Chapter 66

EP.66 Epilogue (2)

A wizard must be a calculating being, Raniel.

In fact, there's no other way.

A wizard handles mana.

They must make deals with the stars.

Therefore, they must always think.

How much must be sacrificed?

How much mana is consumed to activate this circuit?

They calculate, and calculate again.

Wizards are beings who construct equations dozens, hundreds of times a day. If they are not calculating, it is difficult to rise to the top.

Keep all conditions under control.

Move under thorough calculation.

That is the quality a good wizard should have.

In short, they must not be emotional. No matter who angers you, observe the situation objectively.

...What do you mean by that?

You should think about the loss you would incur if you were to bash his head in, not how satisfying it would be to do so.

Calm down.

Please, live calmly and calculatingly.

I beg you!

"..."

Recalling her master's words, Raniel took a slow, deep breath. She calmed her breathing and thought calmly, observing the situation objectively.

'What benefit do I gain by striking him?'

An immense sense of satisfaction.

A satisfaction that could wash away a hundred years of stress.

'What loss do I incur from it?'

The risk of exposing my true identity.

The hassle of dealing with the consequences of provoking the hero.

'...Huh?'

No matter how I look at it, the benefits seem greater?

'No, no. Calm down...’

Raniel summoned superhuman patience and spoke.

"Go fuck yourself, you bastard."

A coarse curse spewed from between her lips. She did not throw a punch. She did not use physical or magical violence.

'Instead, can't I at least curse?'

Showing a raised middle finger was an added bonus. With the middle finger raised, Raniel looked at the man in front of her. She recalled his name.

'Kail.'

Once a friend and a comrade, but now neither. As she looked at him, Raniel bit her lip tightly.

'You fucking prick.'

To be honest, Raniel thought she would be fine even if she met Kail.

It's a pain, but it's all in the past. No matter what, we won't be entangled again... Just going our separate ways would be enough, Raniel thought.

'I thought that...’

But actually facing him, she realized how big a misconception it was.

'Fucking hell.'

Unfortunately, that was the first thought that came to her mind upon seeing his face. The emotions she thought were settled boiled up the moment she saw his audacious face.

A log is thrown onto the embers.

The fire, thought to have died down, flares up again.

The burning flames are irritation and anger.

'If I could, I'd want to punch him first...’

But that would only make things more troublesome. Raniel took a slow, deep breath and closed her eyes. If she kept looking at that face, she might unconsciously throw a punch.

'...But, thinking about it, isn't something strange?'

Thinking calmly, something seemed off. Raniel narrowed her eyes in sudden suspicion.

'There's no way this guy couldn't recognize me?'

As far as Raniel remembered, Kail had eyes like Cardi's. Eyes that could see through one's soul... There was no reason he wouldn't recognize her.

'Cardi, that elf, recognized me.'

Raniel glared at Kail. She wondered if he was pretending not to recognize her, but quickly dismissed the thought.

'At least, he's not the type to play such a joke.'

He's the kind of person who doesn't even know what a joke is. As Raniel looked at him with a questioning gaze, Kail slowly spoke.

"That's quite a unique name."

"What?"

"I'm talking about the answer I got when I asked for your name. It doesn't seem to suit you very well."

Is this guy crazy? Seeing Kail's very serious face muttering those words, Raniel sighed.

'Just don't engage with him.'

It would be better if he didn't recognize her. Then she could just leave.

"So, what's your name?"

"I don't want to tell you."

"Alright, then I'll change the question."

"Who's going to answer you?"

Raniel decided to ignore whatever Kail said and moved to walk past him.

"Raniel."

However, Kail's next words stopped her in her tracks. Raniel slowly turned her head. She met Kail's eyes.

"What's your relationship with Raniel?"

A platinum light rose in Kail's black eyes. They resembled Cardi's yellow eyes. Having traveled with Kail, Raniel immediately recognized what the light meant.

'Eyes that read souls.'

Recognizing this, Raniel felt a sense of unease.

'...Even with those eyes, why is he asking?'

Did he not notice?

Why not?

"You don't seem like Raniel, but you give off a very similar vibe. I think you're somehow connected. What's your relationship with her?"

Raniel's next words confirmed her suspicion.

This guy really didn't recognize her.

"Or, are you Raniel's lover?"

"Are you crazy?"

"Daughter... That's impossible, age-wise."

Kail, who had been stroking his chin, asked.

"I find you very suspicious right now. Something feels off. You're here in the forest where that guy appeared."

He took a step closer.

"Why are you here? Why in a place that was overflowing with dark energy just a moment ago?"

"I just came to look for a student."

"So you're a professor at Aphria. Looking for a student in a forest full of dark energy? You're a role model for educators."

"Are you mocking me, you bastard?"

"I'm impressed."

Kail remained expressionless.

He pointed in a direction in the forest.

"If you're looking for a student, I checked on the way here. They're over there. Since I gave you one piece of information, can I ask one question?"

"Who asked you to tell me anything?"

"Have you seen the gray wizard, Raniel, in this forest?"

"No, I haven't."

"Is that so."

He nodded readily.

It seemed he had no more questions. Raniel looked at Kail for a moment before turning away. Kail also turned and started walking.

The distance between them grew.

From the clearing, Kail headed deeper into the forest, while Raniel headed towards the forest's edge.

"Hmm."

When they were sufficiently far apart.

"I'm disappointed."

Kail muttered suddenly.

His voice was as if he wanted someone to hear it.

"Should I have come a bit earlier?"

Raniel continued walking, ignoring his words.

"You don't seem to be in good shape, pushing yourself despite not being fully recovered. Coming to such a place even after retiring...’"

Raniel's steps faltered for a moment.

However, she didn't stop. Though her pace slowed, she continued walking.

"If I had known this would happen."

Tsk.

"I might as well have."

Raniel finally stopped.

"Brought you along."

She turned around.

Her gaze met Kail's.

"It might have been better."

Kail also turned around after finishing his sentence.

Their gazes met across the clearing.

The setting sun was behind Kail.

Under the sunset, Kail's shadow stretched long, reaching Raniel's feet.

"You."

Raniel spoke.

"What did you say?"

In response to her question, Kail answered.

"Just talking to myself. Did it bother you?"

His voice remained unchanged.

His eyes, too, remained unchanged.

"Haha."

Looking at his audacious face, Raniel bowed her head. She chuckled with her head down.

"Ha..."

Her laughter grew thin. When she lifted her head again, all traces of it were gone.

Crack.

Sparks flew from her body.

2.

Once the situation was resolved, at the edge of the Aphria Forest.

Kalt met Raniel at the spot where he had left the knights.

"Huh?"

Seeing Raniel walking towards him, Kalt tilted his head. She looked unusually exhausted.

"What? Are you hurt?"

"I'm not hurt."

"But you don't look well. Are you hurt somewhere? The fight must have been intense."

"No, I'm not hurt, you bastard."

"Why are you cursing?"

"Do you think I'd get hurt by that skull? I'm not hurt. I didn't even get hit once. I beat him up one-sidedly."

"Ah, I see...’"

Seeing Raniel grinding her teeth, Kalt swallowed hard. He trailed off as he swallowed.

'If I say more...’

I'll get hit.

Kalt instinctively knew.

It was time to back off. If he asked more, he would definitely get hit.

But.

'I'm curious.'

Curiosity got the better of him. Kalt cautiously continued his question.

"Why do you look so exhausted?"

"I'm mentally, mentally exhausted."

"What happened?"

Crack, crack.

Raniel cracked her fingers and looked at Kalt.

"If you think about it, it's partly your fault."

"What?"

"But, it's fine...’"

Muttering this, Raniel twisted her lips into a smile. A smile mixed with irritation and amusement.

"It feels a bit better."

"What?"

"It's not like I didn't feel like beating him up... But I did beat him up until he bled."

"Are you talking about Skeval?"

"Hey."

Raniel chuckled.

"Does a skeleton bleed?"

Kalt's face turned pale.

3.

"Hey, Kail? What are you doing here?"

"Why are you standing there? Is the incident over?"

Once the situation was resolved, Sarah and Remia headed to the Harmain Forest to assist Kail. Of course, in most incidents, their support was useless.

Unless it was in the Demon Realm, in the Human Realm.

Especially in the heart of the Royal Road, there was no need for Sarah and Remia to assist.

Kail would swing his sword once.

Run around a few times, and the incident would be resolved.

But not this time.

The black barrier and the altar, they knew what it meant.

-Listen carefully. Remember this.

-The appearance of that barrier means the altar is about to activate... which means that coward has appeared.

They had heard this from the wizard in their party, drilled into their ears.

-The ancient lich, Skeval.

That disaster of a wizard appeared in the heart of the Royal Road. This was impossible for Kail alone.

Especially now, without the gray wizard.

That's why Sarah and Remia rushed into the forest... and soon found Kail.

"I was just thinking for a moment."

Kail stood with the sunset at his back.

Sarah and Remia approached him, puzzled. He didn't seem injured. His clothes were clean.

'...He doesn't seem to have fought?'

Sarah thought.

Kail and the ancient lich Skeval were not compatible. While he could handle him, he would at least sustain minor injuries.

"..."

Remia felt the same confusion.

'More importantly, this couldn't have ended so quickly and quietly...’

Remia checked the forest's surroundings. The life force in the forest was slightly disturbed, but the scale was minimal. If Kail and Skeval had clashed, the situation wouldn't have ended quietly.

They looked at Kail, puzzled.

"Is the situation over? What about Skeval, that skeleton?"

"I dealt with it."

"Already? Goodness, Kail...’"

Kail interrupted Sarah and added.

"Not me, but him."

Sarah and Remia stiffened.

It was clear who 'him' referred to.

'Raniel.'

The wizard who had left their party not long ago.

Did that wizard enter the forest and take down Skeval?

"Did you meet him?"

"I haven't met him yet. It seems he has already left the forest."

"Well, then it's fine, right? It's even better. We don't have to exert ourselves. I don't even have to use my Moonlight Arrow."

Remia shrugged.

Though she didn't show it, relief was evident in her fingers, which were fiddling with the bowstring.

It couldn't be helped.

Battling Skeval was something they wanted to avoid as much as possible. No, battling Skeval was fine.

At least, he was worth fighting.

They knew how to counter him, so it was fine.

The reason Skeval was troublesome was because of his meticulously planned schemes. In a situation where his plans were exposed, Skeval wasn't much of a problem.

Sarah and Remia just didn't want to face disasters.

The Heretic, Gletus.

The Death Blade, Ganikart.

The fear they felt when facing these disasters still lingered deep within them. The fear triggered by facing the Demon King made them averse to the word 'disaster.'

"So, it's all over? Shall we go, Kail?"

"Yes, let's go back, Kail. Since we're in the Royal Road...’"

Sarah and Remia urged him to leave the forest.

Ignoring their urging, Kail only stared at his palm.

"What? Is Kail hurt?"

Sarah blinked, noticing this late. Kail's palm, the skin was peeling off.

"How did that happen?"

"I'm not sure...’"

At her question, Kail suddenly chuckled.

"I met a rather unique wizard."

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing. I plan to search the rest of the forest and then return. What about you two?"

Sarah and Remia looked at each other and nodded. When Kail spoke like this, he usually wouldn't answer further questions.

Remia, reading Kail's expression, replied.

"I'll go back with Sarah. We need to check on the students."

"Alright, return quickly."

Remia and Sarah moved away.

Kail stood in place for a while before heading deeper into the forest.

His palm throbbed.

The skin peeling off, Kail lightly tapped the back of his head a few times with his palm.

Drip.

Blood trickled from his nose. Feeling a slight dizziness, Kail enveloped his body in starlight. The injury healed instantly.

'...I was prepared to take a hit, but...’

She clearly blocked it with her palm.

However, the shock that followed shook her palm and even his head. Even without enveloping his body in starlight... the skin peeled off.

The shock that followed the girl's punch was magical. Though Kail was ignorant of magic, he recognized the spell.

He had seen it countless times over the past five years.

'Smite, or Crush.'

It was a spell of the striking type.

A powerful spell that could shake one's skull even when blocked with a palm. It was a spell the guy often used.

At this point, it was absurd.

The distinctive appearance, the tone of voice, the sharp aura, and the spell system were all the same.

'The only difference is the gender.'

Gender, or rather, the body.

Apart from the change in appearance, the girl was shockingly similar to the guy. Honestly, Kail thought the girl was Raniel.

'Did he disguise his body and soul?'

There was no other explanation