Chapter 31

The hawk's vision was limited, making it impossible to understand the whole story. However, as far as Sylvia saw, the knight tried to assassinate Deculein first, which forced him to retaliate in self-defense, causing the knight to fall down the cliff and, ultimately, to his death.

No, Deculein definitely tried to save the knight, which meant he died of his own accord…

… Through her magic, Sylvia witnessed the scene unfold almost as if she was right in front of it. Even the conversations they held were transferred directly into her ears.

With her eyes closed, she found Deculein standing alone on an overhanging cliff. The fact that he didn't fall was indeed a miracle, but the conference was about to start in six hours.

She thought he'd need another miracle for him to reach Bercht in time.

Deculein looked up at the sky, seemingly directly at the hawk, which surprised her so much she ordered it to return. It would be impossible to observe further if the blizzard got worse anyway. It might also hurt the hawk, an occurrence she wanted to avoid the most.

It was her very first creation, which made her want to keep it with her for a long time. If the mana in its mana stone ran out, she decided she would recharge it instead of replacing it.

"Come back." Sylvia opened her eyes after issuing the command, returning her vision to Bercht's landscape.

"Oh, Ms. Sylvia?"

Hoo—

As she sighed and turned around, she found herself face to face with the people from the kingdom that Syrio talked about.

"So this is where you were~ I've been looking forward to meeting you~!"

"It's a real honor to see you in person, Rookie of the Year."

"Greetings. I'm from the 'Judra' family of the Reok Kingdom."

"…"

Sylvia felt burdened by their weird responses.

*****

At the express train railway, the platform employee saluted a high-ranking official.

"It's an honor, Deputy Director!"

Deputy Director of Imperium's Public Safety Bureau, 'Lilia Primienne.'

Coincidentally, she was camping in the northern mountain range when she heard about the train incident and was immediately dispatched to the site as the Deputy Director of Security.

"A surprise attack was launched, and an explosion occurred?"

"Yes, it's a common occurrence in the process of traveling to Bercht. The reward is even ten times bigger for assassinations that occur inside Bercht. This is nothing special." The employee who appeared to be in charge replied.

Primienne glanced below the cliff. "What about the casualties?"

"None has been confirmed yet, but Professor Deculein and the knight, Veron, are currently missing. He has a more detailed eyewitness account…"

Primienne looked in the direction the staff was pointing at, finding a man with a blonde mustache and Allen, who looked like he was sleeping on the track.

"Yes, the wizard and the knight saved me, but when I came to my senses, the whole train had already fallen. Maybe the knights launched a secondary attack…"

The mustached man was talking to someone else when Primienne approached him, who then pointed at the camera hanging from the man's neck.

"Is it okay if I take a look at it?"

"What? Yes, but this is my source of income—"

"I'll give it back to you immediately."

"Oh, okay."

The man developed the film of the camera in an instant. Looking at some of it, Premienne grew momentarily speechless.

"… Huh?"

She smirked.

The magic film contained 1-2 seconds before and after the picture was taken, like a video.

In the photo, the train was floating midair. She deduced the initiator to be Deculein, considering even she knew the identity of that magic.

Psychokinesis.

He suspended the train using it and very nonchalantly at that. He could even be seen reading a book.

He was so relaxed he seemed like he was just holding up a pencil.

Premienne, who was looking at the photos, soon received something from 'someone' from 'somewhere.'

A mana signal poked her in the back, causing her to stand still and interpret it.

[Knight Veron is dead.]

[He tried to kill Deculein, but it seems like it was an order.]

[The Head Professor survived.]

"… Hmm."

Primienne let out a small sigh. She knew Veron.

They were from the same clan, after all: the 'Red Box.'

Even though he had a lot of screws missing, he was an admirable man. His death made her feel bitter… but she felt relieved at the same time.

He was a ticking time bomb, like Rock Hark. She was certain he would definitely cause trouble one day.

"What do you think of the photos? I know I'm the one who took it, but even I can't help but admit it was an amazing sight. I'm a magical analyst, but I would never dare assess Professor Deculein's caliber—"

"That's enough."

Primienne returned the pictures to him.

"… Oh, oh! It's a ghost!" An employee screamed, causing her to look in his direction. She immediately determined the newly found figure's identity even though he had just arrived at the track.

Head Professor Deculein.

No one saw him come up. One moment, he was nowhere to be found. The next, he was standing within their vicinity alone.

Without saying a word, he looked down at the cliff he had climbed while thinking about his limits. His psychokinesis could kill anyone, but it couldn't get through a knight's fortitude. Additionally, without mana, he was rendered powerless.

His magic couldn't overcome a master born with talent and intense concentration.

He felt a distinct wall blocking his path.

A sense of dejection rose.

If not for that unidentified help, it would have been him who would have been slammed below this cliff…

"Head Professor." Primienne approached him. "Your Assistant Professor is over there. He's safe."

Deculein saw Allen on the track.

"Will that be all?"

"Yes."

He paused for a moment before replying. "What time is it?"

"It's 3:30," Primienne answered as she had an unnecessary thought: she found his face fucking handsome.

"… 6 hours left."

He weighed the probability of him attending the conference on time, which was beginning to seem impossible. For him to climb the cliff without the train with his low stamina, it would take at least a day.

"I'm sorry, but I need to ask this out of formality, Head Professor. What happened to the escort you were with?"

"… He died."

"Was it because of the attack?"

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"I see. Professor, by any chance, can you straighten this track?"

Deculein tilted his head at her words and looked down on Primienne, emitting arrogance unique to nobles. It was as if he was looking at someone inferior. She felt anger surging inside her for a moment, but she forcefully soothed it.

"If you can fix it, I'll call the train over with my authority."

If he could fix the tracks before the blizzard got worse, she would be able to call the train on standby to resume its activities, increasing his chance of reaching Bercht before the conference.

'It'll be beneficial for you, professor, so why are you looking at me with those eyes? You're making me want to pull them out…'

"It'll be much better and faster than walking—"

"I refuse."

Primienne shut her mouth and rolled her tongue. 'I was born with the natural talent to irritate people, huh?'

"… Move."

The real reason behind his decision, however, was his exhaustion. He didn't have any remaining energy left to spare on magic.

She misunderstood the situation since he looked perfect externally, not realizing that internally, he was lethargic.

"… Okay."

Primienne lightly bowed her head, then moved away from Deculein and grabbed an employee.

"Since you're not doing anything, clear the tracks before it gets snowed over even more."

"Yes, of course."

"… One more thing. Is this the only train that goes to Bercht?"

"No, it's a bit far, but there's a land route and a sea route on the other side of the mountain."

"Hmm…?" Premienne felt something strange as she spoke with the employee, causing her to look back.

But there was no one there.

Deculein had already disappeared.

"Was it 'Acceleration'?"

He probably thought it would be faster to run up the cliff while using support magic than clear the tracks.

The wind was indeed intense in this area, and it wasn't impossible to borrow the strength of the elements…

"How much mana does that guy even have?"

His abilities exceeded imagination. He was even stronger than the reports made him out to be, considering he stopped the train from getting derailed using psychokinesis, drove back dozens upon dozens of knights, defeated Veron, safely climbed the cliff, and still had enough mana to spare to cast 'Acceleration, an advanced magic, on himself.

Was his mana capacity the size of an ocean?

Primienne clicked her tongue.

"Eungh…" The Assistant Professor grunted, finally waking up.

Primienne approached him and asked him as he looked around blankly. "What's your name?"

"What? Oh, me… Uhh…"

"Your Professor is gone."

"…" Unable to answer, Allen's tears swelled up.

Primienne frowned. "He didn't go to the afterlife. He's just gone ahead to the Bercht conference. So, your name?"

"Oh, yes! Whew. I'm Allen."

Primienne spelled his name skillfully then showed him her writing. "Did I get the spelling right?"

Allen nodded. "Yes."

"Your age."

"I'm 24 years old. You'll have to excuse me. I'm his assistant. I need to follow him right away…"

"You're already late anyway. Just wait for the next train."

*****

The current time was 9:30 PM.

The Bercht conference would start at 9:53, which the elders considered as the time when stars aligned. That gave everyone 23 minutes left before they were considered late.

Sylvia walked down the street of Bercht's fourth district.

"…"

Its roads were as complicated as the rumors described. The passageway was divided into two. Glitheon and the other family heads traveled using the right pass, and the assistants traveled using the left.

"Sylvia, how's life at the university tower?"

"We should try to have a meeting of our own. That, too, should be a good experience."

The nobles walking with her frequently spoke to her.

She answered roughly. "Sure."

Just as bright lights attracted moths, she attracted others to her side. Everyone was behaving so annoyingly around her simply because she had great talent as a wizard.

"Ah right, the head of the Yukline family hasn't arrived yet."

Sylvia's ears perked up. It was Penha Villion, the assistant of the Magic Kingdom.

"No way, if Yukline gets eliminated… That'll be a huge affair."

"A huge affair? I have foreseen this to some extent. The current head's abilities are lacking compared to his predecessors, and he stopped gathering achievements three years ago. There's even a rumor that his talent is nothing special."

Jayron spoke this time, the assistant of the Riwaynde family from the Empire.

Sylvia wanted to voice out her thoughts, but she didn't say anything.

Mediocre people would always be jealous of geniuses, and it showed. Meanwhile, geniuses would always recognize geniuses. Deculein's talent was only lacking compared to her. Commoners like them shouldn't disregard his capabilities.

"Oh, that's it."

They had finally reached the front of the gate of the Elder's Hall, a majestic shrine. It was built on the top of a mountain that had its peak completely cut off, almost as if an ancient giant stayed there.

Creeaaak—

The door opened as they approached, almost as if it had been waiting for them. Nervous, the 19 assistants entered respectively.

A spacious conference room greeted them.

It was so huge that 40 people wouldn't be enough to fill the place. Even 400 people could comfortably gather here and attend the meeting. Around the vast round table, the 19 family heads were already seated.

There was only a single vacant seat— Yukline's.

Sylvia stood next to Glitheon, who smiled when he saw her. The other assistants who were bothering her also stood beside their respective family's seats.

Doong— doong— doong— doong— doong—

Five tremors announced the time.

9:50 PM.

Three minutes left.

Sylvia felt somewhat bitter. As expected, it didn't work. He couldn't reach the summit in time.

"Before we begin the conference…"

Abruptly, a loud voice shook the room. The person's condensed mana and his resonant echo made Sylvia's heart throb.

"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of you who have responded to our summons."

The top brass, Dzekdan.

He was the candidate most likely to become the Great Wizard and a legend that had chosen to leave the secular world.

He was sitting in the position of the Great Elder, the only power that existed independently on the round table, the seats of which were veiled by darkness.

Dzekdan couldn't see the families on the round table, and the heads of the family couldn't see him.

Sylvia felt great pressure looking at him.

'Will I be able to challenge someone like him once I reach that kind of level?'

… It was worth trying.

"I'll start the roll call."

Dzekdan's voice echoed inside. Like the majestic sound of war drums and thunder, it spread electricity all over her body.

"Glitheon of Iliade."

"I, Glitheon, Head of the Iliade Family, honorably responds to Bercht's summon," Glitheon said with ease, making Sylvia proud of her father's spirit.

"Betan of Beorad."

"I, Betan, 6th Head of the Beorad Family, bows to the Great Elder."

Dzekdan called several families. Judra, Riwaynde, Villion, and others. And they all formally responded to his call with their families' personal flairs.

At some point, however…

"Deculein of Yukline."

When Dzekdan called his name, the Elder's Hall fell into silence.

"Is Deculein not here yet?" Dzekdan said in the dark.

Everyone swallowed without answering. An unknown tension was rising from underneath their consciousness.

Yukline's elimination.

It was clearly unexpected, but on the other hand, it was something they looked forward to.

The other families had always thought of it, but due to his reputation as a wizard, they couldn't put their audacious thoughts into action.

Deculein's downfall was what almost everyone gathered here wanted.

"Yukline's Head, Deculein, doesn't seem to have arrived yet. If he hasn't arrived after the third roll call, his absence will be considered non-compliance to the summon."

Dzekdan's solemn dignity seemed to weigh down the round table.

Ihelm, the head of the Riwaynde family, smiled in secret. He was once Deculein's close friend, but they were nothing more than opponents now.

"As a consequence, the Yukline family will be eliminated from the 12 traditional wizard families."

His magical voice sounded merciless, making the round table tremble. Sylvia looked at the huge clock attached to the ceiling of the Elder's Hall.

Fifty-three minutes had already passed.

"Deculein of Yukline."

Since Bercht's inauguration, Yukline had never been removed from the 12 Families. Hence, if he failed to answer the summons after his name had been called thrice, his household would be eliminated from the conference after 200 years.

Few mistakes could bring as much shame as that to a noble family.

"Deculein of Yukline."

Sylvia looked around. Some held back their smiles, and some smiled openly. Her father was expressionless.

Not one of them looked worried.

In Sylvia's opinion, that was enough proof to think Deculein had lived his life improperly. She felt sorry for him.

"Deculein…"

The moment when the third call was about to be made…

Screeeeech…

The sound of stone being scraped roughly echoed. Surprised, Sylvia looked towards the entrance.

The main door of the conference room opened slightly, and a blizzard poured through the cracks.

"…"

Dzekdan stopped.

Everyone's gaze turned to the entrance and, with his body covered with snow, he entered, almost as if making a grand entrance.

His suit was tattered and ruined, and his hair was disheveled. He looked like a monster who came back alive from hell.

The unpolished image he displayed completely differed from his usual neat figure.

Sylvia clenched her fist unknowingly.

He definitely didn't look magnificent, but his aura was still impressive. No one dared to say anything as they stared at him.

"Deculein, is that you?" Dzekdan asked.

Deculein looked around in silence, then his blue eyes fell and stared at the round table.

The smiles of those delighted by his absence were swiftly erased from their faces, and those who hoped for his elimination avoided his gaze.

"Deculein. I demand an answer." Dzekdan spoke again.

It was late, but Deculein tidied up his clothes. He fixed his ruined suit and neatly swept back his snow-soaked hair.

Just like that, he returned to his usual mien with ease.

"… Yes," He said. "It's me, Deculein."

As he stated his name, he strode into the conference room. His arrogance remained in his steps, his pride seemingly swallowing the entire hall.

"… Von Grahan Yukline."

The gazes on the round table followed him.

Only Glitheon laughed quietly with his head down.

"The Head of Yukline has arrived."

He didn't bow. No, he didn't even answer the call. He just arrived.

An extremely arrogant flair, befitting his existence.

Some of the Heads creased their lips or clicked their tongues in discontent, while some immature assistants had their jaws open unconsciously as if his appearance and ego bewitched them.

"I apologize for not arriving on time. It took me a while to pull myself together from the incident."

"You're not late. Have a seat."

He walked and sat in his rightful seat, reserved for his family. The moment he did, Sylvia marveled at the sight.

The round table certainly didn't have a hierarchy in their seats.

However, from the moment he appeared, it was as if all the weight was leaning onto him.

"But, since your assistant hasn't arrived yet, your right to speak will be limited to three times from the halfway point until the adjournment."

He looked at someone who couldn't make eye contact with him, his eyes filled with vivid anger as if looking at the cause of the recent incident.

"… I acknowledge it." Deculein slanted his head.

He couldn't even afford to say anything. His mana had already been drained, and this crazy scuttle had consumed his already exhausted energy even more.

He had far exceeded [Iron Man]'s limitations.

The only reason he could maintain his senses now was his unique [Personality].

"Calm down, Deculein."

Everyone in the conference room furiously misunderstood the heavy atmosphere. Even Ihelm, who always made provoking remarks every time they met, quietly fixed his posture.

Still, the best wizard on the continent was Yukline. Regardless of what the high society had to say about him, there was no doubt that he stood at the top.

"Since everyone from the 12 Traditional Families and 8 New Families has arrived, we will now begin the Bercht conference."

The meeting began in that silence.