Each One’s Future (1)

Not far from the urban area of the continent was an exceedingly high-priced plot of land that embraced not only lakes and streams but also the mountains behind it.

That served as the Yukline mansion's colossal site.

One could even argue that it was too gigantic. After all, thanks to the recent surge in the continent's land prices, their residence's monetary value was now equal to the annual budget of small and medium-sized estates.

Julie, proud of herself for having purchased a three-story mansion near the island alone, seemed to enjoy her everyday life in the Yukline's property.

A few laps around its backyard was enough to complete her morning jogging, and its large sports ground provided ample space for worry-free swordsmanship training. Moreover, all the meals served in the mansion were equivalent to a three-star restaurant.

Deculein set very strict standards for its expansive grounds, but I didn't care what the servants did as long as it was tidy. I even authorized the "import documents" they carefully handed me.

The attendants with far-reaching connections heard rumors of exotic pottery, tableware, beans, food, flower seeds, and carpets from a distant foreign land. With my permission, they imported all of them under the Yukline name.

As a result, beautiful flowers and trees from all over the world now grew in our gardens. The mansion's interior was filled with all kinds of scents and aromas, and the clear lakes and streams were made suitable for summer vacation.

Julie seemed to especially like lakes. Whenever I couldn't find her, I knew she would be lying down near one together with her new pet, 'Blackie.'

… Ultimately, our residence became a place where luxurious comfort and unobtrusive abundance embraced people.

Everyone who visited our home couldn't help but appreciate it, even if just for a moment.

A paradise as alluring as a Venus Flytrap…

That was the Yukline Mansion.

"Basic stamina is the most important thing," Julie said, standing on the sports ground. For the first time in so long, she wasn't wearing her armor but instead a gray gym uniform.

"Hence… Uh, professor? Why are you looking at me like that?" She tilted her head.

I shrugged.

"It's been a long time since I last saw you wear something other than your armor, but that's it?"

"Ah~ I see."

Julie, who just accepted my complaint as a fact, pulled her clothes tight.

"I've been using this since my days in the Knights Templar. It's pretty good stuff. It's made of Femurene, so it should still be fine for the next 20 years."

"I see."

"Mmhmm. Going back, when it comes to physical fitness, one's basic physical strength is the most crucial factor."

She swiftly returned to the main topic.

Julie grabbed a wooden sword.

"Let me first show you an example. This is the simplest rotation move."

Wheeik—!

She swung it twice.

She initially drew a diagonal frontal strike, then turned around, rotating it around with her. Her movements were almost simultaneous. I even momentarily thought there were two Julies.

"It's also known as Spin Move."

"Spin Move."

"Spin Moo-ve."

"… Spin Move."

"Hmm. In any case, although a very basic move in our field, it can cause an injury if its executor's carrying a large load on their back and knees, have poor basic physical strength, or are equipped with untrained muscles."

Julie handed me a wooden sword, which I grabbed and immediately used to follow her movements.

Swish—! Swish—!

It wasn't that different, in my opinion.

"…?"

Momentary confusion flashed in her eyes. Blinking a couple of times, she said, "Try it one more time."

Swish—! Swish—!

I repeated the same move.

"…?"

Once again confused, she looked at the curriculum script that I had placed under the shade of a tree.

"You seem to be doing well at a glance, but… please try one last time."

I executed the 'Spin Moo-ve' again.

"…?"

When she doubted her eyes for the third time, I finally decided to interrupt her.

"Accept it. I can do it just like you can."

"… You can, but your risk of injury is greater."

"I won't get hurt."

"You might think so, but your risk of injury is high."

"Are you a parrot?"

"That's why basic physical strength is essential."

Drops of sweat formed on her forehead. She seemed to have thought of me as someone weak, like most other wizards, which made her decide to start with the basics.

"We'll begin with a running session today. Are you ready?"

"Sure."

"Okay. Let's go!"

Julie moved at her regular pace, and I followed, keeping a gap of a couple of steps from her.

One, two— One, two—

One, two— One, two—

One, two— One, two—

She glanced sideways.

"You're really trying hard."

"Yeah."

"Good. Keep at it!"

We continued down our path.

I didn't know how much my stamina compared to that of a knight, but [Iron Man] was a pretty advanced attribute, and I didn't neglect my mental strength, so it should be fine.

"Are you okay?" Julie looked behind her to check up on me again.

"Yes."

"Hmm."

She nodded proudly.

Our basic training went on.

"I'm going to speed it up a little bit more!"

"Okay."

Seemingly finding it unexpected that I could match her pace easily, she picked up the pace as if to daunt me.

One, two, one, two— One, two, one, two—

One, two, one, two— One, two, one, two—

In no time at all, we did ten laps.

"… Are you okay, Professor?"

"Yeah."

"Whoa…"

My perfectly fine state surprised her.

I felt like the basic stamina of [Iron Man] had grown much more than before, perhaps because my Mana Rating had been upgraded to the 4th rank.

"Do you want to stop?"

"No. I'm okay."

"… I see."

We continued.

We were practically sprinting now. I couldn't even remember how many laps we had made anymore.

"…."

Noticing how Julie sweated profusely while seemingly in pain, I realized it too late.

When one had a heart injury, their biggest problem would always be their basic stamina.

Specifically, cardiorespiratory endurance.

I slowed down to a halt.

"Let's stop. I'm tired now."

"… Is that so?"

She laughed bitterly, her expression dark, which evidenced she was unhappy with her physical condition.

"Your basic physical strength is sufficient, professor. You must have exercised separately."

I looked at her silently. Damp with sweat, she seemed more beautiful than ever.

"… Julie. You are a knight."

"Yes, I am…"

Julie tilted her head, wondering why I said something obvious.

With a faint smile on my lips, I continued.

"I wanted to be someone that suited you. That's why I worked hard."

"…"

She didn't reply, but her breathing stopped for a moment, and her ears tainted red.

It was a cute reaction.

"It's a joke. I wanted to live."

"… I-I see."

I took my words back and told the truth, but she already had a shy blush on her cheeks.

"Let's go get something to eat."

"Sure…"

I went to the dining area first, and she followed hesitatingly. She also kept glancing at me the whole time we ate together.

After our meal, my servant served Luwak coffee, the high-quality coffee beans used on it causing Julie's eyes to light up.

"Thank you~"

Sip after sip, I hid a smile as I watched her drink it dearly.

"Julie. Let's begin preparations for today's imperial lecture."

"Oh, okay."

The moment I cued her to start the escort mission again, her expression changed to that of a lioness.

*****

… The Royal Palace at the Imperial City.

A cumbersome traditional event called the Emperor-presided Meeting was underway.

Sophien sat down on her throne and looked down on her subjects, her hands full with the appeals presented by the ministers.

"I can't help but be concerned about the problems Marik's opening will cause, Your Majesty. It would only be proper to close it off now before it's too late."

"Those demon-blooded beasts always appear when we least expect it. Hence, I suggest focusing on them for now."

"The suppression of their kind will surely cause resistance. In response to the chaos and destruction that would bring, the empire must…"

Sophien had a headache. She didn't want to keep listening to the damn bastards before her, which she found so annoying she almost killed herself right away.

"I've already decided to open Marik. I do not intend to change my mind now."

"No, my lord!"

Her servants' shouts made the veins on her forehead pop.

"Your Majesty always said…"

"Please, don't disregard your servants' appeal so much…"

"When adventurers invade it indiscriminately, demons will appear…"

While they clamored like crazy people, Chiron came up to her and whispered, "Your Majesty. Deculein has arrived."

Sophien smiled as soon as she heard that.

"Enough! It's time for my lectures. Begone!"

"No, my lord! Nothing has been decided yet—"

"Are you unaware of what I'm learning from Deculein?"

Rune language.

An invincible ability for Sophien.

Not even her officials could mess with the days when she was supposed to learn more about it.

"Do you want me to waste such valuable time? Are you prepared to cope with the consequences of me doing so later?"

"…."

"It's runes. Do you not know what runes are?"

Only then did her servants quiet down. Sophien sat up satisfactorily.

"Go. This is where we end the meeting."

*****

"You're finally here." The emperor welcomed Deculein with a smile in the study room today.

"I am."

"I had a really annoying meeting today. It's a tradition that the emperor presides over it, so it was inevitable. Those moronic subjects of mine kept asking so many things. Listening to them question every single decision I made felt disgusting."

"I see. Then let's start the class. Today's rune is 'טִיסָה.'"

"…."

Deculein began the lessons as soon as she took a seat. The emperor's eyes became as sharp as an ax.

"Follow me. 'טִיסָה.'"

"Bae."

"Not Bae. 'טִיסָה.'"

"…"

Sophien rested her hand on her chin while looking at him.

A sigh from the emperor's lips made her boredom known.

"טִיסָה."

"… You never ask anything about my policy, do you?"

"טִיסָה."

"You're only saying that damn rune."

Her motivation to learn today was close to zero after suffering from her servants.

Realizing that fact, Deculein reluctantly focused on Sophien's words.

"My servants were eager to know why I reopened Marik even though it doesn't even really matter what the reason is to them. They'll oppose it anyway and welcome the Demon Blood suppression, an extension of it, with open arms…"

She stopped talking abruptly and looked at him languidly.

"What do you think of my policy, Deculein? Why do you think the ministers are against its reopening?"

"…"

The reason why the officials of the empire opposed it, why they desperately tried to close that door even though it had already been opened…

He answered without a moment's hesitation.

"The supply of mana stones is already sufficient, so why do we have to take the risk and open it? Everyone being against it, I think, makes some sense."

Sophien's expression hardened, her lips curving into a frown.

"Hmpf. Is that so? You're no different." She replied, her voice sounding disappointed, as she leaned against her chair's backrest, but Deculein wasn't done yet.

He slowly continued.

"However, the supply of it remaining sufficient is exactly what I find strange. The mines that produce it are clearly limited, and they have been exploited for hundreds of years."

Her forehead scrunched in curiosity.

"Yet the mines that should've been statistically depleted long ago continue to procure them. The merchants selling the stones reason out that it's possible due to the development of mining technology."

"…"

She slowly straightened up upon hearing his words.

"Moreover, the upper ranks are the ones that not only dictate the mana stones' price but—"

"Also determine its supply. [Lopalasia], [Vermonia], [Crumakto]. Even the last emperor tried to maintain an amicable relationship with those three."

As Deculein nodded in agreement, Sophien leaned towards him.

"The emperor was merely 'careful' of them. It's funny, isn't it?"

The inner story of the continent that she knew was simple.

According to it, more than 70% of the mana stones circulated by the giant upper-ranks now came from the Altar since the mines for it existed even in desolate lands that had been left untouched for hundreds of years.

She looked at his lips, wanting to hear what he had to say next quickly.

"Yes. However, now that Marik opened, countless mana stones have become available for mining. It also simultaneously leaves no room for the merchants' distribution network to interfere with the supply it'll produce. After all, it's all under the full authority of the imperial family."

"Thanks to that, those morons are in a hurry now. Marik's mana stones are a fatal danger to them. That's why the ministers who took money from them keep pestering me."

She smiled, and he reciprocated it.

"Exactly. In that sense, Your Majesty can use it to strengthen your power. If there's a Demon Blood among the chiefs of the upper-ranks—"

"There is. I know that for a fact, and I also know that if I keep messing with the Demon Blood, the Altar will intervene."

"The empire has many internal enemies, not external ones."

"That's what makes it an empire."

The back-and-forth between Sophien and Deculein continued as if they were one person.

It was the first agreement she ever experienced in her life, but what came after that was far more important.

Without knowing this key point, Deculein wouldn't live up to her expectations.

"Knowing all of that, Your Majesty still declared to me that you will expedite annihilation outside, not inside."

The emperor said she would aim her sword externally to suppress the Demon Blood, even though she knew the enemy within.

The flow of that logic was slowly reaching the emperor's heart.

She felt childishly excited after so long. Unable to wait for Deculein to continue, she opened her mouth first.

"Right. Mana stones are just the first trigger. Once the Altar bastards become worried to death due to the opening, I will declare the 'Myulji expedition' myself."

"Myulji is home to the Altar. They'll inevitably feel threatened."

"Once they do, it's self-explanatory how they'd react."

"They will go on an expedition and raid the empire's 'empty appearance.'"

"At that moment…"

Sophien looked into Deculein's crystal-like blue eyes, staring into the pupils of the being who perfectly understood her will.

"You'll annihilate them."

"I'll annihilate them."

They uttered those words almost at the same time.

The emperor was already smiling from ear to ear.

For her, the incarnation of boredom and sloth, such insight was natural.

Not a single piece of effort was spent. It was just like breathing.

Her wisdom was that kind.

She thought the professor before her, Deculein, would be the same.

"Right. But I informed you of the conquest of Myulji from the beginning. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"If I did, I would have become your enemy, which was what you actually rather hoped I would do."

"… Oh? Were you aware of it all?"

He nodded.

Of course. It was all part of the 'storyline,' after all.

"Ahaha."

She put her own people around her to the test as a habit. Chiron and Deculein were the only ones who didn't fail so far.

"Then let me ask you this: what is Your Majesty's purpose? Is it simply the imperial power's growth and the Altar's destruction?"

"…"

The emperor's smile quickly subsided.

The joy she felt towards Deculein for understanding her lasted less than five minutes.

"I don't know."

She leaned back.

Her terribly drowsy look seemed somewhat sad.

"Even I don't know."

At her quiet murmur, she heard words that sounded like an answer to her complaint.

"Then let's find out together."

"…?"

She doubted her ears for a moment.

'… Let's find out together?'

It was something that no servants, not even Chiron, dared say to her.

"…"

Sophien looked at Deculein silently.

Strangely enough, he was full of a certain 'duty.'

Her boredom was a task not only for Deculein but for the whole world. The emperor, unaware of that, was completely puzzled.

"It's a lesson to find that purpose."

"…"

The emperor remained quiet for a moment, but even in that silence, Deculein did not back down.

Sophien waved her hand.

"Enough. You may go. I'm getting tired of your handsome face now. It seems it lasted a little longer than others, but from now on, please come with makeup."

"Class is not over yet. Please follow along. 'טִיסָה.'"

"… What?"

"'טִיסָה.'"

Deculein was persistent, and the emperor listened to him, shaking her head.

—טִיסָה.

Runes appeared.

'Fly,' it meant.

The whole space began to rise, and Deculein, who confirmed the reaction, stood up.

"Thank you."

"Okay. Go."

*****

After Magic Educator Deculein left, Sophien lay on the hard floor of the study room, murmuring while staring at the ceiling.

"There's not a single lie."

No unconscious lies.

Empty flattery.

Negative or positive habits.

Anyone could do it at least once. But not him, apparently.

"There's also nothing he doesn't know. If I turn an encyclopedia into a human, I think he'll appear."

Sophien was interested in Deculein's self-confidence.

He knew her thoughts, plans, grounds… Everything.

From their very first meeting, when she said she would 'conquer Myulji,' he had already pierced through her whole thinking.

"Even his arrogant nonsense of finding a goal… Hey Chiron. You heard it too."

Her eyes moved to her knight, whom she found smiling.

"Why do you look like that?"

"You know the answer to that, Your Majesty."

"What?"

"When are you going to get married?"

"… Do you want to be publicly executed, Chiron?"

Sophien stared at him. Now that drowsiness had engulfed her entirety, her anger had trouble welling up.

"If you're trying to provoke me, you succeeded. I'll praise you for that. I'll add it as one of your tasks."

"That's not it. The ministers are worried."

"Assholes."

Sophien was in her early twenties, the perfect age for marriage. Of course, the number of years she had lived was probably twice that, but they didn't know that.

"There's no man who can handle me."

"…."

Chiron didn't say anything.

"What?"

"…."

He just looked at the closed door.

Sophien quickly understood what he meant.

"Deculein?"

"…."

"Are you crazy? I have no hobby of stealing other people's things."

"I didn't say anything."

"Your political skills have improved. For a knight."

Chiron just shrugged.

"You're annoying me too, so I need you to leave too."

"Okay."

He left immediately.

After kicking him out, she thought quietly.

"Deculein."

He saw the world from the same perspective as hers.

Hence, it was understandable that he had that kind of personality. There were so many stupid people in the world she had to deal with, so she couldn't help but get pissed off.

"Should I consider myself fortunate that I'm not alone?"

Sophien grinned.

She had found at least one comrade.

"I wasn't sure before, but I'm finally convinced. Thanks to him, I can finally have fun for a while."

For now, that was enough for her.

"Pff. Arrogant bastard. What? Find out a purpose together? Lessons?"

Sophien chuckled, recalling the conversation they just had.

After an hour, she finally got tired of it.

… One hour.

It was already quite a long duration for her.

*****

Epherene continued preparing for her trip.

"Towel, toothbrush, soap, shampoo, emergency food, review books, and…"

The most important of them all.

Her eyes widened when she looked at it.

"Aged Roahawk!"

Those four pieces of Roahawk, which her father gave her as a gift to pass the exam, was the most valuable food right now.

She planned to bake one at a time when she felt most tired and sad during the exam.

"Whew… Time to go."

With the backpack on, she took a deep breath and went out of the dormitory.

She first stopped by the magistrate, wrote a letter to her sponsor, and then strolled through the campus despite the undesirable weather brought forth by the rainy season.

"When is she coming…."

She stood under the clock tower of the campus, waiting at the place they agreed on.

Today, a friend decided to go to the Isle of Wizard's Wealth with her.

"Epherene~ here~"

Just in time, Maid Lete's soft voice called out to her. Sitting in the driver's seat, she honked.

"Hello~!"

Epherene smiled brightly and sat in the backseat. Sylvia next to her had a dissatisfied face, but she didn't stop the ride itself.

"Let's do well together. I want to get to the next rank too."

"… Arrogant Epherene."

"Hehe."

Without that line, she really couldn't feel like her day was complete.

As she chuckled, Sylvia looked freaked out. Seemingly thinking she was beside some kind of pervert, she snuggled up against the window.

"Now, let's go~."

"Yep!"

Together, they set out for the floating island.

Vroom—

Watching the passing scenery outside the car, Epherene thought about her future. The things she would do under Deculein. Her father's past and his death.

Epherene clenched her fist.

"…"

Sylvia, on the other hand, only thought of Deculein. Her heart ached every time she thought of him, but she couldn't stop it.

In this way, he served as the firewood in her heart, perhaps according to Glitheon's plan.

It was so huge and dry it probably wouldn't stop burning even after she became an archmage.

"Huh? Isn't that uncle…?"

Sylvia looked at where Epherene was pointing, where she found the married man they had met before, Carixel, standing by the roadside.

Approaching them with a smile, he shouted.

"Oh! Epherene, Sylvia! What good timing~ Can't you give me a ride too~?"

Lete glanced at Sylvia, who sighed before agreeing to the idea.

She would meet him at the exam hall anyway. She didn't have to be mean.