Chapter : 210

A craftsman doesn’t discriminate by tools.

That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard. Who discriminates more than a true craftsman? Don’t try to sell me snake oil.

I mean—would you rather fight with a 1,000-won kitchen knife from Daiso, or a blade forged by a master?

Which is why—

“I split thirty bottles of Golden Elixir into one-sip portions—one hundred mini bottles total.”

Ta-da!

Prepared: one hundred “single-mouthful” bottles of Golden Elixir for severe injuries!

“I made more originally, but—”

“—considering the risk it could be stolen and end up in Iris’s hands, I slipped a little divine power into it, Young Master.”

Maybe because of that, unlike the last time I’d taken it, the golden liquid seemed to have tiny grains of white light drifting inside.

“You really worked your ass off.”

“We’ll distribute ten per person.”

“My share can be given to others. I’m fine.”

I’d be supporting from the rear as a mage anyway, so shouldn’t the front line—who were more likely to get hurt—carry more?

The moment I said that, I felt Fel and Senior Ruwen’s stares sharpen dangerously.

The kind of look that asked if I had a death wish.

“If we go by your logic, then Hartain wouldn’t need something as precious as elixir either. I can heal him in real time.”

“No, that’s not what I meant—”

“Targeting the mage first is basic combat. Do you know what Iris taught me is the best way to deal with mages?”

“…What?”

“Cut off their arm first. If you cut the arm, they can’t cast.”

For a second, I swear I heard Iris’s voice.

Fel didn’t hesitate. He shoved ten palm-sized bottles into my hands and said firmly,

“Stop talking bullshit and take your ten, Young Master.”

“Urgh…”

I groaned at the murderous follow-up.

I really am fine… but, well. It’s not like having them is a bad thing.

“So, how’s the staff coming along?”

“Not yet.”

While learning magic from Albedo, the closest thing I had to “rest” was the brief time I went to the Academy—and after the main quest popped up, I cut down even that and focused on training.

Only now, the day before the final battle, did I get released to recover my exhausted body and mind.

“They said it’d be finished soon.”

“Sounds like you don’t know the progress either, Senior.”

“You’ve been holed up in your room and barely came out, too.”

Right.

I nodded slowly and decided where to go next.

Please, dear master craftsman—give us a good staff!

“Young Master, how were your results?”

One week. Long if it’s long, short if it’s short.

For an ordinary mage, it’s barely enough time to properly learn even a single spell.

But I declared confidently—

“I won’t be lacking when it comes to facing Iris.”

At least that much, I could be certain of.

—

### * * *

Two knights were guarding the door to Mordyn’s room.

“You are Theo Lisitoel, correct?”

“You’re guarding the door?”

I didn’t remember anyone being stationed here the last time I came.

“Count Belphiard is occupied with other matters. We cannot allow a criminal to wander freely.”

The knight’s voice was firm.

Well, it wasn’t as if they didn’t know Mordyn was the criminal who’d tried to attack and kill Lucian.

Still, the way he said “criminal”—with not even a hint of warmth—was startling.

Not that Mordyn himself would care in the slightest, so I let it go.

“May I enter?”

The knights exchanged glances, hesitated briefly—then stepped aside, clearing the entrance.

“Thank you.”

I bowed, knocked once… and got no reply.

I knocked again. Still nothing.

So I opened the door and went in.

Mordyn didn’t even seem to realize the door had opened. He was engraving something with a knife no bigger than a fingernail.

He looked utterly absorbed—almost trance-like.

I didn’t interrupt. I simply sat near the doorway and watched him in silence.

How much time passed like that?

Eventually, Mordyn slowly lifted his hand away from the staff.

“I should call Theo Lisitoel—”

“I’m here!”

I raised my hand high, finally making my presence known.

Mordyn might’ve been startled, but he didn’t care. He simply gestured for me to come closer.

“I made it the way you asked.”

“Thanks.”

The completed staff scattered a faint light, almost holy in its aura.

“Wow. Seriously…”

I couldn’t find words.

This was undoubtedly top-tier equipment—something only a true staff master could produce.

“And what I requested?”

“I forced it in. The trade-off is that its function for amplifying spell performance dropped significantly.”

“That’s fine.”

I’d already felt it with the Blooming Agent—amplifying magic output was something I could partially do with my Writer skill anyway.

What I’d asked for could also be granted through the Writer skill, but it devoured mana on a totally different level.

If I cast like that, I’d burn out after maybe ten large-scale basic elemental spells, then retire on the spot.

So this staff—this was the best solution.

“It has built-in storage. You’ll be able to carry it and use it freely.”

“Then we’re really done preparing.”

The staff was complete. We had the Golden Elixir.

We were ready to face Iris.

I stared quietly at the staff, still shedding light.

“Nervous?” Mordyn asked.

“What about you? You’re cutting down your former master, after all.”

“…Yeah. I’m fine.”

That pause bothered me.

But I decided not to push further.

More questions would only burden him.

“Mordyn… even if other people don’t trust you, I do.”

“How laughable.”

Mordyn snorted and waved his hand dismissively.

“I need to rest too. Go.”

I’d said something nice and that’s the response?

A little hurt, I nodded and turned to leave—when Mordyn spoke again.

“I heard you helped the shadows of the Golden faction.”

“Ah… yeah.”

I’d helped those who’d swallowed Iris’s scales—no longer truly snake nor human—so they could finally rest.

My condition worsened afterward, but thinking back, it was still a blessing.

If those snake-humans were still around, the battle would’ve devolved into chaos—no, into something truly hopeless.

“…Thank you.”

The sincerity in his voice made me inhale sharply.

I never expected to hear those words from Mordyn.

“Still not giving you any money for the staff, though.”

I blurted it out—then bolted without looking back.

Maybe saving people really is something you do first… and think about later.

—

### * * *

“Evan, Evan~”

Iris called for Evan repeatedly in a slightly frivolous tone.

Beyond the transparent wall, Evan sat slumped on the floor, barely managing to breathe.

“Ha-ha!”

At the sight of him, utterly exhausted, Iris burst into laughter.

Ah—if only she could tear through this barrier right now and crush Evan’s heart in her hand.

But the seal was sturdy. So sturdy that even Iris—who’d only obtained eighty percent of Ouroboros’s power—couldn’t break it.

“At this point, I can’t even tell whether I’m the monster… or you are.”

“……”

No answer came back.

Only Evan—eyes dulled by fatigue—still drawing deep breaths.

“Aren’t you curious? Your son’s true identity.”

“Shut… up.”

For the first time, Evan forced his mouth open.

A voice drenched in exhaustion.

He wanted to let go—desperately.

But the moment he did, Iris’s seal would break.

Iris, bearing the power of the serpent of ruin, would rush to devour his students… his son.

That could not happen.

Evan maintained the seal with sheer willpower alone—

a spell so unstable it felt like it might snap at any second.

Watching that near-artistic feat, Iris let out a soft chuckle.

“If you want me to shut up, why don’t you cover my mouth with your own hands?”

Evan didn’t move even a finger.

Better to save every scrap of strength to maintain the sealing spell than waste motion on something meaningless.

That must’ve been his reasoning.

How boring.

Iris’s blood-red eyes grew colder.

Her slit pupils captured Evan’s image.

“Seriously. I’m offering to tell you your son’s secret directly, and this is how you act?”

From the darkness, a snake slowly crawled out, slithered up Iris’s body, and began acting affectionate.

Her familiar?

Evan forced his eyes open to witness it and steadied his breathing.

The snake’s eyes shimmered in shifting rainbow hues—strangely mesmerizing.

Was there really a snake with eyes like that?

“If you’re not interested in that story, I’ll tell you another.”

Iris stroked the snake’s chin as she whispered,

“Long, long ago. In the distant past, when only darkness filled the world…”

The snake wrapped around Iris flinched, as if it didn’t want to hear it.

It hissed and shut its rainbow eyes.

“A god was born.”

And so the tale began.

“The god wanted to create the world, and needed something to uphold the land. So the god gave birth to a divine beast called Ouroboros—meaning the serpent that bites its own tail.”

But nothing in the world flowed smoothly the way the god intended.

“The serpent, born purely from necessity, wanted to monopolize the god’s love—so it decided to swallow the world.”

Iris let out a small laugh.

“But really… even the most insignificant beast would’ve known. That if it swallowed everything, even a benevolent god would come to hate and loathe it.”

She stroked the trembling serpent’s scales, almost pitying.

“But it didn’t matter.”

If only it could keep the god—whom it adored beyond measure—only at its side.

If only it could possess the god completely.

If only it didn’t have to share that love with those insignificant creatures—

“Even if it was hated, it didn’t matter.”

“AHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

Iris erupted into mad laughter.

Her insane cackle ricocheted noisily around the space.

“Yeah—what a lunatic thing to do! There’s nothing more futile than love in this world! And yet, for love, it committed such insanity!”

Her laughter swelled—then stopped abruptly.

“Even after being slain by god, Ouroboros couldn’t sever its desperate love. It became a curse and remained in this world.”

Her red eyes, heavy with bottomless boredom, turned toward Evan.

“And so it began devouring those marked by its curse, trying once again to become the serpent of ruin that would swallow the world.”

Well… only to be swallowed by Iris in the end.

“So—are you confident? Do you truly believe your pathetic disciples can kill a beast that once destroyed the world?”

“……”

Evan stayed silent.

Boring.

Iris turned away, preparing to leave and fulfill the “promise.”

But Evan’s small voice stopped her.

“If it’s my disciples…”

Despite how exhausted he looked, the trust in Evan’s eyes did not waver.

“They will come to cut off your head, serpent.”

“Then I guess I should wash my neck.”

Muttering that, Iris disappeared into the darkness.

—

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