Chapter 357: The End of All (10) Part 2

— Having returned to the Imperial Palace of the Empire—the most glorious and magnificent palace on the continent—Empress Sophien first announced her future policies to the populace, a total of twenty-nine articles, which are as follows.

— First. All individuals who cooperated with the Altar will be arrested based on evidence.

— Second. A military tribunal will be founded on the continent to bring war criminals to justice.

— Third. Harmony between the Scarletborn and the Empire.

— Fourth. Peace treaties will be negotiated between all continents and nations.

— Fifth. A commitment to the restoration of the world after the catastrophe...

.......

— Twenty-ninth. Pursuit and elimination of Deculein, the mastermind of all these events and the axis of evil...

— While the affairs of the state are being governed with unprecedented perfection, Deculein—the great villain who stands as the foremost and darkest axis of the Altar—is believed to be at large, with a bounty of five billion elne...

The sound of the media was coming from the radio.

“

Yawwn...

there doesn't seem to be any news, does there?” Sophien asked, stretching in the inner chamber of the Imperial Palace as she looked at Ahan.

“No, Your Majesty. There has been no sign of the Professor,” Ahan replied.

"

Tch

. I have no idea what Ria and Ganesha, those members of the Imperial Palace–certified adventurer team, are doing."

Due to the absence of Deculein’s corpse in the lighthouse, it was unknown whether he was dead or alive. Even if he were alive, of course, his fate was to die before long.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Does the same apply to Creáto?" Sophien added.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Creáto had also disappeared from sight, and whether he had died with Quay in the destruction of the continent or had run off to live somewhere else was unknown, but Sophien had no desire to lose Creáto as well.

“I am only just realizing it... but a great deal of time has elapsed since that day.”

“Yes, it is as you say, Your Majesty.”

After the destruction caused by the celestial collision, much was different on the continent. Deculein had fallen and was now considered the worst villain in the world, yet the Yukline remained unbowed.

With the new Head of the Family, Yeriel, the Yukline was soaring more brilliantly than ever, and the Great Elder of the Scarletborn had personally come to the Empress to swear allegiance and peace, thus permitting the Scarletborn to enter the Empire.

Besides that, many common people, such as Relin, who had taken offerings from the Altar, were punished as a warning. Roughly ten percent of them suffered this fate, while the rest were generously pardoned.

"More importantly, what is Epherene doing?"

Epherene, who had become an archmage and ascended to the Floating Island, now had all of the Floating Island under her command. But there was no news of where she was or what she was doing.

“They say she is occupied, but since it is the principle of an archmage not to be constrained by the Empire, it is impossible for me to know what she is doing, Your Majesty.”

“... Of course, I suppose that’s what happens when one becomes his protégé, for her arrogance has grown too great,” Sophien muttered, taking a crystal orb from her robes.

Sophien was brushing the crystal orb that had once been connected to Deculein, then she turned her head to look at the statue on the wall.

“... Keiron, do you know of Deculein’s whereabouts?”

Sophien had asked her question, then cleared her throat and waited in silence for a moment, but no response came, for he had already become a statue.

“

Tch.

”

The moment Sophien was clicking her tongue...

“

Ah?!

” Ahan exclaimed, pressing the crystal orb to her left ear as if receiving a report. “Your Majesty, it has been reported that Archmage Epherene has been found in the Leoc Kingdom.”

“... In Leoc?” Sophien asked, a frown on her face. “What is her purpose?”

“

Oh

, regarding that... the purpose is...”

***

"Would you like to proceed inside?"

At this moment, Epherene was feeling a sense of tension.

“Archmage Epherene?”

The mages around Epherene asked their questions with extreme care, watching her for any hint that they might displease her. But such things were of no concern, and all that mattered to Epherene now was this dome.

“This place is Lokralen... right?” Epherene asked.

Epherene had come to be in that magical space known as Lokralen, a temporal nexus of time.

“Yes.”

As the archmage now reigning from the pinnacle of the Floating Island, Epherene had personally issued the closure order for this Lokralen. To shut down a place that was dangerous yet so moving, she had descended in person, rather than sending anyone else.

“There was no need for you to trouble yourself to come here—”

“No, I had to come myself,” Epherene interrupted, taking a deep breath and repeating it several times with her hand on her heart. “As of today, Lokralen will be closed.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Furthermore, from now on, even if one pursues magic, any objects or magical spaces that are too dangerous will now be immediately closed off,” Epherene said.

At Epherene's words, the mage twitched his brow in what looked like a flicker of dissatisfaction, but he soon nodded his head in agreement.

“Yes, I understand, Archmage Epherene.”

“Alright, you may go ahead,” Epherene replied.

“Yes.”

Then, after the mages who had escorted her to this place left, Epherene was left by herself, staring up at Lokralen.

"...

Oh

, my hands are shaking a bit."

But no matter how she thought about it, Epherene was trembling too much. As if to prepare, she took the crystal orb from her pocket and spoke to her friend, who would probably be in Freyden at this moment.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

When no response came, Epherene waited briefly before pounding her chest once more and speaking again.

“Hey, Sylvia, what are you doing? I need to speak with you for a moment. My heart feels like it's about to explode...”

***

At that very moment, Sylvia was looking upon the artificial sun from the top of Freyden castle.

—

Hey, what are you—

At that moment, from within the crystal orb, Epherene's voice could be heard, but...

“Will this sun never be extinguished?!” Zeit asked, his voice a great thunder that made the crystal orb tremble.

“

Oh

, for goodness’ sake. You’re too loud. You’re making it impossible to concentrate, and nothing will happen because of it,” Sylvia replied, glaring at Zeit with narrowed eyes.

“

Oh

, my apologies,” Zeit said, his lips pressing together in a tight line.

“From now on, there will be no ice age for Freyden—I promise you that,” Sylvia replied, clicking her tongue.

“

Ohh...

Finally.”

Whether they were the words he had hoped for or not, Zeit, as well as all the knights of Freyden lined up behind him, let out exclamations that were close to screams.

“

Ohh— Wow— Ohhhhhhh—

”

The sound of those men, like animals, was horrible to Sylvia.

"By the way, what is Yulie doing," Sylvia asked Zeit, shaking her head.

"

Oh

, Yulie, you ask? Yulie is dedicated to her work. To her sculpture, in fact," Zeit replied.

As per Zeit’s words, Yulie laid down her sword and took up a chisel and carving knife, for she had a talent in that area no less than her skill with the sword, meaning that now the name Yulie might be as famous as a sculptor as she was a knight.

“

Oh

, I am here as well.”

The voice that suddenly drifted in belonged to Yulie, who was appearing from the midst of a group of men, her brilliant silver hair flowing around her.

“Thank you, Mage Sylvia,” Yulie continued with a clear smile.

“... The thanks should go to you,” Sylvia replied with a chuckle. “More importantly, is the carving going well?”

“Yes, with my sister Josephine’s help, it is progressing very well.”

"I heard it is expensive."

“Yes, by selling the carvings to the nobles for a high price, I am able to dedicate all the money to those who are in need.”

Though she was not the same Yulie of the past, she had not strayed from her path, and she had grown into such a kind person in line with her nature that she was becoming a beautiful person who could sculpt the four seasons.

However, the problem was...

“What is that book you have,” Sylvia asked, pointing to Yulie’s book.

With a bitter smile, Yulie showed the cover of the book—

Stock Investing for Absolute Beginners : Stock Queen Primien

.

"

Oh

, it is a book about stocks. If I learn this, I should be able to grow my money and put it toward a more worthy cause—”

“Don’t.”

“... Pardon?”

“If I tell you not to, don’t do it,” Sylvia said, frowning her brow and glaring at her.

Hummm—

At that moment, the crystal orb vibrated once more.

—

I am going in now, to Lokralen.

The voice belonged to Epherene, and Sylvia’s lips drew into a pout because Epherene would soon be going to Lokralen to meet the person Sylvia most wished to meet.

I guess this is just a matter of each person’s own fortune,

Sylvia thought.

"Anyway, it’s good to see that you are living well, Yulie," Sylvia said.

“... Yes, thank you, Mage Sylvia. As you advised, I am living for myself now,” Yulie replied.

The words of Yulie—that she was living as her own self—and the emotion contained in her voice seemed utterly genuine and happy, to the point that Sylvia also gave a clear smile.

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Fwoooosh—

The winter wind in Freyden was harsh and frigid, but the artificial sun emitted a warmth that matched it.

Whoooooosh...

Sylvia had learned Deculein’s

Study of Art Magic

with a passion that bordered on madness, and the artificial sun was her final creation, completed with the Magicore she had inherited.

“This artificial sun will shine upon Freyden forever, just as my Professor wished.”

“

Ohhhhh—!

”

Immediately, the grotesque cries of the Freyden knights filled the castle, loud enough that it felt as if her ears were tearing and causing her face to scrunch up in displeasure.

“Yes, if it’s good, that’s all that matters,” Sylvia said with a smile, looking up at the sky again. “... This is all thanks to you.”

Really, it is all because of you. Because you sacrificed yourself, because of that cruel idea for you to act as a villain, this world and this continent will become a better and warmer place. Perhaps exactly as you calculated, or even more perfectly than you calculated,

Sylvia thought.

"You're watching, right."

However, it was also a certainty for Sylvia that he was watching over them from somewhere.

“I know.”

They were living, moving, laughing, and crying, and as humans they were finding their own selves, believing in themselves, and, true to the meaning of the word, relying on and loving one another...

“The villain is... still alive.”

... And for that reason he was surely watching them from somewhere with a pleased smile.