Unexpected Bet (3)
Meow—!
A cat poked its head out from the wide folds of Kreto's robe. Kreto chuckled and tucked it back in.
“It's the cat His Majesty requested. It wanders off on its own sometimes, but if you wait, it comes back on its own. A clever and cute little thing.”
“……I see.”
I leaned back against the seat, gazing quietly out the window at the Haeleshi landscape. Fortunately, we'd already left the imperial palace behind.
Kreto glanced at me sideways.
“Anyway, keep what just happened a secret from His Majesty. It seems she's mistaken your loyalty for affection. Ahem.”
“Yes. It's fine.”
It was quite an odd occurrence, but a welcome change. Proof that Sophien could feel something resembling 'human emotion,' at least.
“By the way, Professor Deculein. You've been reading the theory book well. I hear you've even been invited to the Round Table lately?”
“Yes. A bit of a nuisance.”
Round Table.
One of the five pillars of the magical world: Verhert, the Magic Tower, the Volcano, the Round Table, and the Floating Island. Officially, it's called the four pillars, excluding the 'Volcano (Ashes Heap).'
And that Round Table had invited me.
“Haha…… But if you have time, could I ask you a question?”
Kreto asked cautiously. I nodded.
“Yes. Go ahead.”
“Oh~ In that case.”
A theory book emerged from the wide folds of Kreto's robe. As if he'd been waiting, he pointed to a specific passage with his finger.
“This part. I don't quite understand it. The magic output isn't satisfactory. I think I set the amplifier circuit wrong.”
“Care to draw the ritual?”
“Ah. Sure.”
I explained the magic to Kreto, and the red-furred Munchkin in his robe's eyes sparkled.
…….
“That mad bastard.”
Bam—! Sophien slammed her fist on the Go board.
It had been ages since she'd lost her composure. No, this was an emotion she'd never felt in her entire life, and it was heating her up.
“What kind of idiot says that straight to my face.”
She pressed her temple. Ha…… She exhaled hot breath and rewound the voice she'd heard through the possession.
—……Well. His Majesty told me to ask directly. If you admire His Majesty…… well, that would be a problem in its own way.
—His Majesty seems to be under a great misunderstanding. I have absolutely no such feelings. Not a speck.
“……Hmph.”
A great misunderstanding. Absolutely no such feelings. Not a speck.
“How fortunate.”
Sophien gripped three or four black stones. Black powder trickled from her tightly clenched fist.
“……Hey!”
She called to the attendant waiting outside.
—Yes, Your Majesty. I am here.
“I shall begin my duties.”
At this moment, some inexplicable shame was spurring her laziness to burn away. She didn't know when it would cool again, but she already knew what to do in this rare moment.
“Summon the ministers.”
Beat the hell out of those damn ministers.
Bam—!
Sophien flung the door open roughly. Attendants and knights followed as she stormed out of her chambers.
—I have absolutely no such feelings. Not a speck.
The voice echoed in her mind again.
It was fortunate that the bastard didn't dare harbor any affection…… But something was off. Things hard to express in words were prickling her body.
This damnable……
“Your Majesty. We are deeply grateful for your grace.”
By then, they'd arrived at the grand hall, where ministers handling affairs throughout the palace had gathered. Sophien looked down at them and declared,
“I shall hold a lecture. You are all prepared, I trust.”
A sudden gyeongyeon lecture. The unprepared ministers panicked, but Sophien paid no mind.
“The theme is 'All Nations'! Discuss the empire's future path, citing examples from ancient sages and heroes!”
* * *
Whiiiiiing…….
A blizzard swirled like a veil around the concave prison outpost. In this place, shrouded in thick darkness even at midday, Julie stared at the black and white stones on the wooden board.
Even in the north's winter, the empire's trends made their way here.
“They say Go is popular these days. Among the nobles.”
Rayli pouted and placed a black stone on the board. Julie smiled softly.
“……They say it's a game like war. And indeed, it resembles war quite a bit. As a knight, it's a fine way to train strategy.”
The goal of Go was ultimately territory. Blindly killing enemy stones didn't guarantee victory, nor did recklessly saving your own.
Thus, battle and war coexisted in Go.
Julie liked that aspect.
In truth, she had a bit of talent for it.
“Hmph. No fun. How's this a game?”
“It gets fun once you play. The more you know, the more.”
“Sure~ Yawwwn~”
As Rayli yawned, a knock echoed—knock knock—on Julie's office door.
—Knight. Newspaper.
“Ah. The newspaper.”
Rayli stood and opened the door. A fur-clad guard handed her the paper. Due to the north's insane cold, both Julie and Rayli had made at least one fur garment themselves.
“Thanks~”
“Yes.”
Rayli returned to her seat reading the newspaper, but her expression suddenly hardened. She looked at Julie with a grave face.
“Knight.”
“Yes?”
“You should see this.”
Rayli handed Julie the newspaper. Julie set down her Go stone and read the passage Rayli pointed to.
“This……”
Rayli gritted her teeth. But she couldn't say anything.
Julie’s expression had sunk colder than her own—colder than ever before…….
* * *
……It had been a while since I dreamed.
It wasn't my dream. It was Deculein's.
—What is it.
Over ten years ago. Back then, Cielia was still alive. The woman Deculein would kill was still breathing.
—The child is very ill.
Cielia had told Deculein back then. That Sylvia had a severe illness. That it was Cielia's own hereditary disease.
—I'd rather it be me. Even if the child suffers, there must be a way. I believe that. But.
Cielia held back tears. Deculein watched her with indifferent eyes.
—Gilteon sent this letter…….
The devil's letter. A clear curse that killed people, but if it only killed, it wouldn't be demonic. It contained cunning, insidious clues.
[Furthermore, if you spread this letter to five or more people, your next day will be filled with good fortune.]
Deculein glanced at it. He asked calmly,
—Gilteon was the origin of this letter?
Cielia bit her lip.
A rainy night, pattering down. She'd come to Yukline secretly, without Gilteon's knowledge. Because the culprit of a letter that had killed hundreds and would kill hundreds more was her own husband.
—Perhaps he didn't expect it to come to this…… Or maybe he knew and…….
Cielia confessed. That Gilteon had spread the letter for Sylvia, suffering from the hereditary disease. And she blamed herself for passing the illness to Sylvia.
—He knew. He's Gilteon, after all.
Cielia bowed her head. Her broken body heaved with sobs.
Deculein didn't blame her. She was a woman who'd walked a thorny path. Marrying the madman Gilteon alone made her worthy of pity.
Above all, her lifespan was short.
—Go.
Deculein said.
—The Yukline will handle the devil. No room for a sickling like you…….
……The dream was short, and I opened my eyes.
I smiled faintly at that past scene.
Deculein back when his fiancée was still alive had a certain mercy.
“Ah! Professor! You're awake?!”
Allen spoke from somewhere. He was sitting in the office chair, reading a book.
Go Beginner's Guide
“A Go book.”
“Ah, yeees. I heard we need to do this these days…… Professor, you should try it too!”
I rose without answering.
A nap, no less, in a chair. Perhaps from the fatigue of mastering Duct Tape lately.
Well, my mana was depleted anyway.
“Goodbye, Professor! Oh right! No outings today, right?!”
“I know.”
“Yeees!”
I left amid Allen's farewell. I took the elevator to the Magic Tower's special floor, the 'Hall.'
The Hall was still crowded. Quite bustling.
—So, there's a code embedded in this stone, right?
—A code? We need to decode it?
—You can decode or just smash it.
They were gathered, debating. They'd grasped up to Encryption, it seemed.
—Wow, it's hard. Deculein who made this is amazing.
—You know that saying. Is it harder to create the world's toughest problem, or solve it.
“Ifrin.”
At that moment, the voices in the Hall cut off. Ifrin, Drent, Rellin, Kreto, Ruina, and others…… The students turned to me.
“……Yes?”
Ifrin tilted her head. I said curtly,
“Come. Outing.”
* * *
Vroooom—
The vibration of the launching airship. Ifrin and Allen sat on the VVIP sofa, staring blankly out the window.
“Whoa! It's flying!”
“Yeah!”
Neither had ridden an airship for the first time, but leisurely sky-gazing like this was new.
“Clouds! Clouds! Clouds!”
“Yeah!”
I looked at them. Kneeling on the sofa, faces pressed to the window like siblings.
“But Ifrin. You okay? Isn't it exam time?”
“Ah…… That?”
Overhearing, I pulled out a Go board. I couldn't neglect honing Go either.
No matter how exponentially Understanding allowed growth, Sophien was a formidable opponent. She might even grow further using my game records as fuel.
“By the way, Professor.”
Then Ifrin turned.
“What's the outing today?”
“Round Table.”
“……!”
Ifrin's eyes widened round.
Round Table. A magical space different from Verhert or the Floating Island.
“The Round Table?!”
Most mages, like Ifrin, held great illusions about it, but it wasn't all good. Stained with madness and obsession.
If the Floating Island pursued pure scholarship and Verhert gathered truth beyond the secular, the Round Table was, in a word, 'the warped mundane of mages' desires.'
I needed to stay alert for what might happen there.
“Round Table! Assistant Professor! We're going to the Round Table!”
Ifrin beamed at Allen. He grinned and nodded.
“Yeah! First time for me!”
They clapped hands—clap clap clap—making a fuss. I silently checked my watch.
3 PM.
We'd arrive around 5, so Go practice until then.
I began replaying AlphaGo games from memory.
“Oh right, Professor!”
Suddenly Ifrin spoke. She grinned mischievously and pulled out a pebble. The familiar Magic Resistance Pebble.
“Look.”
With that, she closed her eyes. Deep breath, focusing mana, and vroom—!
The pebble floated.
“I, I did it!”
Ifrin boasted proudly. I nodded slightly at her. A faint, inexplicable smile touched my lips.
“Good. Well done.”
“…….”
Ifrin's expression went a bit blank.
* * *
The imperial palace, radiant year-round. Yet amid the recent fierce clash between imperial and ministerial power, Sophien played Go.
Her opponent: an elder scouted directly from the eastern islands. White-haired, in a daoist robe, he looked every bit the master.
“……I lose.”
But Sophien won easily. A resignation before 100 moves.
She waved her hand lazily. Knights appeared and dragged the elder away by force.
“That bastard Deculein's talent……”
She thought of Deculein again. Replayed their game on the board. Move by move, every single one.
Each time, that voice flickered.
—His Majesty seems to be under a great misunderstanding. I have absolutely no such feelings. Not a speck.
“……Ha.”
Sophien clenched her fist.
A sudden cringe wracked her body. Never in her hundred-plus years.
“Should I just die?”
She seriously contemplated suicide.
—His Majesty seems to be under a great misunderstanding.
A great misunderstanding.
Deculein saying it looked utterly ridiculous, like seeing a platypus or a trunkless elephant.
—I have absolutely no such feelings. Not a speck.
A tone with not a speck of lie. Severing even the slightest possibility decisively.
“……That Kreto bastard.”
He could've just said he was curious.
Why sell me out to save face. Daring to humiliate the emperor, pinnacle of all…….
“Life is so exhausting!”
Sophien knocked over the Go bowl and flopped onto the floor.
Tick-tock— tick-tock—
Tick-tock— tick-tock—
The second hand's sound. In the silence, she stared at the ceiling.
“……He doesn't admire me.”
She was clumsy with relationships, foolishly mistaken.
Or perhaps…… she'd hoped.
From the one who'd spent countless years with her, wanting something unbeknownst even to herself.
“…….”
Sophien didn't know her own emotions.
Not knowing her own meant not knowing others', leading to idiotic mistakes. Her sole weakness was 'emotion'…….
“A great misunderstanding.”
Sophien bolted up. Slowly, leisurely, she changed clothes.
A bear-fur garment from northern Drozen.
It looked like a doll costume, but had a special artifact effect.
Namely— Meditation and Calm.
“Hmph……”
Sophien became a bear, settled her mind, explored her emotions, and began honing Go.