Demarion's Trial, Part 1
The stifling space opened up in an instant.
Unlike the narrow, dark corridor, an endlessly vast space stretched out beyond the doorway.
Radiant light poured out, brightly illuminating the entire hallway.
M-my goodness...
Witnessing the sight, Selena's face froze in utter shock.
The... the door actually opened?
Demarion, the 10th-circle Archmage.
How many had sought this place just to catch a glimpse of him?
Yet, not a single soul had ever managed to open that door.
And yet, the door that had remained firmly shut for hundreds of years had just swung open at a mere, effortless gesture.
Whoosh!
So that is...
Selena's eyes trembled.
Dazzling light spilled from beyond the marble doors.
It felt as though she could step right into the chamber of the Great Sage, Demarion, with just a single stride.
Slowly...
As the space that every mage dreamed of materialized before her eyes, Selena unconsciously took a step forward.
She was walking forward in a daze, completely captivated by the mystical light.
Right at that moment, Gaon's firm voice rang out.
"Stop."
Selena flinched.
Her movements froze instantly.
Without even looking back, Gaon gave a cold command.
"This path is permitted only for me."
"...Ah."
"The Great Sage opened the door to meet me, so do not act rashly. If you do, the door might close again."
Having calmly finished speaking, Gaon stepped into the light.
Enveloped in the radiance, his silhouette gradually faded from view.
Thud!
Before long, the marble doors slammed shut once more.
Adelia and Selena flinched, their bodies trembling slightly at the sudden, heavy sound.
Where Gaon had stood just moments ago, nothing remained but the tightly sealed door.
"...?"
Murmur, murmur...
It was at that exact moment.
Urgent footsteps and clamorous voices began to echo from afar.
It was the sound of multiple people rushing up the spiral staircase.
"Pant, pant...!"
Soon, a crowd of people arrived at the top floor, completely out of breath.
They were the mages who had been attending the emergency council meeting.
Gasping for air, they all stared at Selena with wide, startled eyes.
"Professor Servich!"
Professor Biorf shouted, his face flushed with urgency.
"What on earth is going on? The mana density around the magic tower has spiked exponentially! On top of that, the students in the plaza outside are saying a pillar of light shot up from the very peak of the tower...!"
These were all signs that appeared only when the door of the Great Sage, Demarion, opened.
Though no living soul had ever witnessed it firsthand, these phenomena were detailed in the academy's ancient records.
Suddenly, Biorf froze.
As Professor Biorf hurriedly scanned the surroundings, his eyes went wide when he spotted the figure standing next to Selena.
Adelia von Goldheart.
The disciple who always followed Gaon like a shadow was standing right there.
"N-no way."
Professor Biorf muttered in a trembling voice.
Adelia always trailed closely behind Gaon.
For only her and Selena to be left standing here at a time like this could only mean...
"...Has Sir Gaon entered the chamber of the Great Sage, Demarion?"
Selena, who had remained silent for a moment, nodded.
"Yes. That is correct. He wished to meet the Great Sage, so I guided him to the top floor for now, but..."
"Wait a moment."
One of the mages cut in.
"Why did you not report that the Sword Master was heading to the top floor?"
"Is there any reason why I should have?"
When Selena shot back with a freezing glare, the mage who had questioned her flinched.
Professor Biorf, who had been quietly listening to the exchange, nodded in agreement.
"She is right. There is no obligation to report his every move."
"B-but..."
"If we had to report every single step we took while showing the Sword Master around the academy, wouldn't that be the height of disrespect?"
"..."
The mage tried to argue, but he ultimately had to shut his mouth.
With the two most influential professors in Wintersheld defending the Sword Master, there was nothing more he could say.
As a brief silence fell over the corridor, Selena stared blankly at the door, lost in thought.
Sigh.
Selena let out a quiet sigh.
In truth, the reason she hadn't informed anyone about guiding Gaon to the top floor was simple.
She had naturally assumed that his attempt to meet the Great Sage would end in failure.
After all, this was a feat that even the academy's most brilliant mages—and various other seekers of truth—had failed to achieve.
And yet...
Gaon had made the meeting happen as if it were nothing.
From the moment he arrived at the magic academy—no, perhaps from the very moment he 'planned' all of this through the Earth Dragon subjugation quest...
The flow of this world might have already begun to shift.
And now.
It was clear that an even greater change would begin through his meeting with the Great Sage, Demarion.
"..."
Selena's gaze shifted.
The look in her eyes transformed.
She realized once again that Gaon was an even more extraordinary individual than she had initially thought.
Having already committed several discourtesies, she had no intention of letting a simple escort to the top floor be the end of her apology.
I must offer him a much greater reward.
She hadn't planned on stopping at just guiding him in the first place.
But now that she had witnessed Gaon's capabilities, she was absolutely certain that she needed to present him with far more.
This place is...
Slowly...
As the intense light gradually faded and my vision cleared, the sight that unfolded before me was a world completely detached from the eerie corridors of the magic tower.
A vast, green forest stretched out endlessly.
Sunlight pouring from a high, unseen ceiling filtered through the dense, dark green leaves, creating beautiful, shimmering beams of light.
Step.
With every step, I felt the soft texture of grass beneath my feet, while the distant sounds of chirping birds and flowing water tickled my ears.
...The Chamber of the Great Sage, Demarion.
A space I had only encountered exactly ten times in the game.
I instinctively found my bearings and began to walk.
As I slowly made my way toward the heart of the forest, I could feel the surrounding trees growing thicker and older.
"..."
I stopped.
The place I had finally arrived at was the very center of the forest.
A colossal ancient tree towered before me.
Its sheer size overwhelmed the other trees, and deep wrinkles, carved by centuries of life, were etched into its trunk.
And...
Right beneath that tree sat an old man.
With his eyes closed as he regulated his breathing, he looked like an ordinary old man at a glance, but I could feel an overwhelming presence radiating from him.
His long white hair flowed gently over his shoulders, and a noble dignity exuded from his weathered, wrinkled face.
In particular, his slightly pointed ears revealed that he was not a human, but an elf.
The second Transcendent I had encountered, following Pokryong.
The founder of the Wintersheld Magic Academy and a 10th-circle Archmage.
The Great Sage, Demarion.
As a gentle breeze lightly ruffled his hair, he slowly opened his mouth to speak.
"..."
A voice that seemed to reverberate through the entire space echoed around me.
It felt as though his will was imbued in every single object in the vicinity.
This alone was enough to realize that Demarion was not just a mere mage, but a Transcendent.
He was a being capable of turning an ordinary room into such a vast forest.
This place was not a part of the magic tower, but a pocket dimension he had created. In other words, this entire space was his domain.
Demarion slowly continued.
The elf, who had lived for thousands of years, slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were deep and mysterious, as if they held the stars themselves.
"..."
Demarion paused, studying me intently.
A faint smile played on his lips. The curve of his mouth held a knowing, profound significance.
Without a moment's hesitation, I gave the answer I had prepared.
Since I was in the presence of the Great Sage, I spoke with as much formality as possible.
"I wish to obtain the ancient knowledge you possess."
Demarion let out a soft chuckle at my words.
His eyes were deep and wise, as if they held the weight of thousands of years.
"..."
His voice carried a trace of pride, mixed with an indefinable loneliness.
Slowly...
Demarion slowly rose to his feet.
He was taller than me.
Looking down at me, he continued with a solemn expression.
"..."
Demarion let out a soft sigh.
His breath caused the surrounding leaves to rustle gently.
Even though I already knew what he would ask, I posed the question to him.
"What is this request?"
After a brief pause, Demarion spoke, his expression resolute, as if he had made up his mind.
Even those who have lived for thousands of years and ascended to Transcendence do not live every single moment wisely.
Everyone makes mistakes.
Naturally, the Great Sage, Demarion, was no exception.
Staring into the empty air, the old man confessed his error in a melancholy voice.
The Great Sage, Demarion.
He had wanted to go beyond Transcendence and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Great Ones.
Ascension.
Desiring that grand achievement, the Archmage had carried out all kinds of experiments.
"..."
Slowly...
Demarion looked at me as he spoke.
Everything that occurred within the magic tower reached his ears.
Naturally, he would know that I had slain the Transgressor.
...Right.
The Great Sage, Demarion, had enticed the Transgressor.
His intention had been to use the highly talented mage as a test subject before performing the ritual himself.
And as everyone knew the outcome, the Transgressor's ascension ritual had ended in failure.
The birth of the Shadow Society and the corruption of the Transgressor.
The mastermind behind all of this was, in fact, Demarion.
"..."
After a brief silence, Demarion spoke with great difficulty.
His face twisted with deep guilt.