“Veron, knight of Fredenheim. Born with no hill to stand upon, living a lonely life alone, yet devoting his entire existence wholly to chivalry, he was an exemplary······”
······In the cemetery, Veron’s mass continues, and his coffin is lowered beneath the earth. Julie stares blankly at his hollow chest. She gazes, dazed, at the wound pierced through by a shard of steel.
At the same time, she recalls Deculein’s words.
—He was an insolent bastard who deserved to die from the start. How dare he, not knowing his place, covet what belonged to someone else. He wasn’t worth keeping alive.
Wiiiing── Along with a ringing in her ears, the world shakes. The ground beneath her feet sways dizzily.
As she staggers like a person whose soul has left her, Josephine supports her by the shoulders.
—And even if I reveal that fact now, what of it? Do you think you can punish me? Me, who holds His Majesty’s favor?
Every word of his resounds loudly in her ears. Words Julie does not want to accept. Words too painful and cruel.
His cold expression.
—In any case. Even that has become useless now.
Did he truly kill Veron?
—A knight who whimpers and wastes away over a mere curse.
Was all of it her fault?
Was it because she was weak, because of the curse she still had not overcome?
—All this time, unaware of even that, I wore an ill-fitting mask because I wanted to possess you, but now I’ve grown sick of it.
Julie lowers her head. Her body trembles so much she cannot hold herself steady.
Sorrow, hatred, disappointment, denial, doubt······ all those emotions hurt as though they were slicing into her skin, as though great nails were being driven into her heart.
It hurts too much.
—I am not benevolent enough to love a woman who is all but dead, and two bereavements do not suit the dignity of Yukline either.
Yet his abuse ultimately leads to a single thought.
This wound was, in the end, because of you.
I offered my whole body to protect you, and this scar was the price.
Because of you, whom I had “mistaken for having changed” because of me, I had lived thinking of it as a wound of glory.
And you, even that······.
—I have nothing to say to those who delivered a defective product. Let us pretend the engagement with Freyden never existed. Tell Zeit the same.
“Why.”
Julie murmurs, holding back her tears.
What did I do wrong to you?
Why did you desire me so much, why did you torment me so much, and even now, why do you do this to me······.
“······Why.”
Julie feels a pain in her heart. Her breath rises raggedly.
She cannot breathe, and blood flows from her bitten lips.
Why, why, why.
Yet the question she spits out reaches no one and dies away. It circles in empty air, then scatters.
She is simply madly curious. She simply wants to ask Deculein.
Why he tried to possess her while wearing such a troublesome mask all this time. Why he obsessed over her enough to kill an innocent knight named Veron······.
“Why!”
Julie wants to know.
* * *
I walked through the bitter cold of this bottommost depths.
The dense darkness remained unchanged, but my optic nerves, now able to seize even the faintest source of light, saw the area brightly. The cold that froze even my breath was the same as ever, but as an 「Iron Man」, I endured it.
It was a resistance beyond human limits, grasped by a body beyond human limits through willpower beyond human limits.
“······.”
First, I investigated the purpose of this snow globe.
An ancient treasure made in the ancient era. If its intention had been the “preservation of ancient humanity,” like Noah’s Ark, then there would not have been natural disasters like this.
“······.”
Thus, the most plausible hypothesis was a “prison.” A vessel created to confine someone.
Of course, since it was an object from the ancient era, the possibility that whoever had been imprisoned was still alive was extremely low.
“······?”
It was when I was walking with that thought.
I discovered a darkness hanging before my eyes. I concentrated mana into my eyes.
For reference, I can now use the instantaneous amplification of 「Iron Man」 and the bestowal of 「Authority」. In other words, at any moment I can enhance the function of my retinas like Superman, and I can also bestow part of 「Iron Man」 upon Wood Steel.
“What is this······.”
However, even when I poured mana into my eyes, the darkness did not clear. I slowly raised my head. I moved my frozen neck.
At first, I thought it was a wall. Some enormous object was blocking the path like Snorlax.
······It was not.
“······.”
For a moment, I lost my words. Only a hollow laugh escaped me. A headache rang out as though my frozen brain had cracked—clang!
Then, “it” opened its eyes.
I named his race.
“······Giant.”
In the distant ancient past, the race that commanded this entire continent. In this world, the race closest to gods, and existences wiser and more sagacious than any other.
A Named being absolutely necessary for clearing the main quest.
Though its body was seated upright, it exceeded fifteen meters, and both arms were as thick as the World Tree. Each strand of the necklace adorning the space between its shoulders and chest was the size of an adult man.
Indeed, the snow globe was an object meant to imprison someone.
If the target was a giant, it was only natural that it had been made this massive.
─······.
The giant opened his eyes. Brilliant light shone from them, illuminating the underground. His retinas looked down upon me. Those pupils were as deep as the sea, and all things in the world glittered within them.
[ Independent Quest: Questions and Answers with a Giant ]
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It was a reward enough to make one’s soul leave one’s body.
I looked at the giant. I was not cowed by that overwhelming body. Rather, I faced him with a noble bearing.
—What a peculiar human you are······.
Gooooooo── The giant’s voice rang out magnificently. The underground ice walls sloughed down, and vibrations rose from within my body.
It was a pressure that would have disintegrated an ordinary human’s entire flesh the moment they heard it.
“······.”
I did not avoid the giant’s eyes.
Even if the one before me was a giant, Deculein’s ego remained unchanged, firm, and above all, I coveted the reward.
“I am Deculein of Yukline.”
At that, the giant’s eyes narrowed thinly. The air resonated with the movement of his eyelids.
─······.
A character whose very race was Named, a giant.
The nameless one stared intently into me.
For a long time, silence settled. The giant’s pressure weighed upon my shoulders. However, I did not bend my standing posture in the slightest.
─Deculein of Yukline.
At last, the words he spoke to me were—
─Is that your true name?
He had already seen through all of me.
I gazed at the giant and shook my head.
There was no reason to deceive an ancient legend.
“My name is Kim Woojin. I am a person who came here from another world and became Deculein.”
─······.
Only then did the giant nod. At my honest answer, he even smiled.
* * *
······The paper by “Deculein·Luna” stirred up a tremendous debate on the Floating Island. Thousands of addicts rushed to review a single paper, and the “Academic Discussion on the Deculein·Luna Paper” was held dozens of times a day.
Thanks to that, the Floating Island’s work came to a complete stop.
Government offices, magic bookstores, potion shops, rank assignments, exam administration, Wizard Atomic, and so on. More than seventy percent of the wizards residing on the Floating Island clung to Deculein’s paper.
—Judging the possibilities of Deculein’s paper is nothing but chasing clouds. What does it matter if it’s theoretically extraordinary? There isn’t a single wizard who can apply it in practice.
—Even so, you cannot call it chasing clouds. How can you describe such an original theory as chasing clouds? Professor Deculein is the intellect who will lead this era.
First, the seventh floor of Megiseion, the discussion floor. All thirty-three discussion halls had the same topic.
The validity of the Deculein·Luna paper.
—The concept of Deculein’s paper is, naturally, tremendously, extremely genius.
Even the critical addicts clearly acknowledged the value of the paper itself.
—However, it is so genius that it is alien. Who is supposed to apply this magic?
However, magical application—in other words, feasibility—was the problem.
Because at present, a wizard who possesses talent in all attributes of the four great elements, can use magic of at least four schools, and has the technique and experience demanded by this paper, is, without exaggeration, not found in the “secular world.”
Even Adrienne, who has already been ranked as an archmage, cannot do it. She is specialized in the Destruction School.
—If a paper has no value simply because it cannot be applied to magic, then what about Lukel’s proof before this? What about the auxiliary school magic circles and formulas of “Dukan,” which have now become a faith of the auxiliary school?
Thanks to that, the Floating Island is extraordinarily prosperous. Wizards from the Magic Towers of various nations have immediately come up to the Floating Island, nearly doubling the floating population.
“······I just borrowed the paper. How far did you get?”
These days, whenever one walks along the streets of the Floating Island—
Conversations about that paper always drift in.
“Page three. I couldn’t make any progress beyond that. He didn’t make it fully public for nothing.”
This is because Deculein made the paper fully public. He did not set a price for the paper itself, allowing anyone to read it as long as they paid the writing cost.
Of course, papers impossible to apply in practice do not sell well in the first place.
“Hey. I succeeded in reading through page eleven yesterday. What about you?”
“······The beginning of page twelve?”
However, Deculein’s casual action created a small hierarchy, competition, and trend on the Floating Island.
“Pfft. Bluffing, are you? Want to go home and cross-verify with me?”
“Ah, damn it······ Fine, page seven. Happy?”
How far they understood the theory of the paper. Up to which page they had progressed. Whether they had at least reached the level where they could converse with one another.
That itself became a magical trend on the Floating Island, and now even a “Knowledge Society” has been unofficially founded······.
······Meanwhile.
This is the famous Floating Island restaurant, “Magic Pasta.”
“But, I. Mean! Who the hell is supposed to apply this theory in practice? In the first place, you can count the wizards who’ve understood beyond page twenty on one hand.”
Epherene, who has visited the Floating Island for the first time in a while, is eating pasta for now, but she can hardly tell whether the noodles are going into her nose or her mouth.
“So? How many pages have you understood, then? How much of Deculein’s paper did you understand?”
Because every conversation all around her is about Deculein·Luna’s paper.
“Oh, seriously. What does that matter right now? It’s a paper that can’t be used in practice anyway.”
“Ah, if it doesn’t matter, then how many pages? Answer me. If your point is valid, I’ll listen.”
“······Page nine, but anyway! They say the Agora is opening for the first time in ages this time. Let’s have a proper debate then.”
“Hah. I can’t believe this. With only page nine, you can’t even attend the Agora, you know?”
The Agora. The largest academic discussion hall on the Floating Island.
That venue, where not only the addicts of the Floating Island but everyone of Monarch rank or higher will participate, is also being held this time.
“Really?”
“Yeah. The minimum qualification is page thirteen.”
The topic is only one thing: Deculein’s paper.
“······No, forget that. More importantly, who the hell is Luna? Why is her name attached next to Deculein’s?”
“They say she was Deculein’s assistant. She provided the idea. For now, the shares are fifty-fifty.”
“······.”
Now words related to her father are about to come out. Epherene quietly moves her plate aside and is about to head straight outside when she spots someone, flinches in surprise, and sits back down.
It was Gindalf.
“Epherene. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Yes. Elder Gindalf. What a coincidence!”
The Ether-ranked wizard who had told her, “Deculein actually treasures you.”
Gindalf, with his long beard, laughed heartily and placed a hand on Epherene’s shoulder.
“A coincidence, you say? I came here deliberately. I heard the news from my Ganesha.”
“Yes? What news······.”
In an instant, Gindalf’s smile stiffened. He leaned close to Epherene’s ear and whispered heavily.
─Dikaillen.
Epherene flinched. Gindalf once again smiled kindly and stepped away from Epherene.
“I, too, dislike that fellow a great deal, you see. The reason I came looking for you like this was to prepare countermeasures for you.”
“Ah, I see!”
She nods with a bright smile, but soon recalls the rumors about Gindalf circulating in the world.
“But······ if you don’t mind me asking, how much would that cost······?”
The money-eating giant tortoise. It was Gindalf’s famous nickname even on the Floating Island, and Gindalf did not bother denying it.
“Heh heh. As for the money, well, I’ll collect it later. Will you follow me?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Good. Heh heh heh.”
Gindalf, who had been laughing as he led the way, suddenly stopped and looked back at Epherene.
“Ah, right.”
“······?”
He asked Epherene, who tilted her head, in a tone that was newly serious and curious.
“How many pages have you understood?”
“Pardon?”
“Deculein’s paper, I mean. It’s all the rage across the Floating Island these days, isn’t it?”
“Ah······ I’d say about page 130?”
“What?!
In an instant, Gindalf’s face turned aghast. His eyes widened, and he quickly said,
“You mustn’t lie to your grandfather, you know?”
“I-It’s true.”
“······Hmm. Fine. We’ll know once we check. Come along, then.”
Gindalf shot Epherene a rather suspicious glance and started moving again.
* * *
Tick-tock— tick-tock— time passed within the snow globe. Sophien calculated the time difference through the clock she had formed with her mana and her possession magic.
Two weeks had already passed inside, yet only three days had passed outside.
“······.”
Sophien created a foothold of mana over the ground. Standing on it, she ate ice cream while waiting for Deculein, who had fallen.
For two weeks.
“······Your Majesty.”
Just then, Keiron, who had been a statue, awakened. Sophien glanced at him and sneered.
“You certainly wake early. Two weeks have already passed.”
Keiron swept his gaze over their surroundings. The space, swept by the blizzard, was a mess.
“My deepest apologies.”
He immediately dropped to one knee.
Because the statue’s mechanism had been set to react only to “killing intent,” it had failed to respond to a natural disaster.
“Please punish me.”
Keiron did not make excuses. Knights were originally that sort of people.
“Enough. Knights are blockheads to begin with, are they not? More importantly, what have you found out?”
Still bowed like a criminal, he answered.
“I have seen the end of this snow globe. Its area is almost the same as the continent.”
“······Is that so. Rise.”
This rigid knight had crossed the entirety of the snow globe on his own two feet. Sophien let out a hollow laugh and had Keiron stand.
Keiron asked in a slightly puzzled tone,
“Your Majesty. Has Professor Deculein not arrived yet?”
“He did.”
“Then—”
“He saved me and fell down below by himself.”
“······.”
Sophien glanced beneath the foothold at the crevasse whose end could not be seen. Keiron narrowed his eyes and stared down into it.
Nothing could be seen. Not even a single point of light seeped through.
If Deculein had fallen from this cliff······.
“······Hah.”
Seeing Keiron greatly flustered, Sophien laughed softly.
“Thinking on it now, I am the luckiest among the most unfortunate sovereigns.”
Keiron looked back at her. Sophien continued speaking, her gaze fixed on Deculein’s ice cream.
“I have a knight who explored an area the size of the continent on foot, all for my sake.”
“······.”
“And I also have a professor who has spent more than a hundred years with me.”
“······Your Majesty.”
Keiron sensed something unusual in Sophien’s reaction. Each and every word was cold, and there was a chill buried in the atmosphere.
“What do you intend to do?”
Keiron asked carefully. He looked at the emperor, burning in a noble crimson against the pure white world.
“Why ask? There is no Nesius now, and I know not how to get outside.”
She answered dryly.
“If he does not climb up from that abyss······.”
Then she looked at the sword hanging at Keiron’s waist.
“I have no choice but to kill myself.”