The Imperial Magic Tower, 77th floor.
Yeriel visited the [ Chief Professor’s Office ] while Deculein was away on a business trip. Perhaps because its owner was absent, the interior was plastered with security spells—but the moment someone snapped their fingers, click!—they all ceased functioning.
“What were you asked to do?!”
Chairwoman Adrienne. Yeriel, who had been trying to sneak in, had been caught by chance, and had no choice but to accept her help. If anything, it was for the better.
“I can’t tell you that much. It’s work-related.”
“······Hmm! Then I’ll just ask Professor Deculein himself!”
“Yes. Please do.”
Yeriel replied calmly and placed the documents from her handbag on the office desk. Documents related to Marik and the Rohalak Prison, which she had brought as an excuse—or pretext. They were confidential files sealed with a magical security mechanism that recognized Deculein’s fingerprints and irises.
She spoke to the chairwoman, who was still watching her even then.
“Would you mind leaving now?”
“······Suspicious!”
The chairwoman’s busybody antennae shot up. It seemed some instinct of hers had reacted.
The way she stared like a praying mantis was rather funny, but Yeriel shook her head.
“It’s work-related anyway, so there won’t be anything very interesting.”
“······Hmph, fine! I’ll go for now!”
The chairwoman pursed her lips and went outside.
Only then did Yeriel’s true actions begin. There was something she wanted to find.
“······This personality is nice at times like this.”
‘That item’ was quickly found.
Thanks to Deculein’s extremely neat organization, the moment she opened the drawer, it immediately caught her eye.
[ ]
This untitled notebook. At a glance, it looked like something one could buy at a stationery store for about 3 elne, but it was absolutely no ordinary notebook.
It was one of the many assignments given in life by the former head of the family, ‘Dikailen,’ and Yeriel, of course, also possessed this untitled notebook—this assignment notebook.
“As expected. It was here.”
No matter how much she had searched the mansion, it hadn’t been there, and the Magic Tower, the last place she came to check, had been the right choice.
With this, Yeriel intended to grasp Deculein’s true intentions.
“······With this.”
Her heart was still too weak to seek ruin over what had happened roughly a year ago, and she was also cautious; moreover, realistic problems were piled high.
Thus, she chose this ‘diary’ as a certain method. Rather than move rashly, she intended to look into Deculein’s final feelings.
“Ahem······.”
After checking her surroundings, Yeriel filled the empty spot with her own diary.
Since both were magical artifacts personally crafted by their father, there was no difference whatsoever in their appearance, and both notebooks had exactly the same function. Above all, Yeriel was certain Deculein would not look into this diary.
The one and only existence Deculein, that man, feared.
That ‘father’ would be lurking within this diary.
“Now······.”
And so, the moment she stepped out of the office.
“!”
Yeriel ended up running into someone troublesome.
The person approaching also spotted Yeriel and widened her eyes.
“Solda Yeriel?”
It was Luina. Luina was approaching the Chief Professor’s Office with several disciples.
“······.”
Yeriel thought about Luina.
Given the circumstances, she had been kidnapped by Deculein, but strangely, she had been quiet lately. There were even rumors that she was Deculein’s confidant.
Yeriel was curious about the inside story behind that peculiar tale.
“······Professor Luina, what brings you to the 77th floor? This is my elder bro······ um. This is the floor of Lord Deculein, the head of the family.”
“The security magic had stopped functioning, so I thought the professor had returned. I have documents that need to be approved again.”
“—Aah! You money-eating hippo!”
At that moment, the chairwoman appeared from behind the wall, eyes blazing. Luina flinched and stepped back, while Yeriel sighed.
What was that person hiding there trying to eavesdrop on this time?
Really, this was a complete mess.
“Professor Luina! Do you know how much you’ve spent so far?! And you still want more approval?! This time it’ll be an approval for payments again, won’t it?! An approval to spend money!”
“What can I do when it costs a lot of money, Chairwoman? Besides, this is under the Planning and Coordination Director’s jurisdiction anyway, right? Chairwoman, you can just leave it to him in com~fort.”
“······I shouldn’t have made the Planning and Coordination Office!”
“Come on~ Separate from my project, the Planning and Coordination Office has been making a lot of profit, hasn’t it? Every project the professor carefully selected was successful.”
“Luina, you’re gobbling up all that profit!”
“Come on~ It can’t be that much~”
“You, seriously! It is that much! At this rate it’s going to exceed 100 million elne!”
“Oh my. It hasn’t even reached 100 million elne yet? That’s less than I expected.”
“What did you say!!!”
Listening closely to their useless banter, since this too was part of the Magic Tower’s ways, Yeriel quietly boarded the elevator.
* * *
A cloudless, blue summer afternoon.
After completing the departure procedures at Rokralen—inspection of items being taken out, identity checks, and the like—we took the train and arrived at the Imperial Capital’s [ Haillech Station ].
“Phew! We’re finally back!”
Allen stretched as he cried out brightly. I gazed for a moment at the sky beyond the train window.
It was merely an ordinary business trip coming to an end, and yet, for some reason, it felt as though I had finished a long journey.
“······I didn’t know they’d take my diary too.”
Allen responded to Epherene’s sullen mutter.
“They said it was in case it caused problems with your memory for no reason~”
“Yes, I understand, but······ and luckily, I do remember a little. My mental strength must not be too bad after all.”
“I know, right~ There isn’t much I remember from the lecture, but what happened that day and the ordinary parts seem to be fine.”
“······All I remember is fainting.”
We chatted among ourselves as we stepped onto the platform. Rogerio and Creto, who had been on the same train, approached just then.
Creto extended his hand first.
“Professor Deculein. I received your help yet again this time.”
“That’s right. Hey, Professor Deculein, you’re pretty capable, ain’t ya? Why are you still only a Monarch?”
“Grand Prince Creto. You’ve worked hard. Rogerio, you as well.”
I gave them my farewell. Allen, Epherene, and Drent also exchanged brief words with them, and afterward we split into two groups and walked down the main road.
“Oh my?!”
In the middle of Haillech, Epherene suddenly pointed somewhere.
「Pig’s Flower」.
It was somewhat different from the main branch of Pig’s Flower near the Imperial University. It was a branch that had been decorated in a far more luxurious style, fitting the style and concept of Haillech, the empire’s wealthiest district—a branch that looked every bit like a high-end restaurant.
Epherene stared blankly at its exterior.
“······Slurp. Uh. Slurp. Slurp. Ah. Why won’t my drool stop? Julie said she was opening a new branch this time, but I never imagined it would be in Haillech······.”
“Is that place that delicious?”
At Allen’s question, Epherene nodded. Not once, but twice; not twice, but three times, four times, five times······.
I took my wallet from my inner pocket.
“Allen.”
“Yes?”
“Feed her and send her off.”
When I handed him a check for 10,000 elne, Allen was startled.
“This is too mu—”
“You’ll end up using it all once you eat. Haillech’s prices are beyond imagination.”
“Ah······ yes, yes. Thank you, Professor!”
Allen accepted the check with trembling hands. Epherene, who had been glancing this way, couldn’t hold back her smile and twitched.
“I’ll go ahead.”
“Yes! Thank you! Goodbye, Professor!”
“Goodbye, Professor.”
“Take care~”
The farewells belonged to Allen, Drent, and Epherene respectively.
Without even sparing them a glance, I got into the car prepared in advance. Outside the window, Allen led the two assistants into the restaurant.
—Let’s go, let’s go~ Hurry, let’s go~
Epherene’s steps were light, as though her shoulders were dancing, and a bright smile filled her entire face.
“······That Epherene.”
She was to become an archmage in the future?
I let out a hollow laugh.
“Professor. Was the business trip all right?”
It was Yulie, seated beside me, speaking as if she were both there and not there. I looked at her and nodded.
“It wasn’t bad.”
Yulie smiled brightly, and I said to the driver,
“To the Magic Tower.”
* * *
After arriving at my office in the Magic Tower, I first took out the 「Advanced Trait Catalog」.
“······It’s a good reward, but.”
Unlike the 「Item Catalog」, the 「Trait Catalog」 was an extremely important item. Even in the game, there weren’t many opportunities to obtain one.
However, 「Advanced」 was a bit ambiguous.
The hierarchy of traits went [ Ordinary 〃 Lower 〃 Intermediate 〃 Advanced 〃 Rare 〃 Unique 〃 Inherent ].
Here, Ordinary and Lower were merely bonuses, like 「Telekinesis Artisan」, things too ambiguous to even call traits, and from Intermediate and Advanced onward they could finally be considered traits, but······.
[ 1. General License ]
[ 2. Tiger’s Roar ]
[ 3. Reckless Attack Stance ]
No matter how much I scrolled through, I saw nothing useful. Even as I kept lowering my eyes, down, down, further down······?
“What is this now?”
I found a trait with an unfamiliar name.
──「Encryption」──
◆ Grade
: Advanced
◆ Description
: The ability to encrypt a target by consuming mana. (However, living beings cannot be encrypted.)
: The output of this trait is affected by the owner’s ‘mental strength.’
────
「Encryption」.
The explanation was quite vague, but I liked the fact that the trait was affected by ‘mental strength.’ Mental strength could be called Deculein’s sole advantage, after all.
“······?”
However, suddenly.
I discovered a small note on the desk. It had not been there until just now.
“······How did it appear?”
Though puzzled, I stared silently at the contents of the note, then placed it inside my coat.
Knock, knock—
Just then, a knock sounded.
“Professor!”
When I opened the door with 「Psychokinesis」, Allen entered with the most excited expression in the world.
“Professor! The Floating Island has completed the grade judgment! It’s an advanced lecture!”
Behind him were Epherene and Drent as well. Drent bowed at the waist, and Epherene followed, fidgeting.
“You’re amazing, Professor~”
I spoke to Allen, who was flattering me with such fuss.
“Good. Then let us begin preparing for the full-scale class.”
“Yes!”
“The two assistants may leave.”
“······Yes?”
I had told the assistants to leave, but Allen tilted his head in confusion.
“Um······ why the assistants······”
“Drent, Epherene. Both of you applied for my lecture.”
“Ah. That’s right. I did.”
“Me too.”
Drent and Epherene, who met my eyes, nodded. I naturally looked at Allen.
“Therefore, class preparation falls to you and me.”
“······Ah.”
Allen looked terribly disappointed.
Of course, he had probably been planning to push class preparations and other odd jobs onto the newcomers from now on.
“Yes. Then, I, um······ ah.”
Allen glanced behind him. The two assistants had already vanished.
“······Yes.”
The fellow smiled brightly again, as though resigned. I placed a hand on his shoulder and said,
“Don’t worry. Your name will also be listed among the supervising professors for this lecture.”
“Yeeeeeees?!”
His eyes went wide in an instant.
“A-a-advanced lecture, it’s an advanced lecture······?”
“Yes.”
“Huh, hu, ah, I, that, that’s, this, ah······.”
Watching Allen fidget like that, I thought silently.
“An associate supervising professor······ How could I dare······ ugh.”
······This fellow truly was born with a gift for acting.
*
······The upper levels of the Floating Island were spaces no mage could dare imagine.
More precisely, they defied the common sense of everyone in this world.
Megiseion was the core and engine of the Floating Island. It was a structure that stretched endlessly into the sky above the sky—that is, the heaven beyond heaven.
However, the higher each floor went, the more its interior took on the aspect not of an ‘inside,’ but of ‘terrain,’ or even a ‘world.’
Some floors of the Floating Island were wide enough for tens of thousands of people to live in, some floors were nothing but a vast open sea, and some floors were······.
“The lecture submitted for evaluation by Professor Deculein of Monarch rank, 「Pure Utilization of Earth and Fire: Manipulation Series」.”
A cramped meeting room that existed only to deliver judgments.
“We approve the assessment of this lecture as ‘unrestricted advanced.’”
A lecture grade assessment conducted in that place, where numerous addicts and executives of the Floating Island were seated.
From now on, Dekyulrein’s lecture, “The Proper Utilization of Earth and Fire: Manipulation Series,” would be regarded as an advanced lecture for ‘mages of all ranks,’ and the act of attending the lecture itself would be recorded as part of one’s career.
“However, a recorder dispatched by the Floating Island shall sit in on said lecture, and the lecture information will be stored in the archives of the Floating Island.”
Huhu— Gindalpeu, who was present there, laughed quietly and stroked his chin.
Adeurinneu, who was also present, nodded with a satisfied expression.
“Said lecture will be recognized as Dekyulrein’s intellectual creation, and the protection period shall be a minimum of ten years. Furthermore, the students for the lecture—except for a select few chosen by the Floating Island—shall be decided directly by Dekyulrein himself.”
The protection period for Dekyulrein’s creation was set at a ‘minimum’ of ten years. Considering that the maximum is fifteen years, this was an enormous evaluation.
“In exchange for storing Dekyulrein’s lecture, the Floating Island promises conveniences such as providing locations of Dekyulrein’s choosing and supporting expenses……”
……That day.
The ‘Advanced Lecture Designation’ handed down by the Floating Island spread directly through the Floating Island.
Rojerio, Keureto, Betan, and Ihelleum, among other famous mages, displayed varying reactions of admiration, jealousy, and disbelief, and a small stir arose in the area, but.
There was a mage who could not even hear that news.
Fwhiiiiiing—!
This place was the ‘Blade Orbit,’ where sharp whirlwinds raged.
One of the surrounding islands of the Floating Island, a dangerous region where several small islands were sparsely connected in midair.
Tak—!
On one of those islands, a fern-like grip came up over a cliff as if carved out by a knife.
Kwadeuk—!
It grasped dirt and pebbles. The white, delicate hand was covered in wounds, and blood poured from nails that had completely fallen out.
It could not not hurt, but there was only the single-minded determination not to fall.
Sswhaaaaaa—!
“……Kuh.”
The owner of this hand was Silbia. Despite trembling in the blade-like winds, she did not let go of the rock face she clung to.
“You managed to survive, eh.”
Then, black high heels approached her with a thud.
Pushed by the clicking heel, sand grains fell like mist… puh-shhh……
“…….”
Silbia looked up at the woman standing before her. Clad in a robe, the woman looked down at her while applying lip balm.
“Give up. You’ll end up crippled at this rate.”
Despite those harsh words, Silbia shook her head.
“I won’t give up.”
“……You certainly possess the zeal to learn something. That old codger Rohakan was right to leave you with me.”
The woman scoffed.
“If so…… Boma.”
A heavy, husky voice for a woman.
She stomped on Silbia’s hand, which was supporting her on the cliff face, with her high heel.
“!”
Tududuk— Along with the sound of finger joints being crushed, Silbia plummeted once more below the cliff.
“Whether you truly are Illeideu’s apostle, or merely a broken wolf.”
The woman muttered as such and chewed on her cigarette.
Fzzt—!
Although the fire was lit with magic, the smoke it spewed was swept up by the wind and quickly died out.
* * *
The Yukrain Lord’s Castle.
Yeriel was with her faithful vassals. Butler Roel, Knight Deibideu, Mage Regillon, Head Maid Rahel…… Their heavy breaths settled like fog, and the taut tension was razor-thin, as if it would snap at any moment.
“This notebook was an assignment Father gave me.”
Yeriel said, pointing to Dekyulrein’s Diary on her desk.
“In this diary, each day’s soul and magical power seep in. No, from the very beginning, the material of this diary itself is…… our skin.”
The vassals’ breath stopped momentarily. Yeriel also furrowed her brow, recalling events from the distant past.
Literally, the agony of living flesh being torn off. Anesthesia was useless, and she had cried like a madwoman, but Yeriel endured that extreme hardship for being a Yukrain.
“Skin, you say?”
Butler Roel asked back in a slightly surprised tone.
“……Yes. It is made from our skin, so part of the circuit is contained within it. It is an incredible work called a ‘Remote Circuit.’ Isn’t Father truly amazing?”
Father Dikailen gave his children countless assignments. Not only during his lifetime, but also through posthumous wills.
Those countless trials may still be continuing even now.
“Even if we deliberately do not write in the diary, even if we keep it far away, even if we throw it away and tear it apart…… our days and actions are recorded distinctly.”
Father had called it an ‘artifact to help you develop on your own,’ but…….
Yeriel was no fool.
Naturally, she knew.
That the true purpose of this diary was to monitor and evaluate them.
“Of course, the recorded memories are selective and unconscious, but at least they cannot be fake. Because this is Father’s creation, and in artifact crafting alone, he was said to be at the level of an Iteoneol—an Archmage.”
Dikailen, the Art Mage (藝術魔法師) of the century who had elevated the artifact itself into 「Specialized Magic」.
Although many artifacts he created had magically weathered over the long time since his death, the things left to his children through a medium such as ‘skin’ remained intact.
“This key is for opening that passage.”
Yeriel took out Dikailen’s key from within her bosom. It was a treasure taken from the underground vault of the Yukrain Lord’s Castle.
“It will be dangerous, but this is the only way for me now.”
Simply put, Yeriel was trying to enter Dekyulrein’s diary. But no one would know what memories she could see, or in what manner.
“Will that person be exactly the same as he was a year ago? Is he truly merely acting, planning to cast us aside after using us? Or has he truly changed into a different person because of something?”
Yeriel pointed at Dekyulrein’s diary with her finger.
“I intend to find that out. Will you follow me?”
The vassals nodded with stern faces.
“Thank you.”
Yeriel exhaled deeply and soon inserted the key into the diary. Although the diary’s cover was clearly a solid, the key rippled and settled down as if seeping into a waterway.
Sswhaaa—!
At that moment, magical power surged, and when Yeriel turned the key completely.
————!
The diary swallowed them whole.