Chapter 323: Mentor and Protg (2)

On the continent, every human—no, every life, every presence—was bound by time. The time of their existence was perpetually held captive, and their very lives were measured by it. To live was to gain time, and death was merely the end of one's allotted time.

Therefore, time was the absolute shackles that bound even the smallest aspects of nature on the continent... but Epherene was not included in that natural order, and she was neither subject to nor constrained by time.

Epherene, a mutant cast away from the straight line of time that none could escape, belonged not to time but to an interval. The beginning of this interval was the moment Sophien's regression entered her body, and its end was the activation of the lighthouse—which meant the continent's destruction.

Therefore, the end of the interval clearly existed, and Epherene was endlessly repeating the time between its beginning and end. Like a radio's loop playback, Epherene had been enduring that mere two-year time for decades, all alone.

Rustle—

This place was somewhere in the Empire, and a newspaper, swept in by the murky wind of the city, fluttered around her ankles, which Epherene merely lifted with a subtle gesture of her eyes.

... Lead Elite Guard Deculein Faces Expulsion Crisis

The newspaper's headline was concise, detailing Deculein's ruin. He, who had always radiated authority from on high, was crumbling, and everything he had built was precarious and under assault.

The Mage Tower, the Round Table, and the Floating Island gathered to denounce him, while the Imperial Palace remained silent. Epherene could only watch these developments, for she knew she must not interfere.

Epherene moved her eyes from the newspaper and moved her legs once more. Her objective now was simple—to confine as many people as possible within Quay's painting prison, whether ten thousand, a hundred thousand, or a million.

Even if the continent faced destruction, she would ensure their lives were preserved, for the alien meteor was bound to fall, and the continent's destruction was an undeniable certainty.

“Barcious...”

At that moment, a faint echo whispered in Epherene's ear. Immediately after she recognized it as a chant, mana surged from a rift in space-time and seized Epherene, pulling her in by force.

However, she was not surprised, for it was precisely what she had expected.

"Okay, I guess this is how one dies," Epherene muttered.

Epherene was aware of the events related to herself, and she vaguely knew that the Floating Island had attempted to kill her but failed. This was because she had acquired something called the

Epherene File

.

The Purgers who pursued me all died, didn't they?

Epherene thought.

"... Is it not I who dies, but I who kills?"

Perhaps I killed them because, if I didn’t, I would die. However, I don’t know the details of the Floating Island incident unless I go there, and I am both curious and regretful about not knowing those details...

"Now, I will come to know," Epherene muttered.

But I think I will know soon.

Epherene surrendered her body to the immense magical current that pulled her in.

***

... Epherene, anchored in a specific timeline—or more accurately, held there according to their purpose—stood at the edge of a cliff, taking in the view.

Hummmm—

The entire foothills rippled with the mana of the Purgers with murderous intent, writhing like blue serpents.

Fwoosh—

Like embers flaring, the mana particles scattered—sharp enough to leave shallow scratches when they touched Epherene’s cheek.

Thud—

However, Epherene had no time for such observation because it was somewhat hilarious to say she had no time when she always had an abundance of it.

"... It is you."

Epherene's heart turned to ice at the voice approaching from behind her.

However, Epherene betrayed no emotion, for she merely turned around calmly and faced him as if nothing had happened.

"... Yes, it is me," she replied to him.

It was a moment Epherene had desired for decades—a conversation where words connected, a chance to face each other—a moment that inexplicably brought tears to her eyes and a lump to her throat.

"I wanted to be alone with the Professor," Epherene said, a relaxed smile gracing her lips. "There are so many uninvited guests."

The Purger's murderous intent was immense, and it was incomprehensible how they could unleash such crimson murderous intent upon fellow humans, given they were complete strangers.

"Why did you call me?" Epherene asked, knowing everything.

"Is the abnormal abducting happening across the continent your doing?" Deculein replied, also knowing everything.

“Yes.”

Epherene did not hesitate because there was no point in denying it to those who had pursued her, already knowing everything.

At that moment, Deculein's brow furrowed, and a Purger immediately attempted to activate a spell but was restrained by Deculein.

"For what reason?" Deculein inquired.

"Because the future has been decided."

As she spoke, she found herself moving one step closer to Deculein, desiring to be nearer to him—even if by the smallest stride, just a little more.

"The future has been decided?" Deculein repeated.

Even Deculein, who always spoke with arrogant eyes and whose face broadcasted how dare someone beneath him was missed by Epherene, was affected.

"Yes, I can only traverse through futures that already exist. I cannot go to futures that do not exist, and futures that do not exist clearly exist."

For Epherene, time was less like time and more like probability, for among the numerous moments stretching ahead, she would reside in a specific timeline with completely impartial probability.

However, that future would be severed after the restoration of the lighthouse. Following the shockwaves of the comet striking the continent and the final light inundating the entire world, Epherene's future would be extinguished.

"The continent will face destruction," Epherene added.

Therefore, Epherene stated with certainty.

“

Hah.

”

Nevertheless, Deculein scoffed, genuinely disbelieving Epherene's words.

"The continent will not face destruction," Deculein replied.

“It will.”

"Who are you to speak with such certainty?"

"Because I saw it, with my own eyes," Epherene replied, pointing to her own eyes with two fingers.

"Your eyes must be mistaken," Deculein said, a twist to his lips with a sneer.

“... Unbelieveable.”

"From the outset, the Purgers here consider you a greater danger than such destruction," Deculein said, gesturing with his chin towards his back.

Then, Deculein stomped his mana tree staff onto the ground.

Boom—!

A vibration spread throughout the mountains.

"... Because of your foolish delusion, people who do not even know magic are trapped by a spell."

Epherene gritted her teeth.

I wanted to see him so much, and I wanted to talk to him so much, but how could he ignite my anger as soon as we met? Is this why I killed all the Purgers?

Epherene thought.

"You still doubt me," Epherene replied.

"Do you still not understand? Doubt is a mage's virtue," Deculein said.

Epherene glared at Deculein, overwhelmed with a sense of injustice, but regardless, Deculein was, as ever, Deculein.

"... Just as you always were, Professor."

At Epherene’s words, Deculein nodded, and, as if it were a signal, the Purger’s mana transformed into concrete weapons.

They formed a magic circle that interfered with Epherene’s spell manifestation through dispel, directly harmed space with phase dissolution, and even showed preparations for close combat by casting enhancement spells on themselves...

"

Haa,"

Epherene murmured out a sigh, shaking her head, and gathering mana.

"You cannot defeat them, Epherene," Deculein said.

It was a pointless war of nerves, seemingly aimed at cutting off each other's momentum.

“No, I will win.”

"For what reason?" Deculein inquired, his tone heavy with gravity.

"... Because I saw it in the future."

“Your eyes must be mistaken.”

It was, once again, Deculein’s words, and by now Epherene found them beyond disbelief—merely ridiculous.

However, at that moment...

Epherene's eyes widened a fraction.

"What else have you seen?" Deculein inquired.

Observing Deculein's gestures closely, Epherene responded, "... Professor, you fall to ruin."

"Is that so?" Deculein said, taking off his coat.

That much was understandable, but what followed was surprising.

Plop—

Deculein dropped his coat onto the ground.

Of course, the time in these foothills was momentarily frozen, meaning his coat would remain free of any dirt...

“And what is the reason?”

"... Professor, you are betrayed first and foremost by the Floating Island and the Mage Tower."

"Then," Deculein replied, his fingers undoing the fastening of his wrist watch.

Clack—

The metal watch, too, was placed without care beside the coat.

"What is the reason I was betrayed?"

"... It must be a reason you know, Professor."

"You know not, then?"

"I, too, wish to tell you. But if I get too close, it will bring a time paradox."

I want to tell the Professor and change that future. But even that is part of a time paradox, so it is an unavoidable helplessness,

Epherene thought.

"Do not hold such conviction when you do not know the details," Deculein replied, nodding.

Then, at Deculein's words, Epherene experienced a sharp, throbbing headache, debating whether it was a sense of anger or frustration.

"The future you witnessed is merely a phenomenon," Deculein continued, rolling up his sleeves, loosening his tie, and brushing his hair back up completely. "The most important thing is you, Epherene, the one who interprets that future."

Deculein's words touched a certain part of Epherene's heart.

"Epherene, you claimed that you abducted the people into the paintings because the future was already decided, but that is not the correct answer. It was such a foolish response that bordered on the insulting."

Deculein pulled a vial from his inner coat pocket. Epherene looked into Deculein's eyes, and everything else around them was irrelevant now. Epherene saw neither the grand magic that bound her nor the murderous spells of the Purgers screaming as if to kill her on the spot, but saw only Deculein and herself.

"I will ask again," Deculein said, looking at Epherene. "Why are you abducting the people?"

Epherene swallowed hard, taking a deep breath, caught in an unexplainable tension.

... Really, it has been decades. For all that time, I have been alone, thinking I had become sufficiently mature by now...

"... Because I believe that is the only way I can save them."

"No, you are misguided."

Before Deculein, who so coldly interrupted her words, Epherene’s heart still skipped a beat—making her wonder whether she was mistaken.

"The method you chose is wrong," Deculein continued.

When the person Epherene trusted above all others so definitively dismissed her, it was profoundly painful to experience and difficult to even stand, yet Epherene could now withstand it.

“No.”

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Now, I can defend myself against Deculein's words that deny me. I can make my beliefs and convictions stronger,

Epherene thought.

"This is the correct method," Epherene replied.

Then, Deculein silently cast his eyes downward, and the narrowed corners of his eyes were inexplicably frightening.

It's just like before, during my days as a young and foolish university mage.

"Are you certain the continent will face destruction?" Deculein inquired.

Deculein's words, as if questioning again about the content of a lecture, really feel like a lesson—a lesson to set me straight because I have been straying all this time... no, rather a lesson to explain why I was straying all this time.

“That is wrong too, because I am kidnapping people to prevent destruction.”

"For what reason?"

"Even if the continent is destroyed, if people remain, that is not destruction," Epherene replied.

Whether Epherene's reply was correct or unsatisfactory, Deculein silently stared at her before plunging a syringe into the vial in his hand as the violet elixir seeped into the syringe.

"There is no other recourse, Deculein. The possibility of persuasion appears exhausted," said Mayev, the Purger. "Nothing remains but the purge."

At Mayev's words, Epherene prepared for battle, feeling a liberating sense of clarity. Epherene’s eyes, which had grown increasingly clouded within the tangled time, along with her own fading self, felt as though they had returned after this single, short lesson of merely ten or twenty minutes.

It felt as if she had regained her perfectly clear senses—a feeling both wondrous and nostalgic, a nostalgia that brought a strange ache, for past memory and a bygone era to which she could never return.

"Indeed," Deculein said, nodding.

At that moment, Epherene trembled slightly. While it was beneficial to face herself directly in this reality, suddenly numerous questions sprouted. According to Deculein's teaching, the future was a product of interpretation, with the subject of that interpretation being none other than herself.

However... if that were the case, then Epherene's current situation was dire as she saw herself caught in stagnant time, surrounded by seventeen of the Purgers and Deculein.

And...

"Archmage Adrienne awaits the signal for bombardment. If we fail in the mission, she will obliterate this entire foothills," Mayev said.

Somewhere, Adrienne would be waiting.

How would I be able to defeat them? How would I be able to defeat them and get out of here alive?

Epherene thought.

"I suppose I’ll try," Epherene muttered.

Although the situation was rather desperate, Epherene’s mind instinctively began calculating, as she prepared hundreds of magical combat scenarios to dismantle all of the Purgers’ spells and launch a counterattack, meaning she was now very different from her former self.

“Epherene.”

However, Deculein called Epherene again, with the very same voice he had used to call the foolish Epherene in days past.

“Yes, what is it?”

Epherene replied just as she had back then.

And Deculein also spoke just as he had back then.

"You, who only utter words no one would ever come to believe, are indeed a most unreliable protégé...”

Then, Deculein inserted a syringe into his own vein.

Swoosh—

The violet liquid was injected into his veins.

“... And?”

Honestly, even until then, Epherene was prepared to fight Deculein—no, she even expected Deculein would be the one to strike first.

However...

"But I will place my trust in you," Deculein concluded.

The untimely words from Deculein filled Epherene’s mind with a flurry of question marks.