Bathroom. Bathroom, bathroom. Do you know where the bathroom is? I really need to go to the bathroomâŠâŠ
This is proof that I wasnât Deculein.
Even if part of Deculeinâs personality got transmitted to me, itâs only a part and most of it was still me, Kim Woojin, so my stomach hurt as a result of that extreme mental stress I accumulated without noticing.
âGrooowwwl
Right now, I was the only one that knew I suffered from this very painful physiological phenomenon.
Nevertheless, on the outside I seemed like the perfect model, walking.
ââŠâŠ.â
I walked. She stood still.
So the gap between us naturally shrunk. When I was in her reach I stopped.
âLong time no see.â
She bowed her head to greet me first.
She was a beautiful woman.
White, fine hair and clear, icy eyes. They reminded me of that bloody scene I once saw on the monitor that one day.
Eight out of sixteen of Deculeinâs deaths I identified involved her.
And the named character who will rise to the top of the knights in the future.
âHow have you been?â
Asked Julie. It was a question I had no answer to.
I looked at Julie without any expression. If she were a servant she would have looked down without being able to take this look, but Julie just silently waited.
In the end, I only answered with this.
âFineâ
This was the best I could do, however Julie creased her unperturbed forehead.
She took a deep breath and said,
âDo you remember the promise you made me last week?â
I stood still and looked into her eyes. Deep inside these beautiful eyes, flames of hostility were raging.
âYou broke that promise.â
ââŠâŠ.â
It was unknown what promise she was talking about.
I nodded and tried to pass by. I really had to shit.
Julie stepped one step to the side and blocked my way.
âAgain, like this?â
That woman didnât let me run away. She was staring at me with a face as cold as an awl.
In this situation, the only thing I could do was something rather terrible.
ââŠâŠWe made some kind of promise?â
I really didnât know, but I still got goosebumps on the back of my neck. Julieâs anger caused a reaction on my skin.
It tickled. My back felt hot. I really wanted to scratch myself, but this noble body didnât allow such low class behavior.
Instead I continued saying slightly awkward things.
âIâm seriously asking. I had a fever for a few days so I forgot some thingsâ
She stepped out of the way and I brushed past her. Even with her so far away, the back of my head was still tickling.
After leaving the hallway, I entered the guest bathroom. I looked around to see if someone was coming in and only after confirming that no one was around, I did what I had to do.
âI almost died from that itchingâŠâŠ.â
I scratched my back and my neck while relieving myself.
What a tiring personality, to only be able to scratch myself while minding the place and occasion.
Thatâs why I wonât be able to live a long life.
* * *
Julie spent a long time standing there even after letting Deculein go. The anger and hurt that swelled inside her burnt red hot.
She was trying to force it, but Deculein turned out to be a more difficult opponent than she thought. He was a board member of the university.
âGosh.â
A young magician of the âEtherâ rank wearing a cone hat came along. She was the chairman of the board, counted as a promising archmage candidate, just below the âEternalâ rank, at which one would become immortal, however among Julieâs personal connections her personality meshed the worst with her.
As soon as she found Julie, she covered her mouth with both her hands.
âOh my! If it isnât Professor Deculeinâs wife?!â
ââŠâŠ.â
They werenât married yet, she already knew that that guy didnât use these words to describe them. So Julie just nodded her head.
âThat lecture was great~ As expected from a senior professor, he explains really well, thatâs what I thought while listening! It would be nice if I could acquire his teaching methods as well.â
âI know. I was watching.â
She tried to cut her off like that, but the chairman grabbed on to every single detail.
âOh, really?! Were you supporting your husband? Are you finally getting along?â
ââŠâŠ.â
She never had such a romantic purpose as supporting him as his wife.
Today, Julie came to see with her own eyes if Deculein would keep his promise.
Julie made it clear to him.
If you, Deculein, keep your faith, that is, confess your continued deceit to everyone and ask for forgiveness, I will be with you even if the world collapses.
This was not a matter of what shame a broken engagement would bring, or of maintaining a formal relationship to save the familyâs face.
Itâs just the release of her beliefs she wants to keep as a knight transcending all worldlinessâŠâŠ.
Thatâs all there is to it.
She was sure heâd agree.
âWhatâs wrong~? Todayâs lecture was great.â
Julie nodded, while grinding her teeth despite her natural virtue.
Deculein broke his promise in the end.
Achievements reached by stealing and exhorting them from other people, not by his own ability. He didnât even repent on the wickedness and corruption behind it.
He wasnât even brave enough to do that. Now she really had to give up.
He would forever live pitifully among his manipulated subordinates and his own deceitâŠâŠ.
ââŠâŠWhat a little lamb. Youâre not much fun today. Well, good luck! Iâll get going!â
The chairman left with her lips pouting.
Julie was still standing on the marble floor as if sheâd taken root. Deep inside her were a slew of distorted emotions that seemed to devour her.
His Yukline.
Her own Fryden.
Someday, something which someone told her repeated in her ear.
âDeculein, who stands out as a magician, and Julie, who has the qualities of a gifted knight. If the blood of our two noble families are in harmony it would be beneficial both in pedigree and politically.â
However, at some point, both noble families came to know that Deculeinâs magical talent was nothing but average.
Deculein lied to the world and became a professor, calling himself âGenius of Magic Circle InterpretationââŠâŠ After some incident, the source of his theories got cut off.
If the two families werenât connected to the central politics or if they were less distant, either side would have gone wild.
They were easy on each other because both were prestigious.
If neither of them stepped forward and rejected the other side, the engagement would not be broken, and even if it were broken, Deculeinâs sins would not get revealed.
So Julie thought she would have Deculein right his wrongs himself.
Nevertheless, he broke and rejected his evils by acting more firmly than ever today.
If so, now, sheâll have to bring it about herself.
The end of this contemptible engagement.
âŠâŠNo matter what, the end of this relationship shall come.
âAre you okay?â
The lieutenant, standing behind her back like a shadow, spoke in a low voice.
His name was Veron, a man with jet-black hair that covered his face.
Julie shook her head without looking back at him.
âItâs alright. Itâs time for the lecture. Letâs go.â
She started walking. A lot of subjects followed behind that thin back.
The immediate descendant of the prestigious Fryden family, also known as master of knights and the Holy Land. Julie, who was also called an example for all young knights of this world, was caught up in her lecture.
Unlike Deculein, who used nothing but words, she held something that could be called a âreal lectureâ in which she demonstrated herself and swung her swordâŠâŠ.
âŠâŠOne of the knights following her stopped. His red eyes flashed through his thick black hair.
His gaze slowly turned back, glaring at the departing Deculein. A cold, desperate life stretched out towards his neck.
âŠâŠJulieâs knight, Veron, thought.
Today, he sought answers to the endless suffering and anguish.
To keep his Lord from danger, this was his chance.
It was only something he could do.
âŠâŠLetâs kill him.
That, nasty, dirty man.
I shall cut his throat, then dice him into little pieces.
Letâs make my Lord happyâŠâŠ.
* * *
The school cafeteria.
Ifrin sighed as she rummaged through the pitiful omelette rice.
ââŠâŠUrg.â
She tried to screw Deculein over back in the lecture hall.
Deculeinâs âMagic Circle interpretation methodâ he was so proud of was obviously just hot air and he couldnât make use of her fatherâs ability, so it would put him in a pickle if he were asked to interpret a new technique in a situation he couldnât cheat in.
Of course, there was a risk of her getting shot down by DeculeinâŠâŠbut for him to reverse the situation like that?
She didnât think heâd turn a person into an impolite idiot just because they didnât say their name. Heâs a tough opponent.
âI thought Iâd die out of embarrassmentâŠâŠ..â
Puhuhuhu Pfft â The laughter still rang in her ear, but it worked out.
âPft. Sounds like an Illusion type.â
Ifrin was all smiles.
As expected he must have been embarrassed because he didnât have any real experience, right?
What illusion magic? If he were desperate, whyâd he choose illusion magic?
Illusion magic is a very difficult type of magic, because in order to overcome and deceive the perception and consciousness of others, it takes a tremendous amount of mana to the point where the cost-performance rate is utterly miserable. Thatâs why a âMediumâ is essential when using most illusion type magic techniques.
But, illusion type magic without a medium?
âYouâre not only an idiot. youâre a real idiot.â
That time she felt really satisfied.
âIfrin! Ifrin!â
A loud voice calling Ifrin along with footsteps approached. She looked over.
They caught her eye last week at the newcomer orientation for magicians.
âThank you!â
ââŠâŠHuh? What? For what?â
Ifrin only blinked. That same sorcerer put his hands on her shoulders and shouted.
âThe magic circle by the entrance of the dorm!â
Last night, an unidentified magic circle drawn with red liquid appeared on the Sorcererâs Dormitoryâs front door.
It was a magic circle that has never appeared before in the academic world, so people were raging saying things like âItâs the devilâs workâ, but now newbies were all motivated saying things like âIâll analyze it and build my foundation on thatâ. There was fierce competition for it in each division.
ââŠâŠWhat? But I didnât do anything.â
âCome on. You did nothing? You asked Professor Deculein.â
ââŠâŠHuh?â
Ifrin felt embarrassed.
âI didnât ask him, I just screwed with him, you know? What are you talking about?â
âAh~ Thatâs so awesome. We were so scared we couldnât even ask. Youâve got some balls.â
âHuh? No, wait a minute, that magic isâŠâŠ.really barrier magic?â
Ifrin was bewildered.
âSo youâre saying Deculein was actually right?â
âYes. Really. If we assume itâs barrier magic and reconstruct from there it fits perfectly. Wow~ Professor Deculein sure is great, isnât he? There was no medium so how did he figure out that itâs illusion type magic?â
Ifrinâs mouth that slowly opened almost hit the table. From that wide open mouth only the sound of sharp breathing could be heard.
âThank you, Ifrin. Weâre going to write up a report and hand it in. Iâll write your name under it as well.â
âUh? No, you donât haveâŠâŠ to do thatâŠâŠbut, ye, yeah. Hand it in.â
âOkay!â
They hurriedly rushed away.
Ifrin stared blankly at their back.
What nice people they are. They couldâve just not said anything, but they said theyâd share the creditâŠâŠ.
However, the situation itself wasnât good.
Deculeinâs reputation had gone up for no reason.
âH, he just got lucky. Did he guess?â
After some time, Ifrin, who was in denial, took out a piece of paper from her backpack.
It was a plan with lectures, written by the professors at the Tower, which were about to begin.
Although she didnât have an elemental attribute, that wasnât a reason not to sit in on it. In the first place, elements were the basis of all magic. Since ancient times, it has been said âKnow thy enemy and yourself, then youâll never loseâ.