Resolution. (2)
“……Results of the three-day pursuit.”
The headquarters of the Imperial Knights, who prided themselves as the continent's finest.
At the heart of it all, where only the highest-priority matters were discussed: the Mythic Roundtable.
“Rohakan is presumed to have already fled the capital.”
The atmosphere at the table today hung heavy.
It was because the Rohakan capture operation, into which they had poured their utmost effort, had officially failed.
“Of course, we've requested cooperation from the provincial knights and police, so inspections will proceed diligently.”
The reporter was Rawain of the Sungsim Knights.
Vice Commander Isak and twelve other high-ranking knights sat at the roundtable, while the rest of the members listened from the surrounding seats.
“We will prepare a report for His Majesty—”
That was when it happened.
Kiiiiiik—
The grand doors of the conference room swung wide open, and a firm voice flowed in.
“No report is necessary.”
All eyes widened in shock.
From the far side of the room, a contingent of knights entered. They lined up in formation, parting to create a path, through which a blazing aura shone radiantly.
“Of course, the Intelligence Agency's shadows are likely more accurate than you lot……”
The current Emperor of the Empire, Sophien Yekaterin August von Zivrein.
Possessing the dignity of an emperor, she appeared truly like the sun itself.
“We greet Your Majesty!”
The entire knight order knelt regardless of rank, their resounding cry so loud that the Emperor furrowed her brow as if it were noise.
Thud, thud—
She strode in majestically and took a seat among the surrounding chairs.
“We shall observe your meeting directly. Rohakan is the archenemy of the late Emperor, so this much is permitted, is it not?”
It was like a bolt from the blue.
Rawain, tense, glanced at Isak. Isak nodded for him to continue.
“……Yes. Rohakan left no notable traces during his escape, but he engaged in a significant magical duel with Deculein.”
Rawain presented the records: an orb crystal capturing the site of Deculein's magical clash with Rohakan.
Whoooosh……
Mana was infused into the crystal orb, revealing a savage landscape.
—What?
—Wasn't there some mistake?
—How could this be Deculein's……
The room buzzed with murmurs.
The devastation was extreme. All natural features were obliterated, the ground a shattered wasteland unfit for footing.
“This was the magical duel between Deculein and Rohakan?”
Even Sophien asked in surprise. Rawain bowed his head and replied.
“Yes.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. The Magic Tower has already analyzed and verified it. Blood from both Deculein and Rohakan was detected.”
……Incidentally, Deculein's “Aesthetic Sense” applies even to such crude “landscape design.”
In other words, it wasn't just about beauty; he could manipulate the environment perfectly to reflect the intended outcome of their duel……
“Then, the only meaningful result was Deculein's?”
Isak hesitated to answer rashly.
If Rohakan excelled only in magical prowess, the Empire could have captured him easily. But Rohakan was a knight's body infused with a mage's mind.
From Isak's perspective, Rohakan's power was immense, making Deculein's feat all the harder to accept.
By results alone, it was a perfect clash of equals……
“Hey. If you have a mouth, use it. Do you expect Us to understand if you lot who let the Empire's nemesis slip away so cleanly keep silent?”
Sophien's tone carried more mockery than anger.
The knights bowed their heads, and Isak spoke.
“……As for meaningful results, Deculein was defeated. The fact that he survived was purely due to Rohakan's mercy. Rohakan and Deculein were once in a mentor-disciple relationship—”
“You have plenty to say when making excuses.”
Sophien twisted her lips.
“The bastard who killed the wife of Our friend shows mercy over some mentor-disciple nostalgia? Rohakan taught Deculein for a mere three months and fled after taking half a year's pay in advance.”
“……”
“Enough. From now on, hunting Rohakan will be more efficient under Deculein than you lot. There's nothing more to hear here.”
The Emperor rose. Without a backward glance, she departed, her palace knights following in a rush.
“……”
The roundtable lay in disarray after the storm.
Isak sank into thought, while Rawain recalled Deculein's arrogant voice.
—Listen well. You're nothing but baggage, so get lost.
“……At first, I thought he was just fleeing in fear of Rohakan.”
Rawain said, rubbing his brow. Isak looked at him.
“But……truly, that man is beyond comprehension.”
Deculein was infamous even among the knights. Back when Julie was in the order, he'd tormented innocent recruits.
“……It could be that Deculein hid his true skill, or perhaps he was always at that level and we underestimated him. But the more certain fact is……”
Isak clenched his fist as he spoke.
“We were the ones lacking.”
Today, they vowed once more.
Rohakan.
One day, I will surely claim the head of that black beast……
“Anyway, this report needs revisions.”
Then, a clear voice rang out. It was the Empire's genius knight, Rose. Simultaneously, a report fluttered down onto Isak's roundtable spot.
The document title: [Character Report ─ Deculein].
Combat Power: Estimated 5th Grade
Isak let out a hollow laugh upon seeing a particular section.
“If this guy's 5th Grade……”
Even Adrienne had once said Deculein was right below her tier. They'd dismissed it as nonsense then, but now, having witnessed it, the claim rang true.
“Damn Intelligence Agency bastards.”
Such character reports were usually issued by the Imperial Intelligence Agency, but sometimes they pulled stunts like this.
Fueling pointless rivalry in the Imperial Knights with deliberately false info, just to screw with them.
Isak immediately took up his pen and corrected it.
“Combat Power: Estimated 1st Grade”
Considering that Adrienne, Rohakan, Zeit, and other superhumans were rated 0th Grade—immeasurable—at minimum, this was fitting.
“Tell the Intelligence Agency to revise their reports directly. Those filthy jackals are playing too many cheap tricks lately……”
* * *
The skies over the Floating Island were cloudless, close to the sun, making the scenery vivid. The open aerial views were beautiful and varied, but the people passing through were rather dull.
All robed mages.
“The symposium problem, number 6?”
“Indeed.”
I arrived at the headquarters of [Wizard Atomic] near Megiseion.
“Monarch Rank Deculein. We've confirmed your paper.”
I'd submitted my paper boldly, but the handler's response was lukewarm. Probably because dozens challenged the problem daily.
“As a Monarch Rank, it'll be reviewed quickly.”
That was it.
The handler typed indifferently without further word, and I left promptly. I hadn't expected a “Heeeek—number 6?!” reaction anyway.
“……?”
On my way back to the mansion, a familiar silhouette caught my eye.
A magic shop on the Floating Island.
Beyond the window, a perky little head bobbed.
I entered and placed a hand on the small head.
“Gyaaah! What the fuck?!”
Yeriel twisted like a tornado. She whipped around, fist cocked to punch. Her reaction was startling even to me.
“What pervert……”
Her words died as she looked up at me.
Yeriel's smug face crumpled, and I shook my head.
“Your language is truly refined.”
“……You suddenly touched my head! Don't touch my hair……”
Yeriel smoothed her tousled locks with both hands. I smirked and asked again.
“What brings you to the Floating Island?”
“I'm a mage too~ I come when I want.”
Yeriel mumbled, eyeing me warily. I checked the item she'd been eyeing.
An advanced grimoire.
“Why not buy it?”
“……Can't.”
“Why?”
“My rank's too low.”
Note that the Floating Island has purchase restrictions. Yeriel, a mere Soda Rank without Magic Tower graduation, couldn't buy high-grade grimoires.
“……Fine.”
I bought the grimoire myself. At 50,000 elne, it was pricey, but I handed it straight to her.
“Take it.”
“……For real?”
“Yes.”
“……You mean I can learn magic?”
Yeriel asked again. I could guess why.
The old Deculein must have feared Yeriel surpassing him. Out of fear, he'd blocked her studies.
“Learn it. You need to protect yourself now.”
I'm no such coward, and besides, Deculein has many enemies.
They might take Yeriel hostage.
“O-okay. Whatever. I can learn some self-defense……”
“By the way, Yeriel. I have something for you.”
To the flustered Yeriel, I handed over a thick stack of documents. The corrected paper.
“The paper gift I promised before.”
“Oh? That?”
The mage who resembled Allen, Panien.
“What’s that mage up to these days?”
“……A wreck.”
“A wreck?”
“You took his paper. He's basically given up.”
“Given up?”
“Weren't you just gonna steal it outright? No word since, so I figured.”
I furrowed my brow.
“Just corrections. Return it as is.”
“……Huh? Really?”
“Yes.”
Yeriel stared in astonishment, debating whether to believe me, then nodded and tucked the paper into her bag.
“Where to now?”
“To the Magic Tower, to prepare lessons.”
“Lessons?”
“Yes.”
The Ash Baron would soon emerge from the ashes.
To prepare the students against it, I planned highly practical classes.
* * *
……Meanwhile, Ruina acutely felt her abandoned position.
The Empire Magic Tower's lifetime professors had once fawned over her as Deculein's rival, but now that she'd bowed her head and joined as an ordinary external hire……
They ignored her as if nothing had happened.
She understood.
She'd lost to Deculein.
But still.
“23rd floor is too much.”
An office on the 23rd floor?
Not far from the lecture halls, where she might run into regular mages in the elevator—a low floor.
Suitable for a fresh full professor chick.
“Haa……”
She knew.
Deculein's humiliations weren't over.
But no matter what he did, no further disgrace could break her.
She was prepared to overcome it all.
Five years wasn't long.
Moreover, the contract stipulated: “If Deculein becomes chairman, he will sincerely endeavor to make Ruina chief professor.”
“No bathroom……in the office?”
Searching for one, Ruina let out a hollow laugh.
No private bathroom. No private bathroom……
She stepped out to at least wash her face.
“Oh?”
She bumped into a professor.
Siare.
Unlike Ruina, who'd resisted Deculein to the end, Siare had clung to him from the start—then tried latching onto Ruina when she rose.
“Professor Ruina, your office is on 23?”
Irritating from the first word.
“……Yes. Experiences like this are important too. It's fun.”
Ruina smiled brightly. Siare nodded, suppressing a laugh.
“Yeah~ Well, good luck~ Work hard on those experiences. Climbing from the bottom up will be fun, like you said~”
Snickers followed as she left. Ruina entered the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face.
“So annoying……When they needed help……”
She dried her face and returned.
The cramped desk barely held three grimoires, but she started working anyway.
Knock knock—
Someone knocked. Before Ruina could speak, the door opened.
“Professor Ruina. Package for you.”
“……”
Without a word to leave it, they plopped it on her desk and left.
Treatment unthinkable in her kingdom. She suppressed rising tears.
“Get used to it. Get used to it……”
Mind-controlling herself, she opened the package.
It was labeled [Solution to Problem 6].
[Solution to Problem 6]
“Ah~ Deculein?”
Ruina smirked.
Symposium problem 6: ancient inscription rune magic.
She worried what delusion had driven him to attempt it.
First, solving problem 6 requires interpreting the runes. Though little is known of rune language, I inferred their meanings and constructed combinations using my own interpretive framework.
The first page was the introduction.
Among the inscription's runes, only three could serve as circuits. Building on that, the rune combinations yielded the following incantation.
From there, the real incantation began.
Characters and print inadequate; it was like an alien realm.
Ruina donned her glasses and read the solution.
A judge's duty was finding flaws. It was enjoyable, so a smile played on her lips.
“……Let's see.”
At first, it was mischief and curiosity.
But line by line,
two,
three,
four……
As she read on, Ruina's expression hardened.
Rune interpretation.
Paradigm shift.
Incantation description.
Logical connections.
Solution structure.
Deculein's solution assembled scattered pieces flawlessly, every step impeccably neat.
Abnormally pristine.
No theoretical gaps.
He began with inductive reasoning from “only three runes function as circuits,” yet reached a perfectly deductive conclusion.
Even verifying it as a magic circle.
“This……”
Ruina felt a throbbing headache at her temple.
Before double-checking, disgust welled up.
—I am not the Deculein you knew.
Deculein's loathsome voice echoed.
Impossible.
This couldn't be his solution.
He,
personally,
couldn't have written this paper.
“Wait, wait……”
Ruina took deep breaths. She raked back her hair roughly. Something hot boiled inside.
Dizzy.
The world shook.
“Deculein, this isn't your idea……”
This wasn't Deculein's achievement.
Then whose?
Who gave this achievement to Deculein?
No, it's a lie that'll be exposed at the “proof stage” anyway, so why?
To that doubt, Deculein's voice replayed.
As if this were the answer.
—I am not the Deculein you knew.
“Shut up!”
Ruina crumpled the solution. Deculein had never surpassed her theoretically. Even with “that guy's” help, it wouldn't have sufficed against her.
“……This makes no sense. How could you think of this…… You, how could you……!”
Flames roared in her heart.
A feeling toward Deculein she'd never imagined, not even in her wildest dreams.
“It's a lie that'll be exposed anyway, so why……!”
Denying inferiority and jealousy, Ruina pondered Deculein's intent. This solution wasn't his—she screamed inwardly, thinking of the proof stage. She devised ways to thoroughly verify him.
“Wait. This time, it won't go your way……”
……Today.
Ruina's day reached its nadir.