversed.”
“As I read, I wondered if that meant that I would eventually kill you.”
Sophien said. I shook my head.
“Then the future seems to have changed.”
“No.”
Sophien laughed.
“Aren’t you dying right now?”
“…”
She pointed to my heart. Sophien’s lips smiled, but her eyes were full of sorrow.
“Deculein. Let’s go to Rahal.”
Sophien said so and took my hand.
“Let’s see some street art.”
Street art. Those words brought back memories of Kim Woojin from deep inside. Memories of a poor orphan who struggled to become an artist.
“Come on. Walking down the street, looking at art, I’ll be preoccupied with how to save you…”
Sophien grabbed me. The me, who seemed staggered, like that guy in Kim Woojin’s past.
* * *
The next morning, the dining room in the tower. Epherene and Sylvia were having a meal together and discussing plans.
“Sylvia. Shall we tell the Professor first?”
“I can’t. And I told you to call me Sephine, not Sylvia.”
“Why can’t you? You know about me. I’m not on talking terms with the Professor.”
“…”
Sylvia wasn’t ready to say anything to Deculein yet.
“We are no longer students.”
Instead, she kept changing the topic. They were no longer students, so they had the confidence to solve it alone.
“We can solve it.”
“…Indeed. To be honest, I’m confident right now, you know?”
Epherene flexed an arm.
“What do you think? I am very strong.”
“Stupid.”
“What?”
“Anyway, it’s a secret to the Professor.”
Sylvia stood with her plate.
“Let’s solve it here. I will make a plan.”
Epherene asked her as she followed.
“Why are you making plans?”
“I am older than you.”
“…What.”
“And smarter.”
Tap-
The two set their plates down. Sylvia’s still had some leftovers, but Epherene’s was licked clean.
“Oh, right, Sephine. Can you get me a book?”
Epherene asked as they walked down the hallway. Sylvia halted.
“It’s a science book. I-“
“Shh.”
Sylvia placed a finger to her lips. Then, she continued, her eyes darting back and forth.
“It’s the purging officers.”
“…The purging officers?”
“Yes. The purging officers of the Floating Island.”
Purging officers. All wizards on this continent considered them synonymous with terror, a natural enemy of wizards developed to punish wizards on the Floating Island.
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ve been chased by them before.”
Sylvia was used to their distinctive magical scent of disinfectant, designed to bleach their own ident.i.ty.
“Follow me. We don’t know if you’ve been caught.”
“…Yes.”
The two of them grew serious and were surprised to find someone in the lobby on the first floor.
“It’s been a long time since an addict has arrived without an appointment, and you of all of them.”
“I’m sorry. Chairman.”
Professor Deculein. No, Chairman Deculein. He walked through the lobby on the first floor, followed by other professors and working staff. Astal, a famous addict on Floating Island, was among them.
“…I’ll hear what you have to say upstairs.”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, they got on the elevator without paying any attention to them.
Ding—
As soon as the elevator door closed, Sylvia and Epherene sighed in relief almost simultaneously.
“Whew”
“Haah… wait.”
But suddenly, a thought popped into Sylvia’s head. Epherene asked.
“What?”
“No way… wait. No, come with me.”
Sylvia grabbed Epherene and dragged her out of the tower, and she took a seat on the farthest bench behind the tower.
“What? Why?”
“You stupid Epherene. Keep a lookout while I spy.”
“…Spy?”
“Yes. It’s suspicious that an addict from Floating Island came to visit. Perhaps it has something to do with the purging officers.”
Sylvia closed her eyes. Epherene was a bit disconcerted, but she kept guard as Sylvia told her.
Whoosh…
The wind picked up. It was the wind of spying that Sylvia had created. It was her first time using it since she arrived at the tower.
…
The top floor of the tower, the office of the chairman. There, the addict Astal spoke to me.
“The purging officers have been dispatched.”
I asked calmly.
“…Who is being tracked?”
“Of course, it’s Epherene.”
“The reason is?”
“Because Epherene was found.”
My brow furrowed. They pursued Epherene because they found her. It made no more sense than the logic that a mountain was climbed because it was there.
“What do you mean?”
“The details are in this doc.u.ment.”
Astal held out the papers.
“…”
I was speechless as I read them. Surely, Epherene had been found. Her first location was in Hadekain’s Underground Pa.s.sage. A crystal ball that functioned like CCTV caught her.
The second location was the restaurant Pig’s Flower near the tower. Unable to go inside, Epherene snuck around outside the restaurant.
“You can see it.”
However, the biggest problem was the timing of the discovery of this first and second appearance, literally, at the same time. The first Epherene and the second Epherene were present simultaneously but in different locations.
“Epherene is dangerous.”
“…More dangerous than the self-proclaimed G.o.d of Extinction? Enough to bring purging officers in a situation like this?”
I asked so. Astal answered.
“Yes. The one who claims to be a G.o.d cannot control time. However, Epherene is an incomplete magician who can shake the foundations of the world.”
“…”
“So, the Floating Island is waiting for Epherene’s disposal. A catastrophe caused by this child’s inability to properly handle her power must be what the G.o.d of the Altar wants.”
Epherene. I wondered if she was aware of this fact.
Astal continued.
“I want you to help with the purge.”
“…”
When I heard those words, my brain started to turn, but I maintained my composure.
“Having Epherene as a disciple, don’t you know her habits and her behavior patterns?”
I stared at Astal.
“I know because of that child; you now bear the stigma of being a plagiarizing professor. So, if you help the Floating Island-“
“Okay.”
I nodded. It seemed that the public’s perception of Epherene and me was still the same.
“Good.”
It was unsettling to entrust Epherene to the Floating Island. Especially since the purging officers were savvy and inflexible mechanical b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, Epherene, who liked people, could be killed stupidly.
“This is what I was hoping for. I’ll go ahead and take care of it.”
I would take the initiative myself. At least there was no lie in that statement.
Astal also smiled.
“Yes. Take this crystal ball. It is connected to the purging officers.”
“…Okay.”
A total of three crystal b.a.l.l.s. I put them away.
…Whoooosh.
The sound of wind whipped around the office.
* * *
“…”
Dawn.
Sylvia was sitting at her desk and jotting down in her diary.
[Deculein is trying to kill Epherene.]
With her hand on her chin, she poked at the paper with a pencil.
[The reason is that Epherene’s talent is time. An attribute that an ordinary person can never handle. If Epherene doesn’t properly control the power of time…]
Epherene’s talent – Time. The power that could destroy the continent.
[The continent may be destroyed.]
Sylvia thought of the Deculein she knew. If it were Deculein, he could kill Epherene. If he had to choose between the continent and Epherene, he would, of course, choose the continent-
Kweeeehh—
Sylvia turned around, startled by the sudden screech.
Hweeehh—
It was Epherene’s snoring as she lay on the bed.
“…Stupid Epherene.”
‘Why am I feeling strangely compa.s.sionate? Is it because she’s younger than me?’
Sylvia smiled slightly and continued writing.
[Still, I want to keep this girl as safe as possible. Also, I’m strong enough to do so. Enough to break a mere purging officer with my hands.]
“Wait a minute.”
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Sylvia. The thief who stole the painting she drew on the Voice’s Island. Epherene’s mana was detected there.
“…Epherene, it was you after all.”
Sylvia turned to Epherene and shook her head. Not the current, but the future Epherene. She must have borrowed the Voice’s mana stone and her painting without permission for whatever reason.
“But.”
After thinking up to that point, Sylvia became curious.
“What are you up to…?”
Epherene. Right now, she was sound asleep, drooling and snoring.
“I should study.”
Sylvia pulled out her magic book again. She perfectly mastered the Three Primary Colors on the Voice’s Island, but she had been there for so long she was now ignorant of the current magic trends.
“Let’s study. I have to keep up.”
* * *
On the other hand, in Annihilation. This purple land where life could not grow or be sustained. In such a harsh environment, the faith of the Altar was blooming.
“…Isn’t it curious?”
Quay said, pointing to the scenery inside the crystal ball. Kreto shook his head.
“What’s so curious about it?”
“Look at the living.”
The appearance of the inhabitants of the Annihilation underground was reflected through the crystal ball. They wrote, studied, and interpreted Quay’s words on long scrolls in rustic huts. Quay was considered and accepted as their G.o.d.
“I never told them to do it. The Altar doesn’t force them either. They are just doing that on their own.”
A smile spread across Quay’s face. Kreto looked at him, feeling a little puzzled.
“Is it good?”
“It’s curious.”
“Yeah. The Altar is a group that worships you, but only with that?”
Quay smiled.
“There is a difference between worship and respect. If praise is worship, respect is an attempt to study and interpret my inner meaning. So far, the Altar has worshiped me, but… the newcomers are studying me, trying to find reasons to believe in me.”
Kreto glanced at him.
“That’s why I can’t forgive them even more.”
“…What?”
Suddenly, Quay started to grind his teeth.
“That pure heart will eventually fade. One day they will try to kill me too, right?”
“That leap is a little harsh.”
“It’s not a leap. Today’s human beings are designed wrong from the start. They’re like demons.”
“…”
“Yeah, they have to start all over again.”
Kreto found him bizarre but, at the same time, pitiful. That was what Kreto, having heard all of his stories, felt.
…The last believer who served G.o.d alone for ten thousand years, even after G.o.d had already died. That was Quay.
“But can you beat my sister?”
Kreto asked. Sophien was strong. She was a human born with the perfect talent, both physically and magically. Now that even the mental ban was broken…
“No. I can’t win.”
Quay shook his head.
“She is the most powerful body I have ever arranged. But now I’m just a doll, so I can’t beat Sophien.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
Kreto had no intention of cooperating with Quay. However, for now, he was with him.
If there was someone this dangerous on this continent, Kreto, as the second-ranking person in the Empire, was rightly responsible for keeping an eye on every move he made.
“Do you know Epherene?”
Quay asked. Kreto replied.
“I do. The disloyal disciple of Deculein.”
“Yes. With the power of that child, I will relocate this world.”
Just like that child was trying to turn back the time of the knight named Julie.
Quay mumbled a bit and smiled brightly.
“…Turn it back?”
“Yes. So, are you ready?”
Kreto raised an eyebrow.
“Ready for what?”
“Ready to go to the tower.”
“To the tower?”
“Yes. Both Epherene and Deculein are there. It should be completed there. It all ends there.”
Quay was determined to go to the end.
“…”
No, still, going all of a sudden to the magic tower. Kreto looked at him, puzzled, and Quay flashed a bright smile back.
—News from the Imperial University Magic Tower.
A sudden report arrived.
—Chairman Deculein has revealed the theory test for selecting Her Majesty’s Teaching Wizard.
“Oh. It’s done.”
Quay ruffled his hair and smiled.
“…What is?”
“The selection of teaching wizards. I want to partic.i.p.ate too.”
“What?”
“All wizards in the Empire are allowed so that I can partic.i.p.ate too.”
“No, what-“
“Shh.”
Holding Kreto’s hand, Quay closed his eyes. It was a precursor for teleportation, so Kreto quickly closed his eyes.
Whooong—
When he opened them again-
“…The islands.”
“Yes.”
They were already in the islands.
* * *
As soon as I completed the seven-series theory test, I revealed it to Floating Island and the Imperial Magic Tower. Their reaction was… I couldn’t say it wasn’t good, even with their empty words.
“There is excitement not only in the Kingdom but also in the Princ.i.p.ality.”
Sophien smiled while reading the newspaper in the Imperial Palace. That gentle smile put people at ease for some reason, and it was completely different from her previous appearance.
“There is only one problem for each series.”
The problem I submitted was one per series, and it was only a one-question test. However, extensive knowledge about the series was required to solve this problem.
In terms of calculus, it was a level that could be accessed only if you knew everything from the limit of a sequence to trigonometric functions, integration, and a.n.a.lytical geometry. If you could solve this problem, the t.i.tle of the best expert in the field would be fitting.
“Your test is encroaching upon the Floating Island.”
“Is that so?”
“By the way, can you release these things for free?”
The public scope of this test paper was for the entire continent. Anyone who wanted could read them.
“Yes. It’s fine.”
“…”
Sophien chuckled.
“Gosh. You are a generous professor… but.”
Her expression soon turned bitter.
“Is it soon? Julie’s recovery.”
“…”
The two weeks Epherene talked about were rapidly approaching.
“Yes.”
“Until then, I have a lot to say, but… there is much more to do.”
Sophien pointed to the pile of papers on the desk.
“Now go out. I want to be with you more, but it is right to do the heavy-duty work on my own.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I bowed my head and stood.
“I’ll be leaving.”
“Okay.”
Sophien waved her hand, and I backed out of the office.
—Etheric Deculein.
Communication came through as soon as I exited into the corridor of the Imperial Palace. The person who called me by the rank of Etheric, not my t.i.tle or status in the tower, was the purging officer of the Floating Island.
—Target Epherene has been captured.
“…”
I sighed inwardly.
Indeed. If she could hide for a long time without getting caught, she wouldn’t be d.a.m.n Epherene.
“Where?”
—The Imperial Magic Tower.
And it was even in the tower.
I put a hand to my trembling forehead.
“I will be there soon. Wait for me…”