I Stayed Loyal When My Teacher Was Betrayed

34 – The Catastrophe of Matop 4

Matop, which had been absent for a while.

Located in the center of a massive lake,

Surrounded by solid magical barriers, making it an impregnable fortress accessible only by the bridge… Geographically speaking, it was indeed an unconquerable place.

As I observed its appearance, a serene smile naturally formed on my lips.

“What should I say… It feels like returning to my hometown?”

A sense of familiarity and longing at the same time.

Of course, in my position as an outsider concealing my true status, I couldn’t afford to have such peace of mind.

However, even if that were the case,

Since it was the place where I had stayed the longest since coming to this world, it was inevitable to have these emotions.

“Well then, let’s prepare to descend.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Ah… understood, Master!”

Bernier responded with a considerable amount of tension in her voice, as if she were anxious about Master Rosemary’s story. Although she had become a witch, this was her first time visiting Matop, so she showed signs of excitement.

Of course, that didn’t mean she or we could let our guard down.

The person waiting for us inside…

The dirty traitor, how might she be sharpening her knife?

*

Matop.

The heart of continental magic, the headquarters of wizards.

A place where countless magics are born,

studied,

and developed,

like a holy land of continental magic.

As such, this place was always filled with ambitious wizards.

Because of this, it was always vibrant.

However,

in today’s Matom, that kind of atmosphere was no longer felt.

Stillness,

heaviness,

and gloom.

It was as if Matom at this moment was engulfed in an aura reminiscent of a funeral parlor.

It wasn’t just a simple atmosphere.

In fact, just a few days ago, a large-scale funeral that had never happened in the history of Matom took place.

A funeral to appease the souls of hundreds of wizards who died in the previous war.

The cries of friends, colleagues, and even families who lost loved ones still echoed in the ears of those present here after several days.

And among those who shed tears most sorrowfully on that day, there was one person who couldn’t forget the pain of that day more than anyone else.

The sole surviving grand wizard of Matom,

someone who unexpectedly became the sole leader.

Rocia, still trapped in the sadness of the past, spent time locked in the library, unable to escape.

-Tak.

“…”

Rocia closed the book she was holding.

Although she had been holding onto it for 10 hours, at this moment, there was nothing left in her mind that remained in her memory.

She couldn’t hold anything.

She couldn’t think straight about anything.

After the death of her master, she was given the extravagant title of Great Sorceress along with her colleagues.

However, the one who actually led the Magic Tower was not her, but Veolf and Judia. Her role was practically that of a bystander.

She knew it herself.

That she didn’t fit into this position.

Her ambition for power.

The charisma to lead people – she didn’t have any of these.

The only thing she had was slightly superior magical skills compared to her colleagues, but that was all.

She lacked the qualities of a leader.

Nevertheless, she was able to hold the position of the master of the Magic Tower because of her colleagues.

Being with her colleagues allowed her to stand in this heavy position,

And even in an extremely anxious situation, she could feel a sense of relief.

However,

Now she no longer has any colleagues to rely on.

Neither Veolf, who led people as a leader,

Nor Judia, who provided directions using exceptional strategies,

And Brutal, who smoothed out relationships with people around him through unexpected friendliness.

They all were killed by the Demon King’s hand in the previous battle,

Now in the Magic Tower, only Lokia remained.

Someone might have rejoiced at being the one to wield power alone in this situation.

However, for Lokia, this was just the beginning of another hell following the deaths of her colleagues.

There is a saying that says people create their position, but it seemed unrelated to Lokia.

Countless stories echo from all directions,

And…

Numerous matters demanding her attention.

Even when they were right in front of her, Lokia couldn’t do anything properly.

Even simple paperwork tasks were not easy for her.

But, beyond that, there was something else that troubled her.

The Alliance of Races suffered immense losses due to this war.

During the war, nearly half of the troops were destroyed at once, which was enough to shake each country to its roots. As a result, the bleak mood and resulting confusion surrounding it dealt a severe blow to the power of the leaders.

In this situation, leaders from various countries sought ways to reduce the damage by any means necessary…

As a result,

Their arrows of criticism naturally pointed to Rockyah and Matap, who were responsible for the entire war.

There were also some unfair parts for Rockyah, who had to take on the role of overall commander-in-chief, which she did not want to accept in the first place.

Moreover, the one who commanded through the war was Beo-olp, not her, and what she did was not more than just serving as a lieutenant.

However, whether there was an actual situation or not, she held the position of Commander-in-Chief for now.

It was also a fact that she couldn’t be free from responsibility for that.

Eventually, even at this moment, letters of protest and denunciation piled up on her desk.

Outside of her office, messengers from various countries were constantly bustling about, asking her to take responsibility no matter what.

And regarding this,

Rockyah, whose incompetence was beyond measure, had practically nothing to do.

If she could, she would have handed over everything, including the Grand Magus’s position.

However, the level demanded by the Lords of the Allied Races was not only that.

If she accepted all their demands, the Matap would be virtually dismantled.

No matter how you look at it, it was impossible for Rockyah, no matter who she was, to allow the symbol of the continent that had protected it for hundreds of years and the pride of all magicians and witches to be destroyed.

But even so, she did not have the ability to regulate it and come up with a negotiation plan to protect Matap.

All she could do was to waste time in the library, as it were… Escape.

‘What… What should I do… what should I do… what can I do…’

The moment that made her incompetence clear.

In it,

She could only shed tears and recall…

Her dying colleagues…

And most of all…

The person she could rely on more than anyone else…

The person who lost her life due to her betrayal.

Teacher Rosemary’s face…

‘I was wrong… Teacher … I was wrong…’

Tears are streaming down, as Lokiya sheds the unheard words of apology.

Looking back, everything went wrong from that moment.

If only there had been no betrayal…

If she could have somehow stopped her colleagues,

none of this would have ever happened.

The master would not have faced death, and the failed expedition might have ended in victory, perhaps.

If that were the case… she wouldn’t have to bear the unbearable burden of responsibility, crushed under it, writhing in pain…

Thus, endlessly contemplating the regret named “what if…”, Lokiya was slowly but surely being sucked into the swamp of despair, like a sinking ship.

In that moment…

– Knock, knock, knock.

“!”

A sudden knocking sound is heard.

Swiftly wiping away her tears, Lokiya spoke in the calmest voice possible.

“What… is it?”

-“Lokiya, the guests have arrived at the entrance of Mount Ma. It’s the witches from the Adventurers’ Association we discussed before.”

“! Oh… really? I understand. I’ll go right away, so please guide them to the office.”

“Yes, Lokiya.”

Upon hearing the words from outside the door, Lokiya began to feel a long-awaited sense of relief.

This time, the Grand Master-level adventurers called by the Adventurers Guild Balha had finally arrived, the Rosetta team.

Although the initial request was simply about organizing the surroundings, there was another reason why she called them.

The first step was summoning these witches who, although members of the adventurers’ guild, were strictly magic users, to Mount Ma.

Although she couldn’t help but feel anxious about the bounty mission, the fact that it was accomplished without any problems brought a glimmer of joy in Lokiya’s heart.

“Now we can proceed to the next step… She’s a famous high-ranking witch after all, I’m sure…”