Drip, drip… drip, drip…
Rain was falling.
A cold wind shook the hem of her clothes.
The drizzle settling on her shoulders slowly grew heavier.
Her hair grew wet, and the rainwater gathering at the tip of her chin ran down to the pavement.
Even so, Yulie did not change.
She still waited for Deculein at the entrance of Yukline.
“……”
As if to signal the end of that waiting.
A car approached from far away. Through the fierce sheets of rain pouring down like a squall.
Screech—
The wheels stopped on the rainwater-slick pavement. Yulie stared at the body of the car.
Soon, the door opened, and Deculein stepped out.
He had no need for an umbrella. Rainwater could not pass through his 「Psychokinesis」.
Step, step.
Step, step.
He came closer, splashing through the rainwater, and looked down at her. His gaze was cold. It was the look one gave a tool whose usefulness had run out.
“Yulie. I believe I told you your escort duty was already over.”
Deculein’s voice was merciless.
The man from the past who had said one smile a month was enough, who had said he would change for her, was now nowhere to be found.
“……Professor.”
Yulie clenched her teeth hard. Through the strands of her rain-soaked, trembling hair, she looked up at Deculein.
“I heard everything.”
“What?”
“What you said to Sister Yusephine—”
“So you had a hobby of eavesdropping as well.”
Deculein wore an expression of genuine contempt. Yulie felt a pain as though her heart had been pierced.
He said,
“You grow uglier with each passing day.”
“……”
The emotion faded from Yulie’s eyes. Deculein’s scornful gaze reflected in those empty eyes.
“Truly……”
Now, it was over.
Yulie thought so.
There was no room left for excuses.
“Was all of that an act, a mask?”
A voice she barely managed to squeeze out. The very last question, hoping desperately that it was not true.
At that trembling question, Deculein twisted the corner of his mouth.
“It was arrogance to think I would change for someone like you. Was it not?”
“……Ah.”
Yulie’s mouth fell half open.
The words she had meant to say, the questions she had prepared, circled in her mind and then vanished.
Before she knew it, a hollow laugh escaped her.
“Ha. As expected, you are……”
She clenched both fists. Anger welled up from her heart.
No, the one who had believed in him all this time had been far too stupid.
He was Deculein. None other than Deculein. More loathsome than anyone, more vicious than anyone……
“I will tell the world! How Veron died! Why he had to die by your hand!”
At that, Deculein’s brow furrowed.
It was only for an instant. He immediately twisted his mouth as if sneering.
“You will regret it.”
“That will never happen.”
“……”
“That I believed in you all this time, all this time…… I really was a damn fool.”
Rainwater ran down the corners of Yulie’s eyes. Whether it was tears or rainwater, no one would know.
Deculein stared at her quietly.
“Very well. In that case, you may look forward to it.”
Then, with a cold, expressionless face, he nodded.
Deculein passed by her and entered the mansion. Yulie glared at his back as he moved away.
Shwaaaaaa……
The downpour, falling like mad, battered her entire body. It was the monsoon, thickly veiling the world. Amid the spray of water scattering like fragments, Yulie stood for a long time.
“Please leave now. It is the master’s order.”
At that moment, the secretary Ren approached and spoke. Yulie turned away without answering.
“……”
Her heart beat with a crushing ache, but the pain was all right.
This much was bearable.
No, this much could be overcome……
* * *
Dawn, when deep darkness encroached upon the earth.
Thanks to the unceasing monsoon, the sounds of nature were varied.
Patter— drip— tap—
Raindrops striking leaves and scattering, raindrops falling to the pavement and shattering, raindrops swept along by the wind…… Each and every rhythm was different.
With the five senses of 「Iron Man」, I distinguished those rhythms as I looked into the Snowflake Stone.
「Understanding: 43.1%」
My understanding of the Snowflake Stone was progressing rapidly. The time remaining would now be about half a year.
During that half year, I……
—My lord. Everything is ready~
Yusephine’s voice rang out from somewhere. I looked at the crystal orb placed on one side of the room.
—Just tell me when to begin~ The knight order will fall apart at once.
“……Understood.”
—Very good, my lord.
“I am no longer your lord.”
—Huhu.
With that laugh, the communication ended. The more I thought about it, the more she truly was an insane sociopath.
“……”
I looked at the darkness outside the window.
Now, the Freyhem Knight Order would collapse. And Yulie would return to her hometown, Freyden. There, she would hate Deculein. She would despise him more than anyone.
And thus would continue……
[Independent Quest: Eternal Winter]
Eternal Winter.
This was Yulie’s independent scenario. The standard, orthodox path by which she could avoid death.
I quietly closed my eyes.
Until just a moment ago, I had suffered through extreme cold and exchanged questions and answers with a giant, but pushing Yulie away was more painful than that.
However, it was still more than bearable.
In exchange for dismantling the Ghost Castle, I had gained “Mental Strength.” Of course, it was only +1, but one point of Mental Strength added to a willpower that had already transcended humanity was not something to be underestimated.
To compare it to something, a cup already filled to the brim could overflow with just a single drop.
If I gained exactly one more point of Mental Strength from here, perhaps I might be able to endure even one of Sophien’s regressions.
[ Rare Trait Catalogue ]
Therefore, this Rare Trait Catalogue was my current concern.
No, I forcibly twisted the flow of my thoughts that way.
For now, the trait that stood out the most was 「Fortitude」. It was a trait that simply increased Mental Strength and endurance.
Should I increase my Mental Strength with this, or learn another useful trait instead……
I still needed more time.
Besides, wasting a reward the moment I received it was foolish in itself.
At that moment.
—Hey.
Another voice called me. This time, it was Ihelm.
—You listening?
It was the crystal orb that Chairwoman Adrienne had handed out, saying, “Communicate with one another and engage in friendly competition.”
—I saw something a little strange on the Floating Island. Hey. Not gonna say anything?
I took the orb in my hand.
“I am listening.”
—Yeah, yeah.
Ihelm chuckled as he continued. I did not know what was so funny.
—Leaf was on the Floating Island.
“It is not strange for a mage to go to the Floating Island.”
—No. The strange part is something else. Apparently, Dicailen appeared in that guy’s dream.
“……”
Just then, the moon rose. It was the full moon that had been hidden by dark clouds. Its quiet moonlight seeped through the gap in the window.
—Actually, I saw that Dicailen on the Ghost Island too. Seems Dicailen hasn’t given up on Leaf. What do you think, Deculein?
Dicailen.
Just as Yulie’s independent quest was 「Eternal Winter」, Deculein’s independent quest was 「The Family」.
In other words, Dicailen.
Therefore, I still had work left to do.
Also, I had not given up yet.
Although I had let Yulie go for now because time was pressing, there had to be “at least” two routes to clearing the quest.
“Dicailen……”
I rose from my chair and looked around.
Books neatly arranged, yet focused on only a single subject—pharmacology. A space where nearly every root, herb, and elixir in this world had been gathered and collected.
My own method for curing her curse.
“……I will not lose.”
No matter what I had to sacrifice, no matter how many years it took.
I would surely……
—Keke. Really? You won’t lose? Same here. So, about that Dicailen—
“I am ending the call.”
—What? Hey. The chairman competition is almost over now, so why don’t we cooperate a little—
“I will go up to the Floating Island soon.”
I cut off the communication.
Ihelm’s help would not matter much whether I had it or not, but there was no reason to throw away someone who was offering assistance.
“……It seems I will become quite busy.”
I put on my outer coat again.
* * *
Yeriel provided Epherene with a training place. It was the Floating Island’s famous hotel, “Mana Difflozen.”
The higher the floor, the denser the concentration of mana became, making it a place suited to performing any kind of magic. Among them, she had rented the top floor under the name of Yukline.
“Uuugh……”
While Sylvia, Roserio, Gindalf, and the others were currently eating in the hotel restaurant.
Epherene was still devoting herself to mental strength training.
It was far too difficult a task for her.
If it were a matter of using mana, that would have been better, but mental strength was an entirely different kind of power……
“Is it not going well?”
Yeriel, who had been reading a book on the sofa, asked. Epherene let out a deep sigh and answered.
“Yes…… That’s right.”
She had been completely stuck for three days already. Like constipation.
And Karla was supposed to come again in just two days.
“What kind of amazing defense mechanism are you trying to make? Are you trying to implant a magic circle in your head or something?”
Yeriel said that as she closed her book. Epherene smiled bitterly.
The defense mechanism of mental strength she was trying to construct now.
He was not the person she liked most, and if anything, he was so complicated that she almost hated him, but even so, he was still the most reliable existence.
That person who had confidently said, “I myself am the proof of reality”—manifesting Deculein was no easy task.
“Don’t tell me.”
At that moment, Yeriel’s face suddenly stiffened. Epherene was greatly startled.
As expected of the Professor’s younger sister, she was sharp—
“You weren’t thinking of some archmage like Demakan, were you?”
“……What? Ah, of course not.”
Epherene swallowed a sigh of relief and answered.
“I’ve never even met him.”
“Really? Then fine. If possible, do something like a lion. Dragons are too complicated.”
Yeriel took out another book. This one, too, was a magic book. The purpose of Yeriel, who had taken a brief vacation from her duties as lord, was only magic.
Learning magic behind Deculein’s back. She thought it would not matter even if he found out, but still, if it reached his ears for no reason, it would be awkward and all.
“Oho…… So these days, this is how they learn this sort of thing……”
Yeriel flipped through Epherene’s major textbook.
It was truly fun. Far more than any amusement park.
“Phew……”
On the other hand, Epherene calmed herself with a sigh.
But Gindalf’s words kept coming to mind.
—Try as calmly as possible, but it would be best to complete it as quickly as you can. Dicailen is a dead man, a specter. Ghosts remember those they have met once. You never know when he might come again.
She did not know when Dicailen might attack again.
What was strange was, what on earth did he want from her? As for the family called Yukline, Professor Deculein suited it far more than someone like her.
“Phew……”
Epherene closed her eyes again. She began designing the system of mental strength.
Bang──!
At that moment, the hotel door opened. Epherene and Yeriel looked that way without thinking much of it. At first, they thought Roserio and Gindalf had returned.
They had not.
“Ah! Brother?!”
“……!”
Deculein. He was with Ihelm.
Yeriel, her face stricken with shock, quietly straightened her posture. She gulped and looked at Deculein.
Deculein called her name.
“Yeriel.”
“Wh-what! I came here to study magic too, so what! Do I need permission for that too?!”
Conscious of her own guilt, Yeriel took the offensive first, but Deculein merely responded with a single sentence.
“Wait outside for a moment.”
“……Huh? Ah, okay. Yes.”
That meant Deculein’s target was not her. Yeriel nodded and scurried out.
Once Epherene was alone, Deculein spoke to her.
“Epherene.”
“Yes? Why, what is it……”
“A private lesson.”
“……Ah?”
Apparently, Deculein had come after hearing the news about Dicailen. Scratching the back of her neck, Epherene answered.
“I know the method. Making that mental guardian—”
“No. Right now, Dicalen manifests through the medium of the ‘unconscious.’ Therefore, I will embed a magic circle in your unconscious.”
To directly implant a “protective magic circle” into Epherene’s dream—in other words, her unconscious.
Deculein had been inspired by a film he had seen once. For the task, he had also borrowed the “Magic Engineering Brainwave Explorer” from the Magic Tower.
“Prepare yourself. We will use this machine.”
“Ah. Then, you see…”
Epherene, who had been pondering for a moment with a finger to her lips, asked,
“…By any chance, could I also install my ‘mental guardian’ in my unconscious?”
“If you are capable of doing so, I do not mind.”
At Deculein’s answer, Epherene nodded.
“Then, Professor.”
Deculein was busily fiddling with this and that. Using the “Magic Engineering Brainwave Explorer” required several preparations.
“Please put me to sleep.”
At that moment, Deculein’s hand stopped.
“…”
His head creaked as it turned. Those sharp eyes looked at Epherene. His face said he did not understand what she meant.
“Pfft—!”
Ihelm, who had been watching from the side, burst into laughter.
In that peculiar situation, Epherene added one more thing.
“And please appear in my dreams… always.”
“Kahahaha—!”
Ihelm laughed even louder, and from the hotel ceiling, some wind went whirrrrrr—! rippling ominously. It was a fierce gale.
“…”
“Wh-why are you looking at me like that… Ah! Please don’t misunderstand. What I mean is…”
However, Deculein’s gaze remained fixed on Epherene.
* * *
…Meanwhile, Sophien, who had risen early in the morning, immediately checked the snow globe.
The scenery inside the snow globe was ordinary, as always. There was no change at all.
“When is this knight bastard coming out?”
Sophien still lacked resistance to the cold. Therefore, she could not enter it again.
She could only trust Keiron’s words and wait.
—Knock, knock.
Just then came the sound of knocking.
This had been Sophien’s order from the night before.
Now that the time had actually come, it was somewhat bothersome, but if she wished to avoid Deculein’s nagging, there was no helping it.
“Enter.”
The door opened, and the attendants who came in bowed their heads to Sophien.
They held out a newspaper to her.
“Your Majesty, the day’s duties begin—”
The day’s duties begin—
At that moment, the attendant’s voice distorted, and Sophien’s space changed.
From her splendid bedchamber to a grotesque ruin.
“…”
Sophien calmly looked around.
A space filled with cobwebs and the energy of evil.
In that bizarre ruin, the attendant’s voice rang out like an echo.
The day’s duties begin— The day’s duties begin— The day’s duties begin— The day’s duties begin…
But as that reverberation vanished, in the very next moment.
“…Your Majesty?”
Sophien found herself back in the Imperial Palace.
“Mm. Yes.”
Sophien asked calmly in return.
“Did you see me?”
“Pardon?”
“I am asking whether I was here the whole time just now.”
“Yes…? Yes. Your Majesty has been standing here all along.”
“…Then it is a demon.”
“Pardon?!”
It was a scent she had experienced once before. A thick and chilling demonic energy.
She was about to naturally say, “Summon Deculein—” when she froze.
It felt strangely burdensome.
“Hmm…”
If that man truly loved her, he would misunderstand this in itself.
He might even entertain some insolent thought such as, “With Keiron absent, the only shoulder Her Majesty can lean on is mine.”
“…Well, now.”
The realms of existence and mana, or the understanding of all creation and its phenomena, were easy enough, but human relationships were truly chaos and madness.
Even if Deculein did not love her, if such a risk existed, there was a need to exercise a little caution…
“This time, I shall seek the answer myself.”
Not through sloth and ennui, but through her own power.
Muttering so, Sophien wore the smile of a sovereign.