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

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

That was enough to shut me up entirely.

“I know that I have a lot of minor problems these days, which is detrimental to you as I’m your escort.”

“…”

“I apologize.”

I was dazed for a moment. But soon, I understood what she meant, and I clenched my jaw involuntarily.

“Also, in the not-too-distant future, I failed to protect you.”

Countless words ran through my mouth and died upon my lips. A certain cry swelled from the bottom of my chest.

“In these eyes, I still can see you dying. The sword that pierced your heart…”

Julie bowed her head. I couldn’t understand her.

“Professor, I understand you are disappointed with me.”

Why was this woman, who could not love herself, so foolish?

“I admit all my faults.”

I wanted to say it wasn’t her fault. We just shouldn’t be together.

“However, please, let me complete this escort mission.”

Julie continued firmly, grabbing the sword around her waist.

“I will work even harder. Even if my body is broken, I will protect you. I’ll make sure you don’t get tired-“

“Julie.”

I didn’t want to hear anymore.

“I don’t need it.”

“!”

Julie’s breathing was loud. She bowed to hide her sorrow.

“Go now. I have work to do in the Magic Tower library today.”

I loved this foolish woman. I hated to deny this crazy feeling.

“I’ll be waiting-“

“Go.”

“…I apologize.”

So, Julie left. She opened the door of the tower and trudged down that long road. She wasn’t healed yet, so she went with staggering footsteps.

“…”

As I watched her, I leaned my body against the wall. I placed my hand on my heart as Deculein’s echo spread throughout my body.

“What’s wrong?”

Then, I heard a voice from somewhere. When I turned around, Epherene was standing there.

“…I will help you.”

“…”

“Aren’t you here to investigate something?”

“…”

“I’m Epherene, your teaching assistant.”

Didn’t she see their encounter just now? Or was she pretending she hadn’t? I let out a small sigh.

“Do you have that much spare time?”

“Oh, that… Honestly! …I can’t do it. How can I understand all 30,000 pages in one month? That’s impossible.”

“…”

“Isn’t that why you gave it to me?”

I walked silently to the underground library. Then, Epherene quickly followed behind. I didn’t bother to slow down. I didn’t even bother to show that I noticed her side-eyed glances over and over again.

…Three hours later.

“Are these what you wanted?”

Epherene was a moderate help. There was nothing more troublesome than finding the book you wanted in the Magic Tower Library, where hundreds of thousands of books were scattered about.

“Yes.”

I ordered everything related to mirror magic. The Devil’s Mirror was also a mirror, after all. So, understanding the properties of mirrors as a whole would help.

“Do I have to bring you anything else?”

“This time, it’s glass. Anything related to glass.”

“Yeah, yeah~.”

Glass, glass, glass, glass. Epherene muttered that to herself and went to find more books as I read.

…Another three hours passed like that. When morning arrived-

“Professor Deculein.”

An Imperial Knight who appeared out of nowhere in the library called out to me in a solemn voice. I continued to read without paying them any mind.

“Professor Deculein.”

“-Ugh?!”

The second call was in a slightly louder voice. Epherene, who had been sleeping on the desk, woke up, a string of drool connected to her face. Only then did I look back at them.

“This is a call from Her Majesty the Emperor.”

* * *

…Sophien grew accustomed to everything easily. Easy to learn, easy to master. Neither this world nor its principles were so difficult. She could figure out the majority of them with just a little squint. Because of that, she had a habit of not thinking too deeply. The more she thought about it, the more troublesome it became and the easier it grew.

“…”

But today, she was touching her hand mirror, thinking about ‘that’ after a long time until morning rose. She was now waiting for someone to arrive, sitting in her bedroom.

Knock, knock-

Sophien opened the door with Psychokinesis. As expected, Deculein was standing there.

“You’re here. Come in.”

“Yes.”

Deculein took a step into the bedroom, and her servants closed the door behind him.

“Sit down.”

Sophien pointed to a seat beside her bed. Deculein sat down without a word.

“…”

“…”

Sophien poured coffee into a teacup for him, and Deculein sat up straighter. He now looked like the personification of etiquette.

“Deculein.”

“Yes.”

“Today, I did some thinking.”

It was because of Keiron. Keiron, that damn bastard’s words made her try this naughty thing called ‘thinking.’

“Thinking, I found a memory in the mirror. To put it bluntly, it’s like finding a single, specific grain of sand in a sandy beach.”

Sophien looked at Deculein as she sipped her coffee.

“A distant memory of mine. There was a cheeky guy who introduced himself to me as a professor.”

Deculein’s eyes were straight as always; that’s why she liked them. He did not bow down, was not afraid, and was not bound by anything but showed his honest self.

“He said he would stay with me and watch my process to the end, but he never came back a second time.”

Sophien let out a small sigh.

“If he were there. If only he had come as promised.”

“…”

“I would have endured.”

Deculein closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. That reaction was enough.

“Keiron told me to remake the world.”

“…Did he?”

“Yes. In that world, I would know nothing, so he said I could be a new person. I would forget all the pain I had been through.”

“…”

“It was a very appealing proposition.”

Deculein listened quietly.

“…Keiron’s meaning is hypothetical. The way he thought of me is touching. But… if I do that.”

For some reason, he already understood what Sophien wanted to say.

“Isn’t that losing to the demon?”

A cold smirk twisted the corners of Sophien’s lips.

“I don’t want to lose. To anyone.”

Then she looked at her cup of coffee. The calm surface reflected Sophien.

“Your fiancée, Julie, said that even that wrong answer is her life, while you live as if you were always in the right. Countless others in this world write their answers besides the two of you.”

Sophien raised her head again.

“There is no one who can change an answer that has already been submitted.”

“That’s right.”

“Yeah… Deculein. I’m getting sleepy now.”

Her eyes were slowly closing. It was the price for being immersed in her thoughts for so long.

“Now, when I sleep, the door to the basement will open.”

Sophien half closed her eyes. Through them, Deculein’s face was visible. A cold face that didn’t appear able to sleep at all.

“Please. Because there was no one watching over me, I was in agony.”

She spoke frankly.

“Would you be able to watch me and my countless deaths… in that basement? Can you stay in my memory…?”

Deculein answered without hesitation. He would make sure he did. But to Sophien, his tone was already hazy. Slowly, her consciousness was falling.

“It may be tens of years, or it may be hundreds of years… even I don’t know what kind of life I led. Are you still okay…”

Deculein’s voice reached her.

—Yes. As promised last time, I will accompany Your Majesty through every process. No matter what.

A voice that spread as if submerged in water.

—And at the end of that, I’ll come back here again.

However, those words followed with certainty.

-I’ll face your Majesty.

Sophien responded with a yawn. As she slept like that, Deculein watched her silently and stood up. Now, it was time to truly keep his promise.