Lighthouse (2)

Lia revealed to Deculein that she was Yoo Ara. Deculein must have heard her. He must have heard.

Thinking like that, Lia carried the fainted Deculein back down the mountain. She couldn't use magic or mana. He was in a state of dark energy encroachment and mana exhaustion, so he'd react fatally to even the slightest amount of mana particles.

Swish—

Whooosh—

While running like that, the wind suddenly scattered across the mountain became noisy with the energy of mana. She felt people moving below.

"…"

Lia stopped. She closed her eyes for a moment. Listening to the rustling leaves, faint footsteps, and the rushing air, she could grasp the situation in this area and guess the identity of the uninvited guests gathering here.

The Imperial Intelligence Agency. At least a hundred of their people were gathered at the foot of the mountain.

"…Damn."

Lia made a quick decision. She wouldn't be able to escape without being caught. The agents of the Imperial Intelligence Agency weren't ordinary people, so a hundred of them could even find an earthworm in the soil.

"Leo, Carlos."

Lia muttered. Then, two heads popped up among the bushes. Leo and Carlos had arrived a little later than her.

"What?"

"What."

Their answer was the same, but the expression and intonation were different. Leo was smiling brightly, and Carlos looked displeased.

"Divert them; I'll hide and follow you a little later. Okay? Got it?"

Saying so, Lia placed her palms on the ground. Her released mana created a small passage.

"Yes!"

"Why…"

Leo shouted, but Carlos responded dully. Lia and Deculein were about to enter, but she paused to look back at Carlos.

"What do you mean, Carlos? Why?"

Asking that, Carlos narrowed his eyes, and he still looked afraid of Deculein.

"Weren't we hired to kill him?"

"No."

"Why not? You said he would destroy the continent. He used to run around trying to kill me every time we met, so why do I have to help?"

Carlos stared at Deculein.

"Deculein didn't kill you."

"…Because you stopped him."

"Yes. Even so, there was a chance he could harm you. But Deculein just didn't."

Of course, she didn't know his true intentions. However, there was no way that Deculein had been unaware of Carlos's existence.

"You know who Deculein is, huh? Judging by his power, he would have been able to find us any time after hiring some adventurers."

"…"

Lia's eyes filled with warmth as she watched Carlos think.

"Carlos?"

"…Okay. So I just have to run around with Leo? He's so stupid that he can't do anything but run anyway."

Carlos pointed to Leo.

"What!? I'm not stupid!"

Leo was furious, but Lia nodded.

"Yes. Just do that."

"…Okay."

Carlos pouted as he warmed up. Leo joined him in stretching.

"…I will follow you soon."

Lia went down the tunnel with Deculein, and Carlos and Leo ran opposite directions.

* * *

…It was raining. A steady drip of water tapped against the window.

In this way, nature was the fairest. In the noble inner chambers where the emperor resided, in the dark alleys where thieves wandered, in the humble prison where criminals were bound, the smell and the sound of rain would spread and seep in the same way.

"…"

Now, Sophien, enjoying the rain, was calm. Quietly, she looked out the window and watched the rain but didn't say anything.

"…Your Majesty. Will you be okay if you don't ask if it's true?"

Ahan asked.

"…"

Sophien rested her forehead against the windowpane, enjoying the cool glass. Her eyelashes trembled as she closed her eyes.

She had already received the news. It was reported by the Floating Island, and it was confirmed by the Imperial Intelligence Agency. Deculein annihilated the killers from the Floating Island.

"It must be true."

Sophien requested cooperation from the Floating Island. To destroy Quay and the Altar, the power of the Floating Island would be indispensable. Therefore, the killers of the Floating Island were going to be mobilized for war shortly. Surely, that was the case.

"But why would the Professor do such a thing…?"

Ahan bit her lip.

"The Floating Island is furious."

"I know. But they wouldn't dare reveal the reason because of their pride."

Seventeen killers, all the Floating Island's pride, had been killed by only Deculein. Considering their arrogant behavior, it was a big event that could be delightful for the Empire, but Sophien wasn't in the mood to enjoy their suffering.

"Then… Your Majesty. This report…"

Ahan continued, stuttering. A report from the Imperial Intelligence Agency was placed on Sophien's desk, and it illustrated the circumstances of Deculein's betrayal in extensive detail.

"…Dispose of it."

Sophien still needed more time to think. No, she needed more time to prepare her thoughts before announcing her judgment. The emotions in her heart, the reason in her head, were rejecting this report.

"It won't take long."

Sophien loved Deculein. However, her love wouldn't allow herself and the Empire to be destroyed. Because, of course, she loved Deculein. Deculein wouldn't want a burden that could only be destroyed by love.

However, rather so.

"I don't want to dig into Deculein's thoughts. It's kind of scary for me to know the ugly side of Deculein."

Sophien had an ominous flash of intuition. No matter what kind of future Deculein envisioned and what awaited them, she had the feeling that Deculein wouldn't exist in that future.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sylvia, Julie, and Zeit were still imprisoned in the Painting Prison. However, it wasn't a dire situation. It was rather pleasant.

Enough that they felt guilty to be this comfortable.

"Sylvio. You have the talent to become an archmage."

Of course, it was thanks to the three primary colors of Iliade. With powers approaching authority, she went beyond transforming this empty picture prison into a livable space—

"To think you would draw the world. I can only admire it."

She gave shape to the world. Zeit couldn't help but think of his hometown, seeing the great Sylvia like this. He couldn't help thinking of his family, Freyden. It was purely thanks to this archmage candidate that Zeit wasn't impatient.

"The talent needed for Freyden was this close. It must also be the fate for a wizard to save the Knights' Holy Land."

The one who could solve the Ice Age in Freyden was right here. Zeit looked at Sylvia, and his eyes twinkled.

"So Sylvio-"

"Be quiet."

"…Okay."

"And, it's not Sylvio, but Sylvia."

"Oh."

Zeit pursed his lips. He mispronounced the name of a great wizard.

"…You're impressive, Sylvia."

Then Julie chimed in. Her eyes were twinkling as she looked around the landscape created by Sylvia.

"This space has completely turned into Sylvia's world."

"You are so right!"

Zeit played along with her. He hurriedly approached Julie. She was startled, but she looked up at him with a smile.

"Yes. The future of Freyden will be bright."

"Yes. Isn't that right, Sylvia the Great?!"

She didn't even think about it, but Sylvia's expression became serious again as she watched the two.

"…Now is not the time."

"Hmm. I know. However, leave it to us. We'll do it all, getting out of here and protecting Sylvia the Great."

Zeit stretched out his arm and pointed to the group. For reference, the number of the 'we' here was quite large and increasing day by day. First, Jackal, Carla, and Arlos were included, but other unnamed subjects nodded their heads with a slightly puzzled look.

"…Everyone, go inside and rest."

Sylvia motioned as if annoyed. The number of houses embodied by her three primary colors was now in the hundreds, and the number of people abducted here was in the thousands.

"Well, wizard. What did you find out? Any way to get out of here?"

Julie asked. Sylvia looked back at her with a feral glint in her eyes.

"There is no way out."

"…Huh?"

"Because stupid Epherene locked us here."

Sylvia felt she now knew the reason why stupid Epherene brought her here.

"I think I know why she had to prepare a blank canvas."

She could draw anything on a blank canvas, and anything could start anew. Even in this painting prison, the property was paper, so Sylvia's talent bloomed.

"Besides, the canvas area is infinite."

There was no end. If Sylvia drew a river, it'd become a river, and it would become independent forever as an element called water without supplying any more mana. That meant Epherene had already arranged this space for her.

"It seems Epherene is preparing everything to face destruction."

"By destruction…"

"Even if the continent is destroyed by the Altar, people can survive in here."

She was asking her to create a place to live for these people even if the foundation of the continent collapsed. It was something only Sylvia could do.

"She's saying that."

* * *

Back in the underground at the foot of the mountain where Deculein and Lia hid.

Lia placed a wet towel across Deculein's forehead.

Sizzle—

It sizzled with the sound of water splashing in a frying pan. Even though Lia was taken aback, she rearranged the wet towel and put it on again with Elementalization.

Sizzle—

The sound was the same, but it was different from just before. To be precise, Lia used a different implementation of the boiling point of water. So, it didn't boil at 100 degrees but required at least 300 degrees. It was a providence that ignored natural science, but this wasn't the world of science in the first place, right?

"Phew."

Thanks to that, the water in the wet towel didn't boil and cooled Deculein's body.

And at that moment, Deculein's eyes opened.

"Ugh!"

Lia backed away. Deculein watched her, turning only his eyes.

"…"

Without saying anything, he just stared at her for a while. Lia accepted that gaze and answered.

"What?"

She revealed that she was 'Yuli'. She didn't know what Deculein thought of Yuli, but his behavior would be different.

"So you're Yuli."

Deculein said. Her heart started pounding. But, it wasn't a lie, was it?

"Yeah."

"My ex-fiancée."

"…Yeah."

"That's you."

Deculein looked at her with suspicion in his eyes. He snorted and then chuckled as if it was ridiculous. That expression didn't match the usual Deculein.

"I mean it. My memory is incomplete, but I am Yuli."

"Can you prove it?"

"…What kind of proof do you want?"

"…"

For a moment, Deculein's expression hardened. Lia only tilted her head.

"What?"

She asked, but there was no reply from Deculein. He stared at a point over Lia's shoulder.

Stomp, stomp-

In the next moment, Lia heard footsteps. She turned around.

"…Oh."

There was the final boss of the Altar and the existence that heralded the end of this continent, Quay.

He approached them with a smile.

[This chapter makes more sense in Korean as Yoo Ara/Yura/Yuli all look and sound very different in English.]