A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Summary (3)

Half an hour earlier, in the Symposium judges' waiting room.

"Is this solution wicked legit, sis Lou?" Rogerio asked, an Ethereal-ranked mage, with a hint of skepticism.

Louina shrugged and replied, "What do you mean by legit?"

"I mean, did Deculein really write this solushun, or what?"

Rogerio, notable for her pink bobbed hair, was a young prodigy who had reached Ethereal rank at twenty-five for her mastery in Ductility and Support category magic. Despite her impressive status, she called Louina as sis, reflecting their close relationship.

"Yes, Deculein wrote it himself," Louina confirmed, but Rogerio still looked skeptical.

Gindalf, now in his seventies, with white hair, a beard, and round glasses, sat quietly in another chair before finally speaking up. With a skeptical tone, he said, "Really? Knowing Deculein's nature, I find that hard to believe."

"What bothahs me is this paht," Rogerio said, pointing to the final section of the document, Deculein's Summary.

... Additionally, I have successfully translated and cataloged forty-eight runic letters. However, they were excluded from this document as they are not directly relevant to the current topic.

"Is this true? Did he really translate multiple roonic letters?" Rogerio questioned.

Louina chuckled softly and said, "I've seen his rune translations. He showed me part of his work."

Deculein had shown her some of his runic letter translations. While it was easy to doubt their accuracy, verifying them was surprisingly straightforward. One simply needed to recite the runic letters. Since they inherently contained mana, properly pronouncing the words required mana.

"Deculein is exceptionally skilled with languages. He knows around ten of them," Louina added.

"Hmm, really? Still, I find it hahd to believe," Rogerio replied, her skepticism evident.

Gindalf chuckled as he stroked his beard.

"Think whatever you like, Roge," Louina said.

For Louina, runic letters were a secondary concern. She was fixated on the five-year timeframe Deculein had proposed. She repeatedly told herself it was impossible—there couldn't be a disease that even the vast resources of Yukline couldn't cure. However, despite her persistent denials, she couldn't think of any other explanation.

“... I promise, in five years, neither of us will be a hindrance to the other.”

Louina pondered the reason behind his five-year promise.

“You're four years younger than me, so you have plenty of time to grow. Time is on your side.”

She pondered the reasons behind his words.

“... It makes no sense.”

Normally, an arrogant person like Deculein, or anyone for that matter, wouldn't say that time was on her side after solving a Symposium problem. The honor and achievements from translating the runic letters would only shine brighter as time passed. However, Louina soon shook her head.

"... Whatever," Louina muttered with a sigh.

Reflecting on what she had endured at Deculein's hands still made her shudder. A part of her heart still burned with a smoldering hatred for him. However, Louina was, above all, a pragmatic mage. She was accustomed to the law of the jungle and remained highly rational.

Rather than being consumed by passion, she set her priorities with cold logic—focusing on the family’s magical legacy and her title as head professor. Everything else, including personal grudges and family vendettas, could be set aside. Besides, Deculein had said it would only be five years.

"Will he present these 48 Runic Letters: A Summary of Comprehensive Translation today?" Rogerio inquired.

Louina sighed before responding, "By the way, please, it's time to come out now."

She waved her hand, drawing back the curtain to reveal the petite Chairwoman standing still like a statue.

"... Heehee," the Chairwoman chuckled upon seeing Rogerio and Gindalf. "Did Deculein really translate forty-eight runic letters? If he reveals that today, it will cause a sensation?!"

"We'll have to ask him if he plans to, Chairwoman," Louina replied.

“Hold on, I have no time for this!” the Chairwoman exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

She looked eager to spread the news. As she bounced out of the room, Rogerio couldn't help but laugh.

"She hasn’t changed a bit, huh? Still the same old gal," Rogerio remarked.

"Your accent hasn't changed either," Louina replied.

"... Me? I'm speaking in standard language, y'know?"

Rogerio hailed from Rococo, a remote rural region in the Empire famous for its strong accent.

"Well, compared to most from Rococo, you sound quite refined. The first time I visited, I thought it was a different country," Louina teased.

“What? You got some serious regional bias, yah know. We’re really not that different, huh?”

"Try saying Harvard. Har-vard."

Rogerio fell silent, unwilling to embarrass herself further.

***

The Grand Hall of the Floating Island of Megiseon could hold 400 people. Despite its grand name, the venue was relatively small but more than sufficient for presenting the Symposium solution.

The name Grand wasn't entirely misleading. Three hundred years ago, the architect and great mage of the Floating Island, Loflang, had constructed this hall as the largest on Megiseon, establishing a tradition that had endured since the island's inception.

"How, h-h-how, h-how..." Allen stuttered, his anxiety palpable.

"Calm down," I said.

"Y-yes, yes, sir," Allen stammered, unable to sit still.

His right hand trembled uncontrollably, and when he tried to steady it with his left, his whole body began to shake like he was standing on a power plate.

“Brrrrrrrr...”

Watching him, I sometimes marveled at Allen's resilience. This wasn't his true nature; his performance was remarkably convincing.

"Ha... ha... hic! Hic! Oh no, now I've got the hiccups..."

I silently reviewed the Summary of Runic Letters Translations. This document included forty-eight additional runes translated beyond the fourteen already translated from the Magical Realm.

Initially, I had considered revealing them but ultimately decided against it due to the potential for unpredictable repercussions. Keeping them to myself seemed safer, preventing any disasters akin to the Manhattan Project.

I chuckled to myself, finding an odd comfort in the fonts for the runic letters. Perhaps it was the memories they evoked, like an old film reel playing in my mind.

"Kim Woo-Jin, look at this," a voice from the past echoed.

Memories from the past replayed like an old, faded film.

"Our design team is creating this runic language. They said it’s a mix of Hebrew and Latin."

She said it while cupping her chin in her hands like a flower—a cute gesture she often used.

"All you need to do is refine it, Woo-Jin. Experiment with different fonts to give it an ancient look."

Her eyes sparkled with clarity as she talked about the settings and looked at me.

"Woo-Jin, you look especially handsome when you're focused."

Her name was Yoo Ah-Ra.

“Hmm~”

The lingering memories of Kim Woo-Jin within me.

“What are you talking about? If anything, I'm the one who’s got more to lose—”

However, her voice gradually faded, likely due to the passage of time. Now, it seemed I could finally let go.

... Brrrrrrr.

Allen's trembling brought me back to the present. He shook so violently, it was as if he were vibrating like an alarm clock.

"Allen, where's the slate?" I asked.

"H-here, right here!" Allen stammered as he handed over the slate, a large processed magic stone as medium inscribed with runic letters.

Knock, knock—

Just then, a knock on the door signaled it was time.

"Let's go."

Allen, still trembling, stood up, and we left the waiting room together.

"Follow me," the guiding mage instructed, leading us to the stage hidden behind a curtain. "We will begin shortly. Are you both ready, Professors?"

"Indeed," I responded calmly.

"Y-yes, absolutely," Allen stammered, his nervousness evident.

Behind us was a large blackboard and chalk, classic tools suited to this hall's thirty-year history.

— Now, Head Professor Deculein from the Mage Tower of the Imperial University will present the solution to Symposium’s sixth problem.

The host's voice echoed through the hall. Unlike the typical chaos of the Floating Island, the atmosphere remained calm. As the curtain quietly drew back, the packed Grand Hall came into view.

Yet, amidst the crowd, Yulie stood out immediately. Regardless of where she was or how many people surrounded her, she was always easy to find. My affection for her had become second nature.

— Today's judges for the verification are Ethereal-ranked Rogerio, Ethereal-ranked Gindalf, Monarch-ranked Louina, and the Addict Astal.

I felt no nervousness. As I once said, the attention and focus on me felt natural. It was an inherent sense of elitism.

"It is an honor to meet you all," I said confidently. "I am Head Professor Deculein. Let us begin the demonstration of the solution to Symposium’s sixth problem with the verification of the comprehensive translation of the runic letters."

***

Deculein's presentation proceeded methodically, and the Grand Hall watched in a calm atmosphere. Each attendee had a copy of Deculein’s Summary.

"The translation of the sixth problem’s inscription, the runic letters, results in the following sentences," Deculein explained.

Where there is light and purpose, there too shall God be found.

God, in fear of human worship, veiled Himself.

The Monarch-ranked mage, Rotane, and the linguist Frainze had previously translated half of this inscription. While this was not particularly noteworthy, the main point came afterward.

"We will disregard the second sentence as it is irrelevant," Deculein declared, erasing the line without hesitation.

"Yes, sir!" Allen responded promptly.

"The runic letters for light, purpose, and God form the core of the magical circuit; the remaining runes are simply supplementary elements."

Where there is light and purpose, there too shall God be found.

??Θ ?? ??φ? ??? ??? ? ζ, ??

The first sentence floated in the air, the runic letters seeming to resist translation.

This process demanded immense effort and time. It was the outcome of the Comprehension attribute combined with the game designer Kim Woo-Jin’s extensive knowledge of game settings, breaking through previous limits.

Sssssssh...

"Hmm. Is it that yuh can’t disclose ’em, or do they simply not exist?" Rogerio challenged.