Kya-a-a-a-a-a-aack──! Kya-a-a-a-a-a-aack──! Kya-a-a-a-a-a-aack──!
“······.”
A scream that refused to cease no matter how much time passed.
A woman who did not move a single inch.
The lecture had already been suspended, and the mages watching on began to feel a certain terror.
“······Wh-why is she like that?”
Rojerio rubbed his arm as if he had broken out in goosebumps.
“She’s been taxidermied.”
I examined her face, revealed beneath the hood of her robe.
A face screaming, eyes wide with shock, a shriek bursting forth.
The pitch of the bizarre cry, the movement of her pupils, the creasing of her facial muscles—
all repeated at set intervals.
Her name badge read Year 963.
A person from one year before Lokrallen’s abolition.
Kya-a-a-a-a-a-aack──! Kya-a-a-a-a-a-aack──! Kya-a-a-a-a-a-aack──!
“Rojerio. Can you block this sound?”
“Ah, right. Of course I can.”
Rojerio draped a curtain of 「Silence」 around her. At last the sound ceased, yet her horrific expression and statue-like frozen posture remained.
“I need a magic stone to keep it up for long. Anyone have one?”
At that, Creto produced a crystal orb from his inner pocket and handed it over.
“Will this do?”
“Ah, yes.”
Rojerio fixed the medium of 「Silence」 to the crystal orb, then infused a bit of spare mana into it.
“This will do. So, Dekurein. You said not to touch her? Why shouldn’t we?”
“The odds are high you’ll be taxidermied the same way.”
“······.”
At my words, shock washed over every face present.
Lokrallen cleared his throat and shouted to the mages in the hall.
“Everyone, my apologies! Today’s conference will be temporarily suspended due to an unfortunate incident! Everyone, please return to the hotel! Return to the hote—”
“No.”
I cut him off. I took out the Mokgangcheol from within my robes and sent it down to the first-floor exit. Simultaneously, I gave the order: *Do not let anyone outside.*
“What? You can’t mean—”
Furrows formed between Lokrallen’s brows. I walked calmly and stood before them.
“No one here may leave this conference building.”
“Professor Dekurein. Regardless of who you are, I am the conference chairman. So—”
“The host is inside.”
“The host?”
I looked around at the attendees gathered here.
“Everyone, remove your hoods and show your bare faces.”
The reactions were quite intense.
The younger attendees, including Rellin, hurriedly removed their hoods, but the heads of prestigious noble houses and elderly high-ranking mages were indignant at the very fact of being suspected.
“Professor Dekurein. What in the world are you—”
“Dekurein, my boy! Don’t you know me? I’m Gaelon! Gaelon!”
“Even if there is a host among us, it isn’t me!”
“I care not who you are.”
Each word consumed mana by the chunk, but I finished what I had to say.
“If you don’t wish to be accused as the host and die, follow my words.”
Then.
—Uwa-aack!
A similar bizarre cry rang out from the first floor. I went down.
“······Oh my.”
There was no need to go all the way to the first floor. Rojerio flinched in surprise.
On the stairs between the first and second floors, a person was climbing them infinitely.
Climbing one step up from the lower step, then—Uwa-aack!
Once more climbing one step up from the lower step—Uwa-aack!
“Isn’t this... a bit serious?”
Uwa-aack—! Uwa-aack—!
His name badge, like the previous victim’s, read Year 963.
Rojerio asked.
“Brr, gives me chills. Dekurein. How does one end up like that?”
“I don’t know. For now.”
I saw figures coming down late. Lokrallen, Allen, Iflin, Creto, Dellpen, Rellin, Bijetan, Gaelon, and so on...
“Rojerio. Block the entrance. So that no one may leave.”
“No, Professor! If we stay here and all end up taxidermied like that—”
“Hey.”
Rojerio lightly stopped Lokrallen’s protest. Once he reached the first floor, Rojerio sealed all the doors leading to the exits with 「Transmutation」.
* * *
......The twelfth hour in Lokrallen.
Iflin arrived at the cafeteria in the corner of the first floor. Fortunately, there were enough ingredients that they need not worry about starving.
“Assistant Professor Allen. You’re hungry, aren’t you?”
“No~ I can bear it.”
Iflin asked Allen, who had followed behind. Allen shook his head, but a growl-rumble— sound kept echoing from Iflin’s stomach.
“Aw, liar. Cook with me.”
“You know how?”
“Of course.”
Iflin began to cook with magic.
Shhk-shhk-shhk-shhk——
Ingredients soared into the air, cut themselves on their own, and roasted over magical fire, and so on...
“Just hand me the plates!”
“Wow—” Allen, watching in admiration, presented the plates at Iflin’s words.
With the cooking finished in thirty minutes, they arrived at the third-floor “Round Table Conference Room,” where Professor Dekurein, Rojerio, and others were discussing.
“Here. I brought food first.”
“Hey, you! Can’t you see we’re discussing something serious?!”
Rellin rounded his eyes suddenly and shook his fist. Rojerio smacked that hand with a thwack.
“I happen to be hungry myself, so I’m nothing but grateful. What’s the problem?”
“Ah, is that so?”
“Thanks. Just leave it here.”
“Yes.”
Allen served food to each professor, while Iflin subtly stood behind the round table and eavesdropped on their discussion.
“......Hmm. So for now, only people from the future are being targeted?”
“Since its strongest period is ten years from now, it would be targeting people from around that time first, I suppose.”
Dekurein answered thus while still reading a book. Rojerio glanced at the cover.
“What’s in the book? ......Wait. Isn’t that a book from 963? How are you reading it so easily?”
“I find it legible.”
Though his absolute mana quantity was clearly in the lower ranks even in Lokrallen, thanks to Dekurein’s unique mental strength, the percentage of mana consumed was absolutely reduced.
“By the way, Professor. Who was in the underground record room?”
Rellin asked suddenly. Iflin flinched.
Dekurein looked at Rojerio without answering.
“Rojerio. How many underground floors are there?”
“Well. I heard it’s quite deep, but...”
“Hmm...... Why, of all places, was an archive built underground?”
Dekurein muttered while reading. Looking closely, it was a “963 Lokrallen Building Survey.”
Rojerio shrugged.
“How should I know?”
“......Rojerio.”
Then suddenly, Dekurein raised his gaze and glared at Rojerio. Rojerio replied nonchalantly.
“What?”
“How old are you?”
“......You’re picking a fight over that right now?”
“Since you keep speaking casually, I have no choice but to ask.”
“But my rank is higher though?”
Rojerio crossed his arms and scoffed. At that, Dekurein slammed his book shut with a thwack—! Rojerio flinched.
He glared coldly and intoned,
“......Rojerio.”
“What.”
“Rojerio.”
“......What.”
“This is your last warning.”
Dekurein’s gaze, sharp enough to kill, pierced Rojerio. That pressure seemed to suffocate the entire room.
“......Ah, fine. Then I’ll use half-honorifics. Satisfied?”
Rojerio’s rank was higher, but Dekurein’s age and status were higher. Half-honorifics were acceptable.
Just as Dekurein nodded,
Kung──!
The conference room door burst open as if shattered.
“Professor Dekurein! Magician Rojerio! While you’re in here huddled up scheming, what, even having a meal!”
It was a mage named Dellpen from a noble house. His badge read Year 960. A man from two years in the future, he was raging while expending mana.
“Forty more have already been taxidermied! Do you know how many people are here, including those from the future and the past?!”
“......”
“The monster—the host is right here, and you block the doors! Are you telling us to just sit here and be taxidermied! We’re getting out! Tell them that!”
Having spat out those words, Dellpen turned around. Quite a few people followed behind him.
Dekurein spoke while remaining seated.
“......Dellpen of 960.”
Dellpen stopped in his tracks.
“I am Dekurein of 958.”
The weight and meaning carried in that voice bore down on the shoulders of Dellpen and all the others.
He glared at them and continued.
“A professor of the Imperial University, the head of Yukrain, and a member of the Emperor’s Royal Guard.”
University professor, head of Yukrain, Emperor’s Royal Guard. With each title added one by one, Dekurein’s name grew heavier than ever.
“Dellpen of 960.”
“......”
Having swallowed hard, Dellpen turned to look at Dekurein.
“I ask your opinion.”
He still sat with his legs crossed. He neither stood nor expressed any further rage. He made his suggestion as casually as asking after one’s well-being.
“Shall I make it so you do not exist in your year?”
That warning was directed not only at Dellpen, but at everyone.
“You will likely end up in Rohallak.”
Those standing beside Dellpen trembled at the threat of a different caliber, and before long,
“I-I’m sorry. I must have panicked for a moment and lost my head. Professor Dekurein. I’m sorry!”
They surrendered, bowing at the waist.
* * *
......Meanwhile, Conference Chairman Lokrallen had descended to the [Underground Record Storage].
“Damn it all. What happened. How in the world, why is this happening, this can’t be. There’s no way I wouldn’t know about something like this......”
Muttering incomprehensible noises, he ran to the [Underground Record Storage]. He already knew it was safe to walk along the outer perimeter, and thus he reached a corner of the storage.
Checking his surroundings, he placed his hand on the wall, and a secret door recognizing his fingerprint slid open.
“Heuh. Heuh.”
Once inside, he calmed his rough breathing.
The secret room was a study of roughly nine pyeong.
He wiped his sweat and walked over to sit in a chair. And he looked at his diary—that is, his records.
[ March 8th: Lokrallen. This is where I will be forever. And so...... ]
This was the place where Lokrallen, chairman of the Lokrallen conference, continued his diary.
However, because Lokrallen itself was a place where timelines were tangled, this diary also contained entries written by “the future Lokrallen.”
Therefore, in the event of a special incident like this, there was no way Lokrallen wouldn’t know about it!
“I must have written the word taxidermy, taxidermy, taxidermy. And Dekurein too......”
Lokrallen frantically rifled through the diary. Shhk—! A paper cut sliced his finger, and drop-drop—! Cold sweat fell.
At the end of that desperate effort, he discovered a new record that had not been there before.
[ September 5th: The identity of the taxidermist Dekurein spoke of has been found out. It’s the work of a damn witch. It is...... ]
September 5th. Chaotic, haphazard handwriting delivered from his future self to his present self.
Lokrallen was shocked the moment he grasped its contents.
“How can this be. How......”
[ I must hurry and inform Dekurein! ]
Having folded the diary and pocketed it, he immediately headed up to the surface. Climbing the stairs sweating, he reached the lobby.
“Professor Dekurein! Professor Dekurein!”
On the first floor, sealed by Rojerio’s magic, there was only the info desk staff.
However, he was asleep.
Is that crazy bastard sleeping right now!
Lokrallen rushed to him.
“Hey! Is this the time to sleep?!”
“Ah! No, yes!”
He woke with a start and looked at Lokrallen.
“Where is Professor Dekurein!”
“Ah~ That professor is probably on the third floor in the round table conference room...... don’t you think? As of three hours ago.”
“The third floor?!”
Lokrallen asked back. Then the staff answered.
“Ah! No.”
“What? No?”
“Yes!”
“Then where—”
“Ah~ That professor is probably on the third floor in the round table conference room...... don’t you think? As of three hours ago.”
“......What?”
At that moment, a chill ran up Lokrallen’s spine.
The staff continued speaking.
“Ah! No, yes! Ah~ That professor is probably on the third floor in the round table conference room......”
“......”
Gulp— Swallowing hard, Lokrallen subtly stepped back.
Simultaneously, he intuited.
That someone had just become like that right before his very eyes.
If so...... this so-called host.
Is nearby.
Strength left Lokrallen’s legs, and he staggered as he looked around.
“Ah! No, yes! Ah~ That professor is probably on the third floor in the round table conference room......”
“Damn it!”
“Isn’t he? As of three hours ago.”
Lokrallen hurriedly turned and ran. He opened the passage door and climbed the stairs.
—Ah! No, yes! Ah~ That professor is probably on the third floor in the round table conference room......
He climbed the stairs, deliberately ignoring the repeating voice.
From the first floor to the second, from the second to the third......
“Huff, Professor Dek......!”
When he opened the third-floor door like that.
At that very moment.
A certain scene flashed through Lokrallen’s mind.
[ I must hurry and inform Dekurein! ]
His diary, which had suddenly surfaced in his memory.
The final sentence he had read without any doubt.
However...... the handwriting.
That sentence was not written by him.
“Ah......”
Looking at someone blocking his way at the third-floor door, Lokrallen thought such a thought.
It was probably akin to his life flashing before his eyes.
“Hello. Lokrallen.”
To her who had seen through him completely, Lokrallen answered with a heart that felt as if it might stop......
“You. How did you know?”
......And.
What remained was repetition.
“Huff, Professor Dek......”
He returned to the past once more and opened the third-floor door.
And so once more he faced her, muttering with the most shocked face.
“You. How did you know.”
When his final words concluded, once again.
He returned to the past and opened the third-floor door.
“Huff, Professor Dek......”
The person Lokrallen had witnessed had left that spot long ago, yet his expression and memory and time were vivid.
“You. How did you know.”
Lokrallen was taxidermied.