Chapter 343: Train Track (1)

... Empress Sophien closed her eyes, recalling the scene where Rohakan, the Black Beast, had brought her.

“

Was it truly you who killed the Empress?

”

At some point, during a conversation held in a white vineyard, Deculein—informed by a timeline granted by Rohakan's power to Empress Sophien—inquired about the Empress's assassination, and Rohakan answered.

“

If not me, then who else?

”

It was a confession of Rohakan's own doing, yet Deculein, looking at him, didn’t seem to believe it at all.

“

... I see.

”

Rohakan smiled. By that, Sophien realized something and clenched both her fists, knowing without words that the true culprit who had assassinated the former Empress was not Rohakan. In fact, even Sophien had already suspected as much.

“

Deculein, you surely trust Sophien, don’t you?

”

Suddenly, Rohakan asked Deculein while Sophien watched Deculein's face.

“

Yes, of course.

”

There was no hesitation in Deculein's answer, and at that, Rohakan nodded with apparent satisfaction.

“

Even if I were to tell you that Sophien will one day kill you... you would still remain by her side.

”

“

Yes, of course.

”

Not with the slightest calculation or hesitation, but solely with unwavering conviction in himself, Deculein spoke.

“

My heart, by all rights, can only ever be Your Majesty's.

”

“

Why is that?

”

“

The reason is simple. It is due to a defect in my personality.

”

A low smile graced Deculein's lips.

“

There is none on this continent who may stand above me but for Her Majesty, and she is the one for whom Deculein—this staunch and prejudiced proponent of the class system, this veritable Iron Man of nobility—is the sole being I can hold in true reverence and admiration.

”

Rohakan's expression softened, a touch of incredulity easing it, but Deculein shook his head as if resigned.

“

It was my fundamental design from the beginning.

”

“

... If not Sophien, then no one else may stand above you—is that what you mean?

”

“

That is correct. If not Her Majesty, then not one individual may stand above me. I find such an affront utterly insufferable.

”

At that moment, laughter escaped Sophien's lips, born of sheer absurdity, of a reason utterly beyond all sense.

“

Given my tenacious nature, I cannot, by any means, allow Her Majesty to be seen as inferior to anyone.

”

Deculein was a man more inscrutable than any other, yet also a man whose standards were clearer than any other's.

“

Therefore, my actions will serve no other purpose than to elevate Your Majesty to supreme greatness.

”

However, most regrettably, Deculein was not present within that greatness.

“

Even for my sake, Her Majesty should achieve that state of greatness.

”

Because of this, Sophien now seemed to understand why Deculein was compelling his own death.

"You mean to tell me," Sophien muttered, her voice like a whisper with a smile. "That killing you will make me great...?"

... It was Sophien's voice, spreading like a sigh.

Thereupon, Sophien returned to the present, confronting a subject who dared to glare at the Empress at the main gate of the Imperial Palace.

“Your Majesty, will you find it in yourself to trust in me?”

It was Deculein who asked the question with such impertinence.

However, Sophien somehow found Deculein laughable, and the entirety of his being seemed indescribably adorable, pulling at her with an almost physical tremor.

I wish to hold Deculein in my arms and sink into the sea with him, roll in the desert with him, and leap from the sky with him. Even drowning in the abyss would be acceptable, or burning to death from lacerations, even free falling from great heights—for he is the one who can make even death feel like ecstasy...

Sophien thought.

"Do not demand me to trust," Sophien replied. "I place my trust in none but myself."

Deculein's eyebrow twitched.

"You shall first advance to the Land of Destruction and await me there. In that place, I shall question your loyalty."

Every minister at the main gate was shocked, for ordering Deculein to go first to the Land of Destruction was no different from exile, and the Empress’s declaration that she would suspect him was tantamount to already declaring him treason.

"Can Your Majesty handle the weight of it?" Deculein asked.

The term 'handle' was too unprecedented for a conversation between an Empress and her subject.

However, to Sophien, Deculein's words sounded like a question of whether she could bring herself to kill him.

"... Of course," Sophien replied, twisting her lips into a sneer.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

***

... Two days later.

“

Sigh...

”

In the common room of the Demonicide headquarters, Louina was heaving deep sighs, having only just woken from bed and sighing continuously since then.

"Tell me, then, was anything hidden within that spell?" Ihelm asked, glancing at Louina.

“I don’t know,” Louina replied.

"Regardless, whether that spell holds another meaning or not, the results of the lighthouse's analysis itself should be made public," Ihelm said, shaking his head.

Louina merely shifted her eyes to look at Ihelm.

"Where would one make it public? Deculein is, no doubt, currently hunting us down, his eyes like burning coals."

"Deculein will be expelled soon anyway. Have you not heard the news?" Ihelm replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Her Majesty has finally made her move by commanding Deculein to advance to the Land of Destruction first and await her there."

“

... Ah.

”

"Therefore, time is short. There is no time to analyze the hidden purpose. The meteor will soon fall," Ihelm said, pointing to the sky outside the window.

At that moment, Louina's eyes widened in surprise.

“I can really see... it?”

"That is correct, the meteor is now visible to the naked eye."

Though it remained small and barely discernible, the comet was clearly visible, sparkling like a star even in broad daylight.

"We should make this public to the Academia. If we reveal this madness—this act of drawing a comet to bring destruction to the entire continent—many will turn to our side. Most mages are likely unaware of why the lighthouse was built," Ihelm continued, holding the bundle of documents analyzing the lighthouse.

Then Ihelm added, "That would bring about Deculein's ruin, and he would be seen as a public enemy of the continent, greater than the Black Beast."

Louina thought over the meaning of Ihelm's words, considering for a moment. Somehow, Ihelm's statement—that Deculein would become the continent's public enemy—was both confusing and vaguely understandable.

"... By the way, what about the Scarletborn?" Louina asked, shifting the topic.

“Scarletborn?”

“Yes, Elesol....”

"She is outside, expecting you, and she stated that she will provide an escort until you make that public."

Louina hesitated, lost in thought.

"What is your decision? Will you make it public across the continent, or not?" Ihelm said, pressing for an answer.

The events that would come to pass due to the purpose of the lighthouse constructed by the Altar, and the potential to designate Deculein, the mage who completed that spell, as the continent's great villain...

“Do it.”

A voice seemed to encourage Louina's decision as she turned in that direction and saw it was Ria.

"Her Majesty would wish for that as well," Ria added.

***

On the 66th floor of the Mage Tower of the Empire, in Relin's office, under the shroud of dark night.

"Chairman Deculein has to proceed to the Land of Destruction..." Relin muttered.

Deculein was now preparing to depart for the Land of Destruction, his purpose, as declared by Sophien's vanguard, being to establish a base and report the Altar's movements in minute detail from there.

Nonetheless, in truth, it was more accurate to consider it an exile, for while news from the Central could, of course, be heard through the Altar's spiderweb-like network, the difference between being physically present or absent was profoundly significant.

“... So!”

However, for Relin, none of that mattered, as his attention remained on Louina and Ihelm, the two who had escaped the underground prison. Though Relin was somehow holding on for now, exposure to Deculein would surely mean only death.

"Did you find them, or did you not?!" Relin shouted from his office in the Mage Tower of the Empire, gripping a small crystal orb in his hand, betraying his petty nature.

—

We have failed to locate them, sir.

The fools of the Altar couldn't even locate two mere mages.

"Damn it... find them now, quickly. Chairman Deculein is on the 99th floor right now—I tell you..." Relin replied, pressing hard on his temples.

After giving his instructions, Relin pressed down his bristling hair and, with trembling fingers, adjusted his glasses.

"Damn it all... I have told him not to imprison them from the start, didn't I..."

The moment Relin was blaming the Altar's pursuers and also resenting Deculein...

“Professor Relin!”

Someone called Relin from outside, prompting him to start and straighten his body to an upright position, standing at attention as if to salute.

Creak—

However, the one who opened the door and entered was a mere undergraduate.

"Who are you?" Relin said, his brow instantly furrowing.

"I am Assistant Lephun, sir!"

"... You are my assistant, then?"

"Pardon?

Oh

, yes, sir! It has been six months already!"

"Why have you come? How utterly without manners," Relin replied, shrugging off his coat as he tried to calm his pounding heart.

"Take a look at this, sir!" the assistant said, presenting a Wizard Board.

“... What is this?”

"Someone has anonymously exposed the Altar's true purpose for the lighthouse to the Academia!"

When the assistant spoke of the Altar, a sudden chill ran down his spine, but then again, most mages nowadays had accepted a potion from them.

"The lighthouse's true purpose?" Relin replied, clearing his throat and taking the Wizard Board.

“Yes, sir, the lighthouse is not only for the Altar to worship their cult’s god!”

"... Cult? You speak a rather crude language, don’t you?"

“Pardon?”

"Nothing.

Shh

. Quiet, now," Relin said, placing a hand to his lips before beginning to read the Wizard Board.

In fact, Relin himself had been somewhat curious for a while about whether the grand lighthouse's sole purpose was merely worship and prayer. However, he held no real interest in the Altar's hidden faith and had only agreed to cooperate with them for the potions and illicit gains...

Then, Relin's eyes shot wide open as he understood the flow of the spell summarized by Louina. It was well-organized and thoroughly analyzed that even Relin, an accomplished magic professor, could understand and realize it in an instant.

“Drawing... the comet...?”

Suddenly, Relin turned his head to look out the window. Beside the large, full moon, there was a light, brilliant as hope, yet at this moment, it felt ominously like a light source the size of a thumb.

That was...

"... Damn it!" Relin said, dashing forth to press the elevator button.

The destination was Deculein's Chairman's office in the Mage Tower...

***

At the uppermost floor of the Mage Tower, I was preparing for my final journey. With Yulie by my side, I chose my belongings, accompanied by the descending light of stars and moon, wondering which attire would be most fitting for the end.

“Professor, while everything suits you well... this particular suit is the most fitting,” Yulie said, selecting a suit that was a layered application of the

Midas Touch

and as sturdy as gauntlets.

"As you wish. I confess, though, that I had wished to wear something rather unique for the very end," I replied, nodding with a faint smile.

“Which particular suit do you speak of?”

“Those ostentatious suits.”

Each of the brightly colored suits was lined in red, with an outer shell of blue and a tie patterned with checks.

"You are lying to me," Yulie replied, smiling faintly as she regarded them.

“Indeed, it was a lie.”

Even Kim Woo-Jin wouldn't have worn those clothes. Therefore, I gave a smile and took the flower vase, the one containing the forget-me-nots Ria had gifted me.

"... Those flowers are growing well," Yulie said, a look of pleasure on her face as she nodded.

"These flowers are not meant for longevity, but perhaps because of the care we showed them, they seem to refuse to wither."

The forget-me-not's lifespan wasn't long because it was, after all, a fleeting flower blooming between spring and summer.

"However... why might Miss Ria have brought this flower..."

I looked at the flowers in silence, then stared at the blue buds of the forget-me-nots and offered a smile.

"Well, that will soon be known."

"How would you know?" Yulie asked with an innocent expression.

"For I will question her myself," I replied, meeting Yulie's eyes.

“

... Ah.

”

The moment Yulie chuckled...

Ding—!

Without warning, the elevator arrived at the uppermost floor. At that instant, Yulie donned her armor’s helmet, wearing it as if she were a mere decoration, while I placed the flower vase into a preservation bag.

“... Chairman!”

The moment the elevator doors parted, a group of professors streamed in—not just one, but Relin, Siare, and Phadel among them—along with other professors who had cooperated with the Altar to receive their potions, all audaciously barging into the Chairman's office.

"Chairman! There is a serious problem!"

The professors, forgetting all their dignity, caused a chaotic disturbance, and in truth, it wasn't just them, for if one listened closely, the disorderly voices of innumerable students and professors echoed through the walls, perceptible even to the ears of an

Iron Man

.

I offered a small smile.

At last, the time has come,

I thought.

"T-Take a look at this, Chairman!" Relin said, being the first to extend the Wizard Board. "Those bastards from the Altar deceived us!"

I took the Wizard Board that Relin handed me.

These individuals remained unaware of the Altar's true purpose, and precisely because of that ignorance, they had so willingly cooperated with Quay, who aimed for the continent's destruction.

"The Altar, the true purpose of this lighthouse was... the continent, it's to bring about the continent's destruction—"

“... I am aware.”

“... Pardon?”

At that moment, the professors were momentarily stunned, and to those gaping like foolish pigs, I calmly stated, shrugging my shoulders as if to ask if they'd only just realized it.

“For it is my own spell, crafted by my very hand, and my lighthouse—one I personally ascended and descended to reconstruct,” I concluded.

For some reason, it was a confession that brightened my mood.