Novel Full Chapter 156: Epherene’s Time (3)
Chapter 156: Epherene’s Time (3)
The field, frozen by the Snowflower Stone’s power, gleamed in a flawless blue, its surface shining like smooth glass under the light.
Epherene stood there, staring blankly, before murmuring, “Your heart… is dead?”
It was a concept difficult for her to grasp, even by common reasoning—a heart that had stopped beating and lay dead.
However, Deculein answered calmly, “Indeed.”
A cold wind swept past, tugging at her collar and sending a chill down her spine. Though her future self had hinted at it, hearing it firsthand was far more unsettling. Epherene’s lips parted, but no words came—she felt as though she were gasping for air, like a fish out of water. She had nothing to say.
“Don’t worry. I’ll manage to live for a few more centuries,” Deculein said with a soft chuckle, resting his hand lightly on her shoulder. “Let’s move. Staying here any longer will only bring trouble.”
Then, without another word, he turned and began walking away. Epherene, still in shock, hesitated before rushing to catch up.
“W-where are we going, Professor?”
“There’s still much for you to learn.”
“… Sorry?”
Everything he said unsettled her, leaving her at a loss for how to respond. The gentleness in his tone and the warmth that laced his voice felt foreign, almost unnatural to her.
“You’ll understand once you follow,” Deculein said.
“… Okay.”
Epherene walked alongside him, though it seemed as if he adjusted his pace to match hers. These small gestures struck her as odd. Still, without a word, she followed him, hesitantly watching his broad shoulders from time to time. Her thoughts, meanwhile, wandered far ahead, imagining what lay in the future.
***
Sophien’s eyes fluttered open, her eyelids trembling faintly, almost as if begging for more sleep. She closed them again… but no, after a brief hesitation, they opened once more, and she turned her head. Seated near the sofa was a man—Deculein.
“Why… are you there?” Sophien murmured, her voice still thick with lingering sleep.
Deculein responded plainly, “I am here to keep watch over Your Majesty.”
Deculein sat with an unshakable presence, his posture perfectly upright, exuding a quiet authority that filled the room. The weight of his attention settled heavily on Sophien, making her shift in slight discomfort.
“… Hmm.”
Tick— Tick—
The rigid ticking of the clock mingled with the steady rattle of the snowstorm against the window. Unsure whether to drift back to sleep, Sophien eventually sat up. Deculein’s eyes widened just slightly as a quest completion notification suddenly appeared before him.
[Achievement Quest: Empress’s Awakening]
◆ Achievement Complete: Awaken Empress Sophien.
◆ Store Currency +1
Deculein had earned store currency simply for waking her—a testament to the Empress’s boundless potential for quests. The Empress herself was undeniably a figure who generated an unending stream of quests.
As Deculein concealed his satisfaction, Sophien said, “Deculein.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Sophien watched the snow drifting beyond the window, a sight so unfamiliar it felt as if the world itself had slipped into something foreign. Only then did she notice this was the first time she’d ever slept outside the Imperial Palace. Turning to Deculein, she found him composed, his presence steady and unbothered.
“Deculein.”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t we play a round of Go?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Deculein replied, using Telekinesis to bring over the Go board and stones.
Sophien straightened, sitting upright. She may have come to the Northern Region under the guise of a patrol, but her real aim was far more personal—to find an opponent worthy of testing her intellect. In a world full of lackluster rivals, the chance to face true strength was a rare delight. She had decided long ago—this man, Deculein, would forever be her Go partner.
“I’ll take black this time, as I held white in our previous match,” Deculein said
“As you wish,” Sophien replied, arranging the white stones in front of her.
As he gathered the black stones, Deculein said, “Would you prefer we continue without a referee, Your Majesty?”
“You there!” Sophien said.
At her summons, a knight hurriedly approached and responded, “Yes, Your Majesty! Commander Kindegel, at your—”
“Stand here and act as the referee.”
“Your Majesty, as referee, you mean…”
“Just stand here—I’ll keep track of the timing myself.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
With that, Sophien raised an eyebrow at Deculein, her expression keen and assessing.
“You may begin.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Deculein said.
Tap—
Deculein began with a move to the star point in the lower right corner. Without hesitation, Sophien claimed the upper right, and Deculein countered by securing the small point in the lower left. It was a classic opening—unremarkable yet laying a steady foundation.
After her 8th move, Sophien said, “Professor.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Deculein replied as he set down his next stone with careful precision.
So far, the board had taken on a clear north-south divide. Deculein’s black stones dominated the southern territory, while Sophien’s white stones occupied the north.
“I hear you’ve been spending a fair amount of time in the Imperial Palace library.”
However, with her 10th move, Sophien pressed forward into Deculein’s territory, her white stone settling firmly into the lower right corner, challenging his defenses.
“Yes, that is correct, Your Majesty,” Deculein replied.
In response, Deculein countered by pushing a black stone into Sophien’s upper right corner, meeting her challenge without hesitation. His boldness and confidence were unmistakable—an assertive play that echoed his pride.
“Why is that?”
“Because the entire history of the continent is kept within the Imperial Palace library.”
By the 24th move, Sophien placed a white stone squarely within Deculein’s black formation—a bold, frontal attack, like a swift cavalry charge breaking into enemy lines. But Deculein held his ground, calmly shoring up his defenses and sealing off the critical path she might use to advance.
“What do you hope to know from learning that history?”
Throughout their exchange of words, the match advanced steadily, each stone taking its place on the wooden board without pause. The heated clash migrated from the right side to the lower left, where Sophien’s initial strike at the 24th move grew into an unrelenting offense. Every move—27, 28, 29th—pushed the tension higher, intensifying the conflict with each stone.
“Did you seek to know about the giants, or perhaps…”
Unshaken, Deculein maintained his composure, carefully executing each move. His style was undeniably elegant.
“… Was it me that you wanted to know about?”
… Hoping for Sophien’s happiness…
The words etched themselves deeply into her mind.
“… Your Majesty, for me, dreams hold no difference from memories,” Deculein remarked suddenly, his words strangely out of place.
Sophien looked up, her eyes meeting him directly.
“When I dream, parts of my past seem to come back to me.”
With the body of Iron Man, he required only three hours of sleep each week. Yet in those few hours, the memories that surfaced always belonged to Deculein’s past. But once, just once, he dreamed of a time already lost to oblivion.
“But at times, memories appear—memories I have never experienced myself.”
Sophien placed her 26th white stone, completing the 52nd move with a resonant impact. Deculein’s brow twitched subtly, while a satisfied smile slowly curved across her face.
“Muhaha.”
It was a brilliant move—one that filled Sophien with a subtle pride in her own cunning. She gave an involuntary shudder, a flicker of triumph that even she hadn’t expected, though her expression remained as composed and icy as ever.
At that moment…
With a gentle tap, Deculein set down his next stone, saying, “In some of those memories, Your Majesty, you appeared as well.”
Sophien went rigid, though the course of the match remained in her favor. Her 52nd move had dramatically increased her chances of winning, and if things have continued as they were, her victory seemed nearly assured.
“It lasted quite some time, though I remember only fragments. You were still young, Your Majesty… and I was by myself.”
Sophien kept her expression unreadable—a well-practiced defense mechanism. Dragging memories of a previous world into this one—a world now erased through regression—served no purpose. Clinging to what had already vanished only plunged her into despair, leaving suicide as the only conceivable escape. That world was, after all, already gone.
That’s how it should be… but how could this professor…
“… It must have been nothing more than a meaningless dream,” Sophien replied.
“If Your Majesty says so.”
“Focus on the match—you are on the edge of defeat,” Sophien commanded, gesturing to the board.
Deculein replied calmly, “A victory on my part seems doubtful, Your Majesty—unless, by chance, you were to make an unexpected mistake.”
“So, was that remark meant to make me stumble and make a mistake?”
“I’ll leave that for Your Majesty to interpret as you see fit.”
“… Arrogant as ever, I see.”
Though her words were laced with cold indifference, an unexpected tremor stirred within her. She remembered a promise made by a Deculein from a world now lost to shadow. He was not the same man who stood before her now, yet he had vowed to remember her—a pledge bound to echo through time, never to fade…
Boom—!
A powerful explosion thundered outside, rattling the ground beneath them and reverberating through the walls within.
An imperial knight called out urgently, “Your Majesty, we must secure your safety—”
“Shut it,” Sophien said.
The knight halted, momentarily stunned.
“It’s nothing serious. Go and see what’s going on.”
“But, Your Majesty—”
“Deculein,” Sophien said, “see to it that this match proceeds without any disruptions.”
“If that is Your Majesty’s wish.”
Nineteen Wood Steel blades hovered steadily behind Deculein, each one casting a cold, menacing gleam.
Swoosh—
The Wood Steel blades shot forward, each one thrumming with power as they zeroed in on the heart of the attack. The knight watched Deculein closely, and Deculein answered with a calm nod.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Understood.”
A member of the Empire’s top guard, and trusted personal advisor to the Empress. With Deculein’s skill, the knight felt reassured.
“Follow my steel.”
“Yes, Professor,” the knight replied, hurrying after the path marked by the Wood Steel.
“… Are you certain, Your Majesty? This appears to be a sudden attack against you,” Deculein remarked, his focus steady on the match.
Sophien smirked and said, “It’s all just for show. Even if there were any truth to it, they’re empty-headed fools, only looking for an excuse to justify themselves.”
“An excuse, is it?”
“It’s all too obvious. I expected this the moment I set foot in the Northern Region. Once a few of them are caught, they’ll scramble to reveal their backers before the end. Desperate rats, thinking I’d fall for such a shallow scheme designed to create discord.”
Tap—!
Sophien set down her 78th stone with quiet resolve. Though the match remained fiercely contested, the balance had been shifting steadily in her favor since the 52nd move.
“Understood,” Deculein replied.
“By the way, I recall you mentioning a protégé. I don’t see her here—remind me of her name.”
“Epherene. It’s Epherene Luna, Your Majesty.”
Sophien frowned slightly and said, “Epherene, is it? Her father showed poor judgment in that choice. Fall—what kind of parent would name their child something so dismal?”
In the ancient runic language, The word Epherene meant to fall.
Deculein placed his next move without a word.
Tap—!
When the 79th stone landed, an unsettling echo seemed to ripple across the board. Sophien’s eyes widened as she examined the move; initially elusive, its significance deepened the longer she considered it.
“Huh.”
A black stone sliced through the board’s center, splitting the field in two. Though the left side was already conceded, this calculated move captured the white stones on the right, securing a critical hold.
It was a bold move, rivaling the brilliance of Sophien’s 52nd move—a stroke of genius beyond what any stone-headed officials could conceive, even with a lifetime to try. It was nothing short of art, a masterful tableau on the board.
Sophien smiled faintly as she looked at the move in quiet admiration and remarked, “Impressive, Professor Deculein.”
Then, just as she’d anticipated, Deculein turned back to her.
Holding his eyes, she remarked, “I never imagined I’d say this in my lifetime.”
In this dreary world, it was the only match that brought her any real thrill—a demanding duel that pushed her to her very limits, against the most worthy opponent. She couldn’t quite tell if it was the match itself that drew her in, or the presence of the one seated across from her.
“I’ve never known happiness quite like this.”
However, at that moment, as they brought new art to life on the humble wooden board, there was a sense of contentment that felt enough to be called happiness…
***
Days slipped by—one, two, three, then four—as Epherene spent her time with Deculein, or rather, with the Deculein of the future. During that time, he taught her everything from theoretical magic in thesis form and mana-breathing techniques to efficient exercise routines and physical conditioning methods.
As Deculein’s new demeanor became part of her world, Epherene sensed her own growth taking form with a newfound clarity.
“Come with me. I have something to show you,” Deculein said to Epherene.
“Right now?” Epherene asked, pausing her work on the fishing rod she was polishing in the small but tidy cabin. With a tilt of her head, she continued, now sounding more comfortable with Deculein, “Isn’t it freezing outside? It’s already nighttime—I thought we’d be fishing tomorrow.”
“Come out.”
“… Okie.”
Epherene stepped out with Deculein, who led her into the snow-laden wilderness. The ground was slick with ice, and the bitter wind lashed her cheeks like icy blades.
Holding her hair back to keep it from whipping into her face, Epherene grumbled, “It’s freezing! And it’s very windy!”
“We’re almost there. Just a bit further.”
Step by step, Epherene trudged forward, her feet sinking deep into the snow, each step a struggle that pressed her knees to strain forward. The night was dark, and the path ahead was barely visible.
“There.”
Deculein gestured toward a spot in the distance, where, beneath the starlit sky, a small campfire glowed beside a windbreak and two rocking chairs.
“Take a seat,” Deculein instructed, settling himself first.
Epherene wobbled slightly as she sat beside him, then asked bluntly, “Why did we come all the way out here…? It’s freezing cold.”
“Look up.”
Epherene pouted, tilting her head upward, and for a moment, fell into silent wonder, awe slipping gently from her parted lips.
“… Wow.”
The sky stretched endlessly above, a vast canvas of stars, moon, and drifting clouds. It was like a secluded vantage point, a place where the distant heavens felt close enough to touch.
“The view is… Oh?”
While looking up at the stars, a sudden idea lit up in her mind, rushing through her like a spark of electricity that tingled down to her fingertips.
“Professor!” Epherene said, quickly turning to Deculein. “Do you think I could find a way to come and go back and forth as I want?”
“… Come and go back and forth?” Deculein asked with a frown.
Epherene nodded excitedly and said, “Yes, exactly! You mentioned that the shooting stars were the problem, right? If there’s a record of when and where the shooting stars appeared in the past, I could use that as a guide to come back! Since this is the future, maybe I could return with each cycle of the shooting stars!”
Objectively, it was an overly broad generalization, lacking any true magical reasoning and logic. Still, Deculein chose not to correct her—perhaps because it was closer to the truth than he’d like to admit.
“So, are you suggesting I’ll be responsible for you each time you return?”
“Sorry? No, no! I’ll definitely be more prepared next time I return, of course.”
Without a word, Deculein passed her a document. Epherene accepted it without thinking, then her eyes went wide with surprise.
“… Oh?”
Report on Celestial Activity in the Northern Region: An Analysis of the Past Decade
“Oh, what?! So, you knew about this all along, Professor!”
“Hmm,” Deculein murmured, a faint smile on his lips as he leaned back in his chair.
A soft chuckle escaped Epherene as a smile played on her lips, and she began to calculate the timing of the next shooting stars.
“Oh! There’s one in just ten days! And another a couple of months later! I might even be able to make two visits!”
“Don’t be so certain of it.”
“Even so, if I can, I’ll try to come back at least twice!” Epherene said.
“… There’s no need for you to return,” Deculein said, with a gentle shake of his head. “I have my own destination to reach.”
“Why not? Where do you have to go?”
Deculein simply smiled, resting a hand on her head and said, “That’s not something my fool protégé needs to worry about.”
Epherene watched Deculein in silence, and slowly, the subtle changes began to settle in. This Deculein of the future wore a robe rather than his formal suit, and his smile carried a quiet sorrow she hadn’t seen before.
“Ahem…”
Epherene’s mind brimmed with unspoken questions—why his heart had died, what events had shaped this future, what had become of Sylvia, and where Drent and Allen might have gone.
“… Yes. I’m still foolish, after all.”
Yet, she held back, sensing that certain questions were best left unspoken.
“Epherene, turn your eyes to the heavens,” Deculein said, gesturing skyward.
A comet streaked across the far-off sky, its shimmering tail casting light and pulsing with potent mana.
“Oh?!”
“There were signs of celestial activity last night. I expected it to arrive tomorrow, so its early appearance is a welcome surprise.”
Epherene glanced back at Deculein, a soft hint of sadness stirring alongside a warmth she hadn’t expected.
But Epherene shook her head with a bright smile and said, “It’s okay. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Is that so?” replied Future Deculein, offering a small smile as he gave her shoulder a reassuring pat.
At that moment, a shooting star streaked across the sky, leaving a trail of light in its wake.
Fwoooosh—!
A burst of mana blazed across the sky like lightning, its radiant flare unfurling outward, bathing the world in a magnificent glow.
“… Ah!”
A piercing shock ripped through her head, as if it might shatter. Epherene clutched her temples, staggering under the pain, and before she knew it, she’d come to rest against something solid. She glanced up—it was Deculein’s shoulder.
“It’s alright,” Deculein assured her, looking down at her.
Before she knew it, the chill of the wind and the shroud of night had faded, replaced by a soft warmth that encircled her like an embrace. His presence seemed to reach out, sheltering everything around them.
“Rest now. When you wake, the world will be just as it was.”
“Mmm… alright…” Epherene murmured, her eyes falling shut as a faint smile softened her face. The pain faded, replaced by a serene warmth, like being gently wrapped in a soft, comforting blanket.
… And true to his word, when she opened her eyes once more…
“Oh! There, we’ve found Miss Epherene!”
Epherene realized she was lying by the lake’s edge, the chill of the ground seeping into her as she stirred.
“Miss Epherene! Miss Epherene!”
The morning was cold, and the stars lingered faintly in the first light before dawn.
“Leaf! Leaf!”
“Miss Epherene!”
From the distance, Allen and Drent hurried toward her, their voices carrying through the morning air, while Epherene watched blankly, lost in quiet stillness.