Deculein flicked his fingers, and the classroom was colored black. Epherene soon found out why this place was a special floor.The ceiling turned into the night sky. Like a bright and starry piece of drawing paper, clear and dark.
âTruthfully pure magic isâŠ.â
Deculein looked at each face in the classroom as he held the words.
âSomething never mixed with impurities; it is pure. Even with the same spells, it is as solid and clear as different magic altogether. Like the body of [Iron Man].â
Someone smiled a little at that. Epherene saw it was a wizard from the Imperial Palace.As expected, he couldnât have missed it. Deculein pointed at him.
âYour name is?â
âMake a fire.â
The Imperial wizard Ron made a fire. It was just regular fire, using [Light].
âItâs a small fire. Infinitely mediocre.â
Ron wriggled his eyebrows as Deculein looked at his fire through [Vision].
âItâs an unrefined fire, so itâs just hot. Far from being pure, itâs dirty.â
The magic circle that only possessed four strokes was nothing mysterious or unusual.
Deculein interfered with the techniqueâs four strokes, partially giving it his know-how, which was [Iron Man]âs nature.
The fire, which was faintly flickering above Ronâs palm, flared up. The warmth quickly spread through the classroom.Everyone, including Epherene, looked vacantly at the fire.
To be exact, they observed itscolor. The fire was dazzling, and there was dense heat about it, incomparable to before.
âItâs a fire that burns purely.â
The magical output was determined by the input. The larger the input, the higher the output, and when the input stopped, the magic itself vanished.
However, this scorching flame, like a white-red jewel, existed without any input.Deculein called the Imperial wizardâs name again; Ron straightened his back in surprise.
âA common element like [Fire] grows according to the nature that the user gives it. Overflowing with a high degree of purity. Thatâs what âpure useâ means.â
Ron stared at the embers quietly.Deculein flicked his fingers again.
Then, numerous stars appeared floating in the air.
âThe elementâs essence, the pure power within. This is the main point that Iâm going to teach in this lecture. Listen carefully.â
Everyone began taking notes.The stars on the 80th floor resonated with the celestial bodies.
Flashes of light embroidered the technique, calculation, and regulations in the air. Epherene quickly scribbled, but the contents were too enormous to be confined to such a small piece of paper.
No, even if the size was as soâŠ
âProfessor, is this a magic technique?â
Epherene plucked up the courage to ask. Deculeinâs technique was a form that she had never seen before. The corners of his mouth twisted.
âNo. Itâs ambiguous to call it a circuit and odd to call it a regulation. Itâs a new element that composes magic that has never existed before. I would like to name this source âproperty.ââ
At that point, Rose Rio looked around. Not just her, but all the wizards who only believed in their brains and didnât bring any writing tools were busy memorizing.
âThis property can be applied to any magic as long as it is appropriately regulated.â
Just like the gameâs [Characteristic].Deculein flicked his fingers, and dirt started to rise in the air to form a sphere. The beautiful particles floated like a planet through space. A blue sea was formed on the surface, and a dark continent emerged.
It was the Earth.Epherene was in awe. But, as Deculein closed his hand, the magic scattered like a mirage.
âThis is also just a part of it. A principle is needed to understand my âproperty.â And the principle is this theory.â
Deculein moved the stars using [Psychokinesis].
âThis is the main point from now on.â
In the darkness, line by line, the ânew magicâ he invented was being written.âŠ
Meanwhile, Josephine recalled what happened this morning.
âYou killed Veron.Josephine didnât give up on what Julie anguished over. Rather, she overcame her limitations with her long-held obsession and tenacity. It was a new awakening.
âI know everything.She extended her shadow to the bottom of the cliff. Thousands of meters were searched, and Veronâs body was recovered.
She grasped the shape of the steel that penetrated his chest.
âSo, Iâm curious.Why did Deculein kill Veron? What was his motive?
âIt wasnât a lie when you said you only wanted a smile from Julie.Was he irritated with Veron, the subordinate that Julie cared about?
Or, because Julie and Veron had that kind of relationship? Was he mad with jealousy?â
Ay~ No way.âJosephine wasnât a moron.
âVeron tried to kill you, right? You hid the truth so that Julie wouldnât be hurt, right?
Of course, Veron, blinded by love, must have struck first, and Deculein defended himself.âProfessor?
Why donât you say something?Until then, there was no change in Deculeinâs complexion.
The Professor maintained his nobility and grace.Josephine smiled brightly.
Deculein continued talking while looking down at her.
âI have a favor to ask.
âAy. Of course, I wonât tell this to Julie-
âIâm going to destroy the Freyhem Knight Order.Josephine blinked a few times. As such, his words were far beyond her expectations.
âThere are many ways. Julie is upright, but some of the affiliated knights are petty. Cleaning up and taking money from the underworld, accepting bribesâŠ
âHow is that a favor?
Do you think Iâll help you?
Deculein stared at Josephine without saying anything. Josephine grasped his emotions from that alone.
âIf the Knight Order collapsedâŠ
Julie would hate me.Thatâs why it was impossible to understand. It would only yield losses for him.
ââŠItâs probably a justifiable cause to kill you. But, she wonât be able to do so. Sheâs just that type.Josephineâs words. But, Deculeinâs answer was weird.
âNo. Thatâs not enough.
âJosephine, you help. So that Julie hates me enough to kill me.Josephineâs lips parted slightly in surprise. Did he want to commit suicide?Deculein replied with conviction.
âBecause I love Julie.
âI killed Veron out of jealousy, I tore down the Knight Order to monopolize Julie, and Iâm just acting as Iâve changedâŠâŠ
The scenario would be that then. The timing would be decided later on. His voice still lingered in her ears, but Josephine opened her eyes softly.
Now that she was back to the present, she found herself in a cafe near the tower.Josephine watched Julie with a hand under her chin. Julie sipped at her tea, eyes darting as if she found her sisterâs gaze uncomfortable.
âMy Julie~, arenât you curious?â
ââŠWhat are you talking about?â
âWhat I talked about with Professor Deculein.â
Julie remained silent.
âItâs still a secret, Julie. But Iâll tell you one thing. Just donât trust that Professor too much.â
Josephine decided to go with Deculeinâs scenario for now. It was also for Julie, but now her blood was pumping because of this joke she played along with out of curiosity.
âProfessor Deculein is wearing a mask-â
âStop coming in-between us.â
Julie scowled, causing Josephine to shrug.
ââŠOkay~. Anyway, youâll find out later. You can regret it then. Then, Iâll be going~.â
âWhere are you going?â
âHmm~, that Professor asked for a lot of favors. I might be busy from now on.â
She had to track down that devil NescÄus, or whatever. Deculein also asked Josephine for an alliance, which she gladly accepted. Whatever it was, it must be fun.
âYour sister is going now~. Goodbye, my Julie~.â
On a rooftop in the Yukline territory, Yeriel sat by the railing with Ganesha. A warm and gentle wind brushed past them.
âGeuung~. I canât believe the weather is like this in the middle of summer. Hadekain is such a nice place, as expected. Iâll live here after I retire.â
Ganesha was amazed by the sights as she stretched. Yeriel glanced at her.
âForget it. Anyway, you said you caught a giant rat flying in the sky today?â
âYes, yes~. Iâm not sure what it was, though. I hate rats the most in the world. But this rat is huge, and it flies? Oooh⊠I smashed it like the spire of a fortress⊠and when I came to my senses, I was back to two days ago.â
Ganesha smiled brightly in contrast to Yerielâs deep frown.
âWhat are you talking about⊠anyway. I know everything now.â
âHehe. Is that so? Thatâs a relief.â
âThat⊠whew. Forget it. Thereâs no point.â
As she recalled the moment in the frame, Yeriel sighed deeply and hugged her knees. When she faced the Adventurerâs Guild, they didnât have much to say. It was already resolved.
ââŠAh, by the way, that kid Lia, where did she come from?â
She changed the subject with a pout. Ganesha shivered as she answered.
âLia is someone that I met in the Archipelago. Sheâs a gemstone with undeniable talent, and now sheâs part of my family.â
ââŠIs that so?â
âBut, why are you interested?â
Ganesha asked as if it was nothing.
ââŠBecause itâs wonderful.â
âWonderful? How so?â
Ganeshaâs ears perked as Yeriel stared into the distant sky. She appeared to be trying to catch a memory that was floating between the winds.
ââŠThey look alike.â
Yeriel stared at Ganesha, flapping her pigtails as she pretended like it was nothing.
âIs your hair alive?â
âYes, I hit people with this. Anyway, who looks like who?â
âI also donât know much. Why do I only know the set-up? I saw the agreement ceremony.â
âHmm⊠is that so? How was the Professor during the ceremony?â
Yeriel laughed for some reason. When she thought about Deculein that day, she couldnât help it.
âThatâs the first time Iâve seen him smile like that. It was a face that I really, truly loved.â
Yeriel knew for the first time then that there was a soft smile and tone in Deculein, too.
ââŠHehe. Even the Professor has a pure side. By any chance, he doesnât think of her while looking at Lia, right?â
Yeriel frowned at Ganesha.âAre you crazy? How large is their age difference? My brother is not such an unusual personâŠ.â
âŠMy brother is not such an unusual person.Just below the rooftop, their bitter conversation was overheard by someone who strengthened her sense of hearing acutely.This was probably due to the setting she added for no reason.
Knowing that Deculeinâs model was Woojin, she wondered why she insisted on that Easter egg.The setting of the woman that Deculein loved was Yoo Ara.
She wanted to find and catch it, her terrible behavior that didnât make sense.
Lia sniffled as she tried to smile. She didnât know that the Easter egg would return with this butterfly effect.
âOh really⊠Iâm such a foolâŠâ
She sat on the ground and hid her face.âThis is why⊠thinking of my hometown is not good for my mental health.âA 10-minute break after a 2-hour class. Epherene was dumbfounded.
ââŠAre you okay?â
Professor Louina, who sat beside her, asked. Nodding, Epherene muttered with a sigh-like voice.
âYes. But⊠Iâm studying everything.â
In the back seat, Epherene could see the unusual scenery of this classroom at a glance.
Not only wizards from the tower that were Kendall, Regello, and Solda-ranked, but also PrinceKreto, Addict Astal, the Imperial wizards, Professor Relin, and even Rose Rio, everyoneâŠ
They were all studying like drowning examinees moments before a test.
âOh, Iâm disgraceful. Just lend me one notebook, one pen, and one eraser! The Floating Island will pay you back ten times!â
Rose Rio was arguing overwriting tools.
âHey Rolhan, donât you know me?â
âAh! Donât talk to me! Iâll forget it!â
When Rose Rio grabbed one wizardâs robe, he brushed her off roughly. Oh, my. How could you treat an Etheric-ranked wizard like that?
ââŠHey? Lumier Rolhan? Iâm Etheric Rose Rio-ââHey, will you be quiet?!â
Prince Kreto shouted. Rose Rio feigned a smile like she was dumbfounded by his reaction.
âKreto, you too-â
âEtheric Rose Rio. Donât ruin the academic atmosphere.â
Addict Astal solemnly restrained her. The gaze of the seven other Addicts sitting beside him also focused solely on her.
âOh, Iâm sorry, too, but IÂ donât have writing tools. What can I do?â
âThatâs your fault. Who told you to come empty-handed?â
ââŠI didnât know.â
âBe quiet now. Itâs a direct warning from the Floating Island, Etheric Rose Rio.â
Rose Rio staggered. The several other wizards who did not bring writing tools were in a similar boat.âWhy is everyone so sensitive?â
ââŠYouâre a wizard from the Floating Island. New knowledge comes and goes, so itâs a matter of fact theyâd be like that. Crazy writers. If you mess up, theyâll kill you.â
Epherene glanced to Louina.
âHmm⊠Professor Louina wonât take notes?â
âIâm finished. My hands are fast.â
Epherene looked at Deculeinâs theory, still glimmering in the air.
âBy the way, how did Professor Deculein discover that?â
ââŠI donât know. Is it because heâs going to die soon?â
Louina replied jokingly, but Ephereneâs eyes widened.
ââŠWhatâs wrong with you?â
âIâve heard something similar before.â
Louina leaned in slightly.âWhat did you hear?â
ââŠâThe closer a wizard is to heaven, the more he understands the truth-â
âIt was what Rohakan said when he kidnapped her some time ago. Louina coughed and leaned back.âI-is that so? Coincidence, itâs a coincidence. I, I, I, I was just kidding.â
When she was coldly sweatingâŠA shout rang out, and desks and chairs were flipped over as mana raged.
Epherene and Louina, shocked, looked toward the disturbance in unison.
âWhy, whatâs wrong with them?Four or five wizards were there arguing with each other, but they didnât know the reason. No, rather, it was easy to discover.
âAh, you crazy thiefâ!â
As one of them began to curse and manifest a destructive spell-A chilly voice stepped in.The situation was doused in cold water in an instant.
Deculein arrived exactly after a 10-minute break time. He stared at the wizards as if they were garbage, tangled up together as they were.
At that moment, the red-furred cat suddenly escaped Kretoâs arms. Its possession had beenlifted. However, all the eyes inside of the hall were only focused on Deculein.
âHis head is big or small, he gets older or younger⊠but he is greedy like a fool, so he has no dignity.â
Deculein felt a vibration from the transfer paper. It was from Keiron.
âThis is the end of todayâs class. Bear in mind, in my class, unsightly and dirty acts are not tolerated.â
He immediately left the classroom without much opposition. Thankfully, the fight provided a good excuse.When the elevator door closed, the 80th floor was filled with silence.
However, that state only lasted a while before the sounds of writing continued. Deculein was gone, but his formulas were still intact.
Epherene blinked vacantly, and Louina smiled bitterly.
âDeculeinâs personality is still the same. I thought he was dying. But him being mean, youâve experienced it the most. Has he changed at all?â
âHo-hohoho. Professor LouinaâŠ?â
Relin approached at that moment, slipping his notebook on the desk.
âShould we form a study group? Can we share?â
ââŠYou wonât understand it alone?â
Louina asked back, but Relin shook his head with an oho-oho.
âThatâs not true⊠but I found something that would set my academic enthusiasm burning in my middle ageâŠÂ itâs Professor Deculein, as expected. If we understand this lecture together, weâll be able to get points from the Professor.â
âThatâs it. I donât understand it either. I just finished taking notes.â
Epherene continued taking notes for now. At that time, Addict Astal started communicating somewhere with a crystal ball.
âYes, itâs Astal.â
Epherene earâs pricked up while she was taking notes.
âItâs possible that itâs a new magical element. I still need to understand it, but itâs very special.â
An addict who was stingy with compliments acknowledged its uniqueness. Epherene was jealous for some reason. Maybe this lecture was also related to her father
â those doubts and expectations, very briefly
âSuddenly, the high-pitch sound of the switch turning off. At that moment, the magical power of the classroom was shut off, and all of Deculeinâs writing disappeared.
âWhat. What is this!â
âWho turned it off⊠you dareâŠ.â
âAgain, again! Right now! I still havenât finished-â
The wizards were flustered. No, it was more than that. They were sent into a panic.