Epilogue: The Meaning of My Existence

……

…………

……The continuation of that white memory, in that snowy world.

“…I’m sorry. It must’ve been tough.”

The man, who resembled my brother, lowered his gun upon confirming my appearance and uttered words of apology.

“If only I’d gotten here a bit sooner… huh.”

After a brief silence, he suddenly threw a question my way.

“Hey, you… what’s your name?”

“M… my name is—Illushia… Illushia Rayford…”

When I told him my name, the man’s expression twisted with even deeper anguish.

“I see… so you’re Illushia, huh… Sion’s little sister, the one I heard about… If you’ve been through something like this, then Sion… he’s already gone, isn’t he?”

“…You… knew my brother…?”

“Yeah. I was supposed to be the one to save you two from that organization…”

“……”

“But Sion’s dead… and, sorry to say, you don’t have much time left either. Honestly, there’s nothing I can do. Even if I tried to perform [Reviver], I don’t have the mana or the skill… and you’ve barely got any time left. Is there anything you want to say before the end?”

One final thought crosses my mind.

What was the meaning of my life, of my brother’s life, after all?

The more I think about it, the less I understand. I can’t find it. And that… it’s sad.

So, the one thing I think about… the one thing I want to leave behind…

“Are you… going to… that laboratory… next…?”

“…Yeah. Either way, that lab’s gotta be taken down.”

“Then… if…”

It was a sudden, absurd idea that popped into my head.

At the brink of death, I recalled a girl with blue hair, just like mine.

Maybe it was something that didn’t mean anything at all.

But… even so, it was my last hope.

“Hm?”

“If… at the place you’re going, you find a girl who looks like me… with blue hair… please, help her find something meaningful… a path to live happily…”

“…!?”

“My life had no meaning… my brother’s life had no meaning… but… at least… the proof of what my brother did… the girl who inherited my body and memories… that girl… at least her…”

“Inherited your body and memories… wait, you mean…!?”

“I know… that girl… she’s the cursed product of the ‘Re=L Project’… If the imperial government finds out, she’ll be sealed away… or disposed of… but, but…!”

On the brink of death, the former me—Illushia—knew I was asking for the impossible, but still, I pleaded through tears with that man, Glenn.

“Please… I beg you… just let that girl… find a path to live happily…! She was born through twisted means, but she herself… she’s done nothing wrong…!”

Because that was all.

That was the only salvation… for me, for us siblings.

“……”

Glenn, drenched in cold sweat, shut his eyes tightly and fell silent for a while.

But as my consciousness began to fade, just before my vision was swallowed by complete darkness—

“…Alright, I promise.”

As if shaking off his hesitation, Glenn nodded.

“If I find her, I’ll do my best to make sure she can live the way you want… so rest easy. Go be with your brother in the afterlife…”

The moment I heard his answer.

I felt relief.

“…Good… that’s… good…”

And I sank into an eternal slumber from which I’d never awaken.

…………

……

At the break of dawn, as the eastern sky began to lighten—

Glenn returned to the inn with Rumia and Re=L in tow.

The sight of all three in tattered, battered states startled those waiting, but they breathed genuine sighs of relief, glad they were safe.

Brushing off brief apologies to their classmates, Re=L was led by Rumia’s hand straight toward Sistine.

“…Sorry, you guys. For now, just give those three some space.”

At Glenn’s urging, the classmates reluctantly distanced themselves from Sistine and the others.

In a corner of the inn’s front courtyard, as the classmates watched from afar, Re=L mumbled something to Sistine.

And then.

Smack!

The sound of Sistine suddenly slapping Re=L’s cheek echoed through the courtyard, making everyone flinch…

But in the next moment, Sistine tightly embraced Re=L’s small frame.

“~~~! ~~~!”

Sistine, tears in her eyes, was passionately saying something to Re=L.

“…! …!”

Re=L, still held in the embrace, was also muttering something, tears streaming down her face.

Rumia watched the two with a smile, her own eyes brimming with large tears.

Seeing the three of them like that.

Ah, it’s finally over, and they’re safe…

The entire class felt that from the bottom of their hearts.

“How tactless…”

“Yes, quite tactless, isn’t it…”

“…Hmph.”

Kash, Wendy, and Gibul turned on their heels, heading back to their respective rooms.

Following their lead, the other students began to trickle away.

“What’s that? You guys aren’t curious about what happened? I went through all the trouble of coming up with a perfect lie to smooth things over for you lot.”

“Haha… you’re admitting it’s a lie yourself, huh? That’s rich.”

Kash shrugged with a wry smile.

“Those three are back to normal… that’s enough for now.”

Wendy glanced at Rumia and the others with a smile.

“Honestly, I couldn’t care less about what happened between those three and Sensei. Hmph… what a grand waste of time.”

Gibul pushed up his glasses, snorted, and looked away.

“You guys…”

Glenn watched the backs of the departing students.

Of course, Glenn understood.

Every single one of them must have had a ton of questions.

Things they wanted to say, things they wanted to ask, things that frustrated or worried them… those feelings must’ve been piling up like mountains.

But even so.

The students of Glenn’s class chose to unconditionally accept Rumia, Sistine, and Re=L’s moment.

“…Jeez.”

Glenn scratched his head with a wry smile.

To be honest, these kids were supposed to be irrelevant to him.

The whole thing started because Celica forced him into this teaching gig. It was just a job, something he grudgingly dealt with because he had no choice.

If he had to choose, only Rumia—with her potential to unlock new magical possibilities—and Sistine—with her unwavering passion he himself had long lost—were ones he truly cared about. The rest of the students were just background noise in his daily life.

Frankly, they were a hassle.

That was the unfiltered, honest truth of Glenn, the good-for-nothing magic instructor.

But.

Now—what did he feel?

“Well, anyway… thanks, guys.”

Muttering that quietly to no one in particular.

Glenn kept watching the three girls hugging and crying in the corner of the courtyard.

A faint smile played on his lips.

…And then.

Unfortunately, the field study expedition for Glenn’s class was ultimately canceled.

After all, there was the sudden “disappearance” of Burks Blaumohn, director of the Platinum Magic Research Institute.

A sudden order from the government’s upper echelons to temporarily halt the institute’s operations, and the dispatch of an investigation team—ostensibly for exploration but suspiciously heavily armed—from the Imperial Court Mage Corps to Saineria Island without any prior notice.

Simultaneously, an evacuation order was issued for all tourists and researchers to leave the island.

The field study was the least of anyone’s concerns now.

Of course, the full truth wasn’t revealed to the public.

The fact that the Researchers of Divine Wisdom were involved was kept under wraps, and everything was explained away as an ‘unfortunate accident’ at the institute. Whether people bought it or not, that was how the incident was buried in the shadows.

Still, the island had a fair number of people.

It was impossible for everyone to return to the mainland at once. Passenger ships were running nonstop between the empire and Saineria Island, but it would take time for everyone to evacuate, and boarding was on a first-come, first-served basis.

Fortunately, this gave Glenn’s class a single day of free time.

A whole day with no plans.

And so—

An endlessly blue sky. A brilliantly shining sun. A scorching white sandy beach.

The pure sound of the tide, waves that came and went, their colors ever-changing.

On the beach of Saineria Island, the cheerful voices of boys and girls in swimsuits danced in the air.

“Hup!”

Re=L’s murderous spike, delivered with a half-hearted leap and the motion of swatting a fly.

A massive pillar of sand shot skyward, leaving a crater in the beach.

“Gyaaaaaaa—!?”

“Dwaaaaaa—!?”

The poor male students were scattered like leaves by its force, tumbling through the air…

“…I won.”

“Yeah, nice shot, Re=L!”

Re=L muttered sleepily, as always.

Sistine, beaming like the sun, hugged her from behind.

“Sistine’s toss was perfect.”

Re=L, still in Sistine’s embrace, puffed out her chest with a hint of pride.

“Haha, you two were totally in sync. …But maybe go a little easier on them, Re=L?”

Rumia chided Re=L with a wry smile.

“Dammit… Re=L-chan’s too strong! Argh, no way I’m losing like this! Come on, everyone! Whoever’s got the guts, step up for Kai and Rodd—they’re out cold!”

“G-Go for it, Kash~! …Just, y’know, don’t die…”

Kash, covered in sand and crawling on the ground, stood up with sheer determination, while Cecil, in the outfield, gave a vague smile and cheered him on.

Inspired by Kash’s rallying cry, the boys stepped up one by one—I’m next, I’ll do it!—joining the makeshift beach volleyball court.

The girls watching from the sidelines cheered loudly for the reckless, brave boys.

To this lively group of classmates.

“Ugh, the boys… as if they could ever beat Re=L at beach volleyball.”

“Anyway, we managed to buy a watermelon from one of the few shops still open.”

“Hey… wanna do a watermelon smash together?”

Wendy, exasperated, Teresa with a gentle smile, and Lynn, unusually excited, returned from their shopping trip.

“Oh! Nice one, Wendy! My throat’s been parched, so perfect timing. After we eat the watermelon, I’m taking Re=L-chan down!”

“…Bring it on.”

In a spot slightly removed from the commotion, under the shade of a palm tree.

As always, Gibul, the only one still in his usual uniform, was silently reading a book.

Kash ran over to him, and after some back-and-forth, Gibul reluctantly—very reluctantly—closed his book and got up, looking thoroughly annoyed.

Standing before this lively, joyful scene,

“…I see. So, this is the scene you wanted to protect, Glenn.”

“Dunno.”

Albert spoke calmly to Glenn, who was lounging under a beach umbrella.

Albert was dressed in a simple shirt, suspenders, round silver-rimmed glasses, and a white robe—a perfect researcher’s look.

“This scene is undeniably precious. …This time, I owe you an apology. I’m sorry.”

“Hah, what’s that? Creepy. That’s not like you.”

“…Hmph.”

Albert snorted irritably as Glenn grinned cheekily.

“But… Glenn. What do you think?”

Albert lowered his tone slightly, posing the question to Glenn.

“What do I think? Well, I think Rumia and Teresa’s swimsuits are top-tier, y’know? They’re growing nicely, and there’s that youthful vibe only they’ve got right now. I’m not usually into younger girls, but I might be awakening to something… Oh, but White Cat’s a pass. She’s got zero future potential—”

“Who said anything about swimsuits…!?”

Beneath his usual cold tone, a dangerous edge seeped through as Albert pointed a finger at Glenn below him.

“Fine. Shall we test which is faster—your [Fool’s World] or my [Lightning Pierce]?”

“W-Wait, it’s a joke, a joke! Al-chan, just a joke, I swear… haha… ha… s-so maybe put that scary finger away, yeah…?”

Glenn, pale as a ghost, was sweating buckets.

Albert clicked his tongue and retracted his finger.

“You mean whether this incident moved things forward with that organization, right? You already know the answer. Nothing’s changed. I can say that with confidence.”

“Tch. Just Outer Circle… First Order [Portals Order] mages like Rainer wouldn’t have any info connecting to the organization’s core. Same goes for Burks, the guy you took out. If scrubs like them had anything worthwhile, this war with the organization wouldn’t have dragged on since the empire’s founding. You knew that, which is why you dealt with Burks, right?”

“……”

“All we get is the usual—magicians plotting world domination, and their inexplicable obsession with that mysterious ‘Akashic Records’ nonsense.”

Albert raised an eyebrow.

The Akashic Records… this wasn’t the first time he’d heard the term, not even counting Eleanor’s mention during the Magic Tournament fiasco.

In the ongoing conflict between the imperial government and the Researchers of Divine Wisdom, that phrase kept popping up.

But its true meaning remained completely unknown. Was it literally a book? A code for something else? What was it even for? No one knew.

“They’re such a bizarre bunch… even they don’t seem to know what the ‘Akashic Records’ actually are, so why are they so desperate for it?”

“Could be some kind of suggestive spell, like a curse, radiating intense charisma. It’d rally the organization, draw in outside allies, and make them easier to manipulate as pawns.”

“Got it. So they keep the critical info from the grunts and external collaborators, ready to cut them off like a lizard’s tail whenever needed? …Man, the more I think about it, the more this organization makes me sick.”

Glenn looked up at the sky, exasperated.

Ignoring him, Albert sank into thought.

The Akashic Records. Even he had no clue about its true nature.

But—

(Eleanor Charlet… that woman’s different from the other grunts. The way she talked about the ‘Akashic Records’… she definitely knows something.)

The chilling smile of that woman, her eyes like an unfathomable abyss, flashed in Albert’s mind.

(To get to the organization’s truth, we need to take down someone from the Inner Circle… Second Order [Adeptus] class or higher. But that woman… this time, she was even harder to read than before. She abandoned the princess, the key to ‘Project: Revive Life,’ and vanished without a trace… What was her goal…?)

Irritation gnawed at him.

The more he dealt with her, the less he could grasp her motives or the organization’s aims.

She wasn’t someone you could handle with a straightforward approach. Beyond her combat skills, there was something deeply unsettling about her.

And she wasn’t the only threat. Eleanor was just the tip of the iceberg. Since she was out in the open, it made sense to assume she was lower in the Second Order’s hierarchy.

Thinking about the other Second Order mages, and the legendary Third Order mages whose existence was practically a myth, even Albert felt a headache coming on.

(But I’ll corner you. Researchers of Divine Wisdom… I’ll never forgive your kind of evil. I’ll drive you out of this country… I swear it. And—)

The image of an elderly man in monk robes flickered in Albert’s mind.

(I’ll make that man pay with my own hands—)

“Hey, Albert? Why’s your face so scary all of a sudden?”

Glenn glanced up at Albert, who was staring sharply into the distance.

Then.

“Haha, that was quite the productive time, Glenn-san.”

Albert’s tone and demeanor shifted abruptly to that of a gentle, friendly young man.

“…Huh?”

“Your approach to spell interpretation is truly innovative. I look forward to discussing magic theory with you again someday. For now, I’ll take my leave…”

Speaking in a refined, gentlemanly tone, Albert turned on his heel and strode away briskly.

“…What was that?”

Glenn stood there, dumbfounded.

“Oh, there you are, Sensei~! Wanna join us for some watermelon with everyone~!?”

Replacing Albert, Rumia and Sistine came running up to Glenn.

Re=L followed behind them, toddling along like a little chick.

Seeing the three of them, Glenn couldn’t help but soften his expression.

“Hehe, Sensei… you look pretty worn out. Are you okay?”

Rumia asked with concern.

“Hahaha, don’t worry. I’m doing way better than when I got skewered by a giant sword.”

At Glenn’s tactless remark, Re=L, who was standing behind, flinched.

“Ugh…”

Her eyes slightly teary, Re=L fidgeted apologetically.

“Hey, Sensei! That’s no way to talk, is it!?”

Sistine stepped forward, pointing a finger at Glenn.

“There was a reason for it! Re=L’s already sorry! You came out fine in the end! Holding a grudge forever isn’t manly at all!”

“Oh? White Cat, you’re taking her side?”

Glenn shrugged, testing Sistine with a teasing tone.

“From what I heard, you’ve had your fair share of scary run-ins with her too, haven’t you?”

“W-Well… yeah, that’s true… but it can’t be helped! When someone apologizes tearfully with a reason like that, it’s hard to stay mad… and besides…”

“Besides?”

“Back then, Re=L… she said, ‘Shoot me’…”

“…”

“Looking back calmly now, I get it… she meant ‘Stop me.’ But I didn’t have the courage to cast the spell… so I couldn’t stop her… which means I’m partly to blame too… ugh, whatever! The point is, what’s done is done! You’re a guy, so stop dwelling on the past forever—”

“Got it. If you’re cool with it, then it’s fine.”

Cutting off Sistine’s tirade abruptly, Glenn turned away casually.

Caught off guard, Sistine blinked at Glenn’s back for a moment before puffing out her cheeks and glaring at his carefree attitude.

“…Tch. That’s… that’s not fair…! Ugh!”

“Haha… come on, Sistie…”

Sistine, frustrated with nowhere to vent, trembled with clenched fists, while Rumia tried to calm her down.

Just then—

“Oh, right. Speaking of which…”

As if suddenly remembering something, Glenn spun around to face Sistine.

“White Cat, I heard from Albert. You helped me out again, didn’t you?”

“Huh?”

“The White Magic Ritual [Reviver] thing. You assisted Albert with the ritual’s progression and supplied mana, right?”

“Oh, that? …Ah.”

In the next moment, as if recalling something, Sistine let out a small gulp, stammered, and hurriedly averted her gaze from Glenn. Her face flushed bright red.

“Guess I owe you one. Thanks, you really saved me… but, uh, why’s your face so red? …Got a cold or something?”

“…Ugh… uuu… uuu~!”

Sistine pressed both hands to her mouth, glaring up at Glenn with teary, angry eyes.

“Uuu~! …It was my first time… and it had to be with a guy like this… my… my…”

“First time? Well, yeah, I guess. At your age, assisting with a White Magic Ritual [Reviver] is a rare experience. It’s only natural it’d be your first—”

“Shut up! You idiot, idiot, IDIOT! That’s not what I mean! That… that doesn’t count! It doesn’t count! Uuu~! I’m done with you!”

With a huff, Sistine spun around and bolted off.

“Wait, Sistie!? Um, Sensei, Re=L, I’m gonna go check on her!”

Rumia hurriedly chased after Sistine.

Glenn watched them go, utterly confused.

“Did I screw up again? …But this time, I seriously have no clue.”

Beside Glenn, Re=L sat hugging her knees, leaning close and murmuring.

“Hey, Glenn… is it really okay for me to stay by their side?”

She’s gotten a lot more human, hasn’t she?

Feeling a strange sense of pride, Glenn opted for a safe response.

“Who knows? That’s up to you from here on out, isn’t it?”

“Up to me?”

“What you did won’t just disappear. Make it so they’re glad you’re around… work hard at it from now on.”

He patted Re=L’s head gently.

“Humans are the ones who mess up and keep moving forward. Do things your way. I’ll back you up.”

Though I’d really appreciate it if you could avoid bloodshed or property damage. Glenn was starting to worry he’d end up owing the academy his entire salary soon.

“…Got it.”

Re=L nodded firmly at Glenn’s words.

“For now, I’ll protect Rumia. And, well, Sistine too, I guess. I think they’re better off smiling together.”

“…Don’t say ‘I guess’ about Sistine. At least say you’ll protect them both… though that’d technically stray a bit from your mission…”

“Even if enemies come and things get dangerous, I’ll tap into my desire or madness to unleash crazy power and protect them. I can do that because I’m human.”

“That’s the cheesy motivational speech I gave, huh… Why’d you latch onto that part? There were way better bits in the first half…”

“I’m done overthinking… I’m too dumb for that. Yeah, too dumb. …Too dumb.”

“Hey… are you holding a grudge? Huh? You’re holding a grudge, aren’t you? That’s it, right?”

“And…”

Re=L turned to face Glenn, staring at him intently.

“Glenn. I’ve decided… I’m going to live and fight for you.”

“Oh, great, another weird obsession’s cropped up…”

Thinking she hadn’t changed at her core, Glenn looked at Re=L with exasperation.

“Like I’ve been saying, using me as a stand-in for your brother—”

“It’s not about Nii-san.”

“—!?”

At that moment—

Glenn froze, witnessing something unbelievable.

Re=L, whose sleepy, emotionless face was usually unreadable, was faintly smiling.

“Maybe that’s how it was before. But now… I don’t really get it, but… I want to do it, so I will. That’s the feeling. Probably.”

“…Re=L.”

“I’ll protect Rumia and Sistine. And I’ll be your sword, Glenn. I’ll swing it to carve the path you want, to protect what you want to protect. I don’t fully understand, but… that’s probably what matters to me. So I’m going to live for that… is that okay?”

Glenn looked into Re=L’s eyes.

Her gaze, staring straight at him—unusually earnest for her—was not the look of someone mindlessly dependent, abandoning their own thoughts.

“…You’re a weird one. Do whatever you want.”

“Okay. I will.”

Glenn sighed, waving his hand dismissively.

Re=L smiled softly, tilting her head.

Just then, Sistine was dragged back by Rumia, who was trying to calm her down. Sistine’s face was still bright red, and she was ranting about something loudly.

(Man, things are gonna stay messy for a while…)

Though a bit exasperated—

Glenn couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from curling up.

—Somewhere.

A dark, narrow space filled with damp air. The sound of trickling water echoed nearby.

The clack, clack of footsteps reverberated through the endless, claustrophobic passage.

“Phew… what a hassle.”

At that moment, Eleanor was walking alone through an underground waterway.

“Dealing with Albert-sama and Glenn-sama… as expected, those two are exhausting. If things had gotten any more intense, I might’ve broken…”

A dangerously seductive, feverish sigh escaped Eleanor’s lips.

“Since I’ve achieved my goal, it’s wise to avoid unnecessary risks… I feel a bit bad for Burks-sama and Rainer-sama, though.”

Right now, the Imperial Court Mage Corps was conducting a sweep of the island, but that was no issue. Her escape plan was flawless.

“Thanks to those two playing the perfect decoys, I was able to slip away from that situation smoothly… I owe them my gratitude.”

Eleanor chuckled to herself.

Rainer, a low-ranking member, held no critical information that could trouble the Empire, and Burks, a mere probationer, was no different. Whether they lived or died, no significant details about the organization or its goals would surface.

When Eleanor had gone with Burks to intercept Albert and the others, she’d cast a perception-altering spell on Burks to push her existence out of his awareness… but a mage who’d fall for such a basic trick had no business sitting at the organization’s inner circle. He’d be stuck in the outer ranks forever.

After all, the true qualification for joining the inner circle of The Researchers of Divine Wisdom was—

“…Well, whatever. Even without the qualifications, those two contributed to the Great Master’s grand plan through this incident. That’s a great honor and a blessing.”

Smirking, Eleanor stopped and pulled a small crystal from her pocket. It contained all the data from the rituals conducted in [Project: Revive Life].

This was the top priority Eleanor had to protect above even her own life.

“Now, as for the princess, Rumia-sama… yes, she exceeded expectations. The bestowal rate of The Kings Law—[Ars Magna]—ninety-eight percent… that’s likely the highest among all R-Factor bearers in history. We can consider it complete for now. Even though it’s a replaceable part, reaching this point feels profound. Hehe… the imperial royal family has worked hard for a long time. I’m sure the Great Master will be pleased with these results…”

Gazing fondly at the crystal fragment, Eleanor slipped it back into her pocket.

“One of the ‘keys’ to reaching the Sky Castle is complete. And now that it’s done, there’s no need to rush to secure Rumia-sama’s person, dead or alive, for the time being. The radicals who want to kill her to boost the ‘key’s’ completion rate and the moderates who want to secure the current ‘key’ and move to the next phase will likely settle their disputes for now… hehe, splendid.”

Suddenly, Eleanor paused and sighed.

“Phew… this whole affair was just to measure Rumia-sama’s ability specifications… as expected, it was exhausting. Things are going to get busier from here on out… I could use a vacation. Now then…”

Regaining her composure, Eleanor resumed walking.

Ahead of her was an arched exit.

Where did that arch, filled with abyssal darkness, lead?

“What’s the next move… first, I’ll need to consult with the members of the Third Order [Heavens Order]…”

Into that dark arch—

Eleanor’s figure was silently swallowed.