“Kugh!”
Epherene flinched and opened her eyes. She hurriedly looked around.
“…”
The scenery of the 77th floor of the tower greeted her. It was the office of Head Professor Deculein, neat and calm without a single speck of dust as always.
“What the-“
She was in the Imperial Palace. With Deculein, Adrienne, and Ihelm, in a white room.
“…Hmm.”
Though not unfamiliar, it was a strange development. Epherene put her hands to her cheeks and muttered blankly.
“Was it a dream?”
“…”
Then someone’s eyes focused on her. Of course, it was Deculein. He was looking at her as if she was pathetic.
“Wipe away your drool.”
“…Eh?”
“You’re not even a dog.”
“Crab? That seafood that walks sideways? They’re really good.” [TL: In Korean, dog and crab have the same sound: Gae(dog) and gye(crab).]
“…Should I just kill her?”
Deculein’s reaction now, her bewilderment. And…
‘No way, did I just regress again?’
Epherene looked at the calendar, but the date was still correct. Yesterday was yesterday, and today was today.
“I guess it was a dream then…”
Epherene looked back at Deculein.
“Professor. I dreamed of going to that event.”
“Dream?”
“Yes. I went to the event, but it was a white space. The whole space was white. Adrienne, Ihelmet, and you and me. There, you mentioned a death variable? Have you developed any new theories?”
Epherene, yawning loudly, suddenly took out the pocket watch. The second and minute hands were flashing blue.
“…”
Deculein looked at her like that and stood up. He put on his suit jacket and held his staff in one hand.
“Are you going somewhere?”
Without answering, he immediately left the office.
Slam-!
Epherene narrowed her eyes.
“What the, what’s wrong with him? Just because I fell asleep? It’s not even the first time… haaahm-“
But again, she felt tired. It seemed that there was only a little bit of mana in her body.
“Oh, right. I have a class too.”
Suddenly, today’s lecture schedule came to mind: she had a tax law lecture. Since she was making some money, this was a class she chose.
“I have to go to sleep. I mean, I have to go to class.”
Epherene got up, shoving the textbooks and her pens into her backpack.
***
“…It’s Future Vision.”
As soon as I left the office, I went to Rohakan’s vineyard. I asked him to diagnose Epherene today.
“Is it the same power as yours?”
“I guess so. I didn’t mean to make her a disciple for no reason.”
“…I see.”
Indeed, Epherene was a future Archmage, so a mystery like this was natural. Rohakan asked.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to find out more about the event. Since Epherene gave me a hint.”
Death variables spread throughout the event. And we were with Ihelmet; I mean Ihelm and Adrienne.
“Just knowing that fact in advance is a huge hint.
“…But I’m worried about Sophien. What she’s going to think and what she’s going to do. Once she goes bananas, we can’t predict what she’ll do after that.”
I nodded and kept taking notes on magic paper.
“By the way, what is that?”
Rohakan squinted.
“This is the final exam for my advanced lecture. It has been postponed for a while due to a lot of things happening, but I will still need a final exam that synthesizes the theory presented and divides pass/fail.”
“Can I see it too?”
“Yes.”
I handed ten magic papers to Rohakan. It was a total of 1000 pages.
“Oh. That’s a lot.”
Rohakan read the magic circle while turning the pages.
“By the way, Deculein.”
“Yes.”
“Sometimes, Julie wanders around this vineyard.”
“…”
That was quite unexpected.
“You mean knight Julie?”
“Right, I guess she thinks there might be evidence or clues about you in this vineyard.”
“…I see.”
Julie. The woman that Deculein loved. However, I don’t know now whether that subject of love was really Deculein or whether it had also been transferred to Kim Woojin. That distinction was ambiguous.
“Do you love her that much?”
“Yes.”
I answered without the slightest hesitation.
“I don’t even know how deep it is.”
“Even if she breaks you?”
Rohakan’s eyes turned up to regard me.
“…”
A sweet smell tickled the tip of my nose.
“…She can’t break me, Julie.”
I smiled slightly and nodded.
“For Julie to live, she has to hate me. But Julie is such a good woman that she will stop hating me if she breaks me.”
“…”
Rohakan turned his gaze back to the magic theory.
“I will not fall, and Julie will live.”
“Is it because of that curse?”
“Yes. If her heart grows too hot, the curse will melt and flow. If her heart freezes, she’ll be fine.”
“Are you succumbing to fate?”
“I’ll surely find the answer. Until then, I will let Julie hate me.”
“And after that.”
Still reading the theory, Rohakan asked.
“What are you going to do after that? After you find the answer.”
I thought quietly. However, the end of this relationship may have been decided already. It wasn’t like fate or destiny, though.
“…We broke up.”
In any scenario, Deculein and Julie wouldn’t end up together. Probably, even Deculein’s personality instinctively thought that way. I love Julie, but I have never consciously imagined that I would end up with her.
“Why?”
“If I had to give it a reason… I heard that I don’t have much time left. I, too, feel the end approaching to some extent.”
In the not-too-distant future, Epherene returned after seeing my death. I’ve already died thousands of times, but that was probably the only true death.
“Now, I hope Julie will stop loving me as much as I love her.”
A strange love that mixed Deculein’s maniacal obsession with Kim Woojin’s tender heart. No, a complete love.
“So that she won’t suffer when I leave.”
“…Gosh. Are you Deculein?”
Rohakan frowned. I turned to him.
“If it were the Deculein I knew, he would have said that he would overcome all of it.”
“…I don’t know. In this vineyard, I become more like myself.”
Fog flowed over the vineyard. Built by Rohakan, this was the space of the world line, not the afterlife. This strange energy gently disarmed my mental powers. That was why it seemed that now I resembled Kim Woojin more than Deculein.
“I might change my mind when I leave.”
“…Is that so?”
Rohakan handed the magic theory back to me.
“Anyway. Even if you submit it the way it is now, the Floating Island addicts will love it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
I put the magic paper away while Rohakan grabbed a few grapes.
“Please, take care of Sophie. Whatever the Emperor’s event is, don’t avoid it. You won’t forget what we promised, right?”
“…I am Deculein.”
I stood up slowly.
“I don’t avoid anything. But I just have to have a way to win first.”
At those words, Rohakan smiled.
***
…Beyond the Imperial University, in the Pig’s Flower, widely known as the best restaurant in the Empire these days.
Epherene was eating Roahawk.
“Chomp- Chomp-“
She was with a new friend from the liberal arts class, Soliet and Julia. By the way, Julia, the daughter of the restaurant owner, now wore accessories all over her body. From her robe to earrings, necklace, staff, shoes, bracelet… Pig’s Flower was sweeping up money these days, and they were spending profusely.
Just when Epherene took another bite out of envy, Soliet ventured a taste.
“What do you think? Do you like it?”
Epherene asked quickly. Soliet nodded.
“It’s not bad.”
“Not bad? This?”
“…”
Soliet- Emperor Sophien was taking a tax law class with Epherene. Of course, she didn’t intend to take the same class, but anyway, this accidental encounter was interesting, so she approached her unintentionally. However, as soon as she said something, this brat insisted on having a meal together.
“…Yes. It’s good.”
“Right? It’s delicious, of course… huh?!”
At that moment, Epherene pointed somewhere with wide eyes.
“What’s wrong, Ifi?”
“What now?”
Julia and Soliet turned around.
“Knight Julie!”
A knight with white hair, Julie. She and her fellow Reylie were snooping their heads in the entrance to the Pig’s Flower.
“Oh… Epherene.”
Julie was surprised to find them, but Epherene beckoned quickly.
“Come this way!”
“No. It’s fine-“
“There’s no empty table anyway! Hurry up!”
Saying that, she jumped up and dragged Julie and Reylie inside and sat them down.
“Eat. Roahawk, this. People who don’t eat it are missing out. How did you find this place?”
“Reylie said that it was a famous restaurant in the Empire… so I got a little curious too.”
“Oh~. So, did you come up to the Empire to visit here?”
“It’s not that. But we’re staying here to wait for the event too.”
“The event… do you mean Her Majesty’s event?”
“Yes.”
Epherene took the meat and placed it on Julie and Reylie’s plates. However, Julie wore a guilty expression. It was hard for her to look at Epherene’s face now. Deculein was the villain, but she strangely felt guilty toward his disciple, Epherene.
“Please eat.”
“…Yes.”
However, now she had received a piece, she decided to take a bite. The meat melted in her mouth.
“…?!”
Julie’s eyes widened. It was the same with Reylie next to her. The two exchanged glances.
“It’s… awesome.”
“Amazing.”
“Right?!”
Epherene chuckled. Then, she asked Julia.
“Julia, can we have a few more servings?”
“Yeah. Of course. Dad~.”
Julia called her dad, and Julie took out her wallet and put it on the desk. The inside was pretty thick. At a quick scan, it held about 5,000 Elnes.
“It’s really good.”
“Yes, but it is a bit expensive. Just as much as it is good.”
When Epherene talked about the price as if it wasn’t a big deal, Julie expected…
“It’s okay. I’ll buy it.”
She said so in a confident tone. Epherene placed a hand to her mouth in surprise.
“Whaaaat~? It must be veeeery expensive~.”
“If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have been able to eat. We’d have to wait quite a while for a reservation-“
“About a month, right? Julia?”
This was the reason Epherene brought Soliet in the first place. First off, she seemed to have a lot of money, and Epherene would unconditionally eat a lot, so even if they went Dutch, she would be at an advantage.
“No~. One month was what it was a long time ago. It’s three months these days. The only one who can sit without waiting is Ifi~.”
She sounded like some kind of noble speaking like that.
“Oh. Is that so? If that’s the case, that’s more reason for me to pay.”
Saying so, Julie took another bite while Epherene wore a wicked smile.
Just. As. Planned.
“Then. Thank you~.”
…After 30 minutes
“How much did you say… now?”
As soon as Julie heard the price standing in front of the cash register, her face turned white. No, it was white from the beginning, but it grew a little whiter.
“Three thousand Elnes.”
Three thousand Elnes. More than half of the travel expenses she brought up to the Empire, and it was only one meal.
“…”
Julie swallowed hard and looked back. Epherene was still talking to Reylie, and Soliet was sleeping in the booth.
“Miss?”
The staff member spoke again.
“It’s 3,000 Elnes. It’s a discount price.”
“…Oh. Yes. The discount price…”
Julie straightened her back again.
Deculein was a villain, but there was nothing wrong with Epherene. Rather, to Epherene, she might be the villain who tried to destroy Deculein. So, buying at least this…
“Yes. Here, here, here, here, here.”
She handed the pile of cash over.
“Thank you.”
The employee took it all away and put it in the cashier, and Julie felt dizzy. Suddenly, she felt as if the world was shaking under her feet.
“Oh, have you already paid?”
Epherene approached right at that moment. As if she was waiting for her to pay, Julia and Soliet were by her side. Julie staggered.
“Yes… I said I would buy it…”
“Oh, I feel really bad… I’ll buy the dessert~.”
With a happy expression, Epherene led them outside.
***
…That day, Soliet, no, the Emperor fell asleep as soon as she returned to her bedroom. In short, she zonked out.
“That disciple of Deculein, she talks more than I thought. So annoying.”
The next day, Wednesday at noon. Ahan smiled a little at Sophien.
“How was your walk? That meat restaurant is really popular. Even nobles can’t easily visit.”
“It was indeed good.”
“If you wish, we can serve it as a meal someday.”
Knock, knock-
It was obvious who it was. It was obvious without even opening the door. The Teaching Wizard Deculein.
“Come in.”
-Yes.
Deculein entered. He took out a textbook and some magic paper from his briefcase first… and then suddenly furrowed his brow.
“…Your Majesty.”
“What?”
“Did you meet Epherene?”
“…”
Sophien’s sleepiness disappeared in an instant, but she asked calmly.
“Why do you think that?”
“I always get a faint smell of familiar meat from her. Your Majesty has never had this smell.”
“…Shit.”
The evidence was clear. It was because she was so sleepy and annoyed that she replaced her bath with magic. Sophien pounded her foot against the table.
“Yeah. We met. She made me have some meat. Of course, she didn’t know who I was, but anyway. Are you ready for the event? There’s a little less than a month left.”
“Yes. I think I know what the start of the event is going to be like.”
“…Do you know?”
“That’s right.”
Sophien seemed uncertain.
“First, Adrienne, Ihelm, Epherene, and I. Aren’t you planning to gather us four like this?”
“…”
Sophien looked back at Ahan. Ahan shook her head violently.
“How do you know–“
“Then, now.”
“No-“
“We’ll start with the magic class. Please refrain from asking questions not related to the class.”
Deculein interrupted everything the Emperor was saying. Sophien was dissatisfied, but she played along.
“Look at this circuit.”
“I know, there’s nothing to see. It’s a five-fold circuit with a lot of formulas.”
“That’s right. That’s impressive.”
“Hmph. That’s not impressive. Didn’t you give me something too easy?”
Deculein’s teaching was difficult. Even Sophien would get lost if she didn’t pay attention every second, so she was kind of nervous, but it was fun too.
“The formula with this five-fold circuit makes the magic circle stronger. Even if it’s the same level of magic, it depends on whether this theory is applied or not. It’s called the ‘Iron Man’ in the magic world. This is part of my advanced lecture.”
“Right. I got that, looking at the theory. Will it be suitable for runes as well?”
“I’m working on it. Or would you like to try it together?”
“Professor, if you bring out the blueprint, there’s nothing we can’t do.”
Sophien understood everything Deculein said, and Deculein understood everything Sophien meant.
“Then, let’s see the formula here…”
After that, the conversation between the two entered high-technical science, which was an alien language for most of the continent’s population, in which innumerable geometries and numbers were intertwined. It was so hard that even Ahan, who was recording the lessons, gave up halfway…
Anyway, at some point, while the class was going on like that-
“…By the way, Deculein.”
“Yes.”
“Aren’t you curious to know exactly what will happen at the event?”
“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.”
A death variable. For that fact alone, there was no reason not to be curious. Then, Sophien laughed.
“Julie, that woman said that she’ll accuse you.”
