Novel Full Chapter 145: Winter (1) Part 2
Chapter 145: Winter (1) Part 2
After four days of training, Monday came. Epherene and Allen returned to the university, walking behind someone who drew everyone’s attention.
Dressed in a flawless suit, with long legs, broad shoulders, and a commanding air—Professor Deculein stood out from the crowd. Epherene still had things she wanted to say to him. Unspoken thoughts swirled in her mind, waiting for the right moment.
“Oh, that reminds me. Professor, what are your plans regarding Civil Support?” Allen asked first.
Epherene subtly leaned in, listening closely.
“The Northern Region. Most likely fire support,” Deculein answered.
The Northern Region was where the mages avoided the most. The farther one traveled from the capital, the fewer mages there were, and no place was as demanding as the Northern Region.
Its brutal climate, infested with demonic beasts and occasionally tainted by traces of demonic energy, made it the harshest environment for mages lacking physical endurance. In the North, knights outnumbered mages by more than ten to one.
“Do you fear it?” Deculein asked.
“Not at all, Professor! Especially with you there!”
“I’m not afraid either,” Epherene added quickly.
Deculein nodded at their responses. Just then, they arrived at the Mage Tower’s parking lot.
As Deculein stepped into his car, he gave a final instruction, saying, “Allen, ensure all the class materials are properly organized.”
“Yes, Professor!”
“Epherene,” Deculein called.
“Yes, Professor..”
“Your thesis fell short of the standard.”
“Ah…” Epherene murmured, feeling the sting of his words. She lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ll be returning your thesis. Revise it properly and submit it again.”
“… Yes, Professor.”
Sccccchhhh—
The window slid up with a soft drag, and the sleek, rare luxury car—one of the few in the entire capital—came to life with the deep resonance of its mana stone engine, accelerating swiftly as it sped away.
Epherene frowned and muttered under her breath, “Where’s he heading off to this time?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Dressed like that, he’s likely on his way to the Imperial Palace.”
“I see…” Epherene muttered, nodding absentmindedly, though something felt strange about the voice that had responded.
“Haha, it has been quite some time, hasn’t it?” said the old man, his bearded chin visible beneath the hood of his robe. A thick beard framed his face, while his sharp green eyes sparkled beneath a knowing smile.
“Roha—”
Rohakan quickly covered Epherene’s mouth with his hand, whispering, “Oh dear. Why do you always announce our meetings to the world? Keep it down, keep it down.”
Epherene’s eyes grew wide as she nodded rapidly, her surprise evident.
Rohakan chuckled softly and continued, “Haha. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Good to see you again.”
“Miss Epherene, I’ll be heading out first… Oh? And who might this be?” Allen asked, tilting his head in curiosity.
“Haha, I’m Epherene’s great-uncle. A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Rohakan said.
“Oh, I see~ It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. Your arrival was rather sudden, though,” Allen responded.
“Haha~ this old man may still be light on his feet,” Rohakan said, introducing himself to Allen. Then, leaning closer to Epherene, he whispered, “Just play along with it. You know, we’ve run into each other more than a few times.”
“Ah…Haha, yes, of course… Great-uncle,” Epherene said.
“Ah, well, I’d better not intrude! I’ll be off then! Have a great time!” Allen replied, quickly disappearing into the Mage Tower, leaving Epherene waving after him with a strained smile.
Pat—
Rohakan rested his hand gently on Epherene’s shoulder.
“Ah, you really scared me. What brings you here this time?” Epherene asked.
Rohakan’s face turned serious, and he said, “… I’m here to talk about a demon. We call it the Voice.”
***
The atmosphere in the Imperial Palace had been tense for some time. I assumed it was due to the ongoing power struggle between Sophien and her ministers. Even though I only visited twice a month as her Instructor Mage, the strain was unmistakable, a constant presence that had undoubtedly been festering behind closed doors.
“Yes, I know,” Sophien remarked from the Hall of Learning, addressing my unspoken concerns. Today, she was dressed in the traditional dragon robe. “I can practically hear them scheming from here. A tiresome pack of idiots.”
The dragon robe, traditionally worn by Eastern Emperors on Earth, was now the ceremonial attire of the Archipelago chieftains in this world. It appeared to have been a gift from one of the noble families, and to my surprise, Sophien wore it without question.
Whether she simply found choosing clothes to be a tiresome task or intended it as a subtle political gesture, it was still remarkable that her attire changed with every meeting.
“Why? Is my beauty too much for you to handle?” Sophien asked, locking eyes with me, a confident smirk curling on her lips.
“The dragon robe is impressive. It complements your presence perfectly,” I replied.
“Hmph. How honest of you. But do not bring up those ministers around me again. Just the thought of them sets my temper alight.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At that moment, she snapped her fingers as if recalling something, and said, “Oh, by the way, I heard you’ve taken on a protégé recently.”
“You must mean Epherene.”
“I didn’t catch the name, but I’m curious. How does someone as particular as you end up with a protégé?”
“I will introduce her to you at the appropriate time, Your Majesty.”
Then, for the briefest of moments, Sophien’s movements stilled, like a scene suspended in time. It was fleeting, lasting only a heartbeat.
Sophien let out a quiet laugh and said, “Deculein, I’ve just been elsewhere.”
“Elsewhere, Your Majesty?” I asked.
“Yes. It was your voice that drew me to that place.”
“… That must have been the Voice.”
I understood immediately. This was the demon marking the midpoint of the main quest—the Voice. While the Demon’s Mirror had once desired to become the world, the Voice likely represented the world itself.
“How long did you remain there?” I asked.
“Hahaha. You and I share the same mind, Deculein,” Sophien remarked, before her tone grew more analytical. “This demon is likely quite advanced, though incomplete—its brief presence makes that clear. I spent roughly five minutes there.”
“You spent five minutes in the World of the Voice… Are you certain of the time?”
“There is nothing more accurate than my internal sense of time.”
I nodded in understanding. The Voice existed as a world of its own. To enter, one had to pass through another’s voice, and once inside, all ties to the real world were cut. Thankfully, five minutes was still considered a safe duration.
“In that world, status holds no meaning,” Sophien continued. “Or rather, it’s deliberately ignored. Everyone recognizes me, yet they all pretend not to.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll handle the necessary preparations. You have no need to be concerned.”
“… Hmph. You really do care for me—and worry about me, don’t you?” Sophien remarked, her eyes narrowing in my direction.
I casually responded, “It is but the duty of a loyal subject, Your Majesty.”
“It feels like it’s more than that to me… but alright,” Sophien said, sweeping her dragon robe aside with a fluid motion, as she retrieved a radiant box from beneath the desk. “Take this, Deculein.”
The gift took me by surprise. I stared at her for a moment, wordless.
Sophien smirked and said, “Surprised, are you? Go ahead and open it.”
“… Yes, Your Majesty,” I replied, lifting the lid of the box.
Inside the box sat a fragile glass bottle, nestled securely. The liquid inside glowed with a brilliant, otherworldly light.
───────
[Dragon’s Soul]
◆ Information
: An elixir containing the essence of a dragon’s soul.
◆ Category
: Treasure ⊃ Consumable
◆ Special Effect
: Upon consumption, increases mana by 300 and smoothly enhances the flow of mana throughout the body.
───────
Using my Sharp Eyesight, I scanned the item’s description and was momentarily speechless. It didn’t just boost mana by 300—it enhanced mana circulation, speeding up the body’s recovery. This was a treasure beyond measure.
[Side Quest: A Gift from the Empress]
◆ Completed: A gift received from the Empress.
◆ Store Currency +1
On top of that, I had gained store currency. A rare sense of satisfaction washed over me—something I hadn’t felt in a long time. For a moment, I realized I might actually be moved. Slowly, I lifted my eyes to Sophien.
“One of the many treasures sent by noble families and kingdoms lately. This particular one is from the Principality of Yuren,” Sophien said.
“… I see.”
“That’s right. These treasures—those damned ministers have taken them from me before. Who knows? Perhaps a remedy for my curse was among the tributes they stole.”
I paused briefly, weighing my words with care, determined to pick the right ones. This treasure was flawless, perfectly tailored to my needs, so tempting that even someone as particular as I couldn’t turn it down—especially since it had no side effects.
“I remain—”
“Don’t even think about saying you’re deeply honored by my favor or any of that nonsense. I loathe that phrase more than anything. Just take it with you,” Sophien commanded.
“… Yes, Your Majesty,” I said, carefully tucking the box into my robe. My attention shifted briefly to the snow globe on her desk. “Has Sir Keiron not arrived yet?”
“He’ll be here before long. There’s no need to be concerned.”
Nodding, I took up my pen once more, ready to resume the lesson and began, “Now, on to the next word—”
Unsatisfied by my attempt to resume the lesson, Sophien redirected the conversation, saying, “I hear you’re bound for the Northern Region this winter.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You may come across Yulie while you’re there,” Sophien remarked.
I chose to remain silent.
Sophien adjusted her dragon robe with a sweep, the oversized piece of clothing slipping slightly from her shoulders, and continued, “You don’t want to talk about it, do you? Well, how about this instead? I recently came across a game from the Eastern Archipelago—far more interesting than chess.”
“How about a runic language game?”
“Shut your mouth. Once you reach a certain level in chess, the game inevitably ends in a stalemate,” Sophien remarked.
“Yes, that is correct, Your Majesty.”
“But this game is different,” Sophien said, retrieving a wooden board marked with a grid from a drawer, along with bowls of black and white stones. “It’s called Go. In this game, draws are almost unheard of, and very few have mastered it.”
“That seems reasonable.”
“I’ve taken quite an interest in Go recently. I’m even thinking about announcing it as an official national sport.”
“Of course, if that is your wish, Your Majesty. After all, the national sport is whatever brings you the most enjoyment,” I said.
I already had a basic understanding of Go. While my knowledge wasn’t deep, knowing even a little made all the difference. For someone like me, once I had seen something, it stayed with me. And when it did, I could elevate that knowledge through my Comprehension. I even recalled watching the AlphaGo match against Lee Sedol.
“So let me explain how this game works…” Sophien said with evident enthusiasm, going over the rules—how to capture territory and the concept of life and death. It was clear she had been ignoring her runic language studies in favor of mastering Go.
But soon after…
“… I’m growing tired of explaining. You should leave now.”
As expected, that was how it ended.
I let out a faint chuckle and said, “Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll make sure to study the game of Go in depth and return prepared.”
“Hmph. What could you possibly manage? You hardly paid attention earlier—just half-listening at best. This game might hold some interest, but there isn’t a worthy opponent.”
“You have me, Your Majesty. In two weeks, I’ll be a different opponent altogether.”
“You won’t learn Go in two weeks, Deculein. You’re far too overconfident,” Sophien said with a final sweep of her dragon robe before reclining on her bed. “Now leave. I’m beginning to grow tired.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said as I rose to my feet and turned to leave.
As I backed out of the room, keeping proper manners, Sophien casually remarked, “Oh, and on your way out, feel free to pick any treasure you like from outside.”
I couldn’t quite discern her intent—whether it was her familiar sense of distrust or an unexpected gesture of kindness. Either way, refusing a gift from the Empress was out of the question.
“Your generosity is greatly appreciated, Your Majesty.”
Without a word, Sophien slowly turned the Go stones in her hand, her expression impossible to read. There was something heavier about her today, a deeper sense of loneliness that felt more present than before.