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Chapter 99: Lokralen (5)

I closed my eyes briefly, and when I opened them, the world had already changed, anchored in a single fleeting moment. She was gone from the underground archive; only the silence remained. The wind spun idly, and the damp chill clung to my skin. In this unaltered space, time for me continued without interruption. Yet, in that brief span, 385 years had likely passed.

"... Arrogant," I muttered, a wave of anger and disdain rising within me. It was a natural response.

Flutter—

A scrap of paper at my feet caught my attention. I lifted it with Telekinesis.

To Professor Deculein,

Hello, this is Epherene.

By now, I’m certain you’re angry. Were you muttering ‘arrogant’ under your breath?

I glanced around instinctively. There was no one there. I returned to the letter. The handwriting was firm, pressed deeply into the paper.

I’m sorry, Professor. But this is something I had to do alone.

And this time, it truly is just time. The mana in the air is stagnant, making any training impossible. I will not even be able to replenish my mana.

It’s a time devoid of purpose, where all I can do is think.

Like waves lapping against the shore, time will simply wash over me and retreat, again and again.

Hehe.

Umm, there’s so much I wanted to say to you, Professor.

What happened in the future, how it all unfolded.

But conveying knowledge from the future to the present is difficult. Especially your future, Professor—I couldn’t possibly explain it, no matter how much mana I used.

So, instead of sharing incomplete information, a mere fragment of the truth, I’ll just say this one thing.

What I want to tell you, Professor, is

The letter stopped there, leaving the back of the page blank. Whatever she had meant to convey was left unfinished, abruptly cut off.

Just then...

"Professor!"

The door burst open, and a younger, sharper voice rang out from behind. I quickly tucked the note into my pocket and turned to face her.

"D-did it work?! Was Lokralen abandoned?!" Epherene exclaimed, her fists clenched tightly as she urgently questioned me.

I gave a brief nod in response.

"Oh!"

"But the full Abandonment of Lokralen is yet to come. Though Kaidezite has been neutralized, Lokralen’s timeline will continue until that day," I said.

The complete Abandonment of Lokralen was a matter for the future. Lokralen would continue to exist until the day Epherene became an Archmage.

Epherene hesitated before asking, "Then... what about... me?"

I thought of the future Epherene, enduring 385 years in isolation. The thought made me angry. She had dismissed my abilities and pride, rejecting my offer with such audacious stubbornness. She wasn’t someone capable of bearing such an immense span of time alone. I stepped closer to her. Though Epherene flinched, she didn’t back away.

Tap—

"Ow!"

I rested my hand on her head, noting how small and light it felt.

"You still have much to learn in your head."

"... What did you say?" Epherene asked, squinting up at me, her expression still reflecting a lack of understanding.

"Epherene has returned to the future. In that future, Lokralen has been abandoned, so you won’t see her again."

Then her face fell, disappointment flashing across her features. Without another word, I began to climb the stairs.

"Oh, Deculein! Ya dirty punk!" Rogerio yelled, her voice seething with fury as I continued upward.

As anticipated, she remained completely unaware that she had been locked in time.

"How could ya turn on me like that?!"

"This way. It’s all over."

"... Wha’, it\'s ovah?"

When we reached the first-floor lobby, nearly everyone from the conference was already gathered. Released from the time lock, they appeared slightly embarrassed. Among them stood the conference president, Lokralen, idly toying with a necklace that had become nothing more than a string around his collarbone.

"... Oh, Professor Deculein!"

"Professor Deculein, did you resolve the matter?"

"I-I knew we could rely on you."

The conference members gradually approached, their expressions a mix of relief and hesitation.

I nodded toward Rogerio and said, "Rogerio. Open the doors."

"Awright," Rogerio said, dissolving the Ductility that had sealed the doors.

Ruuuuumble—!

The sealed conference hall exit finally opened, allowing the first rays of sunlight to stream in.

“Wicked... first sunlight in near two days. Professor Deculein, sorry ‘bout the mix-up,” Rogerio mumbled, and a few mages, still eyeing me, started to head outside.

They were unaware of the sacrifice made, so their reactions remained subdued.

"... This is Conference President Lokralen speaking. Due to unexpected events, this conference is now officially concluded," Lokralen announced through an amplification spell. "Please return to the hotel and rest. Departure procedures will begin tomorrow. I repeat, everyone, please return to the hotel and rest...."

Epherene scowled at him, her lips pursed and eyes filled with irritation.

***

The following day, Drent had partially recovered from the effects of mana exhaustion, and the remaining sessions of the conference were officially canceled. Conference President Lokralen announced that a period of reorganization was necessary, signaling that it was time to depart.

"Reorganization? Wouldn’t it make more sense to cancel the whole conference now? That way, we can prevent something like this from happening again," Epherene asked, her suggestion entirely practical.

I shook my head and replied, "There’s no evidence to support that. And even if there were, Kaidezite is still a threat to the future. The Floating Island would probably claim that it’s safe for the time being."

The Floating Island appeared rational and intellectual on the surface, but beneath that facade, it was deeply conservative and ruthlessly cold in its judgments.

"Oh..."

"Professor~ Everything is packed and ready," Allen called out.

"I can manage on crutches as well, Professor," Drent added.

I nodded and opened the door to the guest room. There was much to contemplate, beginning with the Advanced Attribute Catalog I had acquired as a quest reward.

As we entered the hotel elevator, Epherene asked, "When we leave Lokralen, will I forget everything that happened today?"

"It depends on your mental strength, but for you, it will likely linger as a vague memory. You won’t forget entirely, but the details will be hard to grasp," I said.

Epherene nodded, her expression tinged with sadness.

Ding—

The elevator doors opened to the busy lobby, where many were preparing to depart Lokralen. Though they greeted me, I had little interest in responding. We walked directly out of the hotel and onto the street.

"Apologies for the inconvenience, Assistant Professor. Am I too heavy?" Drent asked.

"It’s no trouble~ We’re a team, after all," Allen replied cheerfully as he supported Drent.

"I fainted like a fool... I never thought one word could knock me out..."

"Yeah, that was strange."

Their conversation ignited a thought in my mind, a small ember flaring to life within my consciousness.

"Professor! Professor—!" Conference President Lokralen called out loudly as he waved and approached from behind.

When Epherene spotted him, she puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. I, too, fixed him with a silent glare.

"Hahaha, leaving already? Why not stay for a farewell banquet? It’s almost ready," Lokralen suggested cheerfully, unaware that he had been Kaidezite’s host.

"Not interested," I replied.

"Hahaha~ Of course, you must be busy. But I wanted to express my gratitude. Thanks to you, the conference was saved."

"Tch. Saved, my ass," Epherene muttered under her breath.

Noticing her displeased expression, Lokralen turned to Drent and said, "Oh? I don’t think we’ve met before."

"He’s the mage I spoke of, the one who collapsed after a single word," I said.

"Ah~ That’s unfortunate. You must have been truly exhausted to collapse after a single word."

"... I apologize," Drent muttered, lowering his head.

Lokralen gave a bitter smile, and at that moment...

"Wait," I said, as the spark in my mind flared into a sudden flash of realization. "Lokralen."

"Yes?"

"You mentioned that it\'s rare for someone to faint after saying just a single word."

"Yes, normally that wouldn’t occur, even with weak mental strength."

"Yet he still fainted," I said, gesturing toward Drent.

Drent lowered his head, covering his face in shame. "Um, I was just tired at the time—"

"Describe another possible condition."

"Sorry? Another condition?"

"If he indeed fainted, the problem likely lies with the mage he faced."

“... Perhaps.”

Lokralen hesitated, stroking his chin thoughtfully before replying, "It’s probably... a difference in mental strength rather than mana. Maybe he faced a future mage with exceptional mental strength... but it’s also possible that his own fatigue was the primary cause. Mages with such a mentality are quite rare."

That was all the confirmation I needed.

"Indeed."

I remembered the moment we first arrived in Lokralen. That day, a robed mage had walked by us like any other passerby. Drent had unconsciously greeted him, and then...

So, instead of sharing incomplete information, a mere fragment of the truth, I’ll just say this one thing.

What I want to tell you, Professor, is

Epherene’s letter had certainly been cut off abruptly.

"Is something wrong, Professor?" Lokralen asked.

I pictured Epherene writing the letter, pressing her emotions into every word on that small piece of paper. She was lost in thought, carefully choosing her phrases and reflecting on her time, when something unexpected happened, startling her so much that she couldn’t finish it. Or maybe, there was no need to finish it. Because...

"What is destined to happen, will happen."

"Sorry?"

All eyes were suddenly on me.

"That arrogant child..."

“Who?” Epherene asked.

I signaled to Allen to lead her away. Allen, quick to understand, grasped Epherene\'s arm and began to guide her away.

"Let’s go now, Miss Epherene. We’ll wait over there, Professor~"

"What? Why? Wait, just a minute—"

Once they were out of earshot, I turned back to Lokralen and said, "Lokralen, call me in the near future."

Lokralen beamed and said, "Ah~ Of course. That’s only natural. Normally, we don’t allow double invitations, but there’s another conference in December—"

"No," I interrupted, my gaze firm. "Leave my name off the guest list."

"... Sorry?"

"I\'ll arrive discreetly."

My name couldn’t be on the list; it was the only way to ensure she was fooled.

"Oh, that’s a bit complicated. It goes against Lokralen’s regulations—"

"Regulations? What concerns are regulations to me? Because of you, we almost lost our lives," I said, gripping Lokralen\'s shoulder firmly.

He flinched, visibly shaken, and stammered, "B-but a greater danger could arise later. It\'s all for your protection. Without your name on the list, managing the entrances will be impossible—"

"I know. That’s exactly why I’m asking," I said, holding his gaze with a piercing stare. He shifted uneasily, his eyes flickering away from mine.

Gulp—

After a tense pause, Lokralen wiped the sweat from the back of his neck and stammered, "W-when should it be?"

"Any time will do," I replied, briefly glancing at Epherene, who was still casting looks over her shoulder as she walked away. "I’ll come when I’m ready."

At that moment, sunlight filtered through the domed glass roof of Lokralen, curving gently like a breeze.

"You’ll only need to keep the door open."

"... Yes, Professor, I understand. But why—"

I shook my head, smiling as I said, "There\'s no need for explanations."

The robed figure Drent had encountered—there was only one person in the world with such formidable mental strength, capable of making someone faint with just a single word.

"This was inevitable...”

I knew precisely who it was.

“From the beginning."

He was... Deculein von Grahan-Yukline

***

The previous night, when Epherene locked Deculein in time...

"It\'s all done!" Epherene exclaimed triumphantly after successfully dismantling Kaidezite.

The creature dissipated, releasing an immense amount of time energy throughout Lokralen before vanishing completely.

“Phew...”

Her task now was simple—survive in this confined space for 385 years, which meant enduring 140,525 days or 3,372,600 hours.

"... At least there\'s something to keep me company," Epherene mused, glancing at Deculein\'s figure locked in time.

His appearance was as pristine as ever, untouched by the flow of time. His meticulous obsession with cleanliness and order endured, unaffected by the passage of years.

"I\'ll come back later," Epherene said, giving one final glance at Deculein before hurrying up the stairs from the underground archives.

As she made her way to the first-floor lobby, she passed by Rogerio, still locked in time, and the younger Epherene, peacefully asleep.

"... Phew," Epherene sighed, checking the time locked faces of those present. She hadn’t missed anyone.

"Oh, right."

Epherene was about to inspect the second and third floors when she stopped, turned around, and descended the stairs again.

"I nearly forgot to write the letter. I should do it while my thoughts are still clear."

Epherene returned to the underground archives, coming to a halt before the motionless figure of Deculein. She retrieved a blank piece of paper.

"Let\'s see..."

To Professor Deculein,

Hello, this is Epherene.

Rather than using a pen, she channeled her mana to inscribe the words with graphite on the paper, employing the carbon magic Deculein had created.

Umm, there’s so much I wanted to say to you, Professor.

What happened in the future, how it all unfolded.

But conveying knowledge from the future to the present is difficult.

"Pfft."

As Epherene continued writing, a quiet laugh slipped out, accompanied by a smile. An unexpected warmth spread within her as she pressed each word firmly onto the page, understanding what it truly meant to convey her feelings.

So, instead of sharing incomplete information, a mere fragment of the truth, I’ll just say this one thing.

What I want to tell you, Professor, is

But then...

Thud—

Epherene\'s ears suddenly perked up, her senses on high alert. She froze, her eyes widening as she looked up.

Thud—

Footsteps that had no place in this silence reverberated through the room. Epherene\'s hand froze mid-motion.

Could there still be someone I haven’t locked in time? I was sure I’d accounted for everyone on the entry log, including Drent.

A shiver crept down her spine as she gazed into the darkness.

At that moment...

"How foolish."

A voice, sharp and unmistakably familiar, pierced the silence. It was too familiar, yet completely impossible.

"With this level of carelessness..."

The voice dripped with mockery as a man in a black robe stepped out of the shadows.

“How do you expect to be recognized as my protégé?"

Epherene could only stare at him, tears filling her eyes and her throat tightening, rendering her speechless.

"You remain as foolish as ever."

Only one person in the world had the authority to call the Archmage foolish. As he pulled back his hood, Epherene quickly covered her mouth with both hands.

"Ah..."

It was Deculein, but not the one she knew—this was Deculein from the future. His smile held a warmth that the Deculein of the past had never shown.

"You should have been more meticulous, wouldn’t you agree?"

At his words, a faint smile formed on Epherene\'s lips, even as tears, glistening like rainbows, rolled down her cheeks.

"Yes, Professor. You’re right..." Epherene said, wiping her tears with her robe’s sleeve, rubbing her eyes. "I was really... foolish."

She looked up at him again, smiling through her tears. She knew he hated seeing people cry, but she couldn’t help it—not with her heart pounding wildly and her emotions spiraling out of control.

"I should have done it... more meticulously..."

A small piece of paper drifted to the ground behind her, beginning with the hesitant words, To Professor Deculein.

"I really was foolish..."

Epherene left the letter unfinished. There was no need—after all, the one she had been waiting for was now here.

"... I\'m sorry, Professor."

As Epherene centered herself in the present, a faint sense of guilt settled within her.

"And... thank you."

The years she had once prepared to endure alone now would become far more bearable...