Chapter 157: Forest (1)

The second game of our best-of-five had ended, with Sophien, as White, taking the win by a 2.5-point lead. Given White’s 7.5-point komi, it was a narrow and rather disappointing loss.

“

Muhaha

,” Sophien chuckled, her smile reserved yet unmistakable in its satisfaction. Though her face remained composed, her lips alone hinted at a subtle, almost playful triumph.

“

Muhaha

.”

Sophien hadn’t fully savored her victory in the first match, but now, she seemed set on enjoying the game of Go itself.

“

Muhaha

.”

I slowly replayed the match in my mind—Sophien’s white stones challenging my black. Each opening and move carved itself into memory as I delved into analysis, guided by a profound sense of

Comprehension

.

Just then...

“Your Majesty, we have captured them,” one of the imperial knights reported, stepping forward with measured respect. The matter had already been resolved some time ago, but they had waited for the match to conclude before approaching. “Would you like them returned to the capital for interrogation, or—”

“There's no need. Put them to death,” Sophien commanded.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"But, Your Majesty, what of those behind this—"

"I said, put them to death. There’s no sense wasting time on vermin like them. Burn the bodies when you’re done."

“... Yes, Your Majesty," the knights replied, bowing before they respectfully withdrew from the room.

Sophien gave them a brief look, then turned back to me and said, “Deculein, that was quite entertaining. I take it our third match is set for next week?”

“Yes, that appears to be the case,” I replied.

"Do you have the confidence to claim victory in our next match?"

"Yes, the time has come for me to take victory," I replied with a nod.

Sophien’s expression softened into a smile as she said, “Good. I will look forward to it.”

—

Professor!

At that moment, a loud voice burst from the crystal orb tucked in my inner pocket—Allen’s voice on the other end.

—

We’ve found Miss Epherene!

Sophien let out a quiet laugh at the report, her tone softer than usual, and said, “So, the falling child has returned. Go on, and look after that child. I’ll review the match myself—it seems I’ll need to put in some more effort to keep up with you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said, rising respectfully before taking my leave.

"Are you alright?"

“You didn’t get hurt, did you, Miss Epherene?”

Epherene returned to the accommodation with Drent and Allen by her side.

“... I’m alright. It wasn’t a big deal—I just lost my way for a bit, that’s all,” Epherene replied.

Fortunately, she hadn’t been away for long—just three days in total, though her time spent with the Deculein of the future had been a week.

“Well, that makes sense. There are so many magical phenomena up here in the Northern Region during winter..." Drent muttered, his words trailing off as he pointed ahead. "...

Oh

, there’s the professor."

Standing in the distance was Deculein, his formal attire and his ice cold look adding to his aura of detachment. Although they had spent the past week together, Epherene couldn’t shake the awkwardness that settled over her in his presence.

“... Epherene,” Deculein addressed her, his tone cool and edged, a voice that now felt strange and distant.

Epherene raised her eyes to him and quietly responded, “Yes?”

“Where have you been off to?”

“That’s... something of a secret,” Epherene muttered, scratching the back of her head.

Deculein looked her up and down, then said, “You’ll receive a penalty point for abandoning your mission and straying from the assigned area. With your habit of keeping secrets, I trust you’ll have no objections?”

“... No, Professor.”

“Then go inside.”

Epherene trudged slowly to her accommodation, opening the door. A strange emptiness filled a corner of her heart—a bittersweet emptiness tinged with sadness. he let out a sigh as she climbed the stairs, feeling the unease settle deeper with each step. How strange it felt when timelines slipped out of sync.

But then...

“You would be Epherene.”

Epherene looked up at the sound of her name, and in an instant, she went rigid, every part of her body freezing in place.

“Protégé of Deculein from what I understand?"

Long hair blazed like flames, and her eyes shone with the brilliance of polished rubies. The heir to the Empire’s most noble lineage and the most revered figure across the continent—Empress Sophien, Aekater Augus von Jaegus Gifrein.

Thud—!

Epherene fell to her knees instinctively, her voice unsteady as she stammered, “I-it’s an h-honor to meet you, Y-your Majesty—!”

With a smirk, Sophien lifted her to her feet and said, “Enough. What I’m more interested in is where you’ve come from.”

“... Pardon?”

Sophien noted the strange aura shimmering around Epherene, leaving faint traces in its wake. Surely, Deculein had noticed it, too.

“And Deculein—he didn’t press you for answers?”

“N-no, Your Majesty, he only told me to get inside...”

“Hmm. Yes, well, he is not really one to pry into such matters,” Sophien remarked as she looked into Epherene’s sparkling eyes. “But I, on the other hand, can’t help but ask. I’m quite curious to know whether you’ll tell me the truth... or something else.”

A faint smile traced the Empress’s lips as she spoke, and Epherene gulped, feeling a rush of nervous tension settle over her.

***

At the foot of a mountain near Rekordak, deep in the Northern Region, Yulie stood, wiping blood from her blade and body.

“He’s come to the Northern Region?” Yulie asked.

The ground was soaked in blood, with scattered flesh strewn across the area. A brutal, slanting wound scarred her back—a gash that would have been fatal to most. As the blood loss continued, even a knight of her rank might struggle to survive.

"... Yes," Reylie answered evenly.

Yulie, too, remained composed; simply making it out from the battle alive seemed relief enough for now.

“Something in that size is probably worth enough to buy a house in the capital.”

Reylie motioned toward the beast she had just brought down—a tiger with tawny fur streaked in dark patterns, infamous for hunting down the region’s herbalists and scouts.

“It seems it hasn't fully grown yet... Let’s craft some armor for you from its hide,” Reylie said as she approached Yulie. “This may sting a little.”

“I’ll manage,” Yulie said, nodding as Reylie peeled away her damaged armor and carefully applied medicinal herbs to her torn muscles. Her slim shoulder shuddered under the sudden burn, as these injuries often brought a sharper agony during recovery, doubling the pain.

“

Ugh...

”

“Does it hurt?”

“... It’s tolerable.”

“Yet, I see tears running down your face.”

“No, it’s not...”

“Still, it’s a worthy accomplishment for you, Knight Yulie—just like Lord Zeit’s,” Reylie said with a light chuckle.

Yulie fell silent, her eyes drifting shut as fatigue claimed her, pulling her briefly into unconsciousness.

“

Oh

?

Hmm

.”

As Yulie rested, Reylie worked methodically, stripping the tiger’s meat from its hide. The skin would be carefully tanned into armor, and the meat—boiled or roasted—to strengthen Yulie through her recovery.

Clang—!

In a sudden fit of frustration, Reylie hurled her tools aside and spat, “

Ah

, Deculein, that son of a bitch.”

That damn bastard—tearing through the entire Freyhem Knights’ Order just to bury the truth of Veron, and if that wasn’t enough, he went and killed Rockfell too. Cruelest, most depraved monster alive, twisted beyond belief—worse than even Decalane,

Reylie thought.

"It's really frustrating!"

I should never have trusted him to begin with. I should have kept my suspicions all along.

"... Still," Reylie murmured, turning her attention back toward Yulie.

Yulie was growing stronger now, shaped by his betrayal and the ruin of everything she once depended on. With nothing left to hold her steady and no one left to lean on, she had become her own unyielding strength.

“One day, he’ll come to regret it.”

Taking down the tiger alone was undeniably a rare accomplishment. In the Northern Region, few had ever managed to defeat such a fully grown beast in single combat; only Zeit, head of Freyden, had done so before.

“Without a doubt.”

As Reylie roasted the tiger meat, she used her magic to tan its hide—a straightforward task for someone skilled in the dual categories of Supportive and Manipulation magic.

“One day... he will.”

Reylie gritted her teeth, thoughts of Deculein fueling her anger. If her own rage burned this fiercely, she could only imagine how Yulie must feel—a heart frozen over in the biting cold, steeled by silent suffering.

“I’ll make sure he regrets it, one day...”

“Reylie. Quiet,” Yulie murmured as she stirred awake, her face still pale.

“...

Oh

, you’re awake?” Reylie said, immediately passing her a tiger meat. Yulie accepted it, taking a bite with her small mouth. “How does it taste?”

At Reylie’s question, Yulie nodded and replied, “It’s good, a reward that feels well worth the pain—nearly dying for it seems fitting.”

“

Hahaha

. Go on, enjoy it while it’s still warm.”

The tiger’s massive hind leg nearly obscured Yulie’s face as she tore into the meat. Watching her, Reylie couldn’t help but smile softly to herself.

"There’s plenty more, so eat well and get better," Reylie added.

"... Yes, Reylie. It seems I’m always in your debt. Thank you, as ever..."

Yulie's words of gratitude faded swiftly. She clutched the tiger's hind leg tightly and closed her eyes, slipping into a deep, dreamless sleep—or perhaps it was more similar to unconsciousness. After all, she had lost a significant amount of blood in her fierce battle with the beast.

“... You're welcome.”

In the depths of the harsh Northern winter, as the relentless wind echoed through the emptiness, Reylie clung to a single hope—that Yulie would soon regain her strength and claim vengeance on Deculein.

At that moment...

Reylie sensed murderous intent drifting in from somewhere nearby. Instantly alert, she snapped her eyes open, drawing her wand in one hand and her dagger in the other, steadying herself.

***

Epherene grew more and more nervous, her fingers and toes twitching in a tense rhythm. Although the air was cool, beads of sweat traced their way down her temples, gathering until loose strands of hair stuck to her forehead. The reason for her anxiety was all too clear—Empress Sophien stretched out on the same sofa, only a few feet away.

“...

Hmm

.”

Sophien had spirited Epherene away with confidence, but as soon as they returned, she collapsed into the sofa, completely spent. The match had exhausted her, and now, with its end, an undeniable heaviness settled over her like a weight she could no longer resist.

"Now then... where exactly..." Sophien began, her voice tapering off as she suppressed a yawn.

Epherene couldn’t shake the thought that she resembled a lazy, oversized cat—one whose presence carried a weight of authority that pressed down on her.

“...

Ah

,” Sophien murmured, releasing a quiet sigh as her eyes drifted to the ceiling.

Epherene asked carefully, “Your Majesty... might I be permitted to leave now?”

Sophien’s eyes settled on Epherene, and with a slight shake of her head, she said, “There are still questions you need to answer.”

"... I-I understand, Your Majesty."

“Where exactly have you been?”

"I... I'm not quite sure what you're asking..."

Sophien scoffed, saying, “You’re saturated with a foreign mana—celestial, specifically. It’s lingering all over you.”

“...

Ah

.”

Epherene figured it must have been from the shooting star, recalling how she’d been thoroughly soaked in mana from its explosive burst.

“Deculein may have knowingly let you go, but I am not Deculein.”

Epherene stayed silent.

“No need to worry. I don’t make a habit of sharing secrets,” Sophien remarked.

Knowing that Sophien was the Empress reassured Epherene; after all, no one would presume to ask an Empress to break a confidence.

Even so, Epherene could only lower her head, murmuring, “... I apologize.”

“

Hmm

,” Sophien murmured, her eyes drifting back to the ceiling as a fleeting question slipped into her thoughts. “I wonder why celestial mana has found its mark on you...?”

Epherene’s hands and feet twitched restlessly, an anxious heat seeping beneath her skin as a chill of sweat settled over her.

“... And,” Sophien murmured, using a trace of

Telekinesis

to slide Epherene’s robe from her shoulder.

Epherene tried to quickly grab hold of it, but Sophien's Telekinesis effortlessly brought the concealed document to her hands.

“

Ah

!”

“What would this be?”

It was a report detailing the fall of a past shooting star from Deculein's future perspective, but for Epherene, it revealed the exact date of the star's impending fall.

Epherene’s face went pale in an instant as Sophien waved the paper and asked, "Do you mind if I read this? Unless, of course, you’d prefer otherwise, in which case I’ll put it away..."

Drowsiness weighed on the Empress’s face as she murmured the words. Before Epherene could respond, Sophien had already drifted off to sleep, the last of her strength for the day fully spent.

“...

Ahem

.”

Epherene inched her hand slowly toward the document still clutched in Sophien’s hand. But just as her fingers were about to reach it, Sophien turned over, hugging the report against her chest.

“

Oh...

! No...!” Epherene muttered, defeated.

***

“This is amazing, Professor! So much fun!”

Vrooooom—!

The snow-covered field stretched out before us as our sleek snowmobile powered through the drifts, its steel frame as sturdy as a charging rhino.

“

Wow

~!”

Allen's cheerful shouts echoed from behind as I steered the snowmobile skillfully. We kept pace with the escort cavalry trailing us, but unlike them, Allen seemed unaffected by any motion sickness—a definite advantage.

“We’ve arrived,” I announced, halting the snowmobile precisely at our designated spot.

Today’s task was to collect and analyze soil samples. Positioned at the boundary of an unexplored region, this remote area lay in the Northernmost Region, where danger loomed from every direction.

“All personnel, gather soil samples in these bags,” I ordered.

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers scattered, bags in hand, while I silently extended my Wood Steel, scanning the surroundings.

Allen’s eyes widened as he looked at the map and said, “Professor! Rekordak appears to be close by?!"

Rekordak, the most notorious prison in existence—and likely where Yulie was stationed. Though it lay directly along our route, I’d intentionally decided to avoid it because of her.

“Isn’t Rekordak supposed to be the most terrifying place on earth—”

“Allen.”

“Yes?”

"Enough chatter—focus on setting up the equipment."

“... Yes, Professor.”

Allen mimed zipping his lips and got to work setting up the research equipment—a mini lab table, reagent bottles, mana analyzers, and other tools. Mana in the soil fades quickly, so I’d decided it was best to conduct the analysis on-site. That’s why we’d dragged all this gear out here.

“All prepared?” I asked.

“Yes, Professor!” Allen shouted cheerfully.

A twitch crossed my brow as my Wood Steel nerves picked up a strange murderous intent nearby, followed by the unmistakable pulse of destructive magic. In these farthest reaches of the Northernmost Region, where demonic beasts and wild tigers could surface at any time, casting such a disruptive force was reckless beyond measure.

“... Professor?”

I commanded my Wood Steel to report back, focusing on the seventh piece that had ventured northeast. It was the first to sense the murderous intent, sending a resonant signal as it shared the vision of what it had seen. My face grew rigid as I bit down on my lip, feeling the weight of this unwelcome turn. With a heavy sigh, I settled onto the snowmobile.

"Professor? Where are you headed? We’ve only just finished setting up!"

“... There’s a matter I must take care of.”

The Wood Steel had reported back again, revealing a troubling scene hidden deep within the forest. Yulie and Reylie lay incapacitated, surrounded by enemies on all sides.

“I-I’ll come too!” Allen stammered, scrambling onto the snowmobile.

He was something of a burden, but there was no time to dwell on that now; the situation was hanging by a thread.

Vroooooom—!

I imbued

Midas Touch

into the snowmobile, and it shot forward with explosive force, tearing across the snow as its engine thundered.