The night is dark.
It was an obvious statement, yet in the case of the Academy, this was rarely true. It was a place with a population of tens of thousands. There was nowhere that did not emit the light of civilization, day or night.
The Academy, bustling with crowds throughout the year, had only a few days of quiet.
And today was one of those ‘few days.’
One of the Academy’s celebrities had been referred to a religious trial. It was on the charge of betraying humanity. Rumors circulated openly in the Academy that he would surely receive the harshest punishment.
This unbelievable news swept away the warmth of the Academy like a cold wave.
Students reduced their activities for fear of being implicated with the Lady Virgin Saint. Faculty members were endlessly busy preparing countermeasures, and eventually, the Academy became a den of mice.
Criminals hiding in fear of the sun.
This was not a story limited to this place. I had heard that the entire world was anxious to deny any connection with the Lady Virgin Saint.
In this world of mice, I stood alone, gazing up at the sky.
There was no particular reason.
I simply could not sleep. Every time I moved my limbs, my body ached and cried out to me.
It was impossible.
Even if my body felt intact, there was no way to save the Lady Virgin Saint. With a body patched up like a rag, there was nothing I could do.
The feeling of helplessness that came after a long time was intense.
It seemed as though the warmth of the Lady Virgin Saint still lingered on my lips. I recalled the breath of the Lady Virgin Saint that touched my ears. And even that shy confession that she loved me.
Hoo, I let out a sigh that rose from deep in my chest.
To the north of the Academy lay a low mountain. I was gazing blankly at the moon from an observation deck halfway up.
Suddenly, a heavy voice pierced my ears.
“There are a lot of people unable to sleep tonight.”
The sound of footsteps coming down from the top of the mountain.
I briefly turned my gaze and had to lower my head in surprise. There stood a middle-aged man with passionate red hair and a beard.
Professor Derek.
A legendary monster hunter and the one who had most earnestly guided my swordsmanship within the Academy. As his disciple, I had no choice but to bow my head.
It felt like I hadn’t seen him in a long time. I had received help from him a few times during the homecoming ceremony when rescuing the Imperial Princess.
Just as I fumbled during the sudden encounter, Professor Derek offered a calm compliment.
“You seem much more stable… Have you awakened your consciousness?”
“Y-Yes? Ah… Yes, perhaps…”
Despite my ambiguous answer, Professor Derek merely chuckled.
The muscular man naturally stood beside me.
My already complicated thoughts became thoroughly tangled. Professors were difficult figures, no matter how close you became.
Fortunately, the professor was not someone who loved silence for its own sake.
“Do you know why consciousness is important?”
It was an unexpected question.
I hesitated and couldn’t answer for a moment.
The reason was clear: you had to establish your consciousness to move on to the next stage. A martial artist who reached expert level had to realize that consciousness, as well as physical strength and magical power, played a crucial role in growth.
It was because it strengthened the power of aura.
And when that consciousness was awakened to a certain level, the aura began to distort reality. This phenomenon was known as ‘blossoming,’ the awakening of aura.
However, it seemed he didn’t want to ask such common knowledge.
The professor did not hesitate.
“Give me a reason to keep your life.”
I fell silent at such a simple request.
I shot a questioning glance at Professor Derek.
However, he continued as if he were about to convey something very important.
“Consciousness distorts reality. It means turning the impossible into the possible. In other words, even a body that’s dead and cannot move can move. That makes a decisive difference in real combat.”
“So, that’s why it moved.”
Only then could I understand the last battle.
A body with a pierced heart, pouring out heaps of blood, moved again.
It was nonsense. I should have died that day.
But because my consciousness was awakened, the body moved again. If I thought about it that way, it was not impossible.
“Of course, awakening it is difficult. To turn the impossible into the possible… that means you must have a consciousness that is that strong.”
“When did you awaken, Professor Derek?”
“Just before death.”
As if recalling that time, the muscular man gently closed his eyes.
“And once again, when I narrowly escaped death, I caught a glimpse. Of the end of this path…”
“Were you a high expert?”
I asked, genuinely surprised.
No one had ever seen Professor Derek’s true capabilities. After all, he preferred to act alone while hunting monsters, so few knew his true strength.
Perhaps only Dean Delmore would know.
Throughout the continent, there were only a handful of ‘high experts’ or ‘archmages.’ I had heard that several professors at the Academy were among them, but to think Professor Derek would be.
Could it be due to the rumor of him being a monster hunter with no background influencing my subconscious?
I could not help but reflect inwardly.
“It was just for a very brief moment, but at that time, I saw fragments of everything. At that moment, I was so close to the illusion of being omnipotent.”
“Is it really that much?”
“It’s easier to think of it as a glimpse into the realm of the master for a brief time.”
Now that I thought about it, I remembered Mr. Raymond saying something similar.
He had seen shards of truth. He had to make various efforts not to be swept away by that moment.
Hmm, as I swallowed my peculiar silence.
“That said, don’t deliberately seek out death.”
It was a statement made in jest, but I could only shudder at the advice.
The wise swordsman’s gaze was silently directed at me.
“There are only a few swordsmen who can ‘see’ the ‘end’ even after dying dozens of times.”
“Then what about hundreds of times?”
At my counter-question, the professor let out a few light chuckles, as if it were absurd.
“Of course, you’d die before that. Also, if you had that many near-death experiences, living wouldn’t amount to anything.”
His thick index finger traced circles at the side of his head.
“You’d become a walking corpse… Human psyche isn’t that strong.”
Then Professor Derek resumed walking.
It seemed he had finished what he wanted to say to his disciple.
“Also, it would be a terrible thing to do to those around you. Surviving hundreds of near-death experiences… They’d probably wear themselves thin to the point of withering? And if they died, what then?”
With a thud, Professor Derek’s large hand patted my shoulder a couple of times as he passed.
“Up there, the little brat from the Rainelle Clan seems to be having a tough time too.”
“…Rainelle?”
That was the last laugh that Professor Derek let out after hearing my mutter.
Thinking back, I had not met my companions since returning to the Academy.
Those who fought alongside me against ‘Greed’ were not well-off either. Each of them had their own wounds on their hearts.
Celin had attacked me again without being of any help.
Liya had to hear the word ‘fake’ to her face, and Senior Elsi had lost her beloved uncle.
I had been too self-absorbed.
Even after Professor Derek left, I hesitated for a while, but eventually sighed and resolved myself.
Caring for my companions’ hearts was an important duty as well.
My own torn heart seemed unlikely to heal, though.
And so, I quickened my steps up to the summit of the low mountain.
There, just as Professor Derek had said, was Rainelle, who was bursting into tears.
“Cough, sniff… Uncle… Uncle…”
It was Elsi’s younger brother, Ru Pin Rainelle.
Seeing him crying ugly tears crushed my expression.
“…What the hell.”
I couldn’t shake the feeling of being deceived.
*
A drink.
Alcohol can dull or sharpen a person’s senses. Typically, the first drink amplifies emotions.
Ru Pin, who sat in front of me, exemplified that.
He could not stop crying. It seemed he had been quite fond of Mr. Raymond.
Of course, whether a boy cried or not was none of my concern.
A careless voice escaped my lips.
“Where’s Senior Elsi?”
“Sniff, hic… She’s holed up in her room… Perhaps training…”
A mage could train even in a room.
I briefly thought how convenient that would be. Of course, Senior Elsi’s determination was likely more than that.
I took a drink with a sigh.
I wanted to enjoy the ambiance of the night in silence, but the sound of sniffling repeatedly intruded upon my ears. Eventually, a faint jab slipped from my lips.
“Hey, what are you whining about, being a man?”
“Ugh, don’t…”
“Mr. Raymond would be so pleased.”
Only then did Ru Pin try his hardest to suppress his tears. Tears flowed down his trembling chin.
Perhaps he had some reputation of his own.
My gaze returned to the moon. The truth was, in front of Ru Pin, I could only feel like a criminal.
Mr. Raymond had sacrificed himself for me and my companions.
It wasn’t entirely my fault, but the fact that my presence drew ‘Greed’s’ attention was clear. That weighed heavily on my heart and ultimately led me to share a late-night drink.
Even now, his last words echoed through my heart like waves.
“U-Uncle… Do you think Uncle regretted it?”
With a voice slightly less watery, Ru Pin asked that. Instead of answering, I offered him a handkerchief.
With a sniff, Ru Pin used the handkerchief. I secretly thought I should throw that handkerchief away.
If the person in front of me were Senior Elsi, I would have washed it and reused it.
“Weren’t you scared? It must have hurt a lot… if your heart burst…”
“He went peacefully.”
Perhaps, I fought against the words that were trying to bubble up inside me.
Is there really a human who isn’t afraid of death?
I was someone who had crossed the line of death many times. I already knew how terrifying the instinct to not want to die was.
But Mr. Raymond chose death for himself.
To change a fate that should have seen him defeated by the Dark Cult.
“He left behind belongings and a will. So you shouldn’t be too sad…”
“W-What did he say… sniff, he said?”
My words were suddenly blocked.
I didn’t know why. I was afraid to say something.
But the other party was a member of the Rainelle Clan.
He had the right to hear Mr. Raymond’s last words. Thus, I had no choice but to stammer out my response.
“Don’t run away…”
I got that far, then filled my cup and emptied it.
But Ru Pin’s gaze was still directed at me. It seemed he wanted to hear the rest of the will.
Dazed, I retraced my memories of that day.
“…Don’t be a coward.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Ru Pin wiped away his tears with that sentiment.
My vacant gaze turned towards him.
“That’s a message left for you, right? I can’t keep that promise.”
“Do you think I’m omnipotent?”
The words I spat while swallowing a hollow laugh were sincere.
I was not omnipotent. The achievements I had accomplished were merely steps that stood on top of someone’s sacrifice.
Even now, look.
My body was battered and barely able to move. It was not the time to consider what to do.
Then would I just leave the Lady Virgin Saint like this?
The heavy question pressed down on my lungs. Panting, I felt my breath become labored.
It was then that Ru Pin passed something to me.
A pitch-black rod.
It was a familiar object. Therefore, I could not understand it even more.
Why did an item that belonged to Senior Elsi end up with him?
