I Became the Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard

090. Snow Mountain (3)

Think back to a somewhat distant past, Schubert was a person for whom the concept of a father was awkward.

His father had already passed away when he was still unable to speak properly.

However, if you ask whether that led to any absence or deficiency… that wasn’t the case.

Rather, Schubert grew up without feeling the absence of his father.

Wasn’t it so?

To feel a void, there must have been something there before, but he hadn’t spent enough time for that.

If we trace the fundamental cause, it was because Tibria fulfilled all the roles of a father.

―Son, isn’t it beautiful?

―Yes……

―This is Heiron. The coldest land on the continent, and the cleanest land. Our ancestors protected it, I am protecting it, and in the future, you will protect it.

Tibria was the person who would tell Schubert such stories while standing in the middle of the snowy field.

After telling such stories, he would go to the study where the smell of paper calmed his heart.

Books, the snowy field, and mother.

That was how his childhood and boyhood were, and during those times, Schubert had one dream.

―Still, it’s a pity. In the garden of a friend who lives in the capital, there is a very beautiful flower bed. I think of it from time to time.

To create a flower bed for his mother.

To create a blooming garden even in this severe winter.

Although later personal interest and ambition were added, the reason he initially learned alchemy was for that.

It was the same reason he went to the Imperial Academy in the capital.

Because Tibria wanted it.

Because she wanted Schubert to know the capital as she did.

There was no reason not to go, so Schubert went to the capital.

He enrolled in school, met many children his age, and met the old man who changed his life.

―Ah, yes. Schubert. You have given the correct answer.

Aindel Chronid.

The guest professor of alchemy at the Imperial Academy.

A navy blue robe with wide sleeves, curly hair turned stark white, a face lined with wrinkles, and a hunched back—these were the striking features of the old man.

From the very first lesson, he was an exceptionally intriguing person.

His perspective on alchemy and the depth of his knowledge made one realize their own inadequacies, and his unwavering kindness instilled a sense of reverence.

It took only a month for Aindel to become his true mentor.

…No, he certainly became more than just a mentor.

What more can be said?

In a single word, he was a father.

He felt the presence of a father, something he had never known in his entire life, in that old man.

―You are brilliant. Not only that, but your perspective is refreshing. Such open-minded thinking is important. Are we not explorers of possibilities?

He was someone who expressed not just praise but pride in Shufert.

―Don’t immerse yourself too much in research. At your age, you should also pay attention to eating and sleeping.

He was someone who cared for him as a human being, not just for his abilities.

―Shufert, have you made many friends? Sigh, don’t be too dismissive of others. Humans are creatures that must be connected to other humans to live.

He was someone who gave life advice as an adult.

If one were to point out a decisive moment, it was this:

One day, Shufert shared his dream with Aindel, and he affirmed that dream.

―That’s a wonderful goal.

―…Isn’t it ridiculous?

―What is ridiculous about it? You hold something greater than any great knowledge.

―Something greater…?

―It’s your heart. The heart that seeks to use truth rightly. The kindness that wishes to bring a smile to someone. That is the most precious treasure.

What Aindel wanted from Shufert was not grandeur or greatness.

It was about righteousness and beauty.

―Shufert, never forget that selfish knowledge can change nothing.

Those words became Shufert’s guiding principle.

―I look forward to it. The day you make flowers bloom in the snowy field. When that day comes, won’t you invite me? I must… I must see that scenery.

―It’s just flowers, isn’t it?

―I’m talking about the smile your flowers will bring to your mother.

They hooked their pinkies.

It was clearly an action meant for a child, but the fulfillment it brought was beyond description.

The academy, which he had not expected, became the most precious moments of his life.

What more can be said about the pinnacle of those moments?

It was the day they completed the homunculus.

―Master! It’s done! We made it!

―Yes, it’s done. It’s not perfect, but these are children who move and act on their own! This is truly…!

―Master?! Are you crying?!

―Hahaha…!

Its size was barely larger than his upper body.

Its intellectual level was below that of a three-year-old, and it could only perform simple commands, but it was undoubtedly the result of the efforts of the two.

Whenever the children chirped cutely and clung to his legs, Shupeurt felt like he owned the world.

―We can do more! Our research will surely see the light!

―Yes! Absolutely! Now let’s delve into continuity. If we can find the clue to adaptive evolution…!

―We can create flowers that can survive even in Heylon!

Everything was perfect.

He thought only better things awaited, but then an unexpected event occurred.

…Rebecca appeared at just such a time.

―It’s love. First love is so fresh. Cherish that feeling, Shupeurt! This master……

―It’s not like that! There’s just an annoying girl!

―Haha, you’re not being honest.

At first, she was just an annoying girl.

It was just bothersome how she always appeared wherever he went, smiling as she approached.

It didn’t take long for that feeling to ignite, and before he knew it, he found himself thinking of Rebecca even during research.

Aindel did not scold Shupeurt for this.

On the contrary, he gave his full support to Shupeurt’s first love.

―It’s a simple trick, but it works well! Just wedge the coin between your fingers……

―Master…!

―Then how about this! A flower gift! In my day, there wasn’t a heart that couldn’t be melted with just one flower…!

―Sigh.

―…….

The process itself was not a problem.

In reality, Aindel’s advice had been quite helpful in Schpert’s love life.

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However, as with anyone who fell for her, the aftermath was the problem.

Schpert still remembered.

―Parting is really painful. It’s probably because everyone has different lifespans…?

―…Hmm.

He wanted to look good.

He wanted to be recognized, and thus, he wanted Rebecca to see him.

That emotion led Schpert to rather extreme actions.

―What do you think it would be like if such a world were created…?

―Huhu, it would be nice. No one would part. You and… me too.

Each word resonated, pounding his heart.

That attraction led to a resolution.

In the end, driven by that emotion, Schpert conducted a forbidden research.

An experiment trading the lifespan of life.

From that moment, he began to clash with Aindel.

Even though he kept the details of the experiment a secret, she expressed dissatisfaction with the research process itself.

Of course, Schpert dismissed her opinion.

He couldn’t even explain why he did so.

Even Schpert thought the whole process was utterly irrational.

Now he explains, it was because of the devil’s temptation.

It was the trickery of the transcendent beings seated on the opposite throne of God.

How could he have known that at the time?

Above all, he began to distance himself from Aindel, thinking he had to look good.

If he could just produce good research results, they could reconcile.

He thought he should apologize first then.

It was at that time.

How could God decree the most cruel parting?

Before he could even apologize, Aindel crossed the river of no return.

―Ah, ugh…

All Schpert could do was wail in front of the grave.

There was nothing but to collapse, suffocated by sorrow.

Even Rebecca’s comfort was of no help at that moment.

Perhaps, that was the difference between him and others.

Aindel’s death awakened him from irrational love, and in the midst of it, he was even repatriated to the north under the pretext of training.

During his seclusion, thoughts of that death filled his mind.

As a result, his desire to see Rebecca diminished.

He was also seized by a strange sense of mission that he had to research something.

During that time, he heard stories about Rebecca’s true identity.

The despair of that moment was severe.

It cannot be said that there were no feelings of anger or astonishment, but what filled Shuperte more was a sense of guilt.

The fact that he had been played by her, and that there was a high probability that she was the one who killed his master.

All of it aroused a sense of guilt.

He couldn’t breathe.

He wanted to hang himself in pain, but even if he did, it seemed his soul would suffer.

So what should he do?

In the end, there was only one way, to apologize.

The thought that his soul could not be saved unless he was directly forgiven for showing only his ugly side, for driving Aindel to death, and for everything else, surged.

At that point, Shuperte made a decision.

With the possibility that arose from Bell’s contact, he wanted to achieve Aindel’s resurrection without rest.

It was against the heavens.

To revive Aindel and set everything right.

Should it be called a blessing in disguise, the research he had been doing, which was close to taboo, raised the possibility of this experiment, but there was one problem.

The interference of the gods who watched over this land.

Bell’s contact was a helping hand extended during his contemplation.

Shuperte placed the final ingredient on the altar.

Then he synthesized the reagents to make a potion.

“Is this what connects you to the other dimension?”

Bell asked curiously.

Shuperte nodded.

“It will only be possible at this time today… temporarily, the connection between my body and soul will loosen. To fill that gap, my soul will emit waves, and as it meshes with the altar, it will allow me to hear the voices of the outer gods.”

“Hmm, even if I listen, I don’t understand a word!”

“You don’t need to.”

“But are you really okay with this?”

Belle whispered as she brushed Schubert’s shoulder.

“You’re burning half of your remaining lifespan.”

Schubert scoffed.

He had already made up his mind about this part.

“It’s a lifespan meant for my master. I don’t regret it at all.”

The lifespan trade he had researched to impress Rebecca had finally yielded results.

However, the conditions to apply it hadn’t been met.

Now, it’s different.

The moment he receives the rank of the outer god, he will steal Aindel’s soul from the underworld.

Then, if he places Aindel into the homunculus’s body and fuses him with his own lifespan, Aindel will be resurrected as a being with soul, life, and body.

What does it matter if his remaining lifespan is short?

For this task, Schubert was prepared to sacrifice all of his lifespan.

So, there was no hesitation.

“Let’s begin.”

The time had come, and Schubert drank the potion without hesitation.

Then,

Boom―!

“Gah…?!”

His heart shriveled.

His breath stopped, and his thoughts became blurry.

In that process, Schubert leaned against the altar to keep his mind intact.

He drew upon the remaining magic power of Belle in his body.

It was the key.

The key to connecting the altar and the outer dimension.

He poured it into the altar.

Sss―

A resonance struck his entire body.

Schubert clung to his breaking breath and closed his eyes.

A feeling of the soul drifting away from the body.

And a feeling of being swept into another world.

It was at that moment.

[Ah… human, you are human…….]

A sensation as if his mind was splitting apart arose.

It was the voice of the foreign god.

An overwhelmingly vast presence crushed Schubert.

Laughter was heard.

Hik, hik, as he gasped for breath, ‘it’ spoke.

[Amusing. As expected of her creation, you do such ridiculous things.]

Schubert gritted his teeth.

‘Shut up…….’

Give me strength.

That will was conveyed with difficulty.

The foreign god chuckled.

And then said,

[So be it. I will graciously accept.]

It was a truly enigmatic statement.

Thud―!

Schubert’s head tilted back.

His soul had returned to reality.

The altar came into his view.

The same scenery as before.

But everything was different.

“Ah……”

The distinction between the whites and blacks of Schubert’s eyes disappeared.

What filled them was a night sky full of stars.

His body began to tremble.

The foreign god’s power had seeped in.

Shupert held onto his sanity.

‘Now, now I must do it…’

Shupert’s hand groped around the altar.

The energy seeped into the prepared materials on the altar, intertwining and beginning to form a body.

Now, all that was left was to summon the soul.

‘It will be very cold.’

It is often said that the underworld is a frozen dimension.

The cold there is said to be the screams of souls from which the warmth of life has vanished.

It was not a place suited for Aindel.

He was someone who, more than anyone Shupert knew, was warm, someone who rather shared warmth.

Tears of blood flowed.

A smile appeared on his lips.

‘Come back, Master.’

He tried to connect the underworld and the soul.

Once again, the energy from the outer dimension surged, and Shupert felt a connection within it.

It must be Aindel, he thought.

At that moment.

“Shupert!!!”

Clang―!

Shupert’s movements halted at the voice.

It was too familiar, too missed, and a voice that should not be heard.

“Child! Stop! Sto… cough!”

Thud, the sound of something falling.

No, no way.

Thinking this, Shupert creaked his head around.

And then he saw.

“Ah… what on earth have you done…!”

“Master…?”

Aindel was there.

In a state far more dreadful than Shupert’s memory could compare.

Why on earth is Aindel alive and calling out to me like that?

Before that question, something else came to mind.

‘Then, what is it that’s connected to me now…?’

The soul that is penetrating this body…

“Ah, really. Of all times, why now?”

Bell’s voice was heard.

She trapped Shuperte in her arms.

It was the touch of cold flesh, devoid of any warmth.

There was no time to be flustered.

“You did well. Thanks to you, it ended well.”

“Moose…”

“What else.”

Bell laughed coquettishly.

“It means our mother has returned.”

Snap—

At that moment, Shuperte’s body crumbled.

* * *

The homunculus body created on the altar began to wriggle and intertwine with Shuperte. Bell embraced Shuperte dearly.

Energy flowed through the touching skin.

The energy that climbed up the spine soon spread through the head, bursting into an unprecedented pleasure.

“Ugh…!”

Bell’s head tilted back.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Yet, an excited smile.

A power close to authority was being transmitted to Bell.

This meant only one thing.

[Such a wicked child.]

Shuperte, who had taken over that body.

It meant that the true creator of all succubi had truly returned.

[Did you receive that woman’s faith just because I was away for a while?]

The boy with stars beneath his eyelids smiled faintly.

‘Mother’ gently pushed the bell away.

She rose from her seat, manipulating the black flesh to cover her entire body.

At the end of it appeared the silhouette of a noble lady.

Only her eyes shone like stars.

[But I will forgive you. Thanks to you, I can step on this land again. This place is always fun, no matter when I come.]

She pointed at Aindel with a gesture.

[One who almost died.]

Next, she pointed at Beatrice,

[One mixed with a demon.]

Finally, she pointed at Historia,

[…One whose limbs I will tear apart and kill.]

Her words continued like a song.

[I’m already having fun. …Hmm? Was there more?]

It was at that moment.

KWAANG―!

Kallios and Tibria appeared, destroying the building entirely.

They looked excited, as if they were about to turn the place upside down.

But that excitement didn’t last long.

[Oh my.]

The two of them saw her and gasped, holding their breath.

Mother… The foreign god who created the nightmare smiled brightly as she looked at Kallios.

[Usurper.]

Her laughter deepened.

And she added one more thing,

[Nice to meet you. Child of my enemy.]

Her words were filled with undeniable hostility.