A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 155: Epherene’s Time (2)

Epherene slowly opened her eyes. Above her, a wooden ceiling came into view, and a mana stone lantern swayed overhead.

“Mmm…Hmmmmmmmm…” Epherene murmured, blinking slowly before stretching her mouth wide with a yawn that shook her head. “Aaahhhhhhh…”

“You certainly take your time. What are you, some kind of a dinosaur?”

At the sound of the familiar voice, Epherene froze in place. Her body stiffened, turning her head slowly with a creaking motion. Of course, it was Deculein.

“Ah… Was it a dream—”

“No, it was not,” Deculein said, closing the book in his hand. His gaze rested on her, carrying a strange gentleness that sent a cold shiver down her spine. That unsettling softness filled Epherene with dread.

“Why… No, are you really Professor Deculein?”

“Yes,” Deculein replied without hesitation.

Epherene quickly blurted out, “You’re not a monster, are you?”

“What?”

“No, no. I mean, where are we? Why did that kid suddenly grow up, and what happened to the village—”

“You’ve been swept up in a magical phenomenon,” Deculein explained.

A magical phenomenon… Could it really be because of that pond in the thicket? All I did was touch a little water. How could that be enough to warp the flow of time? Epherene thought.

Deculein explained, “It’s because you’re someone special.”

“… Sorry?”

“You’ll understand more eventually. For now, come with me,” Deculein said as he rose to his feet.

Epherene climbed out of bed and trailed behind him. The moment they stepped outside the town hall, the sharp wind of the Northern Region cut through her skin like icy needles.

“Huff.”

However, the village was now full of life, with people bustling through the streets, their faces glowing with energy and their steps brisk. Inns, shops, markets, restaurants, and taverns buzzed with activity.

What had been a cold, quiet village not long ago had suddenly transformed. Epherene could only stare in disbelief at the sight of the once still place now flourishing before her eyes.

“… How many years has it been?” Epherene asked.

“Who can say?”

“Oh, right. You wouldn’t know how many years have passed from my time either, would you, Professor?”

Deculein walked ahead in silence, while Epherene quickened her steps to keep up with him.

“But I don’t understand, Professor. How could a magical phenomenon like this even happen? I thought time travel was impossible, even with magic.”

“For an ordinary mage, it’s impossible. But you are not.”

Epherene couldn’t tell if Deculein’s words were meant as a compliment or a subtle jab. She glanced at him briefly before the rich, savory aroma of grilled chicken skewers caught her attention, the glistening sauce tempting her senses.

“… Gulp.”

Deculein let out a quiet chuckle and said, “Is your stomach growling?”

“N-no… but what did you mean when you said I’m not ordinary?”

“It’s because of your Origin,” Deculein answered.

Epherene tilted her head, puzzled, and echoed, “Origin?”

“You will understand in time,” Deculein replied.

“… What’s that supposed to mean?” Epherene muttered, shooting a glare at Deculein before quickly lowering her eyes, nervous that he might scold her. However, Deculein remained unbothered, showing no sign of displeasure.

What’s really going on with him?

Epherene, her mind swirling with questions, asked, “So, I really am in the future, right?”

“Correct.”

“How do I return to the present?”

“Who can say?”

“Oh, I see… Wait, what?” Epherene muttered, her eyes widening in surprise.

Epherene had expected Deculein to have all the answers, to offer a straightforward explanation and guide her, as he always did, with clear instructions on exactly what to do.

With a faint smile, Deculein said, “You are in the future. Bridging the past, present, and future is far from simple.”

“Then how do I…”

“You’ll have to wait. The path will open again in due time.”

“… The path?”

“Correct,” Deculein replied, nodding as he used Telekinesis to guide a chicken skewer toward her.

Epherene took the skewer without hesitation, clutching it tightly as she asked, “And when will the path open again?”

“It will likely be when the second comet descends.”

“Oh, I see…”

Epherene suddenly remembered a villager’s words of warning from earlier—how a shooting star had fallen into the thicket just two days ago.

“When will that be?” Epherene asked, taking a bite of the skewer. The taste was so delicious that she found herself chewing faster, eager for more.

“I cannot say for certain. It could be in three days.”

“Three days? Oh, that’s not too—”

“Or a week.”

“A week isn’t too—”

“Or three months.”

“… Three months.”

“Or it could be in a year.”

Epherene stopped mid-bite, her wide eyes slowly rising to meet Deculein’s, disbelief etched across her face.

Deculein chuckled quietly and said, “But you have nothing to worry about.”

“… Sorry?”

For some reason, it was strange, almost unexplainable. The moment his words reached her, though they were nothing more than simple words, all her worries and doubts quietly faded away. It always felt that way around Deculein.

No matter how chaotic the world around them became, his calm remained unshaking, his presence solid. With him at her side, she couldn’t help but have faith in him, depending on his steady presence even in the most unreasonable situations.

However…

“I’ll remain by your side until that time.”

“Oh…Oh?”

Those words made her heart race for a moment, her thoughts suddenly scattering into nothingness. Epherene blinked, her mind blank, before hastily turning her attention elsewhere in search of anything that could distract her.

“W-wow! Look over there! Is that man really wearing a real tiger pelt?” Epherene blurted, quickly pointing at a passerby draped in the large skin like armor…

***

… Epherene had gone missing. The villagers last saw her two days ago, walking into the woods where the shooting star had fallen.

“W-what should we do, Professor? What if Miss Epherene’s been taken by a bear or a tiger?” Allen asked, visibly shaken, with Drent fidgeting nervously beside him.

But I wasn’t too worried. I already knew that death wasn’t in Epherene’s fate, at least not in the future I had seen.

“There’s no need to worry. Let’s focus on the mission. I’ll assign your tasks now,” I said, as I began drafting an official request for support with my pen—a document to request aid from the soldiers stationed at the nearby fortress. “Allen, take this letter and head to the unexplored region with the soldiers. Collect soil samples.”

“… Yes, Professor,” Allen muttered, nodding, though his lips pouted in subtle displeasure, a shift from his usual composure.

“And Drent, for you—”

Thud—!

Just then, the door on the first floor opened, and three knights entered with deliberate precision, moving as though preparing for a mission. Without uttering a word, the soft clink of their armor echoed with each step, filling the room with an air of silent tension.

“Hmm,” one of the knights murmured. Mana flared as he methodically scanned the room, sweeping from wall to ceiling with careful precision, making sure nothing was amiss. Finally satisfied, he turned to the doorway. “It is secure, Your Majesty. You may enter now.”

“… Your Majesty?”

“Your Majesty?”

Allen and Drent stood stunned, their faces locked in disbelief. I shifted my attention to the wide-open door.

Thud— Thud—

A woman appeared, her steps echoing as her silver boots with crampons clinked against the floor. Draped in a large fur coat that wrapped around her from shoulders to knees, with fiery red hair cascading down her back and a pair of sunglasses perched on her nose,it was none other than Empress Sophien, distinctive and unique as always.

“Prepare yourselves. Her Majesty approaches.”

At the imperial knight’s command, my assistants instantly dropped to the floor in complete submission, while I knelt on one knee. Sophien approached in deliberate, graceful strides and stopped before me.

“It’s been a while, Deculein,” Sophien remarked, a light hint of amusement in her tone.

With my eyes lowered to her boots, I answered, “It’s an honor to be in Your Majesty’s presence.”

“That’s enough. Get up.”

At her command, I stood upright, facing her directly without hesitation.

Sophien removed her sunglasses, her distinctive crimson eyes fixed on me as she said, “I stopped by while patrolling the Northern Region.”

“Patrolling the Northern Region… Your Majesty?”

The idea seemed out of place, like seeing snow in summer. Sophien and a patrol didn’t belong together, but her following words erased any doubt.

“That’s right. And to finally settle our best-of-five Go match, as promised…”

Three minutes later, Sophien reclined carelessly on the sofa on the fifth floor, her regal composure now completely undone.

“… Hmm.”

Not even a few minutes had passed since her grand entrance, brimming with confidence, draped in majestic attire, exuding the unmistakable aura of the world’s most regal Empress.

“This sofa isn’t particularly comfortable…” Sophien murmured.

Sophien had already become sluggish, likely due to the abrupt shift in temperature. The warmth inside the miniature Mage Tower stood in sharp contrast to the biting cold outside.

“Is that how you find it, Your Majesty?” I replied.

I infused the sofa beneath her with a third-level Midas Touch, certain it would do the trick. Mana streamed from my fingers, melting seamlessly into the leather.

“How is it now, Your Majesty?”

“Hmm… how fascinating. It’s a little better,” Sophien murmured, stifling a yawn as she shifted into an even more comfortable position.

One leg draped over the armrest, while the other slipped off the side of the sofa—her body, fully surrendered to sleep, sprawled carelessly in every direction.

“Your Majesty, have you come all this way simply to play Go?”

“… In the process of the patrol… I also needed to check… on the Northern Region as well, hmmm…” Sophien mumbled, already half-asleep.

I asked again, “Isn’t this place a bit too small to serve as a base for patrolling the Northern Region, Your Majesty?”

“Enough. You talk too much. Be gone!” Sophien barked, kicking her legs against the sofa in frustration. And just like that, she drifted off to sleep. As I watched her, it struck me once again how her constant ennui and lethargy seemed almost like an incurable affliction.

… Snore… Snore…

Fortunately, her sleep habits were far from disruptive. Sophien rested quietly, a soft snore escaping her now and then. Even her awkward position gradually eased into a more graceful form, as if her natural dignity emerged despite her attempts to appear unruly.

“Hmm.”

As I watched her, a sudden thought stirred in my mind.

“Epherene.”

I found myself wondering where that child had gone. I wasn’t concerned—she could take care of herself—but curiosity lingered. The shooting star that fell in the Northern Region was undoubtedly tied to some magical phenomenon. I thought of her again, imagining where she might be and how she was navigating it all…

***

“Got one!”

Epherene’s days in the future with Deculein passed without much fanfare. They fished, read together, and she quietly absorbed the professor’s teachings.

The only noticeable difference from the past was the faint warmth in Deculein’s manner, something she found both curious and unfamiliar. She had no idea what had happened in the future to change him this way. Despite her growing curiosity, Deculein never offered her any answers.

“Professor, look! Isn’t this fish worth a fortune?” Epherene exclaimed.

“It’s an Aurafin. At that size, it would fetch around three hundred elne,” Deculein replied.

“Three hundred elne!” Epherene gasped, her eyes widening as she tightened her grip on the fishing rod.

Deculein silently observed her, his actions steady and deliberate as he kindled the bonfire. It seemed he was preparing to cook the fish.

Swishhh—

As Epherene cast her line into the water once more, her eyes drifted to Deculein, who was tending to the fish skewers over the fire. She swallowed instinctively, almost without thinking, but then she felt a shift—a sudden change in the air.

Deculein’s hand paused mid-motion, and the air around them turned tense. A chill settled over the space, his face hardening into something cold and unyielding. In an instant, a wave of hostility and murderous intent flooded the air.

Startled and uneasy, Epherene stammered, “Wh-what’s wrong?”

After a moment of silence, Deculein looked at Epherene and said in a calm, measured voice, “I withhold much from you because interference in the future can have a profound impact on the past.”

“Sorry?”

“But we’re not the only ones who know that.”

At that moment, Epherene noticed something as well—the faint scent of blood carried on the breeze. Her shoulders tightened instinctively.

“There are those foolish enough to think that killing you now would erase your future,” Deculein said, placing the fish skewer over the bonfire.

Sizzle… Sizzle…

As the fish sizzled over the flames, Deculein’s mana surged, filling the air with tension. Sensing the impending danger, Epherene began preparing her own spell in response.

“So, what you’re trying to say, Professor, is…”

“They believe that ending your life here will erase your future—a foolish notion, given the importance of who you become,” Deculein remarked.

Upon hearing Deculein’s words, Epherene gave a solemn nod.

At that exact moment, the silence fractured. The assassins advanced in perfect, chilling calm, their steps utterly soundless, stirring the air like a passing breeze. Epherene struggled to follow their swift, fluid movements. A metallic clash then sliced through the quiet, trailing a sharp current that tore through the still air.

“Ugh!”

Epherene quickly cast a barrier, though its strength against their assault remained uncertain…

But then…

Beside Deculein, pure white crystals blossomed. In a blinding flash, their brilliance filled the air, and the result was nothing short of breathtaking.

Crackle—!

Ice and fire sliced through the air like a thunderbolt, tearing the space apart. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of assassins crumbled, their bodies shattering like brittle wood. Yet not a drop of blood fell—it froze, suspended in the air. Deculein’s Snowflower Stone froze and scorched his enemies at once, erasing them from existence.

“… Huh?”

The battle was over in an instant. The field lay strewn with frozen shards of flesh, their remains swiftly devoured by the purging flames of the Snowflower Stone.

“Um…”

The Snowflower Stone blazed with a radiant light, flooding the area like a burst of lightning. In mere moments, the wave of enemies that had surged forward was reduced to nothing but ashes.

“… What just happened?”

Epherene was unable to comprehend what had just unfolded, her eyes blinking slowly as she tried to process the scene. Noticing her confusion, Deculein explained, “This is the Snowflower Stone.”

“… Sorry?”

“They’ll keep coming for you until you return, but you need not be afraid. My purpose here is to protect you.”

Epherene stood frozen, her mouth parted in stunned silence. The field lay beneath a heavy stillness, as if even the wind dared not stir.

Swooooosh—

A gust of wind swept across the mountains, rustling through the terrain. Amidst the lingering silence, Epherene noticed something off. Her five senses, sharpened in preparation for battle, detected something unusual. She narrowed her eyes at Deculein, her instinct echoed within her, sounding an alarm.

“Um…”

Deculein was unnaturally silent, void of the sounds that belonged to the living. His body lay in a stillness so profound it felt unnatural. Simply put—his heart was no longer beating.

“… Professor,” Epherene murmured, her voice trembling as she focused on his chest.

Sensing her attention, Deculein’s lips curved into a faint smile as he said, “Don’t be alarmed. My heart died long ago.”

Despite his reassurance not to be alarmed, Epherene couldn’t help but feel deeply alarmed.