“Can you imagine a world without the Four Great Powers?”
The students wore thoughtful expressions at the question.
A world without magical power, demonic power, divine power, or aura.
And the conclusion of their imagination was this:
…Could such a thing even exist?
The Four Great Powers were the very foundation of the world, the source of all mysteries, and the force that sustained it. That was common knowledge among the people of this world. One student raised a hand and spoke.
“I don’t think such a world could exist. If it did, wouldn’t it be a world that had already fallen to ruin?”
“Hmm, is that what you think? What’s your name, student?”
“James.”
“Very well, James. In that case, how do the Four Great Powers form and sustain the world?”
“Well…”
At that question, the student named James was struck speechless. While it was common knowledge that the Four Great Powers were the foundation of the world, no one knew exactly how they formed or sustained it.
It was simply accepted as truth because great figures who had reached the pinnacle of mystery and priests who served the gods had said so.
“It’s okay if you can’t answer. After all, it’s common knowledge in this world that the Four Great Powers of the Transcendents created everything. For example, isn’t it said that the sun and moon in the sky were placed there by the Goddesses of the Sun and Moon? Maybe the answer is something that only the Transcendents themselves know.”
“Yes…”
“However, even so, I want to propose that this world wasn’t created solely by the Four Great Powers.”
-…..?!
Everyone present was startled by those words. That statement, in some ways, bordered on heretical thinking.
Yujin continued speaking.
“Of course, you might be thinking this: isn’t this heretical thought? But if that’s the case, I want to ask one thing. Let’s assume that all things in this world were formed by the Four Great Powers. Then why is it that not all things in the world carry traces of those mystical forces?”
-……
“For example, take the chalk I’m holding. Can anyone here feel anything from this? Mana, aura, demonic power, divine power… Is there anyone who can sense even a trace of any of the Four Great Powers from this chalk?”
The students glanced at one another in confusion and started murmuring among themselves. Yujin’s statement was shockingly bold, especially in a world where transcendent beings were an absolute reality.
It was a statement that could easily be interpreted as blasphemous. That was why no one had ever dared to question it. Doing so could very well lead to being branded a heretic.
Clap.
“Quiet.”
The room froze.
When Yujin clapped his hands and uttered a single word, all the students instinctively froze and fell silent.
No one could explain why, but there was an undeniable weight in every action Yujin took. He had a presence that made it impossible for anyone to casually dismiss his words or gestures.
With the classroom now filled with silence, Yujin turned to Julian, the student who had asked the first question and continued speaking.
“Student Julian.”
“Y-Yes!”
“Why do you think mysteries are called ‘mysteries’?”
“…Huh?”
“Everyone, the phenomena caused by the Four Great Powers are what we call ‘mysteries’.”
This was true. In the Labyrinth Academy that Yujin had experienced, the effects brought about by the Four Great Powers were consistently described as “mysteries”.
“Why do we call them that? If the Four Great Powers truly form and sustain all things and are present everywhere in the world… then why are the phenomena they create referred to as ‘mysteries’ rather than natural laws? Have you ever stopped to think about that?”
-……
“In light of this, let us return to the original question.”
Yujin turned back to the chalkboard and wrote a single word.
[Singularity]
“When I first mentioned this term, many of you expressed confusion. What is a ‘singularity’? The answer lies in what I just explained. It is precisely what we call ‘mysteries’.”
Having said this, Yujin turned back to face the students.
“It is said that the Four Great Powers, the essence of the Transcendents, formed and maintained everything in the world. But does that mean that there can be no world without the Transcendents? And what is the origin of the transcendents themselves? Are they just beings born from the Four Great Powers that existed before? I don’t claim to have the answers, but I do believe that there are many contradictions in the idea that the Four Great Powers alone form and maintain the world. In truth, anyone can see these contradictions. It is just that most people turn a blind eye, citing concerns about blasphemy or heresy.”
One shocking statement after another. If there had been a theology professor in the classroom, he would have been filled with indignation and disgust at Yujin’s words.
Nevertheless, Yujin pressed on.
“I believe the Four Great Powers themselves are something fundamentally different from the natural laws of this world. That’s why they’re called mysteries, and that’s why things untouched by the Four Great Powers also exist.”
“P-Professor, are you denying the central principle of the Pantheon….that the transcendents created the mortal world?”
Julian, the first to have asked a question, stammered as he posed another question. He couldn’t hide his unease.
The Pantheon. It referred to the largest religion in the world, one that worshiped the gods who truly existed in this realm.
Its influence was so widespread that it would be no exaggeration to say it extended across the entire world. Even on the Eastern Continent, located on the opposite side of the globe, the Pantheon had taken root in some form or another.
Yujin’s current statements could easily be seen as a direct challenge to the Pantheon. Yet he simply smiled and spoke calmly.
“Julian, has there ever been a single case where the Transcendents themselves officially claimed to have created the mortal world? Or is there even one line in a history book that states such a thing?”
“Well, that’s because His Holiness the first Holy Pope as well as the Holy Saint and the Holy Maiden…”
“They are not gods themselves.”
“……!!!”
The students’ faces turned pale at his words. What Yujin had just said was a direct refutation of the authority of those who were believed to have acted as agents of divine power! Even Reina stared at Yujin with a look of shock on her face.
Yet Yujin continued speaking calmly.
“Everyone takes it for granted that the great Transcendents created the mortal world and that we were born through their grace to live in it. But if I could, I’d like to ask the Transcendents of the Labyrinth, or even the celestial gods themselves: did you truly create this mortal world? Of course, I wouldn’t bother asking the demons, as they’re always lying.”
Of course, Yujin already knew the answer. And for good reason…
[None of the Transcendents created the mortal world. It has existed entirely on its own from the beginning]
That was what Tiamat, the queen of the dragons and one of the Transcendents, had publicly acknowledged. The mortal world existed independently of the Transcendents.
Would the gods give the same answer?
[I can’t imagine they’d ever lie about something like that just because of doctrines created by mortals. If anything, they’d find it dishonorable to let themselves be bound by the authority of something made by mortals. They’d probably view such lies as no different from the deceit of demons. After all, they despise deception. They just choose not to correct mortals’ misconceptions because it doesn’t matter to them.]
I see.
In any case, Yujin was certain that the mortal world had not been created by the Transcendents. Nor was it formed solely by the Four Great Powers, as commonly believed.
When Yujin proclaimed this with conviction, the entire room fell silent.
His statement was nothing short of shocking. In fact, it wouldn’t have been surprising if someone had already reported Yujin to the Pantheon.
The only reason they could not do so was because Yujin’s reputation was far too great, and he himself was also a great archmage who had reached a very high realm.
There was a corresponding difference in weight between the words of a beggar no one had ever heard of and those of a famous individual who had accomplished tremendous feats in that field. Yujin had in fact achieved a historic accomplishment in the realm of space-time magic, one that would go down in humanity’s history books, and that alone gave his words considerable weight.
The students took a moment to reconsider what he was saying. Could it really be as Yujin claimed? In truth, what Yujin had said was not some utterly preposterous nonsense.
It was true that there were many contradictions in the claim that the whole world was formed by the Four Great Powers, and no one knew how the Four Great Powers formed and maintained the world. Since it was a mystical world where the Transcendents existed, everyone just accepted it as it was.
Perhaps the background that allowed Yujin to achieve something so monumental in space-time magic lay in that fundamental way of thinking.
If the key to finding answers regarding space-time magic involved digging into the truth of the world without paying heed to the Transcendents or their followers, then the students also found themselves subconsciously thinking it was worth trying.
Around that time, Yujin looked at his wristwatch.
“Originally, I intended to spend a bit more time explaining ‘Singularity’, my answer to the Four Great Powers, but… it seems we’ve talked a lot, and time has flown by. I can’t conduct the entire lecture by myself, and there isn’t enough time for questions either… so let’s continue next time. Then, Professor Sahart?”
“Ah, yes?”
“You may begin your lecture now. The plan for today was just for me to introduce myself and answer a few questions briefly… but I seem to have taken up too much time. I apologize.”
“Ah, not at all.”
Professor Reina unconsciously shook her head as she answered.
“Ahem, then… everyone, let’s begin the lecture. Please open your textbooks.”
-……
There was no response from the students. They simply opened their textbooks in a daze, while glancing over at Yujin from time to time.
And so, the lecture proceeded in a much quieter manner than usual…
“Well then, everyone, good work today.”
-……
By the time the lecture ended, the students shuffled out while looking somewhat blank.
Yujin watched the door through which the students exited, then spoke to Reina.
“…All right, I should be going now. Professor Sahart, I have a few matters to attend to, so I’ll be stepping out.”
“Ah, wait…!”
When the morning lecture ended, Yujin said that to Reina and left his seat. Reina tried to stop him, but…
“…Wha—.”
By the time she attempted to grab him outside the door, he had already vanished without a trace.
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