Proof. (3)
......30 minutes earlier.
The symposium judges' waiting room.
"Luina unnie. This solution for real?"
Ether-rank mage Roserio muttered skeptically, her pink bob haircut striking as always. Though a giant in her own right as an Ether-rank mage, she was younger than Luina—that much was clear from calling her "unnie."
A genius in the "refinement and support" school, she'd spent only six months in the Magic Tower before ascending to the Floating Island, reaching Ether rank at the tender age of twenty-five.
"Yeah. They say Deculein wrote it himself."
"......"
Roserio still looked unconvinced. Longdalf, who had been sitting blankly in another chair, chimed in.
"For real? I know that bastard Deculein's temperament, so I'm skeptical too."
Now in his seventies, Longdalf was the picture of a fairy-tale wizard: white hair, a bushy beard, round glasses.
"More than that, this here's what's botherin' me."
Roserio pointed to the final section of "Deculein's Proof."
......In addition, I succeeded in interpreting and compiling 48 other rune languages, but they did not fit the theme and thus were not included.
"This for real? Kid's bluffin'? Says he interpreted a buncha runes himself?"
Luina smirked.
"I glimpsed the interpretations myself. Even recited a few."
Deculein had shown her some of his rune interpretations before.
Of course, one might wonder if they were bogus. But verifying rune interpretations was surprisingly straightforward.
Just recite the pronunciation. Runes were infused with mana at their core, so speaking them correctly required mana expenditure.
"That guy's got a knack for languages. Speaks like ten of 'em fluently."
"Hmph. Still can't believe it."
Roserio's eyes remained narrowed, while Longdalf stroked his beard and chuckled heartily.
"Think what you like, Rosey~"
Truth be told, runes were secondary to Luina.
She was still fixated on the "five years" Deculein had proposed.
No way. There's no such illness that even Yukline wealth can't cure...
She repeated it to herself, but no other explanation surfaced.
—......Let's make the promise again. Five years. No more will you be my obstacle, nor I yours.
Why had he promised five years?
—You're four years younger than me. You've got plenty of room to grow, so time is definitely on your side.
Why say something like that?
"......Doesn't add up."
Time is definitely on your side.
A normally arrogant Deculein—or anyone—wouldn't say something like "time is on your side" while solving a symposium problem.
The glory of interpreting runes would only shine brighter with time.
But Luina shook her head.
"Eh. Whatever."
Thinking back on what Deculein had put her through still made her teeth grind. A smoldering hatred for him lingered in a corner of her heart like embers.
Yet like it or not, Luina was a thorough mage. She thrived in a world of survival of the fittest, a supremely rational creature.
So rather than burning with passion, she coldly prioritized her own gains.
Her family's magic legacy.
The title of head professor.
Everything else—humiliations from him, personal grudges, family vendettas—could be shelved.
Besides, Deculein had said it himself: in five years anyway...
"Then ya plannin' to reveal those '48 rune interpretations' today?"
Roserio asked. Luina sighed before answering.
"More importantly, why don't you come out already."
She summoned a breeze to part the waiting room curtains.
Behind them stood the diminutive chairwoman, frozen like a statue.
"......Aha ha."
She giggled under Roserio and Longdalf's stares, then clenched her fists and blurted:
"Deculein's got 48 rune interpretations?! Interpreted 48 runes?! And revealin' 'em today?! This'll cause a riot?!"
"Whether he reveals them or not, you'll have to ask. Chairwoman."
"No! This is no time for that!"
The chairwoman's eyes gleamed mischievously. The face of a gossip ready to spread rumors.
As she bounced out, Roserio let out a hollow laugh.
"That unnie's still the same~"
"Your dialect's the same too."
"......Me? What's that s'posed to mean. I'm speakin' standard↘ perfectly↗?"
Roserio hailed from the remote imperial fringes of Rococo, infamous for its thick dialect.
"Well, you're tame compared to most. First time I went to Rococo, I thought it was another country~"
"What? Wow~ Unnie's got mad regional bias. Didn't peg ya for that. Ain't that different?"
"Say 'cat fight.' Cat-fiiight."
"......"
Roserio shut her mouth.
*
The Grand Hall garden seated four hundred. Small for its grandiose name, but ample for proving the symposium solution.
The "Grand" wasn't misplaced, though.
Three hundred years ago, when master mage Roplang—the Floating Island's founder—built Megiseion, this had been the largest hall.
A tradition from the island's inception.
"H-how, how, uh, uh, uh, uh, how, uh......"
That might explain Allen's anxiety spiking now.
"Calm yourself."
"Y-yes, yes. Yeees."
Even seated, he fidgeted uncontrollably.
Gripping his trembling right hand with his left only spread the shakes to his whole body.
Like a malfunctioning gym machine.
"Ubbveveveve......"
"......"
Watching him, I sometimes found Allen remarkably impressive.
His natural personality wasn't like this.
Impeccable acting.
"Hoo. Hoo. Hoo...... Hic! Ah, hic! Oh no, sudden hiccups......!"
I silently regarded the Rune Interpretation Compilation. Beyond the 14 publicly solved runes, it included interpretations for 48 more.
I'd considered revealing it at first but decided against. Unpredictable fallout from releasing runes. Better kept in my head alone.
Just in case it sparked a Manhattan Project-level catastrophe, like an atomic bomb.
"Pfft."
Yet strangely.
Gazing at this font always brought an unwitting smile.
Perhaps because a voice echoed like an auditory hallucination...
—Kim Woojin! Look at this.
A faded memory replayed like old film.
—Runes the settings team sketched. Half Hebrew, half Latin, they said?
She cupped her hands under her chin like a flower cradle—her usual cute pose.
—Now Woojin, you just polish it up. Tinker with the font. Make it look a bit ancient.
Her eyes, clear as she chatted about settings, met mine.
—You look handsome when you're focused, Woojin.
Her name was Yuarra.
—Mm-hmm.
A remnant of Kim Woojin's memories within me.
—What? If we're talkin' losses, I'm the bigger one...
But the voice faded gradually.
—......
Time had passed, hadn't it.
Just when it seemed forgettable.
......Rattle rattle rattle.
Allen's vibrations yanked me back to reality. What an alarm clock.
"Allen. The stone slab?"
"R-right here!"
Allen produced the slab: a large mana stone carved slab-like, inscribed with runes as a medium.
—Knock knock.
The knock signaled it was time.
"Let's go."
Allen rose trembling, and we exited the waiting room together.
"This way, please."
Following the guiding mage, we ascended the stage in the curtained hall.
"We'll begin shortly. You two?"
"Proceed."
"Y-yes, yees."
Behind us loomed a large blackboard and chalk. The thirty-year-old hall's fixtures were classic.
Now, Imperial University Tower Head Professor Deculein will prove the solution to symposium problem 6.
The announcer's voice echoed through the hall.
True to the Floating Island, it was hushed, not rowdy.
Swish—
Beyond the parting curtains.
The Grand Hall garden brimmed, but one person stood out instantly.
......Julie.
Now, I could spot you amid any crowd, anywhere.
Affection turned into instinct like that.
Today's proof judges: Ether-rank Roserio and Longdalf, Monarch-rank Luina, and addict Astal.
I felt no tension. As I'd once said, the attention and gazes upon me felt utterly natural.
A supremely innate chosen-one complex.
"Greetings."
I continued calmly.
"Head Professor Deculein. I shall now prove symposium problem 6: the runes."
* * *
......Deculein's proof proceeded methodically, the Grand Hall watching in reverent silence.
Attendees had all received documents titled "Deculein's Proof."
"Interpreting problem 6's inscription—the runes—yields these sentences."
Where there is light and meaning, there is God.
The Lord hid Himself, fearing man's pursuit.
⟨ Rune Inscription ⟩
This inscription's partial interpretation had already been done by Monarch-rank Roten and linguist Preinz.
Nothing special there. The real meat came next.
"Discard the second sentence. It's irrelevant."
"Yessir!"
Deculein boldly erased it.
"Only the three runes for 'light,' 'meaning,' and 'God' in the first sentence serve as magic circuits. The rest are mere components."
Where there is light and meaning, there is God.
איΘ פה שיφש אור ומל ח ζ, יש
The first sentence hovered in the air.
The runes seemed to defy interpretation, aloof and proud.
"The first step in solving these runes is 'decomposition.'"
Deculein tore the runes apart. The sentence shattered into fragments midair.
"The first sentence has 13 syllables total, but those yield 45 segments."
Like breaking "gang" into g, a, ng
Runes were language, after all.
"Yet recombining those 45 segments yields countless possibilities. At minimum, 3,923,023,104,000 combinations."
Three trillion nine hundred twenty-three billion two million three hundred four thousand and up. Absurd; practically infinite.
"But amid those numbers lies the second step: 'discovery' and extraction of the most meaningful rune combination. The process is as follows......"
From there, Deculein's proof delved into realms incomprehensible to laymen.
For nearly two hours, rune combinations surged like waves, morphing into shapes, then into magic formulas.
A monumental task demanding vast effort and time.
The fusion of my "Understanding" trait with game designer Kim Woojin's "settings knowledge," shattering limits.
"......Thus."
To sum it in two words:
—Decomposed the runes, recombined into a magic circle. One wildly divergent from modern orthodoxy.
Roserio asked:
—The combination↗ certain↘? With so many options, others↗ possible↘ too, no↗?
Her dialect heavy.
"Runes are magic inherent in the language itself. Like idioms, empowered by voice."
Irritating, but Deculein continued impassively.
"Performed via the 'mouth' rather than dantian, lower abdomen, or brain, I selected only combinations 'easy for humans to pronounce.'"
Just as Roserio struggled with double sibilants, some structures defied human utterance.
Deculein exploited that.
—Mm.
Roserio conceded. Deculein nodded to Allen, who scurried over with the mana slab.
Deculein placed his hand on it.
"Now, the solution demonstration."
A quiet heat stirred in the hall's silence.
Excitement gleamed in watching eyes.
"......"
Deculein closed his eyes. Methodically repeating the proof.
First, decompose the runes.
Second, streamline the combination formula.
Third, reconstruct as a magic circle.
Finally.
Mutter unknown runes.
"───."
Where there is light and meaning, there is God.
That one phrase.
Rushhhh......
Blue light bloomed from the slab. Winds swirled, illusions rising. Unknown vistas flooded the Grand Hall.
An ancient era when runes were everyday speech.
The scene panned slowly, as if borrowing human eyes.
White marble floors, exquisite statues, humble glass, a priest kneeling at the temple's heart...
The priest clasped hands in prayer, mouth opening.
────.
Beautiful tones flowed. A clear resonance filled the hall. Eyes closed, ears opened.
The holy timbre, alas, flickered briefly like a match—igniting, then dying.
......
The ebbing sound receded like a tide, leaving silence.
Deculein spoke.
"This inscription was a hymn to the gods."
A lost magic, a fragment of the distant "Age of Gods."
Some might dismiss it as mere chant, but its archaeological value was immense, and the ideas birthed new spells.
"The proof concludes."
Deculein wrapped up.
The hall stayed quiet.
Rune echoes dampened like mist. Amid them, judge Longdalf asked:
—......Impressive. But that's it?
—The final paragraph↗ mentions↘ compiling interpretations↗ of other↘ runes.
Longdalf was subtle; Roserio blunt.
Grasping their intent, Deculein shook his head.
"I will not release the interpretations."
—Hm. Can't↘ release↗ them↘? Or don't↗ exist↗?
Roserio pressed. Deculein eyed her steadily, then drew a document from his inner pocket.
"This is the interpretation. Contents of 48 runes. No copies—sole original."
The Grand Hall buzzed faintly.
Deculein peered at it, murmuring lowly.
"אתה ──לאכ──לם──"
Rune echoes rang out. Three phrases drained most mana, but sufficed as proof.
"......Thus, numerous unpublished rune interpretations."
Deculein's words halted. He stared intently at his creation. Wrinkles twitching in contemplation.
"They mismatch the theme, and further release risks abuse."
In that instant, flames erupted. Hellfire he conjured.
Mana flames leaped to the gripped Rune Interpretation Compilation.
"I destroy it here."
───!
The document wailed eerily amid flames, runes resonating with mana.
......Thus.
Three years of Deculein's labor reduced to ash.
—Huh?
The hall fell mute. Shocked mages' silence weighed heavier than uproar. Yet Deculein casually brushed away the ashes and said:
"Q&A begins now."
No one questioned.
* * *
Player: Lia
Level ─ [7]
Mana ─ [4,507]
Talent Grade ─ [4th Grade]
Talent Type ─ [Origin]
Traits ─ [3]
Personality ─ [7]
Appearance ─ [Blonde · Red Eyes]
......Lia lay on her empty bed, pondering her identity.
Blue text undulated in the air: levels, traits, player category.
A system only she could see.
She didn't know why she'd come to this world.
No process, suspects, motives. Nothing.
The phenomenon transcended science utterly.
Just that night—lightning scorching the company building.
One blink.
And she was the game player.
A novel trope, but unlike protagonists, she didn't flail.
She adapted well by nature. The character's talents were strong, looks matching her original "Yuarra"—actually prettier—and adjustment was easy.
The issues: starting point and age.
Start: "Multisea," far from main quests.
Age: fourteen, thirteen years younger.
Fortunately, her body grew fast; survival instinct and drive pushed mana to 4th grade already, but...
"Reconciliation? Ridiculous!"
Deculein.
This body couldn't confront him, so she'd left the villain be. Yet somehow, he'd reconciled with Julie!
Deculein reconciling? Unthinkable!
"......"
Lia bit her nails.
No, Deculein and Julie were irreconcilable. Polar opposites, yet Julie's final puzzle was Deculein.
The game system demanded it.
Key named "Julie"'s story hinged on Deculein.
Tormented endlessly by him, she overcame scars, blooming as an eternal winter flower.
Reconciliation impossible.
No—conflict with him was essential for her transcendence...
"Ah...... Beyond confusion, utter chaos......"
Of course, suspicion lingered.
Like her as player, was Deculein possessed too?
Like novels: trash noble soul-swapped.
"......No way."
Absurd.
Deculein's feats from scant news defied player feats. He was nightmare difficulty to play.
"Tch."
Yet thinking of him evoked that guy.
Deculein's model: Kim Woojin.
First hearing from the author, jealousy surged—why use Woojin without permission?—but photos confirmed the resemblance.
Appearance only.
"......Hope he's thriving."
Lia smiled faintly.
Fragile, indecisive, weak—yet sensitive, deeply scarred.
Though they parted without lasting, she'd been his friend.
"Even if one in a million...... I hope you're not here."
But.
No matter how missed, this world didn't suit him.
You're too childlike; this suffering's enough for me alone.
"Miss you sometimes, though."
Lia gazed out the window. Yuren Duchy bustled beyond.
"Not bad."
Days distanced her from Woojin, even Deculein, but she had the "Adventurer" trait.
Grade
Unique
Description
Innate adventurer's aptitude.
Growth accelerates with continental wandering.
Mana and stamina rise with unlocked regions.
Thanks to it, growth steepened. Plus, Yuren hosted princess named ★Maho★.
Top priority: quests from her.
"Whew."
Shaking reverie, Lia scanned around. Rustle—she pulled a wooden moneybox from under the desk.
When down, money. Gaze at savings. Pocket money from Ganesha, earnings from odd jobs and labor.
After crossing from Multisea, five thousand elne monthly—but not all saved.
Often lost reason, blowing on jelly or chocolate.
This character's childishness.
Spending high, but hoard impressive.
"Heh heh heh heh......"
Lia inspected contents.
Fifty bundles of fifty 10-elne bills, grubby as grubs.
One bundle of fifty 100-elne bills.
Plus three silver, five copper coins scavenged roadside.
Total: 10,035 elne.
About ten million won.
"Gonna grow this. Yeah, exactly."
First, save thirty thousand elne, invest in Yuren redevelopment; parlay into real estate, gambling...
Heh—
Grinning slyly, Lia blinked innocently.
"......Buy snacks? Got plenty."
She clutched three silvers blankly.
"No!"
Snapping back, she set them down.
Startles every time. Personality compulsion: slight lapse, and she's pulling bills mindlessly.
Save→Admire→Lax→"Whoa, loaded"→"Snacks fine"→"Plus chocolate, ice cream..."
Chocolate worst. Luxury snack here.
Knock knock—
Sharp knock. Lia hid the box instantly.
Red Garnet Adventure Team: massive debts. Caught with this? "Hold it for us till later~" like moms stealing New Year's money.
"Who is it~?"
Lia chirped brightly, opening the door.