The Villain Wants to Live

“…”

As if running away from Time, Epherene stared over the desert. The frozen landscape of the world was truly wondrous.

“The sand storm has stopped.”

She mumbled blankly, and then snorted. The grains of sand had stopped in mid-air. Empty space. Stagnant air. Motionless nature. Now, what all this evidence pointed to was clear.

Time had stopped.

“…Maybe it will go back to normal soon.”

‘If I wait a little bit… I don’t know why this happened all of a sudden, but maybe I should just wait. I guess time stopped by mistake, but it won’t stand still for the rest of my life. Unplanned magic shouldn’t be very sturdy.’

“But…”

What if it stayed like this forever? Epherene was terrified.

“…Gulp.”

Her mouth was dry. Without realizing it, she started rummaging through the pockets of her robe until she found a bundle of papers. It was Deculein’s exam question.

“…R-Right. Now I have a lot of time to study, which is good.”

If it were going to be released soon anyway, at least she could get ahead of the curve.

“Should I go back… for now?”

Epherene ruffled her hair and went back to the sanctuary. Time was still stopped. Allen, Idnik, and Julie too. It was scary to see everyone’s faces frozen, but still…

“Magic errors can be learned gradually.”

Epherene nodded as if it wasn’t a big deal.

Tick—

“…?”

She felt a small vibration from her pocket.

Tock—

From the wooden pocket watch. Time was still flowing for it.

“Oh, you’re alive!”

Tick-tock-

The wooden second and minute hands moved. Was it trying to say that time had stopped? Or.

“…You. Do you know how to fix this?”

Epherene asked.

Tick-tock-

There was no answer except a continuing tick.

“Hey.”

Tick-tock-

Tick-tock-

“…Whew.”

Still, it would be nice to know the time. Epherene put the pocket watch on her desk.

Tick-tock-

“Still, I’m with you.”

Talking to the ticking watch, she grinned.

“Wait. I will study and solve it quickly.”

Tick—

Epherene was aware of the existence of time energy. It was a topic that she published as a thesis. The energy of the concept of time itself. It could be mana, nature, or another force altogether, but anyway, time held energy.

“It must be a problem of time and energy. I think I can solve it in three months. No, if I just wait, there is a higher chance that it will be resolved on its own, right?”

While muttering like that, she started with her analysis of the phenomenon. Fortunately, thanks to the fact that time stopped immediately after the manifestation of the magic, she could reason and investigate this phenomenon from inside the sanctuary.

Tock—

“…Okay. Just keep watching, Ticky. The wood steel has stopped.”

Tick—

The wood steel couldn’t resist time.

“It’s nice to have you.”

Epherene nodded.

“Then, first, Deculein’s test question.”

There was a possibility that the time-stop phenomenon would resolve itself, so devoting about three days to this question shouldn’t be an issue.

“Let me see….”

She slipped out the test.

——[Secondary class wizard selection problem]——

The following formula is a cylindrical magic circle in which countless circuits are three-dimensionally connected and woven. Assume that this cylinder’s inner and outer radii are R1 and R2, respectively.

The cylinder is connected to a mana stone with mana volume S and resistance value V as shown below. The mana stone delivers 97.3195% of the buffered magical power to the sphere.

The mana concentration in the atmosphere is very small and can be ignored, and the dispersion effect is also to be ignored.

(a) Create a circuit diagram of the mana flow of the sphere where R1 < R < R2.

(b) Find the magic vector in the region where R1 < R < R2.

(c) Dismantle the magic circle and calculate the effect the unit energy flowing through the region R1 < R < R2 will have on the world.

(b) Write the overall expression of the three-dimensional figure implemented in the contradictory region where R2 < R < R1.

“…What is this?”

Epherene could see that it was a problem of a great deal of difficulty. She looked at the paper with blank eyes.

* * *

…Three months passed like that. The wooden pocket watch was the basis for keeping track of that time. Thanks to it, Epherene marked the days, each passing twenty-four hours. Therefore, three months have passed since time stopped.

Exactly three months.

“…Ticky.”

Tick-tock-

And now Epherene, lying on the floor, murmured while looking at the pocket watch with tired eyes.

“It’s been three months, and it hasn’t been resolved!”

Epherene grunted and messed up her hair.

“I don’t know what to do with both of them.”

Deculein’s screening test question, as well as this time-stop thing.

‘I don’t know. I don’t know at all.’

“Ahh!”

She pulled at her hair.

“There is no answer!”

She couldn’t solve it.

“Ha. How do I solve it while I’m trapped in this frozen time?”

She couldn’t relieve her stress, no new novels were coming out, she couldn’t even eat Roahawk. Epherene wasn’t eating any food, actually, but she wasn’t hungry, and that made it even creepier. She suddenly had a bizarre thought like, ‘Am I dead?’

Tick-tock-

“…Hey. Ticky.”

Epherene looked back at Ticky.

“What should I do? Am I a ghost?”

It was magic that was perfectly prepared with good intentions. But now, she was trapped.

Tick-tock-

Hearing Ticky’s ticking, Epherene let out a sigh.

“…Why.”

How did it become like this?

“…Was Sylvia right?”

The property of time. Was it a talent that would cause disaster not only for herself but for the entire continent if she couldn’t control it? If so, did she have to commit suicide for time to flow again?

“I don’t want to.”

Epherene turned her head as she lay down, looking at the papers strewn across the floor. Half of it was Deculein’s theory, and the other half attempted to solve this phenomenon. Writing with mana, not a pencil. If she did it with a pencil, the graphite wouldn’t stay there.

As such, only Epherene and her mana moved into this world. Of course, physical force could be used to make things move, like turning the pages of a book or something like that. But if she let go, it would stop on the spot.

“Jeez… shit!”

She raised herself with a yell and again picked up Deculein’s screening test.

[The following formula is a cylindrical magic circle in which countless circuits are three-dimensionally connected and woven.]

As she read the first sentence of the problem, a word caught her eye.

“…Cylinder?”

Why was it a cylinder? Epherene raised her eyes and looked at Julie. Precisely, she stared at the barrel of time in which Julie was placed.

“No way.”

She jumped.

“No way!”

* * *

…Three more months passed like that.

“Isn’t the cylinder a hint from Deculein? I even had that weird thought, but it wasn’t.”

For half a year, Epherene worked on solving Deculein’s test. She figured out how to solve it in theory, but mana stones didn’t work in this frozen world, so she still couldn’t do the demonstration.

“How could the Professor predict what will happen and leave a hint? No way, right?”

In other words, time remained at a standstill, and Epherene’s spirit was in jeopardy. It was harder now than back then when she repeated her regressions. At that time, they all had a common purpose.

‘Now I’m alone. What is this?’

“Right, Ticky? Answer me.”

—Tick.

She waited for an answer, and it came. Epherene felt consoled as she walked through the desert. She reached the desert from the Empire on foot. Now, she planned to go to the Empire again.

‘I need a book. I think I’ll have to put something in my head to solve this problem.’

“Casey. I will find him.”

‘I have a lot of time. It may be a year or two, but Casey. I will find him and read all of his unpublished theories and books. After putting them all in my head, I’m going to end this damn time pause.’

“Ticky. But.”

Epherene was walking through the desert. However, she carried nothing with her. Even Deculein’s map was useless now.

“Is this the right direction?”

Epherene crossed the desert on only two feet, not knowing if the direction was right or wrong.

Tock—

“…Okay. Even if I’m wrong. I can go back.”

She had plenty of time. Epherene trudged through the dunes, looking for the Empire that may or may not appear.

* * *

…She wandered like that for half a year.

“Ah… it’s the Empire.”

There was no room for joy when she finally saw the Empire. Rather, it was only the outskirts of the Empire she had finally reached.

“Ticky. I heard this one day.”

Epherene snorted.

“It takes three more months to walk from the frontiers of the Empire to Hadekain.”

Three months on foot. But she didn’t know what would happen if she got lost again. The Empire was bigger than the desert.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Epherene felt her mind slipping. Even if she found Casey’s science book and then figured out the way, it would be at least a year to return. Of course, she left signposts so as not to get lost, but…

“Let’s go.”

Epherene walked while realizing how convenient Allen’s talent was and hoping that there would be no more despair than this.

“…Still, it’s nice to see people, Ticky.”

It felt better now Epherene could people-watch. There were people in the desert, but they all wore rotten expressions.

“The countryside scenery is nice.”

A man was working on a farm, his grandfather rode a horse down the road, and a child ran around with a runny nose. Epherene smiled at the typical rural scenery as she walked in this world that had stopped.

* * *

“Finally, it’s Hadekain.”

Epherene reached her destination, Hadekain’s castle. It took about three months.

“I’ll go to the publishing house… and Casey’s new work. All I have to do is find it. Ticky. Be patient.”

Tick—

The pocket watch answered, and Epherene continued to move. Fortunately, she was never tired. She didn’t need to eat and sleep. Epherene was an engine that didn’t need rest. She estimated that the reason was her talent.

“It’s here.”

She finally arrived at Hadekain’s publishing house.

“There will be all kinds of things in the basement.”

Epherene opened the door.

“I just need to find Casey’s new work here. There are many other science books, so I’ll read them all. Let’s study here…”

She went inside with the pocket watch. The publishing house staff stood frozen in place at their workstations.

Epherene first put her bag down. Her pack contained Deculein’s selection test papers and a collection of hypotheses about time stopping that she had written so far. These were the thoughts that came to mind while she walked.

“Let’s see… Ticky.”

There was no need to search for Casey’s new work. Epherene infused some mana into the pocket watch.

“Let’s go back for a second.”

Then, tick, tock, tick, tock—

Ticky sounded off relentlessly, and time rewound. Suddenly, a voice rose, and people were bustling around.

Epherene stood in the corner and observed the scene. She could only observe. Ticky was just showing the past.

“It’s a shame every time I see it. They can’t even interact with me.”

Some of the busy publishing house staff passed through Epherene.

“Anyway…”

Epherene closed her eyes and opened her ears. She was searching for a certain name…

—…Casey. Designated as forbidden.

Snap-!

Space froze. The past was torn down, and the world returned to the stopped present.

“There it is.”

The place the publishing house employee was headed, muttering about Casey, was the basement. Epherene followed him down the stairs and approached the bookshelf to put Casey’s manuscript.

“Phew.”

She sighed with relief as soon as she found the applications stuck there.

Thank God they also kept forbidden books.

“There are three volumes.”

All of Casey’s books were banned, titled Theory of Relativity. Theory of Relativity Volume 2, Volume 3, and Volume 4. How important and shocking was this scientific discovery that it needed to be published in four volumes?

“My hope was here.”

Maybe it was because she’d been living alone for the past two years; she was worried about it.

‘But, thanks to Ticky, I don’t think I went crazy. If I go back and live my life again, I’ll recover soon.’

It was a bit sad when she thought about how many more years she’d need to study here. Anyway.

Epherene brushed the dust off the manuscripts.

“Why do wizards look down on science?”

The value of these manuscripts are more precious than all of the papers those magic professors ceremonially published to protect their positions.

“Even sending the purge officers after me.”

‘Right, can’t I just find the purge officers and kill them while time’s stopped?’

“…It’s a risky idea.”

Epherene shook her head. The purge officers just do what they are told to do, and she was no killer.

“Let’s just study.”

Epherene looked through Casey’s manuscript and sat down.

Tick, tock— tick, tock— tick, tock—

Suddenly, Ticky cried out loudly and rewound the second hand.

“Huh? Ticky, what are you-“

Stomp-

The sound of footsteps descending into the basement cut Epherene off. Startled, she stood and glanced up.

Stomp-

A stride full of elegance and pride. She could tell who it belonged to with that alone.

Deculein.

“…”

Epherene knew she couldn’t influence him, but she pressed herself against the wall almost instinctively.

—There was no need for the head of the family to come in person… hahaha.

—Just guide me.

—Yes!

Deculein was with a man who looked to be the publishing company’s president. The president moved in a hurry and pointed to the bookshelf where Casey’s manuscript was stored.

—This is it. I was about to burn them, but because you suddenly contacted me… shall I burn it right in front of you? This is the original.

The president threatened the shelf with the torch he held. Epherene grimaced.

Come to think of it, why did Deculein leave this manuscript be?

—No.

Deculein shook his head.

—Leave it here.

—Yes?

—I said leave it here.

He spoke as if it wasn’t important, but the president’s face was strange.

—B-But Lord. A very strong request for cooperation came from the Floating Island and the Imperial Palace Wizards.

A very strong request for cooperation. Epherene didn’t know quite what that meant.

—We need to delete or expunge the originals… if they discover I’m storing it; the purge officers may try to interrogate me.

—It doesn’t matter.

Despite the mention of purge officers, Deculein didn’t budge. But maybe it was because his life was at stake; the president mustered up the courage to ask.

—…Could I ask you why? I’m sorry, but this is their first time sending someone directly from Floating Island, so I have no choice but to ask…

Deculein stared down at him for a long moment.

—Because even such an unsettling and forbidden book might be of help.

—…Yes? H-Help?

“!”

The president still sounded suspicious, but Epherene’s eyes widened. Without realizing it, she covered her mouth.

—Don’t ask any further questions. Let’s go up.

—…Yes. Okay.

The president left without further question, and Deculein remained alone in the basement staring at the bookshelf.

And…

—…Someday she will steal it.

He smiled warmly as if he was thinking of something, then turned and went up the stairs.

“…”

Epherene felt her heartache.