Chapter 49

"I also gave you a chance to object. It's your fault for not paying close attention." Deculein said, his voice still as cold as a corpse.

"…" Julie quietly lowered her head.

The senior knights were looking at them. All kinds of emotions came and went in her mind.

However, it was still too early to give up.

"… You're right. It is my fault." She murmured.

After laying the ice flower on a suitable road surface, she concentrated mana in her hand.

Boom—!

She sustained an injury, causing her to feel a dull pain. The immediate release of mana still seemed too much for her.

But she didn't care.

Julie clenched her teeth and raised it, condensing it like a sphere in her palm, then threw it.

Whoosh…

Her magic power was carried by the wind and embraced the cottage. The warmth of the fireplace faded in an instant, and the whole place froze.

"Now, it should work." Julie gave Deculein a dignified look. He looked a little startled but then shook his head.

"You made a mistake. Look at the flower."

Julie did as instructed, turning her attention towards the road surface.

"… Oh."

There were scars on its petals.

The cracks on it were clear even at a glance.

"They're also affected by mana."

"… Huh." Julie forced a laugh while holding the broken flower in her hand.

She closed her eyes and lowered her head.

Above the fireplace, the frozen clock didn't move, but its hands were already close to 7 o'clock.

Deculein declared.

"You're eliminated, Julie."

* * *

Julie stayed at the cottage for a while since her body temperature was so low that she had trouble leaving right away. After finishing a meal, she slept soundly, and the knights gathered in the living room.

"That's not fair," Syrio complained.

I was more concerned about Julie's mana than anything else.

"…"

Today was the first time I had seen it.

Through [Vision], I noticed its flaw, an unknown constraint.

[Status: Magic Damage]

Julie's mana was crippled.

Magic damage meant one's mana supply had defects, which wasn't that common.

It would be similar to a curse or a near-mutilated injury.

In the game, did Julie rise to the top of the knighthood with this kind of abnormality, or did she reach the top by overcoming it?

I wasn't sure.

"… Only the difficulty of Julie's trial was too great. Ice flowers and fireplaces… I didn't even realize it at first." Syrio kept groaning. Gwen and Raphael were also looking at me, all of them expressing their anger.

The knights seemed unsatisfied with the unfair process.

A sudden thought passed through my mind.

They had a connection with both Deculein and Julie.

If so, did they know the reason for this 'Magic Damage'?

"… One day, Julie was injured," I uttered those words in a subtle tone like self-talk. It was a trick trying to test the waters.

However, the atmosphere inside had changed.

"Injured? That was because of you. When we were on an escort mission in the past… Oh, maybe…?"

Syrio's eyes widened as he looked at me. Raphael patted his chin and became lost in thoughts.

"Are there still effects from that time?"

Gwen frowned. "When she wielded her sword, she seemed to be fine…. What do you think, Raphael?"

"She seemed to consciously limit the use of her magic. She made full use of her sword, but she never instantly released a lot of mana." Raphael said, then after a brief pause, continued proudly. "There would have been no other way to fight against my heavy sword."

Syrio nodded as if he understood.

"Well… If she's still suffering from it, then it is a problem. She might get disapproval by being at Her Majesty's side. Especially from the eunuchs, who're famous for their polarity."

They spoke of a past I wasn't aware of. These were all information about before the game's beginnings.

"Are you sure, though? How did you know that… Oh, well. Of course, you know. You love her so much, after all." Syrio smiled slyly.

Gwen sharply glared at me. "Enough. Even if that's the case, this isn't how you should treat people. This kind of behavior isn't cool at all. Even if she is injured, she can teach Her Majesty enough. You're overprotecting her."

"Gwen."

I called her name.

"What?"

"Do you want to get eliminated too?"

"…"

Gwen shut her mouth, and I focused on my job as the selection officer.

"Everyone, go back to your rooms. The second trial will begin after the first to be eliminated leaves."

* * *

3 PM.

Outside the dark world, Julie remained standing.

She looked up at the sky, the winter in her eyes seemingly tearing up her soul.

"Cheer up, ma'am!"

"You've been under a lot of stress these days, so please show it to your heart's content and come back!"

The cheers of her subordinates came to mind. She was determined to pass for them, but her attempts resulted in failure.

However, she couldn't blame anyone. She couldn't even feel resentment.

Julie humbly accepted her defeat.

As she was about to go home, she heard someone approach her.

… Deculein.

He was looking at her from a distance.

"Julie."

"Yes."

He closed the distance between them slowly, the snow getting crushed under his feet.

Three steps away from her, he stopped. He thought for a moment as if choosing his words.

"I apologize for what happened today."

"Don't." Julie shook her head. "As you said, it was my fault. I understand. It was a test in itself."

"…"

Deculein didn't say anything. He couldn't understand her saying that it was her fault.

Julie spoke with sincerity.

"Ice flowers and the fireplace. It was really clever. I should have checked it when I got the assignment."

Deculein let out a small sigh.

'Clever, my ass. She's such a fool and honest person.'

"… Before I let you go, there is one thing I want to ask you."

"Is it as a selection officer?"

He shook his head.

"No."

"Alright. Fine."

It would be as Kim Woojin, not Deculein. No, as Kim Woojin, who harbored Deculein's feelings.

*****

Deculein remembered the first time he met Julie.

That day, she furiously talked about a 'promise,' but he didn't even ask what it was.

"There was a promise I broke the other day."

She looked at him without saying a word. He continued speaking indifferently.

"Tell me that promise again."

Her eyebrows twitched, and he just gave her a faint smile.

"I just want to hear from you again."

Hearing him say that made her think he was cunning.

At some point, he had become such a mysterious person.

"… It has already been half a year. At that time, I received a letter from a member of the 'Luna' family, the mother of the wizard who took his own life under your command."

"What was the content of the letter?"

"I've already shown it to you. It spoke of… the evil deeds you've committed in the past. I asked you for an explanation, and you remained silent."

At that time, Julie showed the letter to Deculein, but he glared at her with a crushed gaze and burned the letter.

"You said it was something I didn't need to know."

"I see."

Deculein acted as if it had never happened before.

Again, this was an incomprehensible behavior.

"Why are you asking me about it now?"

"…" He looked at Julie. A bitter smile appeared on his lips. "Because it was my fault."

"… What?"

Surprised, her eyes widened.

Deculein repeated his words.

"At that time, it was my… Deculein's fault."

"…"

"However, the research is still ongoing. He designed it, but I'm the one starting its construction. I'm now filling in the blanks myself. Naturally, since this is a study we started together, I'll name him as my co-author."

Deculein looked at the horizon.

The sun was slowly rising. The nature of magical spaces was so strange.

"If I profit from it, I will share it with his family and help them regain their honor. On the day it's published, I'll also apologize to him."

His face was drenched in daylight. Like ice in the spring sun, he was cold but warm.

She responded quietly. "… Why didn't you say that then?"

Then, Deculein turned his eyes to Julie. She didn't avoid his direct gaze.

"I don't know. Maybe because it wouldn't change anything even if I had said that."

"What?"

"At that time, you were only looking for reasons to hate me."

Just as Deculein loved Julie, it might have been fate that Julie hated Deculein.

That was what he thought.

"I understand. No matter how you feel about me, we can't control our feelings."

"… No."

However, Julie had a different opinion.

She shook her head firmly.

"I… used to like you."

Deculein's expressionless eyes widened. At his surprising change, Julie blushed.

"No, that's… What I mean…."

The relationship between Julie and Deculein went at least 16 years back in time. Deculein wasn't yet the Head of Yukline then, and Julie was just a child dreaming of becoming a knight.

Despite the many disappointments and humiliation she had experienced, the reason why she decided to trust the person named Deculein was, in fact, all in Julie's heart.

"Back then—"

"Let's just bury it." Deculein shook his head and cut off Julie's words.

"Because I'm not who I was back then."

Julie, who had moved her lips, soon nodded shyly. Knowing Deculein's will, she took back the words from her mouth.

Looking at her like that, he said. "Julie."

"Yes?"

"From now on, I will try not to love you." Julie's eyes and mouth opened wide. Deculein smiled brightly at her pure reaction, breaking his coldness. He, who had always been a solemn nobleman, turned into a boy in an instant.

Still wearing his smile, he continued.

"It seems like you're feeling uncomfortable, so I'll try to get further away from here. Then, someday, we'll be able to go our separate ways."

"…"

He finally told Julie the feelings he had for her.

"I will do it for you." When he finished speaking, he turned around. "You worked hard today. Please be careful on your way home."

Julie watched his back retreat further and further away. The sun then rose in the middle of the sky, illuminating the world warmly.

Soon, a small, sunlight-like smile spread across her lips.

"… You're serious." Today, she realized it again.

He was trying to change. She became aware of his efforts to do so. Maybe she already knew, but just refused to admit it.

"As a knight, I will reflect on myself."

Feeling a part of her heart warming up, Julie turned around, walking in the opposite direction as him.

'I will try not to love you…'

His words echoed in her ears.

He claimed he would change for her, saying he would stop loving her for her sake.

'It was definitely meant for me.'

"…"

She abruptly stopped and looked back, but he was already nowhere to be seen.

Nodding, she went back to following her own path.

The snow seemed to engulf her legs, but the sunlight soon melted all of them that clung to her body like sludge.

Julie walked away from Deculein.

At the same time, she acknowledged her feelings towards him.

* * *

… I successfully completed the selection process.

After three days of exams, three more knights were eliminated, leaving Raphael to be selected.

Thanks to him, I spent three days on it, but it didn't mean I gained nothing from it.

Using [Vision], I observed the best knights in the continent, remembering how they moved through [Understanding]. It was an experience that was hard to attain, even with a million dollars.

As soon as I returned to my office in the University Tower, I compiled a summary of their actions. Combining them, they would come in handy when paired with my [Iron Man].

"Hmm." While putting this 'record' in my office's desk drawer, I noticed a notebook. I took it out.

[ ─ ]

It was the untitled, seemingly empty notebook I brought from Deculein's room at Hadekain. The detailed information it contained remained hidden, but it was clear that it was a magical artifact.

The use of these magical artifacts was usually straightforward. I just had to infuse it with mana.

"…"

The moment I put my hand on it, however…

Knock, knock—

I put the notebook back into the drawer and opened the door with my Psychokinesis.

"Congratulations!" Allen, wearing a cone hat, was holding a cake in his hands. He smiled brightly. "Professor, congratulations on being selected as the Magic Educator!"

It seemed the Imperial Family had already made an announcement.

I nodded.

"Do you have the list?"

"Here!"

Allen held a document out as if he had been waiting for this moment.

As soon as I looked at it, I frowned.

[List of Magic Educators of the Imperial Palace: Deculein von Grahan Yukline, Louina von Schlott McQueen.]

There were two Magic Educators, but that wasn't the worst part, considering I was bound to meet Louina someday anyway.

No, the worst part was the next page that made me feel like I had been stabbed in the back.

[List of Knighthood Educators of the Imperial Palace: Syrio von Renya Sigrun, Raphael Kent, Julie von Deya-Freyden, Gwen Whipsy]

"What?"

The emperor selected all four of them as Knighthood Educators.

She wrote the reason on the back, too.

— I want to learn Syrio's wind-like swift sword style, Raphael's heavy and explosive swordsmanship, Gwen's advanced rapier techniques, and Julie's unity of element and sword.

Moreover, at that moment…

[Imperial Palace Quest: Devil's Mirror]

◆ Store Currency + 10

◆ ???

A huge quest that gave 10 won worth of store currency appeared.

"… Pah-pa-pah! Pa-ra-pah-pah! Pah-pah!"

Not reading the mood, Allen burst into a fanfare, which was the first time he had one.

"Leave."

"Oh, okay!"

I beckoned, and Allen, reading the mood, went straight out.

"…"

I stared at the list and thought about it.

However, nothing would change if all I did was ponder all over it behind my desk. All of this was the emperor's will.

"Damn…"

I sat on a chair and brushed my hair.

Knock, knock—

I was about to leave, so I approached the door and opened it this time.

Sylvia looked up at me with a huge scroll in her arms.

"Professor. I have a question."

"Question?"

"Yes. In the last class, you said that this project would be difficult, and you told us to come to you with any questions."

"That's true, but are you alone?"

"Yes."

"Come with your teammates."

I closed the door.

Knock, knock—

Sylvia knocked again. Since I didn't open the door, I only heard her voice.

"My teammates are not helpful."

"Group projects are not supposed to be done alone."

"…"

Only then did I hear her footsteps moving away.

But after a moment, I heard a knock again.

"I definitely…."

I opened the door, and this time, I found the other four with her. It was as if they were together all this time.

Did Sylvia leave the four of them so that only she would ask me questions?

"We're all here now.

"… Okay. Come in."

I guided the freshmen to the table in the office. As soon as Epherene sat down, she displayed an ominous smile.

*****

"We decided to do the group project like this. So."

Sylvia put down the scroll. Deculein nodded and unfolded it.

He told them to come at any time, but he didn't think they would really come… at this time…

'Hehe.' … Epherene giggled inside.

The magical disaster's formula written in the scroll wasn't complete.

She wrote the wrong part on purpose without Sylvia's knowledge. It was a very clever trap that she pondered for two days and two nights.

Hence, it would be hard even for him to figure it out just by looking at it.

Why?

This was because it was a trap with 'catalyst' written on it.

"What part did we do wrong?"

Epherene asked Deculein cautiously, pretending to be frightened. She tensed up and licked her lips.

He silently looked into the scroll.