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Chapter 79: Mask (2)

Allen pretended to go home, but she returned to the assistant professor’s office, a peaceful and cozy space on the 77th floor.

There were three bookshelves to its right and a table big enough to fit a typewriter, a pencil, and a thick course book at the end.

Deculein had already left, leaving her alone with the starlights from the sky.

As she habitually swept and wiped her dark office, Allen had an unusual feeling.

It was strange.

Was it because she had stayed by his side for so long already?

No, she noticed it relatively recently. Exhausted by Deculein’s tyranny and paranoid perfectionism, everyone left him. Allen was the only one left.

She wasn’t expecting to notice anything in the first place.

So it was even weirder.

While she was with him, she studied magic, read books, prepared classes, and taught students…

She lived like an ordinary assistant, almost as if she wanted to have this life since forever.

Closing her eyes, she recalled his words.

‘You got my faith.’

His voice seemed to comfort her for all her hard work.

Decluein said that, but he didn’t know her truth. He didn’t know she was far from someone he could trust.

‘Allen’ wasn’t even her real name.

‘Stay by my side.’

Deculein’s last request. She thought of herself answering him.

‘Yes! Of course!’ She said.

… Allen slowly opened her eyes, muttering, looking at the distant sky.

“It’s been a long time since I saw someone as mysterious as you.”

She thought it was right for him to die at first. She just considered him as a noble with a mental illness, someone unskilled that she could easily break if she moved her fingertip.

But he changed, seemingly out of the blue, and showed his real side. He was always externally cold, but the warmth Allen felt from him for the first time was more brilliant than any flames she had seen. Finding it interesting, she unknowingly saved him from death.

The Bercht train terrorism and Veron attack.

Allen watched all of it and broke Veron’s wrist herself.

“But… I don’t think I can keep your trust.”

Slowly, cracks slithered through the darkness of the night.

The light of dawn had revealed itself. The sun was rising.

“… I have been on this mission for too long.”

There weren’t many sunrises left that she could see as ‘Allen.’ Before long, she would leave the world she was immersed herself in every day.

She shouldn’t feel sorry.

She shouldn’t even have such emotion.

“I have become familiar with Allen as well.”

Allen rested her forehead on the window, feeling the cold air that penetrated the room as she scrunched her nose.

* * * **

A sunny midsummer weekend.

Julie enjoyed an uncommon laze. The subject of her mission was safe, her work as a Freyhem Knight was relatively easy today, and she had already finished her morning training.

“Whoa…”

She played with the attendants in the lounge of the mansion.

The room was full of all kinds of advanced items and a variety of board games, but what attracted her interest the most was the object known as a “radio.”

“Isn’t this a crystal ball? How does it have sounds?”

“Oh~ the radio? We found it amazing when we first saw it too. I think there’s a mana stone collector plate inside. I don’t know the details, but basically, it has thirteen channels, and depending on which frequency you set it to, you’ll be able to hear what’s broadcasting in each of them.”

Mana stone collector plates. Frequency. Channel. Broadcast.

It was the first time she heard all of those words.

“That’s amazing. Can I listen to the horseback battle’s relay with this?”

Its price was over 5,000 Elnes, and it only had about a year of life, but it was like an exclusive property of the bourgeois. Still, these days, imperial media companies were beginning to open their own “channels.”

“Yes. You can listen to it without having to buy a ticket. You can’t watch it, though.”

The puppy, raised by the empire’s citizens together, on Julie’s lap looked at it in admiration as well.

Knock, knock—

The door opened, revealing Deculein’s direct secretary, Ren, who just returned from a business trip.

“Knight Julie. You have a schedule now.”

“Oh, okay.”

Julie quickly refined her outfit and prepared for her mission. Her armor was her casual wear, so she didn’t need to change into something else.

******

The sun was already at its peak when I arrived in Hadekain. The first on today’s schedule was the cutting ceremony of the underground passage.

“How did you think of a train passage that runs underground? Hahaha!”

“I can’t help but always admire Professor Deculein’s discernment!”

Many people had already gathered at the entrance to the underground passage, all of them renowned in the business world.

I welcomed them with Yeriel.

“The underground passage was Deculein’s idea, but it was my idea to build a shopping district.” Yeriel smiled calmly, her hands on her chest.

The chatter stopped. Everyone glanced at me and held their breaths.

“That’s right,” I answered with a smile of my own.

“I see! As expected from Professor Deculein’s sister.”

“Right, that brightness comes from the genes of the family!”

“That’s right!”

This event was by no means simply social in nature. It was also political, which was made evident by their suspicions about my relationship with Yeriel.

“Now, then. Let’s start the cutting cerimony~”

Yeriel hesitantly held a pair of scissors.

We all watched her cut the tape at the entrance of the passageway.

Clap-clap-clap-clap—

Its opening was welcomed with cheers and applause.

They requested for me to go through the passage together with them, but I shook my head.

The rest was up to her.

“I’m quite busy today, unfortunately. Yeriel will provide you with more information regarding this business. It’s under her jurisdiction anyway. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Oh, really? That’s a shame.”

“Have fun in Hadekain.”

They looked a bit sad since they looked forward to me staying, but they still rode along the tracks with Yeriel.

“Let’s go back.”

“Okay.”

As Julie and I made our way to the parking lot, Julie noticed someone following us and immediately blocked her.

“Stop. Reveal your identity before you come any closer.”

Her tone was heavy, but the mysterious woman remained undaunted as she answered.

“I’m an investor.”

She was wearing a suit and a beret. Confirming who she was, I dismissed Julie’s worries.

“It’s okay. You can stay inside.”

“… What?”

“I have to talk to her privately, so leave.”

“Oh, alright.”

Julie hesitantly got in the car, but she looked at us from the window.

“Your head seems to be okay,” Arlos said.

“Al. Did you invest in this project?”

“Al..? Oh. You meant me. Yes. It seemed like a good place to invest in.”

Arlos shrugged, then began to provide me with information.

“Zukaken and the Altar still haven’t given up on you. They probably have many plans in mind. Be careful.”

“… Hmm. And Gerek?”

Gerek was quite important. Insane Named characters were given special treatment in the game. Since they were difficult to deal with, their combat power could be used as a strategic weapon by making it exponentially explode all at once.

“Gerek will be off the grid for a while. Anyway, the Altar is preparing for an attack. That’s why I came here.”

I frowned. Arlos glanced sideways, covering more of her face with her beret.

“An attack?”

“I don’t know the details. They’re trying to move on their own now, so I don’t have much intel. However, based on their personalities alone, they’ll cause something huge.”

“And the reason being?”

“They’re not your run-of-the-mill crazy individuals. No one can understand their insanity-driven minds. Just remember to be alert when you’re somewhere crowded.”

A system message popped in front of me.

[Sudden Event: Storm]

“You could’ve said that through a crystal ball.”

“… This is safer.”

After finishing what she had to say, Arlos immediately left.

I got into the car after watching her disappear like a shadow.

“Let’s go to the tower.”

The second thing on my to-do list was a project inspection.

“Yes.”

As Ren stepped on the accelerator, I felt a burning gaze coming from the seat next to me. Glancing sideways, I found Julie staring at me with a rather sullen face.

“Who was she?” When our eyes met, she immediately raised a question she seemingly had been dying to ask.

“You don’t need to know.”

“…”

Julie pouted and sat upright.

She answered, “I won’t ask because you said I don’t need to know,” but her sharp gaze continued to glare ahead.

*****

Louina worked on her magic project in the lab.

With it fully funded, the students who had been with her in her past workplace were sent to her. The Kingdom University Tower was reluctant about this project due to financial problems, but the Planning and Financial Coordination Office Head’s [Authorized] stamp exerted tremendous power.

After she submitted her plan, everything that she had requested was prepared within a week.

Naturally, because of that, gossip circulated about her these days. She heard rumors along the lines of ‘Louina became Deculein’s servant,’ and ‘No, she’s gone beyond that. She became a loyal dog,’ but she didn’t bother denying any of them. Her feelings toward Deculein had already eased to some extent anyway.

“Now, everyone, there’s no need to desperately save mana stones! We’re not in the Kingdom anymore! Use them to your heart’s content—”

As she encouraged them, the door to the lab opened, the identity of the person standing beyond it startled her.

“Professor Deculein? What happened?”

“Emergency inspection. It’s part of my job as the Executive Director.”

Deculein looked at the table and the 16 wizards, who bowed to him, in the lab. Louina stood next to him, crossing her arms.

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’ve been preparing this idea for a long time now. We just couldn’t execute it because we didn’t have the funds, but now that we do, it will definitely pay off.”

“Are you confident?”

“Of course. However, the problem is this project’s expenses. We asked for ten million Elnes as our initial budget, but it can increase nearly 20 times that amount.” She replied, deliberately inflating the numbers.

2 billion. Deculein didn’t even blink.

“Okay.”

He had no doubts about it. After checking their documents, he left. He displayed, as always, impeccable behavior.

“…”

His perfectly fine appearance, for some reason, left Louina some mixed feelings.

Sighing softly, she followed Deculein.

“Um..”

After she called his attention, he stopped and looked at her.

“Here.”

She held out a candy-shaped container to him, which made his eyebrows furrow, seemingly finding her sudden gift absurd.

“This is Curina Candy, the specialty of McQueen’s estate. It’s only available in the summer and in very small amounts, so it’s considered a precious item. It’s a product of our estate’s filial piety.”

“So what?”

“This small bucket is worth a thousand Elnes, you know? People line up to buy it even at a higher price, and reservations for it are pushed back three years.”

Even with Louina’s PR, he didn’t even think about receiving it. She forced it into his suit pocket.

“If you don’t want it, your fiancée will love it. I’m sure. No one can hate this candy.”

When she mentioned Julie, Deculein finally nodded.

Louina smiled, took a step back, and waved at him.

“Bye.”

“… Okay. It’s embarrassing, but I’ll take it.”

He transferred it from his suit pocket to his inner pocket.

Thirty minutes later, Deculein looked at Julie as soon as he got back into the car.

“What?”

Though still pouting, she remained sharp. He took out Louina’s gift in his pocket.

“Huh?”

As soon as she saw its brand, Julie’s face changed.

Like a puppy that found a snack, her body suddenly bent forward as she drooled. Her pupils, which had grown in size, followed its every movement as he swung it from side to side.

Deculein smiled at the amazing effect it had on her.

“Where did you get that? It looks delicious.”

“It’s Curina Candy. Do you know about it?”

“Of course. It’s a candy that never melts, the dream candy for many of us since we were kids.”

“… Right.”

Opening the lid, he took one out, and Julie immediately put her hands together like a plate and held them out. After he placed it on her palms, she immediately popped it in her mouth.

Chomp, chomp, chomp—

Her chewing was filled with joy. How delicious was this candy?

He smirked.

“Sometimes, if you do a good job, I’ll give it to you as a reward.”

“…!”

After her momentary surprise, Julie began to work on his all-around security detail more passionately than ever.

* * *

… The final exam season of the Imperial University. Exhausted yet still busy undergraduates, wizards, and knights alike littered the campus. It felt like the entire college was engulfed in something profound.

Sylvia wasn’t.

She perfected today’s test, yesterday’s test, and most likely tomorrow’s test as well. Her procession of perfect scores would probably go on forever.

“Hmm-Hmm.”

Humming, she pulled out a piece of paper she had kept in her robe’s inner pocket.

[Application: Deculein]

She filled out this form last night.

Deculein said he wouldn’t accept it, but the minimum requirement for a full professor examination was one year anyway.

She wanted to learn from him, even if only for the remaining six months. She was also confident she could convince him.

“I’m here.”

“Miss~ you came?”

When she returned to the mansion, the attendants greeted her with bright smiles, the change in their atmosphere puzzling her. For some reason, they seemed unctuous.

“You’ve already made friends, and you didn’t even tell us, miss~”

“What are you talking about?”

A friend. Since when did she have friends? She never had one in her life.

… It didn’t take long for her to find the reason behind their behavior in the living room.

“What’s this?”

Someone who looked like Epherene was sleeping on the sofa.

“Grrr…”

When she took a closer look, she realized it really was her.

She was sleeping, covered with a blanket.

“Grrrr…”

Unlike this morning, she looked so soft and clean. It made her think she had taken a shower here.

“Rude Epherene.”

Crossing her arms, she glared at her, reminding her of the conversation they had last time.

‘So, the letter your sponsor sent you has a pattern identical to the one on this handkerchief?’

‘Yes. That’s how I realized he was watching me. Too bad I couldn’t see his face since I was crying so hard while watching the play.’

Epherene’s handkerchief belonged to Professor Deculein.

If so, it was highly probable he also sponsored her.

Sylvia felt immensely irritated and stressed by that fact alone.

Why was the professor taking care of her only? Was it because her father committed suicide? Was it really just for that reason?

‘If he doesn’t accept me as an assistant professor, I might reveal it to Epherene.… Whatever it was.’

“Grrrr… ugh!”

She grabbed Epherene’s nose and bent it from side to side.

“Aaaaaaggghhhh!”

Epherene woke up screaming, and Sylvia straight away wiped her hands.

“W-what are you doing?!”

“Why are you in someone else’s house?”

“Still, I was sleeping…”

She tended to her reddened nose, which hurt so much she was in tears. She even thought it was bleeding but soon realized it had just become runny.

Sylvia’s eyes narrowed.

“Why did you come?”

“… Paper. I know the secret of this paper.”

Epherene’s words caused an exclamation mark to pop in her head.

“What do you mean you know?”

“Whew. Even with such humiliation… Anyway, look. Doesn’t this look just like a simple piece of paper? But…”

While holding it, Epherene performed pure water elemental magic, drenching Sylvia’s paper.

“You’re dead, idiot Epherene…”

Enraged for a moment, Sylvia nearly strangled her, but the shape of the paper soon began to change bizarrely.

Epherene smiled confidently and raised a finger.

“Paper is made out of wood, but isn’t wood a combination of earth and water?”

The wet paper soon spread in all directions and assumed a three-dimensional map.

“It was too easy. Do you know where that place is?”

Sylvia nodded.

It was the locale forest on the 40th floor, one of the University Tower’s special floors.

“The test site was written on this piece of paper.”

“…”

She looked at Epherene in a new light. While she was taking an exam, she was doing this.

She did well turning her into her slave.

“Hehe! What do you think? Now, it’s time you buy me that!” Epherene laughed.

“What?”

“You promised. Roahawk.”

“…”

Sylvia thought it was ridiculous.

She promised to treat her during the exams, but she wanted a Roahawk yesterday, the day before, and today.

“Gosh. Let’s all go together today. With the staff of your mansion.”

“No.”

Sylvia shook her head, but the attendants, who had been watching them delightedly, suddenly raised their hands.

“We don’t mind it~ since it’s the request of the young lady’s friend~” They smiled and changed their clothes, leaving Sylvia no choice.

A promise was a promise, and it was true that Epherene solved the problem. Even Professor Deculein would at least do this.

“… Okay.”

“Great~”

*****

… After an hour.

“Princess~”

Glitheon, the Head of Iliade, visited Sylvia’s empty mansion. He went in calling his daughter, but she was nowhere to be seen, let alone her attendants.

Shrugging, he explored the building, only to find it completely empty.

“Did they all go out?”

He walked over to Sylvia’s door and knocked on it.

“Sweetie. Are you there?”

No answer. No reaction.

“… Hmm.”

Scratching the back of his neck, he slowly opened it, finding no one in her room but the panda doll looking at him from her bed.

“Well, it’s the final exam.”

He just wanted to make her healthy food.

Grumbling, Glitheon was about to leave when he found a document on his daughter’s desk.

“Is it her report card?”

After checking for sounds coming from within the mansion, Glitheon sneaked up to her desk.

Swish—

“Hmm…”

Glitheon was full of interest as he picked the paper up, but his expression slowly hardened the more he read through it. His appearance grew cold, but his emotions blazed like flames.

Veins popped out on his hand as he unknowingly crumpled it.

──[Application Form: Deculein]──

I, Sylvia, would like to volunteer to study under Professor Deculein. I am the only one among 150 debutantes to receive the perfect score in Professor Deculein’s midterm exam…

───────────────────────

“… Impossible.”

He returned it where he found it. Its crumpled parts straightened once more as if nothing happened, unlike his expression, which remained dark and enraged.

“Volunteer to study under Deculein?”

He thought it didn’t matter whether Sylvia had a crush on Deculein and yearned and cherished any feelings for him. It would be just a fleeting fever for her that would pass by and disappear once she had matured.

However, she was an Iliade before she was Sylvia.

Their family should never fall under the Yukline.

“Ha…”

Glitheon chuckled.

He was trying to make her see and hear only the good things.

The conflict between families. War. A wizard’s life. He thought it was too early for her to see that cold and cruel world.

“… Hahahaha.”

But it seemed the time had come.

He couldn’t just watch this unfold.

The child of a lion serving under a mere wolf would forever remain a disgrace and dishonor to their family.

… The time had come to let Sylvia know about the intertwined and tough chain of bad ties in which each of them hated the other…

Glitheon was now ready to take off his mask.