### Chapter: 285
Well, she had only seen Tersasius show his face from a distance,
and there hadn’t been much time spent observing what he was doing.
“… So, the times he seemed to be sleeping like a dead rat…”
It seemed she had some inklings, as she muttered, and Kraush nodded in agreement.
“He was using the Soul Separation spell the whole time.”
Bioloren looked at Tersasius as if he were a madman.
“Oh, maybe it’s because he’s a Magic Emperor that he’s so clever.”
But there was another lunatic right here.
Rona had positively viewed Tersasius’s research methods.
“Rona, just in case, don’t think about trying to create that magic.”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t learned any spells related to Soul Separation yet!”
Rona replied cheerfully.
So if she had learned it, she would have tried it, right?
That was a truly crazy response in line with the previous craziness.
“Aslan, you too, don’t even think about it.”
Then Kraush cautioned Aslan, who had quietly sunk into thought.
This was why geniuses in magic always had a few screws loose.
Just then—
That moment, Tersasius reacted.
He slowly raised his hand, lifted his eye mask, and looked over.
“You’re here.”
He spoke matter-of-factly as he floated down from the swaying bed using magic.
In his daily life, everything was made of magic.
Kraush watched that scene and then asked,
“Why do you keep that form?”
Technically, he could just undo the magic after returning to Jeblam.
Tersasius continued to insist on appearing as Themarin.
“I thought this would be more comfortable for you. It’s easier to make requests in this form.”
And it was Tersasius’s own way of showing consideration.
If he showed his original appearance, everyone present would have found it hard to treat him comfortably.
“But it seems you have more than just that request.”
Tersasius quickly shifted his gaze to Rona and Aslan.
Indeed, there were two more requests on his mind.
“For Aslan, I’d like advice regarding magic, and for the other, I’d like to borrow magical tool materials.”
Kraush conveyed his requests to him without hesitation.
Then Tersasius stared at Kraush.
“What will you pay in return for my help?”
“24 hours.”
Kraush mentioned the Crimson Garden behind him.
“During that time, feel free to mingle, and you can also use my body for your research data.”
“A splendid deal.”
A satisfied smile danced across Tersasius‘s lips.
Though it was a fake smile, as he magically restrained his emotions, it was clear that he liked the deal.
“The magical tool materials can be found by going back and entering from exit 3.”
“Ah!”
As soon as Tersasius revealed this, Rona’s eyes lit up, and she dashed off in excitement.
“For magic advice, it’s best to start with ancient magical theory books. Head to exit 6—there are plenty of magic-related books there.”
Aslan casually strolled away.
His eyes were fiercely ablaze.
He would probably read every single book in the library.
“And.”
Tersasius locked eyes with Bioloren.
“I’ll be on watch. Make sure this guy doesn’t do anything foolish.”
When Bioloren pointed at Kraush, Tersasius didn’t comment further.
“Follow me.”
Instead, he turned and started walking toward the magic research room,
with Kraush and Bioloren trailing right behind him.
“Tersasius.”
At that moment, Kraush spoke up, addressing the lead.
There had been one question he had always wanted to ask him.
“Why did you come to Rahern Academy?”
The reason he had gone to such lengths to take on Themarin’s form and enroll at Rahern Academy.
Kraush had always been curious about that.
After a brief silence, Tersasius slowly turned his head towards him.
Upon making eye contact, Kraush felt a chill run down his spine.
“Time Magic.”
At that exact moment, as Kraush pondered what he felt, he froze at the words that reached his ears.
“It’s to find that clue.”
This was a story he never could have imagined.
Kraush looked at Tersasius without showing any expression.
Time Magic.
If he had heard that a while ago, he might have just let it slide, but now?
Now it felt different.
“I’m a human who has experienced regression myself.”
Plus, there were two others at Rahern Academy alongside Kraush who also experienced regression:
Sigrid and Mary, both attending Rahern Academy.
“So, have you found the clue?”
Kraush inquired tentatively.
At the same time, he felt a slight tension in his body.
‘What if Tersasius included me in his goals for coming to Rahern Academy? What if he came looking for regression?’
Kraush certainly did not fully trust Tersasius.
For him, Tersasius was still a potentially dangerous wildcard.
Even if Kraush had the Crimson Garden in his pocket,
he had to be vigilant around Tersasius.
Thus, Kraush had no intention of carelessly revealing anything about his regression.
“I found something similar.”
“… What did you find?”
“One of the students attending Rahern Academy is related to Time Magic.”
Tersasius was looking straight at Kraush.
His expression seemed to imply, “Isn’t that you?”
Kraush felt a burning thirst for clarity.
“Who is it?”
Kraush blurted out his next question.
Is it Aria?
Is it Mary?
Or maybe Sigrid?
Or could it be all three of them?
“Aria Gramalte.”
As he heard Tersasius’s response, Kraush’s eyes began to widen.
It was such an unexpected answer.
“… Aria?”
Kraush asked in a daze.
Tersasius wasn’t lying.
He was genuinely saying Aria was related to Time Magic.
And not the original Aria, but the counterfeit Aria.
“I found traces of Time Magic from him. Even I struggled to decipher it, but those traces were indeed found.”
“Wait, what does this mean… Is the Aria Gramalte you’re talking about the one currently attending Rahern Academy?”
“Correct.”
Kraush stumbled over his words.
So, the fake Aria leaves traces of Time Magic behind?
How in the world is that possible?
‘Could it be that the fake Aria was the real Aria all along?’
Having watched Aria for a long time, Kraush knew that no disguise could fool him.
No matter how much he disguised himself, he couldn’t be mistaken.
Even if he lost his memories from regression, Aria was still Aria.
‘If that guy ended up acting suspicious, I wouldn’t be surprised.’
Kraush felt a whirlwind of confusion.
So, he thought the counterfeit Aria was a setup from Abella,
only to have it drop that fake Aria was somehow related to Time Magic.
This was giving him a serious headache.
“… Magic Emperor, I have just one question.”
After a long pause, Kraush finally opened his mouth.
“What is it?”
“Did you happen to find any traces of magic like Polymorph on the Aria Gramalte you met?”
If the fake Aria had come with a transforming magic so elaborate that even Kraush couldn’t see through it,
Kraush was inquiring whether that was the case or not.
“There weren’t any.”
However, the Magic Emperor himself, Tersasius, assured him there was nothing of the sort.
The fake Aria was indeed in his true form.
Yet, despite that, traces of Time Magic had been discovered.
‘… It must have been Abella who used Time Magic on the fake Aria.’
Then, why had she used Time Magic on the fake Aria?
‘Did something happen to the real Aria?’
Kraush rested his chin in thought for a moment.
[ Isn’t it likely that this fake Aria is the real Aria? ]
In that moment, the voice of the Crimson Garden resonated within Kraush.
His body jolted.
He had been desperately denying this fact up till now.
The possibility that the fake Aria could indeed be the real Aria was something he had tried to ignore.
For some reason, he did not want to presume the fake Aria as the real Aria.
But the fact that he bore traces of Time Magic couldn’t be brushed off.
“Yeah, that might be true.”
Kraush let out a long sigh and finally decided to entertain the notion.
Instead, Kraush focused on another aspect.
Then, why did the fake Aria differ in appearance from the real one?
Kraush slowly rubbed his forehead.
Because he was concentrating on one possible alternative.
‘That might be what Aria’s original appearance truly is.’
The Aria he had known might have been an entirely fabricated disguise.
‘Yes, if we say the true form is indeed the fake, let’s roll with that.’
Kraush crossed his arms and tried to make sense of it all.
But then, another question crept into his mind.
‘So, why did he need to change his appearance?’
Why did Aria have to change his looks at all?
‘One speculation suggests that the fake Aria has an appearance that leans towards femininity.’
Change to a more masculine appearance definitely had its advantages.
However, if you asked whether it absolutely had to be done,
Kraush could only wonder.
Why would Aria bother disguising himself so impeccably that even the master of magic, the Red Witch Abella, couldn’t recognize it?
‘… Perhaps I didn’t know Aria at all.’
Despite spending a fair amount of time alongside Aria,
Kraush thought he primarily played the role of a supporting character in Aria’s story.
In that sense, he had considered himself somewhat informed about Aria.
And being sharp-witted meant he could pick up on things easily.
But what was the reality?
Despite believing he knew quite a lot about Aria, it turned out he knew nothing.
‘It’s no wonder he wouldn’t trust me.’
Realizing once again why Aria hadn’t shared his regression experience with him,
Kraush had never attempted to see Aria’s true appearance.
Just as Aria had utilized Kraush, Kraush was merely using Aria to prevent destruction.
A hollow laugh escaped Kraush.
After returning to Rahern Academy, there would be things to sort out once again.
If the fake Aria really was the genuine Aria,
there were lots of questions he would have to ask.
“Thanks for telling me.”
Seeing Kraush’s face light up, Tersasius remained silent.
“If you come across any information about Time Magic…”
Clatter—
In that moment, Tersasius pushed the doorknob in front of him.
After a few metallic clicks indicating whether there was a lock or not,
the door opened, releasing a white cold air.
“Wow.”
Upon catching sight of the open door, Bioloren let out an involuntary gasp.
Inside was a plethora of documents and tools that would overwhelm anyone even a little familiar with magic.
“I’ll give you a favor without needing to have a conversation.”
Tersasius continued with his previous thoughts.
That was indeed a delightful declaration.
Kraush was quite interested in Time Magic, so this was welcoming news.
Kraush looked up.
His eyes sparkled brightly today.
“Let’s go.”
It was time for a transformation.
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