A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 152

Chapter 152: Round Table (1)

“Landing! We’re landing, we’re landing!” Epherene shouted.

"Yes, we’re landing!" Allen responded.

The airship began to descend. The two kids, who had grown tired of watching the sky and had drifted off to sleep, now pressed their faces against the window once more.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!”

The airship touched down on the runway with a deep thud, causing the cabin to shake. Epherene and Allen were lightly bounced in their seats as it landed.

Soon after, a crew member knocked on the door and said, "Professor Deculein, we’ve reached our destination."

I finished the Encryption on the Go board once more, then stood up, calling for Epherene and Allen and said, "Let’s go."

“Okay!”

“Yes, Professor!”

The moment I opened the door to the VVIP room, the crew and captain stood lined up in the hallway, waiting. I moved through them with ease, while Epherene and Allen followed behind, hesitant.

“... Wow,” Allen breathed, taking in the sight that greeted him as we stepped off the airship.

Epherene stood speechless, her mouth hanging open as she took in the unique space of the Round Table and murmured, “This is incredible...”

The Round Table, true to its name, was a vast, circular platform. It spread out like a great, flat dish, with the pink glow of the sunset coloring the horizon. The glass floor mirrored the radiant light, sending shimmering reflections in all directions.

“Hey, Deculein.”

Just then, a familiar voice rang out from across the runway.

“Oh, so Leaf is here too,” Ihelm said, waving as if genuinely happy to see her.

“Thanks to you, everyone at the Mage Tower calls me Leaf now,” Epherene grumbled, shooting a sharp glare at Ihelm.

Ihelm smirked, shrugged, and said, “Well, it’s still better than Epherene.”

“What’s wrong with Epherene?”

“I’ve told you before, it’s not that impressive of a name. Anyway...”

Ihelm turned to me and said, “Deculein, the Round Table Council has summoned you. As for Leaf and your assistant professor, they’ll come with me. You, head that way.”

At his words, Leaf—no, Epherene—and Allen tilted their heads, puzzled.

I instructed the two of them, “Go with him. I’ll handle this alone.”

“Ah, understood, Professor...”

“See you later!”

Ihelm snapped his fingers and said, “Follow me, you two baby birds.”

“What? Stop calling us baby birds...”

***

The restaurant’s sign, Glass of Round Table, was written in elegant script. Inside, the space was pristine white, with soft classical music flowing through the air. At the few occupied tables sat notable and familiar mages from various schools.

“Wow... Look, Assistant Professor! Over there—that’s the head of the Joble School,” Epherene whispered.

“Ah, yes, you're right! That must be Mage Traje, I believe?” Allen replied.

They sat down, their eyes shifting from one famous face to the next.

Thanks to Ihelm, they had barely settled in their seats when a waiter approached and said, “How may I serve you, Count Rewind?”

“Ah, yes. Start with a bottle of the Pondreaux 33-Year-Old. Then, bring the Parmo soup with Zersol. What else is on the menu today?” Ihelm inquired.

“Yes, Count. Today, we have Slehan and Roahawk—”

“Roahawk?!” Epherene exclaimed, her eyes widening.

Ihelm and the waiter both glanced at her briefly before Ihelm continued, “Very well, we’ll take the Roahawk steak.”

“Yes, Count. We also have a selection of specialties from the Volang Territory...”

As Ihelm continued placing the order, Epherene turned toward the window, feeling embarrassed by her sudden reaction. She hadn’t intended to get so worked up over Roahawk—maybe it was just an automatic response, something instinctive.

Epherene cleared her throat and said, “Ahem! S-so, this is the famous Round Table~”

Perched on a Glass Island in the heart of the ocean, the Round Table offered a mesmerizing view. The entire landscape stretched flat, just as its name implied, reflecting light from every direction like the surface of a flawless mirror.

“A strange place,” Ihelm remarked after completing his order.

“So, are they really serving Roahawk?” Epherene quickly asked.

“Yes, I ordered the biggest one,” Ihelm responded.

Epherene clenched her fist beneath the table, satisfied. It might not be as refined as the Flower of the Pig, but Roahawk was sure to taste delicious all the same.

“As you can see, the Round Table is an artificially created magical space,” Ihelm said. “It has restaurants, houses, even bookstores, but it’s not the kind of place I frequent.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s a hub of rivalry. Success here means attracting envy and jealousy at every step. And there’s no shortage of bitter old fools to deal with.”

“Oh... But why was Professor Deculein invited here so suddenly?” Epherene asked.

“Yes, it seemed quite unexpected,” Allen added with a nod.

Ihelm gave a faint smile, took a sip of tea, and said, “It’s due to Deculein’s achievements.”

“... Sorry?”

“How familiar are you with the Round Table?”

“I only know it’s where various magic schools meet... or something like that.”

Much like knights were divided into factions, mages were organized into schools. Officially, only three schools were allowed for each category of magic, and the Round Table served as their meeting place.

“Exactly. It’s a council of twenty-four schools, but they are highly exclusive. They’re strongly opposed to the idea of new schools being founded.”

“Why not? Wouldn’t new schools be a good thing?”

“... You’re too simple,” Ihelm said, shaking his head. “There can only be twenty-four schools—no exceptions. Three per branch, and that’s the limit. Any school that falls behind will be expelled.”

“... Ah!”

Epherene and Allen finally grasped the reality that only twenty-four schools were officially allowed to exist at any given time.

“So that means...”

“Correct. That’s why Deculein was summoned,” Ihelm said, placing his teacup down with a soft clink. He twisted his lips slightly before continuing, “Both on the Floating Island and here at the Round Table, Deculein’s thesis is gaining recognition. Or should I say, the thesis of Deculein and Luna?”

Epherene grew quiet.

“Many schools are feeling the pressure right now,” Ihelm continued. “Which branch will Deculein’s thesis align with? When will he be recognized as an elder? And most importantly... Why did he publish it without informing anyone first? That’s their biggest concern.”

“And why is that important?” Epherene asked.

“The Round Table is a rigid, hierarchical society. Being recognized as the head of a school here holds great value. If they had known in advance, they could have made the most of the situation, even if the school was nearing expulsion. They’re upset because Deculein didn’t give them the time to discuss it internally—that’s the issue.”

“Oh...”

Ihelm’s explanation was clear. As Epherene and Allen listened, the waiter returned with their appetizers—Parmo soup with Zersol.

Still curious, Epherene asked, “Then why didn’t Professor Deculein inform the Round Table ahead of time?”

“You know how he is—confidence bordering on recklessness, pride on the edge of arrogance,” Ihelm said with a faint smile. Then, with a sigh, he added, “He’s trying to shake up the rigid structure of the Round Table. Publishing his thesis without any prior warning to the council was a real act of defiance.”

Epherene and Allen’s eyes widened in surprise.

Amused by their reactions, Ihelm smiled as he picked up his spoon and said, “You probably haven’t realized this, but at Deculein’s level, and mine, every action, every word, even the smallest gesture carries political weight.”

“Hmm... I guess that does make sense.”

“This is practically a declaration of war. If Deculein becomes an elder, things will get interesting. I never thought I’d say this, but in moments like these, I actually trust him. I despise the damned old fools of the Round Table as well.”

At that moment, the aroma of the appetizer hit Epherene, leaving her momentarily breathless. It was as though the fragrance melted into her senses.

Noticing her reaction, a faint smile crossed Ihelm’s lips as he said, “Go ahead, enjoy the meal. Appreciate the moment, but stay alert. The storm will reach Deculein before long...”

***

I stepped into the waiting room for the Round Table assembly, uncertain about the meeting’s purpose. At that moment, a quest notification flashed before me.

[Phase Quest: Check from the Round Table]

◆ Acquired eligibility for the Ascension to Elder quest

This appeared to be the first step toward becoming an elder—an accomplishment as weighty as securing the title of chairman.

"I think I’m seeing Deculein."

Tap-tap, pat-pat—

"What? How dare you address me by name?” _{frёeωebɳovel.com}

Click, clack— Click, clack—

Tick, tock— Tick, tock—

Tick, tock— Tick, tock—

Tick, tock— Tick, tock—