──「Toughness」──
◆ Rating : Rare
◆ Description : Become mentally and physically stronger.
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The description of the characteristics was simple, so there was nothing special to think about. The feeling was faint but clear. The world was growing clearer, or at least that was how I felt.
“Are you going in alone?”
Primienne asked. I nodded silently.
“Wouldn’t it be best to wait for support…?”
“I don’t need it.”
The vineyard transformed into a magical space instantly, and the mana concentration increased by at least 1%. Considering that the concentration of the most magical mountain was around 0.1%, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the inside was completely different from reality.
“Saying that you don’t need it, I’m disappointed, brother~.”
The sound of high heels not suited to the field and old-fashioned laughter. Josephine approached, tucking her hair behind her ears.
“Soon, Zeit will also arrive, so please wait.”
I shook my head without even sparing her a glance.
“Even Count Freyden can’t do anything.”
“…Gosh. If the head of the family hears that, I’m sure he will be very happy~.”
Of course, Zeit was a perfect knight. But when it comes to magic and the mental power that this space would test, he wouldn’t prove superior to me.
“This space won’t break even if you try. If you don’t know magic, it’s just a hindrance.”
“The only person who can say that Zeit is a hindrance is probably you~.”
“I alone am more than enough. No, it’s better to be alone. This is the order Her Majesty has given me.”
“Well… just don’t die, huh?”
I moved forward alone.
The vineyard had already become a thick forest, its massive trees devouring the sky. Its bleak landscape was enough to arouse fear, but I didn’t care. One step. Then two. I just went slowly.
“…”
The branches created dark shade, and the wind of mana licked at my clothes. The unique feeling of the magical space reached my mind, and fog rose everywhere I walked. Soon, the gloomy fog projected a certain memory like an image on a silver screen.
I watched as I passed through the vineyard.
—…Knight Julie.
It was in the Underground Passage, where Deculein of the past tried to be recognized by Decalane. He was on a mission to retrieve the Magic Core on orders by Decalane. While he advanced with Julie as an escort, Deculein was attacked by someone.
-Yes. It’s fine.
Julie was running through the dark. She was mortally wounded, but she carried Deculein on her back.
─Don’t worry. The exit is near.
She sprinted while spitting up blood, trying with desperation to make it out. Nevertheless.
—…It’s because of you
Deculein blamed her. To that, Julie answered.
-Yes. I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.
—…
At that moment, Deculein fainted, and time was rolled a little forward. Now I saw a cold and lonely hospital bed. Deculein was lying on a bed, and Decalane was looking down at him. It was a memory I’d never seen.
—Tsk. Such a fool.
At his father’s scolding, Deculein closed his eyes.
—I didn’t even believe in you in the first place, but… I see Freyden is a troublemaker.
—…Freyden.
Decalane stared at Deculein, who muttered quietly.
—Right. It was Freyden who attacked you in the Underground Passage. I should have told you from the beginning that Freyden would interfere.
—…
—Did you think it would be okay to use Freyden’s blood? Hmph. How would the man of a great family be fond of a child born by killing his wife? Take this.
Decalane threw something at him.
—This is the bracelet that Iggyris gave to his daughter. It seems that she took it gladly, but with that, they tracked down your location and attacked you.
It was the bracelet worn by Julie, still recognizable though it had been rusted over by magic. Deculein stared at it.
—That mad dog of Freyden is the problem. Aside from the fact that he jumped in to abandon his daughter, he’s psychologically pressured right now. It wouldn’t be strange if he pushed everything to the Imperial Palace right now.
—…Father.
Deculein asked one thing to Decalane as he spoke to himself. He asked what the father had never told his son.
—Are you glad I didn’t die?
Then, there was a moment of silence in the hospital room. Decalane looked down on Deculein, and Deculein looked up at him. In the end… there was a sigh of disappointment.
—You idiot. You are the first Yukline to fall in Marik.
Decalane shook his head and left.
—…
Just then, Deculein resolved himself. He was determined, wearing a subtle smile. He didn’t care about the death of his family or killing them. That was how Decalane was, and Yukline too…
…Then the memory disappeared, and I still walked on the vineyard’s path.
“Is it a World Line?”
I was walking the world line of the character Deculein. Memories in the mist tangled ahead of me, and time went on like a movie. All of that was Deculein’s path…
—Your husband, Glitheon!
The second memory appeared through the vines.
─The daughter you love so much too! I will kill them all!
Deculein strangled Sylvia’s mother, Sierra.
Drip- Drip-
The moment when all that passion pounded his heart just like the rainwater pouring down from the sky, and Sierra’s breath stopped-
—…So. Are you feeling a little better now?
Another shadow approached from behind.
—Deculein.
Glitheon. His expression hardened as he looked at the dead Sierra. For a very brief moment, the light of sorrow passed through them. However, the wizard’s emotions quickly faded away.
—She wouldn’t have lived for less than half a year even without you.
—…
—This establishes it, Deculein.
Glitheon reached out his hand to Deculein. Deculein didn’t shake his hand but pushed back his rain-soaked hair and smoothed his clothes.
—…Glitheon. A wizard’s contract is made in blood. You would know it.
—I know. I’ll help kill Decalane. In addition, I’ll keep the secret through oath…
“…Was it a drug?”
I was still walking through the vineyard. Memories of Deculein that I didn’t know, memories from his childhood days, permeated me at will. I categorized these memories by mental power and organized barriers, separating them into that of Deculein and that of Kim Woojin. Then stored them thoroughly so as not to confuse them.
…At that moment.
-Knock, knock. Professor. Are you there?
The tone resonating in the vineyard was somewhat bored and lacked the will to live. A flash of red hair caught my eye.
“Sophien.”
The young Emperor, Sophien, was lying on the lawn and calling for the Professor.
-Professor?
The one who answered her…
-Yes. I’m here.
It was me. To be precise, my voice flowed from the mirror Sophien was lying next to.
—…Okay. I’m holding on for a strangely long time these days.
The young Sophien murmured. These were memories I didn’t know, neither Deculein’s nor mine. An unknown world line.
—Professor. How many times have I died in the meantime?
—This is the 149th.
—Well… today is December 31st, so tomorrow is January 1st?
—Yes. I think everything will be better if you hold out until tomorrow.
—Hmph. What?
I listened quietly to their conversation. My footsteps leading me to the vineyard had already stopped.
—Your Highness.
Suddenly, my voice sank low. I couldn’t hear the sound of a heart beating below it. My heart had stopped.
—What?
Sophien asked with an innocent expression.
—I will be watching Your Highness anytime, anywhere.
—…Suddenly?
—It’s not all of a sudden.
—…
—Even if I’m out of sight for a while… I will always be here for Your Highness’s process.
In those conversations and scenes, I remembered belatedly.
—Professor. Why are you saying you’re not leaving like you’re leaving now?
The independent quest that ended abruptly, The Demon’s Mirror, and the attribute that became my origin, Mirror.
—…Your Highness. May I ask you for one promise? Just as I kept Your Highness’s promise.
Hearing what I didn’t know, I thought.
—From now on… no matter what happens, do not take your own life.
Which episode was this world?
“Hey~, here—!”
At that moment, a loud voice pushed away all the fog, revealing the other side of the world line. A man was sitting by a hut and waving.
“…”
I was speechless for a moment. I knew at a glance who was smiling at me, and he recognized me just as quickly.
“Deculein!”
Rohakan. Approaching him as he hit his feet against the hut floor, I asked in a slightly bewildered voice.
“…Rohakan. You’ve become a boy.”
He was a boy much younger than the man I had met before, holding only the faintest traces of the old Rohakan. He smirked.
“Yes.”
“…”
Although it was quite disconcerting that the situation was more serious than expected, the reason Rohakan was so young was simple.
“I don’t have much time, so please sit down. Let’s talk. Haha.”
His death was not far away.
* * *
Julie hurriedly arrived at the vineyard but was not allowed to enter. Primienne and Josephine blocked her. She stared at the two alternately with a bewildered expression.
“You mean Professor Deculein went in alone?”
“Yeah.”
“Yes.”
“Ugh!”
Julie attempted to push past, but Josephine and Primienne blocked her with the knights’ help.
“Why are you holding me?! Rohakan is inside-“
“It’s the Emperor’s order.”
Primienne replied. Julie was cut silent.
“The slaying of Rohakan is a task that Her Majesty has entrusted only to Professor Deculein. There is no room for third parties to intervene.”
“…”
Emperor’s orders. If the Emperor didn’t rescind it, there was nothing she could do as a knight. Julie looked to the vineyard.
“…Does that girl, Yeriel, know this?”
“Yes, I have already delivered the news.”
“What did she say?”
“She said she trusts the Professor. So, even you should trust the Professor.”
“I don’t trust Deculein, and I have no intention of doing so.”
Boom-!
The ground shook. Everyone looked over to the noise, and Josephine smiled.
“…My lord, are you here?”
“Yes. Haaaaahm-“
Zeit approached, yawning as if he had just woken up.
“I heard Rohakan is inside there?”
“Yes~, but Professor Deculein went first. So please wait outside~.”
“…Really? Then, well.”
Zeit sat down, leaning against the roots of a nearby tree, without saying a word. Julie’s eyes went wide.
“Lord Zeit. You could go inside, right?”
“They said Deculein is inside.”
“Still, his opponent is Rohakan.”
“Yeah. I know that.”
Zeit waved his hand.
“It is not polite to interrupt a one on one duel. Of course, why should we show courtesy to a Black Beast like Rohakan, but… Julie.”
“Yes.”
“If something happens to Professor Deculein, isn’t it good for you?”
“…No.”
Julie firmly shook her head. Zeit asked with a grin.
“Why?”
“Because it’s a problem I’m going to solve myself…?”
She trailed off, noticing a small airship a ways off.
Whoong- Whoong-
It was manned by Sylvia wearing a helmet.
“Ahem. Ahem. Um, give me a minute.”
After clearing her throat awkwardly a few times, Julie slowly moved towards it.
* * *
Chomp-Chomp- Chomp-Chomp-
Rohakan was eating grapes as he spoke.
“There are fanatics in this world… cultists trying to resurrect god. But those guys don’t know that what they are trying to resurrect is actually another fanatic.”
I nodded. In the second half of the main quest, the god resurrected by the Altar was just another fanatic who followed their god. Of course, it was still a fact that he was a final boss equivalent to a god.
“Anyway. I wanted to live until I could stop it, but I think the Altar bastards were waiting for my death.”
Rohakan handed me a bunch of grapes. I ate one. As if amazed by my eating, he paused before he continued.
“Deculein. You must have seen a lot on your way here.”
“Yes.”
“You must have read the letter I wrote.”
“…”
I nodded.
“As you saw, you have already died once. You died for Sophien. That death was luckily overcome because things went as expected, but… it won’t happen twice.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. However, if things go on like this, you will surely die by Sophien’s hand. Of course, you’ll say it’s okay, right?”
“Yes. I am not afraid of the death that has not yet come. However… Rohakan. I have a question for you.”
Rohakan turned to me and smiled. It seemed that he already knew what I would ask.
“Ask.”
“Did you kill the Empress?”
“…”
The answer took some time, and the silence was long. Rohakan, who seemed to be contemplating, put another grape in his mouth.
“Who killed her if not me?”
Besides Rohakan, there was one person.
“…”
But I didn’t say. Rohakan looked at me like that and smiled.
“Anyway, Deculein. I’m becoming mana now. Getting closer to the sky and nature.”
“Yes. I feel it too.”
More than half of Rohakan’s body was already mana. Its volume was too large and too pure for a human.
“Deculein.”
“Yes.”
“First, kill me today.”
He spoke like he was asking some kind of big errand. After I paused, Rohakan chuckled and continued.
“This is my gift to you. Take my head and give it to Sophien. Even if this face is a little younger, it’s still Rohakan’s.”
I didn’t come here to kill Rohakan. However, Rohakan had already become one with mana. The remainder of his life would last a week at most.
“I don’t know if she’ll like it or not, but… it will help you.”
「Main Quest: Life」
「Main Quest: Rohakan’s Words」
Two key quests floated in front of me. The former’s reward was a rare attribute catalog, and the latter was a catalog enhancement coupon and store currency. In addition to increasing the quality of mana, I could receive a unique characteristic.
It would help.
“You can do it, right?”
Rohakan asked. I didn’t hesitate.
“Yes. I will kill you.”
“Good-“
“But. Before that.”
What I wanted now was not a simple system reward.
“I have a wish.”
Strangely enough, since I came into this world, I have always been in a position to teach someone. From the old days, when I knew nothing, to the present day when I searched for things I didn’t know. So, maybe that was what I was looking for the most right now.
“…At least for the remaining time.”
From this superhuman who achieved the status of an archmage and more…
“Please be a good teacher.”
These would be the lessons of the one who I could truly recognize as a teacher.
