Chapter 305: Again, Mage Tower (3)

The terror of Haileich continued systematically as the demonic energy that first exploded caused chaos, prompting nobles and the rich to escape, clutching the skirts of their dresses or flinging aside their suit jackets.

Knights who responded without delay assisted in evacuating the nobles and the wealthy. Haileich was the Empire’s largest prosperous district, so deaths there caused greater social pressure than the massacre of commoners in the slums.

"Come this way! The Escort Knights are at hand!"

"There is no need for concern. You are safe with our protection!"

However, even with the knights' deployment, the situation did not improve, as a dense purple smoke rolled in, suffocating them. The demonic energy was of such a concentration that one would lose their life in ten minutes without a gas mask. For their sake, as they coughed up blood, I released my mana.

Whoooosh...

The mana of the Snowflower Stone—a pale blue and white, ultra-low temperature current—spread ethereally, freezing the demonic energy. Through the cleared path I walked, and the desperate knights and nobles broke into bright smiles upon seeing me.

"It is Count Yukline!"

Craaaaack—!

At that moment, a sudden and ominous sound reverberated—a muffled rupture in the building’s most crucial section—and soon after, a building in the heart of Haileich collapsed, crumbling weakly like a biscuit and scattering debris like crumbs everywhere.

“

Ahhhhhhhhh!

”

The prosperous district once more became pandemonium, with screams mixing with the classical tunes.

Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!

The explosions were not a singular event, but continued, bombarding the area as if in an air raid.

"...

Tch

," I murmured, allowing my eyelids to fall.

The spell I sought to manifest was simple—

Telekinesis

, which used my entire body as a magic circle inscribed upon every muscle and vein. It arrested space, disintegrated the building’s fragments as they shattered and scattered, sent demonic energy projectiles terrorizing the area, and threatened to swallow the ground with noxious smoke—all of it.

I opened my eyes again and looked at the sky where a swarm of gnats flew over some boards, seemingly the Altar’s faction that instigated this terror attack...

Whoooooosh—!

The Altar's beings launched demonic energy bombs at me, and I countered with natural elements, pulling up bedrock from the road and steel frames from collapsed buildings, sending them back along the bombs' trajectories.

Thump—

At that moment, a pain welled up in my heart, as if it were proof of the short life I had left.

"Contemptible vermin."

However, my pain immediately transmuted into rage, leading me to slaughter the Altar's vermin.

Whizzzzzzzzzz—!

The steel frames tore through the sky, ceaselessly piercing the backs of the Altar's fleeing beings, and I confirmed their demise by crushing their falling bodies beneath rocks.

... The time elapsed by only three minutes, and I stood composed in the heart of the terror attack, surveying the surroundings, while the scenery remained unchanged.

Meaning, the collapsed buildings and fragments were held by my

Telekinesis

, and the nobles, looking rather dazed as if witnessing a Floating Island, shifted their gaze between this phenomenon and me, its caster.

"Evacuate," I said.

However, there was no response from anyone, and rather, it was silent.

"E-Evacuate at once!"

As the knights shouted and finally rose to escape, one woman, on the contrary, approached me.

"Indeed, how reliable," Sophien said, a chuckle escaping her as she approached my side and shrugged.

"Please return to a safer position, Your Majesty. We do not know when the next bombardment might occur,” I replied.

"

Hmph

, I am not so fragile as to die by bombardment. However, Deculein," Sophien said, glancing at me from the corner of her eye.

Without a word, I nodded.

"Rohakan once said that I would come one day to kill you," Sophien continued, recalling a past memory.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

"... Your protégé and I, we once made our way into the future."

Then, Sophien unexpectedly exploded with a bombshell statement, and I whipped my head around to look back at her.

The future Sophien experienced with Epherene is, indeed, a topic that is too compelling to ignore,

I thought.

"Time travel, Your Majesty?" I asked.

"Indeed. In that very place, you left me a letter," Sophien replied, pulling out a letter from her inner pocket.

It was a crumpled letter, perhaps one that had been kept for a considerable time and repeatedly read by Sophien.

"Would you like to read it?"

"... Yes, Your Majesty," I replied.

I took the letter, read it without hesitation, and found that the content was not lengthy.

Your Majesty,

This is Deculein, touched by the passage of time.

However, I affirm all that pertains to myself and Your Majesty.

Even unto my very death.

Therefore, one should not rewind what does not require rewinding.

"Upon reading its words, my thoughts turned to whether I was, in the end, destined to kill you," Sophien said.

"It would seem the future has changed, then, Your Majesty," I replied, shaking my head.

"No," Sophien said, smiling. "You are dying even now, are you not?"

Sophien’s finger pointed at my heart, a smile playing on her lips, yet her eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Deculein, let us go to Lahal," Sophien added, taking my hand. "There, we shall observe the street art."

Sophien's mention of street art once more stirred Kim Woo-Jin's memories deep within, as recollections of a poor orphan desperately struggling to become a painter that sent goosebumps across my skin.

“Come. While we walk, observing the art, I shall dedicate my every thought to finding a way to save you...” Sophien concluded, pulling me along with hands as tender as

hers

had been in Kim Woo-Jin’s past, holding me tight as I felt myself faltering.

***

The next morning, at the Mage Tower's dining hall, Epherene and Sylvia were eating together and having a discussion.

"Sylvia, should we tell the Professor first?" Epherene said.

"I cannot inform him. And I told you to call me Sephine, not Sylvia," Sylvia replied.

"Why can't you do it? You know, I am estranged from the Professor."

Sylvia was not prepared to speak a single word to Deculein.

"We are no longer students."

Instead, Sophien's excuse was a display of confidence that they could resolve matters themselves, as they were no longer students.

"We can resolve this ourselves," Sophien added.

"... I mean, honestly, my confidence is through the roof right now," Epherene replied, flexing one arm, a little bicep popping up. "What do you think—I’m super strong, aren’t I?"

“Foolish.”

“What?”

"Anyway, it's a secret from the Professor," Sylvia said, standing up with her meal tray. "We'll resolve this matter ourselves internally, and I will undertake the plan."

"Why are

you

the one undertaking the plan?" Epherene asked, hot on Sylvia's heels.

"I am older than you."

"... What are you talking about?"

"And I am smarter than you.”

Tap—

Sylvia overturned her meal tray into the waste disposal, causing the leftover food to tumble away, while Epherene, on the other hand, placed only her empty tray directly onto the dish rack.

"

Oh

, right, Sephine. Could you, like, find me one book?" Epherene asked, walking down the corridor.

At that moment, Sylvia's footsteps halted.

"It's a science book, and I—"

"

Shh

," Sylvia murmured to Epherene, placing a finger to her lips and resuming her normal pace, though controlling her speed. "It's the Purger."

“... The Purger?”

"Yes, the Purger of the Floating Island."

The Purger was a being that all mages on this continent regarded with terror—no, it was almost synonymous with terror itself, the mage’s natural predator, developed on the Floating Island solely for the purpose of punishing them.

"How do you know?"

"Because I, too, have been chased away before."

The Purger's distinctive mana odor, which smelled like rubbing alcohol, was familiar to Sylvia because it was the trace of their artificial attempt to bleach away their own identity.

"Follow me for now. Your presence may have been detected," Sylvia added.

“... Okay.”

The serious Epherene and Sylvia were completely shocked the moment they exited the dining hall because they spotted someone in the ground-floor lobby.

"It has been some time since an Addict arrived unannounced, and for it to be you, no less, of all people."

"My apologies, Chairman."

Professor Deculein—no, Chairman Deculein—walked through the ground-floor lobby, spreading a pleasant fragrance, followed by a group of professors and staff members, including the Floating Island's renowned addict, Addict Astal.

"... We shall discuss your purpose from the upper floor," Deculein stated.

“Yes, Chairman,” Astal replied.

Fortunately, Deculein, the Addict, and their group entered the elevator without paying attention to their direction.

Ding—

The moment the elevator doors closed, Sylvia and Epherene released a breath of relief, almost in as one.

“

Phew.

”

“

Phew...

Wait a second.”

At that moment, a sudden idea came to Sylvia’s mind.

"Why?" Epherene asked.

"There is no way... wait. No, follow me," Sylvia replied.

Sylvia pulled Epherene out of the Mage Tower and found a hidden spot in the farthest corner, which was the Mage Tower's back gate parking lot.

“What is it? Why?”

"Foolish Epherene. You keep watch. I will spy on them."

“... Spy on them?”

"Yes, the Addict from the Floating Island's visit is suspicious. It might be connected to the Purger," Sylvia said, closing her eyes.

Epherene was slightly taken aback, but for now, she kept watch as Sylvia directed.

Whooooosh...

The wind swept through—Sylvia’s wind of spying—no, it was the magic called

Wind

, the very spell she had used for a long time to observe and monitor Deculein, returning once again to the Mage Tower after a long absence...

***

"The Purger has been deployed, Chairman," said the Addict Astal, speaking from the Chairman's office on the Mage Tower's uppermost floor.

It was news that the Purger from the Floating Island had made their way into the Empire.

"... Who, then, is to be pursued?" I inquired.

"It is Epherene, of course."

"The reason?"

"Because Epherene has been detected, Chairman."

My brow furrowed.

To pursue Epherene merely because she was detected—that makes even less sense than climbing a mountain because it is there,

I thought.

"Elaborate," I said.

"The detailed information is contained within this document," Astal replied, presenting the documents.

I accepted the document, and for a moment, I was at a loss for words.

Without a doubt, Epherene was found.

Epherene’s first location was pinpointed by a crystal orb in the Hadecaine Mark underground passage, which functioned like a surveillance camera and caught sight of her and her second location was Flower of the Pig, a nearby restaurant by the Mage Tower, where she was seen peering inside but unable to enter, and was likewise caught by a crystal orb.

“As you can see, Chairman.”

However, the biggest problem was that the first and second Epherene were found simultaneously, in the truest sense of the word. The first Epherene and the second Epherene existed simultaneously as the same person but were in different locations.

"It is evident that Epherene is in a state of considerable danger," Astal concluded.

"... Is she, then, more dangerous than the self-proclaimed God of the Land of Destruction? Is she enough to warrant the Purger's presence in such a condition?" I replied.

"Yes, Chairman. One who claims to be a God cannot manipulate time. However, Epherene is an imperfect human capable of shaking the very foundations of the world," Astal replied.

I remained silent.

"Therefore, the Floating Island seeks Epherene's immediate punishment. For the monumental catastrophe that would arise from this child's inability to properly wield her power—that is precisely what the Altar's God desires."

The moment I was lost in thought about why Epherene had split into two, or if she was even aware of this phenomenon...

"We hope that you, the Chairman, will assist us in this purge," Astal continued.

Upon hearing Astal's words, expressing his wish for my assistance in the purge, my thoughts raced, but my exterior maintained its composure.

"Chairman, as your protégé Epherene's mentor, you must surely be intimately familiar with her habits and behavioral patterns, aren’t you?"

I stared at Astal in silence.

“I am aware that due to that child, you were branded with the stigma of being a plagiarist professor. Therefore, should the Chairman extend your assistance to the Floating Island—”

"Very well," I interrupted, nodding.

It seemed clear that the world’s view of Epherene and me remained unchanged.

“Will do.”

It was worrisome to hand Epherene over to the Floating Island, given that the Purger was made up entirely of dogmatic, unbending, machine-like individuals, making it possible for the sociable Epherene to be foolishly killed.

"It is, rather, a course I welcome. I shall undertake her punishment myself and see to the matter myself," I concluded.

There was, at the very least, truth in my statement that I would intervene and see the matter myself.

"Yes, Chairman, take this crystal orb. It is linked to the Purger and the others who will be accompanying you," Astal replied, his smile merely a formality.

"... Very well," I said, placing all three orbs within my robes.

... Whooooosh.

The fading sound of the wind echoed through the office.

***

During the early hours of the morning, Sylvia sat at her desk, scribbling in her diary.

Deculein is trying to kill Epherene.

Sylvia, propping her chin with one hand, poked the diary’s pages with her pencil as her worries gradually took shape in the writing.

The reason is that Epherene has a talent for time, a property no ordinary person can ever control. However, if Epherene fails to properly control the power of time...

Epherene's talent—

Time

—was a power capable of devastating the continent.

The entire continent itself might be destroyed.

Sylvia thought of the Deculein she knew, knowing that if it came to it he would kill Epherene, for if he had to choose between the continent and Epherene, he would naturally select the continent.

“

Kuehhhhhhh—

”

At that moment, a monstrous shriek echoed, causing Sylvia to whip her head to look behind her.

“

Huehhhhh—

”

It was Epherene's snoring, coming from where she lay in bed.

“... Foolish Epherene,” Sylvia muttered.

Even as I mutter those words, why does this strange pity swell within me? Has our bitter bond blossomed into a bond of tenderness? Or is it merely that she is now younger than I?

Sylvia thought.

Sylvia smiled and continued writing in her diary.

But I want to protect her as safely as possible, and I am strong enough for that—strong enough to destroy even the Purger with my own hands.

“Wait a second.”

Suddenly, a thought flashed across Sylvia's mind.

The thief who stole my painting of Deculein from the Island of the Voice, and the fact that Epherene's mana was detected...

"... It really was you, Epherene," Sylvia muttered, shaking her head and turning to Epherene, thereby affirming her suspicion.

Not the present Epherene, perhaps, but a future Epherene, for whatever reason, must have taken my painting and the mana stone of the Voice without my permission, Sylvia thought.

“But..”

Having thought that far, Sylvia found herself becoming curious.

"What exactly were you planning to achieve...?"

Epherene was sleeping as foolishly as one could imagine, drooling and snoring as if facing the final hour.

“

Kyeeeeeeeeeee—ek.

”

“Study.”

Sylvia took out her magic book again, and although she had perfectly mastered Primary Colors on the Island of the Voice, her lengthy time spent there meant she was now entirely ignorant of current magic trends.

"I will have to study. I must catch up to the trends," Sylvia muttered.

***

Meanwhile, this place was the Land of Destruction of the continent, a purplish terrain where life could not flourish and sustenance was impossible, yet within this bleak and rigorous environment, the faith of the Altar was blossoming.

"... Is it not fascinating?" Quay said, his hand pointing to the scene within his crystal orb.

"What is so fascinating?" Creáto asked, shaking his head.

"Look how they live."

The underground populace of the Land of Destruction, as seen in the crystal orb, were recording, studying, and interpreting Quay’s words on lengthy scrolls within humble cabins, devoting themselves to Quay’s teachings as their faith.

"I never commanded them to do it. The Altar did not compel it either. They merely act on their own will," Quay added, a smile spreading across his face.

"Does that please you?" Creáto asked, looking at Quay with a hint of confusion.

“It is fascinating.”

"I, too, find it fascinating. The entire Altar worships you, yet you take pleasure in merely that?"

"Worship and respect are distinct," Quay replied, a smile on his lips. "If worship is about thoughtless praise, then respect is an earnest attempt to study and interpret my true meaning. Hitherto, the Altar merely worshipped me... but the new followers, by studying me, now seek their own reasons to believe."

Creáto carefully glanced at Quay's expression.

Could it be that he is naturally being influenced?

Creáto thought.

At that moment...

"And that is the reason why I cannot forgive them," Quay added, gritting his teeth.

"... What?" Creáto muttered as his eyes stared in disbelief.

"Even that pure heart will eventually fade away. One day, they too will plot against me, won't they?"

"That seems to be a drastic extrapolation, I would say."

"It's no extrapolation. Humanity's very design is defective. They are no different from demons, I tell you."

Creáto remained silent.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"As expected, it must begin once more from the beginning," Quay added.

Quay talked to himself and then accepted his own conclusions—a sight that Creáto found strange, yet at the same time, he felt a pang of pity for him. Having heard Quay’s entire story, Creáto understood why... as Quay was the last follower who had served God alone for ten thousand years—even after God had already passed away.

"However, are you able to defeat my sister?" Creáto asked.

Sophien held great strength, both physically and magically, having been born with the most perfect talent a human could ever command, and she became even stronger after breaking her psychological restriction herself.

"No, I cannot defeat her," Quay replied, shaking his head. "That is the mightiest body I have ever devised. However, I am currently in a puppet's form, and thus, I cannot defeat Sophien."

"What, then, is your intention?"

Although Creáto had no intention of cooperating with Quay, he was, for the time being, accompanying him. If there was the most dangerous individual on this continent, it was only fitting for Creáto, as the Empire's second in command, to undertake the responsibility of monitoring his every move at his side.

"Do you know Epherene?" Quay asked.

"I do. Deculein's estranged protégé," Creáto replied.

"Yes, I will borrow that child's power and rewind this world," Quay muttered, a smile on his lips.

As that child means to rewind the time of the knight named Yulie,

Quay thought.

“... Rewind?” Creáto said.

"Yes. Then, are you ready?" Quay asked out of nowhere.

"Ready for what?" Creáto muttered, his brow furrowing.

"Ready for the Mage Tower."

“To the Mage Tower?”

"Yes, Epherene and Deculein are both there. Therefore, it must be completed and ended there," Quay replied, stating his commitment to move forward.

But to the Mage Tower, all of a sudden?

Creáto thought.

Creáto looked at Quay with a somewhat confused expression, and at that moment, Quay smiled as if he found Creáto lovable.

「Reporting now from the Mage Tower of the Imperial University.」

Then, a sudden report came through from the crystal orb.

「It is reported that Chairman Deculein has released the theoretical examination for the selection of Her Majesty, the Empress's instructor mage.」

"

Oh

, there we go," Quay said, sweeping back his hair with a look of relief.

“... What do you mean by that?”

"For the instructor mage selection. I am going to participate in that myself."

“What?”

"Since all mages in the Empire are eligible, I too can participate."

“I mean, what do you mean by—”

"

Shh

," Quay murmured, his fingers closing around Creáto's startled hand as he closed his eyes.

As it was the impending dimensional travel, Creáto quickly closed his eyes.

Whoooosh—

Thereafter, when Creáto's eyes reopened, he was already in the Capital.

“... It’s the Capital,” Creáto said.

“Yes,” Quay replied.

***

The moment I finished the theoretical examination for the seven-categories, I released it to the Floating Island and the Mage Tower of the Empire, and the response was... nothing but favorable.

“Even the principalities are in a state of excitement, no less than the kingdoms,” Sophien said.

In the Imperial Palace, Sophien smiled as she read the newspaper, her soft smile, for some reason, bringing comfort to others and entirely contrasting with her former self.

“There is but a single problem per category.”

The problem I released was one per category, meaning it was merely a single-question exam.

However, solving this problem would require all concepts and knowledge pertaining to that category.

To draw an analogy with calculus, it meant one needed a thorough understanding—from the limits of sequences to trigonometry, all differentiation and integration methods, and even analytical geometry—just to approach the problem. For if one could solve it, being called the foremost expert in that category would be no exaggeration.

"Yet your examination is overwhelming the entire Floating Island," Sophien concluded.

“Is that so, Your Majesty?” I replied.

“However, should knowledge of this quality be offered without charge?”

This examination paper was made public across the entire continent, and any individual who desired it could view the examination paper.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

"Well, you are such a professor of unsparing generosity... However," Sophien replied, a smile briefly touching her lips before her expression quickly turned sorrowful, "is this the moment for Yulie's recovery?"

The two weeks Epherene spoke of were almost upon us.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

"There is much I wish to speak of before then... but there is even more that I must do," Sophien said, pointing to the stacks of documents on her desk. "Now, you may leave. Although I appreciate your continued presence, it is right that I handle my duties myself."

"Yes, Your Majesty," I replied, bowing my head as I stood. "I will take my leave."

"Indeed," Sophien said, waving her hand.

I exited the office, stepping backward while facing ahead.

—

Ethereal Deculein.

The moment I stepped into the Imperial Palace's corridor, an immediate communication reached me—not by title or status, but by the rank of Ethereal—and the speaker was the Purger of the Floating Island.

—

Epherene, the target, has been confirmed.

At the report that Epherene had been sighted, I bit back a sigh.

Of course, if she could remain hidden indefinitely without being detected, she would not be that damnable Epherene, I thought.

"The location?" I inquired.

—

Mage Tower of the Empire.

And the Mage Tower, of all places.

"I will arrive shortly. For now, remain on standby..." I replied, pressing a hand to my throbbing forehead.