Sophien. (3)
Her heart wasn't beating. Her lungs weren't working. With the core life-sustaining organs halted except for the brain, her body temperature dropped, and her peripheral nerves—from fingers and toes—began to stiffen.
My body was already dead.
Yet the flesh of Iron Man postponed death. Instead of heart and lungs, her blood vessels contracted and relaxed artificially, transporting blood and oxygen.
It was merely a stopgap to buy the tiniest sliver of time, but it was enough.
Enough to ensure Sophien of this world wouldn't detect my death, so her next memory could continue normally.
I reached the wooden door in the palace basement.
The door was already open. As if it had been waiting.
"……."
I stepped into the depths of the basement. With slow strides, I reached the heart of the darkness.
"You knew it would come to this."
A voice rang out in that instant. I turned toward it.
It was the Devil's Mirror in Sophien's form.
It spoke.
"It's over. You're dead."
"……."
I nodded. I'd expended 60,000 mana in a single moment and taken a massive dose of demonic energy into my bare body.
From that point, survival had been impossible.
"I know."
"You knew, yet you did it anyway. I'm curious why."
It asked. I simply closed my eyes.
A great many thoughts surfaced. Some were Deculein's, some Kim Woojin's.
But the answer to its question was singular.
"It was a promise. And I refused to lose."
My crumbling body. Even my brain dying slowly. Strangely, a smile tugged at my lips. In that state, I opened my eyes and stared it down.
"I refused to hand this world—this Sophien—over to a pathetic devil like you."
"……."
The devil's face hardened. It mumbled at its lips, then nodded.
"Then congratulations. You win."
Those were its final words.
I lost my sight first, then my hearing. The darkening world faded into silence.
Stillness. Quiet. Silence.
In that utter void, I felt death approaching with crystalline clarity.
……It was cold enough to pierce the bones.
"……."
Sophien awoke from sleep. Her mind was somewhat muddled. Memories intertwined, but she could discern them clearly.
Deculein had kept his vow to her.
"……That stubborn bastard."
Sophien muttered with a smile. He'd truly witnessed every one of her deaths.
Though the three assassinations where she hadn't been empress didn't count, and he'd left the moment her illness healed.
"But……."
Sophien glanced around her chambers.
Two teacups on the tea table, coffee long gone cold. Exactly as it had been when she'd sent Deculein away.
"You said we'd meet at the end of my journey."
Sophien frowned and gripped a teacup. She infused it with her mana, warming the coffee.
She took a sip.
Tap-tap—her fingers drummed the table as she waited.
Wondering how long it would take from the basement to here.
"……."
Sophien checked the clock.
Tick-tock—tick-tock—tick-tock—
The second hand moved relentlessly, but Deculein didn't return.
Even in this vast palace, it shouldn't take more than ten minutes. Had her own laziness rubbed off on him?
Irritated for no reason, Sophien crossed her arms and chewed her lip—
—Your Majesty!
A clamor erupted outside her chambers. Sophien opened the door with Telekinesis.
"What is this commotion?"
"It's dire! In the palace basement……."
At the urgent report, Sophien's eyes widened. She shot to her feet.
Her legs moved before her mind could catch up, dozens of retainers and knights trailing behind.
"Your Majesty! Here, for some reason—"
Sophien arrived at the palace basement in haste.
By the wooden door leading deeper below stood a single person.
"……."
Sophien walked toward him in a daze. With each step, the world spun slightly. Her footsteps staggered.
"Ha……."
When she finally reached him, an incredulous laugh escaped her. Unconsciously, she clenched her fist.
"……You said we'd meet at the end of my journey."
Deculein.
His body, utterly corroded by demonic energy, leaned against the basement wall. All vital functions had ceased; his veins burned black.
To anyone, he was a corpse.
"Is this the state you meant to return in?"
A cold headache throbbed. Suddenly, moments from countless lives rewound in her mind.
"……."
The one who had stayed by her through her endless memories, leaving traces in every loop of regression.
"Y-Your Majesty. You mustn't. The demonic energy will spread—"
"Shut your mouth."
Ignoring the retainer's plea, she approached him. She lifted his closed-eyed face and gazed into it steadily.
—I will watch over Your Majesty from anywhere.
His parting words replayed.
—Even if I seem absent for a time…… I will always be part of Your Majesty's journey.
Sophien glanced at the sword at her waist. The treasured blade passed down through emperors.
—……May I ask one promise?
If she killed herself now, he would revive.
—No matter what…… never take your own life.
Did you know this and say that?
—Cherish…… Your Majesty's life.
Did you arrogantly assume I'd end my own for you?
You damned fool.
You could have just said you were dying.
"……."
An emotion she couldn't name. Feeling a torrent surge within, Sophien suddenly noticed a scrap of paper protruding from his suit's inner pocket. She reached out and retrieved it.
"Your Majesty."
Eunuch Jolang called to her then. Sophien turned, her expression icing over.
On his impassive face lingered a hint of suppressed amusement.
"The two knights are currently detained in the palace prison."
"Knights?"
"Yes. Julie and Kairon, who dared an unauthorized duel in the palace."
"……Well."
Sophien let out a hollow laugh.
"While I slept, all hell broke loose."
Emperor Sophien visited the palace prison personally. Julie and Kairon were isolated in separate cells.
Sophien looked back and forth between the two knights.
Then asked.
"Who won?"
No answer. Both clamped their mouths shut.
"Are you ignoring me? Or was it not a duel, but a brawl?"
A duel and a fight were different beasts.
Knights' 'duels' were somewhat sacred, eligible for leniency. But a 'brawl' in the palace? That could mean execution.
"……I lost."
Julie's reply. Sophien smirked.
"Of course. It'd be odd if you won."
"Your Majesty."
Julie asked with a fearful expression.
"By chance, is Professor Deculein……."
"Dead."
"……!"
Julie's head snapped up. Seeing her shock, Sophien clicked her tongue.
"You look ready to follow him soon enough."
"……."
Julie bowed her head silently. Sophien turned to Kairon next. He knelt on both knees.
"Kairon."
"Yes."
"Nothing to say?"
"……How do you feel, Your Majesty?"
"……."
Sophien spoke to a nearby retainer without answering. She had no desire for a tussle here.
"Release them both. It was a knights' duel."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Guard!"
The guard hurried over and unlocked the cells. Julie struggled to rise, reeling from shock, but Kairon stood faithfully behind Sophien as always.
Sophien shot Julie a glare and exited the prison.
"Enough. All of you, return."
"""Yes, Your Majesty. We are eternally grateful……."""
Dismissing the retainers, she walked the palace corridors.
Step-step—
Kairon and Sophien's footsteps overlapped. Matching the emperor's stride was basic for a guard knight.
"……Kairon."
"Yes."
"Deculein had a Transmission Paper in his inner pocket."
Sophien extended the paper pinched between two fingers. Kairon took it wordlessly.
"Its contents say you're tailing a single Nesius."
"Yes."
"Even now?"
"Yes."
Sophien smiled faintly at his reply.
Whether that cunning bastard Deculein intended this, or it was coincidence—or something else.
Whether her own feelings for him stirred this.
"The power that little devil stole was mine to begin with."
"Yes. Indeed."
Sophien halted and turned to Kairon. He immediately dropped to one knee. She leaned down, gazing at him.
"Then I ask: what is the punishment for a thief who dares steal from the emperor?"
Kairon answered.
"Execution."
The next day, Sophien departed at dawn. Her first time leaving the palace in ages.
She told no one but Kairon, and though she sent dozens of carriages as decoys, the palace's eyes and ears spread the word.
The great houses trembled with fear and hope—'Is the emperor visiting us?' Bureaucrats in the capital fretted—'Is this an inspection?'
But Sophien's destination was neither.
After three days' journey, she captured the Nesius Kairon had been tracking.
"……Is this the form I feared?"
To Sophien, the Nesius was just a skull. A skull draped in black robes. Not frightening at all.
Kairon said.
"Strike it down."
"Hmph. Must pain you to watch. Coward."
"……."
Shing—!
Sophien drew her treasured sword. Its razor edge aimed at the Nesius.
"……."
But Sophien didn't thrust it into the thing's neck.
She hesitated, just a little.
Of course, regressing now would revive Deculein.
The 'power of regression' this little devil stole was her Authority, centered on her—'Sophien Yekater Augus von Zifreine.'
Yet the reason she wavered…….
"Kairon. He'll forget those memories, won't he?"
Sophien would remember Deculein, but he wouldn't remember her. He'd exist only in her memories.
All those loops with him would vanish. No one in this world would understand her.
"Likely."
Kairon replied. Sophien sheathed her sword again.
"Your Majesty."
Kairon urged. Glancing at him, she sighed.
"……No need for Bell."
She extended her hand to the Nesius. Merely pressing her index finger to its skull brow retrieved the stolen 'essence of regression.'
"This should suffice."
Sophien gauged the regression timestamp from the essence's size. Kairon asked.
"If the timing shifts, it'll be disastrous. Are you certain?"
"It's my power. I know."
Sophien eyed the essence with evident bitterness. Then murmured softly.
"Kairon."
"Yes."
"……Never mind. When we return, your sins will vanish anyway."
"……."
Kairon's face grew heavy. Sophien smirked and clenched her fist.
"See you again, Kairon."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
──In that instant.
The 'essence of regression' Sophien manifested erupted dramatically. Dazzling light burst from her gripped hand, dyeing the world like the sun.
Sophien closed her eyes briefly.
Tick-tock—tick-tock—
Tick-tock—tick-tock—
She opened them at the second hand's ticking.
"……?"
She sat at the tea table. Steam rose gently from the two coffee cups. Raising her gaze slightly, she saw a person.
One who dared meet her eyes directly.
"……."
"……."
Sophien stared at him. He stared back.
Both just gawking wordlessly.
Sophien spoke first.
"……Deculein."
"Yes."
"……Did I summon you?"
"You did."
"Dragged from the library?"
"Yes. What is the matter?"
Sophien smiled faintly. The timing was razor-thin.
Thirty minutes later, and Deculein would already be in the basement.
"……."
But her smile faded quickly. Face hardening, Sophien asked Deculein.
"Deculein. Do you…… remember?"
"……."
Deculein said nothing.
Sophien asked again. Her voice trembled slightly—had she expected too much?
"Do you remember?"
That near-century of time. Over a hundred deaths.
Do you still remember me?
I thought you, of all people, wouldn't forget.
"……Remember what?"
But Deculein merely countered.
Sophien ground her teeth imperceptibly. She changed the subject casually.
"The Altar bastards."
"Of course. How could I forget?"
"……."
How could I forget?
Sophien pondered his words.
"I……."
Endured because you were with me.
"intend to crush those fiends myself."
So you kept your promise.
A hundred deaths. A hundred regressions.
Even if you don't remember that hellish loop, I do.
Your sacrifice and devotion remain invaluable.
You kept your promise.
"So…… today."
Sophien recalled words Deculein once offered—when he'd suggested chess.
"Shall we play chess?"
Deculein's brow twitched faintly. Sophien read his emotion from that micro-reaction. No—Deculein voiced it.
"You summoned me at dawn for mere chess?"
"And if I did? Will you refuse?"
"……No."
"Good."
Sophien floated the chessboard onto the table with Telekinesis. She took white; gave Deculein black.
"Shall we begin?"
"As you wish."
Deculein brimmed with confidence.
Of course he did.
In all those memories, the damned fool never once let her win.
Clack—
Sophien advanced her black pawn one square.
His white pawn mirrored it.
Clack—
Deculein opened aggressively; Sophien countered leisurely.
Focusing on the board, she said.
"Deculein."
"Yes."
"Do you know? No matter how regressions repeat, one skill endures."
"What is that?"
"Chess."
Deculein, listening quietly, nodded.
"Indeed. Magic fades without retracing circuits; swordsmanship atrophies without training the body. But that's not just chess—many knowledges—"
"Enough. Who asked for analysis?"
Sophien glared, slamming her knight forward aggressively.
"I merely meant it endures."
"……Yes."
Deculein deployed his pieces with a puzzled look.
The game proceeded silently. Near checkmate territory.
Deculein moved; Sophien countered.
Sophien moved; Deculein parried.
The result was succinct.
"Damn it. A draw."
"Yes. In chess theory, perfect play without mistakes leads to a draw with high probability."
"……."
Sophien eyed Deculein. He analyzed the board's moves.
—I play chess well. Enough that you'd never win, even with a lifetime.
His mirror-self's words echoed.
—So wouldn't I be cured then?
"No."
Even cured now, it's just a draw.
You were wrong.
"In theory, Your Majesty."
Deculein said. His noble face grated today.
Pondering, Sophien nodded toward the door.
"Enough. Go. Your fiancée must be waiting."
"Fiancée…… You mean Julie?"
"Yes. One game suffices today."
"……Yes. Understood."
Deculein bowed to Sophien and rose.
Sophien propped her chin feigned disinterest. From the corner of her eye, she watched his retreating back.
Creeeak…….
Step-step, closing the door. She didn't miss his broad back through the gap.
"……."
Thud—!
Alone now, Sophien fiddled idly with the chessboard. Then rummaged at her waist, drawing an object.
A hand mirror.
"……Hey."
She peered into it and spoke.
"You there?"
But no reply came, however long she waited.
Sophien leaned back in her chair.
"Fine if not."
She exhaled deeply, opened a drawer, and stowed the mirror. Then drew the curtains.
Sunlight bloomed like petals beyond the window. Gazing at its source, she prodded her body here and there.
Indeed, the boredom that had gnawed her mind seemed…… somewhat lifted.
"Kairon!"
She called. Kairon answered from beyond the door.
—Yes, Your Majesty.
"Time for some exercise!"
—……?
He faltered briefly, but Sophien opened the door first.
Kairon stood there, gaping with odd grunts.
"Why stand there like an idiot?"
"Ah, I, that……."
Sophien punched his shoulder—thwack!
"Follow."
She strode forth majestically. Her clicking heels exuded grace, without hesitation or sloth.
Now, at last, it was time for the emperor to face the world.