300th Chapter
‘…Who on earth was that guy?’
On the day of the event.
Schugenharz waits for the Magician with the other disciples.
As they celebrate the first anniversary of the Demon King’s defeat and wish for humanity’s prosperity, one mysterious figure complicates his thoughts.
‘Organon, did you tell me an alias?’
The day after defeating the remnants of the Monsters and getting a good night’s sleep.
Satisfied with his long-awaited rest, Schugenharz wakes up to realize the man who introduced himself as Organon is gone.
At first, he optimistically thought that maybe he just stepped out for some vigilance, but ultimately, he didn’t return.
Now, Schugenharz had to return with only Beled.
After reporting the mission’s completion, Schugenharz immediately started searching for information on the new disciples.
However, he couldn’t find the name Organon anywhere… and he began to question his existence.
‘Now that I think about it, he had an absurdly strong power for a newcomer. Sure, there are influences like aptitude and talent, so I let it slide, but was that not the case?’
So how did he use magic and why did he help them?
In the end, Schugenharz’s questions remained unresolved.
Time flew by, and he stood here wearing clothes specially prepared for today.
“Ah, damn, my cheeks are still so sore.”
“Me too, big bro. My eyes are itchy and my lips hurt, even though it doesn’t look like I got scratched.”
Schugenharz hears the conversation between the boy and girl.
Outwardly, they still seem trapped in the past from when he first saw them in Frikkanrisk’s prison, but that was already 15 years ago.
Ami and Zagan touched their cheeks and lips as if they had been hit by someone.
It’s peculiar that they show such reactions without a scratch on them.
Ami said, “I think it started happening after that nightmare I had last time. I have no idea what caused it. Should we change where we sleep?”
“Maybe we should…. I don’t even remember what the dream was about, but you and I had nightmares on the same day and felt sore afterward. When we get back, let’s at least change the bedroom.”
“It really is strange. I don’t know the details, but just thinking about it is scary, it’s like my blood is boiling….”
As she kept talking, her eyes met Schugenharz’s, who had been watching her.
Ami ran into someone.
Ami asked bluntly, “Why?”
“…Um? Ah, no. It’s just that seeing you reminded me of something from 15 years ago…”
“15 years ago… How long do you want to keep thanking us? It’s about time to stop, don’t you think?”
“Of course. I couldn’t protect so many back then. I don’t deserve any thanks.”
Schugenhartz hadn’t even managed to save a quarter of those he had rescued from Frikkanrisk’s prison.
He had even made great sacrifices at the Guardian’s place. That guilt still clung to him like shackles even after 15 years.
With a bitter smile, Schugenhartz said, “I did manage to take down Frikkanrisk somehow back then, but the damage was too great. It’s all my fault…”
“Wait? You took down Frikkanrisk back then? Who did? You, sir?”
Ami tilted her head, furrowing her brows.
She continued as if he was distorting his memories, “Frikkanrisk was defeated by the team formed four years later, right? Are you getting confused in your old age? What’s going on?”
“Uh? Ah, right. It was four years after that when we defeated Frikkanrisk. What… did I just say?”
“Wow, that sounds dangerous. Your body’s fine, but is your brain aging? I haven’t heard of that.”
“……”
Did I misunderstand?
Schugenhartz felt a disconnect with that realization.
For a moment, he couldn’t comprehend how he had mixed up the conclusion of that huge incident that had tormented him so much.
Not to mention the fact that he had collaborated with ‘someone he didn’t even know.’
‘Me, Lafez. And someone else…’
Just as Schugenhartz tried to find the root of his memory error, a young girl, full of excitement, shouted from close to the door.
The woman walking over with the sound of clicking heels was accompanied by her husband Bael’s guards.
“Mom!”
The girl’s name was Buer, her smile bright as she spoke.
There was only one person that could be referred to as her mother.
* * *
A bustling metropolis.
This capital city of Petran was truly a sea of people, filled not just with citizens but also masses from various countries.
People lined up from the castle gates to outside the castle walls.
From a high vantage point, it looked like a massive bridge made of humans.
“Wow ha ha ha!”
“I can finally see the Magic Instructor! The Magic Instructor!”
“Our savior! The one who defeated the evil Demon Lord!”
Even though the magician and his disciples hadn’t emerged from the castle yet, the crowd was already overflowing with excitement, with some even shedding tears of joy.
They were ecstatic, much like devoted believers clinging to their god, celebrating the symbolic figure of the magician.
‘It’s nice not to stand out, but this crowd is too much, it’s uncomfortable.’
Vargan was among the crowd.
He was disguising himself as an ordinary citizen, hiding his mana.
It was purely to see the magician in person, whom he had only heard about in rumors.
‘According to the information gathered from Ami and Zagan, the first magician was definitely a goddess. The monster she created to fight against the monsters must be the original of Altife.’
Gathering the information, Vargan was overwhelmed by the weight of knowledge from both the original work and the reality he once lived in, yet he knew almost nothing about the Goddess.
“But then, a question arises. Why have the Goddess and her disciples become the embodiment of evil, and why is there barely any record of this period in people’s memories and histories…?”
Unless someone intentionally erased it… even if that were the case,
It wouldn’t be possible for there to be absolutely no evidence or records left for future generations.
Especially for a magician, who has the attention of the entire world. Erasing all traces is practically impossible.
“But it actually happened. One can only imagine that some incident took place in between.”
He had no idea what that incident could be.
It must be something that runs through the entire narrative.
To uncover that truth, Vargan had come to see the magician… the Goddess.
Chae-aeng—!
Dudududung!
As the time arrived, the brass instruments rang out grandly, followed by a multitude of drum sounds.
The music announcing the heroes’ march.
Finally, the closed castle gate swung open, and the protagonists were set to reveal themselves.
“WAAAAAH!”
The crowd went wild.
They shouted until their voices were hoarse, cheering for the heroes.
Chak chak chak—!
Soldiers surrounded the heroes protectively.
As if they had practiced long and hard, their hands and feet moved in perfect synchrony.
Large and rare animals, like elephants and lions, also appeared in formation.
The military band played incessantly, beating their drums and blowing their brass instruments, rousing the people’s spirits even more.
A long procession like a swarm of ants.
And at the center of that line, the disciples finally made their appearance.
From the recent arrivals to those who had been present even before the Demon King’s subjugation.
Famous disciples who directly fought against the Twelve Divine Beasts alongside the heroes.
All of them wielded the miracle of magic.
They were those seated in the glorious position closest to the great Magic Instructor.
With a slight wave of the heroes’ hands, the crowd screamed and cheered.
They called out countless names.
“Ipos! Please look this way!”
“Schugenharz! Schugenharz!”
“Amon! Thank you! Because of you, our family…!”
From trivial assistance to the great grace of saving their homeland,
It was as if they were facing angels descending from the sky, tears and snot streaming as they expressed their gratitude, overwhelmed with excitement.
The heroes who freed humanity from the absolute evil of the Demon King.
No matter how much their names were praised, it was not enough.
Kugugugung—!
The sound of music grew louder.
Soon, a man and a young girl passed through the castle gate on a palanquin.
“Bael! Buer!”
The first disciple and husband of the magician, Bael, along with his child, Buer.
As they emerged, the crowd shouted even more desperately.
Hoping just for a single glance in their direction, they yelled at the top of their lungs.
‘Bael…’
Setting aside others, Vargan focused all his attention the moment Bael appeared.
The Cardinals supporting the Goddess Church.
And above them, the one and only being.
“Pope Bael.”
In the original work’s final chapters, the pinnacle of the Goddess Church, which only appeared after Vargan’s death, is right there.
‘Since the Goddess never revealed herself in the novel, that thing was essentially the final boss… Though it’s suppressing its power for the sake of the other disciples, I can still feel an overwhelming power it can’t completely hide.’
Shivers rise involuntarily on my skin.
Considering that Cardinal Beled was still evolving during this time, Bael could have been the same… and to think he could become stronger from there…
Indeed, humanity was destined for swift destruction.
The peak of humanity Vargan had witnessed. Gulemashia’s dying struggle before his death was like two or even three tiers lower compared to Bael now.
It surpasses even what Gulemashia attained, which the Cardinal managed to grasp.
If such a monster appears in the world with no countermeasures, everyone would be wiped out.
Instead, we should praise the Demon King who has been fighting such beings.
‘If the Pope has shown up… next is the Goddess… the first Magician, perhaps?’
The total amount of mana that reached transcendence cleverly concealed my power according to my will.
Right now, I’m just one of the ordinary citizens.
A spectator here to watch their parade.
Nothing more, nothing less.
“Waaaaaaah—!”
The cheers that I thought had peaked swell even larger.
They are true fanatics worshiping a God.
The woman appearing before the adoration of devoted believers can be called the master of this march.
‘That woman is the first Magician…!’
Vargan captured her in his widened pupils.
A jaw so sharp it seemed chiseled from stone.
Eyes with depth and hair cascading down like a waterfall along her shoulders.
Dressed in a gown that seemed made from all of the world’s riches, she reminiscent of the first time he saw Alicia.
‘She is a woman whose beauty is pushed to the extreme. It feels like looking at a doll rather than a human.’
Not just men, but women too are captivated by her appearance.
It wouldn’t be surprising if she evoked jealousy from the world itself.
Having engraved her exterior in his mind, Vargan wanted to confirm her magical accomplishments next.
If she had been like Bael with some discernible aura, it would’ve been different, but this woman felt completely devoid of any energy.
‘Now I am among the crowd. Even if they detect my mana, it wouldn’t be easy for them to locate me. So, would it be wiser to steal a glance at the Goddess’s power just a little?’
For a brief moment, Vargan continued his calculations.
He weighed the risks and the added value his actions could bring.
The conclusion was.
‘…I should stop. Even if I’m hiding my mana, there’s a possibility the Goddess could notice my presence. It would be problematic if she does. Here, I would stand out too much, anyway.’
He knew far too little about her.
Not knowing made him hesitant to approach carelessly.
Though it was disappointing, he decided to stay on the sidelines.
At that moment, thinking of gradually proceeding after approaching the other disciples.
“……!”
Vargan felt a chilling sensation enveloping him.
It felt as if a devil was eyeing him with intent. The source of that gaze was where he had been looking just moments before.
The first Magician.
Her mystifying eyes, as if holding the universe within, locked precisely with Vargan’s.
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