"Because it's the spell I made and the lighthouse that I've built."
…Everyone went silent at that moment. They stopped even breathing in the dark office, but all eyes were on me. The emotions in their gaze were clear, so honest that it was disgusting.
"Um… why…?"
They asked in a voice that might as well have been a death throe. I stood from my chair as I responded.
"It is the will of the Altar."
Quay was to destroy the continent from the start.
"No need to be surprised. Isn't that what you were prepared for? I believe you've read the scriptures at least once."
Quay's Bible held countless parables and metaphors for the destruction of the continent.
"There's no way you didn't know."
Relin flinched. He asked carefully, stuttering as if he had belatedly remembered a paragraph.
"Then, the true meaning of 'cleansing the continent' the Altar priests spoke about is…."
"The God of the Altar thinks of us as descendants of the God killer. That's why the purification of the continent is destruction. The lighthouse is the means to do so."
At my words, the professors looked at each other.
"Don't worry."
I wore a soft smile as if to reassure them.
"Your souls will be gladly preserved to inhabit a new world, a new body, and reborn into a new life."
I told them the same thing Quay once told me.
"To be born into a new life… then we…."
Relin asked cautiously. He hadn’t given up hope, so I lightly cut that string.
"All your current memories will be gone, and you'll become a completely new human."
"T-that would be like death!"
Relin exclaimed. He put his hands on the desk. His wild boar-like face was red, and tears welled in his eyes. I sneered as I glared at him.
"It is a lighthouse made for that. It's a spell made for that."
"…"
The professors' faces hardened. They trembled with barely restrained anger, their breathing becoming hoarse.
"Enjoy your time..."
Those who didn't know what path they had chosen and only pursued the benefits, how silly they looked. I smiled at them.
"… in this life, which will end soon."
* * *
Meanwhile, the Painting Prison was still being maintained. It had become a world completely different from the continent, and the population there was already more than 5% of the continent. People from different countries, empires, principalities, kingdoms, and different eyes and skin colors were living in cooperation.
It was 'preserved' by Epherene.
"Were you able to get out? It is starting to get suspicious."
A group had gathered in Sylvia’s office. At Arlos' words, the creator of this place shook her head. Without paying any attention to the puppeteer, she continued her writing.
"Hey?"
"…You always suspect. That's why Deculein doesn't trust you."
"What do you mean? Did you forget about what happened on Voice Island? The ones Deculein believed in were Idnik and me-"
Those days when Sylvia overcame herself and cherished Deculein's love to the fullest. Of course, she remembered.
"What the, he believed in me, not you, in the end. He believed in my decision."
Sylvia's pride flared up. She was proud of her decision to kill the one she loved the most and destroy the artificial paradise where she could be with him forever. So, Sylvia would save Deculein no matter what. As he saved her—
"No. The problem is that more people are satisfied here, and I mean, in this fake world."
"…"
Food, clothing, and shelter were being solved with Sylvia's magic and mana. They didn't need to hunt; they didn't need to farm. They didn't need to worry about where to stay, thanks to the omnipotent Creator named Sylvia.
"More than that. How did you prepare the doll?"
Sylvia asked. Arlos straightened up.
"Although I've managed to connect with the puppet of the outside world, the transmission of higher-order consciousness is impossible."
Arlos was outside this painting prison. In other words, she succeeded in connecting with the dolls spread over the continent. However, it was difficult to precisely manipulate the consciousness transmitted.
"This manual manipulator is a must."
Arlos showed her a square machine, a longboard with several sticks that looked like something you'd see in an arcade.
"Through this, I can move and talk. Is this enough?"
"…"
Sylvia stared intently at Arlos and the object. She examined it slowly, as if she was figuring out the mana and the spell, and then nodded.
"Yeah. This much is fine."
"Okay… ahem."
Arlos cleared her throat. She glanced at Sylvia and asked carefully.
"Are you going to help Deculein?"
"Why do you ask?"
Sylvia asked back quietly as she scratched at the magic paper.
"Deculein doesn't want your help."
"…"
That was true; Deculein didn't want help. Therefore, she intended to save him as she pleased.
"Rather, your good intentions will get in his plans."
Sylvia silently stared at Arlos. Arlos glanced at the magic formula placed on her desk. This was a spell to save Deculein.
"…What exactly is the purpose of this spell?"
Arlos asked. Sylvia let out a small sigh.
"I'm going to paint a portrait of him."
"A portrait?"
"I will keep him in it."
"…"
Arlos was a bit confused. She glanced at the top of Sylvia's head and shrugged.
"Okay. Do it your way. I'll just control the dolls...."
* * *
The Lighthouse of Annihilation. In the place where the Altar was worshipping, Quay admired his paintings. He watched the countless canvases placed in his flower garden, each imprisoning criminals from the continent. Another name for this canvas, which they called a painting prison, was Outside of the World.
This was the power Quay had been praying for ten thousand years that he had realized.
"Epherene. I think I know what you plan."
However, as if trying to use her powers against his, Epherene stepped forward and put humans on this canvas. Her purpose was the preservation of mankind. Outside of the World was a space that even Quay couldn't interfere with, so it was quite useful if she wanted to escape his hands….
"But there is no escape."
It was impossible to escape since it was a place separated and isolated from the world. No magic could bring out the humans inside. At most, what Julie was doing now would be the best attempt. It was right to view even that as a miracle deviated from providence and caused by Julie's devotion to Deculein.
—Are you looking at your work?
…Then, a voice came from behind. Quay turned around to see Deculein in the mirror.
"Yes, I don't even know what they're doing inside. It's a completely isolated place."
—Yes. You are too imperfect to be a God.
"…"
Quay smiled.
"I know. What about you? There isn't much time left now. Can't you see it already in the sky?"
A comet was in space... no, a planet-level meteorite was rushing toward the continent. The soon-to-be-launched lighthouse would completely alter its orbit, and the continent would be shattered. After its destruction, Quay could re-create the world.
—The purpose of the lighthouse has been revealed by an anonymous wizard.
"Really? So, were you caught?"
—I will be soon.
Stomp.
Deculein took a step forward, from inside the mirror to outside.
"Let's start operating the lighthouse today."
He held a staff in one hand and a book in the other.
"What is that book?"
"It's a gift for His Majesty Kreto."
"Gift?"
He nodded without another word. Quay grinned.
"Tell me. I won't interfere, I promise. I'll let everything flow just the way it is."
"…"
"This is, as you say, as God says."
The God that Deculein spoke about. If he were right, God would come with that planet. Quay was vaguely looking forward to that moment. Deculein met Quay’s gaze and said.
"The key to the lighthouse."
"Key?"
"One volume of this collection can interpret everything about the lighthouse. It's a gift for His Majesty Kreto."
All of Deculein's magical knowledge, the talent of Understanding, was perfectly applied in the lighthouse. In the eyes of Quay, it far surpassed the magic system of the current continent, and it was a great achievement that could completely change the framework of magic.
For Deculein to say he could integrate such an achievement in just one book was incredible, but what he did next was even weirder.
"Take it."
Deculein held it out. Quay's eyes widened.
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"Give it to His Majesty Kreto."
"Me?"
Deculein nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes. I trust you more than any other rotten bastard in this world. Because you are pure in your faith, and ironically, you're more faultless and clean than anyone else."
Quay stared at the book as a laugh leaked out. It was Deculein's.
"Quay. You once said I resemble the talent of your old friend."
"…Yes."
"That power is called Understanding. It is a power that only I can have now."
Understanding. It was a talent Kim Woojin added to Deculein without much thought.
"When I first came to this world, I didn't know anything, so it took a lot of mana to Understand even the smallest of magical principles."
He put his energy into learning Psychokinesis and grew exhausted after a single spell. Those pathetic days were now distant memories.
"But not anymore, Quay."
Deculein held out the book to Quay again. Quay accepted it, reading the elegantly written title.
Deculein's Last Theorem. A posthumous work like a holy testament.
"…Somehow, I feel that I can get closer to the existence of God than you."
It was an exceedingly arrogant remark, but he didn't grow angry. Quay glanced up at Deculein.
"Only with the power of understanding?"
He asked. Deculein shook his head with a grin.
"It's not just understanding. More than understanding the world, more than understanding the continent...."
Deculein paused for a moment and looked into Quay's eyes. Mana welled in his retinas, and Quay realized.
"…It's to understand existence."
Deculein's Understanding was reaching a certain crossroads. Like a flower bud that looked like it would bloom soon in the rain, it was a talent just before full bloom.
"I understand you, Quay."
Quay warmly smiled.
"At this moment and every moment to come."
As expected, Deculein was the most difficult human to deal with on this continent.
"I will get to know you, understand you, and eventually."
He had the most fundamental and unique talent here.
"I will defeat you."
Indeed, if it were the power to understand all existence.
—If that wasn’t the power of God, what would it be?
"…Really? I guess that's right, that if you know your enemy and yourself, you'll never lose."
Quay murmured and pointed to Deculein's book.
"Kreto will like it. I'll give him; I won't even sneak a look."
Deculein nodded.
"Then, I will go up to the lighthouse."
As Deculein walked past him, Quay asked in a wicked voice.
"Are you going to wait for Sophien there? Are you going to wait for your death? Are you going to pray for Sophien to kill you?"
He stopped. Quay added.
"Weren't you able to understand Sophien?"
Deculein's lips twisted slightly.
"…It's not that I couldn't do it. I just didn't."
"You didn't?"
"Yes. As a servant, how could I dare understand Her Majesty as I pleased? I just trust and wait."
Quay stared at Deculein. His feelings were different from those of the believers who served God. He was also different from a human who loved another. He…
"For the last moment when the blade pierces my heart, the moment when a villain made to die meets their end."
The perfect servant. The villain named Deculein.
"…Yes."
At that moment, Quay faintly recalled a cheeky thing Deculein had said once. Deculein's statement that 'God' prepared himself for Quay and that he sent himself down for Quay.
"I'm curious about that last moment too."
He was slowly starting to think that maybe that was right.
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(╯･□･）╯ It's getting so good! I had fun reading the plot speculation. Invite: deBMpXfFac is where I'm pasting notepad links until I find a place to host the chapters. It might be too much trouble to find one bc we're so close to the ending.
