A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 286: Theory of Relativity (5)

— The Mage Tower exists to protect the freedom of magic! Therefore, I suggest a two-year suspension for Assistant Professor Epherene with eligibility for review every quarter, and honestly, if we’re judging responsibility, shouldn’t the supervising professor also be questioned for negligence as well?!

Adrienne didn’t hesitate to lay the blame where it belonged—on Deculein, citing his negligence as supervising professor.

— You all agree, right?!

Adrienne turned to the professors and the board, but not a single answer came as they only lowered their eyes and the room fell into a heavy silence.

— Hmph! Nobody is trying to listen to me anymore just because I will no longer be Chairwoman in no time?! Is everyone scared of Deculein or something?! Anyway, Assistant Professor Epherene!

The Chairwoman called Epherene’s name with a pout, and from the depths below, Epherene looked up, her eyes locking on the distant silhouette above.

“… Yes.”

— I, Chairwoman Adrienne—yes, still Chairwoman—say that Assistant Professor Epherene should receive a two-year suspension!

Adrienne’s voice filled the room, and what she proposed wasn’t expulsion but something far more merciful for Epherene.

— Let’s proceed with a vote.

However, Deculein stood his ground, his voice growing firmer as he continued, each syllable deliberate and unshaken.

— As for the punishment, my advice remains unchanged—expulsion.

— Oh, wow!

Adrienne’s hand met her knee with a clap while Epherene, watching Deculein, bit her lip, unable to suppress the sting of disappointment.

They say that in the Magical Realm, it’s more common for mentors and protégés to skip each other’s funerals than to share any real bond. I wonder if this is how that begins, Epherene thought.

— Alright then! There’s no helping it now, Assistant Professor Epherene! If you’ve got anything left to say, say it now! Maybe you can change Professor Deculein’s mind!

Adrienne said.

— You never know! If you bend just a little, maybe Professor Deculein will reduce it to a one-year suspension!

Adrienne tried to persuade Epherene to reconsider her stance, and sitting in a cramped chair under the weight of their elevated stares, Epherene’s fingers tightened around her robe as she thought about what she had done wrong.

“… Oh.”

At that moment, a sudden realization struck Epherene—a single thought illuminating the fog of her mind.

Gulp—

Epherene swallowed the tightness in her throat and raised her head, her eyes tracing the stark silhouette of Deculein above her.

If I’m going to continue this research, truly integrate magic and science, and claim an achievement of my own as a grown-up mage, then wouldn’t I have to leave Deculein? I mean—don’t I have to eventually, and isn’t that the only choice? Epherene thought.

— Assistant Professor Epherene?! Won’t you say something?! Isn’t there even the slightest part of you willing to bend just a little?!

If I’m the only one they hate, then I’ll deal with it, as Yukline has a reputation to protect, a bloodline that might as well be part of the Empire’s own history, and Deculein is a noble, the Empress’s Elite Guard Lead, and the Head Professor destined to become the next Chairman of the Mage Tower who is too high up and has too much to lose to stand beside someone like me.

Just like Adrienne said—if this is seen as negligence on his part as the supervising professor, then if I don’t give in, if I don’t bend, it might drag Deculein’s reputation through the mud or, worse, cause real trouble. Is that why he wants me expelled? Maybe not. Maybe that’s not what he really means… I really don’t want to think that way.

“… No,” Epherene replied.

At that moment, a breath of disdain and contempt came from high above.

“I have no intention of bending.”

However, Epherene didn’t so much as flinch at their response, as if it were just another sound in a room full of noise.

Let’s just think that there’s only one person standing with me in this room—Deculein and no one else.

“In Deculein and Luna’s thesis, I saw the potential of science—not merely as a tool of magic, but as a companion that could grow and evolve alongside it,” Epherene continued.

Maybe all this time, without realizing it, I had been leaning on Deculein more than I should have.

“Even if my idea was too radical and far from Professor Deculein’s views.”

No, maybe I wasn’t just leaning on him but depending on him without realizing it.

“I honestly believed that the Professor would recognize its value.”

Because I thought Deculein would always clean up after me no matter what, I nearly caused a volcanic eruption in Yuren.

“Professor Deculein, my father died because of you. Even well into his thirties, he was never able to cross the threshold into assistant professorship—”

— Watch it!

“My father was overtaken by his juniors—students far younger than him. Humiliated and crushed by shame, he eventually took his own life. And did you really think adding his name to a thesis would make everything right?” Epherene continued, undeterred by Relin’s interruption.

Of course, I know the truth behind what really happened—every detail hidden deep beneath the surface.

“But weren’t those past theses of yours written with my father, Professor? Then why is his name nowhere to be found? Because you removed it, didn’t you?”

— Assistant Professor Epherene! That has nothing to do with the matter at hand! Head Professor, there’s no need to waste another moment, as she has repaid every favor with thanklessness!

But I’ll pretend that I don’t.

“And now, after all that, it seems you would see me expelled as well.”

Because I am the arrogant Epherene.

Deculein said nothing, his expression hidden from view so Epherene had no way of knowing whether his silence brimmed with anger, sorrow, or just nothing at all.

However, Epherene could tell that the professors and board members weren’t acting on their own but were merely watching Deculein, waiting for him to move before they dared to speak.

No matter what I say, Deculein probably finds me disgusting right now, staring at me like I’m something foul he stepped in, Epherene thought.

— Alright, let’s conclude the discussion and move to a vote.

Bang, bang, bang—

At that moment, Adrienne banged her palm against the desk.

— Today’s gathering of the Personnel Committee will mark the final decision of my term. Soon, I will take my leave—not only from the Mage Tower, but from this Mortal Realm altogether.

However, Adrienne’s voice suddenly changed from the joy that had danced there just moments earlier to one that carried emotional weight and was unexpectedly serious.

— Of course, the situation has been entertaining—but as Chairwoman, I believe it’s time to bring it to a close.

It was the first time anyone had heard Adrienne speak with such weight of adulthood, and known for her unconventional behavior, the sudden maturity in her voice left the professors speechless so that not one of them dared to speak.

However, in the end, it was Deculein who broke the silence—just as everyone knew he would.

— I will take my leave.

Deculein’s voice was the same as ever, but Epherene felt a deep ache bloom in her chest all the same.

He must be disappointed in me, and of course, what else would he feel? Epherene thought.

— Professor, please vote before you leave.

Adrienne looked to Deculein and asked for his vote, and he replied with his answer.

— The part about being expelled hasn’t changed.

Epherene lowered her head, her tightly bitten lip trembling.

— Understood. Then let us continue—Professor Relin, you may start us off.

Thud—

With the sound of the door echoed behind him and Deculein’s presence faded from the room, the Personnel Committee’s vote on punishment began to move forward…

***

… That had been a week ago, and though the vote had been decided then and there during the Personnel Committee, it was today that the result would finally be announced to the Mage Tower.

Final Decision of the Personnel Committee

Suspension : Epherene

For submitting a disrespectful and incomplete thesis to the Academia without undergoing review by any member of the professorial faculty, thereby damaging the dignity of the Mage Tower…

“Sigh…”

As Adrienne had suggested, the Personnel Committee’s decision—a two-year suspension with quarterly evaluations—was displayed on the Mage Tower’s bulletin board.

Epherene, however, felt neither disappointment nor sadness because she had reluctantly acknowledged that the Mage Tower would never permit the research she planned to conduct.

“Oh, you mean the one who got suspended?”

“Yeah, she had that air about her—from the very beginning.”

“But is that really true? That her dad died because of Deculein?”

“Yeah, apparently it’s true. They say she brought up a suicide case in the middle of the Personnel Committee—one they tried to cover up years ago.”

“Wow, does that mean she stayed close to Deculein all this time just to get revenge on him? That’s crazy.”

With the eyes of the entire Mage Tower on her, Epherene stepped into the elevator.

Even in an elevator full of mages, I could feel their eyes on me, impossible to ignore. But what could I do? Epherene thought.

Ding—

As the doors opened on the 77th floor, Epherene stepped out and walked down the corridor, her eyes scanning around her.

Professor Deculein probably isn’t here. I came only to wrap things up on my own.

Knock, knock—

Epherene knocked on the office door, and when no reply came, she opened it and walked in.

“Phew.”

The office was empty, and Epherene let out a breath of relief as Deculein’s chair—where he always sat—was vacant and the desk where she had once worked as his assistant was gone.

“… I am sorry, Professor,” Epherene muttered.

Epherene scanned the room, and a dull ache stirred in her chest because, for no reason, the emptiness hit harder than she expected, leaving her unexpectedly hollow inside.

Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. My dad, who took his own life after suffering under Deculein, was also the one who handed the Letter of Fortune to Deculein’s fiancée. Even knowing how twisted that tragedy was, I still brought it up…

“Please, hate me,” Epherene muttered under her breath, barely audible, as she placed the mana stone, her thesis, and a single gift—a book—on Deculein’s desk.

Epherene had placed a mana stone infused with her own mana on Deculein’s desk that served as concrete proof that Deculein and Luna’s thesis had not only been theoretically sound but could, in fact, be brought to life.

This should be enough for the Professor to ascend to Elder, right?

“But maybe now it seems I’m finally growing into what it means to be a true mage.”

I could bend and stay with Deculein, and maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. But I want to follow my own research. For the first time, it feels like I’ve finally found what every mage calls their lifelong aspiration. I can’t throw away this theory—this thing that might become my own magic. I don’t want to waste even a second. Maybe this is what it means to become a true mage.

“It seemed the time had come to step out from your shadow, Professor.”

My moment is here too—to stand on my own as a mage and, maybe, take my first step into adulthood, Epherene thought.

“… Then I’ll take my leave.”

Epherene left behind a smile as she stepped out of the office and walked the familiar corridor of the 77th floor, passing the laboratories, the experimental rooms, the assistant’s research lab, and the conference rooms—spaces she had grown attached to.

“… Oh.”

Then a sudden wave of dismay washed over Epherene.

“But where am I supposed to do my research now?”

I don’t have a laboratory—or even a place to sleep, as I used to stay in the dormitories and sometimes at the Yukline mansion.

“Stock…”

Of course, if I sold all the stocks I own, I could probably buy a house in the Capital, but the cost of mana stones, grimoires, and experimental equipment is astronomical, and no amount of stocks could cover that. For a laboratory worthy of my research, I’d need at least five million elne…

“… I actually do have sponsorship from the past.”

There’s always been that anonymous sponsorship from Deculein dating back a long time, but I could never bring myself to spend it all.

“How am I supposed to use all that money after saying what I did to the Professor?” Epherene said.

“What did you say to the Professor?”

“I told him the truth, but the rumors have already reached the Mage Tower, and I just didn’t want to make our personal matters public…?” Epherene muttered.

What the.

Epherene stopped halfway through her sentence and blinked.

Who was I even answering just now? Epherene thought.

“Hehe, it’s been a long time~”

A voice laced with laughter came from behind her, sending a chill up her spine as she spun around toward the sound.

“… A-A-Assistant Professor Allen?!”

Assistant Professor Allen—the mischievous man who disappeared from Rekordak, faking his death—was standing there, watching Epherene with the same look as before, and for a moment, she wondered if he was a ghost, if this was just another dream, or if she was time traveling again.

“It’s good to see you~ I’ve missed you more than I can say, but I had work to do.”

“… Work?” Epherene asked, a dazed look in her eyes.

“Yes,” Allen replied with a bright smile, taking Epherene’s wrist. “Would you like to go with me?”

“… Go with you?”

“Yes, you mentioned you had nowhere to do your research, right?”

“Wait… where exactly are we going?”

“You’ll see when we get there,” Allen replied with a bright smile, stepping ahead.

~

At that moment, the world turned upside down as the corridor on the 77th floor twisted out of place and a completely different landscape appeared around her.

“… What?! What the—?! W-What is going on?!” Epherene said, whipping her head around. “Where are we?!”

It was completely dark, and whether it was a cave or the depths of some underground, Epherene couldn’t tell, with the only source of light coming from a single glowing tree standing in the center.

“Good, it looks like you brought her in good time.”

Under the tree’s light, a robed mage sat at a small tea table, watching her, and Epherene narrowed her eyes as she tried to make out the mage’s face.

“… Mage Idnik?!” Epherene said, her eyes widening in sudden recognition.

“It has been some time, hasn’t it?” Idnik replied, waving her hand in greeting.

“W-What is this place…?”

“This place? We call it the Sanctuary,” Idnik replied, taking a sip of her black tea. “Its proper name is the Ages. It was built underground, beneath the Land of Destruction. Think of it as a community of sorts—one meant to stand against God.”

“… Wait, this is the Land of Destruction…?”

“Yes—this is the Northern Region. It is an ideal place for magical research,” Idnik replied with a chuckle and gestured behind Epherene. “And there is one more person there.”

Epherene turned around and, sure enough, someone stood behind her wearing a robe like Idnik’s but with a sword strapped at her hip, and from beneath the hood, hair white as winter poured like silk, framing the face of a knight.

“It is nice to see you, Miss Epherene.”

It was Yulie von Deya-Freyden

***

“That thankless brat has finally been tossed out,” said Relin, following me through the corridors of the Mage Tower. “It’s like a thorn has been plucked from the flesh. Oh—but you needn’t spare it a thought, not for a moment.”

Relin stepped into the elevator with me and talked the entire way up without a moment of silence.

“That girl won’t make it past the next eligibility—or the one after that. Give her two years, and she’ll burn herself out and disappear into some backwater town with nothing left to fight for.”

Ding—

By the time the elevator dinged, we had arrived—77th floor.

“You may take your leave,” I said.

“… Oh, yes, Professor!” Relin replied, snapping to a soldier’s salute.

I stepped out, leaving Relin behind, and opened the door to my office, where with just one person missing the space felt completely empty, although someone was still in the laboratory—Drent, who’d somehow become my only assistant professor left to me.

Anyway…

“… She has learned something rather strange.”

I shook my head, remembering Epherene that day at the Personnel Committee, and I won’t deny it—some of what she said got under my skin, especially when she brought up bloodline, which hit something primal and instinctive in me.

But I’ll give her this—she spoke like our relationship no longer mattered and the bond between professor and protégé had already been broken, and unexpectedly, she was smarter than I ever expected from Epherene.

Perhaps keeping our distance is the only way to keep her safe, I thought.

“Hmm?”

Something caught my eye in my office when I noticed a few things left on my desk—a mana stone, a thesis, and a book, all covered with notes as if Epherene had dropped them off without a word, so I started reading the notes.

This is the substantiated mana stone from Deculein and Luna’s thesis. I used my own mana. It will definitely manifest.

I was going to present it myself, but everything about this place was too dirty to be a part of. So, I’m just leaving it here. Not that I would’ve been allowed to present it anyway—you would have shut me down, like always.

Go ahead and present it and become an Elder, or whatever, but don’t put my name on it. I don’t want to be involved.

And if that arrogant magic concept of yours still holds, go ahead and read the book I left. Science is just as powerful as magic and stands alongside it.

Let’s not see each other again.

Epherene never did know how to push people away properly and was terrible at it, having even left a book behind—Theory of Relativity Volume One—with her handwriting telling me to give it a read, so I chuckled to myself and settled into my chair, the weight of her parting gifts beside me.

“Hmm.”

I let out a breath and looked around the office, which was completely calm and silent with everything in place, and just like that, I was alone again.

“Good,” I muttered, nodding with satisfaction as I reviewed Epherene’s substantiated thesis.

I started reading Epherene’s thesis from the very first page, line by line, and before long, my brow furrowed.

“There are too many typos.”

It looked like Epherene had scribbled it together in a rush before leaving, the pages full of typos and errors, so I raised a pen with Telekinesis and started my review, making edits as I went.