Lighthouse (3)

"Are you okay?"

Quay asked as he came to a stop at their side. He chuckled as he looked between Lia and Deculein, and Lia stood without a word and faced Quay as if she was protecting Deculein.

"…"

Mana burned in her hands, but Deculein reached to stop her.

"Don't do anything foolish."

"…I haven't done anything yet."

Lia looked back at Deculein. Then, he raised his torso.

"No, excuse me. Your body is still-"

"I'm okay."

Pushing away from the reluctant Lia, he stood under his power. Stretching his neck and wrists first, he then straightened out his clothes. What a wonderful recovery speed.

Quay spoke.

"The child who interpreted the divine language, long time no see. We've met before, right?"

Lia gulped as Quay's eyes flicked over her, then he smiled.

"But why aren't you killing Deculein? You can still kill him right now."

What a rude, ignorant, and uncomfortable question. However, she couldn't afford to be hesitant in front of the final boss.

"Yeah. We're not falling for your plans. We won't kill each other."

"…What?"

That was a bit unexpected. No, more than a bit, very unexpected.

"Now we just have to wait for the right time."

"…The right time?"

"Yes. I need the last ingredient."

"What is that?"

Quay softly laughed.

"That's a secret~."

"…I mean. So, why did you even bother to mention-"

"Starlight. Moonranobes.netet."

The answer came from behind her. Lia's ears perked up as she spun to face Deculein. As if he had already fully recovered, his complexion was normal, and there wasn't a single particle of dust on his clothes.

It was a level of neatness that went beyond pathological.

"The light of the stars, the moon, and the comet will mix, and that mana will activate the lighthouse."

"…"

Lia's eyes narrowed as she listened, her brow twitching. Deculein sneered.

"You will see what will be at the end."

"…I even let you live."

"I must have told you it was your last chance. You were the one who gave up that opportunity."

Deculein scanned Lia. It felt like a kitchen knife stroking from the top of her head to her ankles.

He turned to Quay.

"Quay. What are you going to do to her?"

Quay laughed.

"What will you do?"

Lia blinked a few times and stared back at them. What's this situation now? To be caught with this group of dangerous folk all of a sudden…

Deculein said.

"I will kill her if she's a nuisance. She wanted to die too."

"What!"

Lia yelled. Deculein wore a small smile.

"You are the one who promised to prevent the destruction of the continent by dying by yourself."

"I mean, that was…."

Lia scratched the back of her neck. That particular game-over-ending could be counted as a victory. A rare branch of the main quest is called the Hero's Sacrifice.

"No."

But Quay shook his head. Benevolence gleamed in his eyes as he regarded Lia.

"I won't kill you because you are the child who interpreted the divine language. I've been watching you."

"…"

"Rather, I want you to be with me."

In this way, the final boss proved that he was a player too.

"Yeah. There's no chance I would do that, so wake up."

"Hmm~, what a shame. Deculein decided to be with me."

Lia glanced sideways at Deculein. His expression remained the same.

Quay asked.

"Deculein. Are you planning to return to the Empire?"

"Yes."

"Isn't it dangerous?"

There was some concern in Quay's voice now. The final boss was worried about Deculein? What a precious scene.

"It doesn't matter."

"Really? Then, okay."

He was quickly convinced by Deculein's response.

"Really? Then… Lia?"

Lia remained silent.

"After ninety-seven days."

"…Ninety-seven days?"

"Yes. After ninety-seven days, a comet will crash into the world."

"Try until then. See you later."

With those last words, Quay disappeared. It was like he was never there.

"…"

Lia looked up at Deculein; her eyes narrowed with displeasure.

"What? Kill me?"

"…"

"Kill me. Kill me."

Lia hit her head against Deculein's chest.

"Go."

"…Go where?"

"The Information Bureau. They're after me, so you don't need to intervene."

He said that he would kill her if she were a nuisance, but now he was worrying over her. What were his real intentions?

"Yeah. But more than that, what do you think of what I said?"

Lia mustered up the courage to speak informally. Deculein and Yuli didn't normally speak formally to each other.

"…"

Deculein stepped forward.

Stomp. Stomp.

As he walked through the tunnel, he said.

"You are not the Yuli I know."

"!"

At that moment, Lia's heart sank. Of course, she still couldn't tell what he meant. Did he not believe that she was Yuli, or did he think she had changed too much?

So, if he had already vaguely known that she was Yuli. If he could distinguish the current her from Yuli from the past, who was just a game-setting ex-fiancée. In other words, if he was aware that this world was a game…

"…No."

Lia shook her head. That couldn't be, and no insight, no awareness, would acknowledge that he was a creature in a game.

"What are you talking about?! I'm going with you!"

Lia followed Deculein.

"Let's go together!"

Whatever it was, it seemed right to be with Deculein now…

* * *

'…Because I am Yuli.'

I found it absurd. It was rejected by instinct before rational judgment could come into play.

However, as soon as I thought it might be possible… if the settings were like that. Suppose Deculein's ex-fiancée died and was reincarnated into the present-day Lia.

"…Lia went out for a while."

Anyway, that incident was now four days behind me. After meeting Epherene for the last time, hearing the disturbing revelation from Lia, and escaping from the siege conducted by the Imperial Intelligence Agency, I was now recovering at the Yukline estate. Leaving Lia, who claimed to be Yuli, in the mansion.

"Out?"

"Yes. It looks like she went to meet the Ganesha Adventure Team… I put a watch on her."

I nodded at Ren.

"Keep watching what she does."

"Yes. But, are you okay?"

Ren glanced at the newspaper on my desk.

[Chairman Deculain, investigation of plagiarism of theories]

[Secretly supported the profane research of his disciple Epherene…]

[Accelerating mass disappearance incidents… the suspect is Deculein's disciple, Epherene.]

The newspapers were all gossiping about me. Of course, it was all the work of the Floating Island, but there was no mention of the massacre of their killers. They must be embarrassed about that incident.

"I'm fine."

"However, Count. This Epherene case… it's not your fault."

Ren carefully added one more confidential document to the pile. It seemed to be information he obtained on his own.

"The Intelligence Service is now trying to frame you as an accomplice."

Mass disappearance. This was what Epherene had been working on for the past ten days. Compared to when it started, the frequency now was so rapid it affected society as a whole. Thousands of people went missing every day.

"You will be in trouble if you respond too late. If you appeal directly to the Imperial Court, it will be accepted. Why should you overturn the deeds of Epherene's arbitrary-"

"There's no need to."

I cut off Ren and burned the document he handed me.

"At this point, the Floating Island should also realize what kind of monster their arrogance created."

It wasn't a lie to say I was an accomplice to the mass disappearance, given there was now only ninety-three days until the comet arrived. So, now was the right time to get started.

Perhaps Epherene was also adjusting the time according to her plan. Being time-independent, of course, she was free to do whatever she wanted, but she must be in sync with us to offer help.

"Ren, pass it on to the Imperial Palace."

Thanks to that, I could help Epherene too. Living up to the ruthless prestige of Deculein of Yukline, in a very sure and efficient way.

"I thought of a good way to use this mass disappearance case."

"…How?"

"The Demon Blood execution. All we have to do is send them all into the canvas since they seem to be overflowing the concentration camps…"

* * *

…At the same time, someone was looking at the scene beyond the window of the Yukline mansion. That is, as Deculein became an enemy to everyone.

"…"

Epherene, sitting on the branch of a long zelkova tree, watched only Deculein's back.

"…Professor."

She kicked her legs and mumbled.

"I didn't know before."

The confidential document Epherene had seen with her own eyes, [Agenda for Punishment of Demon Blood], Deculein proposed to the Emperor. That rekindled the spark of Demon Blood discrimination. Deculein would continue to try to force countless people into the canvas.

"At the time, I thought you were just trying to use my magic for your ends."

Epherene knew about that future, but the emotions she felt now were quite different.

"I thought that was the case."

She thought that Deculein, driven to the edge, was going mad. She thought he was trying to kill all his foes by driving them away. She thought he was trying to defend his position.

"Seeing it now…."

Now, she was ashamed of herself for having thought that way.

I'm so ashamed, and I'm so sorry. Even now, I want to run and lean on your back and speak to you.

"…You knew everything."

Deculein had said from the beginning until now, he believed in her.

"Thank you."

As he promised, he would help her from start to finish. He would become the most reliable helper, a teacher who gave generously, and that lighthouse would illuminate the way ahead.

Even if that's the way, he was hated by everyone. Even if the process was too wrong, only the result should be right, in a Deculein-like way.

"But, Professor. Do you know that?"

Epherene softly muttered.

"I always think I can't like you more than I already do, you know?"

She could only see his back; she couldn't even look into his charming blue eyes.

"But it wasn't like that."

Epherene continued to watch. She didn't want to waste a single second, so she didn't take her eyes off him.

"As time goes by, I like you more and more…."

Epherene lowered her head. She was barely holding back the tears.

"…Huh?"

As she noticed movement from the corner of her eye, Epherene's eyes went wide.

"What? Knight Julie?"

Knight Julie, who should have been in the canvas, watched Yukline's mansion.

"…Did Sylvia take her out?"

Epherene watched her while muttering like that. Join us on Discord! There will be a huge announcement and a significant giveaway by the end of April.