“……Guh!”
Epherene twitched and opened her eyes. She hurriedly looked around.
“…….”
The scenery of the 77th floor of the Magic Tower.
It was Head Professor Deculein’s office. Neat and calm, without so much as a speck of dust.
“What is this?”
I was in the Imperial Palace, wasn’t I?
Together with Deculein, Adrienne, and Ihelmet. In some white room.
“……Hmm.”
Somehow, it didn’t feel unfamiliar, but it was a strange development.
Epherene placed her hands on both cheeks. She murmured blankly.
“Was it a dream?”
“…….”
Just then, someone’s gaze stabbed into her. Naturally, it was Deculein. His face said she was pathetic.
“Wipe your drool.”
“……Huh?”
“You’re not a dog.”
“A crab? That seafood that walks sideways? It’s tasty.”
“……Shall I kill you?”
Deculein’s reaction right now. Her own bewilderment. And…….
No way, did I regress again?
Epherene looked at the calendar.
But the date was accurate again. Yesterday was yesterday, and today was today.
“Then I guess it really was a dream…….”
Epherene turned back to Deculein. She spoke to him as his brow creased slightly.
“Professor. I had a dream about going to the event.”
“A dream?”
“Yes. I went to the event, and it was some white space. A white space in every direction. Adrienne, Ihelmet, you, and me. There, you said something like death variable? Death variable, and then I woke up. What’s a death variable? Did you develop some new theory?”
——Haaah.
After letting out a huge yawn, Epherene suddenly took the pocket watch from her waist. The second hand and minute hand were flashing blue.
“…….”
Deculein stared at her for a moment, then rose from his seat. He put on his suit and gripped his cane in one hand.
“Where are you going?”
Without answering that question, he immediately left the office.
Bang—!
The door shut tight.
Epherene narrowed her eyes for no reason.
“What’s with him? Why is he like that? Is it because I dozed off? It’s not like it’s the first time…… Haaah——”
But for some reason, she was tired again. It also felt like the mana inside her body was a little empty.
“Oh, right. I have class too.”
Her lecture schedule for the day suddenly came to mind.
A tax law lecture. Since she had been handling some money lately, there was a lot to deal with in terms of taxes and such, so it was a class she had deliberately chosen.
“I should go there and sleep. No, I should attend class.”
Epherene rose, stuffing her textbook and writing utensils into her backpack.
* * *
“……It is Future Sight (未來視).”
Rohakan’s vineyard, which I came to as soon as I left the office.
I had asked him to diagnose Epherene today.
“Is it the same power you possess, elder?”
“It should be. I was not trying to take that child as my disciple for nothing.”
“……I see.”
Well, Epherene was the future archmage. A mystery of this level was, rather, only natural.
Rohakan asked.
“So, what do you intend to do?”
“I intend to look further into the event. Epherene has given me a hint.”
A death variable will spread through the event. And I will be together with Ihelmet—no, Ihelm—and Adrienne.
The fact that I learned that in advance was already an enormous hint.
“……But I am worried about Sophie. What she might think, and what she might do. Once that girl’s mind starts spinning, there is no predicting what comes after.”
I nodded and continued writing notes on the magic paper.
“But what is that?”
Rohakan showed interest with a sidelong glance.
“It is the final exam for my advanced lecture. Many things happened, so it was delayed for a while, but a final exam to synthesize the theories and distinguish pass from fail will still be necessary.”
“May I have a look too?”
“Yes.”
I handed Rohakan ten sheets of magic paper. In total, it amounted to 1,000 pages.
“Oh. Quite a lot.”
Rohakan flipped through the pages with a rustle and read the magic circles.
“But, Deculein.”
“Yes.”
“Sometimes, Yuli wanders through this vineyard.”
“…….”
I closed my mouth for a moment. It was quite unexpected.
“Do you mean Knight Yuli?”
“Aye. She likely thinks there may be evidence or clues about you in this vineyard, wouldn’t you say?”
“……I see.”
Yuli. The woman Deculein loves.
However, whether the subject of that love is truly Deculein, or whether it has been passed on to Kim Woojin as well, I no longer know.
The distinction is hazy.
“Do you love that woman so much?”
“Yes.”
I answered. Without the slightest hesitation.
“Even I do not know its depth.”
“Even if that woman brings you down?”
Rohakan’s eyes, which had been reading the magic paper, were now fixed on me.
“…….”
The vineyard was silent, without a word. A sweet scent lingered at the tip of my nose.
“……Yuli cannot bring me down.”
I smiled faintly and nodded.
“For Yuli to live, she must hate me. But Yuli is too kind a woman, so if she brings me down, she will stop hating me.”
“…….”
At that, Rohakan turned his gaze back to the magic theory.
“I will not fall, and Yuli will live on.”
“Is it because of that curse?”
“Yes. If the temperature of her heart rises too high, the curse will melt and flow. If her heart freezes over, she will be fine.”
“Are you submitting to fate?”
“I will surely find the answer. Until then, I will let Yuli hate me.”
“And after that?”
Still reading the theory, Rohakan asked.
“What will you do after that? After you find the answer.”
I thought quietly.
However, perhaps the ending of this relationship had been decided from some point onward. It was not anything like destiny or fate.
“……The engagement will be broken.”
In no scenario can Deculein and Yuli end up together.
Perhaps even Deculein’s personality instinctively thinks so.
I love Yuli, but I have not consciously imagined even once that I would actually be with her.
“Why?”
“If I must give a reason…… it seems the life remaining to me is not very long. I, too, can feel to some extent that my remaining days will be brief.”
The not-too-distant future. Epherene, who saw my death and returned.
Though this body has already died hundreds and thousands of times, true death will likely be only that one.
“Now, as much as I love Yuli, I hope Yuli will come not to love me.”
A strange love, formed from Deculein’s fanatical obsession mixed with Kim Woojin’s gentle heart.
No, a complete love.
“So that when I leave, she will not suffer.”
“……Good grief. Are you truly Deculein?”
Rohakan grimaced with his whole face. I looked back at him.
“The Deculein I know would have made a fuss about overcoming all of it.”
“……I do not know myself. In this vineyard, I become even more like myself.”
The mist flowing through the vineyard. The “space of worldlines” that Rohakan had constructed, neither the afterlife nor the living world.
This strange energy softly disarms the armor around my mind.
Deliberately, I let go.
Thus, at this moment, I seem to resemble Kim Woojin more than Deculein.
“Once I go outside, my mind may change.”
“……Is that so.”
Rohakan returned the magic theory to me.
“At any rate. If you submit it as it is, the Floating Island addicts will be delighted to death.”
“Is that so?”
“Aye.”
I gathered the magic papers into the documents.
Rohakan placed several bunches of grapes in my arms and said,
“Take care of Sophie. Whatever the Emperor’s event is, do not avoid it. You have not forgotten our promise, have you?”
“……I am Deculein.”
I slowly rose.
“Whatever it is, I do not avoid it. I merely prepare the ‘method to surely win’ first.”
At those words, Rohakan smiled as well.
* * *
……Beyond the Imperial University, Pig’s Flower was recently widely known as the best restaurant in the Empire.
Epherene was eating Roahawk there.
“Chomp chomp─ chomp chomp─”
She was with a new friend. Her liberal arts lecture friend, Soliette, and her friend from before, Julie.
For reference, Julie, the daughter of the barbecue restaurant owner, was now covered head to toe in accessories. From her robe to her earrings, necklace, cane, shoes, bracelets…….
They said Pig’s Flower was raking in money these days. She was really spending it like water.
Just as Epherene was smacking her lips out of envy for no reason, Soliette put a piece of meat in her mouth.
“How is it? Is it good?”
Epherene quickly asked. Soliette nodded.
“It is not bad.”
“Not bad? This?”
“…….”
Soliette—Emperor Sophien—was taking the same tax law lecture as Epherene. Of course, she had not intended to take the same class, but in any case, she found the chance meeting interesting and had carelessly approached her once…….
And this girl, the moment she spoke to her, had trotted along like a puppy asking to eat together.
“……Fine. It is good.”
“Right? Of course it’s good…… Huh?!”
Just then, Epherene pointed somewhere and widened her eyes.
“What is it, Ephy?”
“What is it now?”
Julie and Soliette turned that way.
“Knight Yuli!”
The white-haired knight, Yuli. She was poking her head around the entrance of Pig’s Flower with her colleague, Reili.
“Ah…… Miss Epherene.”
Yuli seemed to have spotted Epherene as well, and wore a deer-like expression. Epherene quickly beckoned.
“Come here!”
“No. It’s all right—”
“There won’t be any seats except here anyway! Hurry!”
Saying that, she sprang to her feet and outright dragged Yuli and Reili inside, further inside, and seated them.
“Eat. This Roahawk. Anyone who doesn’t eat it is losing out. How did you know to come here?”
“Reili said it was a famous restaurant in the Empire…… and I was a little curious too.”
“Ah~ Then did you come up to the Empire to visit here?”
“That is not the case. I am staying while waiting for the event.”
“The event…… You mean His Majesty the Emperor’s thing?”
“Yes.”
Epherene portioned out meat and placed it on Yuli and Reili’s plates. But Yuli’s expression was rather apologetic.
In truth, right now, it was hard for her to look at Epherene’s face.
Deculein was certainly a villain, yet toward his disciple Epherene, she felt a strangely strong sense of guilt.
“Please eat.”
“……Yes.”
Still, since she had received it, she ate a piece.
She chewed once.
The meat disappeared.
To be precise, it melted in her mouth.
“……?!”
Yuli’s eyes grew round. Reili beside her was the same.
The two of them exchanged glances for no reason and uttered similar exclamations.
“Impressive…… It is impressive.”
“Amazing.”
“Right?!”
Epherene giggled. Then she asked Julie,
“Julie, can we eat a few more servings?”
“Yeah. Of course. It’s Ephy, after all. Dad~”
Julie called her father, and Yuli took her wallet from her inner pocket and set it on the table. It was quite thick inside.
From a scan with the eyes, about 5,000 elne.
“It truly is delicious.”
“Yes. But it is a little expensive. As much as it’s tasty.”
When Epherene casually broached the subject of price, Yuli, as expected…….
“It’s fine. I will treat you.”
She said it with a confident tone. Epherene placed a hand over her mouth as if surprised.
“Whaaaaat~? It must be suuuper expensive though~?”
“If it were not for Miss Epherene, we would not have had a seat and could not have eaten. It seems we would have to wait quite a while even for a reservation, so—”
“They say about a month. Right, Julie?”
That was the reason Epherene had brought Soliette here in the first place. To begin with, just from her appearance, she looked rich, and even if they ordered the same number of servings, Epherene would definitely eat more, so even if they split the bill, it was a profit.
“No~ A month was before. These days it’s three months. The only one who gets seated without waiting is Ephy~”
The way she said it was like some noble lady.
“Oh. Is that so? Then all the more reason I should treat you.”
Yuli said that, picked up another piece of meat, and ate it. Epherene secretly wore a wicked smile.
Just. As. Planned.
“Then. I’ll eat gratefully~”
……30 minutes later.
“How much did you say…… it was?”
Standing in front of the counter, Yuli’s face froze white as soon as she heard the price.
No, she had been snow-white from the start, but she turned a little paler.
“3,000 elne.”
3,000 elne.
More than half the travel expenses she had brought with her to the Empire.
That, for just one meal.
“…….”
Gulp.
Yuli swallowed and looked back. Epherene was still talking with Reili, and Soliette was sleeping in her chair.
“Excuse me?”
The employee spoke again.
“It’s 3,000 elne. That’s the discounted price.”
“……Ah. Yes. The discounted price…….”
Yuli straightened her back again.
Right, right.
Deculein was a villain, but Miss Epherene had done nothing wrong. If anything, to Miss Epherene, I—who was trying to bring Deculein down—might be the villain.
So buying her this much, at least…
“Yes. Here, h-h-here, here it is.”
She handed the wad of bills to the employee.
“Yes.”
The employee snatched it up and put it in the cashier, and Yuli felt dizzy. All at once, the ground seemed to sway beneath her feet.
“Ah. You already paid?”
Epherene approached in the very next moment. As if they had been waiting for the payment to be settled, Julie and Soliette were with her.
Yuli said, staggering.
“Yes… I did say I would treat you…”
“Ah, I feel so bad… Then I’ll buy dessert~”
With an utterly delighted expression, Epherene led Yuli, Soliette, and Laylee outside.
* * *
…That day, Soliette—no, the Emperor—fell asleep the moment she returned to her bedchamber.
In plain terms, she was out cold.
“Deculein’s disciple. That brat talks more than I expected. Annoying.”
The next day, Wednesday at noon.
At Sophien’s words, Ahan gave a small smile.
“How was your look around the streets? They say that meat restaurant is truly popular. So much so that even nobles cannot easily go there.”
“It was tasty.”
“If Your Majesty wishes, it could be presented as a meal someday.”
Knock, knock—
Just then, a knock sounded.
It was obvious who it was. There was no need to open the door to know.
The instructional mage, Deculein.
“Enter.”
—Yes.
The door opened, and Deculein came in. He first took out a textbook and some magical paper from his briefcase… then suddenly frowned.
“…Your Majesty.”
“What.”
“By any chance, did you meet Epherene?”
“……”
Was this man a ghost?
Sophien’s sleepiness vanished in an instant, but she calmly asked in return.
“What makes you think that?”
“I can faintly smell the familiar scent of meat that always clings to that girl. Your Majesty has never had such a scent before.”
“…Damn it.”
The physical evidence was certain. It was because, sleepy and annoyed, she had substituted magic for a bath.
Sophien needlessly tapped the table with her foot.
“Fine. I met her. She fed Us meat. Of course, the girl didn’t know who We were, but in any case. Are the preparations for the event complete? There is a little less than a month left.”
“Yes. I believe I also have a fair idea of how the event will begin.”
“…You know the beginning?”
“That is correct.”
Sophien’s expression twisted strangely.
“First, you intend to gather Adrienne, Ihelm, Epherene, and myself. The four of us, do you not?”
“……”
Sophien pointlessly looked back at Ahan. Ahan shook his head violently.
“How did you—”
“Then now.”
“No—”
“I will begin the magic lesson. Please refrain from questions unrelated to the class.”
Deculein cut off every word of the Emperor’s and presented the theory of magic.
Sophien looked dissatisfied, but even so, she went along with him for the time being.
“Look at this circuit.”
“I know. There is no need to look. It is a quintuple circuit, with quite a number of formulas woven into it.”
“That is correct. Impressive.”
“Hmph. Impressive, nothing. Did you not simply give me something too easy?”
Deculein’s teaching was difficult. Even Sophien would be devoured if she let her attention wander, so it made her somewhat tense, and it was interesting as well.
“The formula woven through this quintuple circuit makes the magic circle sturdier. Even if the magic is of the same grade, whether this theory is applied or not creates a world of difference. It is called the ‘Iron Man’ of the magic world. This is part of my ‘advanced lecture.’”
“Yes. Seeing the theory, I understand. Could it be adapted to runic language as well?”
“I am devising it. Or would you care to try it together?”
“If you bring the blueprint, Professor, there is no reason I could not.”
Sophien understood everything Deculein said, and Deculein understood everything Sophien said.
“Then, please look at the formula here…”
After that, the conversation between the two entered the realm of “advanced scholarship,” where geometry and numbers intertwined endlessly—no different from an alien language to most of the continent’s population. It was so difficult that even Ahan, who had been recording the lesson like a historian, gave up midway…
In any case, at some point as the lesson proceeded in that manner.
“…By the way, Deculein.”
“Yes.”
“Are you not curious what exactly will happen at the event?”
“It would be a lie to say I am not.”
A death variable. With that fact alone, there was no way he could be uninterested.
At that, Sophien spoke with a sneer.
It was only a single sentence.
“Yuli, that woman, is apparently going to accuse you.”