TL/Editor: raei
Proofreader: Pickhead7
Schedule: 5/week
Illustrations: None.
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Larabel's body trembled uncontrollably.
"No... That can't be... Such a future cannot exist..."
She wanted to deny reality.
Space-time wizard Gerard appeared before her eyes.
The implication was clear.
All her plans had been seen through, and soon, everything she had built would be rendered useless.
"See for yourself."
Gerard spoke coldly.
Larabel, forcing her immobile head to turn, looked at the storm of flames.
The pillar of fire, which had reached the end of the sky, was now reduced to a height of two meters.
Through the flames, Larabel saw two figures.
The wizard Ian and a red-haired woman, his companion.
"How...! That's impossible!"
Gerard's prediction was correct.
Ian was alive.
Through the burning flames.
Enveloped in the mystical brilliance of red flames.
Trampling the ashes, sparks scattering.
The wizard Ian walked forward.
"Impressive."
Gerard muttered lightly as he watched Ian.
"Doesn't it look like a phoenix? Rising to new life from a massive fire."
"...Shut up, Gerard."
Gerard, without malice, merely expressed his thoughts on Ian's appearance.
However, Larabel could only think that Gerard was mocking her.
She had no options left.
Her last resort was blocked.
Larabel was utterly defeated.
"Tell me one thing, Gerard. How did you bring him back to life? How did he withstand my storm of fire scroll?"
Gerard answered bluntly.
"Do you really think I saved Ian?"
"...What?"
"You still don't understand the way of the space-time wizard."
Larabel felt deep shame at Gerard's comment.
Yes, her question was flawed.
If Gerard had decided to 'save' Ian, he would have sought out a timeline where the storm of fire scroll was never used.
A space-time wizard changes the future, not interfere with what has already happened.
But the storm of fire did happen, and Ian was caught in the terrible fire.
Meaning, Gerard deemed it okay for Ian to be caught in the storm of fire!
"That's ridiculous...!"
If true, it was astonishing.
Surviving the storm of fire purely on magical ability, without any external help!
Larabel changed her question.
Ian's abilities were beyond her foresight.
How was that even possible?
"In the future I foresaw, Ian always burned to death! But Gerard. How did you predict Ian wouldn't die?"
This was a much better question.
Feeling as if she were back in a meeting of space-time wizards, Larabel awaited Gerard's answer.
"You didn't see Ian's essence, and I did. That's all."
"...The essence of that wizard?"
Gerard slowly nodded.
"Larabel, in this vast world, the perspective of a single wizard is extremely insignificant and trivial. It's a beginner's mistake to worship a moment of the future you glimpse as the truth."
"..."
"Think broadly and diversely. Always remember that the information you acquire with your eyes is incomplete and partial."
So, what is Ian's essence?!
Larabel swallowed her words.
She was curious, but asking would hurt her pride, making it seem like she was begging.
Gerard stopped the small talk and looked straight ahead.
There, a young man with black hair was walking towards them.
"Phew. That was damn annoying."
Ian, approaching Larabel, noticed Gerard a bit late.
"Who are you?"
Gerard answered without any change in expression.
"No need to be so wary, Eredith's disciple, Ian. I'm just here to give you some advice."
No, isn't that suspicious?
Talking calmly with Larabel and the way he suddenly appeared to give advice.
Ian was doubtful whether he could trust this man.
Isn't he on the same side as Larabel?
But then, out of nowhere, Kira yelled.
"Hey! You're the one from back then...!"
"???"
Ian looked at the two, bewildered.
Surprisingly, Kira and Gerard knew each other.
"Good to see you again, fire wizard Kira."
Gerard waved his hand mechanically.
He didn't look pleased at all.
"Was the advice I gave you useful?"
Kira bit her lip and glared at Gerard.
"Advice?"
"Yeah. I've met this guy before."
Kira looked at Gerard resentfully and said.
"You told me to run to Baron Damon's domain for a good outcome...!"
Slowly, painful memories of being tormented by Baron (bandit leader) Damon resurfaced.
Back then! How much heartache I went through!
If Ian hadn't helped me, I would've been exposed as a fake wizard and sold into slavery by now!
Kira, suddenly angry, clung to Ian's arm.
Phew. Now I feel a bit calmer.
Gerard nonchalantly met Kira's gaze and said.
"Well, it seems to me, the good outcome has already happened. Right?"
Ian and Kira's eyes met.
Kira jumped back in surprise, releasing Ian's arm.
"Oh, no! This is...! It's a habit from doing it to my dad...!"
"...Cling all you want."
"Sorry!!!"
Ian brushed off an embarrassed Kira and spoke privately with Gerard.
"So, you're saying you sent Kira to Baron Damon?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Then Gerard smiled faintly.
Ian thought Gerard's smile was somewhat creepy.
"For a 'better future'."
---
---
After capturing Larabel, Gerard found a suitable place to settle down.
Some werewolf named Lewis or something was also captured as part of the set.
Belenka was in charge of watching the prisoner.
"To be honest, I'm uneasy."
Belenka grumbled about why they didn't just kill Larabel right there.
Indeed, the mindset of an isekai high school girl with a longsword was different.
Clearly not a competent wizard worth a ransom, and keeping a wizard who could cast insane magic like a storm of fire alive was too unnerving.
But Gerard opposed executing Larabel.
"There's no chance of Larabel escaping, so rest easy."
"How am I supposed to believe that?"
Belenka left to watch over Larabel, saying she had to keep an eye on her.
Belenka, the only knight, didn't trust Gerard's words, but Ian and Kira did.
He was an experienced space-time wizard.
A space-time wizard vouched for it, so Larabel couldn't escape.
"Right. You asked why sending the wizard Kira to Baron Damon would lead to a better future?"
At the mention of 'wizard Kira', Kira flinched.
In the storm of fire, Kira indeed heard the voice of the mystery of fire.
And she managed to appeal to the mystery, even having a brief conversation.
Now, Kira couldn't be considered an ordinary person.
Though her magic was unstable, Kira was a wizard.
"If Kira hadn't moved to Baron Damon's territory, she would soon have been captured by slave hunters and sold to the harem of the Sultan in the Sand Empire."
Kira stopped herself from clinging to Ian's arm out of reflex.
But when Ian signaled it was okay, she relaxed and grabbed his arm.
A future in the Sultan's harem? How could such a future exist?
"And Ian. You would have died from Larabel's scroll."
"...I thought that might be the case."
"Well. I would have intervened before you died. But thanks to Kira changing the branching point, that future disappeared."
"Branching point?"
Gerard nodded.
"A crucial event that changes the future. Space-time wizards call it a branching point."
"A future where Kira goes to Baron Damon and one where she doesn't... Something like that?"
"Good, you catch on quick."
Ultimately, it means the futures of both wizards changed because Kira met Baron Damon.
Ian looked at Gerard with a skeptical gaze.
It was true that Kira made the right choice at the branching point.
But the person who gave her that advice was... this guy, right?
"I admit it. Thanks to your advice, Kira and I gained enlightenment. Both of us have improved our mastery of fire magic."
However, Ian couldn't understand Gerard's motives.
It's true that this event led to growth for both Ian and Kira.
But what does Gerard gain from this?
"But why did you give Kira that advice? What do you mean by a 'better future'? Exactly?"
But Gerard looked at him as if to say, what are you talking about?
"Shouldn't you know better than anyone else? Ian Eredith Raven?"
"??? Me?"
As Ian made a puzzled face, Gerard realized the situation and nodded.
"I see. You haven't reached that point yet."
"What hasn't reached? What are you talking about?"
"Ah. You don't know."
"..."
"Then let's leave it at that. Further discussion seems pointless to both of us."
No. F*cking hell.
Ian wanted to punch Gerard right in the face.
What kind of as*hole talks like that?
Furious as he might be, Gerard truly didn't speak any more about the 'future.'
Instead, he dropped a more shocking revelation.
"Wait a minute. Gerard. You told my master... to make me a wizard?"
"Yes. It's been over 8 years now."
Ian was astounded.
So, this space-time wizard... was the one who advised Eredith to train Ian as a wizard!
Gerard had advised Eredith that 'good things will happen if you take Ian as your disciple.'
Following that advice, Eredith took Ian as her disciple.
In essence, Gerard was practically the one who made Ian into a wizard...!
"Well, thanks... I guess?"
Ian awkwardly expressed his gratitude.
But Gerard didn't pay any attention to Ian.
"It was just a choice for a better future."
So much for saying thanks.
Ian decided to forget any gratitude he felt towards Gerard.
After all! Ian only had one master, Master Eredith!
"Take this, Ian."
"Huh?"
Gerard offered something to Ian.
It was an item Ian had become somewhat familiar with after seeing it a few times.
A magic scroll.
"Whether you take it or not is your choice. But if you do, good things will happen soon."
"What kind of magic scroll is it?"
"It contains space-time teleportation magic."
Oh. Space-time teleportation?
An incredibly useful item.
Space-time teleportation was something not even the superior technology of the modern world could mimic, a truly fantastical item!
It was undoubtedly a scroll made by a space-time wizard.
"How you use it is up to you. However, since it's an item that can cause a branching point capable of changing world lines, I recommend you use it wisely."
In short, Ian could use it whenever he felt like it.
"Can't you just outright tell me when it's best to use it?"
"No. If the future is disclosed in the present, is it still the future or does it become the past?"
"...?"
Ian didn't press further.
It was an incredibly useful space-time teleportation scroll.
He figured he could make good use of it no matter how he used it.