A slender waist, a chest hidden beneath the bathwater.
The red blushes blooming here and there, thanks to the heat of the bath, feel unfamiliar.
A naked body that appeared beautiful at first glance.
…But, if you looked a little closer, one’s surging blood would cool down coldly.
Bluish veins were visible on the neck, but not on the chest.
The shape of the hollowed collarbone was somehow plain.
If the body could regulate temperature, there should be sweat glands, but the skin was smooth, without even a single downy hair.
It was a body that lacked something to be considered a living creature, let alone an elf.
A certain, undeniable feeling of wrongness that Seira couldn’t understand before now suddenly struck her, prompting her to stand up abruptly.
Splash-“I’d like to take a closer look.”
“Why don’t you check the pulse, not just observe?”
“Pulse?”
“Yes, it’s quite curious, isn’t it? If you weren’t aware, you might not notice, but you should be able to sense it now.”
The future Seira raised her arm as she crossed through the water. Seira, with a tense expression, grabbed her wrist.
‘What could be detected by feeling the pulse? The heartbeat was checked at the academy.’
Thump thump thump thump.
The thin wrist’s pulse beat properly, dispelling her anxiety. Seira wiped the sweat from her forehead and spoke.
“Seems normal.”
“Hmm, why don’t you count the pulse rate?”
The future Seira reached out and grabbed the hourglass in the corner of the bathroom. As soon as the inverted hourglass began to drop sand, Seira cautiously counted.
…300. Upon reaching that number, Seira released the wrist as if casting it off. Even though half of her body was submerged in warm water, her skin bristled.
The future Seira stroked the precisely timed hourglass with a smile.
“How does it feel? A heart that beats exactly in five-minute intervals?”
“Creepy.”
Seira muttered in a trembling voice.
Though the hourglass measured precisely five minutes, Seira had also implemented an alert spell that chimed every minute, just in case.
After one minute, the pulse beat 58 times.
Then 70 times. She thought the feeling of elation came from holding the wrist.
Next, 66 times. She thought she was gradually getting used to the elation.
62 times. Right, it was time to calm down. But at the next minute, Seira felt a distinct shock.
On the last cycle, the pulse abruptly dropped, as if deliberately set to a specific count.
“Honestly, I was startled too when I first realized it.”
Splash—standing up, her naked body emerged, but rather than radiating beauty, it only exuded an unnatural awkwardness.
It was a body that could only be thought of as a mere replica of Seira.
“When out of breath, the heart races, and when emotions peak, it quickens as well. But that’s only when emotions reach their peak. Once accustomed, it falls back into place like fitting puzzle pieces.”
The moment of dissonance had struck when a loved one died.
A boy who could remember her for the first time in 500 years of isolation. A young man who brought vibrant colors to a world drenched in gray.
That precious person transformed into a cold corpse by the hands of an “old friend” who was also able to remember Seira.
It felt unbearably wretched. Because both had been able to remember Seira, her sorrow swelled uncontrollably.
Elves lived such long lives that they rarely felt emotions as intense as passion.
The heartbeat of an elf was notably slower than that of humans. Even so, she was so heartbroken that she shut herself away, fasting for an entire month.
She didn’t die of starvation.
Even in this wretched world, there were those who died of hunger.
Yet, even with a body on the brink of starvation, her heart continued beating vigorously.
Was it the spirit of a researcher burning within her? Or perhaps she had been grieving for so long that it was time to shake it off.
“Would you believe that a new goal emerged in life after that? It’s absurd, isn’t it? To find purpose from something bothersome.”
“…It’s not strange. I did the same.”
Seira shook her head in denial, her wet hair swaying.
Wizards by nature were like that. Rather than basking in the sunlight outside, they preferred secluding themselves in dark rooms, dedicating long hours to whatever interested them.
Seira, too, had such a period.
She secluded herself in an attempt to lift a curse that caused people to easily forget her.
Though she had no research breakthroughs for centuries, she found new vigor in life as the number of people who could remember her, like Glen, Hugo, Eldrina, and Johann, gradually increased.
“To sum up the research result in a word, it’s that this world is excessively lacking in information. Or maybe I should say it’s lacking in detail?”
The future Seira shrugged with a faint smile.
“Seeing your body and touching my disciple directly made it clear to me.”
“…”
“In comparison to the world created by the god, the world made by the one from below is indeed crude.”
“For something so crude, it’s quite impressive. After all, a world was created.”
“If there’s an original, even that creation would be easier. Then, wouldn’t the necessary factor be the size of the vessel to sustain the world? That’s what I’m thinking.”
The Apostle must be pouring an enormous amount of energy into maintaining the world. If they entered combat or died, it would spell disaster.
‘Facing death with such composure.’
The Apostle’s death means the end of the world. Even so, the future Seira shared her story with a calm face.
Seira eventually felt a sense of awe.
How much contemplation did it take to reach this point? How many tears were shed along the way?
Sploosh—
Perhaps it was just a fleeting thought, as her lifeless body suddenly rose.
“Let’s end here. I feel dizzy from being in the bath too long.”
“…”
Seira gazed absentmindedly at the figure leaving the bath, then turned away.
“I’ll go out first. I feel a bit dizzy too.”
“…Yes.”
Yoru nodded briefly and immersed herself deeply.
Gurgle-
Bubbling foam burst in front of her eyes.
‘Is this what it means to regret?’
The place where the endless mountain range once stood. The group swallowed hard as they gazed at the space that had been cut through as if it had been sliced cleanly.
“Collapsed quite neatly, didn’t it? Was there no earthquake?”
“I’m seeing this place for the first time as well.”
Yuma bowed her head apologetically, and Shiron patted her shoulder reassuringly.
‘So, erasing an entire mountain range at will, huh? Creator, indeed.’
Even though the world was created with the Apostle’s power, searching through it wasn’t easy due to its roots stemming from the supreme being, the Demon God.
The world was crafted to match the size of the current continent. It was impossible to search every corner, even with all of Dawn Castle’s resources.
However, they could roughly guess the Apostle’s hiding place.
Creating and sustaining an entire world required considerable effort.
Remembering that even a creator needed rest, Shiron took out a crystal orb from his pocket.
Woooo-
The strange energy that had been emanating grew even stronger. Rather than warding off monsters, it was resonating to fulfill its purpose as the [Key].
Boom! The snowy ground trembled. The mana in the air quivered. Shiron felt the energy buried deep underground stirring.
“Hold on tight.”
Shiron lifted Yoru, who couldn’t use magic, into the air.
Bubbles rose from the snowy ground beneath them. Monsters crossing over from the Demonic Realm struggled as they were sucked in like they were being pulled into a furnace.
Part of the world had crumbled.
No, rather, it had revealed its true essence.
The ground once covered in snow transformed into a rainbow-colored swamp.
“Urk!”
Floating in mid-air, Yuma suddenly gagged. Was it a warning that she’d seen something she shouldn’t?
“Yuma, you’ve done well. From here on, it’s our responsibility.”
“…I wish you the best of luck.”
Yuma grimaced, biting her lip. She was a formidable mage herself and could easily sense that her recent nausea wasn’t due to any physical ailment.
Shiron watched Yuma leave, then turned to the others.
“…Are you okay?”
“Hm? Me?”
The future Seira, unlike Yuma, appeared completely unfazed, showing no signs of nausea and looking as usual.
“I figured out a bit of a trick, you see.”
Noticing her tapping her eye patch, Shiron let out a small chuckle.
Losing sight in battle? What a blatant lie. For a high priest, fixing an eye would be a trivial matter, yet she’d never requested any help.
“Are you sure it’s safe to enter?”
“I’m watching my proud disciple in action. Protecting myself is no big deal.”
“You really came well-prepared.”
Shiron gradually deactivated the levitation spell. As they started to sink into the swamp, Yoru let out a long scream.
“…Are we really sure it’s safe to go in?”
Seira glanced back and forth between the future Seira and the rainbow-colored ground. Indeed, the monsters had disintegrated into powder right before they were sucked in…
“I told you. I want to witness my proud disciple’s performance.”
The future Seira gathered her magic and cast a protective barrier. It was a type even Seira, who knew thousands of spells, had never seen before.
“And deciding one’s final moment on their own terms is rather elegant, wouldn’t you agree? You understand, don’t you?”
“…Yes, I think so too.”
A sense of determination emanated even from the arc drawn beneath her eye patch.
Seira held her breath and deactivated the levitation spell.
‘I’m not as strong as that. Somehow, she seems stronger than me.’
The rainbow-colored swamp clung to her, thick and sticky.
‘I’ve grown too attached.’
A dull ache nestled in a corner of her heart, and her nose tingled. It was a tender feeling, far too soft for the brink of battle.
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