The famous restaurant near the Imperial University, “The Pig’s Flower.”
“I’ll kill them!”
Sylvia watched Epherene as she shouted. The sight of her tearing into a Roahawk while raging was rather amusing.
“I’ll find them no matter what and kill them!”
Epherene’s paper had died, split cleanly in half. The culprit was still unknown. Probably forever would be. There had been far too many people nearby.
“Stupid Epherene.”
Epherene whipped her head around and glared. Tears of injustice were welling in her spiteful eyes.
“Even if you find out who did it, there’s nothing you can do. A torn paper won’t come back.”
“……Did you come here to make fun of me?”
Hmph— Sylvia scoffed and took out her own paper. Epherene’s face quickly turned envious.
Vwoooong— Sylvia’s barrier enveloped the table and their seats.
“Assistant Professor Allen didn’t tell us the exam location or the time. And yet he told us not to lose this paper.”
“……Did you figure anything out?”
“No. Not yet.”
What connection did this paper have with everything they had learned so far?
It was still completely up in the air, but Sylvia trusted Deculein and his teachings.
“Then. If you don’t know yet either……”
Epherene, watching Sylvia’s mood, asked hesitantly.
“Do you want to join forces, um, together? We, we did that group assignment together too, remember?”
“Stupid Epherene.”
“Why, whyyy~? I’ll help you. I’m still second place, you know. Right after you.”
Epherene put down the Roahawk. That was how desperate she was, but Sylvia shook her head.
“You don’t have a paper. I have a paper.”
“……As if I don’t know that.”
“There will probably be more attacks like this. There are still three weeks until the exam.”
“Haa…… I want to cry.”
Epherene sniffled theatrically and took a handkerchief from her inner pocket. She pretended to be pitiful as she wiped her tears, but Sylvia’s gaze fixed on that handkerchief.
“……”
A handkerchief.
Sylvia recalled the handkerchief decorating the back of her Bear-Panda.
The pattern on the handkerchief Deculein had given her.
It was identical to Epherene’s handkerchief now.
“You.”
Her body moved before her mind. Sylvia quickly reached out and grabbed Epherene’s wrist. Epherene flinched.
“Wh-what?”
“Where did you get that?”
“Wh-what? This handkerchief?”
“Yes.”
“……It’s a secret.”
Epherene firmly shook her head, but Sylvia was unexpectedly persistent.
“Tell me.”
“Why should I?”
Epherene furrowed her brow. Why was she suddenly paying attention to something like this? Was it because the handkerchief looked too high-class?
Gasp, could it be some luxury treasure even Iliade couldn’t easily obtain?
“If you tell me, I might join forces with you.”
“……”
“I can buy you Roahawk too. During the exam period.”
This time, it was worth seriously considering.
It wasn’t as if there was any problem. Her patron was anonymous anyway. If she only mentioned “the fact that she had received sponsorship,” that wouldn’t be betrayal.
It absolutely was not because of Roahawk. She wasn’t a child, so how could she possibly be swayed by mere food? Besides, if her grades were good, she would be able to face her patron with pride……
Epherene glanced at Sylvia.
“I definitely didn’t steal it. You believe that?”
“If you didn’t steal it.”
Epherene chewed on her lips, then answered briefly.
“……It’s a gift from my patron.”
“Patron.”
Sylvia’s eyebrow twitched. Beneath the table, she clenched her hidden fist tightly.
“Yeah. I got something called sponsorship too. I didn’t think I would.”
“You received sponsorship.”
“Yeah~ I thought I wouldn’t get any either. That’s all I can say. It’s an anonymous sponsorship, so digging any deeper would be rude…… But why? Have you seen this handkerchief somewhere? Why are you suddenly asking?”
Epherene’s eyes widened in doubt, and Sylvia’s eyes narrowed sullenly.
“No. It just doesn’t suit you.”
“……Honestly. Anyway. I told you, so we’re doing this together, right?”
“……”
Sylvia silently cut only her meat. Epherene peered closely at her face.
That girl’s expression was always ambiguous. It never revealed what she was thinking, and Epherene had never once seen her smile.
At first, that mask-like stiffness had simply made her uncomfortable……
“I’ll take that silence as agreement~?”
Now, it was no longer entirely bad.
As Epherene cheerfully drew out the end of her words, Sylvia glared at her with contempt and put a piece of meat into her mouth. Her chewing jaw was particularly forceful.
* * *
Meanwhile, Julie was sipping a cup of coffee at a café near the Magic Tower.
From now until midnight was the time Deculein reviewed papers in his laboratory.
It was a brief rest.
No matter how bold someone was, they could not carry out something like a kidnapping in the Magic Tower, and she also could not interfere with Professor Deculein’s personal research.
“……Time has already passed this much.”
As she quietly looked out the window at the campus, old memories rose like clouds.
If she walked a little farther from here, the training hall of the Knight Department would appear. Farther than that was the Knights’ Square, and farther still was the magnificent main building of the Imperial Knights.
“……”
The Imperial Knights, which every knight on the continent dreamed of.
Julie had once served in that hall of fantasy as well, but now it was nothing more than the past. A place she could not return to, and a time she could not undo.
“Julie!”
Someone called her name. Julie widened her eyes and looked that way.
“There you are.”
At the café entrance stood Knights Gwen, Raphel, and Sirio. Her colleagues from the palace instruction approached with smiles and held out their hands.
Julie said,
“Have you come to observe the knight exam?”
“Huh? Ah~ among other things.”
Julie was simply glad for this meeting, but Gwen, for some reason, scratched the back of her neck with an apologetic expression.
“Well, no need to say this and that. Here, take this.”
A letter Gwen handed over. Seeing the imperial seal, Julie’s eyes widened.
“Ah! It’s that mission from last time!”
“Yeah. But you seem to be on another mission right now……”
“It’s all right. This mission is also one I will be undertaking together with Professor Deculein, is it not?”
At Julie’s words, Gwen’s expression grew even more troubled.
Julie, who was as happy as a child simply at the fact that she would be participating in an important mission, was indeed a true knight, but……
“……Read it.”
“Yes!”
Julie answered energetically and broke the seal.
From that moment, her swelling expectations were cruelly betrayed by the very first line.
[ Confidentiality Agreement ]
“Confidentiality……?”
Julie stared blankly at Gwen. Her eyes demanded an explanation. She did not understand what this meant.
Gwen spoke as if sighing.
“Deculein used you as the condition for his participation.”
“……Pardon?”
“Deculein is doing it instead of you. Not together with you.”
“……”
Julie silently read the contents of the letter.
Eunuch Jolang’s sentence was even clearer.
Since your fiancé Deculein is worried for your safety, you are to withdraw. However, you must never disclose the fact that this mission existed to the outside.
“……Julie?”
Julie kept her mouth shut for a long time. Her face said she did not know what to do.
After showing a vivid expression, she soon clutched the letter tightly and spat out as though chewing the words.
“……Is this true?”
“Yeah. Deculein is terrible, isn’t he?”
Gwen gave a bitter smile. Julie did not hear those words and rolled her tongue inside her mouth. Both cheeks puffed out slightly, one after the other, then sank back in.
It was a habit that appeared when she was truly angry.
“Why—”
“You’re asking why?”
This time, Raphel answered in Gwen’s stead. Julie looked at Raphel standing behind Gwen. Raphel spoke with her arms crossed.
“Deculein knew about your injury.”
“……My injury?”
Julie asked back. Gwen shrugged and nodded.
“Yeah. That you still haven’t recovered. That you’ve been pretending you were healed until now. That guy somehow knew it very well.”
“……”
“They say the underground of the Imperial Palace where this mission takes place is filled with demonic energy. But demonic energy is deadly poison to your injury, isn’t it?”
A serious wound she had suffered during a mission. At the time, she had hovered between life and death, but now, she had overcome it.
At least, that was what Julie had thought.
“Deculein tried to disqualify you from being an instructional knight because of that too. He felt your mana and knew at a glance, I guess. That’s what makes him a Head Professor, in his own way.”
He told me not to say it, but who cares? This time he can go screw himself~ Gwen muttered that and continued.
“Probably because revealing your injury history to the imperial family would itself harm your career, he tried to hide it in his own way. For your sake. Without even telling you.”
Julie knew as well. If this injury worsened any further, the position of guardian knight would grow distant. The injury she had suffered was that kind of injury.
“Do you know that Deculein’s hatred of eunuchs, especially Jolang, is well known? And yet he accepted the mission in your place. Well, of course he should. You got hurt because of that bastard in the first place.”
The relationship between Yukline and the eunuchs was the worst. Not only Yukline, but also the renowned families called “high-ranking houses” had fierce power struggles with the eunuchs. Among them, Freyden and Yukline were especially rough.
“Anyway. It’s only until you recover, Julie. If we fail the mission this time, we’ll wait until you recover. It’ll mean we can’t do it without you.”
“Exactly~”
Sirio chimed in from behind. Gwen glared sharply, and Sirio grumbled as he stepped back.
“What, am I not supposed to say anything at all……”
“Yes. I understand. I understand now. Please leave.”
Julie politely asked them to go. The trio of Gwen hesitated for a moment, but soon left their seats for Julie’s sake.
“……”
Alone, she placed her hand below her collarbone.
A distinct lump could be felt. Simply touching it made hot pain arise. She had thought she had overcome all of it, but it was a scar that seemed to be slowly coming back to life lately.
“This time too…… did you know?”
Julie thought of Deculein.
Long ago, there had been a time when she could not measure the size of that love. That affection, too enormous, had bound her, crushed her, and in total, was little different from violence.
He had driven her into a corner like that.
──However, now.
He had certainly changed. So vividly that it was unbelievable.
Of course, some said that all of it was an act. Reilly, Rockfell, all of them said she must not be deceived—
“It is an act!”
“!”
At the ringing voice, Julie was greatly startled. She trembled, vibrating as if she were buzzing.
“Or maybe not!”
Beside the table, the Chairwoman of the Magic Tower was looking at her with a bright smile.
“……Did I just speak to myself?”
“No! It’s mind-reading magic I developed! I only overheard up to ‘Of course, some say that all of it is an act—’!”
Julie’s eyes widened.
“Th-this is outrageous! How dare you peek into a person’s mind!”
“Eek! Why are you shouting at me?! I didn’t know it would work either! You startled my baby!”
“……My baby?”
Julie belatedly noticed the leash the Chairwoman was holding. Beneath it was a puppy. It was a small dog with abundant fur.
“Orme Spartizan Adrienne the Second! Are you all right?!”
—Woof! Woof!
“She says she was startled!”
Julie stared blankly at the puppy.
“Ah. Yes……”
The puppy opened its mouth and smiled, panting.
That brightly smiling face and protruding snout. Its appearance was so cute it felt as though her soul would be stolen away……
The Chairwoman, observing her, asked bluntly.
“Hmm. Do you like puppies?”
“Pardon? Ah, ah, well, I like…… No. I am on duty.”
“Hoot!”
At that, the Chairwoman chuckled and placed “Orme Spartizan Adrienne the Second” on Julie’s lap.
Julie’s face flushed instantly. When the puppy barked, Woof—!, her stiff expression until then melted limply.
However, in the very next moment.
Julie hastily emitted mana aura.
“Stop it. I am serious.”
The Chairwoman had been trying to see through her with that “mind-reading magic” again.
“Tch. I won’t do it, so buy me a cup of coffee!”
“······Ah~ It feels like only yesterday that I was walking through that campus.”
Yulie played innocent. Seeing how she had already fixed her gaze out the window, the chairman clicked his tongue and personally ordered a cup of coffee.
* * *
Tick— tock—
The time when one day passes into the next, midnight.
I was in the laboratory late into the night, reviewing my magic.
“······I’m stuck.”
The idea devised by Epherene’s father. The research I had spent the longest time on in this world, amounting to a full three thousand pages.
That magic development research had run into a wall.
“······.”
I looked at the documents covering the table.
This magic thesis, combining formulas, magic circles, calculations, and logic, was concrete and systematic, but the greatest problem was that I lacked the talent and mana to realize the “final knot” of this concept.
The mana and talent required to manifest an incomplete—that is, an “unrefined magic”—were far too immense. Of course, static mana could be supplemented to some extent with mana stones, but the lack of talent was painfully apparent.
This research was magic that required talent in all four great elements. However, Deculein’s elemental talents were only two: “earth [土]” and “fire [火].”
“Tsk.”
Even with 「Iron Man」, my head hurt. Perhaps it was also because I had struck my own skull with a revolver three days ago.
“I’ll stop here for today.”
With no other choice, I lifted the research materials with 「Psychokinesis」. After storing the many documents in the safe as they were, I left the laboratory.
As I was about to take the elevator, however, I suddenly noticed—
Allen’s office.
[ Assistant Professor Allen ]
A small room attached to the corner of the 77th floor. Its light was still on.
I strode over, knocked on the door—knock, knock—and opened it.
“Mmff!”
Allen, who had been sleeping sprawled over his desk, hurriedly woke up. With a face full of drowsiness, he mumbled.
“Shhp. Y’r here sho late, what bringzh you?”
“What are you saying?”
“······You’re here. No, you’re here late, Professor.”
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Ah. It would be impolite to leave work before you······”
I gave a small laugh. Allen also chuckled—hehe—and scratched his head vacantly.
“Then let’s leave together.”
“Ah, yes! Just a moment! I’ll bring the journal!”
At that, Allen darted off somewhere, and I looked around the office while waiting for him.
Documents neatly organized one by one on a bookshelf without a speck of dust, the journals he had written steadily since becoming an assistant professor, student records, lecture summaries, grade sheets, and so on······.
It was the office of an overly diligent assistant professor, but the most important thing was absent from it.
Of course, the space itself was clean. So clean that it would not be strange to call it a tidy “storage room” rather than an assistant professor’s office.
──However.
There was not the slightest trace of Allen, the actual owner of the office, left behind. No scent, no stains, not even footprints.
And it was not limited to this office alone.
In my office and in the Magic Tower as well, his traces were gradually disappearing.
Perhaps it was something akin to an occupational disease.
Before leaving, erasing everything of oneself.
Though, of course, I did not know what exactly his occupation was.
“There isn’t much time left.”
Because of that, these days, I could feel it.
That the time for Allen to leave was not far off.
“······.”
I looked at the book placed on his desk. [ Understanding Pure Elements: Yukline Revised Edition ], which I had gifted him.
He seemed to be studying hard, but there were question marks all over the place. Fortunately, they were in the advanced sections near the latter half, not the basic course.
“Professor.”
Just then, Allen returned.
“And this is the list of mages I printed again! It should be a bit better this time······.”
He showed me a document. It was a list of mages who wished to serve under me.
It was somewhat better than last time, but it still did not satisfy me.
I placed the document into my inner pocket and looked down at Allen.
“Allen.”
“Yes?”
“Before I knew it, it was already the end of the semester. It must be an important time for you as well.”
The end of the semester was a busy and important period for everyone in the Magic Tower. Even if someone suddenly vanished, no one would pay much attention, so there was no better time to leave.
“Ah~ That’s true. But I’m all right! Even the assistant professor position is still more than enough for me!”
He answered brightly.
That expression was far too familiar to me, but it was also somewhat insolent. Just how long did he intend to keep hiding it?
“Allen, how many years have you been by my side?”
“I have been with you ever since you became Head Professor!”
“I see.”
All this time, what opportunity had he been waiting for?
An assassination? Or merely observation?
I did not know what his objective was, but leaving would mean that he had either completed that objective, or intended to complete it.
I wanted to know what lay within him.
Of course, I could not see a death variable from Allen. However, I knew from experience that such a trait could be hidden.
After all, Yusepin had deceived my eyes as well.
“······Allen.”
I quietly murmured his name. I placed a hand on the shoulder of the boy who tilted his head innocently.
“Thank you for everything until now.”
A brief sentence, as if hinting at farewell.
At that, Allen’s eyes went round.
“······Yes?”
Moonlight trickled faintly in from beyond the window. Pale and dark shadows fell across his face, revealing the emotions within.
Pure surprise and sudden confusion.
There was nothing more.
······It had been words meant to probe him to some extent. Well, if he were someone who would reveal himself with just that much, he would have been found out from the beginning.
“Previously, I told you that you had passed my test.”
“Ah, yes!”
Allen gathered both hands at his chest and clenched them tightly.
“You said so when you gave me the assistant professor position. You told me that only my diligence had passed the test. But you also said there would be a next stage—”
“If the first was ‘diligence,’ then the next stage was ‘trust.’”
“Trust······.”
Allen repeated blankly. I placed one hand on his shoulder.
“Allen, you have earned my trust.”
“Y-yes?!”
Surprise settled into Allen’s plump cheeks. Within the trembling flesh of his cheeks, I saw a certain emotion hidden there.
“I cannot keep someone I trust as merely an assistant professor forever.”
“T-then······.”
“Starting next semester, I intend to give you a professor’s position.”
“······!”
Allen’s eyes brimmed with tears.
······I did not know which part of this boy was genuine and which part was false. It was precisely because I did not know that I had kept him by my side until now.
As the saying I had once heard went: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
However, if Allen was my enemy, I thought I would be a little disappointed, so this was not much different from persuasion.
“So, you should trust me as well.”
With my gloved finger, I wiped the corner of his eye. A clear droplet clung to the black leather.
“Remain in this Magic Tower.”
Allen’s expression slowly sank.
Whether it was a reflection of Allen, frozen stiff from utter shock, or whether it was his true face revealing itself—
“Since I will permit it······.”
There was no way for me to know.
So I simply met his eyes and continued speaking.
“Stay by my side.”
At that moment, the moon hid itself.
The sentence that surfaced covered his shadowed face.
······[ Villain’s Fate: Death Variable Avoided ]
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