/
The mountain remained drenched in darkness and sung upon by a desolate wind. Only the bonfire’s embers served as a source of light within it, its flames rising like hazes.
I looked at Rohakan, who didn’t avoid my gaze. Deculein used to be his student, but it wasn’t as special as it sounded.
Deculein’s past was like a spider web. Hence, although this encounter was sudden, it was also inevitable. Among the Named characters throughout the empire, those unrelated to him were rare.
“Rohakan?” Epherene turned him and asked, her voice trembling. “Y-You said Rohakan? Then those fragments of the World Tree….”
Archmage Demakan’s treasure was a staff made from the World Tree. Stories about it and him were so famous that they appeared in fairytales.
He made his weapon of choice out of such rare tree branches and gave the remaining fragments to his family. Hence, Epherene and Sylvia thought Rohakan’s staff was from the World Tree.
“I worked so hard on that barrier. How did you get through it?” Rohakan scratched the back of his neck.
Barrier magic often differed in the series it used depending on its character. For example, barriers that widened the space within it used support series, and barriers that deceived perception used the illusion series.
Rohakan’s barrier used the illusion series, which I was immune to.
“Those cheap techniques don’t work anymore.”
“… Oh? Cheap techniques?” Rohakan’s eyes widened.
I turned my gaze to Epherene and Sylvia, standing near him, but Sylvia wasn’t there any longer.
“I’m here.”
… At some point, she had come behind my back.
“Epherene,” I called, but Rohakan expressed his surprise before she could move.
“Epherene? Are you Epherene Luna? The daughter of the Luna family?”
“Yes? D-Do you know me?”
“Of course, I do. Was it 15 years ago? Your father’s brain was a refreshing shock to me too. What is he doing these days?”
Epherene’s expression hardened. She looked at Sylvia and me. Then her gaze fell to the ground.
“… He passed away.”
“…”
Rohakan’s jaw dropped.
He looked both apologetic and embarrassed. Rubbing his temples, he said, “That’s a pity. His personality was a bit strange, but he was the kind of genius that rarely comes out even in a century.”
“Ah…”
“Debutante Epherene,” I called out to her again.
She looked unable to decide at first but soon approached me.
She asked him another question afterward.
“… Are you really Rohakan, not Murkan?”
Rohakan smiled bitterly and nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry. When I tell people my name, they immediately run away. Murkan’s my best friend. I borrowed this staff from him.”
“Empress Assassin Rohakan…”
“I can’t say that’s wrong, but back then, I had to do it.”
Rohakan was a friend of the former emperor Crebaim. However, he murdered multiple court wizards and the late empress. That incident turned him into one of the empire’s enemies.
“T-Then…”
Epherene groped her stomach, the inside of which was where the Spiell of Light settled.
Rohakan laughed quietly.
“My spirit isn’t harmful, so don’t worry. That way, you too will keep your promise—”
“Epherene, Sylvia.” I cut off Rohakan’s words. “Go back.”
They hesitated, but there should be no witnesses to the next development.
“If you get caught up in this, you might die.” I urged in the coldest and most domineering voice I could muster.
Rohakan groaned. Though they initially stood frozen, they soon nodded.
“Go. Just follow my steel.”
To ensure they wouldn’t get lost in the barrier, I entrusted my wood steel with guiding them.
Sylvia, from behind me, whispered, “Don’t lose.”
“… Go.”
There was no way I could lose.
But I couldn’t win either.
We wouldn’t fight, after all.
“If you don’t move within three seconds, you’ll be sanctioned to disciplinary measures.”
Epherene and Sylvia left, following my steel.
Rustle— Rustle—
The sound of their footsteps grew farther and farther away, and, at some point, they disappeared.
Whoooosh…
A cold, dry wind blew, causing the hem of my clothes and hair to flutter wildly. Rohakan looked at me with seriousness in his eyes.
“… It sure looks like you worked hard. Your mana’s gentle compared to before. Was the quality of mana something that could be improved with effort?”
“You still seem to be getting younger.”
Rohakan’s expression hardened for a moment. I uttered something that penetrated his secret, after all.
His eyebrows furrowed. “Are you trying to pick a fight? I don’t want to kill a student of mine.”
“It wouldn’t be good to provoke each other.”
“… What?”
I couldn’t beat Rohakan. It wasn’t because of a lack of growth or the need for a little more time.
I probably wouldn’t be able to beat him until the day I died.
“Did it sound like a provocation? It was just a warning.”
“That’s temerity.”
“Huh, temerity?”
However, my body didn’t back down. Even if it broke, it would never bend. I couldn’t abandon my pride when facing someone so powerful they transcended the world.
It was obviously Deculein’s personality, but that was what I liked about it.
The world always easily swayed Kim Woojin due to his lack of personal beliefs.
“Temerity~”
“…”
I closed my eyes and grasped the current situation. Fifteen out of my twenty wood steel were still wandering around the mountain.
“… 157 people are caged within your barrier, and 93 people wander out of it. 23 people want to break it, and 37 have made their way down the mountain. A siege network has already been established to our northeast and southeast, and the Imperial Knights are slowly surrounding the area.”
I opened my eyes, finding Rohakan’s gaze fixed on me.
“Are you buying time? I have no intention of letting you do that.”
He conjured mana.
With apathy, I replied, “Go northwest. The defense there is still a bit weak.”
“…?”
The magic he had been preparing was instantly disturbed. His eyes widened so much they looked like they were about to pop out.
“What?”
“But be warned. This is the last time I let you go,” I continued in hopes of making sure he’d be more careful next time. He needed to avoid being killed or caught by the empire for his atrocities out of his blindness for his children.
“Um…” Rohakan scratched the back of his neck and replied. “Is this for old times sake?”
“I have no affection for the person who killed the Empress Dowager.”
“… Okay. Of course, you wouldn’t, but aren’t you curious why I’m here?”
“I am.”
“Well, would you believe me? As your teacher, I abandoned you.”
“Have you come to destroy the ‘temple’?” I asked assertively.
Rohakan gasped.
“You… You’ve changed.”
“I don’t have time to chat. Leave.”
“… Okay.”
He turned around, but he stopped after a few steps and looked over his shoulder.
“Deculein.”
“Yes.”
“… Do you believe in God?”
In a way, that was random. However, it was something that penetrated the core of the main quest.
I answered.
“I believe only in myself.”
I didn’t believe in God.
As Deculein and as Kim Woojin.
That belief had not changed.
“… Haha.”
Then Rohakan smiled softly.
“That’s a good attitude. Take this.”
He handed me a book.
“It is a story about certain fanatics in this world. Read it anytime.”
───[Exploration of the Land of Extinction]───
◆ Description
– This Exploration Book was written by Rohakan.
– It records the behavior of the fanatics who crossed the Land of Extinction.
◆ Category: Special ⊃ Publication
◆ Effect: ???
─────────
I put it in my pocket.
“Goodbye.”
He absorbed the element of wind into his body and activated certain great destruction magic.
Rumble—!
Upon its release, it hit the ground several times, ravaging the entire site until the whole area was distorted, as if struck by lightning.
After that, he went northwest.
“…I guess it’ll start from now on.”
Little by little, ‘real Named’ were appearing. Empress Slayer Rohakan, Recruit Rodran, Great Elder Dzekdan….
Even Epherene and Sylvia would take at least two years to join their tier.
The world was wide, and the quest was still only beginning.
[Complete: The Story of Rohakan]
◆ Acquired one item catalog
◆ Store Currency +1
The item catalog was a special reward. I thought it was only given to players, but the result stated otherwise.
I planned to use this later.
“That old man is as meticulous as a serpent.”
As Rohakan left, he destroyed almost the entire area. It wasn’t a useless bluff to show off his greatness.
I knew what he intended.
It was an alibi for the two of us.
I also called the wood steels to spread all over the place to play along with his plan, beginning my part of the work.
Rumble, rumble—!
Nineteen pieces of steel tore apart the already crushed earth and vegetation once more. Plants were immediately sliced apart by their rage, and the vicinity of the ground I stood on turned into an indescribable tragedy.
Such was the result of releasing my mana forcibly.
* * *
Dozens of knights climbed up the mountain led by the Knight of the Sacred Heart, Lawaine, and the Imperial Knights’ Deputy Commander, Isaac, who joined later.
Almost all of the continent’s forces gathered in the Mountain of Darkness.
──────!
As they ran in search of traces, they soon sensed powerful recurring waves of magic.
──────!
“It’s coming from the north. Follow me.”
Isaac predicted its epicenter with his unique sensitivity. For him, the barrier was only an obstacle.
Not long after, however, they detected a presence coming down the mountain slope.
“…Who goes there?!” They immediately drew their swords and aimed at the figure.
Those footsteps approached the knights with no hesitation.
Everyone tensed up but soon sighed in relief.
“… Professor Deculein?” Isaac murmured.
The Head Professor of the Imperial University Magic Tower, Deculein.
“…”
His stride was still full of grace, but he carried fatigue so heavy he couldn’t seem to hide it. His appearance had been dirtied up so much as well, based on Deculein’s standards.
“What happened up there?” Isaac asked.
Standing in front of the knights, Deculein remained silent for a moment.
“Professor. Please tell us.”
Deculein looked like his pride was hurt, displaying a performance that could deceive anyone.
After a while, he said, “… I lost him.”
“Lost? Rohakan?”
“…” Deculein regained his silence. He went down the mountain, leaving them behind in frustration.
Isaac frowned as he stared at his retreating back.
“What is he saying? Did he even have the skills to catch Rohakan?”
“That’s impossible. He is only arrogant. Come on, let’s go up.”
At Lawaine’s words, they ran uphill like tireless horses, their strides as swift as the wind.
After a short while, it dawned upon them.
“This….”
… It was a daunting landscape that rendered them speechless.
In front of them was a pit of absolute destruction. Every inch of the area had been mercilessly decimated, with craters stretched across the lands as far as their eyes could see. Throughout their vicinity, ashes, traces of magic, and drops of blood were scattered and mixed.
Would Hell look like this?
The knights were momentarily stunned by the violent scene, but Deputy Commander Isaac, who came to his senses first, yelled.
“If their battle resulted into this, then Rohakan must be injured. Divide into three squads and pursue him!”
Considering Rohakan’s strength, they formed a unit and were divided into three groups. They went into the northwest, north, and northeast directions, respectively.
* * *
The police found Sylvia and Epherene as soon as they came down the mountain and immediately took them to the station.
“Gosh… You say nothing happened?” At the interrogation room of the Investigation Division and the Violence Division, the curly-haired investigator asked Epherene.
She nodded. “… Yes.”
“That’s impossible. You met Rohakan, so there’s no way nothing happened.”
Epherene was being questioned. Sylvia was with them when they first came, but Sylvia’s interrogation ended in 3 seconds.
“Nothing really happened.”
“That’s a lie.”
“…”
“I see lies in your face, kid.” He chuckled as she tightened the hem of her robe. She was still carrying Rohakan’s letter in her pocket.
“If you don’t talk, you might go to jail~”
“…” She clenched her teeth. She wasn’t the type to squeal or confess, even though it was Rohakan…
With a sinister smile, he laughed in disdain.
“Hey! Are you there?! Let’s start the body search!”
“What?! You can’t be serious!”
“What? You keep telling lies, so we have to at least search you.”
“I am not a criminal. A body search is…”
“You don’t know anything, kid. It doesn’t matter if you’re a wizard from the Imperial University Tower. Hiding even the smallest detail about a Dark-Beast-level criminal is a crime in itself. Hey! Can’t you hear me?! Come here and begin the body search!”
Bang—!
As the investigator yelled, the door to the interrogation room violently jerked open, almost breaking it, causing him to turn in surprise.
“What the hell? The interrogation isn’t over yet. Who opened the door—!”
He soon came face to face with the approaching nobleman.
Head Professor Deculein.
“…”
“…”
The investigator kept his mouth shut as Deculein looked at him and Epherene alternately before coming back to his senses.
“Oh, Head Professor! I just heard the report of your battle with Rohakan. Are you okay? What brings you here?”
“… What brings me here?” His eyes sharply narrowed down on him, making it seem like he was interrogating the investigator all this time.
“Y-Yes?”
“You took two of my students here.”
“Oh~ yes! She is now comfortably resting on the couch outside!” He replied, but Deculein already knew that. Sylvia was sitting on the couch, sleeping.
However, he had to close this case in such a way that wouldn’t leave any gaps.
“I’m certain I said two.”
“… Yes?”
“Come, Epherene,” Deculein said, causing the bewildered investigator to jump up.
“Um, you can’t!”
“…”
Deculein’s silence dominated the place. Frightened by the pressure he emitted, the curly-haired guy continued without being asked to do so.
“T-That kid is hiding something.”
“What is it?”
“I was about to…”
Deculein stared at the investigator silently. His blue eyes had the talent to make people feel suffocated.
“Name,” He said.
“… Huh?”
“Your name.”
“Er, that’s…”
“Don’t make me ask you thrice.” Deculein’s gaze swept him up and down.
“Arrogant.”
“I-I’m sorry! My name is Ekron!”
At that moment, the person in charge rushed in as if he had just heard the news.
“Oh, uh! Professor! You’re here! Hey, bastard! What are you doing? Bow! He’s the one who fought fiercely with that black beast!”
“Oh, yes! I was about to do that!”
The two bowed at the same time. Showing no signs of interest in them, Deculein talked to his student instead.
“Epherene. Get up.”
“Okay…” Epherene stood up timorously. Sylvia had woken up and was waiting near the interrogation room by then.
“Let’s go.”
“Goodbye!”
Deculein walked down the aisle, and the police bowed their heads as he passed by them. Sylvia seemed familiar with the treatment, but Epherene wasn’t used to it.
There were two cars outside. One belonged to Sylvia, and the other belonged to Deculein.
“… Epherene.” Before getting into the car, Deculein turned to Epherene.
“Yes?”
“Did that investigator take anything from you?”
“… No.”
Epherene grabbed the letter in the pocket inside her robe. Deculein nodded as if satisfied.
“Good job. If you made a promise, you have to keep it.”
Deculein got into his car.
But before he could close its door, Epherene asked. “Er… How did things go?”
Sylvia also seemed curious.
Deculein took a deep breath and answered, “You don’t need to know.”
Deculein’s voice was drenched in fatigue. It was the first time Epherene and Sylvia heard him sound like that.
“Go. Don’t tell anyone about today.”
Deculein’s driver closed the passenger door, got into the car, and left. Sylvia got into her own.
Epherene was alone on the sidewalk, looking at the car.
“Do you want a ride?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s okay. I’ll walk. I get motion sickness if I ride in a carriage or a car.”
“Okay.”
Vroom—
Sylvia’s car’s engine started. Both vehicles quickly disappeared over the road, and Epherene, watching with envy, moved her legs.
“Sigh…”
Tonight’s wind was a bit heavy. She had been through too dramatic a situation, and she heard too many stories. Her whole body felt like it was drenched in mushy waters.
“Haha.” Laughter came out of her lips.
For the first time in her life, she met a person who recognized her father, and it was Rohakan of all people, the worst criminal of their time.
“If I don’t deliver his letter, my body won’t explode, right?”
It was a complicated day for Epherene.
“Ah, that’s really suffocating… I want to cry…”
•••••••.
Sylvia stared at the scenery outside her open car window but soon closed her eyes as she felt the wind blowing in.
She recalled his voice, which she had once heard in Bercht.
‘This is nothing to be surprised about. My weapon and magic are specialized in killing.’
‘What this world needs, Sylvia, is a talent in wizardry like yours. Magic wasn’t made to kill people. It would be best if you remember that.’
Deculein’s words.
At the time, she thought he was just praising her talent.
Now that she had realized his efforts, however, it felt a little different.