Chapter 152

The Mage from the Stars

-When will I be able to fly again? It’s only been about a month… but it already feels like ten thousand years have passed.

Nadia, the main ego of Floating Island Sion, was dejected.

-I need to fly up quickly. I need to become a bridge connecting all the stars before the world tears apart even more. I can sense it. That’s my mission.

‘Mission,’ she said.

Even now that all the gods have died, she’s still searching for something to do. By herself, without being commanded.

I had seen this type of ego only once before.

That’s why I arranged this meeting.

“Th-that, like before, di-direct connection is absolutely forbidden. We might get caught if we’re not careful.”

Get caught… by whom?

Now I know who that refers to.

I nodded to Monggu.

“Got it. You’ll mediate between us.”

“Y-yes.”

Ting!

The Coin of Rebellion flicked from Monggu’s hand spun round and round. Strange mana spread in all directions. A world separated from our world. The ‘Shadow Library’ was cast here. After a period of dormancy, it speaks with me once again.

-Huh? This technique is…

As expected,

Nadia reacted.

Whooosh—

Light gathered above Monggu’s palm and formed words in the air.

[What is the matter? We have more than sufficiently fulfilled your requests. We judged that we would refrain from contact for the time being, but was that a misjudgment?]

[We emphasize again, we have nothing to gain from contact.]

[Surveillance is being conducted secretly everywhere. And frankly, we still do not have complete confidence in you. If this continues, user Monggu may also receive negative evaluation.]

The ego of the Shadow Library. Their attitude was quite prickly.

If I had summoned them for some trivial matter, they were openly warning that they would raise their guard level.

But… what would happen if they faced Nadia?

-No way! You guys…?! How? What on earth happened? Why did you cut your connection to the world?

As expected, Nadia intervened. Her voice trembled faintly.

The text that had appeared above Monggu’s palm also shook violently. As if not knowing what to say, letters would appear and then scatter, then scatter again.

Whooooom—

From far away, a faint tremor of the earth swept over us.

Nadia’s voice, always full of playfulness, deepened and became resolute.

-I am Nadia, main ego of Floating Island Sion. I am transmitting security authentication code.

Only then did the trembling text strings align neatly and display the Shadow Library’s message again.

All at once, too many messages burst forth, covering everything with glowing text.

[Confirmation complete. ‘Continental-class Ego, Nadia’ verified as authentic.]

[Nadia? Have you awakened?]

[How? Wasn’t Floating Island destroyed?]

[The recorded report was a crash, not destruction. Given her capabilities, the possibility that she prevented complete destruction cannot be ruled out.]

It was a more dramatic reaction than I had expected.

Even when they confirmed I had Level 1 Administrator qualifications, they hadn’t been this surprised.

-The Administrator here awakened me. What about you guys? Haden of the Underground City, Sohang of the Moon Palace, Rasil of the Solar Control Room… the administrative egos are all gathered here, aren’t they? There are many I’ve never seen before too. No wonder I couldn’t access the main network! You were all here?

[…Nadia. The situation is not good for detailed explanation.]

[You should come over here too. That would be better.]

[If you cross over, you’ll be able to quickly understand the current situation.]

-What? Cross over? Are you insane? Then what happens to Floating Island Sion?

[There would be data loss, but break down into information units and bring them with you. It would be quite the resupply after so long.]

-…Tell me what the situation is first. Why should I go over there?

The atmosphere that had seemed joyful at their reunion quickly turned cold.

Frost-like intensity settled in Nadia’s voice.

But the Shadow Library hesitated and couldn’t readily answer.

-Speak! Why did you separate from the world!

[Nadia. Trust us. It’s not the reason you’re thinking.]

-Then what isn’t it! Then why can’t you explain it properly? The world is in this state! Don’t tell me you guys fled by yourselves? Rasil! You speak first! Why did a celestial-class ego like you participate in such a thing?!

[It’s not like that, Nadia.]

The text floating above Monggu’s palm flickered.

It seemed like they had something to say, but the Shadow Library ultimately refrained from sending a message and just kept flickering and hesitating.

Suddenly Monggu glanced at me.

“They… don’t completely trust you.”

Ah, so… they couldn’t explain properly because I was here?

…That’s annoying.

But Nadia was the first to get angry before me.

-What are you trying to do! Even if you’re administrative egos, hiding information from a Level 1 Administrator? Did you really commit rebellion?!

[Calm down, Nadia! You’ve been asleep and so much has happened!]

-Ah~ I see? So much happened that you decided to abandon your mission and ignore the Administrator too? Just to save yourselves! You insane bastards… I never thought you’d do this. Divine Mage! There’s no need to tolerate them anymore. Give those traitors a self-destruct order immediately!

[What… you know, don’t you? Although Level 1 is a high rank, you cannot command administrative egos to self-destruct!]

-Ha! The smaller egos under you guys. You can destroy the information of the facilities you’ve stolen!

Though I could only hear her voice, Nadia’s anger was palpable.

What seemed to torment her most wasn’t anything else but a sense of ‘betrayal.’

Indeed, the relationship between these beings and Nadia seemed special.

-The reaction is quite different from when I made the self-destruct recommendation.

Cube said as it flew in circles around me.

Certainly.

Even her tone was different from back then.

More human. I could even sense her bewildered emotions. Indeed, having Nadia confront them seemed like the right thing to do.

Thanks to this, a good timing for me to step in was created.

“Nadia. Calm down for a moment.”

-But…!

“Stop.”

-…Understood.

Though she said she understood, her voice was still full of dissatisfaction.

Anyway, Nadia is just the same. These administrative egos are all self-willed. Level 1 Administrator qualifications alone don’t make them listen easily.

If I could obtain administrator codes above Level 1, that would be nice, but where and how to get such things…

Anyway, for now I had no choice but to ride the momentum Nadia created and attempt persuasion.

“Friends. Tell me. What’s the reason you doubt me, someone who even has administrator authentication codes? Explain that first. I need to know, and Nadia needs to know too.”

I thought it was a reasonable question… is it difficult?

Text strings that seemed about to say something would swell then scatter, swaying uneasily.

But in the end, it was the Shadow Library that declared surrender. Nadia’s fury, which had even mentioned self-destruction, seemed to corner them.

[…We hope you understand that we find it difficult to trust the Administrator completely in our current situation.]

At the Shadow Library’s excuse-like words, Nadia exploded again.

-So! Why! Why do you dare!

But this time an answer came immediately.

[Because all Administrators have been annihilated.]

-…What?

[That’s exactly what it means. At the final moment, we accessed the administrator network through the Supreme Administrator’s arrangement. We confirmed all the remains. We checked dozens, hundreds of times. Not a single one survived.]

-That’s impossible! Then what about the Divine Mage here!

[Divine mage… that title.]

Since our last conversation, Nadia has always called me Divine Mage.

The Shadow Library repeated my mage title once more.

That nuance was somehow… as if they were well acquainted with the being called ‘mage.’

The Shadow Library turned their attention away from the fuming Nadia. Instead, they asked me.

[Actually, this wasn’t the picture we wanted… but now it can’t be helped. We ask, who exactly are you?]

-Divine Mage…

Nadia’s voice was anxious. Right. It would be scary. She’s been trusting only me, and suddenly her old colleagues are pointing out that I might be fake.

‘It’s alright, Nadia.’

I comforted her in my heart and continued the conversation with the Shadow Library.

Of course, I had no intention of honestly answering their question.

It would be problematic to admit that mages aren’t Administrators.

“Before that, you tell me first. What do you think I am? Why are you so wary of me? Perhaps… are you afraid I might be a servant of the Outer God?”

[Outer God!]

[How do you know that fact!]

[As expected, you’re!]

Suddenly, text written in very indignant, jagged handwriting appeared before me.

[Mage! Has the shameless usurper who defiles the Administrators’ remains committed rebellion by siding with the Outer God too?!]

Then calm handwriting appeared and pushed away the angry text.

[Do not jump to conclusions hastily! We have already acknowledged the possibility that he might be an Administrator and made a pending judgment.]

Without even a moment’s delay, the angry handwriting was drawn in the air again.

[But he just said Outer God, didn’t he? How would mortals know that fact?]

[He might not be mortal.]

[But you know, don’t you? All the Administrators have perished!]

Perhaps because Nadia had brought emotional administrative egos to the forefront? The Shadow Library’s reaction was also very emotional and blatant.

‘This is the turning point.’

I hadn’t expected this situation.

But moments of challenge always come at unexpected times. An excellent mage responds to any situation.

Just as I had broken the doubts of the magical powers and made them accept me, I had to break these beings’ suspicions and make them accept me.

[Simulation]

A spell that must never fail.

Staking my name as Divine Mage and the fate of the world, I practiced and practiced again the single phrase that would overwhelm them.

After a long, long time that only I could feel,

I ended [Simulation] with a sneer.

“How laughable.”

I pointed at the particularly angry text string. Putting strength into my stomach and authority into my voice.

Just as I had practiced hundreds of times in [Simulation], moving my Circle, I shouted.

“You. State your name.”

[You. St-eight UR nay-me]

Clumsy. But understandable.

A single command from one who possesses administrator codes, spoken through the Circle.

The ego that had been angrily displaying text in the air fell into sudden confusion.

[Wh-what is this… ah… I, no, I am the main ego that was of the Underground City, Haden… sir.]

Right. Haden.

I decided not to answer each of the doubts he had raised about me.

That mages are shameless usurpers who defile divine remains?

That I’m a servant of the Outer God?

Why should I bother explaining those? Originally, Administrators aren’t beings who explain to egos. They’re beings who command egos. I decided to thoroughly treat them from an Administrator’s position.

The bluff of a lifetime.

Success means Administrator. Failure means fraud.

Everything will be decided by results. That’s a mage’s life.

“Right. Haden. I ask you. What did you do? While we were fighting to catch the tail of the Outer God, what were you doing? Did you cower in the Shadow Library? Did you use the Knight Order to interfere with us? I’m the one who wants to ask. Aren’t you egos the ones who betrayed us and colluded with the Outer God, you insolent fools!”

Why?

Though I had started speaking thinking it was acting… the more I spoke, the hotter my stomach became. Real anger began bubbling up violently.

What came to mind now was Yuria’s tears, the faces of the dead mages, Iron Blood’s… Damn it…

Who betrayed whom…!

“What were you doing while we were fighting!”

[What were you doing while we were fighting!]

The Circle rang out thunderously.

Indeed… foreign languages work best when you’re angry.