Genius Warlock-Episode 694
694. plural (1)
Merlin and Kevin.
The relationship between the two could be said to be complex..
The two had a priestly relationship as teacher and disciple, but at the same time, they were enemies of Cheolcheon..
This is due to the fact that in his youth, Merlin used not only Kevin, but also Kevin's parents, brothers, friends, and compatriots as test subjects to satisfy his arrogance and vanity..
As a wealth to become an archive, proof that you are the best wizard..
In front of Kevin, Merlin dissects the bodies of red people alive, injects bacteria, removes organs, attaches the bodies, and injects various foreign substances into the bodies. They conducted an experiment that lacked the slightest sense of human dignity, and had Kevin watch..
This action was possible because Merlin did not view all red people, including Kevin, as people..
Because, unlike Merlin, they had red skin, unlike Merlin, they were poor, unlike Merlin, they were not educated, and unlike Merlin, they could not use magic..
That's why Merlin was able to treat them like lab rats without the slightest remorse..
Then one day, Merlin not only freed Kevin, the only remaining test subject, but also made him his disciple despite everyone's opposition..
This behavior is in such contrast to the inability to even think about red people, let alone treat them as human beings..
Funnily enough, the background to such behavior was that Merlin had become the archive he had so desperately wanted..
Merlin, who was outstanding but foolish at the same time, realized through the knowledge and experience of a thousand years of archives that the red people were people like himself, an extremely natural yet difficult to recognize fact.,
Not only did he free Kevin, who was trapped, but he also took him as his disciple and taught him everything, including magic, the knowledge necessary for living, and life skills..
Anyone could easily guess the background to this..
Selfishness to atone or relieve guilt. or both.
By the same logic, we were able to guess the thoughts of Kevin, who became the enemy's disciple..
Revenge).
I knew that even before Oliver knew the details of the relationship between Merlin and Kevin..
Through the cold anger and quiet revenge that shines deep in Kevin's heart every time he sees Merlin,.
Kevin treated Merlin like a teacher and was polite to him, but at the same time, he never lost his desire for revenge and anger..
I just kept it in my heart.
During the long time he spent growing from a mere experiment to a wizard, a war wizard, and a professor at the Magic Tower, Kevin never forgot his desire for revenge..
Then Kevin spoke to Oliver about Merlin..
“If you don't have anything to do, I'll get out of the way.?”
Oliver looked at Kevin in silence. To be precise, I looked at the emotions he had..
Intense anger and hatred, and a desire for revenge to relieve that anger and hatred. However, contradictory feelings as much as the desire for revenge.
“······.”
Oliver looked at the conflicting emotions in silence, then turned his gaze and looked down at Merlin who was lying face down in front of him..
Due to the ravages of time, his hair is bald and his muscles are lost, making him an old wizard..
A sinner who suffers an incurable wound in order to atone for that sin.
Nevertheless, the old man who is suffering and cannot forgive himself.
“Sassaek······. cum······.”
Even though the old man was half-conscious due to injuries, accumulated fatigue, and blood loss, he was breathing heavily and grasped the hem of Oliver's pants with his hand, which was nothing but bone and skin. cruelly.
Oliver, who was looking down at Merlin, asked Kevin..
“Are you going to take revenge??”
“uh.”
Kevin answered briefly and concisely. The answer was sincere.
“······If you leave it like this, you'll die anyway..”
“I know, I already know that I can't save him. So now I'm looking for revenge.”
Kevin answered, knowing that he would never recover from his injuries after the battle with Oliver..
Even with the holy magic of God's gift and the magic of the archive, which is different from other magic, Merlin's wounds did not recover at all and worsened..
The bandage that could not be removed showed this..
Kevin, who had been Merlin's student for decades, was not unaware of this..
I just didn't say it out loud. But Kevin just said it out loud..
After hearing the answer, Oliver opened his mouth once again..
“Already suffering from regret and guilt.”
“Are you still that interested??”
“······.”
Oliver closed his mouth at that single word that pierced like an awl..
That was correct. Now that Oliver has already let go of everything, he has already let go of everything..
Rather, it's funny that you're asking this question now..
Persuaded by Kevin's words, Oliver stood up and tried to make room..
Although Merlin was holding on to Oliver's trousers, the old man, who was left with nothing but bones and skin, didn't even move his hands and just let go of Oliver's trousers..
dump.
Merlin's hand fell limply on the floor..
Just as Oliver was about to change his seat, Kevin called him over..
“I also have a question.”
“······.”
“I've already answered your question twice, I think I deserve at least one, guess what??”
“······Tell me.”
“Are you thinking of becoming an archive??”
***
archive.
The only position in the world that has the modifiers “archmage” and “sage”.
It is no exaggeration to say that the position that has existed since a thousand years ago is a dream of wizards..
The honor of being the most outstanding wizard of his time,
A dignity that even kings show courtesy to,
Knowledge, experience, and power of ancestral archives spanning over a thousand years,
The infinite wealth of the archive surpasses even that of one country..
The archive was a place that had everything the wizard wanted..
Even though we do not know specifically who created the archive and why the position of archive was created..
Even those who want to become archives.
In a way, it could be said to be a skit. You want it without even knowing it.
Even Merlin was one of the main characters in the skit..
However, once it became an archive, I was able to understand the reason. Whether you want it or not.
The archive was just a kind of safety device prepared a thousand years ago to prevent the end of the world, and the qualifications to become that safety device required sin before magical knowledge..
The promised end is a fetter that prevents us from escaping from an incomprehensible fear..
In other words, the archive was closer to one of the accessories of a mechanical device than to something grand like an archmage or a sage..
I don't even know what the functions and performance are..
Kevin asked Oliver if he would ever consider becoming such an archive..
A funny question that is close to a bad joke. But Kevin wasn't joking, he was serious..
For what purpose? Could it be a shallow trick to twist the apocalypse??
That wasn't it..
Not only was Kevin not that stupid, but more than anything, he didn't have any trace of that in his emotions..
All I felt was that I wanted to know if they really wanted to become an archive or not..
Of course, the archive that took a thousand years to maintain was dying, and the only wizards in this thriving country were Oliver and Kevin..
Oliver answered.
“no, there isn't.”
“Right.”
After hearing the answer, Kevin gave a short reply and walked up to Merlin and supported him..
I laid Merlin down on his back and straightened his sprawled arms and legs to make him feel a little more comfortable..
Oliver watched the scene in silence. The image of a victim supporting his enemy.
Even though Joanna with wings on her back and the woman on the camel were fighting right in front of her, she didn't take her eyes off Kevin and Merlin..
To see the ending of these two people's story.
“Come to your senses. Master.”
Kevin called out to Merlin, who was half unconscious and covered in blood..
Merlin responded to Kevin's voice calling him, his eyes came into focus, and his breathing, which seemed to be breaking, became stable again..
“Huh... Huh... Huh······.”
Merlin came to his senses and looked blankly at Kevin..
At one time, he was his test subject and disciple..
It was as if he was confused as to whether it was a dream or reality, but when he recognized that it was reality, his expression revealed his emotions..
His unfiltered emotions, which he had hidden with a wizard's unique slyness and shamelessness,.
Those feelings were regret at having failed, fear that an end beyond death was approaching, and above all, guilt about one's own sins that had not yet been washed away..
“iced coffee······.”
Merlin covered his face with his only left arm..
Like a person hiding his weaknesses.
It was like that. Even Merlin, the archive, was ultimately human..
fleeting and weak.
The fleeting and weak Merlin asked..
“Uh, how... Did it happen? the devil?”
“Joanna is blocking it now. Because she ate the sacred blood..”
“Precious blood?”
“Yes, to create a son of an angel. So I am standing against the devil... It looks breathtaking, though. But what does that matter to you now? You are dying now.”
Kevin said and looked at Merlin's body collapsing..
The skin broke like glass, exposing the flesh underneath, which was slowly rotting away and eroding the internal organs..
It wasn't strange even if he died right away..
“If Master dies like this, the legacy of the archive will be lost..”
answer.
The position of the world's only archive was a very valuable one, but it was also a vulnerable one..
If the current archive does not appoint a successor to pass on its position, it would be the same as the end of the archive..
In some ways, it was nothing short of a miracle that the position of archive was maintained for a thousand years..
However, that miracle was not a result of pure fate. Beneath that miracle were the efforts of wizards to somehow take over the position of archive..
Even when he went to fight the Pied Piper, he handed over the position to his successor in advance, and even when he tried to commit suicide because he could not bear the weight of the archive, he passed it on to his successor and the efforts of the previous archiver who died were preserved..
Realizing that fact, Merlin reflexively looked at Oliver..
The distance between Oliver and Merlin was only a few steps, but in my experience, there was a long distance that could not be bridged..
Nevertheless, Merlin stretched out his trembling left hand, as foolish and foolish as when he grabbed Oliver's trousers..
Please save me. I know this is a shameless and nonsensical complaint. Please don’t give up on yourself, who are so sinful..
Containing the wishes of not just one individual, but the archives accumulated over the past thousand years..
That wish contained a desire to protect fellow human beings, but at the same time it also contained a selfish wish that they too could be saved..
Is that why? Oliver did not respond to that wish.
Whether it is the hope of a thousand years or the hope of countless people who have endured those years, it is ultimately the hope of sinners. The essence was the desire to be saved from the sin that never goes away..
That's why Oliver just looked and remained silent..
No hand was extended, no voice was heard..
I just look.
At that cold, hard gaze, Merlin felt despair once again, but trembled and continued to stretch out his hand, and did so for a long time. Merlin, her strength was gone, her hands were about to fall helplessly in the air..
widely.
Kevin held that hand..
Merlin turned his gaze towards Kevin, who held his hand, and Kevin also looked straight at Merlin..
And then he opened his mouth.
“I was planning on giving Zeno the memories of the archive.?”
“······.”
“I think I might change my mind if I receive memories from an archive accumulated over a thousand years. So, you tried to hand over the archive position to Zeno.?”
Kevin saw right through it. Merlin's final move to somehow prevent the apocalypse. number of failures.
It was an attempt to convey memories from the vast archive to Oliver and show how much they were suffering and reflecting..
Then, I think I'll give you understanding, sympathy, sympathy, whatever..
Like a child throwing a tantrum.
Merlin agreed silently. Her own shallow intentions.
“But even that failed. Zeno confirmed that he had no intention of receiving it..”
A statement was made that did not carry a death sentence for Merlin, no, for all of humanity. Merlin couldn't react..
The overwhelming despair took away all emotions..
In that numb despair, Kevin gently and firmly squeezed Merlin's hand..
“So, I will take over the archive position. Master.”
“······.”
“That's my revenge on you.”
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