Chapter 115: Sophien (1) (1/2)

Julie woke up on a hospital bed in the Imperial Palace. Emperor Sophien was by her side, and behind her was Keiron, as always.

“…”

Julie was confused for a moment, blinking as she regarded them.

“…It’s not just an injury. It’s a curse, a very evil one.”

Sophien explained, her voice as dry as the sand of the desert. Julie, who was trying to raise her torso, stopped as pain shot through her.

“Ugh!”

“It’s okay. Lie down.”

“No. I-“

“This curse. I heard that you received it while escorting Deculein.”

“…”

Julie didn’t say anything. Sophien scanned her body up and down.

“I also suffered from a terrible illness at one time. It was a terrible life. It was so painful that even my suffering started to feel dull… knight, look into my eyes.”

“…”

Julie gazed into the Emperor’s eyes, but Sophien’s pupils were lifeless. There was no energy to be found within them as Sophien grinned.

“You will see it too. I overcame one disease, yet another disease is still eating me. The disease is called boredom.”

After saying that, she placed a hand on Julie’s forehead. Vital energy began to seep into her body.

“Your Majesty. This is…”

“It’s a rune I learned from Deculein. It’s a healing spell, but a curse isn’t the kind of thing that I can heal. It’s good for temporary symptom relief, that’s all.”

“Oh!”

Julie quickly sat up. Watching her hurriedly prepare the proper knightly courtesies, Sophien shook her head.

“If you push yourself any further than that, it is not polite but ignorant. Be still.”

“Yes.”

“Also, you’re not completely cured. That curse will one day kill you.”

“…Yes. I know.”

It was a curse that gradually intensified. The heart-piercing pain it caused was now a normal morning routine.

“Looking at you reminds me of my old self.”

As if in the understanding of her pain, Sophien murmured as she looked at the moon outside the window.

“The me back then, and me now… maybe I want to start all over again. Without knowing anything. Forgetting all my memories… that this life is ruined.”

Julie was taken aback by her sentimental complaints.

“Don’t say that. It’s not ruined, Your Majesty.”

Sophien’s gaze returned to her.

“Your curse is incurable. The situation is similar to the old me. Do you not want to start over? Haven’t you considered something like, ‘If only I hadn’t escorted Deculein back then?'”

“…”

Julie shook her head without saying a word.

“Why?”

“Because that choice was also mine, and it’s my life.”

“…”

A truly knight-like answer. A short silence settled in the hospital room.

“…Is it?”

Sophien nodded a couple of times before offering her a small smile.

“You are different from Deculein.”

“…Is that so?”

Julie thought of Deculein, feeling somewhat depressed.

“Yes. You’re different. Deculein lives as if there were no wrong answers in his own life. He does not admit to them, as if his way is always the right answer.”

“…You are right. The Professor does live that way.”

“But if you take even the wrong answers as your share, as you do, then the more wrong answers you will have, and the more wounds you will inevitably receive. Then you die.”

Sophien spoke sarcastically, but Julie’s answer was a warm smile.

“Your Majesty. Even if a knight is riddled with wounds, the knight lives on. And I am a knight.”

“…”

Sophien glared at Julie. She appeared to believe that, so she felt dissatisfied.

“Right. You are a true knight, but there are not many knights like you.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“It’s not a compliment. Rest and go.”

Sophien stood, flapping the hem of her coat. Julie sat up and politely bid her farewell as Keiron closed the door behind them.

Slam-!

Afterward, she silently stalked down the hallway.

Stomp- Stomp-

“…Your Majesty. Do you want that?”

Sophien stood a bit taller as Keiron addressed her.

“If you are looking for a fresh start, you can have it.”

“…”

“I can make that happen.”

Eventually, Sophien turned to Keiron. Bowing his head, he continued.

“Your Majesty deserves to be happy.”

“…Hmph. Who said that?”

“Anyone will say this. If they know Your Majesty, who has died dozens of times, suffered for decades, and committed suicide over and over… anyone would say so.”

“What?”

Sophien felt embarrassed. Keiron was usually statue-like, to the point the Imperial family even named him the Statue. Keiron even referred to his multiple selves as such.

“Keiron, you do not know me.”

“I know a little bit.”

Sophien frowned.

“Even if it were you, you are arguing too emotionally for something impossible now.”

“It’s not something impossible. Your Majesty, the Altar is in the basement of this palace.”

Keiron’s eyes flashed with a knight’s will.

“They are trying to gather and use Your Majesty’s powers. If we use it against them, you can go back.”

“Can I go back?”

“Yes. Your Majesty may be happy too. You can forget everything and start fresh in a new world.”

The Devil’s Mirror wanted Sophien, and the 「Altar」 was collecting Sophien’s power from the world in the mirror. Keiron thought of the possibility that if those two, who seemed to be in a symbiotic relationship, could be used in their favor, a new world, that is, a completely different past, could be built.

It was inspired by Deculein’s words, saying that the Devil’s Mirror wanted to become a world, but it was a completely different idea from what Deculein had in mind. In Keiron’s thoughts, the Devil’s Mirror would become a new world, and the Sophien of that world would return anew, forgetting all the memories of this life.

If this life were ruined, they could plan for the next one.

“What if history just repeats itself?”

Sophien met his gaze.

“I will not let that happen.”

“…”

…The conversation stopped. No, time appeared to have stopped, consumed by a suffocating and stagnant air. In that silence, Sophien turned around.

Stomp, stomp.

That meant that she ordered Keiron to leave without a word, and Keiron, who understood her meaning, was frozen more still than a statue in the middle of the hallway.

* * *

It was a night. Returning to the office of the tower, I was engrossed in my quiet thoughts.

“…If I could understand the Devil’s Mirror.”

I looked in the mirror on the desk. I activated [Understanding] on that simple mirror to deduce its nature and properties. When the sand was heated to a high temperature — of course, several other processes remained in between — it would turn to glass. Coincidentally, earth and fire were my attributes.

“I need a little more information.”

I stood. Magic books related to glass and mirrors could be found in the Magic Tower library. I made a beeline to the elevator.

“Ugh!”

As I reached it, someone let out a strange sound.

“…”

It was Epherene. With a face that told of great exhaustion, she was holding a cup of coffee in one hand. She took a step backward without even greeting me.

Ding-!

The elevator arrived.

“It doesn’t seem that it’s working out the way you thought it would.”

“N-No. I just need a clue… then I can.”

“…”

“I can, um, anyway.”

She was murmuring. As I watched her, I suddenly remembered what Ihelm had said.

—Did you feel sorry for Luna’s daughter, who’s father pretended to love her?

Maybe… he was right. Epherene, she was strangely pitiful to me. Since Deculein had little to no feelings of compassion, this was probably a piece of Kim Woojin.

“W-Why?”

As such, there were only a few people in this world who made me feel anything from Kim Woojin. So far, there were only three of them: Sylvia, Epherene, and Yeriel. Julie was the exact opposite, serving as the strongest proof of me as Deculein. She was bondage formed from the emotion I could not deny.

“Confidence and commitment. Those two virtues suit you.”

“…Yes?”

“Try endlessly. And, believe in the future you.”

“…”

Epherene’s eyes nearly rolled out of her skull as I stepped out of the elevator.

Ding-!

I stepped out onto the first floor, right into Julie.

“Professor.”

“…”

Julie greeted me awkwardly. She was still wearing light armor, as she always did. I approached her.

“Julie. Stop escorting me now.”

“No.”

“What-“