Locralen (4)

… An hour ago, amid a dark dawn.

The academic building grew very quiet thanks to Rose Rio's [Silence]. Amid it, Epherene glanced at Allen, who accompanied her on the second floor's conference room.

"Assistant Professor. Are you sleeping?"

Allen, covered in a blanket, repeated a faint breathing sound.

Fortunately, it was irregular, which evidenced that they hadn't fallen victim to the monster yet.

"…"

Epherene picked up the thick backpack and cautiously stuffed it with food.

Right now, her thoughts about her future self dominated over her fear of an attack.

She knew Adult Epherene would be hungry like her.

"Oh."

She put on high heels, which she thought would make the Kaidezite confuse her for her older version. Only then did she finally sneak out.

However…

"…!"

In the middle of the hallway, she made eye contact with Professor Relin, who claimed to be a vigilante to show off in front of Deculein.

"This… This… This…"

His presence startled her, but she inevitably noticed he repeated a certain word endlessly with a shocked expression.

"This…."

Epherene looked up at him and placed a hand on her chest.

"… Professor Relin."

She suffered a lot from him and talked behind his back a lot, but when she saw him in such a pitiful state, she felt bad for him.

After a brief bow, she descended the stairs, finding the employee at the information desk on the first floor resting his head on his desk.

"I guess he's sleeping."

Utilizing that opportunity, she went straight down to the [Underground Archives].

"Epherene. Epherene!"

As soon as she reached the basement, she whispered her own name repeatedly, finding the act a little bit funny.

"Epherene! Where are you, Epherene!"

When her older version didn't show up, she hid behind a bookshelf first to recollect her thoughts.

At that time…

"No way!"

─!

Startled, she turned around, finding the society's president, Locralen, running away with desperation in his expression.

"What's wrong with him?"

Epherene took out her lunch box instinctively.

As she ate a bite, the words of her future self repeated in her mind.

"…She told me not to hate him."

That was weird.

Gindalf, her older version… What was wrong with her?

"Epherene!"

Surprised by the voice coming from above, she looked up, finding Adult Epherene looking down at her from atop the tall bookshelf.

"Y-You scared me!"

"Huhu. Thanks to you, I could do it."

"Do what?"

"I caught the host."

"Really?!"

Her eyes, nostrils, and mouth widened as her future self smiled at her and landed gently next to her.

"Of course. I couldn't have done it without you, though."

"Because of me? How so?"

"Your shoes! We're essentially the same person, so when you became as tall as I was and wore a robe to conceal how you did it, the Kaidezite naturally became confused. While it was focused on you, I went out and caught it."

"Oh. I see! Haha. In fact, that's what I had in mind too."

She proudly showed off her heels, causing her older self to chuckle.

"Right. It's as expected of me! We're smart."

It was a nice compliment to hear. Shrugging, Epherene took her backpack off her shoulders.

"Wait. I brought you something."

Unzipping it, she held out another lunch box.

Adult Epherene's eyes widened.

"Oh~!"

"Unfortunately, I couldn't find any Roahawk."

"Roahawk… I almost forgot." She licked her lips.

Grinning, the younger of the two asked, "Are there Roahawks in the future too?"

"Of course. It's actually become famous for its taste. Personally, I always found it more delicious whenever I ate with the Professor."

Epherene's expression hardened.

"With Professor Deculein?"

"Yeah. It's going to take a very long time to make him eat together with us since he pathologically hates unclean food."

"… That's true."

She couldn't bring herself to imagine… Deculein holding a Roahawk in his hands.

She shook her head, preventing her from getting more distracted. She had more important matters to discuss with her.

"But aren't the Professor and you… No, me… us… enemies? Can you at least give me a hint about what happened?" She asked cautiously.

Adult Epherene wallowed in silence for a moment, her expression seemingly trying to choose the right words carefully and firmly.

Then, she laughed bitterly.

"Yeah. You're right. He's an enemy."

"I am?"

"But… he doesn't exist in my world anymore. So don't hate him too much. I honestly would appreciate it if you could make him stay in your world for as long as possible."

"…!"

Her words stabbed her in the back like an awl and made her feel dizzy.

Adult Epherene supported her before she could fall.

"I can't provide you with more detailed explanations. You're already dizzy, right?"

"Uh-huh… I feel sleepy for some reason…"

"Then you should sleep. Thank you for this lunch box."

"Ah… sure…" Epherene rubbed her hazy eyes.

"Sleep well. When you wake up, it'll all be over."

"Okay… Wait… What's going to be… over…?"

Adult Epherene only laughed bitterly.

No answer came even after she fell into a comfortable slumber.

*****

[In 953, according to those who witnessed the meteorite's fall, they saw two flashes of light struck the ground… The area was then named after its scientific name, Locralen.]

[The Isle of Wizard's Wealth purchased the rights to Locralen for 1 billion Elnes, which sparked a debate in the academy. That land wasn't in the sky but on the ground, and if an accident occurs during the study on the Floating Island… In particular, the imperial media, The Journal, criticized it as 'the dark desire of the magical world.']

[Its society's president, Jessen, later changed his name to Locralen.]

Deculain spent all day conducting investigations. The wizards, including Rose Rio and Kreto, had already gone to bed, but he found no need to sleep or rest.

With tension and concentration stacking on top of his [Iron Man] trait, he dedicated himself to digging into the entirety of Locralen.

"… Hey."

He looked at the addict, who was quietly standing in the corner of the discussion room on the third floor.

He pointed to himself. "Me?"

"Yes. You. I heard there were 500 addicts in Locralen."

"That's right."

"Where are they all?"

"On conference days, everyone stays inside."

"Everyone?"

"Of course. We are Locralen addicts. Regardless of where we're working, be it at a hotel, canteen, or as an employee, we all come here during conference days."

Deculein nodded silently.

"Then, there will be no one outside this academy building right now."

… Except for Drent, who passed out in the hotel.

"Most likely."

The addict's reply caused a certain thought to flash through Deculein's mind, like a spark that lasted only for a fleeting moment.

It wasn't conclusive, but enough to serve as a hint…

"Professor Deculein!"

The door swung open, and an addict came in.

"The president was also attacked!"

Though his voice was filled with urgency and fear, Deculein's composure remained unfazed.

He straightened his collar, sleeves, and tie, then got up.

"Let's go."

"O-okay."

There was no need to walk long.

He found Locralen stunned on the stairs of the third floor.

"Ugh, Professor Deculain—! You… How did you know?"

Deculain watched the society president call out to him.

"You… How did you know? Ugh, Professor Deculain—! You… How did you know? Ugh, Professor Deculain—! You… How did you know?"

Locralen's cycle was pretty bizarre.

"Since when has he been like this?"

"We found him this morning."

"Deculein! This is trouble! K-Kreto was attacked too!" Rose Rio yelled, approaching him from behind.

"…"

He gave her a quick glance, then refocused his attention on Locralen.

"… This is strange."

He felt as if he was missing something.

The 'stun' was clearly contagious. However, if it were truly all around him by now.

Was it because it didn't mean death?

But if that state was eternal, what difference would it be from death?

Deculein watched Locralen scream and run for a few moments.

"Ugh, Professor Deculain—!"

Not long after, he noticed a necklace around his collarbone.

However, the 'chain' was the only thing left of it.

'Someone probably took the pendant itself.'

At that moment, a system announcement flashed in front of Deculein's retina, stating [Quest Complete].

His eyes widened in amazement. The article he just read today also coursed through his mind like static electricity.

[… According to those who witnessed the meteorite's fall, they saw two flashes of light struck the ground…]

Two flashes of light.

"… it wasn't just one meteorite that hit Locralen, Rose Rio. And there isn't only one Kaidezite either."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Follow me."

Even at that moment of realization, Deculein remained extremely calm. He just descended to the first floor without saying anything. Like the high-ranking wizard that she was, Rose Rio quickly regained her composure and followed him.

"We must leave! We can't blindly trust Professor Deculein forever! We should trust in our own intelligence-"

"Prepare magic!"

"Destruction magic…"

"We must leave! We can't trust only Professor Deculein forever! We should put more faith trust in our own intelligence—"

"Prepare magic!"

"Destruction magic…"

The exit on the first floor was a mess. Dozens of wizards, locked in perpetual repetition, ceaselessly chanted magic incantations.

"We'll be like them soon." Rose Rio murmured cynically.

"Professor!" Allen came down, panting from the second-floor stairs. "This is trouble! Epherene is gone!"

"… What? Isn't Epherene your disciple, Deculein?" Rose Rio glanced at him, but he didn't even show the slightest concern or interest. Instead, he just went straight to the [Underground Archives].

"Professor! I'm going with you— ouch!"

Allen tripped mid-run, but he still showed neither sympathy nor empathy. However, Rose Rio, a few steps behind, called out to him.

"… Deculein! Look behind you!"

Only then did he turn around.

"Professor! I'm going with you— ouch!"

Allen reached out to him but, failing to grab onto him, fell to the floor instead.

"Professor!"

Allen then went back in time.

"I'm going with you, ouch!"

Allen, too, was now stuck in an eternal cycle. Nevertheless, Deculein remained undaunted.

Rather, he spoke as if it was only natural that it happened.

"So?"

"What? You—"

"Just follow me."

Deculein went down the stairs without hesitation, but he didn't stop at the [Underground Archives]. Instead, he made his way through the middle of the hallway.

"Your disciple's over there!" She pointed to the side of the bookshelf, where Epherene seemed to have been stunned while in her sleep.

"Right."

"W-what's with your reaction? You're so cold-blooded…"

His composure amid a sea of trouble shocked her. There wasn't even a hint of doubt within his every move.

"… Is it here?"

Soon enough, they reached the stairs leading to the lower basement.

Deculein glanced at her.

"Rose Rio."

"No, don't call me by my name alone from now on. Add 'etheric' before it. Repeat after me. Etheric Wizard Rose Rio."

Now that she had seen his true colors, she intended to cut ties with him from now on. Much to her surprise, though, he bluntly did as she instructed.

"Etheric Wizard Rose Rio."

"You really did it…"

"Stand over there."

Rose Rio frowned.

"Why?"

"There's a Kaidezite behind you."

"What? Then—"

"You should just be stunned."

"Y-you crazy bastard—"

Rose Rio gathered mana into her hand, but that was where her resistance ended.

"Y-you crazy bastard— Y-you crazy bastard— Y-you crazy bastard—"

After confirming she was now affected by the monster's power as well, he went down the stairs.

Thump—

Thump—

Feeling like he could be a bit at ease now, Deculein dusted his entire physique off, including the buttons on his sleeves, collar, and tie, as he descended an endless spiral staircase.

'She'll most likely be waiting for me down there.'

Clack—

The ground his shoes stepped on was now as hard as stones, unlike the stairs he scaled.

"…"

Having reached Locralen's last basement, Deculein looked at the other end of it, where a huge gate was blocked by a 'time gap,' just as Adult Epherene said, but it was already open.

Remaining undaunted, he walked in with his upright posture.

"… You."

Among the damp underground filled with cold gusts, he found the two meteorite fragments that hit the continent's surface in the past and the monster of time they brought with them.

More importantly, he found the future Archmage standing firm in the middle of it all.

"So this is where you were."

"Indeed. Nice to meet you, Professor," 'Epherene Luna' replied.

*****

[Quest Complete: The Archmage's Request]

◆One Advanced Attribute Catalog

Locralen was the host we were looking for. His name itself hinted he was connected to the meteorite, after all.

The problem was that there wasn't only one monster.

"There were two Kaidezites," I said, facing Epherene.

"Yes. One went to Locralen, and the other came to me. His was a runaway, which made me struggle a bit, but in the end, it was thanks to him that I succeeded."

Shrugging, Epherene smiled.

"You don't know how many times I went back and forth between the future and the past, all for the sake of finding the most decisive moment to strike."

"…"

I thought I knew what 'Locralen abolition' meant now.

And what this brazen woman was trying to do.

Thump—

When I took a step towards her, she stiffened and shook her head.

"Don't come any closer."

I ignored her words, but after a while, a transparent curtain blocked my way.

"Carbon Shield. It's magic invented by you and honed by me. No one's capable of penetrating through it."

She divided the space by freely handling [Carbon] magic.

Stopping as close as I could be to her, I then stared right into her eyes.

"What do you plan to do now?"

"Since I've captured Kaidezite and Locralen, I will release them. Those bastards will spread all over this place, consuming their life force, that is, 'time.' It is the most peaceful solution available."

"… Is that why you paralyzed everyone?"

Epherene smiled bitterly.

"Yes. That's right."

The reason [The Villain's was that the eternal cycle she caused was seen as salvation, not death.

"So this is the plan you've come up with to dispose of Locralen."

Due to its nature, the past and the future always coexisted in this space, making it impossible to get all personnel outside.

"I, Archmage Epherene, was in charge of that."

This place wasn't meant to be entered by humans, much less hold conferences.

In that sense, this catastrophe was caused by nothing but the magical world's greed and desires.

"However, if you release them, time will overflow throughout Locralen, right?"

Kaidezite was a monster that devoured time.

One could easily predict the result of letting it go.

If what was intertwined were to be unraveled like a compressed skein being untwined, it would expand, allowing it to spread all over the place.

The same could be applied to time.

"That's right. Locralen's space will be filled with time."

"This process could take hundreds of years."

Epherene shook her head. "After careful calculations, I concluded it would take 385 years, but that much time will only pass in this realm. In the outside world, only ten seconds would pass."

"Do you mean you're going to bear that time alone?"

"Yes."

Her answer was immediate.

"Don't worry. No matter how many eons pass in here, I'd never age. The Kaidezite is a monster made up of only 'time,' after all."

If the Kaidezite were to escape from Locralen, the world would be destroyed, turning the entire continent into victims of its malevolence.

However, if she unraveled it here, the time in this space alone would stretch to hundreds of years.

That would limit the victims to only those within Locralen.

Not wanting to sacrifice anyone, Epherene created her own solution.

"Only those who have been stunned in the past can escape those centuries."

She nodded weakly.

"Yes. If I can endure the 385 years, they'll all be safe. For them, it would only feel like a fleeting moment. They won't even realize they've been stunned."

They wouldn't even realize it.

That was the key.

She chose to put everyone in Locralen under such an effect except herself. In doing so, they wouldn't even be aware of the 385 years they'd be going through.

"For that to happen, everyone had to be in this conference hall. 'Stun' is a skill that takes a lot of time and energy, so it needs to be located close to Kaidezite's meteorite. I intentionally used you since I know you well~"

She winked, which wasn't really like her.

I stared at her, dumbfounded.

"… What about Drent?"

"Huhu. I've already taken care of him. He's a very mentally weak man."

With a nod, I gathered mana in my hand and used it to scratch her Carbon Shield.

Epherene just laughed.

"I already told you it won't work. Magic invented by you and developed by me—"

Sway—

Her eyes widened upon witnessing it tremble.

"You're too cheeky. I invented it, Epherene. That makes [Understanding] it a lot easier and faster."

Whooong—!

I was filled with confidence until Epherene poured out even more mana, causing it to become ten times stronger than before.

"My rank is Eternal, Professor."

"…"

There was no way out of this.

"Don't take the weight of hundreds of years lightly. You alone will spend much longer than a human lifetime, in a place where there is no one to accompany you."

Epherene didn't answer.

"Not even you would be able to prevent your mental power from collapsing. Your psyche will crumble and be swept away like sandcastle amid a tornado."

"I know."

Epherene inflated her cheeks.

"But who could survive that long easily?"

"He's right in front of you."

I looked at her. Epherene's playful expression gradually turned blank.

"What…"

"I'll do it for you, Epherene."

Her lips quivered.

385 years.

I didn't know what would happen to me during those long years.

But I wasn't afraid at all. That enormous amount of time wouldn't even be able to scratch my far more colossal ego.

Therefore, I was more suitable for this task than her. All I had to do was train [Psychokinesis] by myself.

"I need time to think and grow anyway."

"… You'll think for 300 years?"

As I nodded, a small smile appeared on her lips.

"Huh… I can't believe this happened to me."

A small drop of tear formed on the corner of her eye. Wiping it with the sleeve of her robe, the tip of her red nose then rose with a sniff.

I smirked.

"Are you really crying just because of such a simple task?"

"… No. This is far more than just a simple task to me."

Epherene dismantled the shield.

That made me understand what she wanted to say.

"Let's take turns."

"… Yes, Professor."

I was going to say something to her, but my mouth didn't move.

"Thank you."

I…

"But it's fine."

I shouldn't have allowed her to get anywhere near me.

"Goodbye, Professor."