Episode 148: The Greatest Mage
The desolate wasteland of Kramel, already empty, now truly had nothing left. Only the remnants of annihilation remained.
It was only natural—after all, it had been caught in the explosion of Heaven’s Ruin.
The combined forces of emission, absorption, and spatial distortion had converged, becoming the power of nothingness that erased existence itself.
‘That’s why I’m lying here, completely exhausted.’
He lay sprawled on the ground. He was alive. And yet, his entire body felt strangely unfamiliar. A crushing exhaustion weighed down on him, rendering even the slightest movement impossible.
Even breathing felt burdensome. When he attempted to draw upon mana to heal himself as he usually did, a sharp pain seized his empty core, as if something were clutching his heart.
‘Ha, I’m completely drained.’
He let out a faint, bitter laugh.
It was inevitable.
After all, even though it was his own magic, it had been powerful enough to shatter his Mindscape from the inside. Taking a direct hit from such an attack and expecting to remain unscathed would have been pure arrogance.
In truth, it was practically a self-destruction tactic.
‘But it was the best—and the right—decision.’
It had been reckless, but he had no regrets. If he hadn’t done it, the battle would have dragged on, and in the end, he, with his rapidly depleting stamina, would have lost.
Rein Adriche had ruled as the Tower Master for many years—a transcendent mage. He had lived far longer than Yohan and, unlike him, had delved deeply into all aspects of magic rather than focusing on just one.
A prolonged battle against such a foe was a losing proposition. It was only after Rein suffered a critical wound that Yohan had even managed to fight him on equal footing.
Moreover, Rein was skilled in opening Mindscape. If the battle had turned into a test of endurance, defeat would have been inevitable.
‘This is enough.’
Yohan closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. Just moments ago, tension and uncertainty had gripped his entire body, but now, the only thing he felt was relief.
Thud, thud, thud—!
At that moment, the ground beneath his back trembled. Perhaps those who had been observing the battle from afar with detection magic had finally arrived. The distant sound of hooves echoed in the air.
Special forces, government officers, the Order of Knights…
Flags of various institutions fluttered in the wind. But they all belonged to one entity.
The Rozino Empire.
“Minister Lahart!”
The commander of the special forces rushed forward. Given that he was a high-ranking knight, his physical abilities were exceptional.
“Are you all right?!”
“…I don’t have much strength left to answer you.”
“I’ll summon the healers immediately!”
As the captain barked orders and the officers and healers moved into action, Yohan finally allowed himself to relax.
We won.
“…Yohan?”
As he lay there with a faint smile, a familiar voice called out to him. Opening his eyes, he saw Francia blinking at him with wide, tearful eyes.
“Francia.”
Yohan smiled weakly.
“Yohan…!”
Francia swallowed back a sob and ran to him, collapsing into his arms.
“Hic… Yohan…!”
She wrapped her arms around him tightly, her suppressed emotions bursting all at once.
“Thank you… truly. Thank you so much…”
“It was my duty.”
“Hic… Even so, I’m sorry for asking you to take such a risk…”
“Haha.”
She had been trying to hold back her tears, but in the end, they overflowed. Yohan slowly stroked Francia’s head—gently, warmly.
Only then did she finally realize—he was alive.
“Everything will be fine now. No more fools will dare to threaten us.”
Yohan’s voice was steady.
The four main enemies were dead. It was a great victory. There were no more foes left to guard against.
“So, let’s stop crying and get ready to return. We still have to greet the Duke when he wakes up, don’t we?”
“…You’re right.”
Francia wiped her tears and looked at Yohan with a soft, tear-streaked smile.
“Thank you… truly.”
Under the golden sunlight, her smile grew even brighter.
***
The Road Back to the Empire
Seated in his personal carriage, Yohan was leisurely enjoying a moment of rest. Of course, that didn’t mean he was engaging in any undignified behavior—such as stretching out his legs and lying down.
Perhaps because of that, his battered body and mind had somewhat recovered, at least enough for him to sit up. Though, he was still exhausted all the same.
“…Are you all right, Minister Lahart?”
A woman’s voice called out from outside the carriage. It was natural that he didn’t recognize her face, yet something about her felt strangely out of place. Her features seemed far too youthful. Yohan tilted his head in curiosity.
“I’m fine… And your name is?”
“Astrea Rihind. I am the commander of the Imperial Bureau’s First Division.”
Yohan’s eyes widened for a moment. If he recalled correctly, she was a promising young talent recently gaining recognition across the empire.
To hold the position of commander of the Imperial Bureau’s First Division In her early-to-mid twenties was an impressive feat. But he hadn’t expected her to be a woman.
“I apologize for not recognizing you, Commander Astrea.”
“There’s no need for formalities. You are the minister, after all. And a hero of the continent.”
Despite her suggestion to speak comfortably, it wasn’t so easy. After all, Astrea was older than him.
‘…Now that I think about it, my situation really is absurd.’
He had just turned twenty-two, yet he had already reached the transcendental realm, was the only one capable of sealing demonic rifts, and had even defeated the continent’s strongest mage, the Tower Master.
Wasn’t this something straight out of a novel?
As that thought crossed his mind, Yohan blinked.
‘Ah, I guess I am the protagonist now.’
With all the events unfolding around the Francia, Empire and himself at the center of it all, the original male lead must have been replaced. The former protagonists had likely become pure antagonists instead.
“…Are you still feeling unwell?”
Noticing his momentary daze, Astrea asked with a concerned tone.
“No, I’m just a bit overwhelmed.”
“You’re not in pain, are you?”
“No, I’m perfectly fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
Clip-clop…
As the carriage continued its slow pace for his rest, Astrea kept the conversation going, her curiosity evident.
“Do you have a secret?”
“A secret?”
Astrea cleared her throat, glanced around to ensure no one else was listening, and then whispered softly.
“I mean… the secret to becoming as strong as you.”
“…”
That was something he didn’t know himself. He had no clue.
All he knew was that he had been born with a vast amount of mana and a talent for magic. He never expected things to turn out like this.
Perhaps the purity of his mana was influenced by Francia. She possessed the power of purification, after all. It must have had some effect on him.
But there was no reason to tell her that—not when Francia was involved. Besides, it wasn’t necessary.
“Well… To be honest, I don’t really know. I just happened to end up this way.”
“…You just happened to?”
“Yes. You’re aware, aren’t you? That I discovered my ability to repair the rifts purely by chance.”
If it weren’t for the war with Sanburk, he might have never found out.
There are no “what-ifs” in history, but still, that was likely the case.
“…I see.”
Astrea lowered her head, disappointment written all over her face. Was she hoping to find a clue to becoming stronger herself?
Yohan didn’t bother to say more. Words of encouragement wouldn’t change anything. And he had no desire to presumptuously offer her guidance.
“My apologies for asking something so strange and bothering you.”
“No, if I were in your position, I’d be curious too.”
“Haha…”
Astrea let out an awkward laugh before bowing politely.
“Please get some rest.”
“Thank you.”
The wheels of the carriage rolled onward.
“…”
Though the conversation had ended, Astrea kept glancing toward the carriage carrying Yohan.
Her curiosity was overflowing. But it wasn’t the kind of emotion that existed between a man and a woman—it was pure fascination.
She simply couldn’t suppress her interest in him. She wanted to understand how he could achieve such extraordinary feats.
And when such curiosity persists, it naturally leads to a deeper desire to know more about the person. Astrea was no different. She wanted to know more about Yohan Lahart.
What was he thinking?
How did he spend his days?
Then, suddenly, her expression stiffened.
‘…Is this improper?’
There could never be any romantic emotions between them. He was engaged to the Lady of House Fervache, after all.
Even if her feelings were nothing of the sort, how would others perceive them?
‘I need to be careful.’
Astrea forcibly turned her gaze away.
She wanted to talk with Yohan Lahart a little longer.
But she had to restrain herself.
If she kept going any deeper, it might start to look suspicious.
***
Yohan Lahart had returned victorious.
The empire, upon receiving the news, was in a celebratory mood.
The imperial capital burned with the heat of victory. Lanterns shimmered along the grand avenues, while merchants’ cries and musicians’ melodies filled the air.
In the plazas, dancers performed, processions passed by with cheers, and flower petals rained down. Magic fireworks blossomed in the night sky, and the streets overflowed with laughter and clinking glasses.
And then—
“Wowwww!”
“Duke Lahart, long live!!”
“Long live!!”
The people roared in celebration of Yohan’s triumphant return. Their faces bore nothing but joyous, exhilarating smiles, with no trace of worry left.
Seated in his carriage, Yohan let out a small chuckle.
‘They’re really loving this.’
The enemy had once terrorized the imperial capital, spreading fear and uncertainty, even hinting at the possibility of war through an official statement. That fear must have taken deep root in the hearts of the people.
And that was why they were now so ecstatic.
Yohan casually raised his hand out of the carriage window, waving.
“Whoaaaa!!”
“Duke Lahart!!”
“You’re so handsome!”
“A hero!!”
A hero.
The word echoed in his ears.
The cheers, the gestures, the warm welcome—everything was showered upon him.
To be acknowledged and celebrated was always a pleasant feeling. Though, truthfully, he hadn’t sought this outcome. The Tower Master was a man who deserved death—who had to die.
Meanwhile, the carriage reached the entrance of the imperial palace. Stretching his stiff body, Yohan stepped out.
The moment he emerged, knights clad in golden armor and high-ranking officials who safeguarded the empire stood in formation to greet him.
“Salute the Minister Lahart!”
—Salute!
A thousand swords glistened in unison, their silver blades pointed skyward before simultaneously stabbing into the ground.
Boom—!
The earth trembled.
At the palace entrance, the crown prince, Descartes Rozino, stood alongside ministers, the chancellor, and other high-ranking officials. They had all gathered to honor Yohan’s victory.
Their gazes were fixed on one man—Yohan.
“His Majesty is expecting you, Minister Lahart.”
Descartes stepped forward with a smile. Yohan gave a slight nod.
“Let’s go.”
It was time for him, the continent’s strongest warrior and the empire’s hero, to meet the emperor once again.