Arinseia.
This place looked vastly different from 5000 years ago, but the flag outside the window, with a red background and white wings, was undoubtedly that of Arinseia.
“Hahahahaha!”
Luke laughed heartily. The center of history, which had long been a mystery, was so close!
He soon began to rummage through the room.
The research notes written in Renie’s handwriting were not too difficult to find.
As Luke examined the collected research materials one by one, he couldn’t help but nod in realization.
It was the very beginning of the grammar he was learning in the Academy.
“Baal Nier, that was you. So that’s how it was.”
It became clear why the name Baal was used for a woman, and why the name Nier was chosen.
“That was a truly interesting twist, Renie.”
What Renie had created by integrating and compiling the truths of all the schools she had studied in the past was the secret of “Class.”
Thus, Class Magic resembled any school of thought and simultaneously could not.
He was happy, unbelievably happy, but at the same time, tears quietly flowed.
Then, why exactly was Arinseia destroyed, and how did it end up in his own pocket dimension…?
Luke could surmise.
He paused his laughter, wiped away a few tears, and murmured.
“Yes, that was it, Renie.”
Looking at Renie’s familiar form as she pulled something from the drawer, Luke reached out towards the drawer as well.
What was inside that drawer was a bundle of papers.
Although there was no proper cover or description written, Luke knew exactly what it was.
It was undeniably a grimoire.
His hidden grimoire that could not be found on the shelves.
“You too, in the end…”
Luke turned the pages of the grimoire.
‘…Thus, it is impossible to implement perfect immortality in the material plane through magic. At the very least, the mage himself cannot achieve immortality. Humans are creations of the gods; thus, humans are beings that cannot escape the grasp of the gods. As long as the “gods” exist above our heads and play their dice games, that ceiling can never be broken.’
‘In this way, the gods ultimately restrain humans. The reason the divine power of the gods and the mana of humans do not mix is precisely because of this.’
‘Therefore, we must kill the gods. That is the true way to liberate humans from the goddess’s slavery. However, the mental entity known as a god exists as long as there is even a single faithful believer.’
‘So, I created a way to make the gods forgotten by everyone.’
With the memory finally surfacing in its entirety, Luke closed his eyes tightly.
“I had to choose to be forgotten by everyone.”
———–
In truth, Luke’s “research on immortality” was a superficial study.
Not the kind of half-baked negation that results in an undead like a cursed existence, nor the kind of immortality that serves as a prison, forever used as a handmaiden of the gods.
He, who knew better than anyone that seeking complete immortality as a fully conscious human was impossible.
He already knew that experiments or studies on it were theory that could not even be realized.
Thus, what Luke truly researched was different.
‘A way to bring down the gods.’
As a saint and hero, he aimed to rescue Renie, who had been forever held captive by the goddess as her right hand.
‘If it isn’t me, Renie can never be freed.’
It was the end of an age where good and evil, life and death were determined by the gods.
No one in this era wished for such a thing.
That’s right, no one at all.
To achieve that, he had to avert his gaze.
It must not be found out by the goddess.
Everything was research conducted in a pocket dimension, perfectly separated from the material plane.
The goddess would have been completely unaware of “what kind of research” he was conducting.
Renie herself thought it was merely a simple “immortality experiment.”
Having completed all the necessary preparations, Luke relinquished all power and withdrew to a quiet village.
He made it appear as if he had lost all interest in power and wealth and was rendered hollow.
To gather the fallen materials, he maintained a discreet connection with his family.
With occasional visits to the village to seek advice, he deflected attention.
While simultaneously pretending to be satisfied with this quiet life outside.
No one could know that he was conducting such research in secret.
Yet, he did not care about his body dying due to repeated reckless experiments.
“Master Luke, while research is well and good, isn’t it time to take care of your health? Please don’t overdo it.”
“I want to see you for a longer time.”
Always, her words were sweet.
Honestly, when she said that, Luke felt that letting this moment slip away was an inconceivable waste, and his heart wavered.
But that too was probably an action influenced by the goddess’s advice, as she was a manifestation of the goddess.
To truly know if it was her own will would require taking the path forward.
There was only one way to make Renie a complete being.
Though he belatedly came to know the truth, the time given to him for realization was far too short.
Luke pushed himself to the limits, as he knew that he wouldn’t even be able to see the destination unless he kept running.
Whether it was white magic or black magic, he researched the methods to draw down the gods using all magic that existed in this world, regardless of the school.
When the promised time finally arrived, the dragons, who managed the material plane, would not stand by idly.
– Thud, thud, thud.
The atmosphere trembled, and the earth roared.
Everything in the forest seemed to trap Luke as if it were alive.
But Luke stood still, without a trace of change.
Simply holding a cat in his arms.
“You foolish one, do you truly not know what you’re trying to do?”
“See! That’s why you shouldn’t let a mage on the journey…”
“Advancement surely leads to the end. You saw the examples from the demon realm and still defy the will of the gods. You are a traitor to all living beings!”
The sight of the worlds currently governing the material plane gathering in one place was nothing short of magnificent.
Even in broad daylight, Luke looked up at them in such deep calm, as though night had fallen.
The massive creatures surrounding a single tiny human resembled children gathering to curiously observe an ant, making him want to laugh.
“Is Lord not yet here?”
In Luke’s voice, mixed with mockery, the dragons roared in fury.
“You! How dare you speak so lightly of him!”
“You insolent…!”
“A mere dying human, nonetheless!”
“Such arrogance!”
Their uproar was akin to a bolt from the blue.
An excessively harsh shock for an elder who could barely manage his own body.
However, Luke’s confidence didn’t waver in the slightest.
“You there.”
At that moment, an overwhelmingly powerful being, incomparable to any other, finally appeared.
– Kuguu…!
Even a mere manifestation sent the earth trembling as if it would turn upside down.
Dust from the tremendous impact filled the air thickly.
When he spread his wings, brushing away the dust, that enormous flap cleared away all impurities from the view as if a typhoon swept through.
An overwhelming size, double that of the other dragons.
Yet, Luke, while gazing up at Lord, merely petted the cat in his arms, remaining peaceful.
“Is everyone finally gathered, oh dragon?”
Lord finally spoke.
“Wizard King, Luke Irushi. We acknowledge your achievements in stopping the fallen dragon, Sigarmata, on our behalf.”
“Such gracious words.”
To Luke’s mild-mannered response, the dragon lord continued.
“If you now cancel all your actions, I assure you that your soul will surely receive the goddess’s blessing and can reach paradise even in death.”
“Haha, paradise…”
Luke chuckled softly.
A clear scoff.
However, the dragons were not accustomed to reading human expressions.
Isn’t it amusing?
Those ancient beings, having lived for so long, couldn’t even distinguish a mere human’s laughter.
That must mean they believed humans to be insignificant beings.
In the role of the goddess’s minion, no less.
“My soul has already departed from my body. How foolish.”
At those words, Lord gasped in shock and exclaimed.
“…Wait, you are!”
His body was already dead.
Thus, his soul had long since departed.
He was now merely playing the role of the departed Luke Irushi…
“You are not Luke Irushi! You are his…!”
In that way, all the dragons vanished from the material plane.
That was forgotten, no, it was a page of history that had to be forgotten.
The truth of the “forgotten battle.”
——
Luke smiled bitterly at the last memory that surfaced.
He knew it, that he was not truly Luke Irushi.
Because he had died long ago.
“I merely said I was his shell.”
Not even a being, merely the will that continued on until the very end, he was beginning to faintly realize.
Not a grand magician, but that he had been one.
What he received at the end was the will itself.
The Circle of Luke Irushi.
That was “me.”
———-
Thus, Renie became the last god of the mythological age.
No one came to believe in the fallen god’s existence anymore.
Luke now understood why he defined and thought of himself as Luke Irushi.
Why Sigarmata referred to him as “scum,” “shell,” “wraith.”
Because he was his Circle, and the Circle could not doubt itself.
The name “Luke Irushi” was truly akin to his very existence and significance, so it was only natural that he would stubbornly define himself as Luke Irushi.
Luke sat in Arinseia’s garden, gazing at his… no, the statue of Luke Irushi, smiling.
In the end, Renie became free enough to choose to be forgotten.
“Haha, seeing this scene, it seems your dream has finally come true.”
Or was it “our” dream?
Though compared to the master, the duration of the will he received was extremely short, ultimately, it was he who executed that will.
He and the master shared the same thoughts concerning Renie.
Thanks to that, such things had been made possible.
To drag the goddess down to the material plane and see her fall…
And that vessel for him was this body.
Flesh of a monstrous beast that could contain everything, and the strongest dragon heart to support it…
To imprison the goddess in that chimera.
That’s why this body achieved immortality.
Ultimately, he succeeded in his “research on immortality.”
Therefore, he had never lied to Renie.
‘In this case, the truth isn’t that important…’
Luke gazed at the sky of Arinseia with such thoughts.
A laugh burst forth inexplicably.
“But, it seems Renie foolishly led Arinseia for 3000 years even after becoming free from the goddess.”
However, as long as she existed, this world would continue on a level path without development or retreat.
She could not let go until the very end.
Arinseia was the only thing she could reminisce about Luke.
That must be why, despite vowing to be forgotten, she could not fully erase and moved Arinseia to this space.
“You don’t know where you might be listening, Luke Irushi.”
Luke sighed deeply, rose from his seat, and muttered.
“Renie’s love for you was not the will of the goddess, but truly her own.”
Otherwise, how could she have created something like this?
He offered flowers in front of the statue of Luke Irushi.
Somehow, it felt as if moisture gathered in his eyes and trickled down his cheeks.
“I hope you find peace over there, Luke Irushi.”
Goodbye, Luke Irushi.
The father I had to act as.
