Proof. (1)
Lia and Karos ran like madmen before ducking behind a crumbling wall.
"……No signs of pursuit."
Fortunately, Deculein hadn't followed. No, it seemed he had no intention of chasing them at all. Quite the peculiar occurrence.
Of course, the moment he laid eyes on Karos, his pupils had dilated wide—like a ghost's. Watching Yukline blood awaken in real time was horror incarnate.
"You're okay, Ross."
Lia stroked Karos's head. Just the encounter had drained the color from the boy's face. He trembled with cold fear.
"Let me see……."
Lia peeked out from behind the wall. All clear. No one in pursuit.
"……Ross? Let's go now. It's fine."
"……."
Karos nodded silently. The two slipped out like mice, rustling through the underbrush.
Their destination: the entrance to the 'passage' where the others waited.
They scanned their surroundings warily, darting forward until voices rang out just as they neared.
"Hey, there they are."
Leo. And Julie with Sylvia. Lia, who had joined their party, finally exhaled in relief.
"What happened, Lia? Karos looks pale too."
"Did something occur?"
Leo and Julie asked. The pair just shook their heads and turned back to the 'passage.'
A massive cavernous entrance, like a burrow.
The gate remained firmly shut, but crowds bustled everywhere around it.
"When's it opening?"
"That moron's been posing for ages."
Sylvia muttered, glaring discontentedly at someone. At the cavern's front stood a man who appeared to be in charge.
"……Should I kill him?"
[Independent Quest: Passage Entry]
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A man with a neat 5:5 part and bristling mustache puffed on his pipe, engrossed in a book.
The cavern's overseer, Gep.
The core clear condition of the 'Voice' world was reaching the deepest concentric circle—and this cavern was the entry passage.
"Eh. Time hasn't come yet, I guess."
Lia knew this NPC too. An extinct beastman named boss from long ago.
In other words, a 'already dead' person in reality.
"Hm."
At that moment, the man finally stood. He tossed his book aside and surveyed the gathered crowd.
"Quite a turnout. Easily nine thousand? Impressive."
—Just open the damn gate!
A rough shout erupted from a gang of surly men.
Gep grinned at them.
"Hold your horses. Gotta explain a bit."
Lia subtly scanned the crowd. Nine thousand crammed into this spot, yet one presence stood out unmistakably.
Deculein. He was nearby.
"As you know, this passage leads deeper into the world."
"Of course, you could charge in blindly. But watch yourselves, eh?"
Gep smirked, tapping his temple.
"Without grit, endurance, resolve—this noggin of yours might get you killed."
—Open the gate, you bastard!
"……."
Lips twitching, Gep unbarred the cavern entrance. An immense horde surged inside like a flood.
"Let's hurry too!"
Lia shoved her group into the throng.
"No need to rush, it seems."
"Maintain composure."
Julie and Sylvia recoiled from the press of bodies, but Lia dragged them along by force.
Just in case…… they didn't run into Deculein.
* * *
The long passage inside the cavern. I walked through its darkness.
"Just keep walking?"
Ifrin asked.
"Checkpoints will appear as you go."
"Checkpoints?"
"Like inns."
This cavern's concentric spirals burrowed inward. Simply walking led to the center—but if it were that easy, it wouldn't be the devil's independent quest.
"But Professor, why'd those kids run? No time even to greet."
"……."
Lia and Karos.
The half-demon had jolted my heart for an instant, but this instinct—satisfied from the Recorak massacre, or lulled by fatigue—stirred no urge to pursue.
Besides, my wounds hadn't fully healed. United, Lia and Karos could have escaped anyway.
"Creepy for nothing…… We don't need to run?"
"They'll fall behind regardless."
Rushing ahead gained nothing. This cavern tested raw 'mental fortitude.' Perhaps Deculein's greatest talent.
"Keep your mouth shut and follow."
"……Yessir."
Step by step—step by step—
We walked side by side through the gloom.
…….
Ifrin moved her legs. The cavern was dark, water splashing underfoot. She just kept walking.
"Professor. Want a snack?"
Bored, Ifrin pulled a treat from her pouch. No reply from Deculein.
She popped it in her mouth and asked again.
"Professor. It's good……?"
Suddenly—
Ifrin's legs stopped.
Something was wrong. Or rather, since when?
Deculein was gone.
The man walking ahead had vanished.
Had he gone on without her?
"……Professor?"
Ifrin ran first. His long strides were two or three of hers.
"Professor!"
She shouted as she dashed, but no answer came.
The darkness thickened, sweat beading on Ifrin's brow.
"……Professor."
Panting that whisper—
A strange voice seeped into her ear.
A warped, mangled voice. Crackling static like a broken frequency. Ifrin clamped her ears, but it shifted to a familiar tone.
—Ifrin.
The resounding voice.
Ifrin widened her eyes and looked.
"……Ah."
Her father, Kaigan Luna.
He stood there, three steps away.
—Ifrin. Deculein killed me.
But blood streamed from his eyes like tears. His neck was garroted, his face pallid as a corpse.
A man already dead.
Ifrin tried to back away, but her legs wouldn't move. Her feet stuck fast.
—Yet you!
The ghost's wail. His breath tousled her hair, tears welling in her eyes.
—What are you doing there.
Words that shredded her heart.
—You won't avenge me?
Ifrin recalled the vow she once harbored. Her resolve.
—I expected one thing from you.
Revenge on Deculein, who tormented her father to death.
—I wanted you to kill Deculein and avenge me.
"……."
Yet hearing it from her father himself.
It hurt deep inside.
"Normal dads……."
Ifrin swallowed surging tears.
Her father was her sole hill. His love, his letters' voice, that heart—she believed it her reason to live, to be born.
"……don't make daughters avenge them."
Her father's face hardened. Twisted in rage.
—You…….
Once, Dikailen's words to her.
Her father didn't love her—nonsense.
Truth, or a ploy to break her?
If true, she who lived trusting only him, became a mage for him…….
"Ifrin."
A word piercing the dark.
Tension shattered instantly.
"Hah……!"
Ifrin exhaled held breath. Trembling like sobs, she felt the emotion approaching her.
Resentment. Grudge. Rage. Hatred.
All spewed by her 'father' moments ago.
No, that wasn't her dad. Couldn't be. The dad who always said he loved her, trusted only her…….
"Ifrin."
Her name called again.
Ifrin looked up. Blue eyes gazed down.
"……Pathetic."
His pupils held pity, contempt, disappointment, disdain.
Nothing positive.
"I wanted to see if you could endure."
"……."
Ifrin wiped tears from her eyes. Hand on her madly pounding heart.
"You're still worthless."
Anger surged. Ifrin glared sharply.
"What'd you say?"
"Met your father?"
"……."
Speechless. Mouth agape, frozen.
"Met the one I killed?"
"……."
Grit— Ifrin clenched her teeth. Cheeks quivering.
Deculein continued in utter disappointment.
"Whatever he said. Whatever I say. No need to lose composure."
Sniff! Ifrin looked up, swallowing tears.
"A great mage is such a being, let alone."
Deculein prodded her shoulder with his cane.
"To avenge your father's killer, you need that mental fortitude. Can't use someone who crumbles easily."
Poke—poke—poke— The cane nudged her shoulder.
Ifrin yielded ground but held firm. Glaring, she kept her place.
"……Don't disappoint me further."
At those words, Ifrin bit her lip and nodded. And felt something odd.
Deculein: most hated man in the world, yet most trustworthy.
An utterly loathsome mentor.
"Grab it."
Deculein said. What? No need to ask. His cane nudged her shoulder again.
"You can avoid this cavern's illusions."
Cling to this cane, lean on Deculein, and the path eases—for a moment.
But Ifrin shook her head. Sniff—!
"……No."
Confident, clutching her snack pouch, looking up at him.
"I can do more. Dad, grandma, grandpa, mom—never met mom, but……."
She swatted his cane away.
"Let 'em come."
"……."
Brief silence. Deculein turned without reaction and walked ahead alone, but Ifrin saw it.
Clearly.
A subtle nod, faint quiver at his lips.
That professor, damn mentor—maybe thought her admirable…….
Ifrin strode forward resolutely. Marching soldier-stiff, heels clicking powerfully through the cavern.
* * *
"……It's done. The theoretical proof is complete."
Floating Island. Beneath Megiseion, the 'Addict's Chamber.'
A certain professor's paper, to which hundreds of addicts had devoted themselves, achieved theoretical proof today.
"……."
The addicts fell silent, gazing at the incantation.
The blackboard filled with the most beautiful theory in decades. The most perfect paper.
"Ah……."
One addict gasped in awe. Another wept. Another prostrated in admiration.
"……Marvelous."
Addict Astal's exclamation, echoed by another.
"Indeed. But the biggest issue remains empirical validation. Whether any mage can implement this interlocking theory of hundreds of gears…… Even its creator, Deculein, might struggle."
"……."
Astal nodded.
Imperial Tower's chief professor, this era's intellect—Deculein's paper On the Creation of Pure Elements.
"A wholly new magic. Few will follow. Mages who fully comprehend and validate it will be rare. But consider the derivations."
No need to grasp it all. Great papers inspire greatness from ideas alone.
"Deculein's theory will propagate in fragments. Academy textbooks or his direct lectures—either way."
Magic derived from Deculein's theory. This new school would be dubbed the 'Deculein School.'
"Our Floating Island stores this knowledge first. And……."
"Grant viewing rights to those Deculein specified."
"Yes."
Deculein had preselected several for free access upon proof completion.
Astal checked the list.
"First…… Empress Sophien?"
"Yes. Beyond viewing rights, we gift her the refined paper."
Astal's eyes widened at Sophien. Kreto the Grand Army, Ifrin, Sylvia made sense—but Sophien…….
"She's no mage."
"Deculein is her tutor."
Astal felt uneasy. Floating Island and the imperial family's ties weren't warm.
"Yes. No choice. At Deculein's request."
Viewing rights. Proving this monstrously complex paper had consumed vast resources—Floating Island deserved stake.
But Deculein held absolute authority, inevitably.
"Then we'll publish. The validated Deculein paper assigns to Knowledge Tree rank first. Gift to imperial Sophien foremost."
It would rock the continent.
"Quite the uproar."
Assigning a newly validated paper to top-tier Knowledge Tree was unprecedented; gifting it free to the imperial family—especially Sophien…….
"Yes. As some say of Deculein: 'A mage with knightly loyalty.' This proves it."
So replying, Astal carefully sealed Deculein's paper in a magically warded casket—five-sixths enchanted.