Whooosh-
The orange sandstorm wound like a whip across the desert, scouring the land with a dry heat. The members of Time were walking across that barren land.
“Gosh, it’s so hot. I think I’m becoming a roasted Roahawk.”
It had been a while since Epherene went anywhere, and they all came together to find the materials for Julie’s healing.
“Do you think this is hot? Even though it is, the desert isn’t Annihilation. Many people are mistaken about that. Also, it isn’t land where only Demon Blood live.”
Idnik explained as she walked down the dunes.
“Of course, the Demon Blood is the majority here. However, non-Demon-Blood minorities also live here. As many as a million.”
“Whoa. A million?”
The Empire despised the desert, calling it the stronghold of the Demon Blood, but several ethnic minorities coexisted with them. The bloodlines of their tribes led their own lives away from the Empire here.
“Yes. Many tribes in this desert, even warriors who should be respected.”
Julie said. Epherene looked back at her.
“Have you made a decision?”
She fired out the words without waiting to breathe. Julie shook her head as if puzzled.
“…That’s what you said just a day ago. And even if I could live that way, if I lost all my memories-“
“You won’t lose all your memories. It’ll go back to before you started to be on bad terms with him.”
“…”
Plus, the healing method suggested by Epherene was the last resort for Julie to survive. Developing a time-transfer cylinder to turn only her time back in this world would be quite the feat. However, Julie’s reaction wasn’t satisfying.
“You won’t hate the Professor.”
“Still, I would be running away from my mistake.”
“What mistake?”
Julie took a breath, ready to list all her faults.
“So. Then. You won’t do it even if the Professor tells you to?”
“…”
Her mouth shut tight.
Epherene continued as she stepped across the desert sands.
“The Professor took on everything. To save you, he accepted your hatred and everything. Do you know the feeling of being hated by someone you love?”
Epherene knew Deculein’s sacrifice. No one would understand better than her, the suffering of being hated by the one you loved. The father she loved the most hated her, and now her teacher, Deculein, did too.
“The Professor will be fine. Even if you forget all your memories of him… no, he would rather hope for it.”
Julie clenched her jaw. Whenever she thought of Deculein, it made her heart pound for some reason.
“If he could see you being able to live and live well, he will surely smile.”
Epherene said, meeting Julie with a serious look in her eyes.
“He will smile brighter than ever.”
“…Wait for now. She’s not going to die right away, right?”
Idnik calmed them. She pointed across to the sandstorm.
—!@#$!@#$
—$#(!*@#)!
They could hear people shouting from it.
“This tribe is called Malia. They settled in an oasis, and they are amazing at finding water veins- shh!”
Suddenly, Idnik placed her finger to her lips. At the same time, she radiated a transparent barrier, enveloping Epherene and Julie.
“It’s the Emperor’s guard. They have already come this far.”
Emperor’s Guard, a group synonymous with fear and authority for all the commoners on the continent and beyond.
Gulp-
Epherene swallowed as a cry rang out from the village of the Malia tribe.
-Attention!
Epherene scanned the buildings with Deculein’s Telescope. In the middle of the village, several guards stood with menacing looks. Epherene examined their faces in detail through the telescope.
—You filthy things. Listen carefully.
A man who seemed to be the captain spoke. His long mustache was curly at the tips, and his hair… was that a rooster comb?
—Does anyone here speak the Imperial language?
He was smirking. It was a typical scammer’s face…
[General Bell]
[He was originally from the Imperial Knights but volunteered for the military unit after dropping out due to a personality defect]
“What the?”
Epherene was startled and moved the telescope from her eyes.
“…?”
She looked at General Bell through the telescope again.
-Hmph. No one?
Anyway, the villagers facing Bell looked terrified. They sent the children back into their houses first, and only the adults came out to deal with them. Bell laughed at them with contempt and beckoned to the knights behind him.
—If not…
-Wait!
A man rushed in.
—W-We are the Malia tribe!
It was someone who could speak the Imperial language! Epherene, who was watching, swallowed her breath and clenched her fists involuntarily.
—We have nothing to do with the Demon Blood-
Crash—!
Bell kicked. His foot struck the village man’s forehead, and the man was thrown back.
“!”
Epherene covered her mouth. Julie moved, but Idnik stopped her.
—Oh, my- I guess no one speaks the Imperial language. The wizard hasn’t arrived yet, so I don’t know who the Demon Blood are… so, I can’t help it. Take them all.
Just like that, the guards rushed in.
Boom-!
They shattered everything they touched, and those who resisted had their limbs broken. They threw the elderly who put their hands together, begging, down to the sand.
“How is that…”
Why were they the Imperial guard?
—…Take them all. This site looks good, so I’ll tell the Chairman later that I’ll take care of it. Hahaha.
Epherene stared at Bell, who snickered like a weasel.
“What do you think? Anyone can see that this doesn’t look right, right?”
Idnik asked.
“Sophien strangely loses her reason for Demon Blood and when it comes to minorities. That’s probably why she’s smashing the desert. However, the desert is my home.”
The village of the Malia tribe was crumbling as they watched. In just five minutes, their hometown was overturned.
“If they are going to invade my home, I will not stand by.”
“…Can’t we go and stop them now?”
“Of course, I want to kill them, but killing is what Sophien wants.”
“Yes?”
Epherene’s eyes widened as if she didn’t understand, and Idnik smiled bitterly.
“Sophien knows people well. Sophien, of course, knows that that guy is just a moron who has no skills and is full of lust for success. Even so, she hires people like that because if we kill them, that’s also an excuse to reject us.”
“…Really?”
Idnik turned to Epherene.
“Yes. Sophien is smart and cold-hearted. That is why just protecting them is my primary purpose. I intend to rescue them when they’re transported as prisoners.”
“Wow… you’re a wizard who protects people.”
Just as Deculein had said to her, however, Idnik chuckled, ruining the moment.
“No. I’m going to kill. The method will be an assassination. I will disguise myself as an errand runner and kill them.”
Epherene’s jaw fell.
“More importantly, Leaf. What materials are you looking for?”
“…Yeah? Oh, but you’re calling me Leaf again. Anyway.”
She quickly pulled a book out of her pocket. She opened it and found the medicine.
“This is Lunar Grass. It says that it blooms around the oasis. It’s a drug that reduces the body’s resistance. This will make the time transfer easier.”
Julie cleared her throat.
“Okay. Then Leaf, you get the ingredients. What about you, Julie?”
Epherene turned to look at Julie.
“Hmm…”
Julie thought about it for a while, as if embarrassed.
“Then, I will escort Epherene. It must be the Professor’s wish to protect her.”
Epherene smiled brightly, and Idnik nodded happily.
“Yep. Well then, Knight Julie. Leave them to Idnik… oh, right. Idnik. Take this telescope. It’ll help you rescue them.”
Epherene gave Idnik Deculein’s Telescope and tugged on Julie’s arm.
“Okay.”
“It’s not mine, so please return it later! Julie, come with me.”
“Yes.”
Epherene pulled Julie along.
“And. I’ve been thinking about it, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea to write something like a diary.”
Julie nodded as she followed.
* * *
…A member of the Imperial Guard and General of the Imperial Army, Bell Derish von Liskov, built his camp in the desert. He drove out the tribe of Malia or whatever, robbed them of their supplies and children, and established it quickly.
“As expected from General Bell. It is an oasis with everything we need to stay for at least a year. The Chairman will also recognize your efforts.”
Bell’s lieutenant heaped on the praise.
“Hahahaha…”
Bell laughed, then glanced at a minor in the corner of the commander’s barracks, trimming his nails. He asked the lieutenant quietly.
—…The Chairman’s advance squad is that kid-?
—Yes. She is the Adventurer Lia.
—She seems very rude.
Lia looked exhausted, but her eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s.
“Hey.”
Snap- Snap-
Bell caught her attention. She looked at Bell from the side.
“When is the chairman coming?”
“…”
She stared at him for a moment.
“…Why are you asking me that?”
“…W-What.”
Bell almost blushed, but he endured it. He whispered to the lieutenant as he twisted his mustache.
—She is certainly rude.
—Yes. That’s what it looks like.
—Why is he with such a rude kid? That Chairman.
—…This is just a rumor.
The lieutenant glanced around and put his mouth to Bell’s ear.
—I heard that adventurer resembles the Chairman’s dead fiancé-
“The chairman is coming!”
Someone suddenly shouted. Bell and the lieutenant straightened up. Almost at the same time, the barracks tent was lifted, and a fresh scent wafted out.
“…You’re here, sir!”
Bell saluted and shouted.
“…”
The object of his salute didn’t say anything. He just walked around and glanced about.
“W-What do you think?”
Bell asked cautiously.
“I acquired it quickly, but… do you not think it’s a good place?”
“…Hmm.”
The current head of Yukline and the Chairman of the Magic Tower, a wizard of the etheric rank, and the highest authority in the Imperial Guard, Deculein, said this.
“Well.”
Lia pricked her ears.
“I heard you destroyed the local tribe.”
“Yes. Hahaha. That’s right-! They were resisting too much, so I tied up all of them as prisoners-!”
Bell responded proudly. Deculein looked down at him, and Bell mistook that gaze for praise.
“Haha. You don’t have to look at me like that; it’s my job. There may be some Demon Blood among them! Also, through the interrogation, they revealed that somewhere underground in the desert, there is a Demon Blood resistance—”
“Is that so?”
At that moment, someone’s stern voice interrupted Bell. Bell, Bell’s lieutenant, and Lia looked back to the entrance to the tent.
“Then, you did something that deserves an award.”
It was a woman in a turban and robe. The curves and tone of her body showed she was a woman, but her face was covered with a hood. Bell tilted his head.
“General Bell. Are you the one who excavated the site here?”
“Oh, yes… I am, but-“
“Hmm. Nothing is lacking in making this an outpost.”
“Um… who are you-?”
Then the woman took off her turban. At that moment, everyone, including Bell, felt their eyes go wide. In Bell’s case, his body reacted before his brain. His legs trembled, and he knelt.
“Your Majesty—?!”
The continent’s most noble creature, Sophien, the Great Emperor. They didn’t imagine the Emperor would personally visit the desert.
“What are you so surprised about? If you are going on a mission to annihilate the enemy, of course, it is right for me to come as well.”
She looked at Bell and smiled kindly.
“…S-S-S-Salute—!”
Bell saluted, still on his knees, and the Emperor turned to Deculein.
“Shall we go check on the prisoners together, Chairman?”
Deculein shook his head.
“It’s not possible.”
“Then let’s go… what? We can’t?”
“Yes.”
Sophien frowned. Deculein resolutely pulled out a sack from his pocket as Bell looked at them with astonishment.
“There is a lot to do here.”
Unpacking the bag and shaking it, many documents poured out. Sophien licked her lips with a tired look.
“…I’ll do it later.”
“I also agreed to Your Majesty’s journey to the desert, as you promised to solve it on the day we arrived in the desert.”
“…”
There was a lot of work to be done in the government. Several issues aside from their expedition had piled up.
“Your Majesty. Whatever you do, start with this. I am just asking as your servant-“
“Okay. Okay. I’ll do it, so shut up. There aren’t even that many things to do. You’re nagging me all the time. Gosh, a teaching wizard should just teach magic.”
Sophien grunted and sat down in front of the platoon. Deculein floated the documents to her side with 「Psychokinesis」 and organized them. Sophien looked up.
“Now, everyone, go out. Let’s go see the prisoners together after I organize this with the Chairman.”
“…Yes! Your Majesty!”
As soon as Bell, Bell’s lieutenant, and Lia left the camp-
“Chairman, no, Sir Deculein?”
Sophien looked up at Deculein with cat-like eyes.
“Lend me your knee for a moment.”
“…”
Deculein frowned.
“You know it too. If you are not by my side, I’m in danger.”
Sophien made that excuse and patted the seat next to her, and Deculein sat reluctantly.
“Hold on a little bit. I will finish it soon, even if it is for you.”
Saying something she didn’t mean, Sophien began her work with her head on his lap. Lia was secretly spying on them.
“…What is that?”
Perplexity settled on Lia’s face as she peered in.
…
…Meanwhile, at the magic tower of an island far away from the desert.
Louina was doing her part-time lecturer interviews. She could have dealt with the interviews with just the resumes, but they were scheduled because of the name that caught her attention.
“…Yes. I heard you, Sylvia.”
“Yes! Thank you! Professor Louina! I respect you!”
“Yeah. Go.”
But how could it be? The one with the name Sylvia was also an unknown wizard. Neither special nor terrific, just a part-time lecturer type.
“Next~.”
Louina beckoned to the interviewer’s table, sullenly looking at the next resume.
“…Josephine. Another common name.”
Josephine. Freyden’s eldest daughter was also Josephine, and there was another Josephine among Louina’s friends…
“Come in, Josephine.”
Louina called.
Creek-
The door opened again. And…
“I’m Josephine.”
Click, click.
An interviewer came in wearing high heels. Louina raised her head again-
“…!”
Her complexion instantly paled.
“You…”
Golden blonde hair flowing down a neat suit that perfectly fit the image of a lecturer. Except for the hawk on her shoulder, the outfit somehow reminded her of the tower’s Chairman…
“You… why?”
Sylvia, von Josephine Iliade. Iliade’s daughter and a strong candidate for the Archmage position.
“Because I had time.”
Such a great wizard had attended an interview to become a part-time lecturer.
–
[Active: We made a slight correction with the naming. As well, Yoo Ara has been mistranslated as Yura occasionally. We plan to correct this going forward. These issues are mostly attributed to the fact that we had swapped translators multiple times in the past. We apologize for the inconvenience. –It’s getting spicy!]
