Chapter 182 : Side Story 7
Side Story 7
Uriel could not erase her doubts about herself.
Those who had drawn forth the vivid visions of the future all possessed noble status and honor.
If all of them were to become her companions, perhaps it should be considered something anomalous instead.
'I'm not that special of a person. Then how could I possibly prevent something like the destruction of the world?'
Uriel was acutely aware of her innate limitations.
Even as a noble, her family had fallen, and isolation was inevitable.
She was chosen as the great mage's apprentice because she possessed suitable talent, but there were countless others who far surpassed her.
In such circumstances, she could only worry about her own safety from a passive position.
'Even if I inherited the bloodline of the dragon... I can't be acknowledged.'
Dragons had long invaded the Agnes Empire, resulting in the sacrifice of many humans.
Therefore, everyone denied the existence of dragons and longed desperately for their extermination.
If her secret were to be exposed within such a context, she would inevitably be branded as the source of calamity.
'Does it really have to be me? Couldn't someone else save this world, even if it isn't me?'
Uriel desperately wanted to escape from the overwhelming burden placed upon her.
She was already bound by her status as a fallen noble, and being granted the title of great mage seemed an unbearable prospect.
If that was the case, perhaps she ought to pursue an ordinary and uneventful life instead.
'The only thing I can do is... huh?'
Uriel faced scenes of the future beyond a blurry border.
A mage was casting magic to prove his own research.
But it ended in failure, and the aftermath engulfed the mage.
He barely survived, burned all over, but after becoming disabled, lost all possibility for the future.
'Is this supposed to be senior's future?'
Uriel realized that this time was drawing very near.
Alraune was a promising mage, and she had even witnessed a future where he rose to become a great mage.
But if an accident occurred here, not only his pride as a mage but also his brilliant potential would be shattered.
'If I hadn't seen the future, then not only senior, but others as well...'
Only then did Uriel understand the intent of the Book of All Things.
The Book of All Things sought to overturn every process and element constituting the world's destruction.
Without any preparation, overcoming such ordeals and adversity would be impossible.
'So senior can also contribute to stopping the destruction of the world.'
From the beginning, such grand goals could not be achieved alone.
Even the faintest hope could only appear when moving together with allies.
In other words, she had to guide not only her own child but also those entwined in the bonds of fate.
'Could this be the fate that was given to me...?'
* * *
Alraune had set a grand goal from the moment he stepped onto the mage's path.
Thus, he had always devoted himself to the study of magic, and in the end, even gained recognition from the great mage for his abilities.
Now, if he took just one more step forward, he would be able to inherit even that title.
'I cannot deny what Uriel said. This world is not fair...'
Alraune had already experienced such realities more than once.
The chief disciple was inferior to him in skill, but thanks to the latter being shielded by his family, he inevitably had the advantage in the competition.
Other fellow disciples relied on connections and bribery, so he was constantly thrust into disadvantageous situations.
In fact, being selected as vice-chief disciple even under such circumstances was an odd result.
'However... If I hadn't put in the effort, I wouldn't have reached this position.'
Alraune achieved results through his own power.
Not only was there no support from his own family, there wasn't even an acquaintance who could offer him a little help.
No matter how immoral this world might be, he could not bring himself to give up in vain.
'If I want to beat the chief, I have to reach a higher realm. To do that...'
Alraune rearranged the mana within his body and looked down at his research materials.
Melting and solidifying, combination and decomposition, mixing and filtration, dispersal and condensation.
If he delved even deeper into the transformations of magic, he would reach even higher realms.
'Perhaps it's a rash act, but I can't delay any longer.'
Alraune hesitated for a moment, but then immediately released his mana.
Time was limited, and only one could be granted the title of great mage.
If he didn't make a decision right at this moment, eventually he would be left behind.
'If only my flame could burn even hotter...'
Alraune ignited a fierce blaze and began incinerating his research materials.
In just a moment, the materials lost their original form and were reduced to ash.
He had to constantly apply magical principles to these ashes, repeating construction and deconstruction without end.
"What is this? Why is it transforming on its own...?"
Alraune was quite flustered as he tried to adjust the internal structure of the ashes.
But the ashes expanded even more, and even the flow of mana was being repelled.
Could it be that someone had secretly tampered with the research materials?
"Chief! To think you would dare do something like this...!"
Alraune instinctively saw through the cause, but he could do nothing to suppress it as things stood.
The flame, infused with mana, was compressing, and would inevitably explode.
If he was lucky, he might escape with his life, but if not, even his corpse would be incinerated.
"Grr..."
"Senior!"
Uriel burst through the laboratory door and immediately rushed inside.
She manifested cold air and quickly raised an ice wall.
The ice wall completely enclosed Alraune and the area near the door, and at the same time, a giant explosion erupted.
"Uriel..."
"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"......"
Alraune looked at Uriel in considerable surprise.
Of all times, when he had fallen into crisis, a mage with the ice attribute rushed in.
If Uriel hadn't helped, not only he, but the laboratory as well would have been destroyed.
"I'll put out the fire first."
Uriel removed only a part of the ice wall and sent shards of ice through the gap.
The spreading flames were soon devoured in an instant.
As the apprentice of the great mage, she could easily suppress a fire of this magnitude.
"I can't imagine you making such a slip of the tongue, senior. There must have been a problem somewhere..."
"Someone must have meddled. If I disappear, it'll be easier to become great mage."
Alraune finally regained his composure and looked around the laboratory.
Fortunately, the explosion hadn't spread very far, though areas had been scorched by the fire.
Some research data had been lost, and soot stained the walls and floor.
Who could have thought that, out of such ugly and vain greed, someone would try to burn both himself and the laboratory at once?
"Senior..."
"Thanks to you, I survived. As you said... skill alone isn't enough."
"That wasn't what I meant. You and I are different, aren't we? I believe senior can definitely become a great mage."
Uriel, just in case, tried to comfort Alraune.
Though she had prevented the danger that befell him, he might have suffered psychological devastation.
He possessed the fate of becoming a great mage, and she couldn't just watch him give up.
"However... Even if it's difficult, I won't let it intimidate me. It's precisely times like these that I need to be more persistent."
With resolute eyes, Alraune left the laboratory.
Rather than yield to a reality like this, he had no choice but to struggle by any means possible.
If only for his pride, he had to become a great mage at all costs.
'Does it look like I'll back down now? I will never give up the title of great mage.'
* * *
Uriel trailed Alraune for a while before finally getting away from the society.
While explaining the accident that occurred inside the society, she also had to report separately to the society head, who was not only the head but also her teacher, the great mage.
Fortunately, the great mage investigated the scene and uncovered that the research materials had been tampered with, so things ended at an appropriate point.
'Since what I saw earlier played out exactly... I really can see the future, it seems.'
Though Uriel had been shrouded in doubt, she eventually came to accept it.
Even if it felt a bit unsettling, its effectiveness was undeniable.
If she had ignored the scene she saw then, Alraune would have fallen into the worst possible situation.
'Which means, senior could end up marrying me, too, right?'
Uriel felt a bit embarrassed, but didn't go out of her way to deny it.
Thanks to the Book of All Things, she'd gained the power of foresight, so she had to accept the path laid out before her.
But since it was forced on her so unilaterally, she inevitably felt some dissatisfaction.
'Now I can't even get married as I please? Haaa...'
In the end, Uriel cast off even that worry, quietly moving on.
She was living life without a particular goal, but didn't want to be tied down by everything.
Rather, from her perspective, this ability was just an unwanted bother.
'If you're a great mage, you'd be able to fight a dragon. The Northern Grand Duke or the Emperor could even mobilize forces.'
Uriel was keenly aware of their influence and authority.
They directly intervened in war and, at least, possessed the means to fight formidable enemies.
Without them, no one could possibly defeat a dragon.
'But it seems lacking somehow.'
Supposedly, the child she would bear would, with the power of the dragon, bring peace to the world.
But it was rare to find a human possessing such special conditions.
Nevertheless, was it possible for humans alone to slay dragons?
'Still, I think there are a few out there...'
As she was lost in thought, Uriel met the eyes of a woman by chance.
The woman was clad in armor, armed with a sword, and wore a solemn expression.
To make matters worse, a vision of this woman's future spread out before Uriel, leaving her a bit flustered.
'There's no way it means I'm supposed to marry a woman, right?'
Uriel could not accept it, but reluctantly peered into the vision of the future.
This time, it wasn't the woman herself who was highlighted, but someone else.
The woman's child, serving as a knight, gradually honed his skills.
He eventually fought several dragons, achieved a string of victories, and was acclaimed as a hero.
'He possesses a mysterious power. Is it something inherited by bloodline?'
The woman's child wielded a violet hue, slicing through the darkness of a malicious foe.
Then, he even summoned golden flames and protected his precious ties.
Essentially, he existed to annihilate monsters and was the backbone of resistance against dragons.
'... Now I understand. There are different roles assigned.'
The child she would bear would establish the process to exterminate dragons.
In contrast, the woman's child would follow that process and prove the unwavering outcome.
That is, the descendants of both would unite to suppress the world's destruction.
'Though bound by fate, connecting is not easy. That's why I have to hold them together.'