Chapter 52 (1/2)

… Deculein left.

As promised, there was no rematch or a comeback. Meanwhile, Louina remained in her place.

Sophien looked at her.

“What do you think of this situation?”

“…He seems to be better than me.” Although her pride was hurt, she answered honestly.

“He’s much better. Not only was he better, but our battle was also a lot more fun. You’re too much of a coward.”

“… I understand. I’m sorry.”

“Did you grow up being beaten by someone when you were young?”

“No. It’s because I only read books at home.”

Louina took Sophien’s words calmly. She didn’t show anything on her face.

“I heard the relationship between the Yuklines and the McQueens isn’t that great.”

“… That’s right.”

However, she didn’t feel confident enough that she’d be able to maintain her composure against that question. She lowered her head to hide her face.

Fifteen years ago, at the Bercht Conference, the former Head of the Yukline family attacked the McQueen family Head and eliminated him by stealing her father’s mana source, ultimately crippling him as a wizard. He then claimed that wasn’t his intention and that such incidents frequented Bercht in the first place.

Yukline then demanded McQueen’s ‘magic vision,’ making an assortment of promises that he would give to him once he had gotten back on track.

McQueen, at the time, refused. It was a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils.

Their family wasn’t the first to fall prey to the Yuklines’ atrocities.

Even after Deculein became the Head of their household, such actions were regularly executed, and as a result, many ‘magic visions’ were asleep in the underground of Yukline’s library.

Louina’s primary goal was to get their family’s ‘magic vision’ back.

“…”

After a long silence, Sophien bowed and looked into her eyes.

“Hey, are you crying?”

“…!” Louina shook her head in surprise.

The emperor noticed her feelings of anger and hatred, which wasn’t that hard to uncover.

They weren’t towards Deculein. Her emotions were opaque and smoky, as if they were covered in dust.

She didn’t show any shards of it, however.

“Louina.”

“Yes.”

“Is this your gift?” Sophien laid her hand on the spellbook that she had brought.

“Yes,” Louina answered proudly. It was something that money couldn’t buy. “It’s about the magical epiphany that Great Elder Dzekdan of Bercht had written in his childhood—”

“I’ll read it. You may now go too. A promise is a promise.”

“… Yes.”

She got up quietly and left.

Sophien rested her chin on her hand and looked at the chessboard. The room now had grown silent after the two wizards left.

However, there was still one person with her in it.

“Keiron. What do you think of this situation?”

“…”

“Even if I engross myself in it, there’s no way out.”

At this point, she had no way to turn the tides around. No matter how much she thought about it, it would always result in her defeat.

The only way out of it was to not be in this situation in the first place.

Looking at that face, Keiron said, “The world is this wide, Your Majesty.”

“…”

For some reason, it sounded like he was in a good mood. Sophien twisted her lips and glared at him.

“I didn’t lose.”

She grabbed her king. In her grasp, it turned into powder.

Chiron raised his eyebrows at the manifestation of her mana.

“If I had taken it slow, I would have won. I got caught up in his tricks.”

Sophien was confident she would win if they played again. She simply lost her original pace.

“Will my next class start next week?”

“The knights will come in three days.”

Sophien closed her eyes without answering and soon sank into her thoughts. Keiron didn’t bother her either.

* * *

“Is it still too much?”

I lost in chess.

Of course, I could pour mana into [Understanding] to read her next move and drive her into a corner to a certain extent.

However, my entire mana tank was exhausted in 20 minutes. I used every drop I could squeeze out, but I couldn’t even finish the game.

Thanks to this, I realized something new.

The temporary amplification of [Understanding].

During the match, that ability of mine rose to a higher level, helping me fight a battle that I had no knowledge about. However, it was an extremely wasteful act. Now that I was no longer using [Undertsanding], I couldn’t even remember how I played.

It was a different level of expression from “learning” or “studying.”

“…”

I came to the parking lot outside the palace’s outer walls, feeling the aftereffects of my magic exhaustion. My car and Louina’s car were parked side by side.

“Those who rode carriages are getting their licenses too late.”

“Really? Well, these days, nobles don’t ride carriages anymore.”

The drivers were talking to each other.

“Yes. I’m glad I found that out early.”

“Do you know who started this car trend, though?”

“Who?”

“Professor Deculein. All the trends start with him.”

Even though they both were drivers, the difference was obvious. My driver’s back was straight, and Louina’s driver slouched.

“Oh, you’re here!”

“It is an honor!”

As I approached, the two drivers bowed. I nodded and got into the car.

“Let’s head back to the mansion.”

“Got it!”

My car’s engine started and soon left the place.

Shortly after our departure, I glanced at the rearview mirror, finding Louina’s car following right behind me.

I casually looked back.

“…?”

Certain energy was faintly glimmering on its front seat’s leather covers.

It was a mana trace.

I stared at it with my eyes narrowed as it formed the shape of a sentence.

“Have you abandoned us?”

“Jeff.”

“Yes?”

It was surprising, but I didn’t show any signs of it. I just casually looked around my car’s interior.

There were no death

“Did you leave your post after you parked the car?”

“No. I stayed near it at all times. Since we were around the imperial palace…”

Even though Jeff was my driver now, he used to be a mercenary.

If the sentence were engraved in such a way that his senses couldn’t detect it, it wouldn’t just be anyone who did it.

—Have you abandoned us?

Besides, based on the words alone, it was highly probable that it was someone from Deculein’s original connections.

If that’s the case, it’s a bit annoying. That person probably hailed from the ‘dark family.’

“Has no one come near it? Or have you heard anything useful?”

“…Ah.” Jeff nodded as if coming into realization. “I heard Louina bought a mansion. She seems to want to stay here now.”

“…”

I looked out the window. In the passing scenery, darkness momentarily fell. I thought it was because of magic, but it was just the shade offered by trees.

“Is she?”

I looked in the rearview mirror. Louina’s car had disappeared.

I opened a book as usual. While reading calmly, I thought about Deculein’s power.

“…”

From a player’s perspective, Deculein’s subordinates were obviously annoying. There were many Named villains with stronger combat power than Deculein.

But those connections were very shallow. Even after Deculein died, no event revolved around avenging their boss. They simply scattered.

In fact, since I became Deculein, his network of dark people faded away as soon as I cut off that ‘sponsorship.’

However…

“I should think about it.”

These guys were different.

A few names came to mind, but it seemed necessary to refrain from hasty actions until I saw them in person.

* * *

The night was darker than usual.

Terhal, the capital of Iliade, had been busy these days with the opening of Marik and support for Demon Purification. As a result, Glitheon at the Lord’s Castle was still signing paperwork.

— The competence Deculein is showing these days is unexpected.

Amid the scratches brought forth by his fountain pen scribbling, a voice flowed in.

Glitheon nodded. “I know.”

Deculein’s practical skills had already been “detailed” by a certain incident.

But he thought theoretical skills were entirely his.

Actually, since he ‘died,’ his theoretical skills had been cut off too.

“The Symposium, huh.”

Was it a change of heart, his final move, or a new mindset?

Whatever caused it, Deculein declared his intention to challenge the Symposium.

Resolving the Symposium in this magical world could be called an achievement to some extent.

Of course, it depended on the problem, but at least the 6th, 9th, and 11th problems that had remained unanswered for 15 years were special.

“Which problem is he trying to solve?”

— That is yet to be revealed, it seems.

“… I wonder what’s in his head that made him suddenly desire to do that and oppose the Red Box suppression.”

Glitheon placed the signed papers on the desk, then leaned against his chair’s backrest.

He looked into the darkness outside the castle and smiled.

“He’s very unpredictable. I wonder if it’s because of the Yukline blood in his veins…”

The Yuklines and Iliades were in a cat-and-dog relationship, in a way.

Even if it weren’t for the incident from 15 years ago, they would’ve still clashed, killing and being killed by each other.

And yet, a strange relationship bloomed between them despite recognizing each other as enemies.

“… What happened to the knight who died in Bercht?”

— He’s on hold, but he’ll probably remain on hold forever.

Glitheon laughed quietly.

“Haha. Who knew he harbored ill feelings toward Deculein.”