Lokralen. (2)
Ifrin stared in the direction the adult Ifrin had pointed. The dim corridor held nothing at all.
At least, it seemed that way.
Ifrin asked in a small voice.
—What do you mean, die?
—There's a serious danger. That's why in 964, they decided to scrap the entire Lokralen region. This is just the delayed scrapping process being put off.
—Serious danger?
—Yeah. Wasn't it a meteor that created Lokralen?
—Of course! I just saw it.
—The microorganisms in that meteor absorbed mana, grew repeatedly, and turned into a massive monster that devours timelines. If this thing gets out of Lokralen—out into the world—the continent will be doomed.
The future Ifrin hardened her expression seriously. Ifrin recoiled in shock at the words "doomed world."
—Its precise academic name is Kaidezite. If it swallows you, past, present, or future—you get preserved in one timeframe. I call it "interval repetition."
Hearing that, Ifrin suddenly felt dizzy. The adult Ifrin supported her, puffing out her cheeks apologetically.
—Sorry. It's knowledge from such a distant future that it probably consumed a lot of your mental strength to take in. I can cover the mana cost, but not the mental strain.
—Uh, uh-huh...
Ifrin rubbed her temples and glanced at Deculein. He, of course, seemed utterly unfazed.
—...Why's Professor Deculein fine?
"Professor Deculein."
Deculein narrowed his eyes.
—Ah, sorry. Why are you fine, Professor?
—Mental strength. Simply put, someone with 50 mental strength has their mana cost reduced by 50% when hearing future knowledge. Someone with 10 gets a 10% reduction. Professor Deculein's mental strength must be around 99, right?
—Pfft, 99? Anyway, this place is dangerous, isn't it? Let's get out.
The adult Ifrin shook her head.
—No can do. I have to stay here and hold those things back.
—By yourself?
—Yeah.
—...You're insanely strong.
Ifrin stared in blank admiration, then shrugged soon after.
So this kid becomes me, huh. What an awesome future. Guess I really was something...
As if reading her thoughts, the adult Ifrin smiled faintly. Then she looked at Deculein. He was staring down the corridor.
"Can you see it, Professor?"
The adult Ifrin asked. Deculein nodded slightly.
His naked eye could see it clearly.
The time monster called "Kaidezite" was not far from Ifrin, hesitating in a strangely familiar way, unable to charge in.
It was threatening enough, but there was no death variable yet.
"Ifrin."
—...Yes?
"Enough. It's time for the conference. Leave now."
—Ah, I'll stay a bit longer—
"Come out."
The adult Ifrin placed a hand on Ifrin's shoulder.
"It's fine. You can see me again tomorrow. The conference is four days, three nights, right?"
"Can I speak normally now?"
"Yeah. They came to devour you two, but they turned back because of me. They fear me."
"Whoa, for real?"
"Of course~ You're amazing, after all... But I have a favor to ask. For you, Ifrin, and for you, Professor."
Deculein and Ifrin looked at her.
The Archmage's Request
◆ Advanced Trait Catalog x1
"... ."
Deculein widened his eyes for a moment.
Not because of the rare reward of an Advanced Trait Catalog, but because of the quest's naming.
But he soon regarded the adult Ifrin with a composed face.
"What is the request?"
Ifrin quickly asked. The girl, deeply impressed by her future self, was barely in her right mind.
"Deeper underground than this records storage room, the 'meteor' is still there? It's practically the body of the Kaidezite. But the door to it is sealed by a rift in time. Probably, a host swallowed by the Kaidezite holds the key."
"Host?!"
"Yeah. It's searching for a way out of Lokralen. I was blocking it, but now it's found a host. With only one body, I've been holding back the more dangerous spot here, but..."
The adult Ifrin gave Ifrin a mischievous look.
"Oops. Now there are two bodies~?"
Ifrin flinched.
"Wh-what's that supposed to mean?! Creepy!"
"Haha. Anyway... Dearest Professor. Could you possibly grant my request?"
At Ifrin's question, Deculein checked his wristwatch.
6 PM.
"I shall."
He nodded.
Advanced Trait Catalog.
A reward he could not miss, no matter what.
* * *
"Deculein! Was there something?"
The pink-haired woman greeted me as soon as I exited the records room. It was Roserio.
"We meet often these days, don't we?"
Her companion, Kreto, at Ether rank. Both were from 958—that is, this year.
"Pleased to see you, Grand Prince Kreto."
"Haha, likewise. Professor Deculein. Your revised Yukline edition was a great help."
I bowed politely to Kreto. He nodded with a pleased smile.
"Hey. Am I invisible?"
Roserio narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, Professor Deculein! It's me! Delpen."
"Professor! It's me, Rellin!"
There were quite a few others who knew me. First, 958 Rellin; Delpen from 960, whom I didn't know yet; Essensil from 958, attending the Verhert conference... .
The conference will begin shortly. Please proceed to the second-floor conference floor.
"Shall we go."
"Indeed."
I walked with Kreto, followed by Allen, Roserio, Ifrin, Rellin, and others.
"Everyone's here!"
We arrived at the second-floor conference hall. A blond middle-aged man in a suit welcomed us.
"Pleased to meet you! I am the Lokralen Conference Chairman, 'Lokralen'! My real name isn't Lokralen, but I changed it out of love for Lokralen! Yes, that's right! I too am an 'addict,' but a sociable one!"
The energetic Lokralen chattered on. I surveyed the surroundings first. The lobby corridor had several conference rooms.
"Each room is packed with lectures on different topics. Now, take your tickets!"
Lokralen distributed tickets to everyone gathered. There were only about 300 attendees.
Few compared to maximum capacity, but mages rarely brought companions, it seemed.
"These tickets are your entry to the conference rooms. Anyone can give a lecture, and you can attend up to three of any lecture! There are future lectures and past ones. Haha."
Lokralen introduced the conference lecture list.
It was a bit scattered. One room had 958's Rupigel's Elements; another 960's Galley's Continental Mine Exploration; yet another 963's Deran's Mysterious Herbalism.
"Question."
Then Ifrin boldly raised her hand. Lokralen, about to reply brightly with "What is it~?", soured slightly upon seeing her.
"One word from a future person can make someone faint, so how do we listen to lectures?"
"...Whose companion are you?"
Lokralen narrowed his eyes and asked indifferently. Ifrin looked up at my face.
Then Lokralen's face lit up brightly.
"Ah~ hahahahaha! Professor Deculein's companion! No wonder her bright curiosity shone so brilliantly~!"
"...Is that so?"
"Of course! Inside this conference building, it's manageable to a degree. Plus, the speakers in these conference rooms do 'one-way talking.' It's a loophole like 'eavesdropping,' so you'll consume some mana and mental strength, but one lecture should be fine."
"Aha."
"And fainting from just one word? Ridiculous! That mage was just tired."
Hmm~ Ifrin seemed convinced but asked again.
"What if we steal their future knowledge?"
"Hahahaha~"
Lokralen swept back his hair and burst into laughter. A terribly cringy laugh.
"Memories learned inside Lokralen won't stick well once you leave. They'll just settle vaguely in your unconscious like afterimages."
"Then what's the point of the lectures... ."
"Ripples. Even if it sinks into the unconscious, suddenly a stream of water hits—bam—and inspiration surges. Those ripples aren't exactly the real thing, but enough to lead to new developments. Got it?"
Ifrin nodded, and Lokralen even approached to pat her head. Ifrin freaked out, of course.
"Alright! Now, let's begin the conference! Choose your desired lectures, but Professor Deculein?"
I silently regarded Lokralen.
"Might I request a lecture from you tomorrow?"
Suspicious Future
◆ Mana +15
"I shall."
I nodded.
"Yes! Thank you! Now, everyone, move! Time is limited!"
Clap clap clap—With Lokralen's applause, people stirred.
The conference proceeded simply. Just pick and attend desired lectures.
"Ifrin. Attend what you wish. You too, Allen."
"Yep!"
Ifrin dashed off somewhere. It was the named mage 'Bizetan''s four-element series lecture.
"Yeees~ I'll attend the same as you, Professor~"
Among many topics, I focused only on those related to "medicine."
First Brahan's Pharmacology Lecture, then Mollan's Newly Discovered Herbs in 963, finally Intersection of Medicine and Magic, and so on. For about five hours, Allen dozed by my side.
Advanced (77%)
Thanks to studying future knowledge, my pharmacology knowledge surged by 40%.
Of course, whether it persists after leaving Lokralen was unknown.
"...There weren't many ways to test potions made like this."
The third lecture, Intersection of Medicine and Magic. The instructor, Krzekon, spoke like a monologue.
Indeed, this way consumed less mana.
"Clinical trials were impossible, nothing was possible. Couldn't administer to humans, and whether animal tests applied to humans..."
Right then.
KYAAAAAAAAAH—!
A scream filled not just the conference room but the entire lobby.
The lecturing professor stopped mid-sentence, and Allen, dozing off, jolted awake.
"Pr-Professor? What's happening?"
"Out."
"Yes!"
I headed outside.
KYAAAAAAAAAH—!
Second-floor lobby.
A woman clutched her cheek, shrieking.
KYAAAAAAAAAH—!
The scream didn't stop, and the gathering mages plugged their ears.
"What's going on?!"
Chairman Lokralen appeared panting. He frowned at the female mage in the corridor, hearing the scream.
"Hey, you!"
KYAAAAAAAAAH—!
"Ugh, shut it. Enough, stop! People are complaining!"
KYAAAAAAAAAH—!
The scream persisted endlessly, and Lokralen sighed, approaching.
"Fine. Fine, so tell me what you saw. What the—"
KYAAAAAAAAAH—!
The woman ignored Lokralen, shrieking on.
"Hey! Tell me what you saw—"
I grabbed Lokralen's reaching hand. Lokralen, about to shake it off, tilted his head innocently upon seeing my face.
"Eh, Professor?"
"Do not touch her."
"Pardon? Why..."
I stood still, watching the woman.
KYAAAAAAAAAH—! KYAAAAAAAAAH—! KYAAAAAAAAAH—! KYAAAAAAAAAH—! KYAAAAAAAAAH—! KYAAAAAAAAAH—! KYAAAAAAAAAH—! KYAAAAAAAAAH—! KYAAAAAAAAAH—! KYAAAAAAAAAH—!
"... ."
The scream showed no sign of stopping, no matter how much time passed.
The woman didn't move a step.
Lectures had halted, and the watching mages began to feel a certain terror.