Chapter 121

Thud.

The staff hit the ground with a dull sound.

The staff, with its sleek white body and decorations embedded with various jewels, was so beautiful that even a person without a keen eye for art would inadvertently express admiration. It looked like something that could be considered a piece of art.

Most people would be afraid of it getting dusty or scratched, carefully keeping it safe. However, the man holding the staff didn’t care about such things. Instead, he kept tapping the ground with the end of the staff as if saying it didn’t matter. He then looked up at the sky with a complicated expression.

A clear sky.

A bright, cloudless sky greeted the man. A sky that anyone would describe as beautiful weather, but to the man, the weather meant nothing.

Whether it rained, thundered, or a fierce storm swept through… the man’s demeanor would remain unchanged.

And of course, it made sense. What the man saw in the sky wasn’t the weather.

“Edel, I have done as you willed.”

The flow of mana, sometimes clashing, sometimes intertwining, and sometimes flowing gently—this was the fundamental flow that formed this world.

Even for a wizard, who explores mysteries and mimics miracles, it is not easy to see the flow of mana with the naked eye. And perceiving it in such detail was a testament to the man’s extraordinary level.

However, the man who stood at such a high level couldn’t hide his troubled heart.

“…I don’t know if what I did was right. Sometimes, I wonder if I’ve misunderstood your will.”

In truth, Edel had never directly conveyed her will to the man.

So, what the man did was interpret the flow of the world as he perceived it, guessing the will of the divine. Until now, he had believed without a doubt that this was Edel’s will. Yet now, anxiety was crashing like waves within his heart.

“Many things will burn. And many things will crumble.”

The flow of mana, which always seemed to move in one direction even though it appeared chaotic, was now flowing elsewhere.

Towards somewhere high in the sky.

“And those who will suffer the most from this calamity will be the Empire that I belong to.”

The man did not proceed with this action because he held a grudge against the Empire. He simply realized that there were things more important than the Empire.

What use is cherishing the room you live in if the entire house is about to collapse?

Understanding this, he had done everything he could, including making a reluctant pact and sending the girl away from her safe haven.

But he could not erase the unease in his heart.

The man, who had been murmuring as if speaking to Edel, suddenly furrowed his brow.

He sensed a group of people approaching within the wide range of his Aura Perception.

“…Tch, small fries.”

Even without his intervention, the barrier he had set up would prevent them from entering.

But he was irritated by the mere fact that someone was approaching.

“How dare an outsider, who was lucky enough to gain power, look down on me.”

Challenging his barrier meant challenging his magic.

The man did not like that at all.

Thud.

Boom!

As he struck the ground with the staff, a deafening thunder echoed across the land.

After a single flash of lightning from a clear sky, the presences he had sensed vanished without a trace.

“Hah… I shouldn’t have to deal with such trivial matters…”

Shedding his serious tone, the man grumbled.

“It’s frustrating when no one appreciates my kindness. This kid probably doesn’t even realize the trouble I’m going through for her.”

He would be lucky if she didn’t come charging at him with a sword the moment she woke up.

The man looked down at the girl lying at his feet.

With blood-stained lips and a deathly pale face, she appeared as if she were dead, but the faint rise and fall of her small chest indicated that she was still alive. ȑ

“Hey, couldn’t you have raised your daughter a bit more gently? She’s quite the little troublemaker. You have no idea how terrifying it was whenever she came at me, trying to kill me.”

Twitch.

“…!”

The man, who had been grumbling as he looked at the gravestone, flinched.

The fingers of the pink-haired girl moved.

It was a very brief movement, but the man didn’t miss it.

“…Already showing signs of regaining consciousness? She’s a remarkable one. Well, that’s probably why she was chosen by Edel.”

Despite his admiration, the man’s actions became urgent.

Bringing someone from faraway Laxia all the way here was no easy task, even for a wizard at the peak of his field.

He had prepared for this for a long time, using numerous catalysts, and the target had been in a weakened, unconscious state with no Magi blocking the magic…

It was only possible because of all those conditions combined. If even one of them had been missing, it would have been impossible.

And because this task was impossible to do through a mere clone, the man had brought his real body here.

If the girl who often snapped at him for only sending clones instead of facing things head-on had seen this, she would have been thrilled.

The man, fully aware of this, hurried to prepare to descend the mountain.

…

Before leaving the barrier,

The man looked back one last time.

“She cared deeply for her father, so she probably won’t act recklessly.”

He figured that even amidst her frenzy, her deep attachment to this place might cause her to restrain herself instinctively.

It was a slim hope, but the man clung to that faint possibility.

“Leaving someone who wants to kill me so badly… Life sure takes unexpected turns.”

Clicking his tongue, the man drew upon his Mana.

A magic circle formed instantly, emitting light.

“…Oh. I forgot.”

…Nothing happened.

The realization of the magical adjustments he made to bring the girl here hit him belatedly.

“Ah… Do I really have to go through this at my age?”

With heavy steps, the man began to descend the mountain.

For someone known as the Sage of the Empire, it was a rather ungraceful departure.

***

“Is it… over…?”

Da-eun, who had been sprawled out, regained consciousness.

The Magi that had been constricting her had vanished without a trace.

Not only that, but the persistent damage effect that had been sapping her strength since she set foot in Laxia, as well as the debuff of “Magi Poisoning” that had been suppressing her abilities, had disappeared.

Finally able to breathe freely, Da-eun struggled to her feet.

Indeed, as she had thought, the fierce black currents that had been swirling around were nowhere to be seen.

“I did it…!”



If Kana had failed, the Magi would still be present, so it must mean she succeeded.

Da-eun’s face lit up with relief.

But only for a moment.

Looking at the place where the Magi had once raged, Da-eun saw people gathered in a circle around the spot where the Ascension Ritual had taken place, and a sense of unease crept in.

Instead of celebrating the victory, why were they acting like that?

“Celine?”

In the midst of the quiet, Da-eun spotted a familiar head of blonde hair and approached her.

“….”

“Celine?”

“…Ah, Joanie.”

“…What’s wrong?”

Celine, who always responded with a warm smile, now had a vacant expression, as if her mind was elsewhere.

“Is something wrong?”

“Well, it

Celine hesitated, unable to continue.

Da-eun, unable to hold back, pushed through the crowd, certain that a small girl awaited at the end.

She couldn’t imagine what kind of battle Kana might have fought within that suffocating Magi, but at least she could offer a hug and some comforting words.

“Excuse me, let me through, please…!”

After struggling through the crowd, Da-eun finally caught sight of an open clearing.

The ground bore rough scars, etched deeply by the Magi, evidence of an intense battle. Searᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“…!”

Seeing the circular markings on the ground, Da-eun felt a chill run down her spine.

If she hadn’t listened to Kana earlier and insisted on going in with her, she would have undoubtedly been torn to pieces.

Though in reality, she would have resurrected at a revival point before that happened…

Nevertheless, it would have been a grim end.

Now, she was nearly at her destination.

“Whoa…!”

Da-eun, pushing through the last row of people, suddenly stumbled, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.

Before her nose could hit the ground, a hand reached out to steady her.

Firm yet gentle, Justina’s hand caught Da-eun’s arm and helped her stand upright.

“Be careful.”

“Whew, thank you….”

Thanks to Justina, Da-eun avoided the embarrassment of a bloody nose and breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, she realized that the ground she nearly fell on was a different color than its surroundings.

It was a deep black, like poured asphalt.

A strange scent wafted into Da-eun’s nose.

“Is that… blood?”

It was a smell she had encountered countless times as a child, now rising from the ground.

Justina spoke.

“The Ascension Ritual was successful. As she said, all the Magi that had engulfed Laxia has disappeared.”

So, that’s what she meant when she said she would free us from our burden.

“It is truly an unbelievable achievement.”

Justina, who had checked several times in disbelief, now had no choice but to accept it.

The air around her felt as clean as it had been long ago, when the power of purification was still intact.

However, Da-eun wasn’t as moved by Justina’s reflection.

What mattered most to her was something else.

“…Where is Kana?”

“….”

“No way, right?”

A missing presence.

The black liquid that stained the ground around them.

A response that never came.

Everywhere she looked, there were only elements that amplified her anxiety, causing Da-eun’s eyes to tremble.

“Ah, ah…”

Thud!

Da-eun’s knees hit the ground. The sticky liquid soaked her knees, and the metallic scent of blood filled her nostrils. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that she glimpsed the figure of the pink-haired girl in that moment.

She was no stranger to death.

Since starting Silia Online, Da-eun had encountered death more times than she could count on her fingers.

“Kana…”

But just because she could remain composed about her own death, it didn’t mean she could be just as composed about the death of others.

Especially if it was someone she deeply cared about.

“Kana…”

Unlike herself, who could come back to life, Kana could not.

So, she would never meet her again.

As that realization sank in, tears welled up in Da-eun’s eyes.

Just like a dam breaking, the emotion that she had held back surged forth…

“Wait! I think you’re misunderstanding something, so let me clarify. I never said that disrespectful child was dead.”

“…Huh?”

Da-eun froze at Justina’s words.

“…She isn’t dead?”

“Is that what you were hoping for?”

“No! Of course not!”

Da-eun, startled, quickly denied it.



Justina couldn’t help but smirk, seeing the obvious relief on Da-eun’s face.

“How about we change locations first? This doesn’t seem like a suitable place for a long conversation.”

—

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