Chapter 110: Record of Regression (3)
Click—!
Deculein flicked his fingers, and the classroom was colored black. Epherene soon found out why this place was a special floor.
“Wow.”
The ceiling turned into the night sky. Like a bright and starry piece of drawing paper, clear and dark.
“Truthfully pure magic is….”
Deculein looked at each face in the classroom as he held the words.
“Something never mixed with impurities; it is pure. Even with the same spells, it is as solid and clear as different magic altogether. Like the body of [Iron Man].”
Heut-
Someone smiled a little at that. Epherene saw it was a wizard from the Imperial Palace.
“You.”
As expected, he couldn’t have missed it. Deculein pointed at him.
“Your name is?”
“…It’s Ron.”
“Make a fire.”
The Imperial wizard Ron made a fire. It was just regular fire, using [Light].
“It’s a small fire. Infinitely mediocre.”
“…”
Ron wriggled his eyebrows as Deculein looked at his fire through [Vision].
“It’s an unrefined fire, so it’s just hot. Far from being pure, it’s dirty.”
The magic circle that only possessed four strokes was nothing mysterious or unusual.
“…But.”
Deculein interfered with the technique’s four strokes, partially giving it his know-how, which was [Iron Man]’s nature.
Sshhhh—!
The fire, which was faintly flickering above Ron’s palm, flared up. The warmth quickly spread through the classroom.
“…”
Everyone, including Epherene, looked vacantly at the fire. To be exact, they observed its
color. The fire was dazzling, and there was dense heat about it, incomparable to before.
“It’s a fire that burns purely.”
The magical output was determined by the input. The larger the input, the higher the output, and when the input stopped, the magic itself vanished. However, this scorching flame, like a white-red jewel, existed without any input.
“Ron.”
“Ye-yes.”
Deculein called the Imperial wizard’s name again; Ron straightened his back in surprise.
“A common element like [Fire] grows according to the nature that the user gives it. Overflowing with a high degree of purity. That’s what ‘pure use’ means.”
Ron stared at the embers quietly.
Click—!
Deculein flicked his fingers again. Then, numerous stars appeared floating in the air.
“The element’s essence, the pure power within. This is the main point that I’m going to teach in this lecture. Listen carefully.”
Everyone began taking notes.
Guoooooo…
The stars on the 80th floor resonated with the celestial bodies. Flashes of light embroidered the technique, calculation, and regulations in the air. Epherene quickly scribbled, but the contents were too enormous to be confined to such a small piece of paper. No, even if the size was as so…
“Professor, is this a magic technique?”
Epherene plucked up the courage to ask. Deculein’s technique was a form that she had never seen before. The corners of his mouth twisted.
“No. It’s ambiguous to call it a circuit and odd to call it a regulation. It’s a new element that composes magic that has never existed before. I would like to name this source ‘property.’”
At that point, Rose Rio looked around. Not just her, but all the wizards who only believed in their brains and didn’t bring any writing tools were busy memorizing.
“This property can be applied to any magic as long as it is appropriately regulated.”
Just like the game’s [Characteristic].
Click—!
Deculein flicked his fingers, and dirt started to rise in the air to form a sphere. The beautiful particles floated like a planet through space. A blue sea was formed on the surface, and a dark continent emerged. It was the Earth.
“Wow…”
Epherene was in awe. But, as Deculein closed his hand, the magic scattered like a mirage.
“This is also just a part of it. A principle is needed to understand my ‘property.’ And the principle is this theory.”
Deculein moved the stars using [Psychokinesis].
“This is the main point from now on.”
In the darkness, line by line, the ‘new magic’ he invented was being written.
*****
…Meanwhile, Josephine recalled what happened this morning.
—You killed Veron.
Josephine didn’t give up on what Julie anguished over. Rather, she overcame her limitations with her long-held obsession and tenacity. It was a new awakening.
—I know everything.
She extended her shadow to the bottom of the cliff. Thousands of meters were searched, and Veron’s body was recovered. She grasped the shape of the steel that penetrated his chest.
—So, I’m curious.
Why did Deculein kill Veron? What was his motive?
—It wasn’t a lie when you said you only wanted a smile from Julie.
Was he irritated with Veron, the subordinate that Julie cared about? Or, because Julie and Veron had that kind of relationship? Was he mad with jealousy?
‘Ay~ No way.’
Josephine wasn’t a moron.
—Veron tried to kill you, right? You hid the truth so that Julie wouldn’t be hurt, right?
Of course, Veron, blinded by love, must have struck first, and Deculein defended himself.
—…
—Professor? Why don’t you say something?
Until then, there was no change in Deculein’s complexion. The Professor maintained his nobility and grace.
—…Josephine.
—Yup~?
Josephine smiled brightly. Deculein continued talking while looking down at her.
—I have a favor to ask.
—Ay. Of course, I won’t tell this to Julie-
—I’m going to destroy the Freyhem Knight Order.
—…?
Josephine blinked a few times. As such, his words were far beyond her expectations.
—There are many ways. Julie is upright, but some of the affiliated knights are petty. Cleaning up and taking money from the underworld, accepting bribes…
—How is that a favor? Do you think I’ll help you?
Deculein stared at Josephine without saying anything. Josephine grasped his emotions from that alone.
—If the Knight Order collapsed… Julie would hate me.
That’s why it was impossible to understand. It would only yield losses for him.
—…It’s probably a justifiable cause to kill you. But, she won’t be able to do so. She’s just that type.
Josephine’s words. But, Deculein’s answer was weird.
—No. That’s not enough.
—…
—Josephine, you help. So that Julie hates me enough to kill me.
Josephine’s lips parted slightly in surprise. Did he want to commit suicide?
—Why?
Deculein replied with conviction.
—Because I love Julie.
—…Love?
—I killed Veron out of jealousy, I tore down the Knight Order to monopolize Julie, and I’m just acting as I’ve changed…
…The scenario would be that then. The timing would be decided later on. His voice still lingered in her ears, but Josephine opened her eyes softly. Now that she was back to the present, she found herself in a cafe near the tower.
“Hmm…”
Josephine watched Julie with a hand under her chin. Julie sipped at her tea, eyes darting as if she found her sister’s gaze uncomfortable.
“My Julie~, aren’t you curious?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“What I talked about with Professor Deculein.”
“…”
Julie remained silent.
“It’s still a secret, Julie. But I’ll tell you one thing. Just don’t trust that Professor too much.”
Josephine decided to go with Deculein’s scenario for now. It was also for Julie, but now her blood was pumping because of this joke she played along with out of curiosity.
“Professor Deculein is wearing a mask-“
“Stop coming in-between us.”
Julie scowled, causing Josephine to shrug.
“…Okay~. Anyway, you’ll find out later. You can regret it then. Then, I’ll be going~.”
“Where are you going?”
“Hmm~, that Professor asked for a lot of favors. I might be busy from now on.”
She had to track down that devil Nescĭus, or whatever. Deculein also asked Josephine for an alliance, which she gladly accepted. Whatever it was, it must be fun.
“Your sister is going now~. Goodbye, my Julie~.”
*****
Whiiiiiing…
On a rooftop in the Yukline territory, Yeriel sat by the railing with Ganesha. A warm and gentle wind brushed past them.
“Geuung~. I can’t believe the weather is like this in the middle of summer. Hadekain is such a nice place, as expected. I’ll live here after I retire.”
Ganesha was amazed by the sights as she stretched. Yeriel glanced at her.
“Forget it. Anyway, you said you caught a giant rat flying in the sky today?”
“Yes, yes~. I’m not sure what it was, though. I hate rats the most in the world. But this rat is huge, and it flies? Oooh… I smashed it like the spire of a fortress… and when I came to my senses, I was back to two days ago.”
Ganesha smiled brightly in contrast to Yeriel’s deep frown.
“What are you talking about… anyway. I know everything now.”
“Hehe. Is that so? That’s a relief.”
“That… whew. Forget it. There’s no point.”
As she recalled the moment in the frame, Yeriel sighed deeply and hugged her knees. When she faced the Adventurer’s Guild, they didn’t have much to say. It was already resolved.
“…Ah, by the way, that kid Lia, where did she come from?”
She changed the subject with a pout. Ganesha shivered as she answered.
“Lia is someone that I met in the Archipelago. She’s a gemstone with undeniable talent, and now she’s part of my family.”
“…Is that so?”
“But, why are you interested?”
Ganesha asked as if it was nothing.
“…Because it’s wonderful.”
“Wonderful? How so?”
Ganesha’s ears perked as Yeriel stared into the distant sky. She appeared to be trying to catch a memory that was floating between the winds.
“…They look alike.”
“Lookalike?”
“…”
Yeriel stared at Ganesha, flapping her pigtails as she pretended like it was nothing.
Flap flap—
Flap flap—
Yeriel smirked.
“Is your hair alive?”
“Yes, I hit people with this. Anyway, who looks like who?”
“Hmm… Deculein, my brother’s first fiancé.”
“…”
Ganesha stopped breathing for a moment, feeling goosebumps rise on her back. Yeriel began to run her finger over the rooftop floor, scribbling.
“A child resembling his fiancé. That’s too… it’s too much.”
“First… fiancé?”
“Yes. At first glance, Julie also resembles her, but that child is an exact copy.”
“But Lia is still young?”
“The eye and hair color are different, but as she grows, she will probably resemble her more. I can see people’s faces very well.”
“Oh, oho…”
At that moment, Ganesha felt a certain spinning of fate. If it weren’t for her, Lia would have gone to Deculein, and maybe thanks to the fact that she looked like his fiancé, she could have had a better life than what she had now.
“That fiancé… what kind of person was she?”
“I also don’t know much. Why do I only know the set-up? I saw the agreement ceremony.”
“Hmm… is that so? How was the Professor during the ceremony?”
Yeriel laughed for some reason. When she thought about Deculein that day, she couldn’t help it.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen him smile like that. It was a face that I really, truly loved.”
Yeriel knew for the first time then that there was a soft smile and tone in Deculein, too.
“…Hehe. Even the Professor has a pure side. By any chance, he doesn’t think of her while looking at Lia, right?”
Yeriel frowned at Ganesha.
“Are you crazy? How large is their age difference? My brother is not such an unusual person….”
…My brother is not such an unusual person.
Just below the rooftop, their bitter conversation was overheard by someone who strengthened her sense of hearing acutely.
“…Sorry.”
This was probably due to the setting she added for no reason. Knowing that Deculein’s model was Woojin, she wondered why she insisted on that Easter egg.
“I’m such….”
The setting of the woman that Deculein loved was Yoo Ara. She wanted to find and catch it, her terrible behavior that didn’t make sense.
“…A loser.”
Lia sniffled as she tried to smile. She didn’t know that the Easter egg would return with this butterfly effect.
“Oh really… I’m such a fool…”
She sat on the ground and hid her face.
‘This is why… thinking of my hometown is not good for my mental health.’
*****
A 10-minute break after a 2-hour class. Epherene was dumbfounded.
“…Are you okay?”
Professor Louina, who sat beside her, asked. Nodding, Epherene muttered with a sigh-like voice.
“Yes. But… I’m studying everything.”
In the back seat, Epherene could see the unusual scenery of this classroom at a glance. Not only wizards from the tower that were Kendall, Regello, and Solda-ranked, but also Prince
Kreto, Addict Astal, the Imperial wizards, Professor Relin, and even Rose Rio, everyone…
They were all studying like drowning examinees moments before a test.
“Oh, I’m disgraceful. Just lend me one notebook, one pen, and one eraser! The Floating Island will pay you back ten times!”
Rose Rio was arguing overwriting tools.
“Hey Rolhan, don’t you know me?”
“Ah! Don’t talk to me! I’ll forget it!”
“What?!”
When Rose Rio grabbed one wizard’s robe, he brushed her off roughly. Oh, my. How could you treat an Etheric-ranked wizard like that?
“…Hey? Lumier Rolhan? I’m Etheric Rose Rio-“
“Hey, will you be quiet?!”
Prince Kreto shouted. Rose Rio feigned a smile like she was dumbfounded by his reaction.
“Kreto, you too-“
“Etheric Rose Rio. Don’t ruin the academic atmosphere.”
Addict Astal solemnly restrained her. The gaze of the seven other Addicts sitting beside him also focused solely on her.
“Oh, I’m sorry, too, but I don’t have writing tools. What can I do?”
“That’s your fault. Who told you to come empty-handed?”
“…I didn’t know.”
“Be quiet now. It’s a direct warning from the Floating Island, Etheric Rose Rio.”
Rose Rio staggered. The several other wizards who did not bring writing tools were in a similar boat.
“Why is everyone so sensitive?”
“…You’re a wizard from the Floating Island. New knowledge comes and goes, so it’s a matter of fact they’d be like that. Crazy writers. If you mess up, they’ll kill you.”
Epherene glanced to Louina.
“Hmm… Professor Louina won’t take notes?”
“I’m finished. My hands are fast.”
“Ah…”
Epherene looked at Deculein’s theory, still glimmering in the air.
“By the way, how did Professor Deculein discover that?”
“…I don’t know. Is it because he’s going to die soon?”
Louina replied jokingly, but Epherene’s eyes widened.
“Huh?”
“…What’s wrong with you?”
“I’ve heard something similar before.”
Louina leaned in slightly.
“What did you hear?”
“…’The closer a wizard is to heaven, the more he understands the truth-‘“
It was what Rohakan said when he kidnapped her some time ago. Louina coughed and leaned back.
“I-is that so? Coincidence, it’s a coincidence. I, I, I, I was just kidding.”
When she was coldly sweating…
“—!”
A shout rang out, and desks and chairs were flipped over as mana raged. Epherene and Louina, shocked, looked toward the disturbance in unison.
“Why, what’s wrong with them?
Four or five wizards were there arguing with each other, but they didn’t know the reason. No, rather, it was easy to discover.
“Ah, you crazy thief—!”
As one of them began to curse and manifest a destructive spell-
“Stop.”
A chilly voice stepped in.
Tuk-
The situation was doused in cold water in an instant.
“Really…”
Deculein arrived exactly after a 10-minute break time. He stared at the wizards as if they were garbage, tangled up together as they were.
“…That’s pathetic.”
Meeoooow~
At that moment, the red-furred cat suddenly escaped Kreto’s arms. Its possession had been
lifted. However, all the eyes inside of the hall were only focused on Deculein.
“His head is big or small, he gets older or younger… but he is greedy like a fool, so he has no dignity.”
Deculein felt a vibration from the transfer paper. It was from Keiron.
“This is the end of today’s class. Bear in mind, in my class, unsightly and dirty acts are not tolerated.”
He immediately left the classroom without much opposition. Thankfully, the fight provided a good excuse.
Kuuuung—!
When the elevator door closed, the 80th floor was filled with silence. However, that state only lasted a while before the sounds of writing continued. Deculein was gone, but his formulas were still intact.
“…”
Epherene blinked vacantly, and Louina smiled bitterly.
“Deculein’s personality is still the same. I thought he was dying. But him being mean, you’ve experienced it the most. Has he changed at all?”
“Ho-hohoho. Professor Louina…?”
Relin approached at that moment, slipping his notebook on the desk.
“Should we form a study group? Can we share?”
“…You won’t understand it alone?”
Louina asked back, but Relin shook his head with an oho-oho.
“That’s not true… but I found something that would set my academic enthusiasm burning in my middle age… it’s Professor Deculein, as expected. If we understand this lecture together, we’ll be able to get points from the Professor.”
“That’s it. I don’t understand it either. I just finished taking notes.”
Epherene continued taking notes for now. At that time, Addict Astal started communicating somewhere with a crystal ball.
“Yes, it’s Astal.”
Epherene ear’s pricked up while she was taking notes.
“It’s possible that it’s a new magical element. I still need to understand it, but it’s very special.”
An addict who was stingy with compliments acknowledged its uniqueness. Epherene was jealous for some reason. Maybe this lecture was also related to her father – those doubts and expectations, very briefly—
Click—!
Suddenly, the high-pitch sound of the switch turning off. At that moment, the magical power of the classroom was shut off, and all of Deculein’s writing disappeared.
“Huh?”
“What, who!”
“Oh, wait?”
“What. What is this!”
“Who turned it off… you dare….”
“Again, again! Right now! I still haven’t finished-“
The wizards were flustered. No, it was more than that. They were sent into a panic.