Kanzaki Rei cut him off.
"Azuro… is this really enough for you?"
His voice turned firm, carrying a weight that pressed down on the space between them.
"I came to discuss the Root with you—not to hear an answer like that."
"You were the first to explore the Root with me. Even if you're not human, I've always considered you a friend I could speak to openly."
…Not that close, perhaps. But Kanzaki Rei had, at the very least, always regarded him as a friend.
"Do you have to be guaranteed the destination before you're willing to walk the path?"
"You knew from the moment you stepped onto it—this was never going to be an easy road."
Kanzaki Rei sat down cross-legged on the ground.
"I only advanced to a Level 4 Mage recently. What did it feel like for you when you first reached Level 4?"
Azuro replied, "Strange… wondrous. I could see the structure of space itself."
"And when you first comprehended a Root Spell?"
Azuro paused.
"…Ecstatic, I suppose. Like finally solving a puzzle that had tormented me."
But then, a bitter smile crept onto his face.
"It also felt like proof that I was… unique."
Kanzaki Rei tilted his head slightly.
"And that still isn't unique enough?"
"You're already a mage capable of comprehending the Root. In my homeland, out of a population of forty billion, only three have reached that level."
Excluding Iz and himself, that number was indeed three.
"If even you, as a Root Mage, belittle yourself—what do you expect ordinary mages to think?"
"Ordinary mages?" Azuro frowned. "They don't pursue—"
Kanzaki Rei cut him off again.
"The Mage's Code. Don't tell me you've forgotten it."
Azuro's head snapped up.
Kanzaki Rei continued:
"No matter how weak a mage may be, they are all walking the path toward the Root."
"Even knowing they may never glimpse it in their entire lifetime, they still walk forward—upholding that principle."
"And yet you, who stand closer to the Root than they ever will… are you really going to give up?"
Azuro's hand trembled faintly.
"My master once told me about someone."
"In ancient times, there was a mage named Arcanis."
"He spent his entire life seeking the Root—stumbling, struggling every step of the way. Every mage he encountered surpassed him in talent, surpassed him in strength… yet his conviction never wavered."
"In the end, all those rivals fell along the path of pursuit."
"Only he remained… and ultimately became a Level 9 Mage."
"…He witnessed the Root."
…Of course, Iz had never actually told him this.
Kanzaki Rei had completely fabricated it, borrowing loosely from something he'd read in his past life.
Originally, he had only intended to spar with Azuro and learn his Root Magic.
Instead, he had nearly shattered the man's spirit.
If he let him walk away like that, pretending nothing had happened… he'd probably regret it for a long time.
"Brother."
"You're the most talented mage I've seen—aside from myself and my master."
"Perhaps the Root isn't as far from you as you think. Maybe I'll reach it easily… and you'll just have a slightly harder time than I do."
He pinched his fingers together, leaving a tiny gap.
"Just a little harder."
"But even if it's difficult… it's still reachable."
Kanzaki Rei smiled—bright, sincere, unwavering.
A flicker of light returned to Azuro's eyes.
"You… you really think so?"
"My talent… is second only to yours?"
…Not really.
But Kanzaki Rei didn't hesitate.
His expression remained steady, his tone absolute.
"Yeah. I mean it."
Azuro stood there silently.
Yet Kanzaki Rei could feel it—the turbulence within him.
…That's as far as I can go.
If you've truly lost your will to pursue the path… nothing I say will bring it back.
But we're friends. I don't want to be the one who ends your journey as a mage.
Azuro slowly closed his eyes.
Time passed as he thought—deeply, quietly. Kanzaki Rei didn't interrupt.
He simply watched as the chaotic waves of emotion gradually settled… becoming calm, still.
When Azuro finally opened his eyes again—
Only tranquility remained.
"I was… belittling myself."
He sat down cross-legged as well.
"Kanzaki Rei… are you still willing to share your understanding of the Root with me?"
Kanzaki Rei laughed openly.
"Of course."
"I hope that one day, we'll both witness the true Root together."
...
Good. Pulled him back from the edge.
This time, Kanzaki Rei's explanation of the Root ran even deeper.
He refined and restructured the very principles Azuro had already grasped.
Now that Kanzaki Rei had fully mastered Azuro's Fifth-Tier Root Magic—
His comprehension had surpassed Azuro's own.
And when that shared, mirrored understanding flowed back into Azuro's mind, countless unresolved questions suddenly became clear.
This discussion lasted another four full days.
In the end, Kanzaki Rei also obtained several ancient tomes from the Void.
The Void was ancient—holding countless relics from bygone eras.
Unfortunately, most ancient spellbooks could only serve as historical references. Their underlying laws no longer aligned with the present world, making them impossible to learn.
…But for Kanzaki Rei?
These incomplete, outdated laws posed no obstacle.
He could study them. Master them.
Even the fragmented text—the missing words, the blurred passages—posed no real problem.
His ability, Information Backtrace, could reconstruct what had been lost.
…A perfect talent for deciphering ancient texts.
Without it, most of these books would have been utterly unreadable.
...
After learning three Root Spells, more than half of the Month of Life had already passed.
Six days with Azuro. Five with Kael. Two with Morven.
Root Magic truly was… a stubborn beast to chew through.
Kanzaki Rei finally understood how ordinary mages felt—spending days just to learn a single spell.
Time… felt insufficient.
Not only did he need to study Root Magic—
He also had to research Chronomancy for advancing into the Prophet class.
His Decryption Scholar advancement requirements had already surpassed ten thousand points…
And with the events of the Month of Forgetting erased from memory, he could only rely on his own recorded logs to calculate his progress.
...
Returning to his estate after a long absence—
He found Yuna sitting on the sofa.
Kanzaki Rei had already given orders to the maids: Yuna was free to come and go as she pleased.
Yuna looked up at him, cheeks slightly puffed in annoyance.
"Kanzaki Rei."
He scratched his head, offering a helpless smile.
"Sorry… I've been buried in magical research lately."
Vanishing for over ten days straight… yeah, that would worry anyone.
Then he noticed her eyes.
"You reached Level 3 as a Scholar?"
"Mm."
Yuna nodded, lips parting slightly.
"Two days ago… the second early-awakening test using Radiant Flight."
…Right. I should've gone.
Kanzaki Rei asked, "How did it go? Any complications during the advancement?"
Yuna shook her head.
Kanzaki Rei smiled.
"That's good."
Then, "Have you made progress on the theory of multiple timelines?"
Yuna nodded quickly.
"Yes!"
"Then let's settle that problem today."
Their resonance had weakened recently. This was a good chance to rebuild it—and absorb the knowledge she had accumulated.
…Honestly, his rapid progress owed a lot to Yuna.
Life had become overwhelmingly busy.
But it was the kind of busyness that felt fulfilling.
Effort yielded results.
That alone made it worthwhile.
...
By nightfall, they had resolved the problem.
After escorting a satisfied Yuna back to the White Tower—
Kanzaki Rei finally collapsed onto his bed.
"…Finally."
Staring at the ceiling, his eyelids grew heavy.
Fourteen days without sleep.
Constant high-intensity study of Root Magic…
Even for him, that needed moderation.
The moment he closed his eyes—
Sleep took him instantly.
...
A dream.
A forest shrouded in blood-red mist.
Without reason, he walked deeper inside.
Then—
A sharp sting.
He looked down.
His skin… was separating from his flesh.
Ahead stood a woman—smooth skin, slender waist, full chest.
The scene shifted abruptly.
She vanished.
His perspective rose into the sky, overlooking the entire forest—
Countless versions of himself, all moving toward its center.
Then—
He looked up.
The sky was filled with countless particles—distinct, yet intertwined.
Roots.
Endless Roots.
Another shift—
Eight figures appeared before him.
Eight identical yet different Saint Ones.
...
He opened his eyes.
Sunlight streamed through the window.
Outside, bright sunshine fell alongside a gentle drizzle.
After a single rest, his mind felt fully refreshed.
Higher levels meant even brief sleep restored him completely.
…but that dream.
Was it a nightmare?
...
After waking, he rang the bell.
A maid brought breakfast—and a stack of newspapers.
In just over ten days, Loren had nearly absorbed all of Regia's territory.
The remaining fractured nations had also fallen under Loren's banner, crushed under the overwhelming force led by Fize.
Even several cults within Loren had been eradicated in the process.
This continent…
Might as well be renamed the Loren Continent now.
Morven had been arrested—but Lothar had given him room to negotiate.
He would likely be released soon.
Of course, not without paying a significant price.
…The privilege of a Root Mage.
Anyone else would have been executed already.
As for early awakening research—
Loren had decided against renting the expensive airship.
Instead, they were exploring alternative methods.
One proposal involved constructing an extremely long conveyor system to achieve the necessary speed.
…Whether that would work remained uncertain.
Meanwhile, major churches had begun entering Loren's newly acquired territories.
Under strict orders, all clergy underwent thorough inspections.
No abnormalities were found.
They were permitted to remain.
Still, public trust had declined sharply after recent events.
...
Then there was the Life Church.
Chum, as an Inquisitor Priest, had led an expedition to a ruin—alongside Akagi and Kumeroni.
The operation went smoothly.
No ambushes. No threats.
Inside, they found ancient forging manuals and tools.
All of it had been recovered.
Eventually, the items ended up in Aizen's hands.
There were also reports—
A Level 6 blacksmith had arrived in Loren.
Originally from Regia, he had survived only because he operated in a distant city untouched by the war.
Otherwise…
Even a Level 6 Defender wouldn't have survived that battlefield.
...
"Young Master."
A maid knocked softly and entered.
"Someone is here to see you. She claims to be your friend—Luna."
Kanzaki Rei extended his perception outward immediately.
A girl with black twin-tails stood outside.
…It really had been a while.
After days of relentless study—
A short break wouldn't hurt.
In an instant, he changed into proper attire.
Flash.
He appeared outside.
Luna jumped in surprise.
"Uh—"
"Kanzaki Rei?"
He smiled brightly.
"Long time no see, Luna."
"Hehe, yeah! It's been a while!"
"I can't believe it… in just a few months, you've become this famous."
She sighed in amazement.
"Loren's Chief Mage… never thought I'd know someone like that."
"I heard you live here, so I came to visit."
Kanzaki Rei replied,
"If you were coming to Kranoria, you should've told me. I could've played host."
Luna laughed.
"You sound more like a Loren native than I do now."
True to her nature, she showed no restraint despite his status.
…Which made sense.
This was the same 24-year-old who once bought health supplements from random street vendors.
"Just got here yesterday," she continued. "Haven't even found a party yet."
"Also… I'm broke again."
"…Looking for somewhere to stay out of the rain."
"I found a decent bridge last night."
…Seriously?
How are you still going bankrupt?
You adventured with me—the god-slayer—and now you're sleeping under a bridge?!
Kanzaki Rei's smile turned awkward.
"…Luna. I was going to suggest we grab a meal first."
"But now… I think we should get you a room."
She fidgeted.
"A-ah… that's embarrassing…"
"It's fine. I'm rich now."
At his level, there was no need to hide wealth.
No one in Loren could threaten him anyway.
As for enemies beyond the continent—
They wouldn't be after money.
...
He brought her to the best hotel in Kranoria and booked a room.
At this point, he was even considering buying her a house.
A modest one cost around 30,000 gold.
…Pocket change to him now.
Letting a former teammate live under a bridge?
That would be a hit to his reputation.
Strength brought status.
And with status… came reputation to maintain.
...
After settling her in, they chatted about forming an adventuring party.
Luna wanted recommendations.
Kanzaki Rei, however, realized—
He didn't really know any.
Ever since arriving in Kranoria, he had only teamed up with Iz and the others—running Tier 6 dungeons.
Going back to Tier 4 felt… strange.
Then he noticed.
"You're a Level 4 Healing Caster now?"
"Yep! Fast, right?"
He nodded with a smile.
"Yeah. That's impressive."
A Level 4 healer at 24—
Even in the Life Church, that would place her among the top ranks.
…Life Church.
"Have you considered working with them?"
"Hmm… not really."
"Feels less fun than adventuring."
Fair enough.
"Then… how about we run a dungeon together? Just like old times."
...
It had been a long while since he visited the Adventurers' Guild.
They picked up a few requests—
Then headed out.
"Hey, little Kanzaki Rei, you don't even hire guards anymore?"
He smiled faintly.
"Not really. I'm confident enough in my strength now."
"Oho~ I've never seen Loren's Chief Mage fight."
"Let me watch. Just don't let me die."
"Of course not."
[Tier 4 Dungeon]
Before entering—
Kanzaki Rei casually performed a sacrifice.
With a single touch, the dungeon's aura turned black.
He stepped inside.
Luna swallowed nervously—and followed.
Roar—
Darkness enveloped the world.
Before them stood over a dozen massive creatures.
Each radiating overwhelming pressure.
Tier 4.
Nation-Destroyer Class.
Luna's legs trembled.
She turned back—
The entrance was gone.
"Kanzaki Rei…"
He slowly levitated into the air.
"It's fine, Luna."
"They're just a few Nation-Destroyer monsters."
…Now he understood how Akagi must've felt back then.
Walking through a Tier 4 dungeon with him.
This really was—
Just a stroll.