Chapter 192: The Voice’s World. (3) (1/2)

…On the dark road of the Voice, I walked while watching Deculein’s back. He was upright as always like nothing had happened.

I didn’t know much about Deculein. It hadn’t even been a year that we’ve been together, and I spent most of that hating him. I don’t think I even tried to get to know him. Yet I was curious about Deculein now. What was he thinking? What was he feeling?

Then, I realized my feelings a little late. I was sad over Deculein as I looked back on his life as I knew it. A father who didn’t trust him. Family pressure and conflict. The only woman he had ever loved died in vain. The love that the demon’s letter took away. Kagan Luna’s crucial role in robbing him of that love.

His daughter, me. Now, I understand. For Deculein, it wouldn’t be strange if he hated me enough to kill me. Just because I am Kegan’s daughter, he had the right to hate me.

…But even so. He made me his disciple. He understood my betrayal in siding with Ihelm and forgave my father. He recorded his name as the co-author on his thesis. His reason… I don’t know.

I don’t know. The more that I got to know this person. The more we were together. The more time passed by. The more I didn’t know him.

I’m becoming a fool. Why did he make me his disciple? Why didn’t he reject me? I don’t hate Deculein anymore; I’m just worried.

If he reunited with his lover who had been brought back to life as a demon, and if he killed her, if he destroyed her with his own hands. If that happened… what would remain in his heart? A wasteland where not even a strand of grass could grow, where only ashes were left…

“Epherene.”

Deculein called me. I cringed and answered back loudly.

“Yeeees—!”

“…Are you crazy?”

“Ah, no… why, what’s wrong?”

“Go back.”

He pointed somewhere with his chin. I looked up in that direction to a huge signboard.

“…Hotel?!”

*****

The hotel that I arrived at with Epherene was simply a safe point. When you enter the Voice, you will open your eyes in a random place, but you could choose to start using a hotel or a house.

[Room 303]

“O-open this?”

“Open it.”

Epherene opened the door with her key. After a moment of hesitation, she walked inside.

“…Tsk.”

There was a musty smell wafting out. The wallpaper was moldy, and the bedding was disgusting and dirty.

“Wait.”

I used Encryption to place clean furniture using the Mana Code in my head, then cleaned everything using Cleanse.

“Wow… that’s amazing.”

“Go and sit anywhere.”

Epherene sat down and looked around.

“Okay. By the way, Professor, why here?”

“Let me explain the Voice in detail first.”

“Oh, okay.”

“This is a fake world. It is made by a demon. This is a world of waves, different from reality. There are things here that can’t happen in reality and things that cannot exist. Also…”

I closed my eyes for a moment. Using Understanding, I recalled the blueprint of the map of the Voice that I had seen before. Kim Woo-Jin was a game designer originally, so it wasn’t too difficult. I transferred what I remembered onto paper.

“Familiarize yourself with this. The structure of the Voice is a concentric circle.”

A set of circles with the same center but different radii. Therefore, the Voice widened toward the outside and narrowed toward the inside.

“The two demons are probably at the center.”

A wide circle that spread out like a ripple in the water. Their targets would be at the center.

“…”

Epherene appeared to be interested in other things. She was looking at me like she had something to say, her lips wriggling. I frowned.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Uhm… you see… are you going to kill her? Personally?”

“That’s right.”

I nodded. Epherene wore her sorrow. I didn’t know why she was acting like this, but I explained what should be done for now.

“It’s something I should do myself. It is the Yukline’s responsibility to exterminate demons.”

“That… but still… even so….”

Epherene stuttered. Certainly, this kid still lacked the cool-headedness of a wizard.

…No. Rather, I might be lacking something as a human.

“Isn’t it hard… we can look for another to….”

Surprisingly, I didn’t hate this kind of Epherene or the way she worried about me, wriggling from her spot sitting on the bed.

“It could be hard.”

Epherene suddenly raised her head at my response. Yoo Ara… killing a demon that resembled her may be a little difficult.

“But, I’m not hesitating. I won’t run away.”

“…Why?”

“Because killing demons is what I have to do; it is what’s right for me.”

“…”

Epherene’s eyes shook. She looked down for a while before meeting my gaze again.

“…Professor. Then, uhm… I am curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“That… uhm… why… did you make me your disciple…?”

It was a trivial question. But, Epherene continued to talk with such a serious expression.

“Well, just as I hated the Professor, it’s only natural that the Professor hates me. Because-“

“If you were nothing special.”

I cut her off, giving her a gentle look.

“I would have just left you alone if you were nothing but trash. Trash isn’t worth hating nor worth my attention.”

Epherene shivered.

“But… Epherene. Listen carefully. I don’t lie.”

Epherene swallowed. I twisted my lips, though I don’t know if it could be considered a smile.

“You are a talent that will change this era.”

I knew this kid’s talent. Beyond being a Named, her actual growth that I had seen through Vision was notable and assured me of her future as an Archmage.

“You will be a part of the continent’s future.”

Her cheeks flushed.

“That talent, it’s different from everything that I hate. I found out about your talent and thought I could develop it. That is all. Nothing more, nothing less.”

That was how I ended it. Epherene nodded slowly but then muttered softly as if something I said bothered her.

“Professor hated… everything about me?”

I didn’t like nor hate her. However, based on Deculein’s memories, hating her seemed more appropriate. And it would be a lie to say that I felt no envy or jealousy at all.

“How much do you hate the things you do hate…?”

Epherene was still speaking, but I stood.

“Go to sleep. You can sleep here more comfortably than in the North, and you can also eat more.”

Then, she replied coyly.

“…But there’s nothing to eat.”

“I’ll go buy something.”

“What? No, no. That’s not what I meant. I’ll go instead-“

“Just stay there.”

I left Epherene in the room and walked into an area swarming with people and street vendors. The heavy scent of food lingered in the air.

“…”

Standing there, I looked into my mind for a moment. Yoo Ara. I had lived forgetting about Kim Woojin for a while, so to suddenly imagine her face made it feel like I was being stabbed.

“…?”

I was catching my breath, then suddenly-

I found a familiar face between the stalls. She looked at me, too. Our eyes met.

“…Professor.”

Julie. She was holding hotdogs in both hands, and beside her was the boy named Leo.