A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 239

Chapter 239: Sylvia (2) Part 2

... Meanwhile, Epherene sat nearby the ship’s railing, staring out at the water.

“Professor, do you copy? Over. Epherene here. Say something if you’re getting this. Over,” Epherene said.

As Epherene sent her message through the crystal orb connected to Deculein...

Pat!

Someone gave Epherene’s shoulder a playful nudge.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

Epherene jumped and turned around—standing behind her was Primien, deputy director of the Ministry of Public Safety.

“Ahhh! Ahhhhhhhhh—!”

Epherene glared through Primien and screamed, her fright still raw in her voice and written all over her face.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—! Aghhhhhhhhhh—!”

Primien remained silent.

“What was that fooooor—?!”

“Was that really so shocking?” Primien asked.

“You scared the life out of me!”

Primien silently nodded and seated herself beside Epherene and said, "They told me Professor Deculein is somewhere out there in the sea."

"... Yes. Professor went into the sea—said he’d reach it by swimming."

“You’re not going with him?”

"Me? I can't. How could I possibly follow him to somewhere like that?"

The storm still raged on, a tempest soaked in mana. It was the kind of disaster that even Zeit—the King of Winter—might not survive if he stepped into it.

“Is Professor going to be alright?”

"... Yes. He'll survive. Professor always does."

Epherene knew—at least for now—that Deculein doesn’t die, that he will live, and continue living far beyond a future she cannot yet reach.

Which means the professor remains invincible... But wait—does that mean the future where he dies won't change? If he dies in the distant future, does that mean the present holds no danger at all? No, that's not right. Instead, shouldn’t we be trying to change to a future where he doesn’t die at all? Epherene thought.

"Of course we have to change it," Epherene muttered, letting out a scoff. "If it can't be changed, what kind of future is that? The future is meant to be rewritten."

"Who are you talking to?"

"... Nothing," Epherene replied as she slipped her hand to her waist and grabbed her pocket watch.

Epherene still didn’t know what the wooden pocket watch was for, and its purpose remained a mystery in her hands.

"What might that be?" Primien asked.

"I have no idea. It doesn’t seem to do anything."

"Do you mind if I take a look at it?"

Without a word, Epherene carefully tucked the pocket watch back into her belt, then met Primien’s eyes with thinly veiled distrust.

"Trust me," Primien added. "Hypotheses happen to be my area of expertise."

“... Hypotheses?”

"Correct," Primien said, tapping a finger to her temple. "Multifaceted thinking—that’s my talent and specialty. It holds up everywhere but in the world of stocks. That one answers only to madness."

“... Please return it right after.”

Epherene hesitated, but gave in to the reasoning that she wouldn’t understand it on her own. With uncertain fingers, she handed the pocket watch to Primien.

Primien held the pocket watch in her palm and then drew forth her thoughts—an attribute known as the Manifestation of Thought and Memory. Through it, she could process every angle, every possibility, and shape them into clear hypotheses, allowing what might take a month of thought to be completed in ten minutes.

"... This might be a catalyst," Primien said.

“Catalyst?”

"Yes, a catalyst designed to magnify a mage’s output."

"Oh, I thought so too. But no matter how many times I tried, it didn’t do anything at all."

"Or maybe it functions as a catalyst for sourcing the item with a certain type of mana."

“... An item?” Epherene asked, frowning as if the thought didn’t quite sit right.

“Try placing something—anything—on top of the pocket watch,” Primien said, nodding as she returned it.

“... On top of it?”

"Maybe start with that crystal orb."

There was hesitation in her expression, but Epherene accepted it and placed the crystal orb onto the pocket watch.

"Can you hear me, Professor?" Epherene whispered into the crystal orb.

... Of course not. Just as I thought, Epherene thought, shaking her head.

Primien cleared her throat and said, "Ahem. Not all hypotheses hold up—"

— I can hear you.

"Eeeeeeeeeek!" Epherene screamed, nearly jumping out of her skin. "Oh! You made it, Professor! Did you find Sylvia?"

— ... I am Sylvia.

“Wait—what? Why do you have Professor’s crystal orb?”

— Because I took it.

“What are you talking about—”

Suddenly, dizziness washed over Epherene, and her mana poured out in a rush as her limbs loosened. The sensation was familiar, something she had felt before—something from long ago, from a place where time tangled and splintered...

"Deputy Director, something about this feels a bit strange—wait, are you sleeping?" Epherene said, turning to Primien.

Primien’s head had slumped to her chest. Just moments ago, she’d been perfectly alert—now she was fast asleep, as if she had been switched off.

“Anyway. Sylvia, you—”

Epherene froze mid-sentence as someone’s words from the past returned to her memory.

“Establishing contact between the current timeline and a future counterpart calls for a significant expenditure of mana.”

The pocket watch slipped in Epherene’s fingers—she almost lost hold of it.

“No way.”

Gulp—

Could this Sylvia be Sylvia from the near future, and not her in the present? And this wooden pocket watch—maybe it’s a catalyst bridging her time with mine? Epherene thought.

— I killed Deculein.

"Ugh... Grrk..."

Drip— Drip— Drip—

— Professor!

Craackle—

— Oh, thank goodness! Professor! Sylvia said she killed you!

— That's what Sylvia from the future told me! I know how the pocket watch works now! But it’s fine—we can change it! Whatever you do, don’t let Sylvia take your crystal orb!

"It’s been a while," I said, straightening my tie, running a hand over my soaked coat with Cleanse to dry the seawater, and smoothing my hair and tie back into place.