Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Prudensia Two
The City of Wisdom, Prudensia, was threaded with streams of water flowing outward from the central magic tower into every corner of the city.
According to Daphne, it wasn’t ordinary water. It was a system designed to circulate mana throughout the city.
The buildings were mostly white and blue, with traditional tiled roofs placed on top, giving the place a strange blend of elegance and familiarity.
“You’re not forbidden from leaving the tower. But you are forbidden from leaving Prudensia without my permission.”
Ain nodded while eating a neatly arranged salad served in a wooden bowl.
“Free cities are dangerous. Cities that serve other gods are even more dangerous.”
“Is Prudensia safe?”
“The ruler of the city is sitting right in front of you.”
Daphne stabbed a piece of fresh vegetable with her fork.
“Come to think of it, I still haven’t checked your Akashic Record.”
“Akashic Record?”
His tone turned blank. His eyes wavered. His hands, which had nowhere to go, froze midair.
Daphne let out a long sigh.
“Don’t tell me you don’t know the precious gift granted to humanity by the omniscient deity.”
“I don’t know it.”
“What did they teach you where you grew up?”
“….”
“It’s not like they didn’t teach you. You probably just forgot.”
Daphne pointed at him with her fork.
“The Akashic Record is an information processing system created by the deity of wisdom.”
“The deity of wisdom?”
“My god, the god of wisdom, Akasha.”
“Ah.”
So gods had names.
The god of wisdom was Akasha.
Then what was the name of the god of void?
He decided to ask later.
Daphne leaned in suddenly.
“Are you even listening?”
“Yes. I am.”
“In common language, people call it a status window. I don’t like that term much because it cheapens the greatness of the Akashic Record, but it might be easier for you to understand.”
“Status window… I get it.”
Daphne grabbed his cheek.
“Are you messing with me?”
“No…”
She let go and sat beside him.
“Just focus. Look at me and call the god’s name in your mind.”
Then she whispered the name of wisdom in a soft voice.
“Akasha. Say it.”
“Got it.”
Ain focused on her.
Akasha.
The moment he thought it, a decorated window appeared in his mind.
It displayed a long list of information.
Divine Apostle of Wisdom Daphne Akasha de la Odiel
Classification: Apostle
Origin: Wisdom
Records:
Babylon Royal First Research Institute Director
Babylonia Academy Vice Principal
Number One of Akasha
Sinner who broke the taboo
Guardian of the Gate
Young, beautiful, and elegant great mage
Herbran Academy Department of Engineering Professor
Ain stared at it.
“…What is all this?”
“Now try looking at your own while calling the god’s name.”
He did as instructed.
A blank window appeared.
██ ██ ██ of ██
Classification: ██
Origin: Void
Records: ██
—
It was empty. Completely blank.
After seeing it, Daphne tilted her head.
“So. What do you think?”
“It’s empty.”
“Not that. Compared to mine.”
“…You’re amazing.”
Daphne gave a small hum of satisfaction.
“Even I can see yours is completely empty. For an Apostle, that kind of blank record is probably unique. Very fitting for Void. Truly empty.”
“But Daphne, if this is something others can easily see…”
“Ah, don’t worry.”
She cut him off immediately.
She already knew what he was going to ask.
“The Akashic Record is managed through the tower and updated by the Central Archive Bureau that follows the god of Records. Editing visibility is trivial for me as the tower master.”
“That’s a relief.”
A system that contained information on every existence in the world.
The Akashic Record.
Now he understood why Daphne spoke of it with such grand language.
“That god Akasha seems incredible.”
“He’s not a ‘god.’ He is the god.”
“Yes, the god of wisdom.”
Daphne looked oddly pleased, as if she had been complimented herself.
“Of course. The word omniscience belongs only to my god.”
She stood up.
“Finish eating. Let’s go.”
As she walked out, her hair swayed behind her.
Ain watched her back.
Why was she in such a good mood?
It didn’t seem like she was simply happy about being praised.
Maybe she had remembered something.
As they walked through Prudensia, people greeted Daphne from all directions.
Ain pulled his hood lower.
“Daphne.”
“Hmm?”
“Is it really okay for people to see my face?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
She stopped.
“How long were you planning to hide yourself away anyway?”
Step by step, she approached him and lifted his hood.
“Start getting used to it. You’re not hiding anymore. You don’t need to.”
“That means…”
“One. People care less about others than you think.”
She held up a finger.
“Two. There’s no one here who can threaten you.”
“….”
“Three.”
She smiled faintly.
“If someone bothers you, kill them. You’re an Apostle. You’re far beyond normal people.”
She flicked her hand.
A strange force wrapped around Ain.
“I added perception interference magic. Just in case you were worried.”
“Perception interference?”
“If someone doesn’t have sharp senses like me, you’ll just look like a glowing lantern floating where your head should be.”
“…What?”
After that, until they returned to the tower, the way people looked at him felt strange.
Like they were seeing something unnatural.
They arrived at the lake district on the forty-second floor of the tower.
“Why here?”
“No one else is allowed here except me. Good air, good water. Perfect place to sweat.”
“What exactly are you planning that requires sweating?”
“Me? Nothing. You.”
“…Me?”
Daphne stood on a sunny slope and bit into an apple.
“In high-level combat, fights don’t end easily. What decides victory is fundamentals.”
“Fundamentals?”
“Close combat using mana reinforcement. Even mages need basic self-defense.”
Ain nodded.
“So I train that how?”
“You have a perfect practice partner.”
“…?”
Was she talking about sparring?
“I won’t use magic. You don’t use your Apostle power either.”
Crunch.
She ate the apple calmly.
“Daphne, I’ve killed people before.”
“How many?”
Ain counted on his fingers.
“Around a hundred.”
“Impressive.”
She clapped slowly, completely unimpressed.
“I meant real people. Not training targets or scarecrows or whatever.”
“You talk too much.”
She stepped forward.
“…Don’t regret it.”
Ain lunged forward.
A clean punch aimed at her face.
Got her.
His fist closed in.
Then stopped.
His hand was caught.
Daphne’s head tilted slightly. Then the world flipped.
BOOM.
He slammed into the ground.
Pain shot through his spine.
Even with mana reinforcement, it hurt.
“….”
“You’re weak for someone who talks so much. Not very popular with girls.”
She stepped back casually.
“Get up.”
“Daphne!”
He pushed himself up and rushed again.
BAM.
A clean strike to the abdomen.
Then another impact sent him flying again.
BOOM.
Ain lay on the grass, gasping.
Daphne leaned over him.
“You’re weak, disciple.”
“….”
“Daphne… I… killed… people…”
She mocked him lightly.
“You said you wouldn’t use magic.”
“I didn’t.”
He had no answer.
Daphne stood up, looking satisfied.
“Don’t get cocky, disciple.”
Right.
He shouldn’t.
He lay there, staring at the sky.
“Daphne.”
“Yeah?”
“How old are you?”
She stopped humming.
“…Older than you can imagine.”
“You don’t look it.”
“That’s not exactly a compliment, but I’ll take it.”
She turned toward the lake.
“My time stopped a long time ago. I’ll stay forever young, beautiful, and elegant.”
“Is that magic?”
“No.”
A pause.
“A curse.”
Rain began to fall over the lake.
The next day, they returned to the same place.
“I was wrong.”
“About what?”
“I overestimated you.”
Her tone was irritatingly casual.
“Do you know who the best fighters in the world are?”
“I don’t.”
She pulled out a thick book.
The Art of Hunting.
“Amazoness. Followers of Artemis, god of hunting. All women.”
“Each god has groups like that?”
“Half right.”
She flipped pages quickly.
“Some form organizations based on origins. Some become academies, corporations, or legal guilds. Not always churches.”
She closed the book and tossed him a hatchet.
“Take it.”
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Cut trees. No mana.”
“…Why?”
“Because I said so. Or you can spar with me again.”
“I’ll cut trees.”
He walked off immediately.
Hours passed.
The axe work was slow, exhausting.
No mana meant pure physical strength.
Eventually, a tree fell.
He improved slowly.
When he returned, Daphne was gone.
A different girl was sitting under the trees reading.
Twin tails. Same face as Daphne, but slightly different.
“Who are you?”
“I was told to watch you.”
“By who?”
“My mother.”
Mother?
Daphne returned.
“Finished watching, Rete?”
“Yes, Mother.”
The girl hugged her.
Daphne patted her head once and let her go.
“…You have a daughter?”
“She’s not my daughter.”
“Adopted?”
“No.”
Daphne said it calmly.
“I created her body and gave her intelligence.”
“…What?”
Ain froze.
“I created her. I told her to call me mother. But it’s creator and creation, not mother and daughter.”
“That’s allowed?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
She smiled faintly.
“All Apostles receive a stigma from their god.”
She pointed toward the girl.
“That heart is my stigma.”
Ain had nothing to say.
The girl’s name was Rete.
Rete Laplace de Daphne de la Odiel.
Ain looked at Daphne.
“…You’re not a good person.”
Daphne nodded.
“I never said I was.”
A witch’s smile.
“I’m a witch.”
And she meant it.
Glossary