Carixel, a wanted Demon Blood under the alias of Brolin, was captured along with Dehal, another wanted person from their clan.
The eunuchs’ anger, including Jolang, burst as soon as they heard about Deculein’s achievement. However, they had no choice but to let the trial proceed steadily.
In the end, over 1,000 Demon Bloods, including Carixel and Dehal, were condemned to Rohalak as punishment.
Not even Public Safety Bureau Deputy Director Lilia Primienne could object against it.
─Faster, you cockroaches!
─Move! Hey! That old man over there! Yeah, you! Do you want to die?!
With Rohalak engulfed in a 45-degree heatwave, Yeriel watched the captured and rope-bound Demon Bloods inside the car with a cool breeze blowing through the thermostat.
“We haven’t contacted the Red Garnet Adventurers yet.”
But none of it caught Yeriel’s interest. She had only anguish in her mind.
“However, the items you asked for are ready, miss.”
Her vassals and butler moved more steadily for her sake. As her loyalists, they also suggested the most extreme but effective method to break through this situation.
If war proved unavoidable, if they had no choice but to die and kill each other, it would be ideal for them to launch a surprise preemptive attack.
“I told him as clearly as I could that if he breaks his promise, I will never forgive him,” Yeriel whispered coldly.
Her butler, in the driver’s seat, lowered his head.
“You did.”
“But… Not yet. Keep looking. Scour around the underworld as well. I need reliable information, which is why we must contact Ganesha no matter what.”
“Yes. We’ll move through the underground guild.”
Yeriel created an organization that worked directly against the suppress the Yukline family. Ironically, however, it was now tasked to repress Deculein, the Head of the very family they protected.
“… That would be ideal, but don’t let those damn eunuchs get even the slightest clue of our operation.”
“Of course.”
“Okay. Thank you.” Answering helplessly, she looked out of the window.
─Stop acting weak, you demon bastards!
─Move!
─Damn cockroach bastards!
Their prisoners were stripped of their core energy and had their hair shaved. Afterward, they were forced to bask naked amid the wasteland’s heat before being caged behind sweltering iron bars.
“…”
If all of Deculein’s words proved true, if he really intended to use and throw her away, she made sure she wouldn’t be as helpless as the Demon Bloods were…
Yeriel clenched her fists, solidifying her determination.
*****
The full moon cast a white mist onto the Yukline territory, causing the evening to appear strangely crestfallen and gelid.
But I couldn’t care less. I was far too focused on reading books in the mansion’s library.
[Curse and Pharmacy], [About Immunity], [Herbs Collection], [ Zlenn’s Medical Dictionary], [Advanced Herbal Combination Method]…
Studying Pharmacy has become a part of my routine now.
In my attempt to unravel all the possible ways to heal Julie, I looked for and read almost every relevant book and article I could find.
Using [Vision] on myself, I brought out the results.
[Pharmaceutical Knowledge Level: Advanced (37%)]
… It was very strange.
[Psychokinesis], which I had been trying to master for more than half a year now, was barely progressing through the intermediate level. On the other hand, my pharmaceutical knowledge has already reached advanced after studying it for just a couple of months.
“They say one is enlightened as much as they learn…” I sighingly muttered.
As I accumulated more knowledge and learned more about medicine, I grew unable to deny it.
This helplessness of mine was causing rage within me.
The wounds Julie was carrying, the scars that Deculein inflicted, were impossible to detoxify with standard methods.
“…”
But there was a way.
It was to use the game’s ‘trigger,’ which wasn’t at all common.
“If Julie hates me…”
If I pushed her away from me and became a villain to her, she would bloom like a flower by overcoming the ordeal called Deculein. With me as her enemy, not only would she nullify all of her past wounds, she’d also soar brilliantly.
“That’s what I’ll do…”
I looked up at the distant sky.
[The Villain’s Fate] was perhaps the most appropriately named characteristic for Deculein.
He had no choice but to love Julie, but to save her, he had to force her to hate him.
“If that’s what it would take to save you.”
I placed my hand over my heart, finding this feeling strange.
My heart, swallowed by a pain I had never felt before since becoming Deculein, pounded and ached.
Was this itself just a result of programming or a character trait?
Or did I truly come to love Julie without realizing it…
“…”
I put down the book in my hand and opened a secret door leading to the herbal medicine room, a sweet-scented place filled with cool air, which I remodeled with my [Ductility] magic.
After applying all sorts of magical techniques to it, including the temperature control barrier, I had nearly all medicinal herbs in the world stored in it.
But none of these could heal Julie.
Knock, knock—
─Professor. It’s time to train.
I didn’t even realize dawn had already come.
Exiting the annex, Julie greeted me with a smile.
“Here.”
“Yeah.”
I received the wooden sword she handed over to begin our morning swordsmanship training.
“If you stretch your sword in a straight line, there will always be an opening. So, be sure to keep your sword curved.”
I swung my weapon according to her instructions.
Tak—! Tak—!
Dull sounds of our blades colliding echoed across the yard.
“Great. You’re like a sponge!”
“I think I’m already better than you.”
“Na-uh! Stay humble!”
The movements I made were refreshing, the steps pleasant. Sweating felt good right now.
Clap, clap, clap—
However, sounds of applause soon interrupted us. Stopping our swings midway, we turned around.
It was still too early in the morning, but we already had two guests watching us.
“Hahaha! That’s impressive, Deculein! Your physique doesn’t fall behind even when compared to knights!” Zeit laughed as he strode closer, Josephine following right behind him.
“I’m happy to see you and my sister becoming closer! Oh right, I found a few wedding halls for you two. One of them was pretty awesome. I wanted to go with you, but…”
I looked at Josephine, thinking she might be of some help to me.
She smiled brightly when our eyes met, but Julie immediately stood between us.
“What’s with that expression?”
She pouted.
*****
Ten days before the event, Epherene, Allen, and Drent checked their suitcases in the assistant’s lab.
“Towel. Toothbrush. Clothes. Emergency food. Have you got everything?”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
The three above were invited to the Locralen Society as Professor Deculein’s companions.
“Yaaawn~”
Epherene stayed up all night yesterday.
“What’s so special about it anyway, Professor Allen?”
She didn’t know what Locralen was, but rumors abounded that the attendance to it would be a huge boon to a wizard’s career.
Allen replied with a smile.
“Oh, Locralen is a place where timelines are entangled.”
“Timelines?”
“Yeah~”
Allen took out a travel brochure from his robe’s inside pocket.
“Locralen is a ‘magical space’ that naturally occurred about ten years ago when a meteorite crashed, causing enormous mana to explode. You already know the concept of magical space, right?”
“Of course. I’m a Solda, after all. The gardens of the Imperial Palace are the perfect examples of it.”
The Imperial Garden allowed all four seasons to mysteriously coexist in it simultaneously.
“Exactly~ Locralen, combining the past three years and the future ten years, also falls under that concept. No one’s been able to answer how that was possible, though.”
“Wow. That’s amazing.”
“It is, but be careful!” Allen solemnly raised his index finger as if to warn.
“It is certainly magnificent, but it houses a lot of monsters, and many of them were even humans before. It’s a scarlet-level danger zone.”
That terrified Epherene. There were only three danger levels: black, red, and scarlet.
“… Why would they hold the conference in such a place?”
“The wizards found a way to use it recently. That’s why it’s only been probably three years since they started holding this event.”
Since Locralen was a relatively new magical space, its mystery was still unsolved.
“We’ll be able to gather knowledge about the future through that place, so they decided to conduct the conference once a year.”
“… Oh!” Epherene and Drent’s eyes widened, finally realizing its significance.
“That’s right~ It has a lot of vile creatures. It is certainly dangerous, and we can’t even take any Locralen-native materials out of it since it would turn us into a monster, but it’s worth the risk.”
“… Turn us into a monster?”
“Um…” Allen paused for a moment to go through the travel brochures again. Hurriedly skimming through the pages, he smiled broadly upon finding what he was looking for.
“When you take out any items originally belonging to that magical space, you become infected with time-twisted magic, the deterrence of the world. No one knows what kind of fiend you’ll become, though!”
“Hmm, I see. Everything makes sense now.”
“That’s great to hear. Now then, it’s time to go!”
Deculein came out of his office at the same time as the trio exited the lab. Upon noticing him, Allen immediately ran up to him.
“You look as good as always today, Professor~!”
Deculein’s outfit was actually more perfect than it had ever been, considering he had used [Midas’ Hand] to fully upgrade it. That served as proof that he was also nervous to some extent.
“Let’s go.”
After all, through this main quest known as [Locralen Society]…
The Archmages would finally appear.
*****
Rattle, rattle—
Rattle, rattle—
The VIP room of the gently swaying train.
[Locralen is a magical space created in the aftermath of a meteorite impact. It’s located at the tip of the Reok Kingdom in the southeast of the continent.
Initially owned by the Reok royal family, the Isle of Wizard’s Wealth purchased the rights to it for 1,000,000,000 Elnes on the 955 of the Continental Calendar, after which it established its Locralen branch, known as the Locralen Society.]
“… Hmmm.”
Drent, reading a book, hummed in interest. My other companions, Epherene and Allen, slept soundly on the couch and concentrated on knitting, respectively.
We were at peace.
As for me, I couldn’t help but think about the progress of the quest.
I knew there were many other complicated issues to resolve, like Julie’s wounds, but it would be best for me to focus on the main quest for now.
[Main Quest: Bizarre Locralen Society]
◆ Store Currency +1
◆ Mana +50
I didn’t know what kind of Archmage would appear at the upcoming conference. I only learned about such an occurrence through the words of the company’s employees and the script lines in the first place.
Kiiiiek—
Upon reaching the station, the train soon slowed down to a halt.
As I retrieved my luggage and Allen put her knitting kit in her robe pocket, Drent woke up Epherene.
“We’re here.”
“Oh, yes, yes. I’m up.”
Upon disembarking together and stepping off the locomotive, the people of Locralen greeted us.
“Welcome, Professor Deculein. May I suggest riding a horse to Locralen? It’s the most comfortable option.”
They then recommended four horses.
Epherene and Allen looked a bit anxious when I nodded, which I thought meant they didn’t know how to ride them.
“Let’s share two horses. Drent.”
“Yes.”
Drent got on one first. Being the son of a noble family, he had the privilege of being trained in horseback riding.
Allen sat hesitantly behind him, causing Epherene’s expression to turn dark.
“Then, I-I’ll…?”
I climbed onto the next steed.
“Oh, Professor Allen, if you change seats with me—”
Noticing her hesitation, I used [Psychokinesis] to make her forcibly sit behind me.
“Ahh!”
“Let’s go.”
“Yes. Yee-hah!”
As our mounts sprinted through the dirt road, Epherene wobbled behind me until she finally clung to my back.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.”
“Be quiet.”
“Ahhhh…”
… After about an hour, we arrived at our destination’s entrance.
“Oh, I feel sick… Professor Allen, are you okay…?”
“N-no… I feel nauseous. That was the first time I’ve ever ridden a horse…”
Leaving behind Allen and Epherene amid their groans, I looked around the area.
Locralen was more of a place than a space. Externally, it even looked like a colossal domed stadium with two robed wizards guarding its entryway.
“Present your invitations, please.”
I did as instructed.
“Verification complete. Feel free to leave your horses here.”
“Okay.”
We went through the passage beyond the doors they opened.
“…Hmm?”
I found Locralen’s interior quite unusual due to the outdoor aerial scenery, which included the sun and the sky, visible above us. It was almost as if its ceiling was made of transparent glass.
“It’s surprisingly normal,” Drent concluded after observing his surroundings. As he said, this place looked like it was meant for other people to live in. It even had an academy, hotels, kiosks, magic supply stores, houses, etc.
“Whoa…”
While walking blankly, he instinctively bowed to a passerby.
“Oh, um, hello—!”
And immediately fainted.
Stopping from my tracks, I looked at him as Epherene and Allen panicked and shook him, fear clearly visible in their expressions.
“Drent! W-What happened? Drent!”
“Something’s wrong with him, Professor!”
They both looked at me at the same time, causing me to smirk. This situation was exactly as I heard in the system, which was funny.
“He talked to someone from the future or the past.”
“… What?”
“To communicate with those who didn’t actually belong to our timeline, one needs to have a tremendous amount of mana. Otherwise, this would happen.”
Even in the game, talking to ‘Locralen’ characters consumed quite huge amounts of mana.
“Let’s go. Carry him, Epherene.”
“Huh? Me?”
“What, do you want me to do it?”
“…”
She lifted him and walked to Lokrun, the conference hotel, with him on her back.
“Ugh… So heavy…”
While Epherene groaned about him being such a tall guy, we arrived at the hotel’s information desk, on top of which were several plates with numbers engraved on them.
[958]
Allen tilted her head.
“What’s this, Professor?”
“It means 958 years of the continental calendar. Wear it like a nameplate.”
“Aha~ Does this mean I’ll be able to talk to people with the same tag, Professor?”
I shook my head.
“There may be individuals from the past or the future pretending to be from our year.”
“Oh… You’re right. There might be people like that!”
As I attached it to my chest, the hotel staff put a key on the counter without even looking at us, perhaps because she wasn’t from this year.
I took it with [Psychokinesis].
Room 801.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
“U-Um, he’s too heavy…”
“Stop complaining. We’re almost there.”
We used the elevator, hastening our arrival to our accommodation, a large room occupying half of the floor it was built on.
Epherene quickly put Drent down.
“Whew. I thought my shoulders were about to give in…”
─Announcement: The 958th conference will be held today at the academy at 6 PM. I repeat…
I looked at my wristwatch. Epherene did as well.
It was 5 PM.
“We have less than an hour left.”
“Get ready.”
*****
Aside from Drent, who was still unconscious, Deculein’s group headed for the Locralen Society’s main building and, upon their arrival, a wizard wearing a [958] nameplate on his chest came over to them immediately.
“Please come with me, Professor Deculein. You’ll be provided with separate instructions before the beginning of the conference. Your company should wait here.”
He guided their leader away, leaving the two no choice but to watch his back disappear into the distance blankly.
“What should we do, Professor Allen?”
“Well… I’ll wait for him to return here!”
Allen seemed calm, but Epherene most definitely wasn’t. Looking around anxiously, she found a sign with the words [Underground Archives] engraved on it.
“Can I go to the archives room for a moment?”
“Sure~ But don’t talk to anyone or bring anything out!”
“Of course~” She smiled.
With no one blocking access to the place, she barged and rummaged straight into it.
“Woah, so they weren’t kidding. We have access to the future here.”
There were more papers than books on the bookshelves, but some of them came from the future, such as the years 959 and 960. Marveling over such a fact, she scanned through the documents.
“… Ugh.”
However, after reading only a few lines, she already sensed her mana nearing depletion due to the immense feeling of lethargy that permeated within her, making her feel as if she was about to faint.
Epherene leaned against a bookshelf, using it as support to barely keep herself standing.
“Wow, what is this…”
“It’s impossible to acquire knowledge about the future with mundane amounts of mana. No, even Archmages will have a hard time doing so.”
Surprised by the voice she heard, she turned around, finding a robed woman.
However, she didn’t have a nameplate on her.
Pretending she didn’t exist, she hurriedly put the papers back on the bookshelf.
“Hmm~ are you trying to pretend you didn’t see me~?”
The woman approached her swiftly by gathering mana on her feet, making her seem like she was hovering.
Epherene admired it, but she didn’t express it. Instead, as if talking to herself, she asked, “I wonder, how many attendees are going to be in this event?”
“They only invite thirty-three people every year, but they’re all given the option to bring up to three companions. If so, then this event’s max capacity is 132 people. They don’t invite a lot of people to avoid time-related confusion. Of course, the 500 addicts who live exclusively in Locralen aren’t taken into the calculation.”
“Hmm… Is one out of those 132 with me right now?”
“I don’t know how to answer that, honestly.”
At that moment, Epherene came to a realization.
‘She’s talking to me, but I’m still fine as far as I know. Doesn’t that mean she’s from year 958?’
She took a closer look at the woman.
“…!”
However, doing so almost made her heart stop out of sheer astonishment.
The woman’s eyes exposed under her robe…
They were the same as hers.
“Epherene?”
Her clear eyes curved into a thick and attractive arc.
“That’s right. I’m Epherene as well. Nice to meet you.” The woman held out her hand.
It stunned her.
“Y-you—”
“It’s okay. I’m paying all the mana you need to talk to me. Speak freely.”
She blankly gave her allegedly older self a once-over, finding her looking very mature, beautiful, and even seemingly around 5cm taller than she currently was.
“How many years away am I from you?”
“Ummm… If I tell you, it’ll cost me a few thousand words. Would you prefer that?”
“Oh… It takes a lot of mana to answer my question, doesn’t it?”
“That’s right~”
Adult Epherene smiled broadly and took off her robe, her long shiny hair fluttering. It caused her younger version’s jaw to drop, thinking she had a beauty she didn’t yet have.
“It’s year 958, so I guess you came with Professor Deculein?”
“Yeah. Why? Oh, do you want to hit the Professor?!”
Her older version chuckled at her words, then gave an answer that was far beyond her expectations.
“Don’t hate him too much.”
“… Huh? Why?”
“Haha. I can’t tell you more than that. More importantly, don’t trust what I say too much. I’m not your definite future. Rather, what you’ll become will most likely be far different from me. After all, the timeline is too messed up here in Lanuvel.
“Uhh…” She nodded thoughtlessly in reply.
“Epherene.”
A familiar low-pitched voice startled the two. They immediately located its source, although they already knew who it was.
Deculein.
Looking alternately at them, he approached and first spoke to the older woman.
“… Are you Epherene too?”
She nodded.
“Yes, I am. You don’t seem confused at all, which is to be expected of you, Professor. How do you know everything?”
“Interesting.” He answered.
Epherene looked at her grown-up version and Deculein alternately.
For reasons she couldn’t fathom, Adult Epherene was smiling, but the corners of her eyes seemed to be wet with tears.
“… What?”
Even the way she gazed up at Deculein… seemed so filled with love.
Urgently, she exclaimed, “Hey! Why do you look like that when you look at him?!”
“… Huh? Ahaha.”
When her words brought back the older woman to her mind, she shook her head.
However, before she could reprimand her further…
“Shh.”
Adult Epherene pressed a finger against her lips.
“What?”
“The academy will be abolished today, so I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“Abolished? Why?”
“Due to several problems. We’ll talk about it later. Younger Ifi, won’t you close your eyes for a moment?” Adult Epherene asked in a soft voice.
“S-sure.”
When she closed her eyes voluntarily, Adult Epherene gave Deculein a bright smile.
“Professor Deculein.”
“…”
He didn’t avoid her gaze. Rather, a smirk appeared on his lips as if to say he found the situation absurd.
“Are you the real Epherene?”
“Of course.”
She looked completely different than her current self, making him think she had to be at least ten years older or so.
“Long time no see. I’ve been waiting.”
“Waiting?”
“Yes.”
She approached Deculein ever so cautiously and…. hugged him without hesitation, causing perplexity to rise within him.
“…”
Adding more to his uncommon surprise, Adult Epherene buried her face in his chest and even rubbed against it a few times.
“Sigh…”
After quite a while, she finally took a few steps back from Deculein’s arms, a melancholic smile on her lips.
“… I wanted to hug you at least once.”
“W-what?!” Startled, Epherene hastily opened her eyes, but it was already too late by then.
“Shh.”
Instead, what dawned upon her was the beginning of a new predicament.
Adult Epherene pointed to the other side of the library.
“If we talk louder, we might all die.” She whispered ever so faintly.
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