…Magic developed to conduct surveillance in the world outside the Painting Prison — Magic String. It unfolded in a slightly different way than Sylvia expected.
She thought of it as the connection of consciousness by simply inserting Julie’s mind into Arlos’s doll. But Julie’s diary, which she used as a medium, overreacted. The memories and mana contained in her diary and a certain obsession resonated with the magic.
In other words— Julie, before her memories were rewound, was put in Arlos’ doll. Maybe that was another of Epherene’s arrangements.
“…”
So, Sylvia was now watching the situation through the crystal ball. Julie had met Deculein and revealed her identity.
“This is complicated.”
Arlos said. Carla, beside her, nodded.
“…”
Julie didn’t say anything. She watched her former self reflected in the crystal ball with round eyes. Sylvia was worried about that.
Ten years wasn’t something that could be accepted through indirect experience.
“Julie. You can go and train.”
Julie turned to look at Sylvia, a small smile on her lips.
“It’s okay.”
Julie looked to the crystal ball again.
“I also want to get back those ten years.”
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that she was a completely different person from the current Julie after enduring such difficult times alone.
“Why?”
So, Sylvia asked. Getting those ten years back meant she would take over the other person’s life on her own.
“Aren’t you afraid? You are a completely different person from that, Julie.”
Julie nodded as if she knew it all too well.
“Yes.”
“So why?”
Not only Sylvia, but Arlos, Carla, and even Zeit waited for her answer.
“…I am afraid.”
Julie said.
“Because I don’t know what happened in those ten years, and even looking at Count Deculein now, I don’t feel any emotion. But.”
She paused for a moment, and then she reached out to the crystal ball. Her fingers caressed the image of Julie before rewinding.
“This Julie, who has been with Count Deculein for ten years.”
A smile spread across Julie’s face as she looked between Deculein and her.
“She looks really happy.”
Looks happy. Even though she was the Julie before rewinding, her essence was still Julie after all, so she could understand. She could feel it at a glance.
“Look at the face I make… facing the Count.”
Their eyes moved to follow Julie’s.
“I know that face. This is how I look when I use my sword.”
Julie knew this was how she treated the thing she loved the most. When this version of her was with Deculein, it was the same as when she first held a sword.
“I will….”
That was enough evidence.
“…Really, sincerely.”
In a life of worthless winter, in a bleak world where there should only be a sword, there was also someone she dearly loved.
The one she fell in love with.
“Fall in love with the Count.”
It was just so strange that she had to keep watching…
* * *
We were standing in the evidence storage room, nothing in here aside from us and the canvas sheet.
Julie was staring at me. I turned my head away, pretending to scratch my eyebrows because that gaze was too burdensome.
“…So you are, Julie.”
“Yes.”
Julie didn’t hesitate to respond.
“Strictly speaking, of course, I’m nothing more than a magically crafted artificial intelligence. I’m a doll with the memories inhabiting that diary.”
Step by step, she approached.
“So this lifespan isn’t very long. I will soon perish.”
“…”
The thought pierced my heart.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
She was Julie, whom Deculein loved. This very stupid woman who suffered countless times because of Deculein eventually gave her life for him.
“I’ll have to think about what to do by then.”
“…Haha.”
She smiled. However, that smile was temporary as her hand moved toward her waist.
“Don’t you already know what to do, Professor?”
“…”
She drew her sword.
“I trust you. No matter what you are trying to do.”
And she looked behind her, and the red air of the death variable was flowing through the door.
“I have a promise I made before I died, and it was neither to be a guardian nor the best knight in the world.”
Mana fluttered through her sword and radiated out as a cold mist. It pushed away the death variable, blocking it from getting close to me.
“I was determined to become your sword.”
Indeed, it was a promise that fit Julie. I smiled.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Julie nodded.
“Then.”
I picked up the canvas with Psychokinesis. To prevent the destruction of the continent and preserve people, I had a lot of work to do. On the other hand, there was no time to convince anyone. I had to walk my path.
“Let’s go.”
Of course, I didn’t feel lonely in those moments. But even Deculein, who was programmed to be an eternal villain, because he was Deculein…
“I entrust my life to you.”
I couldn’t refuse Julie’s help. I didn’t want to refuse.
“Yes. It’s an honor, Professor.”
Julie laughed. Her voice was softer than I ever heard it.
“…Before that.”
I approached her. I gently wrapped a hand around her shoulder, and the other rested on her sword.
“…Oh.”
Julie’s cheeks grew red.
“Where did you get this? This lump of steel doesn’t suit your dignity.”
“Hmm? Oh… I was in a hurry.”
“I’ll change it.”
I put the magic called Forging on the sword.
Whooosh-
All of my magic had the properties of the Snowflake Obsidian, so Julie’s sword was soon quenched blue.
Clink…
Iron and mana rubbed against each other. Each weakness was filled by the Snowflake Obsidian’s power. Meanwhile, Julie observed the process in a daze. Confused, she gazed down at the metal her sword had been transformed into.
“And…”
But there was one more process. I tied the last knot.
“Midas’ Hand.”
I added a characteristic that suited her by consuming all my remaining mana.
———.
“…Done.”
I looked at the information with my Vision.
“It’s a gift.”
The name of this sword, which was improvised but filled with mana and vitality…
“Eternal Winter.”
“Will you accept this time?”
I asked.
“…”
She responded with action. Julie’s hands tightened around the grip, almost at the same time.
“─!”
The iron doors exploded open.
* * *
“…Your Majesty. This is an urgent report.”
At Ahan’s words, Sophien calmly sank into her chair without expression.
“The intelligence agency was destroyed….”
They said they would go to find evidence of Deculein’s crimes, and they all returned as cold statues. All but the Red Garnet Adventure Team were frozen.
Oddly enough, they weren’t dead. They were frozen alive.
“At this point… I think we can presume that the Professor has betrayed us…”
Sophien’s eyes widened. Ahan hurriedly bowed and shook her head.
“I’m sorry.”
“Enough. Have I ever blamed you?”
“…If so, Your Majesty. About the Professor…”
“Don’t ask.”
Sophien buried herself deeper in the chair. Blue starlight leaked through the window and cast pale light across her face.
“…Long ago, Rohakan said.”
In her head, in her heart, Rohakan of the past returned.
“That I would kill Deculein.”
His majestic prophecy asks her to move away from Deculein…
“…Yes. He did.”
“Certainly, Rohakan is not a quack.”
Sophien had the gut feeling that prophecy had the potential to be fully realized, not by anyone else but by Sophien herself.
“However… Your Majesty. Will you be okay?”
“You mean my feelings?”
“…Yes.”
Ahan cautiously answered.
Sophien loved Deculein. There was only one person in this world who made her feel love, and that was him. So if he died, Sophien had no reason to live.
Sophien herself vaguely guessed that fact. She would fall into idleness and boredom again or kill herself; it must be one of them.
“I can’t be okay, right?”
Sophien smiled.
“…Your Majesty.”
Ahan’s heart sank. Keiron’s statue moved little by little in protest.
“It’s okay. If I kill Deculein, it’ll be because of his will… get out now, all of you.”
Ahan silently stepped back and left the room, and Keiron canceled his form like a statue.
“…It’s a lonely night.”
Sophien closed her eyes for a moment and thought of the not-too-distant future. With logic that transcended humanity, she slowly anticipated everything Deculein intended and the motives behind his actions.
-Your Majesty.
At that moment, a soft voice called out to her. Deculein’s voice.
Sophien turned and looked down to a small hand mirror placed on the desk. It was her favorite thing when she was young. The Deculein contained in it was looking up at her with a very shameless attitude.
“It is you.”
-Yes.
“…”
-Your Majesty.
Just looking at his face was enough to make her feel sorrow.
-Your Majesty, I have something to tell you.
She still didn’t know what this guy wanted to say… or maybe, she wanted to pretend she didn’t.
“Deculein.”
—…
“Why don’t you play Go with me?”
Wasn’t that how they became close in the first place?
“This is my final command as your emperor.”
The Emperor’s orders?
“With me here… let’s play a match.”
No. This was the request of the human Sophien.
