Chapter 323: Final Lesson [1]
"This is not the time to be fighting."
"Tsk."
The leaders of several factions who had been at each other’s throats for months ultimately agreed to a ceasefire.
Regardless of their differences, they understood that continuing their internal disputes would accomplish nothing under the current circumstances.
Indeed, this was not the time to fight one another.
There was a mutual enemy whose actions threatened the interests of every citizen involved. No matter how deeply divided they were politically, ideologically, or socially, all of them had been forced to acknowledge the same reality.
Those who fought for democracy sat at the same table as those who wished to preserve their noble titles.
Those who advocated for a parliament to succeed the throne now found themselves cooperating with those who had remained loyal to the late Emperor Franz until his final moments.
Under normal circumstances, such a gathering would have been impossible.
Yet these were not normal circumstances.
For there was a mutual enemy.
Vanitas Astrea.
Regardless of their personal opinions, they had all reached the same conclusion.
Vanitas Astrea was no longer merely an enemy of a single faction. He was no longer merely an enemy of a single nation.
He had become an enemy of Aetherion.
An enemy of the Zyphran Dominion.
An enemy of the Church of Lumine.
An enemy of the Theocracy itself.
"My... it’s been a long time since I’ve stepped foot in these lands."
The moment the voice echoed throughout the chamber, countless heads turned toward the entrance. What they saw immediately caused several expressions to stiffen.
From the entrance emerged figures no one had expected would extend a hand.
The Umbral Coalition.
More specifically, the Prime Minister of the Umbral Coalition himself.
A tense silence immediately settled over the room.
Quite frankly, the Umbral Coalition was a nation even more isolated than the Zyphran Dominion. While the Dominion at least maintained limited diplomatic relations with the outside world, the Umbral Coalition rarely involved itself in international affairs.
As a nation ruled by a tyrant who made no distinction between magic and dark magic, it was viewed with fear by many countries. To outsiders, it was a place where forbidden practices were not only tolerated but openly researched and cultivated.
As a result, the Umbral Coalition had become a nation that many governments monitored closely.
It had no formal diplomatic ties with most of the world and never participated in international summits. And more often than not, its name was only mentioned when discussing potential threats.
A nation everyone feared.
A nation everyone frowned upon.
A nation everyone preferred to keep at arm’s length.
Yet despite all of that, the Prime Minister stood before them as though he belonged there.
"My, my. What dreadful expressions."
The man smiled leisurely as his gaze swept across the room.
"I assure you, I haven’t come to invade anyone today."
Several leaders immediately frowned.
A few guards subtly moved their hands toward their weapons.
But the Prime Minister himself simply laughed.
"Honestly, after all these years, I thought I would’ve received a warmer welcome."
"Norman..."
The moment the name left his mouth, several people turned toward the speaker.
Their gazes eventually landed on the Admiral of the Zyphran Bundesritter Navy, Julius Schneider. Unlike the others, Julius did not appear particularly surprised by the Prime Minister’s arrival.
"It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Julius? Haha!"
Norman Flugel spread his arms as though greeting an old friend.
The atmosphere, however, remained tense.
Most of the people present were less interested in the reunion itself and more interested in the fact that it existed at all.
Few could have imagined that the Prime Minister of the Umbral Coalition and one of Zyphran’s highest-ranking military figures knew each other personally.
Whispers immediately spread throughout the room.
"I thought the Coalition and Zyphran barely communicated."
The reactions were understandable.
Officially, relations between the Umbral Coalition and the outside world were practically nonexistent. While diplomatic channels occasionally existed behind closed doors, few people were ever privy to such information.
Julius sighed.
"You haven’t changed."
"Neither have you."
Norman grinned.
"You still look like someone forced to attend a funeral."
Julius Schneider was not known for being approachable. As an Admiral, he carried himself with a level of discipline and professionalism that intimidated even politicians and nobles.
Yet Norman spoke to him as though they were old drinking companions.
"It’s been nearly twenty years," Julius said.
"Twenty-three."
Norman corrected him immediately.
"I kept count."
The Admiral’s eye twitched.
A few chuckles escaped from the surrounding crowd.
No matter how familiar they appeared, Norman Flugel remained one of the most influential figures within a nation that many still considered a potential enemy.
Eventually, Julius lowered his head.
"...I thank you... for listening to my request."
"...!"
"...!"
The sight alone surprised several people present.
"Anything for an old friend!"
The one who had requested assistance from the Umbral Coalition had been Julius Schneider himself.
That fact alone was enough to reveal how dire the situation had become. For the proud Admiral of the Bundesritter Navy to personally seek help from a foreign power, especially one as isolated as the Umbral Coalition, meant that conventional solutions were no longer sufficient.
"Honestly, I never thought little old Julius would reach out to me after all these years! Haha!"
Norman leaned back in his chair.
A grin spread across his face as he glanced toward the Admiral.
"This Vanitas Astrea must be someone special, huh?"
Several people instinctively looked toward Julius.
After all, among everyone gathered in that room, Julius was one of the few who had personally witnessed Vanitas Astrea’s power with his own eyes.
The memories of that encounter at sea still lingered vividly in his mind. The impossible feeling that no matter what he did, there was no way to corner that man.
"...."
Of all the people present, Julius was undoubtedly among the most fearful.
Unlike many others who viewed Vanitas Astrea as merely a political threat or a military target, Julius had experienced firsthand what happened when one stood directly in front of that monster.
It was a sorry sight.
The once-mighty Admiral of the Bundesritter Navy now carried a level of caution that bordered on fear whenever Vanitas Astrea’s name was mentioned.
Yet what else could Julius do?
Those who had never witnessed Vanitas Astrea’s abilities could still afford skepticism.
They could still believe he was human. They could still convince themselves that enough soldiers, enough resources, or enough planning would eventually bring him down.
Julius no longer had that luxury.
Unlike the others, he could not afford to convince himself that everything would somehow work out.
In fact, part of him believed there was nothing that could be done anymore.
The thought was humiliating.
As an Admiral of the Bundesritter Navy, he had spent his entire life confronting enemies far stronger than himself. Yet for the first time in decades, he found himself facing an opponent against whom he could not envision a path to victory.
"...."
The realization that even if he managed to kill Vanitas Astrea, there was no guarantee he had actually killed Vanitas Astrea.
It was enough to drive a man mad.
Yet despite all of that, he remained seated in this room, believing for the last time as a request from the Führer himself.
But even so, could belief truly be enough?
Rumble——
"W-What’s going on?!"
"E-Earthquake!"
"Everyone, stay calm!"
Roooooar——!
When a mythical being descended from the pages of legend itself, would belief be enough?
* * *
"So you’re saying... the Professor protected you all?"
"Yes."
Soliette lowered her gaze.
"It’s very shameful of me to admit, but against that Prophet... I was utterly powerless."
There was no attempt to hide her frustration.
As the Archmage, she had spent her entire life standing at the pinnacle of magical ability. Yet when confronted by Fyodor, she had found herself completely overwhelmed.
The conversation continued for some time.
As Soliette explained everything that had happened, Astrid listened quietly from beginning to end.
After discovering that she had remained comatose for such a long period, Soliette had initially been shocked.
According to Astrid, they had simply found her unconscious. However, quite frankly, the girl was not a particularly good liar.
"...."
Soliette closed her eyes.
The answer was obvious.
’...Vanitas.’
She was certain it had been Vanitas who kept her in that comatose state and had told this child to remain quiet about it.
Strangely enough, she did not feel angry about it. She understood exactly where he had been coming from.
Had she awakened during that period, she would have immediately searched for Fyodor without hesitation. Worse, she would have challenged him to a rematch, regardless of the consequences.
And considering the state she had been in back then, she most likely would have died.
As a result, Vanitas had made the decision for her, forcibly removing her from the battlefield to keep her safe.
"...Honestly."
A helpless smile appeared on Soliette’s face.
"What a troublesome kid."
"Huh? Me?"
As the first child she had ever personally tutored, Vanitas occupied a unique place in her memories.
Even now, she could still remember that boy.
The fearful child.
The lonely child.
Never in a million years would she have imagined that same child would one day usurp the throne.
Never in a million years would she have imagined that same child would become one of the most influential figures in the world.
And certainly never in a million years would she have imagined that same child would become the enemy of the world itself.
"I can tell he treasures you a lot, Princess."
"P-Pardon?"
The sudden statement had caught Astrid completely off guard. Of all the things she expected Soliette to say, that certainly was not one of them.
Soliette smiled.
"Vanitas... he’s the type who never trusts others... not even his own family."
Having watched Vanitas grow up, Soliette understood better than most how deeply rooted that distrust was.
"As a child, he often assumed people had ulterior motives."
A nostalgic expression crossed her face.
"If someone praised him, he would question why. If someone helped him, he would wonder what they wanted in return. Even when people showed him genuine kindness, he always kept his guard up."
Astrid quietly listened.
The image being described felt strangely familiar.
"Truthfully, I spent years trying to convince him otherwise." Soliette let out a small laugh. "And I failed miserably."
Her shoulders rose and fell in a helpless shrug.
"No matter how much progress he made, there was always a part of him that expected betrayal. It was as though he was constantly preparing for the worst possible outcome."
Astrid lowered her gaze. She found herself recalling countless interactions she had shared with the Professor.
"I knew the Professor held connections to some important people... but I never knew he had that sort of connection with you, Archmage."
"Ah, yes." Soliette nodded. "Back when I was a University student, I worked as a part-time tutor for the Astrea Family’s eldest son."
"I-Is that so...?"
Astrid’s eyes widened.
Far from being surprised, she looked fascinated.
In fact, Soliette could solemnly swear the girl’s eyes were sparkling.
"H-How was the Professor like as a boy?"
"Uh... Let’s see..."
The question itself was innocent enough, yet for some reason, she found herself choosing her words carefully.
’Could it be...?’
There were countless things she could say about Vanitas Astrea, but very few of them felt appropriate to tell a princess whose eyes were sparkling with curiosity.
"How do I put this?"
Astrid leaned forward.
The anticipation in her expression was impossible to miss.
"Was he talented?"
"Oh, absolutely. Annoyingly talented, in fact."
Astrid blinked. "Annoyingly?"
"Annoyingly."
Soliette nodded firmly.
"He would learn things after seeing them only once. Sometimes I’d spend an entire evening preparing material for him, only for him to understand it within ten minutes."
A sigh escaped her lips.
"As a mage, it was a very humbling experience."
"Even for the Archmage?!"
"Mhm."
Astrid couldn’t help but smile.
For some reason, imagining a younger Professor Vanitas receiving lessons felt exciting.
"Then... was he obedient?"
The moment those words left Astrid’s mouth, Soliette burst out laughing.
"No. Not even a little."
"Eh?"
"He listened when he felt like it. When he disagreed with something, he’d stare at me with that little expression of his and proceed to do whatever he wanted anyway."
A nostalgic smile appeared on her face.
"Honestly, he was a troublesome child."
Despite the complaint, there was obvious fondness in her voice.
"He wasn’t loud. He wasn’t mischievous. He wasn’t the type to run around causing trouble."
Her smile softened.
"But he worried too much."
"That young?"
"Even back then."
Soliette nodded. "Sometimes I’d catch him staring outside for long periods without saying anything. Honestly, sometimes I forgot I was talking to a boy."
A helpless smile appeared on her face.
"Then he’d suddenly do something childish and remind me he was still a kid."
Astrid smiled. "A childish Professor..."
The image was difficult to imagine.
"Ah." Soliette suddenly remembered something. "He was also terrible at accepting compliments."
"Huh?"
"If you praised him, he’d immediately become suspicious."
Astrid blinked several times.
"Pfft—"
Then, unexpectedly, she laughed.
That sounded exactly like the Professor she knew.
As the two continued their conversation, the atmosphere suddenly shifted.
Rumble——
The ground trembled.
The teacups on the table rattled, and the windows shook within their frames. Both Astrid and Soliette immediately stopped talking as their attention shifted elsewhere.
"...Archmage."
"Wait..."
Soliette slowly rose from her seat. The smile had completely vanished from her face.
The mana in the air was rising, surging to an astronomigcal degree, to the point where evne ordinary people would be able to feel it.
At first, they believed they understood the extent of Vanitas Astrea’s plans.
Even if they lacked certain details, they thought they at least understood the general picture.
But this...
Roooooar——!
This was completely out of expectations.
"Oh, my god..."
