Chapter 256: Secret Research (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 256: Secret Research (2)
As expected, she knew.
Aria Lilias was well aware of why I had sought her out. She had only asked to confirm her suspicions.
This made our conversation move much faster.
“You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?”
Aria seemed to loathe any gesture that emphasized our height difference, so I stood up casually before posing my question.
With a deep sigh, as if she had been expecting this exact confrontation, Aria walked past me.
“Follow me.”
Wizards bowed in greeting as we entered Hegel Tower and boarded the elevator. Even as we ascended toward the top floor, Aria remained silent. She was likely being cautious about discussing secrets in transit. I followed her lead and kept my mouth shut.
When we reached the summit, we entered the Tower Master’s private laboratory.
Using telekinesis, Aria adjusted the light shields on the lamps mounted high on the walls, illuminating the cavernous, library-like space. She reached out and touched a bookshelf, checking the integrity of the enchantments.
“It was damaged… just as I thought.”
Her tone suggested she had already anticipated the breach. I deduced that someone else had already questioned her about what she was hiding—most likely the Imperial Tower.
“The barrier? Did someone break in?”
Aria shook her head.
“No one broke it. It was a simple malfunction of the magic tool. I didn’t pay enough attention to the maintenance while I was preparing for the Academic Forum.”
Reading her expression, it was clear that something that should have remained hidden had briefly leaked through the damaged barrier. Aria quickly restored the seal by infusing it with her mana, then layered a soundproofing ward over the room.
“Isaac.”
“Yes?”
“You were right. I am conducting secret research.”
Aria drifted telekinetically toward a specific section of the massive bookshelf.
So, she really has been working on something in the shadows.
“Can you show it to me?”
“I never thought I could hide it from you forever, nor did I intend to. But… this is a matter of grave importance to me. I will show you my secret, but first, you must tell me yours.”
“Such as?”
“The real reason you enrolled in this academy. Why you’re still here and what exactly you’re waiting for. Reveal everything.”
Aria had protected the people of the academy, and strictly speaking, she had been on my side this entire time. She was an ally. Even Dorothy Gale, that mysterious figure, had told me to seek her out, indicating that Aria’s secret was something I needed to uncover. The mysterious book had outright declared she would be on my side.
Naturally, I couldn't resort to harsh methods to pry a secret out of an ally. After all, Aria would stand with humanity in the fight against the Evil God, not with the demons.
I decided there was no need to hide my goal from her any longer.
“Alright.”
Aria’s calm gaze met mine as I approached her. Silence filled the room for a brief, heavy moment before I spoke.
“The Evil God is going to be resurrected.”
Aria’s eyes trembled.
“I don’t know exactly when, but when the time comes, I’ll be able to sense it.”
“The Evil God…”
As we had discussed before, Aria was deeply interested in both demons and heavenly beings. She understood the existential threat posed by the Evil God Nephid.
“Then, the place where the Evil God is sealed is…?”
“In this very region.”
It was the first time I had ever seen Aria look truly shocked. Her eyes widened for a split second before she regained her composure.
“The Evil God is desperately trying to eliminate any obstacles before its resurrection. So far, it has orchestrated incidents centered around the academy, and now it’s beginning to awaken dangerous entities scattered across the world.”
“Like the Floating Island? Or that demon who tried to mimic the sky?”
I nodded.
“While those beings weren't awakened directly by the Evil God, it is true that it’s attempting to rouse similarly dangerous entities. And… I like this academy. That’s why I’m trying to protect it. I’m also trying to pinpoint the exact moment of the resurrection as soon as possible.”
“That secret… if the students were to find out, the information would spread uncontrollably. There would be mass panic…” Aria muttered to herself. Her mind was racing, finding a dozen more reasons for my secrecy than the ones I had provided.
Of course, I didn’t reveal the entire truth—specifically, that I still had much to learn here and that the academy held the key to clearing the scenario.
That’s part of it, but…
I had lived here since I first possessed this body. Wanting to protect Märchen Academy was simply my own will. I hadn't calculated the profit or loss; I had simply grown attached to this place and its people.
“…I understand the situation.”
Aria remained composed even after hearing about the Evil God’s return. She had been startled, but her professional mask was back in place.
“I’ll say it again: I am on your side. Do not worry.”
Is she trying to reassure me?
I appreciated the sentiment, so I offered her a small smile.
Aria pulled a specific book from the shelf. The space behind it was hollow, and she reached inside. There was a keyhole hidden by a disguise spell. Aria inserted a key and turned it.
Rumble.
“Huh?”
A section of the bookshelf split open, revealing a hidden passage. It felt like a scene from a movie where the police discover a criminal’s secret lair.
“Now, I will show you my secret.”
Aria took a glowing lamp and gestured toward the dark opening, signaling for me to follow.
We entered the passage. Though it was pitch black, the lamp Aria carried illuminated our surroundings. The walls were dull and narrow, barely wide enough for our shoulders. We climbed a spiral staircase that led to a spacious, hidden chamber tucked between the laboratory and the rooftop.
“What… is this?”
Various mana stones were neatly arranged across the room. High-level magic beast parts and monster components used in alchemy were scattered about, and in the center of the room lay a mysterious magic circle I had never seen before.
At the very center of that circle was a small rift of strange, turquoise-colored mana. It was tiny, no larger than a finger, but the flow of mana resembled a black hole, greedily absorbing the surrounding light.
Due to the layered barriers, not even the hum of the mana could be heard. The silence was absolute. I had never seen anything like this, even in the original Magic Knight of Märchen.
“This is my work. It will be my masterpiece.”
Aria approached the turquoise rift and turned back to look at me.
“It is a rift connected to the Nether.”
“…?”
What kind of madness is this?
“Excuse me…? What?”
I needed a moment to process that. Aria wasn't the type to tell pointless lies, and there was direct evidence right in front of me. The faint sensation on my skin felt like mana from another world.
The feeling I’d experienced when I went to the Nether to fight the Floating Island, Cavallion the Earthshaker… that unsettling, alien sensation was unforgettable. I was feeling that exact same thing now.
“Seeing your reaction confirms that my research is progressing well.”
Aria wore a satisfied expression. It seemed she hadn't been entirely sure if the rift truly connected to the Nether, since she had never been there herself.
“Isaac, before I die, I want to explore the Nether—if it truly exists. I want to know what kind of place it is. I want to observe the divine beings there.”
Aria stroked the barrier as if it were a precious treasure.
“I cannot die yet. I haven't discovered the secrets of this world. But I couldn't suppress my curiosity about the afterlife and the existence of a god within it.”
I looked around the room again. The dried, twisted remains of high-ranking magic beasts were everywhere—rare materials that were nearly impossible to acquire. The floor was stained with dark, dried blood.
The method of creating a passage to the afterlife was clearly anything but normal.
“Is this… Black Magic?”
It was common knowledge that the world was full of undiscovered magic, much like the unexplored depths of the ocean. There were also unclassified types of magic—forbidden arts strictly outlawed by the Empire, collectively known as Black Magic.
Magic that could permanently transfigure a person, allow a human to bear a monster’s child, summon forbidden entities, or stitch together corpses. In Magic Knight of Märchen, these were the kinds of things you’d find in restricted library sections or as the focus of high-level guild quests to stop dark wizards.
Aria shook her head.
“I don’t believe it is Black Magic. Such things are the pursuit of malignant cults or depraved warlocks. This is a method I established myself, using hints from ancient texts and my own original research.”
Thanks to the effects of [Frozen Soul], my emotions didn't flare up. I responded calmly.
“That’s just your opinion. Anyone else would see this as a grave violation of the law. It’s dangerous…”
“I have no intention of harming anyone.”
“And what if something comes through from the other side? Do you honestly think you can control it?”
“…I suspected as much, but it seems you know quite a bit about the Nether yourself.”
Of course I did. I had been to the corner of the Nether where the dead bicker and moan.
“In any case, that won't happen. The passage is narrow. This is my limit. My goal is mere observation; this is enough.”
She intended to observe the afterlife like a scientist looking at microbes through a microscope. In reality, the rift might not have been a problem. If it had caused a major incident, it would have been a plot point in the game. But as I recalled, there was no mention of this in Magic Knight of Märchen.
In the ending credits, Ian lived a long, prosperous life. That meant the rift either stabilized, vanished, or Aria eventually discarded it. Of course, I couldn't be entirely optimistic. I didn't know what kind of end the "extra" version of Aria met in this timeline.
Regardless, if the Empire found out, this was a capital crime.
However…
Dorothy Gale, the author of the unknown book, had specifically told me to find Aria. She said Aria would be my ally.
Is it because of this rift? But what does defeating the Evil God have to do with the Nether?
“It’s a relief that you’re not being aggressive about this…”
Suddenly, a sharp buzzing sound erupted from within the barrier.
The swirling mana in the rift surged violently, churning as if it were trying to vomit something out. It felt as though it had been waiting for me.
A sense of impending crisis washed over me. I shouted urgently, “Teacher! Get back!”
Aria looked at the rift in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock.
And then—
Bang!
The rift discharged something with the force of a gunshot. It pierced straight through the layers of the barrier, accompanied by the sound of shattering glass.
“…!!”
Whatever had been fired from the rift struck me right in the forehead. A chilling, eerie sensation soaked into my brain.
In the blink of an eye, my surroundings shifted.
A lake rimmed with jagged ice appeared before me. A rain of blood fell from a crimson sky. Since my physical sensations hadn't changed, I knew I hadn't been teleported. This was a hallucination.
It was a vision I could have broken free from if I truly wanted to. However, I couldn't bring myself to dispel it.
Because I saw a woman standing in a small house in the middle of that frozen lake.
My body froze. I couldn't even blink.
The woman had long, light purple hair that had faded almost to white. She looked at me, smiling gently. Though she appeared more mature than I remembered, there was no mistaking her.
Dorothy…?
I was certain. The woman was Dorothy Gale.
