#12. Past
On that day, five years ago, the biggest star in the world went out.
Deculein is dead.
It was an indisputable fact. Sophien watched the moment of his death.
FSHSH!
Top of a snow-capped mountain.
With eyes beyond human capabilities, Sophien watched the scenery inside Rohakan's hut.
– Brother.
Yeriel called Deculein. Deculein smiled at her.
Sophien personally oversaw the last conversation between the two of them.
– Yeriel.
Deculein held out his hand to comfort his grieving sister.
-… why were you hiding? Yeriel asked.
She tried not to cry, but her voice trembled.
"I wasn't hiding," Deculein replied.
At that moment, Ellie stepped a step closer and bowed her head. It was a modest and simple greeting.
Looking at her gaze, which was deeper than a hundred words, Deculein nodded his head in response.
With that, they said goodbye.
Deculein then spoke to Yeriel again.
– I was waiting.
Sophien rested her chin on her hand and smiled.
These words were warm and caring. So addressed to each other those who were related by blood.
Even though Yeriel didn't have a drop of Yukline's blood, he accepted her as his sister.
"…you're doing great."
Each of his words warmed like the sun.
– I am doing my best.
Yeriel wept at Deculein's praise.
However, it was impossible to tell from her tear-stained expression whether she was happy or sad.
– So you were watching me? Yeriel asked, squeezing his hand.
Her tears fell on his hand.
"Yes, Yeriel," Deculein said. – You're doing well. And you will be fine in the future.
It was sincere praise.
– So there is nothing to be sad about. I can rely on you.
Deculein smiled. Raising his body slightly, he hugged Yeriel tightly.
– Because you are my sister.
After that, there was a loud roar.
Yeriel could no longer contain her emotions. The cry of her heart filled the hut.
-…
Looking at her, Sophien thought.
Will this Yeriel be able to control her emotions in the future? Her sanity evaporated, making any judgment impossible. It would be good if she didn't faint.
– Yes. Because I am your sister.
…however, Yeriel regained her composure sooner than Sophien expected. She bit her lip and wiped away her tears with the hem of her sleeve. Then she buried her face into Deculein's chest.
She is the head of the family with the same determination and will as Deculein.
– Thanks a lot. AND…
She did not want to waste the last moments of his life only on sadness, so she decided to let out everything that was in her heart all these years, leaving no regrets behind…
– I love you.
She always wanted to say something she had never said before. At least now she could not remain silent.
– I'm glad you're my brother.
At that moment, Deculein smiled warmly and replied:
"…thank you, Yeriel."
However, his smile was temporary.
The body, whose heart had stopped, had already reached its limit by that time and was just waiting for Yeriel to release it.
Accepting his own death, which he had long sought, Deculein slowly closed his eyes.
– Rest in peace, brother.
Yeriel also accepted his death.
#13. The present
– …I did not like it.
Sophien looked at Ifrin, fishing on the shore of the lake.
– What didn't you like? Ifrin asked.
"I don't want to put up with his death," Sophien said.
Ifrin tilted her head.
– And what does it mean? Is there any way?
It was a calm, sunny day. From outside came the chirping of birds.
They talked in the mountains, where people rarely appeared, and where nature remained untouched.
– Aren't you a mage? Your specialty is to create an opportunity, even if there isn't one.
– There is no turning back.
Epherene frowned.
"Even if it is possible, we cannot distort a timeline that already exists.
Epherene was strict in her words.
To meet Deculein, she will be able to sacrifice "all her being", but this will only concern "her".
For her own purposes, she cannot sacrifice anything that is not herself.
This is the philosophy of Epherene and Deculein.
– Ha. Nothing to worry about. Your dedication will be enough.
-…
Holding the fishing rod in her hands, Ifrin looked at Sophien.
Sophien looked straight ahead at the water.
– Particles of time.
– …what?
– Particles of time.
This is the name of a theory that Deculein gave to Epherene in Lokralen 5 years ago. It was a miracle accomplished by the joint efforts of a teacher and a student.
"They say it's the magic you learned in Lokralen."
BRR!
The rod lingered. The float began to sink.
– AND?
With her help, we can do it.
– What…
– As you remember, shortly after Deculein's death, a meteorite fell in the north.
Meteorite.
Epherene thought for a moment, then nodded.
"The day Your Majesty and I traveled together to the future…"
– Yes.
In the past, Sofien and Epherene traveled together into the future.
There, Epherene received a wand from Deculein.
The last gift that the deceased Deculein left her.
– I have a fragment of this meteorite.
-…
Epherene's pupils fluttered. She looked at Sophien with concern on her face.
– And also…
Click!
Sophien snapped her fingers.
At that moment, the bushes behind them stirred. Looking around, Epherene made a funny expression, but quickly smiled.
– Hi. Haven't seen you for a long time," a dry voice rang out.
She was the only woman Archmage Epherene could call her friend.
Silvia.
"Greetings, Archmage Epherene."
In addition, there was another person who called her an archmage. The continent's greatest adventurer who was no longer a child.
– Lia, Sylvia. Why are you both here?
However, Epherene's joy was temporary. She suddenly frowned.
Lia smiled widely. For some reason, her gaze and posture were full of confidence.
-…
Epherene stood up without saying a word. The mana in her body also began to move.
Of course, this unexpected meeting is as pleasant as it is sudden, but as an archmage in charge of protecting causality and providence, as the leader of the continent's magic world, she must eliminate any serious threat.
– What did you think? Epherene asked quietly.
The pressure of magic power was so great that it would immediately suffocate an ordinary person.
But Lia smiled softly anyway.
– I thought you'd like it.
– If you want to distort the passage of time…
– There is a better way than this.
Lia is from the Red Garnett Adventure Team. Having received the title of "Continent's Best Adventurer" for the past 5 years, she was now almost the same height as Epherene.
– If only….
Looking straight into her eyes, Lia explained:
– If it turns out that the professor is not actually dead. No, if we make it so, then it will be possible.
It was the most absurd sentence that she said with the most serious expression on her face.
#14. Rohakan Hut
Nothing is impossible. That's what sorcerers usually say.
The causality of the world is not just a dichotomy between "possible" and "impossible", but the "possibility" that exists between them. Therefore, a real magician is looking for this opportunity. No matter how impossible something may seem, he will embark on the path of possibilities, not sparing his soul.
"I agree with that idea," Sylvia said.
She is also a kind of "true magician".
-…
Epherene, on the other hand, was silent.
She was now in Rohakan's hut, pondering over Lia's words.
– You want to deceive the world? It's still hard to understand.
Deceive the world.
This is the essence of Lia's suggestion: "Deculein may not actually be dead."
– Is it possible? It's not impossible.
-…
– First of all, it does not contradict providence. It's not about bringing the dead back to life, and it's not about turning back time.
Epherene nodded her head at Sylvia's words.
The content of this absurd plan was simple.
The first step is to create a [Passage] leading to the past using Time Particles. Return for a brief moment to the time when Eternal Winter froze the entire continent.
It will take a lot of effort, mana, a catalyst, an intermediary, and sacrifices just to complete this first step, but it will be successful anyway.
Then the second step: find Deculein, who went into hibernation ten thousand years ago, and "hide" him from the world.
"Have you developed magic yet?" Epherene asked Sylvia.
Sylvia's job was to "hide" Deculein, and she's already been successful.
She calmly replied:
"I made it look like [Outworld] as much as possible."
And she embodied this magic in the form of a form that she was very proud of.
– Canvas?
– Yes.
Canvas.
Deculein's hiding space, created by using hundreds of millions of Elne and many mana stones from Marik. There he can hide from the eyes of the world.
– …and what's next?
– There are many paintings in the lighthouse gallery. Hang a canvas among them, then come back…
There was no need to talk about the third and last step.
Meeting with a professor.
-… this is absurd.
Epherene smiled bitterly.
Sylvia nodded her head in the same way.
– To her.
Archmage Epherene and de facto Archmage Sylvia. Even though these two mages thought it was an absurd plan…
– It's possible. I'm sure.
The adventurer Lia was more confident than anyone else in the possibility of saving Deculein.
"I was there the last day of the professor's life," Lia said.
She turned the chair around in front of her and leaned her chest against its back.
– In his last moments.
Deculein's last moments.
And at the same time, Kim Woojin's last moments.
Although too late, she knew who was Kim Woojin, who came into this world, and Deculein.
At that moment, Professor…
He was different. His appearance, voice, and face were slightly different from Deculein's before hibernation.
Of course, his death will remain an indisputable fact.
"We'll save the dormant professor, spend time with him, and before the professor dies, we'll bring him back to this timeline."
– But…
Just when Epherene was about to say something, Lia interrupted her, putting her out of her worries:
– Until then, the progress of [Understanding] will stop. To deceive the world means to temporarily cut off all connection with these forces or talents. So the professor will remain human.
"…are you so sure about that?"
Epherene had a very frightened face, but Lia smiled.
– Yes. But don't expect the professor to live very long.
Declan has already done too much. This is a man who brought his soul and body to the limit.
He can live only one year, or maybe 30 years.
"Besides, the professor we saved must one day return to this timeline and meet his death. Just like it happened five years ago in this hut.
However, his final moments are not going anywhere. Deculein must return to this "five-year-old hut" and wait for Yeriel and his own death."
– Only in this way will the world be deceived, and thus we will save Epherene in Lokralen.
385 years in Lokralen.
Epherene cannot and should not endure this time alone. What's more, she's already been through this with Deculein. Whatever the future of Deculein, he will definitely return to this timeline.
– Of course, this interference will cause slight distortion. However… you know, don't you?
Lia pointed to Epherene.
– What should happen, will definitely happen.
#15. experiences
Late night in the north. Rohakan's hut.
After Deculein's death in this place, which Epherene had inherited from Rohakan, Epherene was now engrossed in creating the [Passage] leading to the past.
– Ha-ah…
It was very difficult. Even though she is an archmage who controls time, the gap between past and present is too great. Fortunately, the fragment of the meteorite that should be the catalyst for the miracle was shining brightly on her desk right now.
But even if things were going according to Lia's "optimism", any mistake could become extremely serious.
It is worth opening this passage and there will be a possibility of temporary confusion. From the moment the passage is opened to the moment it is closed, this opportunity will grow exponentially.
If even the slightest calculation is wrong, then the destruction of the world that Professor Deculein was able to prevent…
Clap!
A hand rested on her shoulder.
– I see you have a problem.
That voice belonged to Sophien.
Epherene looked at her and smiled bitterly.
– Yes. I have a problem, but everything is fine. It's OK.
If such a situation arises, Epherene knew how to deal with it.
Then she stretched and asked Sophia:
– By the way, how are you?
– What do you mean? - Sophien answered, sitting in the chair across from her.
– A world without a professor. It's been quite a while, hasn't it?
-…yeah. Five years.
There was no emotion in Sophien's voice. She was once again a bored empress, uninterested in anything.
– Nonsense in every sense…
She looked at Epherene to gauge the emotions that would show on her face.
– The world is a very mysterious thing, and everything in the world is meaningless to me…
Suddenly, the empress closed her eyes, as if trying to remember someone's face, and smiled faintly.
"But without this world, I wouldn't have met the person I loved the most.
-…
– Those who do what is right should be rewarded, and those who commit crimes should be punished.
Sophien looked at Epherene's table.
The formula for the giant magic that opens the [Passage]. The papers on which it was written were neatly arranged.
"So I will reward Deculein for saving this continent."
Sophien grabbed a pencil and corrected some of the parts of the formula that Epherene had been thinking about.
"This is the world he saved, so it doesn't make sense that he can't live in it anymore."
– BUT?!
Epherene opened her eyes wide when she saw the corrections.
– For the sake of a loved one, I can sacrifice everything I can.
Sophien smiled softly and looked at Epherene.
– Get ready. It's time to get down to business.
Epherene immediately jumped to her feet. Her heart beat faster. She felt her brain tighten for the first time in a long time.
– Your Majesty the Empress!
She witnessed an insight that penetrates the essence of magic and the mind and goes beyond the level of an archmage.
– Haha. Now you're calling me Empress again.
Sophien grinned mischievously and said:
Let's save that impudent professor.