The Author's POV

Epilogue — Effort's never betray you [1]

"The Multiverse Theory, can anyone explain it to me?"

The classroom overflowed with students, their eyes fixated on the front, captivated by the mesmerizing pair of amethyst-colored eyes that met their gaze.

Today's class subject was [Phyolosophy of Quantum Mechanics]. One of the many theoretical subjects presented to the students at the Lock.

In today's class, they were branching out on a new topic.

The Multiverse Theory.

"Does anyone here have a clue?"

Donna's eyes scanned the silent classroom, sensing numerous gazes fixed upon her. To her disappointment, none displayed a willingness to answer the question.

'Looks like this year is going to be a rough one...'

This wasn't a good start.

Year after year, it remained the same... regardless of which academic year she taught, the emphasis was always on practical lessons while theory took a backseat. She could easily count on one hand the number of students who managed to stay awake throughout her years of teaching theoretical concepts.

"Hmmm."

Scanning the classroom one more time, Donna's gaze paused in a particular direction, and her eyes sharpened.

Meeting a pair of eyes, Donna sensed her intended target flinch visibly, attempting to hide their face by burying their head in their arms.

Unfortunately for them, it was already too late.

Donna had already set her gaze on them.

'That's right... I forgot that you're here as well.'

With the sudden curl of her lips, Donna's mouth parted open.

"Rank 1, Nola Dover. Do you perhaps have any insights on this matter?"

A familiar surname.

One that she had the pleasure of knowing a few years back.

And that was all it took for the entire class to turn their heads and tear their gazes away from Donna. A feat that was once deemed impossible.

"Ugh."

Donna heard Nola's groan loud and clear. It wasn't loud, but with her senses, she had no trouble hearing it.

Her brow raised.

"Oh? Is something the matter?"

"Ah... Ugh... No..."

Nola's face underwent a series of changes before she eventually lowered her head in resignation.

Donna smiled.

'She really does resemble him in more ways than others... Not sure if that's a good thing.'

"Good. So..." she pursed her lips, "care to explain to the class what you know about the multiverse theory?"

Nola gently tousled her hair as she gradually stood up from her seat. She sensed the numerous eyes fixed upon her in the classroom and silently muttered to herself in frustration.

'It's all his fault...'

The person in question was none other than her brother. Ren.

After single-handedly rescuing the world and triumphing over the Demon King, he ascended to the pinnacle of humanity's hierarchy, earning the esteemed title of the ultimate ranker and revered hero.

Names that made both him and her cringe. Nonetheless, the real problem lay in the fact that he had signed her up for the Lock without letting her have a disguise. Not only that, he also made sure to let everyone know she was his sister.

Just recalling the day when he dropped her off at the academy...

She shuddered.

"Nola, we don't have all day."

"Ah, yes."

Flinching, Nola recovered herself and quickly started to speak.

"The multiverse theory proposes that there are countless other universes out there, each with its own set of physical laws, constants, and conditions. These universes may have different histories, different versions of ourselves, and even different laws of physics governing them."

This was a topic she wasn't all too familiar with, but she wasn't ranked first because of her connection with her brother.

She was actually smart and talented at that. That... perhaps may have been due to him, but she still put a lot of effort into getting to where she was.

The thought of people thinking of her as a kept sister irritated her.

"Naturally, it is possible that they share an identical history, engage in the same actions, and abide by the same laws of physics as our reality..."

She wanted to prove that she was just as talented as her brother and that she didn't pull strings to get to her current position.

Jealousy was a feeling all too common from those that ranked beneath her.

In any case, regarding those stares, all she had to do was prove that she didn't get here with help and that this was all due to her hard work.

Her reciting what she knew about the Multiverse Theory was proof that her efforts weren't in vain. Her sleepless nights weren't for nothing.

"However, they may exist within an alternative timeline, progressing at a different pace from our own. This divergence could range from mere minutes, hours, or days to more substantial gaps such as weeks, months, years, or even decades ahead of our current state."

'Yeah... this is how it should be...'

Seeing the fervent gazes of her own classmates as she recited what she had learned the day prior, Nola felt her ego boost.

'That's right, keep looking at me like that.'

The subtle blushes coming from the boys, the envious gazes from the girls in the class... Nola took it all. She deeply imprinted the sight in her mind.

This view confirmed to her that she was flawless... that she was the embodiment of envy for everyone. That all her efforts weren't for nothing... and that... she was perfect.

Only that...

'Status.'

Nola started to secretly clench her fist as a holographic image appeared right before her very eyes, and her gaze fell on a certain section. Slowly, her speech started to slur, and her voice weakened.

"Various... haaa...versions of the multiverse theory exist, including the inflationary multiverse, the string theory landscape, and... and... the quantum multiverse..."

===Status===

Name : Nola Dover

Rank : D

Strength : D

Agility : D+

Stamina : D-

Intelligence : D

Mana capacity : D-

Luck : B

Charm : G-

--> Profession : [Magician lvl.1]

==========

"These different interpretations provide different mechanisms for the existence of multiple universes within the overarching multiverse framework―Damn it!"

BANG―!

Unable to take it anymore, she smashed her fist against the table and cursed.

"How is this even possible!?"

Looking at how everyone was looking at her, there was no way this was true! This was the cause of her inferiority complex, and it had been eating away at her for the longest time. She couldn't bear it anymore!

Why the hell was her charm so fucking low!??

"I swear... Someone must've d—"

"Nola Dover!"

"Hiii!?"

Overhearing a powerful voice coming from the front, Nola flinched and looked straight ahead. That was when her gaze met with Donna's, and her entire body went cold.

Her gaze alone told a thousand words, and when she turned her head to see her classmate's shocked reactions, she knew that she had messed up big time.

'Oh, fuck...'

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, she hesitantly opened her mouth and said, "W... would you believe me if I told you I had a good reason for my outburst?"

*

"Aigh..."

Nola let out a frustrated sigh as she rubbed her ear with her pinky. Turning around and staring at the wooden door behind her, she scowled.

'I get that she was angry, but she didn't need to lecture me for over an hour...'

Honestly... she'd been previously informed by her brother about Donna's uptight nature, but she never anticipated it would be this severe. Her previous impression of her—that of a pretty and friendly older sister—completely crumbled apart in just one day.

"Still... It's not really my fault either..."

Nola sulked while bringing out her status window once again. Her eyes once again drifted toward the charm section.

She massaged her forehead as she felt it throb.

"Seriously though... why is it not increasing at all?"

It made no sense to her at all. All her stats increased at an exceptional rate. Be it strength, agility, or whatever other stat she had... it rose at a frightening speed. She stood atop her entire year with her strength even surpassing some of the second years...

So...

Why was it that all her stats, apart from her charm, kept increasing?

It made absolutely no sense to her.

"Ugh," Nola ruffled her hair in frustration, heading toward the exit of the building. "I swear, there must be a conspiracy behind this. There's no way my charm is actually that low... I know for sure..."

She stopped for a second, turning her gaze to stare at a student walking past her.

"Hey, you."

She called out for him.

"Me?"

He stopped right in his tracks and stared at her. Immediately after their gazes met, his eyes darted away from her, and he started to shake nervously.

"Y... yes?"

"Hmm."

Nola squinted her eyes, carefully studying the student before her.

'It seems like he's shy?'

She wasn't exactly sure, but the way he was avoiding her eyes and looked to be nervous said otherwise. Perhaps he was scared, but...

'He's peeking at me...'

The way he'd take sneaky glimpses at her said it all.

Indeed, he was charmed by her.

"You can go."

Dismissing him, Nola turned away and made her way out of the building. As she stepped outside, she was met with a rush of air, causing her hair to dance in the breeze.

Being in Section B during daylight hours, the area was bustling with numerous students who couldn't help but steal glances whenever she passed by. Be it human, elf, dwarf, or even demon, they all sneaked glances her way.

Indeed, after the conclusion of the war, Earth underwent profound changes. The division that had once segregated the four races was no more, and everyone could now enroll at the Lock.

People had once expected the demons to be exterminated or banished because of what they had done, but under her brother's commands, they were spared and even integrated into society.

Undoubtedly, a certain level of unease persisted between the demons and other races. The demons had caused the deaths of loved ones and inflicted profound pain upon many families, creating a comprehensible reservoir of resentment.

Even so, everyone understood that not all demons were bad, and so, under strict control, some were allowed to migrate to Earth and Immorra while others were sent away. In the end, the road to full integration was still a long one.

But that was beside the point.

"This is strange," Nola muttered, tucking her hand under her chin.

The way that they were looking at her made her think that she was indeed not seeing wrong. Was it perhaps because she was 'his' sister? Could that be the reason why they were all looking at her like that?

Possibly, but...

The way the boys looked at her...

"Hmmm," Nola's eyes squinted. "It can't be a coincidence, right? Is someone actually messing with me?"

But how was it possible?

How could anyone influence the system? They'd have to be a god or something to be able to do that.

'Could it be brother's doing?'

"Nah, pfft."

She shook her head, laughing almost. Why would her brother even bother doing something like that?

'Maybe it just runs with genetics.'

She did recall her brother cursing about his charm several times in the past. In fact, whenever Amanda had the chance, she'd tease him with it.

It had gotten so bad that Han Yufei, Amanda, and her brother couldn't stay in the same room before he'd blow up and start threatening everybody.

"Sigh, well... I guess it truly runs with the genetics."

Her brother wasn't too ugly. In fact, he was pretty handsome. In a way, it seemed like they were cursed to have low charm.

But still...

For some reason, she had an inkling that there was something at play on the matter. For some reason, she felt that her charm was purposely set at its lowest. She wasn't sure why... but she felt that whoever did it did it out of spite.

'It couldn't be my brother, right?'

A sudden thought captured her attention.

"There's no way."

But she quickly shook it away.

Although her brother was strong, there was no way he'd be able to change her status window. He'd have to be a god to do that. Plus, for what reason would he even have to set her charm low?

'It can't be because he doesn't want to be the one with the lowest charm in our family, right?'

"Pftt," Nola laughed. "As if."

There was no way he'd be that petty...

Right?

***

On the other hand, a certain important event was taking place in another part of Ashton City.

"Are you guys ready?"

"This... isn't it a bit of a downgrade?"

"From what?"

"I mean... you know... we used to be a very secretive and powerful organization, and―"

"We're no longer at war. What's the point of the mercenary guild?"

Angelica's words cut right through Ryan's.

"..."

Ryan pursed his lips, his tone carrying obvious disappointment.

"I guess you're right."

Since the conclusion of the war, Earth has experienced numerous transformations. The absence of demon invasions led to the gradual closure of the once-abundant dungeons scattered across the planet. Additionally, with the disappearance of the Monolith, guilds and mercenary organizations began to disband.

With no dungeons and demons to fight, there was no longer a point. The Union still existed, and they were in charge of keeping order on the planet.

While a lot of the big guilds had shut down, it didn't mean that everyone had gone broke.

With the absence of dungeons, interdimensional trade became a big thing, and the guilds, which had once dominated Earth, took no time to turn into traders.

"Say..." Ryan rubbed the bottom part of his nose, looking up at the sign that hung atop the building in front of him. He squinted, "Do we really have to do this? You know... why don't we follow the examples of the other gui―"

"Shut up."

A new voice cut his words, and when he turned his head, Ryan's eyes opened widely.

"You!" He pointed at Smallsnake, "That's now how things work around here!"

"Huh?"

Smallsnake looked at Ryan with a dubious look.

"Then how do th―"

"Shut up."

Ryan's word cut right at Smallsnake's. Seeing the shocked expression on Smallsnake's face, Ryan smiled.

"Yeah, much better. That's how it should be."

He found a weird sense of satisfaction whenever he managed to utter those words to Smallsnake. Was this why Ren was addicted to saying them in the past?

"Wait, wh―"

"Shut up."

It was Angelica's turn this time, and Smallsnake's mouth instantly shut as he spun around to stare at her, bewildered.

"Not you too..."

He looked aggrieved. Just what wrong did he do?

Giving him a sideglance, Angelica tore her gaze away from him. The way she carried herself made it seem as though she was just trying to stop the two of them from quarreling. However, the faint curl at the end of her mouth gave her away.

Not that they noticed.

"Stop arguing, and get everything ready. Since we're no longer a mercenary group, we're going to have to start earning money a different way."

"Ugh."

Ryan groaned, his back slowly hunching. Raising his head, he pointed at the sign above.

"I get that, but seriously? A bar? Why, of all things, did you decide to open a bar? That's sooo bori―you know what? Now that I think about it, it sounds like a very ingenious idea. Whoever came up with it must be a genius."

His tone took a drastic turn after sensing Angelica's glare. Rubbing his hands together, he started flattering her nonstop.

"Lord, Madam, all mighty demoness, I am so enamored with what you're trying to―"

"Can you stop?"

It had gotten to the point where even Smallsnake was starting to cringe. Just what had happened to Ryan while he had been missing?

Smallsnake had been back for a year, and he still couldn't get used to the new Ryan.

"You wouldn't understand," Ryan shook his head, staring at Smallsnake with a disapproving look. "If you think I'm bad, wait until you see the others... We've all suffered quite a lot while you weren't here..."

"Uh?"

Smallsnake was even more surprised, and he couldn't help but glance at Angelica in front of him. What exactly did she do to them while he was gone? Wasn't she in the demon realm?

"Are you two going to keep talking behind my back, or are you coming?"

"Coming."

"Coming."

Almost in sync, the two of them straightened their backs and rushed to where Angelica was.

Clank―! Opening the door, they were immediately greeted with a cozy atmosphere. The interior of the cafe was charming and cozy, exuding a rustic yet inviting atmosphere.

Stepping in, they were welcomed by the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the soft glow of warm, dimmed lighting.

Diverse seating options were available, including cozy booths, cushioned chairs, and high-top tables.

The furniture had a vintage charm, with worn wooden surfaces and comfortable upholstery. Soft jazz music played in the background, creating a relaxed and intimate ambiance.

*Puff*

The tranquil atmosphere was abruptly disrupted by a gentle puff. Smallsnake instinctively turned his head, and his gaze fixed upon Leopold, who nonchalantly had both legs resting upon the table.

Staring at the smoke diffusing in the air, he frowned.

"I thought you stopped smoking..."

"I did," Leopold nonchalantly replied, keeping his gaze fixed on the smoke above him. "The reason why I stopped was because you died; now that you're back, I have no reason to stop."

*Puff*

Taking another puff, Leopold's face filled with ecstasy. He had missed the feeling dearly.

"Well," Smallsnake was about to say something, but he stopped himself. "Nevermind." He shook his head, his gaze falling on Leopold's right hand, which was missing.

Despite their efforts to save him during the war, it came at a price: his arm.

They exhausted every possible avenue to regrow his missing limb, but unfortunately, their attempts proved futile. Potions and medicines proved ineffective, and even Ren, with all his power, could not assist in that particular matter.

It was a testament to just how powerful the demon who had nearly killed him was.

"Oh, you guys are finally here."

Coming from the back of the cafe, Smallsnake spotted Ava and Hein carrying two large boxes. Gently placing it over one of the tables, Ava patted her hands.

"Since you guys are here, why don't you help me out for a change?" She pointed behind her, "Despite his size, he's pretty useless."

"Hey..."

Hein frowned, placing the box next to hers.

"I literally did all the wo―"

Di Ding―!

In a sudden flurry, the entrance bells chimed melodiously, capturing everyone's attention. All heads swiftly turned toward the source of the sound, and their expressions softened instantaneously.

A figure had walked into the cafe, and her expression wasn't very good.

"What brings you here, Nola? Aren't you supposed to be in the Acade―"

"Shut up, Smallsnake."

Nola glared at Smallsnake, who instantly shut up. Indeed, it was all about genetics.

"Have you guys seen my brother?"

Nola asked, her gaze sweeping all over the place. Ever since she came out from Donna's office, she couldn't quite get the idea that her brother was the one behind her situation.

Reassuring herself that the likelihood of him being the one behind the matter was exceedingly slim, she still couldn't help but sense an inexplicable feeling that, just maybe, had a hand on the matter.

She had asked her parents about his whereabouts but they didn't seem to know, so the only option for her was to come here.

"So..."

Nola's eyes narrowed, her gaze falling over everyone.

"Where is he?"

***

At the same time. Somewhere in Ashton City.

"Huam."

Liam let out a tired yawn, his eyelids growing heavier by the moment.

He didn't know when, but he seemed to have found himself in a location resembling a park, though his fatigue made it difficult to be certain.

While he no longer had problems with his memory, it seemed as though his laziness had not been fixed. That was most likely due to the fact that his laziness stemmed from his sword art which consumed a lot of energy, but what could he do?

Coffee was of no use to him.

'Maybe I'll take a nap over here.'

His gaze drifted lazily towards a nearby bench, and with a sluggish pace, he ambled over and leaned against it.

Closing his eyes, he surrendered to the weariness that enveloped him.

"Krrrrr."

His chest rose and fell, and he rumbled like a mountain as he slept. His snoring was so loud that all those near him could hear him, and many immediately distanced themselves away from him.

"Krrrrr."

This continued until eventually, unable to take it anymore, one of the people sitting at the park stood up and angrily rushed toward where Liam was. He had dirt blond hair, and their frame was quite large.

"Hey, fucker!"

He shouted, tapping Liam on the shoulder.

Because Liam's hair was covering his face, he wasn't able to catch his face, but he didn't care as he continued to tap him on the shoulder.

"Hey, fucker! Wake the fuck up!"

"Krrrr."

But the snoring persisted. In fact, it grew louder, and the man's anger grew.

"Motherfu―"

"Uh, ah?"

As Liam gradually awoke from his slumber, he brushed his hair aside and raised his gaze. To his surprise, he was confronted with a pair of furious eyes glaring back at him. About to utter a response, Liam's face froze, and his mouth involuntarily hung open in astonishment.

"Gilbert?"