082

The window, untouched, opened on its own.

A gust of outside air rushed in.

Damp and humid.

It was the air of a full-fledged summer.

Rozalin, who had been on watch, shot up from her seat.

“Huh?”

It was an aura that shouldn't be felt here, or rather, an aura that must not be felt here.

It was the aura of one who had fiercely fought alongside her not too long ago.

“Ulf?”

As she called the name, as if in waiting, Ulf rose up above the window.

It was like watching a fast-forwarded growth of a weed sprouting after rain.

In fact, the components of her body were no different from grass.

For what was here now was not Ulf's physical body, but her clone.

“An interesting place, this is.”

Ulf's body was slightly smaller than the one in the Great Forest.

The body that had been the size of an adult woman was now the size of someone around 20 who had just come of age, and the size and design of her clothes had changed accordingly.

Her revealing top had changed into a short t-shirt that only exposed her navel, and her bottoms had also changed into short, comfortable-looking pants matching the top.

Only one thing.

The fur coat that covered her entire body remained unchanged.

“Aren't you hot?”

“It is a coat imbued with cold and heat resistance. That aside, this place has gathered all sorts of strange fellows.”

Ulf's eyes turned to Yuria.

A familiar face.

“You are the Saintess, are you not? Seeing as your holy power is not yet so strong, it seems you are yet to inherit the title of Saintess.”

She had grasped Yuria's condition in an instant.

'Mana? No.'

Rozalin, herself having awakened to mana and possessing heightened senses, could tell.

That wasn't simply reading an opponent's senses with mana.

It was more of a transcendental intuition gained by someone of the 6th-circle, one who had surpassed the laws of order in this world.

So, she stealthily moved aside.

She was worried about Cassian's condition, as he hadn't woken up for over a week.

Of course, she didn't forget to place her hand on the hilt of her sword, just in case Ulf posed a threat.

As she intended, Ulf's gaze scanned Cassian.

“Is this young man the child you spoke of?”

“Yes. He's sleeping for a bit right now.”

“Were you trying to create a living medicinal herb pantry? It seems you have used all of my herbs. Likely to graft the severed Mana Roads. Truly a rare and wondrous constitution. However, my herbs were for cultivating a forest that is already lush, not for solidifying barren soil. Such is the limit of thievery. It seems this regrettable young man is about to meet his end early.”

But Ulf's conclusion was different from what Rozalin wanted.

Rozalin unconsciously gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.

“Old hag. Are you saying you tampered with the herbs?”

“Stop. If you play with your sword now, even one who could live will die. You want to save him, do you not?”

“I have to save him.”

Ulf stared at her intently.

Rozalin's blazing eyes seemed to hold a reason more serious than simply the future of humanity.

It was an expression that her former subordinate had never shown her.

'She probably couldn't show it.'

She had always worn a dead expression, like the Saintess candidate standing there now.

Well, she was the type to steal her master's medicine just because she could use Aura.

“You insolent wench. Step aside.”

As Ulf swiped her hand through the air—swoosh—Rozalin and Yuria's bodies slid back.

The two were pushed back without even feeling the sensation of being pushed.

It felt less like Rozalin's body was moving and more like the space around Rozalin's body was cut and moved.

In that time, Ulf, who had moved closer to Cassian, stared at him.

Unlike his peaceful-looking exterior, his insides were a complete battlefield.

“Had he been left like this, he would have woken up in about three months.”

“……Crazy.”

“And his body would be almost the same. That is how long it would take for all the mana stirring inside his body to dissipate.”

“Then what do we do?”

“We must create a path.”

Many mages received herbal assistance to increase their mana capacity.

They would forcibly expand the limits of their mana circles with powerful mana.

However, few could control their body's mana while it was raging within them.

It was a feat possible only for those at the 4th-circle, or perhaps the 5th.

That is why for those below the 3rd-circle, a master would be present to guide their mana when they lost consciousness.

What Cassian needed now was a master to guide the mana in his body.

'Hmm.'

However, Ulf did not move immediately and frowned, hmm.

It was because Cassian's Mana Roads were so unique that it was difficult to enter them easily.

'I must not simply pierce through the blocked road, but connect the severed roads to create a path.'

A Mana Road was not just a simple path; it was akin to a person's life and existence.

It couldn't be arbitrarily cobbled together like a tool.

“You little thief.”

Ulf's gaze turned to Rozalin.

“What do you know of this young man?”

At the sudden question, Rozalin stuttered, “Uh, uh.”

What do I know?

Even if asked that, the only thing Rozalin really knew about Cassian was what she had seen at the academy.

Before her regression, all she had done was attend a few of Cassian's classes, and after her regression, she had been busy trying to save the world.

She had seen him often while working as a security guard, but most of their conversations were about swordsmanship and the future.

“I don't know.”

“Tsk tsk. Had you known, there would have been no need to peek into this young man's past, but now there is no other way.”

“P-peek?”

“Go now.”

Before Rozalin could even reply, Ulf's staff thumped on the floor.

Then, with a sss sound, Rozalin's soul separated from her body.

— Uh, huh?

“Still, as she is to retrace her master's memories, she accepts the magic without resistance.”

It was a technique to separate the soul from the body, and not just any soul, but one that knew of Aura and mana.

It was an art impossible without the subject's consent, but Rozalin had unconsciously accepted such magic.

Ulf, watching this, grinned and waved her staff once.

“The Mana Road does not simply exist within the body, but symbolizes a broken and severed destiny. Therefore, go and observe this child's past, and connect the path.”

Her voice, which had sounded like a simple voice, slowly amplified and struck Rozalin's body.

It felt like this might be what it felt like if Cassian were to highly develop the method he sometimes used of imbuing his voice with mana.

Rozalin's soul slowly scattered, compelled by an irresistible magic spell.

The smoke, scattered in the air like magic dust, entered Cassian's body through his nose.

“Now, then.”

Ulf, having finished the spell, perched on Cassian's chair.

Her reason for sending Rozalin was indeed to save Cassian, but that was merely a secondary motive.

For this child with the dead expression was more important.

“Child. Do you know that you are currently being tainted by a demon?”

“…….”

Yuria slowly raised her head.

Despite hearing the shocking word 'demon,' there was not the slightest tremor in her eyes.

Her reaction was as if she herself already knew this fact.

“I do not know the reason, but your beliefs have become very narrow. Faith is trust, but the method and form of your trust have been distorted. If you continue on this path, you will soon fall into corruption.”

It was a statement closer to a prophecy than an analysis.

However, if the one who said it was a 6th-circle mage, it was not something that could be easily dismissed.

Yuria's mouth slowly opened.

“How can you be so certain?”

“Because I, too, was once tainted by a demon.”

Yuria's eyes trembled slightly.

It was the first time she had heard this.

“Do you know what the 6th-circle is?”

A 6th-circle mage refers to a being that is no longer human, one who has glimpsed the power of gods or celestial beings.

And among non-human beings, demons are also included.

A 6th-circle mage was a being who was more susceptible than anyone to the voices and order of demons.

“I originally became 6th-circle by glimpsing the order of the Great Spirit, but in my frequent battles with demons, the spirit of the Great Spirit slowly weakened, and I was slowly tempted by the demon.”

Perhaps if she had confronted the demon for two more months, she might have become a tool of the demon.

But there was a voice that saved her.

It was Pan.

“The miracle of cutting time was not in the realm of humans, but in the realm of gods. Before the miracle of a living human body imitating the order of a god, why would I be tempted by the voice of a demon?”

That is why Ulf not only returned in time but also regained her identity as a human.

“So the conservative movements of the druids of the Great Forest after the regression were all your influence.”

“Indeed.”

Rozalin, Avril, and Hati had all been wary of the Wolf King's war of expansion.

Given the personalities of the Wolf King and Ulf they had experienced before the regression, it was clear that they would have brought about a great war immediately after regressing.

But to think that their hasty and violent nature was caused by a demon.

“That is why I can tell. The god in your heart has disappeared, but your faith remains. With no object to believe in, it has lost its direction and is heading towards one person. That young man also shows a performance that does not seem human, but he will not grant you anything. Therefore, your abilities will gradually weaken.”

Yuria recalled how her holy power had been slowly weakening recently.

The recent Harpy Queen incident was a case in point.

Even though she had treated Cassian, who was in the same mess, she had only been able to wake up well after three days with Ganemia's help.

“Be wary of the demon.”

Instead of answering, Yuria simply nodded her head in acknowledgment.

“So ill-mannered even after being warned.”

Even as she said that, Ulf did not add to her words.

She knew better than anyone that it was something that had to be resolved on one's own, for she herself had run rampant, listening to no one.

She could only hope that when this young man woke up, he could also resolve this child's worries.

Just as Pan had done for her.

* * *

Rozalin was speechless at the scene unfolding before her eyes.

It was the biggest shock since her regression.

“Uh, huh?”

It wasn't because the scenery was unfamiliar.

On the contrary, it was because it was a scenery she knew all too well.

‘Why am I here?’

What spread before her eyes was a grand manor.

No, to call it grand was an understatement.

Even if one were to search the entire Empire, the only place larger than this manor would be the Imperial Palace.

There were three dukes who ruled the Empire under the Emperor.

This was the manor of the House of Defnos, the largest and most sinister of the three ducal houses.

Even though House Vürhelm was a famous family in the Empire, in front of the House of Defnos, they were no more than a firefly before a bonfire.

It was the family that had produced the most knights for the Imperial Knights, the most mages for the Empire's Magic Tower, and the most employees for the Empire's administrative offices.

But what on earth did such a place have to do with her teacher?

That question was resolved not long after.

“Get out!”

Because a young Cassian, not even 10 years old yet, was being chased out of that manor.