Chapter 280: Calm Before the Storm (5)
Deiare suddenly found herself recalling a past encounter that she could never forget no matter how hard she tried.
Among the Centauros, who were infamous for their brutality, Deiare was, so to speak, little different from a mutant.
Rather than running across the plains hunting like her brothers and sisters, she preferred contemplation. While others swung their weapons, she enjoyed reading books and refining her knowledge.
For someone like her, being ostracized within the lineage was, in a way, only natural. Deiare herself had also come to quietly accept that she was being excluded.
And so, time passed endlessly.
That day remained in her memory as a day that had seemed nothing special.
The weather, the daily routine—everything had been exactly the same as usual.
Yet that day became a day unlike any other in Deiare’s life.
She had met a girl who appeared young, yet was wiser than anyone Deiare had ever seen or encountered.
“……”
When had it been?
Yes—she remembered it as the chaotic time long after the Great War had ended… the period when the so-called embers still lingered.
The girl had come searching for a path and had visited their lineage. Seeing a traveler for the first time in a while, the warriors of the lineage had attempted to plunder her without even asking questions.
But she subdued them with ease.
…When Deiare regained her senses, she had already left the lineage and was traveling alongside that girl. Before she knew it, she had even asked to serve her as a mentor and declared herself her disciple.
Only later did she learn that the girl was Bojador Arpentia, a member of the Wolpen Knights who had led the Great War against the Demons to victory and saved the continent from crisis.
“I miss those days.”
The words slipped from Deiare’s lips without her realizing it.
A bitter smile formed on her mouth.
It was the kind of smile someone would wear while longing for days that had once been unbearably sweet—days that could never be experienced again.
“…Mentor. Master.”
She had said she could call her whatever she liked.
Some of the other disciples even addressed her by name, calling her Arpentia.
…Though it was a somewhat embarrassing admission, Deiare had never formed a particularly deep bond with any of the other disciples. Even now, it remained an awkward topic for her to bring up.
If she had to name someone she had grown relatively close to, it would probably be Edas, who had always been kind and friendly with everyone.
“……”
Even as Deiare continued sprinting at full speed, she could not shake off her thoughts.
One thought led to another, and eventually she even recalled the promise made on the day that had led her to run toward the Sanctum like this.
Bojador Arpentia.
The woman whom the world called a sage truly possessed wisdom worthy of that title. Her eyes had always been filled with intellect and knowledge, as though one were gazing at starlight.
…However, as her disciple, Deiare had not failed to notice that those eyes gradually became clouded, as though mist were gathering within them.
And the reason for that was also—
No matter how wise she was called, she had never grown accustomed to the deaths of her comrades and family.
Thus her eyes became increasingly clouded, and she began taking interest in a taboo akin to resurrecting the dead.
Then one day—
Looking back now, it felt like the principle that a candle burns most fiercely just before it goes out.
Arpentia, who had regained the brilliance in her eyes from when Deiare first met her, moved incessantly that day. She had always been busy, but that day in particular she did not rest for even a moment.
She arranged everything, adjusted everything, organized everything, and stabilized everything.
As if she were a person facing death.
And in the end, she called Deiare to her…
“……”
Without a word, Deiare placed her hand over her left eye.
It was where the Far-Seeing Eye that Arpentia had given her rested.
“…How dreadful.”
Before she knew it, she had arrived at the Sanctum.
Even though she had run at full speed, her breathing was not ragged, nor had she shed a single drop of sweat. She simply gazed at the Sanctum, now smashed into a complete wreck, with eyes filled with many emotions.
The man who had always remained there, calling himself the gravekeeper, was gone.
The Sanctum itself, once modest yet incomparably majestic, was also gone.
Even without searching, it was obvious that no remains or relics would be found among the collapsed debris.
“Certainly…”
Yet Deiare stepped toward the ruins of the Sanctum without hesitation.
In her mind echoed only the request Arpentia had made to her alone on the day she entrusted the Far-Seeing Eye to her.
“……”
And the scenes she had witnessed with that Far-Seeing Eye.
Had you truly foreseen all of this?
Muttering to herself, she used her halberd as a lever and began clearing away the debris.
Before long, as the rubble was moved aside, part of the Sanctum’s floor was revealed.
Deiare stopped there silently. She planted the halberd into the ground and closed both eyes.
‘Just one last time.’
It should be fine if I use it once more.
With that thought, she concentrated the power of the Far-Seeing Eye.
Soon she was able to observe many scenes as if they were unfolding right before her eyes.
‘The situation has almost been resolved.’
The mire-like creatures and Revenants that had flooded the streets could now be counted.
The detached forces of the Holy Sun Church, whose intentions had been unclear, had mostly fallen as well. Only those fighting Headmaster Yeriel remained.
‘The other children…’
Her students, including Pappleton and Revice, were also safe.
Earlier they had seemed to be moving together with the other professors and the Third Imperial Princess Mercedes, but it appeared they had defeated the Agents who had invaded the Professors’ Wing.
“……”
While observing the situation, Deiare suddenly recalled the strange occurrence she had noticed while coming here—she had not sensed a single human presence along the way.
At first she had thought it might be some defensive mechanism of the Academy she had not known about, or perhaps someone else’s magic…
“So it was your power.”
Murmuring as though she had finally understood, Deiare opened her eyes.
In front of her stood something like a formless mist, gazing back at her.
“I will keep the promise, so do not worry.”
As she finished speaking and reached toward her left eye, Deiare suddenly paused.
When she turned her gaze, smoke had wrapped around her wrist as if gripping it.
“I understand what you mean.”
Saying so, Deiare closed her eyes again, relaxing her guard as though she would accept whatever came.
“…I will return it. Just as my mentor asked me to do.”
With those words, it felt as though something approached.
It felt as though she had fallen into water—something wrapped around her entire body without leaving a single gap.
Then came an unpleasant sensation, as though a part of her was being taken away.
Even so, Deiare remained silent, keeping her eyes closed.
“Ah.”
After some time passed, Deiare cautiously opened her eyes.
The world that had always appeared the same now showed only half of itself.
The loss she had prepared for had arrived.
Her Far-Seeing Eye had lost its light.
“Phew.”
Professor Windymay let out a small sigh.
Before her lay the Agents, subdued by various spells, and nearby Yeriel, battered and bruised, exhaled heavy breaths repeatedly.
“…If possible, you could have come a little earlier.”
Yeriel muttered in a sulky tone.
When he had seen most of the combat forces heading toward the Headmaster’s Office, he had prepared himself for this situation. Still, facing numerous Agents alone had not been easy.
Yet the fact that he had fought them evenly without being overwhelmed showed that he had not been called the one closest to becoming the next Archmage for nothing.
…Though the balance had immediately shifted to their side the moment the real Archmage, Windymay, joined the fight.
“I came as fast as I could.”
Windymay brushed off her hands lightly as she spoke.
“So then, it seems the urgent matters are mostly over. Is there anything left?”
“I believe my side was the last. At this point, the situation in the streets should only require cleaning up the remnants.”
“In that case…”
At that moment, Windymay suddenly looked up at the sky as though realizing something.
The dragons that had been circling the heavens without rest had already disappeared.
“Then only the cleanup remains.”
“That might be the most troublesome task of all.”
Yeriel said as he looked at Windymay.
Noticing his gaze fixed on her, she nodded as if she understood.
“I’m going to submit my resignation letter, so please approve it.”
“Hahaha, that’s not even worth considering.”
Laughing as though it were ridiculous, he then looked toward Lian standing beside Windymay and nodded with relief.
“I’m glad you’re safe. It seems you reunited with the private residence without any problems.”
“Ah, Yeriel. I have something to say about that.”
“Something to say?”
“Just a moment.”
With that, Windymay casually cast a spell that blocked the surrounding sounds.
It was not a story that would do anyone any good if others heard it.
“I think the aftermath is going to get quite troublesome.”
“Pardon? Why is that?”
“Lian killed some Agents. Five of them.”
“…So he did run into them.”
Yeriel looked slightly surprised, then nodded heavily as though he had expected it.
“But it couldn’t be helped. He couldn’t simply die as they wished. The Holy Sun Church will likely apply pressure, but somehow we can manage—”
“And the Cardinal too.”
“If we counter politically— wait… what did you just say?”
Yeriel involuntarily cursed at Windymay’s casual remark.
“Don’t swear.”
“No, that’s not the issue. Who did you say he killed?”
“The Cardinal. The one who was acting as the leader of the Agents.”
“Cardinal Bruyant? Why on earth would he—?!”
Shouting in disbelief, Yeriel soon let out a deep sigh.
“So he was the mastermind behind this incident.”
“That’s right. There was also an iron needle embedded in his chest.”
“…The entire nation will probably be in an uproar. Protecting Lian should be our top priority. If we present evidence that he had colluded with the Demons through that iron needle, we should be able to navigate this somehow.”
“Hmm, that’s the problem.”
“Pardon?”
“I looked into Lian’s memories. The moment the Cardinal died, the iron needle disappeared. And the corpses…”
Windymay immediately explained what had happened when she met Lian inside the Room of Memories, along with what happened when he met Lancia.
She even told him about the conversation with the dragons.
After listening to Windymay’s story for quite a long time, the first thing Yeriel said was:
“This is bad.”
“Why?”
“While fighting the Agents earlier, they said something rather ominous. At the time I thought it was nonsense, but…”
“What did they say?”
“They said to kill the mastermind who had colluded with the Demons, and that they—including the Cardinal—would become martyrs… something like that.”
He murmured quietly.
“I wondered what they meant, but now the situation looks as though…”
“…As though what?”
“As though they intend to frame someone else for their crimes.”
As he said that, Yeriel looked at Lian.