A Villain's Will to Survive

Chapter 144: Words in a Letter (2)

Chapter 144: Words in a Letter (2)

"Decalane and Kagan Luna," Sylvia said.

... Sylvia's words stirred up a torrent of memories, flowing through my mind like scenes from an old film. They were fragments of the past I had never known, and could never have imagined.

"My son, she was never meant to be your partner."

Decalane's voice sent a shiver through me, the emotions rippling outward like waves on a calm lake, tightening in my chest. It was the same surge that had once driven Deculein to fury.

But I knew it would pass, like every other storm before it. No matter how powerful, the past had no hold over who I had become. As both Deculein and Kim Woo-Jin, I was made to withstand such trials.

Sylvia went on, "But you thought it was Iliade’s doing. That’s why you sent the Letter of Fortune to my mother."

Deculein had sent the letter back to Iliade, hoping it would somehow save his fiancée, but it was hopeless. Cielia was already fading away, her strength slipping from her grasp as the sickness in her blood took its toll.

I admitted, "Indeed, I did."

Sylvia asked, “So why didn’t you ever mention it to Epherene?”

Kagan Luna, Deculein's former assistant and Epherene's father, came to mind as memories of our time together resurfaced, one by one. It felt like another step in my gradual merging with Deculein.

"Decalane judged her unworthy as my partner and instructed Kagan to deliver the letter," I stated.

I would accept these memories as Kim Woo-Jin, not as Deculein. The past grudges were buried, and I had no desire to bring them back to life.

"But I cannot speak to whether Kagan was aware of the letter's true purpose."

Sylvia's words faded away, and a heavy silence settled between us.

"Sylvia, you have certainly made a great effort, each step taken according to your own judgment."

Sylvia’s small hands tightened into fists, and I noticed the tension in them before shifting my focus back to her face. There was still a truth she hadn’t uncovered, one I had no intention of revealing.

"Everything you’ve said is accurate."

"Hmph," Sylvia scoffed, her face showing no hint of emotion.

I tucked the Blue Eyes securely inside my robe and took hold of the cane resting beside the bed. For now, it would be enough for now.

"Rest now," I said, rising to my feet. There was nothing more to add. She had uncovered the truth about her mother on her own, and that acknowledgment was rightfully hers.

However...

"Don't go."

Sylvia's voice, hollow and monotone, still managed to seize my attention. It was parched with desperation, yet painfully sincere. I turned back to face her.

"I’m not done yet," Sylvia said, her eyes glistening as they locked onto mine, the gold in them shimmering. "There are still more things you need to tell me."

Each word trembled faintly, thin and unsteady, escaping as a brittle whisper that seemed ready to break.

"There are still more things I need to hear from you," Sylvia said, her voice trembling as she gripped the bedsheet, tears spilling down her cheeks as her emotions broke free.

I stood there, quietly taking in the sight of her.

"... Say it."

The child trembled, like a little bird caught in the rain, her ragged breaths merging with the sound of quiet sobs.

"Say something."

Sylvia spat out the words, her bitterness cutting deep, as if it pierced her own heart. She was a child who had lost her mother because of Deculein, and the depth of her hatred was unfathomable as she faced her enemy.

"I have said all that needs to be said," I stated.

Sylvia's breath hitched, and a coldness swept through her, extinguishing the flames of her anger in an instant. The silence pressed in, heavy and stifling.

"Yukline offers no excuses; only the truth remains. I... am the one who took your mother's life."

Sylvia let go of the bedsheet, her eyes empty as she muttered, “I’ll kill you.”

Sylvia’s reaction was only fitting for the circumstances.

I nodded solemnly and said, "Give it your best effort. You deserve to."

A strained breath shuddered from her lips

Crackle, crackle—

The fire still burned in the hearth, and with a steady voice, I said, "I will make every effort not to die so easily, Sylvia. For your sake, so that you may continue to live."

"... What do you mean—"

With her behind me, I pulled open the cabin door.

Whooosh—!

As I opened the door, a rush of howling wind swept in, and the world outside lay buried beneath a blizzard of snow. But nothing remained to hold me back...

***

Whoooooosh...

A relentless blizzard swept across the land as Epherene trudged through the deep snow. The small hut she had painstakingly built lay buried and shattered under the heavy drifts.

"... Lucky I learned this," Epherene muttered, thankful for the spell she had picked up in Deculein’s classes.

Using Magnetic Field, a spell she had learned with Deculein is another manipulation category course, she blocked the driving snow, while Telekinesis cleared a path beneath her feet.

Crunch, crunch— Crunch, crunch—

Epherene kept trudging forward until a cabin came into view, appearing like a ghostly shape amid the blizzard. She paused, caught between caution and curiosity, but an unexplainable pull urged her closer. As she neared, a wave of warmth washed over her, radiating from the cabin.

“What is this...?” Epherene murmured.

As she moved closer, she pressed her face to the window and peered inside. The scene startled her—a roaring fireplace illuminated the room, casting flickering light over Deculein, who sat beside a bed where Sylvia lay resting. Their faint voices seeped through the narrow gap in the window and Sylvia spoke first.

“I know everything.”

“... Of?” Deculein asked.

"The fact that you killed my mother."

It was a conversation Epherene was never meant to hear. She tried to back away, but her body wouldn’t budge, as if she were trapped in a web of magic.

"It was the Letter of Fortune," Sylvia continued. "As the letter spread across the continent, both Yukline and Carla sprang into action."

Epherene was familiar with the legend of the Letter of Fortune, but she couldn’t understand its sudden relevance to their conversation.

"And one of the victims happened to be—"

“My fiancée."

Epherene's eyes widened with alarm. She tried to move, but her body wouldn’t respond, as though she had been completely immobilized. It wasn’t just a metaphor—she really couldn’t move.

"Someone delivered a Letter of Fortune to my woman, and in the end, she was gone, her life slipping away like sand through my fingers, leaving nothing but a hollow sense of loss."

"... I know what happened that day," Sylvia said. "And who was behind it, and who sent the letter to your fiancée."

The conversation on the other side of the window continued, compelling Epherene to hear fragments of Deculein and Sylvia's past. An unseen force seemed to root her legs to the spot.

"Why can’t I...?’ Epherene murmured in confusion, struggling to break free.

"Decalane and Kagan Luna," Sylvia said.

A familiar name rang in her ears. Epherene's body froze, her pupils expanding. Instinctively, she turned her attention to Deculein.

"Indeed, I did," Deculein said.

Kagan Luna, that her father was the one who delivered the letter to Deculein's fiancée.

“So why didn’t you ever mention it to Epherene?”

Epherene's mind went blank, and a flush of heat crept up her spine. Her mouth remained open in shock as fragments of their conversation spun through her thoughts—Kagan Luna... the Letter of Fortune... his fiancée...

"... Decalane judged her unworthy as my partner and instructed Kagan to deliver the letter. But I cannot speak to whether Kagan was aware of the letter's true purpose."

The invisible force that had kept Epherene trapped suddenly let go. She stumbled backward and collapsed into the snow.

"What was that..." Epherene murmured, her voice trailing off in confusion.

Footsteps drew nearer, the crunch of snow growing louder as a shadow loomed over her. Epherene glanced up, startled.

“Did you see everything?” Sylvia asked.

"You... But how is this possible?" Epherene asked, struggling to make sense of it. Sylvia had been inside the cabin just moments ago.

"Foolish Epherene," Sylvia murmured, as she waved a hand toward the cabin. The scene behind her shimmered and then vanished, like mist swept away by the wind. It had all been Sylvia's magic.

Sylvia said to the dazed Epherene, "It happened an hour ago. There wasn’t the slightest hint of illusion; everything you saw was real."

Epherene was struck into silence.

“Stand up, you fool.”

In response to Sylvia's words, Epherene struggled to her feet, her legs unsteady. The slick surface made it difficult to keep her balance.

"...Why?" Epherene asked, her voice hollow with confusion.

Sylvia glanced at her and noticed the tears welling up in Epherene's eyes, her entire body trembling like a leaf caught in the wind.

“Are you asking why I showed you this?” Sylvia responded.

Epherene gave a hesitant nod and stammered, "O-of course."

A large snowflake drifted onto Epherene's face, and Sylvia looked up at the sky. The world seemed to blur, though she couldn’t tell if it was from the falling snow or something else. Whether it was the cold or her own tears, she wasn’t sure, but she turned her attention back to Epherene.

"I guess I'm feeling a bit jealous of you."

"... What?”

Epherene took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. As a mage, she needed to remain composed, think clearly, and banish any trace of confusion. Impulsive actions were unacceptable; a true mage stayed steady, no matter the circumstances...

“Sylvia, do you really have feelings for Professor—”

"Yes," Sylvia interrupted Epherene, then confessed even more directly, "I love him."

Epherene struggled to maintain her composure. She had just overheard Deculein and Sylvia's conversation—Deculein had confessed to killing Sylvia's mother...

"What... he... your..." Epherene stammered, unable to get the words out.

The fierce blizzard died down all at once. The sky opened up, and a profound stillness blanketed the landscape.

Then, in a quiet voice, Sylvia added, "And I hate him. More than anyone else in the world."

Epherene locked eyes with Sylvia, sensing the depths of emotion within—a powerful blend of love and hatred that she couldn’t fully comprehend.

"The only person who has ever held, and ever will hold, my emotions is that professor."

For the first time, Sylvia's usually flat voice quivered—no, she had been holding back tears all along.

“I am going to kill that professor,” Sylvia said.

Epherene, who had been sitting in the snow all this time, finally stood and shook her head. She couldn’t let that happen. She wouldn’t allow Deculein to die, nor could she let Sylvia become a murderer.

“Alright,” Sylvia responded, nodding as if in understanding.

In that moment, Epherene began to sense her intent—vaguely, yet unmistakably.

"Maybe a part of me wants you to stop me."

As the snow clouds broke apart, pale sunlight filtered through, spreading across the sky in scattered fragments, like shards of broken glass.

Whooooosh...

A sudden breeze swept through, ruffling Epherene's hair. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, then reopened them, quietly surveying her surroundings.

“Sylvia?”

There was no response. Epherene glanced around, but she had disappeared, fading like a mirage, as if she had never been there at all.

“... Oh, come on.”

And then, the weight of the encounter finally settled over her.

Plop—

"What am I supposed to do now... after all of this?" Epherene muttered, sinking down onto the ground.

***

"Man, that blizzard really came out of nowhere."

“Wait, was that part of the event too?”

"As expected of Yukline. How did they even make a snowstorm over a lake?"

Epherene finally reached the training program hall. Around two hundred mages milled about, chatting as they dried their snow-soaked robes. But her thoughts were still caught up in the conversation she had overheard earlier.

"Decalane judged her unworthy as my partner and instructed Kagan to deliver the letter. But I cannot speak to whether Kagan was aware of the letter's true purpose."

It could have been a mistake or a misjudgment on her father’s part. But Epherene, ever the mage, focused more on the reasons behind it than on guilt or fault. Deculein had every reason to hate her father—whether it had been a mistake or not...

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you all appreciated the blizzard! Ah, I’ll keep it casual from here on, okay?" Yeriel said.

Yeriel’s entrance onto the stage cut through Epherene’s swirling thoughts. Acting as if the blizzard had been planned by Yukline, Yeriel said, "Now, let's officially begin the Yukline magic training program. First, let me introduce your mentors! Here we go~"

As the curtain pulled back, the mentors for the program were revealed. Epherene's attention immediately fixed on them—Rogerio, Gindalf, Louina, Ihelm, and... Deculein.

... Deculein.

"It looks like we have participants from all eight categories. Each of you will choose a mentor from one of these categories and spend your training program learning under them," Yeriel continued.

There were eight mentors, each representing one of the main categories. Though Epherene was a rare mage majoring in all four categories of Destruction, Support, Manipulation, and Ductility, there was no doubt which mentor she would choose.

"Alright, everyone—it's time to choose!"

***

... Two hundred mages were split into eight categories, but in my Manipulation category, there were only four who remained. There should have been twenty, but most of them must have fled to other groups. Which annoyed me, but at least the ones who stayed were the best of the group.

"You’ve chosen Manipulation, I see," I said.

“... Yes, Professor.”

First was Epherene, my protégé.

“Haha. Naturally, I chose you—no, that’s not appropriate. You’re the one in charge now. Ahem. I, Lumiere Kreto, have long admired Professor Deculein’s work.”

Next was Kreto, the Grand Prince of the Imperial Palace and younger brother of Emperor Sophien.

“Me as well, me as well~ I’ve been looking forward to this day~ The day I would have the honor of meeting you again, Professor~”

Next was Maho from the Principality of Yuren, someone I hadn’t crossed paths with in quite some time.

And finally...

“... Tsk.”

Last was Reylie from the Red Garnet Adventure Team, Yulie’s cousin, who had been glaring at me with clear resentment since the beginning. The reason was obvious—she was Yulie’s cousin, after all.

"... You there."

I knew why, of course, but her attitude still got under my skin.

Huff, huff— Huff, huff—

Reylie snorted like a steam engine, and I said, "Watch your attitude. You’re only here because you were invited."

“... Yeah, yeah~ Whatever you say~” Reylie muttered, her posture slouching in reluctant submission.

I clicked my tongue and gestured to the four of them, saying, “Follow me. The first schedule in my training program is simple—training.”

"Training right from the start~? We're starting training already~?" Maho asked.

"... Indeed."

As Maho mentioned, I led them to the Magical Gravity Field, a training ground where gravity was more than ten times stronger than usual. It was an extreme training tool, created by utilizing the natural mana of the Lake Island.

“Reylie, you will go first,” I commanded, singling her out.

Reylie frowned and grumbled, "Me? Why do I have to go first?"

It wasn’t because she was the most unruly—though that was true—but because her magical aptitude, as perceived through my Sharp Eyesight, was unparalleled...

"Don’t question it—just go."

“Yeah, yeah~” Reylie muttered.

“Enough with the whining,” I muttered through clenched teeth. “... Now, let’s begin the first session of the training program.”