Chapter 362: Epilogue (5) Part 1

#16. Mage Tower of the Imperial University

Epherene had returned to the Mage Tower of the University, which was, in a broader sense, her hometown, and was admiring the scenery after a long time.

“... It is spring,” Epherene muttered.

As if to announce the arrival of spring, cherry blossoms were bursting and asserting themselves all over the campus, and beneath them, male and female university students or mages—be they couples, or just casually dating, or something in between—walked around leisurely. It was a sight of a peaceful and gentle youth, a vitality that could not be bought with billions of gold.

"I have been much too far from the mortal realm this whole time."

In the midst of it all, Epherene reminisced about her childhood, which now felt like a distant past to her.

“Back then...”

Epherene, who knew nothing and was utterly ignorant, bound only by resentment for Deculein, the girl Sylvia had once called her foolish Epherene, held a futile ambition in her heart that spring as she stood beneath the cherry blossoms.

“I wanted nothing more than to bring you to ruin.”

Muting her old purpose of Deculein’s ruin—a purpose that may have already been accomplished—Epherene took a single step forward.

Swoooosh—

At that moment, space was folded, and she immediately arrived at the uppermost floor of the Mage Tower of the University, at what was known as the Chairperson's Office.

“Oh my!” the Chairwoman shouted from her seat, caught in the middle of her work, startled by Epherene’s sudden appearance.

Crackle—!

The current Chairwoman was shocked enough to hastily release her mana, and after confirming that the uninvited guest was Epherene, she furrowed her brow.

“... I mean, hey.”

"It's been a while, Professor Louina," Epherene replied.

It was none other than Louina, the new Chairwoman.

To replace Deculein... no, because all of Deculein's records were completely erased and Deculein has become a villain whose name cannot even be spoken, Louina is not in place of Deculein, but rather the Chairwoman immediately following Adrienne,

Epherene thought.

“You startled me. Did you come for the item we spoke of before?” Louina said, a smile on her face as she ran a hand over her chest.

“Yes, just as I said before, I'm going to the Land of Destruction... no, the Explored Region.”

The land that had once been the Land of Destruction was now completely purified and referred to as an Explored Region, where vegetation grew, rain fell, and flying beasts roamed freely.

"Okay, so you need the key to the lighthouse, right?"

However, the lighthouse, a creation of Deculein and the Altar, remained. Whether due to Deculein's magical influence or not, it could not be broken or destroyed, no matter what methods were used. It was currently under the strict supervision of the Mage Tower of the Imperial University.

The reason the Mage Tower of the Imperial University is in charge is that the Explored Region falls under the Empire’s jurisdiction,

Epherene thought.

“Here,” Louina continued, handing over the key without hesitation.

“Thank you,” Epherene replied, a smile on her face as she put the key in her pocket.

“No worries. I should be the one to thank you,” Louina said, holding out her hand to Epherene. “I wish you well in all that you do, my respected Madam Archmage.”

“Yes, thank you,” Epherene replied, a warm smile on her face as she shook hands with Louina.

Professor Louina, who had once seemed as high as the heavens, remained Epherene's role model even now, and for that reason, her praise always made Epherene happy.

"You take care, too, Chairwoman."

"Alright, you can go now."

After making a farewell that might have been their last, Epherene was about to leave when she was suddenly overcome with a curiosity about the 77th floor—the floor that had now become someone else's, a Head Professor's floor.

Thud—

Epherene took a step and changed her location to the 77th floor, standing blankly in the middle of the corridor.

"

Ah...

" Epherene murmured, a sound she didn't realize she was making, her voice trembling with emotion.

The layout and structure of the laboratories, offices, and conference rooms were much different from when Deculein had been here, but the appearance of the corridor was exactly the same.

The unreturnable memories of her running from place to place in the corridor, of Allen following behind her, warning her that she would be in trouble if she ran, of a slightly foolish Drent, and of Deculein always walking with dignity—all welled up like an afterimage or a mist.

“

... Sniffle.

”

Suddenly, tears welled up in Epherene's eyes, and before the drops could fall, she quickly shook her head, firmed her resolve, and took a step forward.

Thud—

#17. Lighthouse

Epherene, who had arrived in the former Land of Destruction, now the Explored Region, had her head tilted back, her eyes locked on something in silence as she looked up at the lighthouse, a magnificent building that seemed to reach the sky and was known in this era as the root of all evil, a symbol of Deculein and the Altar.

"... It is beautiful," Epherene muttered.

Built entirely of Snowflower Stone, the object that blazed with a new blue and pristine white was beautiful.

It could be explained with that one single word, and that was the only word that could explain it. It was a beautiful lighthouse, a work of art that no amount of added rhetoric could capture, for it contained the effort and artistry of Deculein.

“Everything is ready,” Sylvia said, her voice clear and distinct as it cut through Epherene’s thoughts.

“... Yes, that seems like it,” Epherene replied as she snapped out of her daze.

Looking around, one would see blue lines forming a gigantic magic circle around the lighthouse. These were threads of mana shaped by Sylvia’s Primary Colors, which had connected the spell for the passage. The fuel to manifest the magic was the collective heart of everyone gathered there, and at the same time, the fragment of the meteor that Sophien had secured.

“I’ll begin in a moment,” Epherene added, looking around.

There were many familiar faces, and first among them was Sylvia, who had been the biggest help in this plan.

"Arrogant Epherene, be sure to come back with everyone."

Next was Ria from the Red Garnet Adventure Team.

“I’m sure you will be able to do it.

Oh

, and when you return from that place, I will not be around. You see, I am not supposed to meet the Professor.”

The meaning of Ria's words was significant, but Epherene did not have the luxury of time to question that meaning.

Following that, Delic and Gawain of the Imperial Knights' Order approached.

“

Ahem

, we are counting on you, Archmage Epherene.”

"We will be waiting.”

And there were Idnik and Arlos, who had crafted the outer shell that would allow them to endure the cold of the eternal winter.

“Remember this, Epherene—that outer shell is not invincible.”

“It will be up to you, Epherene, together with Her Majesty the Empress, to survive the eternal winter by yourselves.”

Epherene nodded at the two people who were giving their earnest advice and turned to look at the Empress—Sophien—who would be accompanying her into the passage.

“Should we leave now?” Epherene said.

"Very well," the Empress replied with a sense of ease.

The entry into the passage was for only the two of them, since no others were needed and a larger group would only increase the possibility of a divergence.

"There is no need for worry, Your Majesty. Should the remainders of the Altar ever appear, I will lay down my life to defend you," Delic said before the Empress departed.

Quay had already been destroyed, and the Altar had lost its doctrine and its God. Nevertheless, a part of it had survived like zombies, and because they seemed to know some of the truth, they considered Deculein a traitor and remained a great problem for the Empire.

“... You have my trust,” Sophien replied, her words a form of praise for Delic.

“Yes, yes! Your Majesty!” Delic replied, his face flushed with pride and emotion.

Leaving behind Delic, who could not stand upright from the weight of honor, Epherene activated her magic and poured her mana into the massive magic circle.

The first echo of the passage was silent, with only Epherene’s mana slowly circulating through the magic circle.

The flow that had been trickling like a stream...

Fwooooooooosh—!

it suddenly ran out of control as a great tremor erupted as if tearing space, carving a fissure into the ground. It was a drastic change that would have shocked everyone, and this phenomenon, which could be misunderstood as

Magic Deviation

, was actually a process that Epherene had guided with extreme precision.

"There's no need to worry."

The main point of the passage that Sophien had corrected was to cause an incorrect outcome, and therefore it was a dangerous technique that intentionally created a clash between mana, thereby manifesting the magic more rapidly and more destructively.

Crackle— Craaaackle—!

The spell, which had been spitting out a rough rhythm as if static electricity were rising before a lightning strike, soon reached the height of its friction, warping the world’s space itself and manifesting an oval passage within the distortion.

Cruuuunch—!

It was the passage of time, which had quantized time itself, shimmering as it consumed space.

All who witnessed the distortion of spacetime were momentarily speechless, and a silence filled with tension calmly descended.

“Your Majesty,” Epherene said, turning to look at Sophien.

Sophien, too, looked at Epherene.

Sophien and Epherene did not need any other words for each other. There was no need to hesitate, and as if it were a promise they had made, they merely moved on together, into the passage where he was waiting.