I grabbed Luciel by the collar as he tried to dodge the issue.
“As you can see, I’m in this state right now. There are too many things I don’t know.”
Even though holding onto his collar with my small hand wouldn’t make him feel threatened, it was important to me.
Luciel was the only one who could explain everything to me, so I had to hear it all.
“You need to tell me what happened after I died.”
“………”
“Zaire said he suffered. What happened?”
I need to know what happened after I died and what kind of experiment Zaire was talking about.
I stared at Luciel with intensity.
“Heh.”
Lucihel suddenly burst out laughing.
“I’m sorry, but your pronunciation is too cute for such a serious mood… I couldn’t help it… Pfft.”
“………”
My gaze on him grew cold.
I know! But this isn’t the time for that!
Even after laughing a bit more, Luciel finally calmed down and began to speak more seriously.
“Is that all you want to know?”
There was something ominous about his tone.
But what I really wanted to know was…
“Is the mana going out of control because of the experiment?”
The thought of the mana going berserk because of the experiment kept bothering me.
It seemed that a lot had happened during those twenty-odd years.
I needed to hear the story from someone who had been watching closely during that time.
Before addressing the problem with Delight’s mana going berserk, I wanted to know how he had been living up to this point and how our relationship had changed during that time.
“……Everything?”
“Yes. From start to finish, tell me everything in detail!”
I firmly said with determination in my voice, and Luciel looked at me with a strange expression.
Why does he look so pitiful and regretful?
Luciel slowly parted his lips.
“Did you know what that kid would do after you died?”
“It’s all over anyway, so why does it matter?”
All relationships come to an end, and mine with my disciple is no exception.
Even if he found out later, I thought he would be sad for a moment and then continue with his life.
Luciel’s eyes grew more complex at my response.
“Yeah. I thought so too. But it wasn’t like that.”
“…….?”
“It turns out you were a teacher who didn’t really understand your disciple’s feelings.”
“What did you say?”
Luciel burst into laughter and then started telling me everything that had happened from the time I died until now.
It wasn’t just a story limited to those twenty years; it was a tale that spanned the near-eternal length of his long life.
***
I’ve witnessed many deaths in my life and have often been left alone.
So, when you confidently asked me to take care of things after your death, sure that I’d remain unfazed, I felt it was quite cruel of you.
But what could I do?
Not only was I your only friend, but you were also my only friend.
I couldn’t refuse the request of my one and only friend.
After everything was over, I went to the place where you had died to take care of the final arrangements.
There wasn’t much to do, but I erased all traces of you before I was about to leave as well.
Then, Delight returned.
The Ilnord Empire had publicly announced the death of the Great Archmage Sherina, and everyone knew about it.
Of course, he also heard the news.
“I’ve heard something ridiculous. Ha. How could people who know nothing talk so much nonsense… Where is the teacher?”
“………”
“There’s no way the teacher has died. Besides, our promise is still valid. So, there’s no way…”
Delight never once forgot the promise he made to you to return.
That’s why he couldn’t accept your death.
“Where is the teacher! I’m sure she’s just pretending to be dead and has disappeared!”
At that moment, I realized we had made a huge mistake.
I had never seen he suffer so much before.
“How could the teacher… It doesn’t make sense. This can’t be real.”
To Delight, you were the strongest person in the world, someone who wouldn’t be defeated by anyone.
Eventually, after despairing, grieving, and being in pain, he turned his anger towards me.
“What were you doing all this time?”
He hit the nail on the head.
“You must have known something had happened to the teacher. So why didn’t you do anything…?”
No matter what Delight didn’t know, I knew you were going to die, and it’s true that I did nothing.
“You said you were a friend. That you were always on the teacher’s side!”
“………”
“If you had helped even a little, the teacher would never have died!”
I had no words. There was nothing wrong with what he said.
It was only natural for Delight to pour his resentment onto me.
I thought that after a few days of crying and raging, he would have no choice but to accept it.
But I was too complacent.
“Where are you going?”
“Mind your own business. I’m going to avenge the teacher.”
I never imagined he would try to storm the Ilnord Empire alone to seek your revenge.
“That lunatic.”
“Move aside.”
“I won’t.”
Delight was serious.
Whether he could succeed in his revenge didn’t matter to him.
He was consumed by such deep hatred that he didn’t care if he died in the process.
It turned out that neither of us truly understood him.
“Why are you being so reckless? If you keep this up, I’ll have no choice but to use force.”
My persuasion was futile, and Delight ignored everything I said.
So I had no choice.
“Calm down. Until you’ve cooled down enough, you’ll stay here.”
At that time, Delight was completely unresponsive to reason. The last option I had was… to confine him.
Don’t be angry!
If I hadn’t done that, who knows what he might have done!
Of course, even while he was confined, Delight caused a lot of trouble.
“Let me go! What do you think you’re doing? Release me right now!”
“Come on. If I let you go now, it’s obvious what you’ll do.”
“Of course, it is. I’m not going to beg for your help.”
“Even if you ask for help, I wouldn’t give it. But I can’t just let you go off to die.”
“Leave me alone! What does it matter to you what happens to me?”
Honestly speaking, Delight was so desperate that his shouts and struggles seemed almost pitiful, and I felt like the real villain for standing in his way.
It was like a heavy stone had settled in my heart.
“This isn’t for you; it’s because of a promise I made to my friend.”
“…….…”
“She asked me to watch over you and make sure nothing bad happened to you, and I promised her I would.”
Still, I held firm.
I turned away from Delight as he despaired in the face of your death, using force to stop him from doing anything.
Even though I knew my only friend was about to die, I did nothing. No, I chose not to do anything.
So, this was my way of grieving.
“I have to keep that promise.”
“What’s the point of that when she’s already dead?”
“Whether it’s pointless or not, I can’t let you go.”
“What?”
His face was quite something to see at that moment.
“If you get into trouble, I won’t be able to help you. I’ll release you when you’ve decided to give up on this reckless act.”
Don’t misunderstand and think I was tormenting Delight just to vent my frustrations.
I want to make it clear that I did my best to protect him.
Without resorting to such extreme measures, Delight would never have given up.
Even confining him wasn’t an easy task.
Every time Delight tried to escape, I had to catch him and deal with him relentless attacks. It was exhausting.
It was really tough, I’m telling you!
…It took me a whole year to make him give up.
“If you have any other thoughts, I’ll lock you up again.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t even glance in the direction of the Ilnord Empire, no matter how dreadful you are.”
I made sure to get a clear promise and a warning before I finally let him go.
He seemed to keep his word, but…
Ha, it turns out he only meant that he wouldn’t immediately storm the Ilnord Empire. He never actually let go of his desire for revenge—he just changed his method.
A grander plan to bring down Ilnord.
Yes, that’s how he ended up founding the Promian Empire.
“No matter how long it takes, I will avenge my teacher.”
When I realized that, I was floored.
Ha ha!
He completely deceived me and disappeared without a trace.
Do you know how long it took me to find Delight again?
Five years.
When I finally met him again, so much had changed.
He was no longer a child, nor was he naive about the world. During that time, he had steadily built his own power and even gathered his own followers.
Crucially, Delight was no longer alone.
He had come up with a plan to ensure that even I couldn’t meddle with him.
Isn’t that impressive?
I wanted to knock some sense into him, but honestly, I was also proud.
He never gave up, not even once. The fact that he decided to build power capable of challenging and countering the Ilnord Empire was remarkable.
He went so far as to establish a nation, expanding its territory, and truly becoming a threat that shook the Ilnord Empire to its core.
That’s the Promian Empire you know today.
At first, I thought his plan was absurd, but he actually pulled it off.
Isn’t that admirable?
