n

n

nChapter 86: Each One’s Future (2)

nAfter completing the Emperor’s lessons, I walked along the corridors of the Imperial Palace with Julie, who maintained a vigilant posture despite where we were. Amid our way, Jolang appeared.

n“Sir Yukline. There was an incident in the basement.”

nAgreeing to come with him, we headed underground through the only passageway leading to the Demon’s Mirror, this place’s darkness.

nHowever…

n“It’s closed. That’s the problem.” He frowned.

nThe door to the basement was covered with dry tissue as thick as tar.

n“Since when has it been in this state?”

n“Just today. It used to be an ordinary door before it became like this.” He grabbed the doorknob and shook it randomly, but it didn’t budge. “Even the knights couldn’t open it, so I had to send them all back.”

nI nodded.

n“Then perhaps the right time hasn’t come yet.”

n“You mean… Sir Yukline, do you know what’s in there?”

n“…”

nWhat lurked in this basement, and what the quest ‘Darkness of the Imperial Palace’ meant.

nI didn’t only witness it. I also cleared it as a player.

nUltimately, it pointed to the darkness embraced by the owner of the Imperial Palace.

nIn other words, ‘Sophien’s past’ awaited us beyond this door, and the mirror was a passageway to it.

nA demon desiring to get involved with it was only natural. After all, her death would mean the end of this world.

nAs I said before, if she died, it would be Game Over. That was how the system worked.

nSince Sophien was a regressor, there were dozens of quests offering opportunities to explore the past. Among them, this was an extremely important quest, but surprisingly enough, it didn’t need to be treated with urgency at the moment.

n“How would I know if I haven’t even gone in? I’ll be taking my leave now. Inform me when it opens.”

n“Yes. I’ll do that.”

nAs Jolang turned around with a bitter expression, in suspicion, Julie murmured, “That’s strange. Why was the basement of the Imperial Palace like that?”

n“You don’t have to know.”

n“What?”

n“Don’t even think about interfering.”

n“…”

nHer eyes narrowed, but I paid no heed to it. She should never know what lurked in this place.

nSophien’s death.

nThe former Freyden Head, her father, was also partly involved in it.

n“Let’s go. I have a lot to do today.”

n“… Alright.”

nWe left the Imperial Palace together.

nRen, waiting in the car near the castle gate, took a look at his notebook.

n“Your next agenda is in Rohalak of the Yukline County.” His voice sounded different from usual.

nShowing no signs of noticing it, I entered the vehicle.

n“Let’s go.”

n“Okay.”

n*****

nEpherene, Sylvia, and Carixel arrived at the Isle of Wizard’s Wealth, finding its mystical scenery now somewhat familiar.

n“Whew…”

nEpherene felt nervous and excited at the same time. To get to the Training Island, the site of the Solda Promotion test, they had to board an aircraft called an airship, which was why they were standing on its platform now. Of course, she had never seen one before, let alone board one.

n“Are you all going?”

nFortunately, although Sylvia was quiet, the adventurer, Carixel, was erudite and talkative.

n“Do… Do I just go in? Or do I have to do something beforehand?”

n“No, no. You just need to board calmly, like you’re entering home. I’m going first~”

nHe climbed the high stairs of the platform ahead of them. Staring blankly at his back, she followed.

nBut Sylvia grabbed her robe’s hood before she could.

n“Whoa—! Hey! What’s your problem?”

n“Stupid Epherene.”

n“Huh?”

nHer eyes narrowed down at Sylvia, who was looking at her shoes in silence.

n“… Oh~”

nEpherene grinned, realizing what she meant.

n“You mean my shoes? I already know that. Do you think I’m stupid?”

nShe confidently pounded her chest.

nSince Carixel said, “like you’re entering a home,” she thought she should take her shoes off.

n“I’ll be going up now~”

nEpherene scaled the steps gracefully like a noble, then took off her shoes before boarding the airship. She then looked around, looking for a shoe closet.

n“… Huh.”

nThere was none.

n‘Do we have to take care of it ourselves?’

nOne other passenger soon giggled, noticing her feet. Finding such a reaction strange, she looked around.

n… Everyone was wearing shoes.

n“Pff.”

nSylvia’s disdainful giggle entered her ears as she passed by her with her shoes on, causing Epherene to blush in shame.

n“That girl! Seriously!”

nShe put her shoes back on and ran until a familiar figure caught her eye.

n“… Assistant Professor Allen?”

n“Epherene. I see you’ve put your shoes back on.”

nSylvia took her seat, her big cheeks seemingly filling up with laughter.

n“Oh~? Yeah, okay~ Was it fun~? I pretended to be fooled on purpose to make you feel happy. You seem depressed these days, you know…”

nEpherene tried to keep her pride as she sat on her assigned seat as well, which was next to Sylvia.

n—Please fasten your seat belts. Airship 305D will now be leaving.

nShe did as the voice instructed. Sylvia, paying close attention to her gestures, mocked her.

n“I guess you know how to wear a seat belt.”

n“Humpf. As I said, I did it on purpose to brighten your mood up.”

nWhoooong—

nThe airship rose.

n“Ugh!”

n“What’re you doing?”

nEpherene instinctively grabbed Sylvia’s shoulder, who did her best to push her away out of sheer surprise.

nWhoong—

n“Whoa, whoa.”

nThe more the aircraft shook, the more strength she applied to her grip, and the harder Sylvia shoved her away.

n“Let go of me.”

n“Whoahaha, it’s floating. It’s floating, whoahoho…”

n“You idiot. I told you to let go.”

nEpherene clung to her body even more instead, however, with her arms now wrapped around her waist tightly and her forehead pressed against her forearm.

n“Don’t cling to me, idiot.”

n“Wait, airsickness. I’m feeling airsick.”

n“…!”

n“Uh… Ugh. What’s wrong with me? Am I allergic?”

n“There’s no such thing as an airship allergy, stupid. Oh, no. Don’t vomit. Resist it. If you vomit, I’ll kill you… Ahh.”

n*****

n… They arrived at the Training Island at night, prohibiting Epherene and Sylvia from looking around since it was already dark outside.

n“Debutante Sylvia and Epherene. You two are in room 503. Your exam starts in 48 hours. Please feel free to rest until then. Before that, however, you must first give this document your seal and put it in the Goro’s Mouth outside the door.”

nImmediately heading to their assigned room according to the staff’s instructions, Epherene grew surprised by how spacious their accommodation was.

nShe thought it would be like a college dormitory, but it was much larger.

n“… This is better than my house.”

nIn it were two beds, desks, and refrigerators. There were also two bathrooms and one couch.

nEverything was symmetrical.

nEpherene walked over blankly to the window and looked outside.

n“Woah… There’s a cliff right in front of us. I can even see the clouds.”

nGrrr—!

nA sudden roar echoed due to Sylvia’s magic, which built a wall in the middle of their large room, dividing it into two spaces.

n“… Gosh.”

nEpherene thought it was ridiculous, but she soon understood.

nSince she recently just got dumped, Sylvia would need some alone time.

n“Alright.”

nFocusing on unpacking her items, she stored her Roahawk in the refrigerator and her emergency food, which included chocolate bars, in the inner pocket of her robe.

nAfterward, she looked at the documents handed to her by the testing staff.

n───Solda Promotion Test Confirmation───

n◆ Examination Director: Rose Rio, Gindalf, Adrienne.

n◆ Supervisors: Ropal, Mimic, Relin, Deculein, Ihelm, Crancia, and 13 others.

n◆ Security Officer: Deculein.

n◆ Videos and reports recorded while taking the test can be purchased by various magic towers, the Isle of Wizard’s Wealth, and families on the continent. This will be used as a scouting resource.

n◆ The Isle of Wizard’s Wealth cannot be held responsible for any injuries sustained during the exam.

n◆ Your fingerprint:

n───────────────────

n“… They take no responsibility whatsoever.”

nThat frightened her a little.

nKnock, knock—

nStartled, Epherene cautiously asked, “Who is it…?”

n—It’s me, Carixel. I have something to give you.

n“Oh~”

nOpening the door, she found the adventurer smiling softly.

n“Epherene… your room is a bit unusual. Mine’s different.”

n“Sylvia did this.”

n“Ohh. So these are the three primary colors? She has a truly creative talent.”

nIn admiration, he looked around the dorm that Sylvia perfectly divided in half and even installed two doors in.

n“What brings you here?”

n“Ah. I’m here to give you these.”

nHe handed over cylindrical containers. When she tilted her head in confusion, he explained.

n“These are called cup noodles, a pretty popular food in the South. Just dissolve its powder by pouring boiling water over it. Please give one to Sylvia too.”

n“Oh, I see~ Thank you. I was just starting to get hungry.”

n“Haha. Well then, see you tomorrow!”

nWhen he left, she stared blankly at the two cup noodles before knocking on Sylvia’s door.

nSlam—

nIt opened.

n“Hey. This is a gift. Take it.”

n“…”

nSylvia passed by her without even looking at what she had in her hands.

n“Where are you going?”

n“Goro’s Mouth.”

n“Oh, right.”

nEpherene also came out with the documents.

nGoro’s Mouth was in the dormitory hallway. It was as black as could be and had huge lips.

nSylvia put her set of papers into it first, followed by Epherene.

nChomp— Chomp—

n“This is funny. It’s chewing them.”

nGoro’s Mouth spat out two crystals after devouring their documents, one for each of them.

n“What’s this?”

n“A personal crystal ball. You can communicate through it, and in a critical situation, it sends a signal to the chief security officer. It has several other functions, so please be careful not to lose it.” The wizard standing next to Goro’s Mouth explained.

n“Oh~ okay. Thank you.”

n“…”

nEpherene put it in her pocket while Sylvia stared at the crystal for a while first. Maybe it was because the chief security officer was “that professor.”

nMelancholically laughing, she noticed someone familiar on the other side of the hallway.

n“…?”

nShe initially thought it was Assistant Professor Allen but realized otherwise after closer inspection.

n“She resembles him.”

nThe woman looked like Allen, but she had a voluptuous chest, unlike the assistant professor. Even with a robe on, they swayed quite noticeably.

nThat was an inconvenience Epherene was familiar with.

nHer attire always being a bit larger than her actual size wasn’t a coincidence. Not only did she do it to avoid others’ gazes, but wearing fit clothes also brought her discomfort since they were too tight on her chest.

n“Oh. Do you know about this food called cup noodles…?” She asked, but Sylvia had already disappeared.

n“… It’s really hard to get closer to her. She’s like a stray cat.”

nTaking a deep breath, Epherene went back to her room.

n*****

nYukline County, early morning.

n—Keep in mind that today’s an important meeting.

n“I will.”

nLilia Primienne, the Deputy Director of Public Safety Bureau, answered the director’s crystal ball lazily.

n—Don’t say anything that might offend the Professor. Be careful with your words.

n“Alright.”

n—Professor Deculein is the most influential person on the continent these days. He is by far nothing like the ordinary noblemen you deal with.

n“I know. I’ll hang up.”

n—No, Deputy Director! If you say something wrong, not only you but the entire Public Safety Bureau─

nClick—

nShe hung up.

nAs the director said, today’s meeting could prove to be quite difficult.

nThe topic to be discussed was the Demon Blood Repression, and the location was the Rohalak Concentration Camp. Essentially, it was a meeting called by Deculein in the guise of a camp audit.

n“Hmm.”

nShe thoroughly hid her Demon Blood identity, but even so, she still couldn’t help but feel nervous every time she met him.

n“Are we almost there?”

n“Yes. That’s our destination.”

nAt the driver’s words, Primienne looked out of the window.

nRohalak Concentration Camp

nIn the middle of this desolate wasteland, they found an infrastructure still under construction. Staring at it, Primienne twisted her lips cynically.

n“We’re here.”

n“Okay.”

nAs soon as she got out of the car, she looked around, searching for Deculein.

n“He’s over there.”

nAt that moment, Julie, the white knight, approached and pointed her to a tall watchtower, on the top of which was Deculein overlooking the camp. Even in this barren and sweltering space, he was still dressed in a suit.

n… Regardless, he killed seven people in one night.

nPrimienne felt anger boiling within her, but she still approached him calmly.

n“Professor.”

nHe lowered his gaze obliquely and nodded as soon as his eyes dawned upon her.

n“You came.”

n“Yes. We have one more guest. It seems you didn’t invite him.”

nPrimienne gestured behind her, where a wizard that had just disembarked from a vehicle approached them from.

n“Ah, Professor!”

nThe stocky and muscular man smiled brightly as he looked at Deculein.

n“It’s me, Betan!”

nDespite being one of the people that had a dispute against him during the Bercht conference, he gave him the brightest smile today.

n“Betan?”

n“Yes. We had a huge misunderstanding last time. I didn’t even realize your intentions!”

nBetan looked around the Rohalak Concentration Camp with a satisfied expression.

n“So I came here to apologize in person. Anyway, this is a really nice place. It’s amazing.”

nWhat the hell was he saying?

nGlaring at them, she couldn’t help but exude hostility.

n“… Right. It is a nice place.” Deculein answered softly and came down from the watchtower. He then addressed her.

n“Deputy Director Primienne. I heard the Public Safety Bureau conducts camp audits, so what do you think? I didn’t waste the center’s support, did I?”

n“…”

nPrimienne alternated between Deculein, Betan, and the camp.

n“You don’t have to worry about my opinion for a mere concentration camp. Feel free to do what must be done.” She said, feeling a piercing pain envelop her heart. Her lips became dry as she thought of her clan dying in this place.

n“Of course! No amount of gratitude or praise is enough for your wonderful idea! Professor, if you need Beorad’s manpower, please let me know. I, Betan, along with my family, will always be by the Yuklines’ side.”

n“… Really?” Deculein laughed, remembering how he behaved in Bercht.

n“Well, if there’s nothing to be said here, then there’s no need to stay here any longer. Let’s go to one of Hadekain’s restaurants.”

n“Alright!”

n“… Sure.”

nUnlike the energetic Betan, Primienne was reluctant.

n*****

nDeculein led them to Light and Salt, the most famous restaurant in Hadekain despite the many ‘three-star’ restaurants in it.

n“I’m the one who should be treating you, Professor. If you visit Beorad, I will repay you with dignity.”

n“….”

nPrimienne looked at the two family Heads alternately.

nBoth of them were hell.

n“Thank you for blessing us with your presence, my lord.”

nThe restaurant manager handed Deculein a menu.

n“I’ll let you decide. You’re my guests.”

nHe gladly yielded to his company.

nPrimienne was thinking of steak, but Betan chuckled as if he noticed something she missed entirely.

n“Hahaha. I see. Alright. As expected from you, professor. Primienne?”

n“Go ahead.”

n“Please serve us three Rotaily soups as our appetizer.”

n“…”

nPrimienne’s fingertips trembled slightly.

nRotaily was a mushroom famous for purifying demonic energy.

nAs a rare top-quality ingredient, it wasn’t only used in recipes but also as an antidote. She wouldn’t die if she ate it, but it would reveal her true identity due to external reactions.

nAfter all, the blood of their kind responded to Rotaily’s purification effect.

n“… What do you think, Deputy Director Primienne?” Betan asked slyly.

nShe nodded, her face remaining expressionless.

n“Mushrooms, unfortunately, are one of my strongest dislikes, but… since it’s Rotaily, a high-quality fungus, I should be able to eat it. It also benefits one’s health, right?”

nHer voice was calm, but her heart was pounding.

n“Right. It’s very good.”

nBetan smiled, and Deculein remained silent.

n“….”

nWas coming to this restaurant a test?

nUnwittingly pushing herself to the edge of a cliff, she remained still. She shouldn’t display any physical changes.

n“Rotaily Soup with Vasily.”

n“Thank you.”

nA waiter served them their appetizers not long after.

nShe hoped he wouldn’t return.

nBetan picked up his spoon as soon as one of the bowls was placed in front of him. Deculein did the same while Primienne drank a glass of water first.

nObserving her, the Professor asked, “Do you dislike mushrooms that much?”

n“Yes. It’s due to the trauma I got from eating a poisonous mushroom in the countryside as a kid. I came from an impoverished village, after all.”

nBetan intervened.

n“It’s still Rotaily, Deputy Director. Given the same weight, it’s more expensive than gold. Not only is it good for your health, but it tastes great as well. It might even cure your trauma.”

n“I see.” Nodding, she picked up her spoon, submerged it into her soup, and scooped it up slowly, resulting in thick fluids smeared all over it.

nAt that moment, Primienne felt time stretch infinitely.

nDrip.

nDrip.

nDrip.

nThick, yellowish liquid droplets fell back onto the bowl.

nShe could hear the aristocrats’ noble laughter filling the restaurant.

nMore than that, she could hear her heart beating as she desperately maintained a straight face.

n… As soon as an employee walked near their table, Primienne dragged her down with Psychokinesis.

n“Ahhhhh!”

nFalling, the staff grabbed the tablecloth of their table.

nClang—!

nPrimienne’s soup bowl fell to the floor, smashed to pieces.

nFor a moment, the restaurant’s attention focused on them. Nevertheless, she swallowed a sigh of relief.

n“Hey! What are you doing?!”

n“Sorry, sorry! I’m sorry!”

nShe bowed at them multiple times, begging for forgiveness.

nDeculein put his spoon down and looked at Primienne. Catching his gaze, Betan grinned and nodded.

n“Enough. Just bring back another soup!”

n“Yes, yes. I apologize. I’ll pay for this—”

n“No.”

nThe professor raised his hand and stopped her.

nBetan, misunderstanding his intention, added, “Right. Forget the reimbursement, so just bring another soup—”

n“It’s okay.”

n“… What?”

n“Don’t do anything useless.”

nDeculein glared at him.

nIf he were being honest, Betan’s meddlesome behavior bothered him.

n“Deputy Director Primienne is my guest.”

n“Ah… Of course.”

nBetan still seemed suspicious, but he didn’t say any more. Primienne calmly stroked her chest.

nThe restaurant’s noble customers shifted their focus to dining again.

nClassical music that calmed everyone’s mind played in the background as they continued their meals in the establishment’s elegant atmosphere.

nAfter the appetizer, the main dish was served. Primienne sliced the garlic steak, and Deculein and Betan had a luxurious Paraniman stewed fish.

n“Oh, by any chance, are you going to the Training Island soon?”

n“Yes.”

n“As expected. Let’s go together. I plan to stay there for a while to not miss the opportunity to see wizards grow…”

nThe Beorad Head wagged his tail at the Yukline Head nonstop. His body was firm, but his height was like that of a dwarf. Hence, when he conversed with the tall and chiseled professor, he looked like a short Doberman acting cute to a human.

n“…”

nPrimienne chewed on the meat before her as she grew suspicious of Deculein.

nHe was called a magic interpretation genius.

nWas it even possible for him not to notice her Psychokinesis?

n… Lost in thought for quite some time, she grew uncertain if she was eating with her nose or mouth.

nRegardless, somehow finishing the steak, Primienne asked cautiously, “That was an excellent meal. Can I leave my seat for a moment?”

n“Feel free.”

nWhen Deculein permitted her, Primienne got up, walked blankly to the bathroom, grabbed the sink, and looked in the mirror.

n“… I feel sick.” She mumbled. Grasping the condition of her body, she walked over to the toilet and lifted its cover.

nImmediately after that…

n“───!”

nShe vomited everything she ate, none of them appearing digested, then came back out.

n“Deputy Director.”

n… Deculein was right in front of the bathroom.

nShe felt nauseous again.

nIndifferently, he asked, “Did you vomit?”

n“Yes. I think the dinner upset my stomach. Have you finished your meal?”

n“Betan and I are done, but Julie’s still eating.”

n“… Right. I’ll have to go first, then.”

nPrimienne tried to pass by him, but his next words stopped her.

n“Today’s the first time I heard you hated mushrooms.”

n“Well, we haven’t had meals together that many times yet.”

n“Hmm.”

nDeculein’s subtle reaction bothered her. She coughed as she turned to him.

nHis stare felt as if it was piercing through her skin.

n“Do you recall, Primienne?”

n“What?”

n“We met in Bercht before and ate at one of the restaurants there.”

nShe nodded, recalling that day.

nWhat confused her was why he brought it up out of the blue.

n“The menu then was steak with mushrooms.”

n“…”

nPrimienne very being stiffened.

nHe stared at her, silence permeating around his cold and emotionless blue eyes. She felt as if a ghost was looking at her.

nFacing a demon, she thought about both life and death.

nHer head ached, almost as if her brain was being crushed into pieces, and her heart raced uncontrollably.

n… Deculein’s lips twisted into a smile.

nShrugging, he corrected himself.

n“I’m kidding. How could I remember… something I ate so long ago?”

nHis gloved hand tapped her shoulder a couple of times, seemingly to congratulate her.

n“You worked hard today. I apologize for Betan’s rudeness.”

n“… Don’t worry about it. Be careful on your way home.”

nJulie, who had finished her meal just in time, came out in a hurry and left the restaurant with Deculein.

n“…”

nPrimienne stood still for a moment, then walked a few steps down the hallway.

nHowever, she soon went back into the bathroom slowly, pretending nothing had happened.

nAfter lifting the toilet cover again…

n“───!”

nOnce.

n“───!”

nTwice.

n“───!”

nThrice.

nFour times.

nFive times.

nShe recalled her life as many times as she vomited until her stomach juices ran out.

n“… Hmm.”

nShe headed for the sink again afterward.

n“I’m fine now.”

nWith her trembling fingers, she looked in the mirror and straightened her messy necktie, then changed her pale complexion to a healthy one.

n“What did I eat then?”

nPrimienne couldn’t remember it, but there had to be someone who remembered the menu that day.

nNo, it didn’t matter anymore.

n“… My face is hot.”

nWashing her face with cold water, she soon decided to leave the water running and just slide her face underneath the faucet.

n