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Chapter 241

“What number am I now?”

Deculein, the moment his voice spread, the nature of the island stopped. The wind stayed in one place, and the waves hardened. The clouds stiffened, and the sun dimmed. The birds stopped flapping their wings.

“What do you mean?”

Sylvia’s eyes narrowed coldly. Deculein took a step closer and said.

“I am thinking.”

“…Thinking about what.”

“You’ve grown so much that I think I might not be me now.”

“…”

Sylvia closed her lips tightly. She stared at Deculein as he grabbed the sand on the beach.

“Time on this island will flow differently than outside. The Voice is that kind of demon.”

Deculein’s eyes reached her feet, the heels she wore. Her gait was measured and consistent from when they met, but Sylvia was a girl who liked to wear flat shoes.

“Sylvia, you must have already spent quite some time here. Three years, four years, or more.”

Sylvia looked at Deculein. No, she looked at the painting modeled after Deculein.

“Five years.”

She quietly corrected him. He let the sand sift through his fingers.

Swoooosh…

The sand fell one grain after another, without swaying in the wind or spreading into dust, very orderly.

“As you said, time passes differently in the Voice. During those five years, I painted you.”

“Then, the original me-“

“You’re still swimming in the sea. Like a fool.”

The Voice’s sea spread infinitely. The closer you get, the farther away you are. He couldn’t reach the island from the start.

“Thanks to you, I found out.”

But for Sylvia, it was something to be grateful for.

“I can paint Deculein.”

It was possible to paint a new Deculein by analyzing the Deculein trapped in the sea. Now that she’d become one with the Voice, the sea was nothing more than her limbs. She could touch him in the sea at any time.

“You… can paint me?”

“Yeah. You pissed me off. I painted hundreds of Deculeins, but you were the first.”

Sylvia shook her head with certainty.

“And you conveyed Deculein’s feelings as they were. I don’t think what you said to me was made-up.”

To be compassionate with her, to know that there was no paradise with only happiness. Such words weren’t something that could be made by a fake. The Deculein she painted was changing. Becoming more real, more perfect.

“…Sylvia. You are mistaken.”

However, Deculein shook his head. He said she was mistaken when she wasn’t. Sylvia frowned.

“Mistaken?”

“Right. You can’t implement me with your abilities. It is not possible with only that.”

“With only that?”

He was looking down on her as if she was a student from long ago. A fever rose to Sylvia’s head. It was a good sign.

“Even the god of this world cannot embody me. You can’t put me in such a vessel.”

“…You’re a total narcissist.”

She was slightly terrified, but this was also a good sign. Sylvia responded quickly.

“Deculein can be made. You are the counterexample of your statement.”

“No. The reason I am who I am now is that I have finally understood you, and I have allowed it.”

Deculein’s words were subtle. A question mark appeared above Sylvia’s head.

“You resemble him, even the way he always says things in complicated ways.”

“You will find out soon. I’ll let you know when I come.”

“…Deculein can’t make it. He will be trapped in that sea forever.”

Then he smiled. It was a smile that wasn’t like Deculein. Again, it seemed that the Professor was only treating her like a student.

“You’ll find out when you see it.”

“…Enough.”

Sylvia stared at him.

“You are trash.”

In an instant, Deculein scattered from the feet up, like oil paints peeling off. The collapse rippled up through his legs.

“Sylvia.”

Even so, Deculein’s smile was still there.

“Remember.”

Sylvia was a little scared of the way he was so relaxed. This was the deletion of his existence. No matter how fake he was, he should be afraid of the disappearance of his ego. That would be normal.

“You didn’t paint me.”

The lower body was all gone, and only the upper body was left, but Deculein muttered. However, even this was also a good sign. The previous Deculein was not so resolute.

“I will come to you.”

Swooosh—

He disappeared like melted paint. Eventually, all that was left on the sandy beach was Deculein’s crystal ball, which she used as a catalyst.

“…No.”

Sylvia shook her head.

“He can’t reach me.”

She mumbled and made a telescope. She looked into the distant sea, at a far-off place.

“…There you are.”

Deculein, she could see him. He was still swimming through the infinite vibrations of the Voice.

—You can’t implement me with your abilities. It is not possible with only that… it’s because I allowed it.

It was nonsense.

“You are just a fake.”

A mere fake imitating what the real one would say. Sylvia put down the telescope and picked up Deculein’s crystal ball left in the middle of the sand. For reference, Deculein dropped this while he was swimming. It proved to be a very useful catalyst for Sylvia.

“So sloppy.”

Sylvia put Deculein’s crystal ball down on the sandy shore. She concentrated her mana on that one point. She then backed off slowly. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen.

Exactly thirteen steps. At that moment, a person stood up on the beach not far away. Deculein had finally arrived at the Voice’s Island after passing through the magical disaster raging around the sea. He quickly found her.

“…Sylvia.”

He called out her name and fixed his clothes. He dried off the water with Cleanse and fixed his hair and tie.

“It’s been a long time.”

Sylvia looked at him and thought this might be an obsession. Like her father, Glitheon’s, oblivion, it might be a love bordering psychosis.

“…Follow me. I have something to talk to you about.”

However, what a wizard seeks is a miracle in the end. A miracle that doesn’t harm anyone. Therefore, this would also be an achievement worth leaving in the world.

“What you-“

“No. Don’t move yet.”

Sylvia stopped Deculein.

“The reason is?”

…Immediately after being painted, one should not move hastily. As with any oil painting, it takes time for the paint to harden.

“This is the Voice’s Island. Many people have died long ago, and many extinct species are roaming about. There are a lot of fanatics in the Voice, too.”

So, Sylvia approached him first, one step at a time.

“If they find you alone, they will try to kill you.”

As soon as she reached him, she stretched out her fingers. She grabbed the hem of his sleeve between her forefinger and thumb. Carefully, not to break even a single piece.

“Don’t die yet.”

Now, this moment of meeting Deculein again. Sylvia felt that she was alive.

“It’s not dangerous if you’re with me.”

After Sierra’s death, her own life was nothing but misery, and he was the first light she encountered in that hell. No matter how much his portrait in her heart was filled with resentment and hatred, he was one she would never give up on and never let go.

“Stay with me.”

She wanted to live, now, with him.

* * *

“…I guess you are not a complete idiot.”

Julie received her first compliment thanks to the 68th move. She was very pleased, but she quickly calmed herself so it wouldn’t show.

“Thank you. However, it is said that the 7-point Go is meaningless. Whether you win or lose, there is nothing to learn-“

“Enough. Ask me one thing.”

“…?”

Julie’s eyes widened. Sophien placed her chin atop her hand with an alluring smile.

“It’s your prize. I will answer one question.”

“…”

Then, Julie’s expression grew serious. She knelt and placed her fists against her knees.

“Yes, Your Majesty. As a knight, would it be okay if I inquire as to why Your Majesty and I are investigating the Professor’s secret matters?”

Sophien nodded.

“I’m looking for the Professor’s weakness.”

“Weakness…”

“His power has abnormally expanded. It’s only natural to have a safety device for containment. Also, there is no such thing as an investigation. Gathering some data from the intelligence agency, reminiscing on conversations I had with him, and examining the circumstances will give us an appropriate answer. This confirmation was made by you, Julie.”

“…”

Julie heard the Emperor’s voice as a knight. Sophien spoke calmly.

“The Professor killed Rockfell. I wasn’t sure about Veron, but I knew from your reaction. You must have evidence that the public does not know.”

“…Yes.”

That was right. Julie recovered Veron’s remains with Josephine’s help.

“However, killing a knight will not take him down.”

“It will be a blow.”

In response to Julie’s answer, Sophien raised an eyebrow.

“Blow? You are truly determined to face Deculein.”

“…”

“I wonder if you will regret it.”

“That… Your Majesty Sophien.”

Julie said the Emperor’s name in a low voice. Sophien placed another white stone.

“I don’t have much time left to live.”

At that moment, the Emperor’s hand paused.

“Of course, I live so as not to die. To fulfill my duty as a knight, I strive to live. However, it is right to accept that fact.”

Julie put a hand to her chest. A heart bound by a curse. She had no way to treat it, and there was no chance that she would survive, but she overcame the slander, knowing the truth.

Ten years at the longest. In its shortest, tomorrow.

“I have many colleagues who have gone before me in this life. There are a lot of resentful people, not just Rockfell and Veron. I hope I can get their revenge.”

“…I see.”

Sophien looked over the materials Julie had brought. Murdering a teacher when he was in academia, suicidal ideation, gang bullying. Theft of a thesis, threatening Louina von Schlott McQueen, and the magical visions from many mages stolen through conspiracy and trickery. Many families went bankrupt because they couldn’t repay the debt owed to Deculein, and many companies were predated forcefully.

“Nevertheless, it is in Deculein’s nature to still commit more crimes. Probably, he will start in earnest after returning from the Voice. Everyone knows that.”

“Do you want to stop him?”

“Yes.”

“Was it with Deculein in mind when you first revealed your weakness that could cause you to be kicked out of the Imperial Palace?”

“…Yes. I will not let him take advantage of my injury.”

Hmm. Sophien looked at Julie.

“Also, Your Majesty. I’m taking a clue for the attempted poisoning.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I will never disappoint your expectations.”

“Hmm. Indeed, I like knights more than professors.”

“…I’m much obliged, Your Majesty.”

Julie’s expression faltered. Sophien, smiling a little, made the next move. Julie refocused quickly. And, for some reason, a smile appeared on Sophien’s lips.

Using humans was so easy. Although they looked like complex animals, in the end, the principles of action and operation weren’t very different from those of pigs or dogs. The intelligence that humans were proud of was what made humans even more stupid.

It started from the moment she gave Julie the assignment. From that moment on, she gave her power over the intelligence agency. As Julie pursued the poisoning attempt on Sophien with the help of the intelligence agency and ran to uncover the truth about Deculein, Sophien silently watched. No, she wasn’t just watching.

Sophien made minor manipulations to Julie’s evidence. Even if she approached it a bit, she would never come to the truth. At the same time, she made her hate Deculein, playing both sides from the middle. Of course, it was impossible to express this mischief with just words. She hated to admit it, but her heart was already leaning.

—I still want to see you at least once.

The Professor’s words still echoed in her ears. Sophien repeated the phrase that the Professor said to himself countless times. Through both day and night, every day, when the stars and the moon revolved around the sun.

So, she finally came to acknowledge her feelings.

“…”

Sophien put down a white stone and stared at Julie. She wanted this woman and Deculein’s relationship to break. She wanted it to be shattered, smashed and scattered so that Julie wouldn’t even miss the Professor.

“Now, make your move.”

Sophien buried her body in the chair, gazing at the Snow Globe on the table, and recalled Keiron. She spoke to him in her mind.

—…It’s only natural that as time goes by, even without the Professor adding any words or thoughts, I stopped believing even Rohakan’s prophecies. I start to say that there is no such thing as fate.

—…

Keiron nodded without a word.

—But I’m just convincing myself now.

—Convincing yourself about what?

—Isn’t the family that was trying to poison me the Freyden? If I die, the continent will live.

Sophien stared at Julie over the board.

—So, the child of such traitors does not deserve the Professor’s longing, she does not deserve the Professor’s heart… these kinds of things.

—It’s based on the premise of guilt-by-association.

Based on the premise of guilt-by-association. That was damn right.

—But, isn’t that kind of punishment okay? Since it is the family that killed me a hundred times, wouldn’t it be too harsh for them to take away even my only possibility?

—Is Your Majesty’s only possibility Professor Deculein?

Keiron asked. The Emperor smiled faintly.

—For now, he’s the most powerful. I can’t even think of any other possibilities…