The moment Hanna touched the ring, light burst from it and formed a hologram in midair.
A large screen appeared in the empty air.
Inside the screen stood someone Hanna knew.
“Spirit unni?”
The spirit who had taught Hanna magic in the underground city was standing inside the hologram, wearing different clothes.
At Hanna’s words, the spirit inside the screen smiled.
She opened her mouth.
—Thankfully, the translation magic remains intact even after crossing such a long span of time. It’s a pleasure to meet you, new Guardian. I am not the spirit Shamila, but the mage Shamara.
Hanna’s eyes widened at the voice that came from the screen.
“Don’t tell me… you’re really the mage from long ago?”
The woman inside the screen nodded.
—Yes, that’s right. It seems the spirit Shamila resembles me quite a bit. I would like to send her my regards as well, but unfortunately, the ring’s storage space is limited.
Hanna soon realized that the woman inside the screen was different from the spirit.
They looked exactly alike, but the woman in the screen seemed far more mature.
That only made it stranger.
Hanna asked the woman,
“But I heard you were someone from ten thousand years ago. How is it that you’re talking with me like this right now…?”
Right now, Hanna was conversing with the woman in real time.
Even with a video call, if the distance was only a little too great, one could immediately feel a delay, yet now there was no such lag at all.
And yet, this was a recording from ten thousand years ago.
It was only natural that she found it hard to believe.
Hearing Hanna’s question, the woman smiled.
—The time at which I am recording this is far, far earlier than the time in which you are watching me. This video, too, is merely a recording being played back.
After confirming the fact, she passed the explanation back to Hanna instead.
—If it were someone else, they would find it difficult to believe my words. But you should be able to understand how I can converse with you.
Someone else might have called it nonsense out of nowhere, but the moment Hanna heard her, she immediately understood what she meant.
“If I’m able to understand the reason… Don’t tell me you’re speaking while seeing the future in which you’re talking to me right now?”
Unlike at first, when it had simply told her about survival, Hanna’s ability had gradually begun showing her more and more as time passed.
Not merely survival, but the paths that would help her, her companions, and Hyeon oppa, and each time, she also came to know what choices she needed to make.
It was the same with her coming along this time.
She could not see the details clearly, but she knew that she herself had to come to this tower.
Even so, Hanna had never imagined that a prophet could converse with someone from such a distant future.
—Yes. That’s right. I am looking into the future now and recording what I am saying into the ring.
But it seemed that a prophet from ten thousand years ago was capable of even that.
“Can a real prophet do things like that too?”
When Hanna asked with an incredulous expression, Shamara in the screen shook her head.
—No. This was impossible even for me. It was only possible because the one who took hold of my ring was also a prophet. You can think of it as a channel opening between you and me, one meant only for prophets.
She was saying that this was a special situation, but it was still astonishing all the same.
After that, Shamara added one more thing.
—And there was another bit of help as well.
Shamara glanced behind Hanna.
It was where Hyeon was.
Hanna tried to turn around, but Shamara continued speaking first.
—I would like to talk with the new Guardian a little longer, but there isn’t much capacity left. I’ll get straight to the point.
Hearing Shamara’s words, Hanna focused on the screen.
—The reason I am leaving this video is to pass this ring to you and teach you one spell.
To give her this ring?
Hanna tilted her head and looked at the antique ring, then was startled by the words that followed.
—The ring I left behind is one that has been passed down since ancient times to women called Saintesses.
“Saintesses?”
Seeing the startled Hanna, Shamara smiled again.
—They are called Saintesses, but that is merely the name used by some of those who follow prophets. This ring is simply one passed down to those who have awakened the ability of prophecy.
At the words that followed, Hanna was finally able to calm her surprise.
Seeing Hanna relieved, Shamara continued.
—This ring contains a few minor functions, such as storing images, and one spell.
After saying that much, Shamara looked to the side and smiled.
It was a mischievous smile, different from the ones she had shown until now.
—Sof will be angry if he hears this, but…
Shamara looked at Hanna again and said,
—This ring contains mind magic.
As she said that, she glanced to the side once more, then quickly continued.
—Mind magic is forbidden magic, but the mind magic contained in this ring is not dangerous. It merely activates the mind a little. It is only mind magic meant to aid a prophet’s awakening and offer a bit of help when the prophet uses their ability.
Just then, the sound of a man clearing his throat came from the screen.
It seemed there was someone else outside the frame.
Hearing that sound, Shamara laughed softly and continued.
—For generations, the previous prophet would look into the future and pass this ring to the new prophet. This ring will help awaken the new Guardian’s ability.
Hearing that, Hanna was about to pick up the ring, but stopped her hand.
There was still something left for her to hear.
—That’s right. You need to hear the spell. This is a spell and a magic that only we, who are both prophets and Guardians, can use.
She looked at Hanna with a serious expression.
An expression filled with gratitude and apology.
With that expression, she looked at Hyeon, who stood behind Hanna.
She told Hanna what kind of spell it was.
—It is sealing magic and unsealing magic.
***
Just as Shamara had said, that spell could only be used by a prophet.
Even though I had heard the explanation of the magic and the incantation twice, no formulas or magic circles came to mind.
After the explanation of the sealing magic ended like that, Shamara in the video bowed her head to me.
With that, the video disappeared.
Once the video vanished, Hanna turned her head and looked at me.
The expression on Hanna’s face as she looked at me was not good at all.
“It seems Mage Shamara could talk with me in the distant future, but she couldn’t read people very well. I don’t think I can use the magic she taught me.”
At her words, spoken with a face on the verge of tears, I had no choice but to harden my expression as well.
If I didn’t want to laugh, I couldn’t help it.
With a stiff face, I asked Hanna,
“The explanation wasn’t difficult, was it?”
“She explained it simply, so it wasn’t difficult. But even if I understood it, it was magic I couldn’t use.”
That was a simple explanation?
I had heard the same thing twice, but even now, I could not make heads or tails of it.
Since she understood it and had realized that she still couldn’t use it, it was only natural for her to make that face, but I wasn’t worried.
She simply couldn’t use it right away.
Unlike Hanna, who had only heard up to this point because the video was short, I had been able to hear a bit more.
The moment Hanna touched the ring earlier, I had also fallen into Sof’s memories.
When the white light vanished, I was inside Sof’s body, and before my eyes I saw Shamara with the ring in front of her.
“Thankfully, the translation magic remains intact even after crossing such a long span of time… I am the mage Shamara.”
Shamara continued speaking while looking into the empty air.
When I first saw it, I thought she was putting on a one-person play, but as her words continued, I too was shocked.
“…I am looking into the future now and recording what I am saying into the ring.”
Shamara was conversing with Hanna from the future.
It had been surprising when I first saw it in the memory, but when I saw the exact same video and answers in reality, how shocked had I been?
Just as I had seen in reality, when Shamara’s explanation of the magic ended, the magic stored in the ring came to an end.
After the video storage was complete, Shamara placed the ring on the table.
After setting down the ring, she looked at me—no, at Sof—with an apologetic face.
“You’re not angry, are you? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
At her words, my mouth opened, and Sof’s voice came out.
“It’s really all right, isn’t it?”
“Yes. It’s something that has been confirmed over many generations. It will be of great help to the new Guardian.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“I was all right too.”
“Then that’s enough.”
At her answer, he pointed to the ring on the table.
“Then, if the Guardian of the future uses that ring, she’ll be able to undo the seal?”
“Yes. Once she fully awakens, she will be able to undo the seal I made.”
Hearing that, Sof clicked his tongue.
“The title of Archmage is laughable. To think I’m called an Archmage when I can’t even use a single spell like this.”
Seeing Sof, who seemed angry, Shamara came closer and patted the back of his hand.
“This can’t be helped. We prophets can directly call upon the power of the stars. That is what makes prophecy possible, and powerful shields as well.”
As she patted the back of his hand, she tightly grasped Sof’s thick hand.
“That is also why, when the star is in danger, we can see a more distant future and create even stronger shields. Strong enough to seal the Demon King.”
Whether because of her words or because of the warmth he felt from her hand, I could not tell, but in any case, Sof stopped being angry.
Sof also took her hand and rose from his seat.
“With this, the preparations are complete, aren’t they?”
At Sof’s question, Shamara nodded.
“Yes. Now we only need to seal the Demon King properly.”
At those words, Sof frowned.
“To think we cannot kill the Demon King now and must leave it to people of the distant future. I still don’t like it.”
He wasn’t shouting in anger, but I could feel that he was in a bad mood.
Shamara gently soothed Sof.
“You know, don’t you? That there’s no other way.”
“That’s why I’m staying still.”
“I’m sorry.”
At Sof’s words, Shamara lowered her head.
“There’s no need to apologize. I knew and followed you anyway.”
“I’m sorry for more than that too. There are still many things I haven’t been able to tell you, Sof.”
“I know very well that it can’t be helped if we want to avoid changing the future. And Shamara, as the prophet, you must be having a harder time than I am.”
“Yes. Including that, I’m very sorry. To both of you.”
Shamara looked at me and Sof and smiled sadly.
The world turned white once more.
I had come out of Sof’s memory.
After returning to reality, I watched Hanna converse with Shamara’s video.
I witnessed the astonishing sight of what had looked like a one-person play becoming a conversation ten thousand years later, and I nearly laughed when I saw Hanna on the verge of tears.
I said to the worried Hanna,
“You haven’t even awakened yet, and you’re already thinking of using magic? Put the ring on first.”
“Ah! Right. That’s true. I guess I really am an idiot.”
Hanna, who had been looking at me as if I were a genius, carefully picked up the ring.
Hanna put the ring on her finger.
Magic bloomed from the ring.
Mountain of Stars (1)