Ch.19Chapter 19: The Second Day (2)

I can barely remember the last time I made a greeting that didn’t violate proper etiquette.

But even though it had been a while, the greeting that flowed from years of accumulated experience didn’t seem out of place.

The Director raised his right hand slightly, acknowledging my formal bow.

“It’s always pleasant to receive greetings from a Rising Star.”

He referred to me with a term I had never heard in my previous timeline, speaking in a calm voice.

Rising Star.

A term used to describe cadets who have awakened the qualities needed to grow into great heroes within the Cradle.

In my previous timeline, I couldn’t even dream of being called a star—let alone a Rising Star—as I was nothing but a fragment of a falling star due to my incurable disease.

Hearing that term used to address me stirred a peculiar feeling within me.

He wouldn’t use this word to address me without reason.

It’s an established rule among those affiliated with the Cradle not to use the expression “Rising Star” for cadets who haven’t successfully awakened.

Which means…

‘So he does know.’

Just as I was about to conclude that the person before me had observed yesterday’s events in their entirety—ignoring the effects of the frozen time that Mein had used while stealing others’ potential—

“You really went through a lot yesterday.”

Director Belpheus’s words confirmed that he was clearly aware of what I had done during yesterday’s incident.

The secret art of frozen time—a technique at the pinnacle of space-time control magic that only those who have reached the ultimate level can use—had completely frozen time throughout the Cradle, even if only for a brief moment.

Any living, breathing being would have been affected by such grand magic without exception, becoming frozen like statues in place.

Moreover, even though it was a potential stolen and used by a great mage favored by the Demon God, the spell was executed far more perfectly than what I had seen in my previous timeline.

Yet the thousand-year hero standing before me was indirectly revealing that even such powerful magic had no effect on him.

If ordinary students—no, even promising students like Siz—heard what Director Belpheus just revealed, they would undoubtedly be unable to hide their astonishment.

‘As expected.’

For me, however, it was merely confirmation of Director Belpheus’s abilities that I had already witnessed in my previous timeline, so I remained composed.

In the past, upon confirming this, I might have responded with something discourteous like, “I see. If you weren’t affected, you could have rushed over and resolved everything yourself,” delivered with a curt tone.

But I had no desire to live as I did in my previous timeline, displaying my broken nature born of inferiority complexes, speaking harshly, and keeping others at a distance.

“So… you knew.”

I feigned an appropriate level of surprise as I acknowledged the Director’s words.

Though fabricated, my response still contained a degree of genuine feeling.

“Hmm. You seem less surprised than I expected.”

My reaction must have appeared underwhelming to Director Belpheus, as his expression showed a hint of disappointment despite his calm demeanor.

…Wait? Disappointment?

What could possibly disappoint a great hero who had steadfastly lived through a millennium?

‘Perhaps he’s disappointed that I didn’t react more enthusiastically to his revealed abilities?’

No way… that couldn’t be it.

There’s no one less suited to the concept of showing off than him. He wouldn’t express disappointment just because someone reacted calmly to his revealed abilities…

“Well… I suppose a child of Ranos would have heard stories about me, so that level of reaction is sufficient.”

…

Actually, that is it.

As Director Belpheus quickly drew his conclusion and seemed easily satisfied, I felt momentarily perplexed about what expression I should make.

But knowing that denying it would only make things awkward for me:

“That’s correct. Though I’m still a novice, I was born with the Ranos name, so I’ve heard many stories passed down through my family.”

I gave an answer that reinforced the Director’s self-formed hypothesis.

I spoke as a representative of the Ranos family, which was almost as old as the Director himself.

Though it couldn’t compare to an individual who had built an absolute presence over a millennium:

There could be no more perfect answer than claiming to vaguely know based on traditions passed down from a family that had endured for almost the same amount of time.

‘There are actual records, after all.’

In the Ranos family’s records about the Demon God’s Advent, there were many traditions specifically about Director Belpheus’s exploits using time and space.

Among the famous anecdotes:

There was a story about how he saved countless lives by using what was then a groundbreaking spatial transfer spell, moving with just a gesture to a location that would have taken three days of non-stop travel. He did this to rescue a unit that would have been annihilated by the encirclement of the mage and demon alliance forces if they missed their retreat timing due to delayed orders.

‘Even though he hasn’t shown much of it since he’s been working within the Cradle he created, there are theories that he’s the originator of space-time control spells.’

Even if he didn’t create them himself, no one in the current era could match his abilities related to space-time control.

After hearing my simple yet meaningful response, Director Belpheus nodded slightly.

As if he had been waiting for such words from my mouth.

“It makes me happy to know that the recorded traditions have been thoroughly examined.”

I could easily see the gentle curve of satisfaction forming at the corners of the Director’s mouth.

Tap tap

After his smile faded, the Director raised his right hand and lightly tapped the mahogany desktop in front of him, as if sending a signal.

…What’s this?

The sound wasn’t particularly loud, so I began to wonder why he was tapping the desk.

“Ah. I seem to have kept you standing too long. Please, sit down.”

As Director Belpheus gestured toward the chair opposite his desk, inviting me to sit:

“Then…”

I nodded, showing appropriate respect before sitting down, setting aside my questions about his hand movements.

“My introduction was too long. I didn’t call you here just to boast about my abilities, but it’s been so long since I’ve spoken with a child of Ranos that I got carried away.”

As if he had been waiting for me to sit, the Director apologized for keeping me standing too long.

In the past, I might have responded with a cold voice saying something like, “If you knew that, just get to the point. I’m busy,” revealing my rough edges.

But having returned through time after experiencing death twice:

And knowing all too well the significance of being personally summoned by the thousand-year hero who is the highest authority of the Cradle:

“When the Director calls, it’s my duty as a student to simply respond and follow. Please don’t worry about it.”

I gave the most diplomatic answer I could to maintain the Director’s dignity.

“Ho ho ho.”

Seemingly pleased with my response, Director Belpheus let out a satisfied chuckle.

It sounded similar to an elderly person’s laugh, creating quite a contrast with his appearance. This casual demeanor, so different from the authoritative and dignified presence he usually showed to students, might seem surprising to others.

‘This is probably his true personality.’

I had felt it during the few times I met him as a child.

And I had sensed it when I encountered him in the now-erased timeline.

Director Belpheus is truly a good person.

“I appreciate your words.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Still, this isn’t how I should treat someone who prepared to meet me at dawn, as soon as their eyes opened.”

He even mentioned the courtesy that a superior should show to a student like me, who has no notable career or status compared to his position.

Having lived for a millennium—a span of time that even the history of most nations couldn’t match.

Being called a great hero and receiving the respect and reverence of countless people.

Establishing the institution known as the Cradle with his own power to nurture heroes who sustain humanity, accumulating power and status that even considerable secular authorities couldn’t treat lightly.

Yet one could find no trace of the authoritative, rigid, and sometimes condescending attitude that one might expect from someone of high standing.

While this might be partly due to his innate nature, it’s truly admirable how he has maintained his original heart without wavering throughout a millennium.

“The reason I called you here is to discuss the ability you awakened yesterday.”

My brief contemplation was interrupted by the Director’s words about why he had summoned me.

“The ability I awakened yesterday…”

“Yes. If it were an ordinary ability, I wouldn’t have bothered, but the fact that you awakened that is why I brought you here personally and secretly.”

“…Professor Grace told me it was Ultra-regeneration.”

Is the awakening of a body regeneration ability important enough to warrant a personal visit from the Director of the Cradle?

“Yes. Ultra-regeneration.”

“Is that ability important enough for you to summon me secretly like this, Director?”

“It is.”

“…I don’t quite understand. It may be a rare ability, but it doesn’t seem significant enough to warrant your personal attention.”

“Well, if that was the only thing you awakened yesterday, perhaps not.”

“…Only?”

Just as I was beginning to think there was something I didn’t know about in the Director’s words:

“From what I observed yesterday, you completed and successfully achieved a second awakening while fighting the mage.”

“You mean…?”

“The swordsmanship that my thousand-year friend used in his prime.”

I stiffened involuntarily at the Director’s words, recalling something I had briefly heard yesterday.

-The red hair is similar, and that swordsmanship that cut through me in full armor reminds me of him too. Is this also fate…

The words spoken by the mage who had tried to eliminate Siz with overwhelming power, as he collapsed and was being reverse-summoned to his original world due to my miraculous struggle, echoed clearly in my mind.

“…I was just desperately swinging my sword with the desire to protect Siz, nothing more.”

I tried to deny it, believing it was merely the result of my desperate state of mind.

“You swung it instinctively? Then it truly is an awakening.”

Words that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar continued to come from Director Belpheus’s mouth.

The sword I had endlessly practiced but failed to perfect in my previous timeline was completely different from the “Radiance” swordsmanship used by Siz’s ancestor, which had been lost to time.

While Radiance was a sword style focused on rapid strikes, creating an unimaginable number of trajectories in a single breath:

What I had tried to create was a sword path with simple but lethal intent in each strike, designed to overcome the handicap of not being able to channel proper fighting energy due to my “Broken Vessel” condition, which prevented vigorous movements.

That’s why the Director’s words about being reminded of the ancestor when seeing my sword style—which bore no resemblance to the ancestor’s rapid swordsmanship that had been cross-verified and recognized through numerous traditions and records—felt truly strange to me.

“I may forget other things, but I could never forget that trajectory.”

“I’ve heard that my ancestor only had the ‘Radiance’ swordsmanship.”

Tsk tsk tsk

Clicking his tongue with an expression full of regret, Director Belpheus composed himself and slowly began to speak.

“The rapid sword style called Radiance was passed down from the family that person ran away from. To put it simply, if Radiance is the swordsmanship of ‘Ranos’…”

Ahem

Clearing his throat with a cough before saying something important, Director Belpheus continued in a much more serious voice:

“The sword trajectory you momentarily showed yesterday when cutting down the mage is the swordsmanship of ‘Lumen.’ The sword style that person dreamed of his entire life but couldn’t complete until just before his ascension.”

…

Perhaps because I had heard an answer I couldn’t have imagined, my thoughts were still in disarray.

“…”

Unable to find words to respond, I could only stare blankly at Director Belpheus.