Serudora chewed on my words, swallowing them.
Then, he managed to spit out confirmations mixed with various doubts.
“Ah, ah… Right. It’s exactly as Kanami says… but are you really not using magic?”
“I’m not. My magic stone hasn’t settled in yet, so I’m trying to refrain from using it as much as possible.”
“Even so, this is… Well, I guess so. You’re the man who beat Hidaki and Tiara.”
From Serudora’s perspective as a third party, the outcome of that “final battle” is treated that way.
I recognized Serudora’s increasingly cautious attitude.
It was exactly how I was when I confronted the “Thieves of Principles” in the past. No matter how much the “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions” claimed they had no hostility, their tension never seemed to break.
He seemed particularly wary of “Past Sight” with “Distance Mute.”
To ease that wariness and tension, I explained.
“I have no intention of using ‘Past Sight’ anymore. Unlike with everyone else, you have plenty of time, Serudora. It would be best for you to fulfill your own ‘Lingering Desires’ little by little with your own strength.”
What’s important is to grow in this world a thousand years later.
It’s questionable whether the “Thieves of Principles” would accept it if I suddenly forced “Past Sight” upon them. Only after they grow and can accept their true selves will they finally be able to settle their fate from a thousand years ago.
That’s what Tiara meant by “truly living life to the point of unraveling the ‘Threads’.”
“After all, the most important thing is to realize it through your own power… There’s no meaning in just reading through everything with magic and knowing the ‘final page’.”
As I said it, I felt it perfectly applied to myself.
The nature of my magic, “Mirror,” reflects others onto myself.
At the same time, I often see myself reflected in others. Remembering the battle with Ragune Kaikuola, who had the same magic nature, I cautioned myself.
After listening to my explanation, Serudora twisted his lips.
“Hah, hahaha. This conversation jumping around feels exactly like ‘Aikawa Hidaki.’ It’s easy to have your thoughts read, but your conversation is incredibly fast…”
Even though Serudora was Hidaki’s friend, what I just said was clearly too hasty. Confirming that he was still far from his usual self, even as he regained some composure, I apologized.
“…S-Sorry. I’ll be careful. I might have let my guard down a bit because it was Serudora.”
“No, that’s not it. Kanami, you’re fine as you are. Use your skills and magic to your heart’s content and end these troublesome matters quickly. You don’t need to hold back with me, at least.”
However, he immediately denied it.
In fact, he strongly recommended it.
“You seem to think of magic as some kind of cowardly shortcut… but magic is originally a technique for taking shortcuts, you know? Because it’s easy and convenient, everyone in the Allied Nations is eager to learn and master magic. To not use it just because you have too much is a bit too arrogant, don’t you think?”
Serudora looked around at the townscape of the Allied Nations.
There, the “Magic Stone Lines” had been re-established as a top priority.
Faced with such a valid argument, I could only nod.
“So, Kanami. First, please create a shortcut for my wish with the magic ‘Replace Connection.’ Safety is irrelevant, so please do it quickly.”
Serudora brought the conversation back, asking me to prioritize speed over safety.
However, this was a request I, as a guide, could not accept.
“That magic is truly dangerous. I’m trying various things, but if it fails, you’ll be left stranded in something like the ‘Gap Between Dimensions’.”
“Oh? That sounds like fun in its own way. In my case, as long as I’m not bored, that’s fine.”
“Hmm… I’d like to do more experiments before letting a living being pass through…”
Frankly, “traveling from world to world” is beyond the scope of magic.
It might sound like sibling boasting, but only Hidaki could use it so easily. I’m not a siscon, and although I hated her, if it weren’t for Hidaki, my most outstanding and cute sister in all dimensions, the realization of “Replace Connection’s” safety guarantee would be far off.
“Then, use me for that experiment. There’s no one as sturdy as me for an experiment. More importantly, my interests completely align with wanting to peer into the other side before anyone else.”
Even when told of the danger, Serudora did not flinch.
He probably felt confident in his ability to adapt to any situation.
What’s more, upon learning of the magic’s danger, his expression seemed to light up as if he had an idea. Only I could see it, but Rustiara was declaring, “He’s thinking of something bad!” After a moment of hesitation, I agreed.
“…Alright. I just went on a ‘date’ with Rustiara and recovered quite a bit. Not MP, but what you’d call SP.”
The “Thieves of Principles” generally have high priority.
More importantly, I felt a faint flow of events.
If I avoided this, the situation would only worsen.
“Eh, SP? Well, I kind of understand what you mean, but…”
“I think you’ll understand once your trip is over. Well then, without further ado. —Magic ‘Connection’.”
I dispelled “Stealth,” stood up from the bench, and generated a magical door in front of me.
Together with Serudora, we passed through it and traveled across dimensions from the Eleventh Crossroads.
The destination was a basement room where a large number of office desks had been brought in.
It was the “Government Documents Room and Connection Storage” located beneath the Great Cathedral of Fuzuya’s, where many “Connections” were concentrated.
There, “Magic Stone Humans” greeted me, calling out, “Kanami-sama!”
I raised my hand and responded, “Excuse me for a moment,” as I walked to the corner of the room.
“Serudora, this way. We have a special research laboratory prepared on the lowest floor.”
I called out to Serudora, who was looking around, and opened a stone door, not one of the many “Connections.” Beyond it, stairs led further down.
We descended the stairs together with Serudora.
Even when we passed “Magic Stone Humans” or doors to the side, we continued straight down, endlessly, until we reached the lowest floor.
After opening several thick, heavy stone doors, we entered the room we were looking for.
It was a very large room.
When I had come here before, there was only a mortuary bed placed in the center. However, after overcoming that “final battle,” the interior had changed significantly.
First, new bookshelves were lined up along the walls.
Similar to the warp room earlier, office desks had been brought in, and several “Magic Stone Humans” were working on something.
And in the center of the room, a beautiful flower garden spread out, almost convincing me I was on the surface.
The bed remained, placed haphazardly. However, bouquets of colorful flowers were offered on and around it.
They were well-maintained, with not a single wilted flower.
The “Magic Stone Humans” likely in charge of their care noticed our arrival and beamed with smiles that rivaled the flowers, uttering welcoming voices.
“Ah, it’s Rustiara-sama!”
“Welcome back.”
“Rustiara-sama is back, everyone!”
Their reaction was similar to the “Magic Stone Humans” upstairs in the “Government Documents Room and Connection Storage,” but fatally off.
I could also see the illusion they were likely seeing.
I became Rustiara and spoke on their behalf.
” ‘I’m home~. My little sisters, I had a fantastic date~’ ”
I reproduced Rustiara’s tone, inflection, and even her subtle mannerisms and habits with the skill I possessed.
As I acted like an actor, the “Magic Stone Humans” superimposed Rustiara’s image onto me and conversed.
“Fufu, that’s wonderful.”
“Huh? But don’t you still have more break time left?”
“Since today is your day off… will you play with us?”
” ‘No, I’m sorry. We’ll play another time. Today, I want to do magic research with the person over there. He’s Kanami’s friend, so please allow him to be here.’ ”
When I briefly explained the purpose of our visit, the “Magic Stone Humans” reluctantly nodded.
“A friend of Shiso-sama? Then, we can’t help it.”
“Yes! The completion of ‘Replace Connection’ is one of our ‘dreams’! We absolutely won’t get in your way!”
“We’re praying for you two to be able to travel to your true ‘Another World’ soon!”
They did not speak back.
Instead, the “Magic Stone Humans” began to pray.
“—True gods of Revann, bestow upon us miserable ones a saving light—”
“—To our ‘Shiso’ who changed our ‘fate’—”
“—To the ‘Living God’ who descended upon this land. Our soul’s gratitude—”
” ‘Mhm, thank you, thank you. Well then, I’ll go do magic experiments with Kanami over there.’ ”
Leaving the “Magic Stone Humans” who had started praying on the spot, we walked along the walls and moved through the room.
Serudora, who had been observing with surprise, quietly asked me.
“Kanami, just now… no, who are these guys?”
“…They are children who couldn’t bear a world without Rustiara. Although she’s not here today, beastmen and former slaves, whose situations are also troublesome, are working here in the depths.”
The “Magic Stone Humans” who prayed at the empty mortuary bed sometimes couldn’t communicate with their companions upstairs due to their “hallucinations.”
The biggest problem is that everyone in this room has high “aptitude” overall.
Having a lot of magic power but an unstable mind is often treated as a dangerous bomb on the surface and dealt with. To prevent that, I created this room at the very beginning of the reconstruction.
“As long as they work with me, it’s fine, so I’m entrusting them with their private hobbies. Of course, I’m paying them from my own pocket, and when their rehabilitation progresses, I plan to gradually have them return upstairs.”
“Ah, ah… I see. I hope they can go to the surface someday… But this is like…”
Serudora looked at the staff who could only live in the depths, with a somewhat pained expression.
Then, after considerable thought, he offered a natural opinion.
“Aren’t you going to fix it with Kanami’s magic?”
“Magic is a last resort. Unlike physical wounds, mental scars heal best naturally.”
If I wanted to heal them, I could fix the discrepancy with reality called “hallucination.”
However, I didn’t want to describe it as “fixing.”
If they chose to continue chasing Rustiara, I believed that state was normal. If I were to deny it, then I, who am doing the same thing, would also need to be “fixed.”
“…That’s true. Rushing things won’t do any good. It’s a bad habit from my military background. I just thought this ‘room with the world’s best counter-espionage’ could be used for something else. Please don’t mind me.”
As Serudora replied, we stopped.
We gazed at the magic circle drawn on the wall opposite the room’s entrance.
Drawn in, Serudora also looked at the wall. He read the characters and residual magic on the magic circle and instantly grasped the situation.
“Is this an unfinished ‘Replace Connection’? …It’s closer to Nodtype than Hidaki-type. It really feels like it’s in the middle of research and development.”
Although he tends to come across as rough, he’s good at analyzing this kind of information.
“Hidaki’s ‘Spell Formation’ that transfers the entire space doesn’t suit me. I think the gate-type that Tiara received from Noi in the past can be used sooner.”
“I see. So, you’re using this magic circle as a gate, imagining it, and repeating tests. If it’s completed, it will become a magic gate that anyone can use.”
“I am considering that as the final form… However, continuous connection is dangerous, so once it’s completed, I plan to lock it immediately. Like the many ‘Connections’ upstairs.”
Then, we began to align our research policies.
“That seems reasonable… At first glance, it looks quite unstable.”
“Even if I understand the theory, only Hidaki can put it into immediate practical use. Even when I try to use it, stabilizing it is incredibly difficult…”
“Is the instability due to insufficient training? You can use me like an experimental animal to practice. Even if the warp destination is magma, I’ll be fine.”
“Eeeeh… That’s why I’m working hard right now. I won’t allow any destination other than a suitable uninhabited island.”
“I feel like it would be more efficient to just make and send, make and send, without worrying about such minor details.”
“No. Living beings won’t pass through until I can be 100% sure of its safety.”
“But if that’s the case, it will never be finished—”
Serudora and I have opposite personalities, and our opinions generally clash.
However, our enthusiasm for magic research is equally high, which worked out well.
Currently, there aren’t many people who can offer me opinions on magic.
That joint research was truly fresh, enjoyable, and meaningful.
—But that meaningful time wouldn’t last forever.
After about half an hour, we were called by a “Magic Stone Human” who entered the room.
“—Um, Rustiara-sama! Fedelt-sama is calling for you!”
A summons came from upstairs, and I interrupted our discussion, speaking on behalf of Rustiara.
” ‘Eh? We were just at an interesting part… Is it an emergency? I wanted to play a little longer…’ ”
“It seems to be an emergency. They urgently need your assistance.”
The “Magic Stone Human” looked troubled addressing their respected Rustiara, but they conveyed the report from upstairs.
Rustiara next to me seemed to want to enjoy the magic discussion a little longer.
However, Serudora and I both moved to end the research.
“That’s enough for today. It’s better to do your job properly. This ‘Replace Connection’ is my selfishness, so there’s no need to rush it that much.”
“It’s about the reconstruction, and the lives of everyone in the Allied Nations are at stake… so, I can’t help it.”
With that, no matter how much Rustiara complained or tried to continue the discussion, it would be impossible.
Ignoring Rustiara’s “Just a little longer!” next to me, I moved to respond to the summons and head upstairs.
Serudora — did not follow me, walking behind me.
He walked towards the bookshelf next to the magic circle, casually picked one out, and began reading it with apparent interest.
“Serudora, are you staying here?”
“Ah, I’m staying. …Is it okay if I occasionally read the materials here and try out magic? Unlike Kanami, I’m currently unemployed and have a lot of free time.”
“That’s fine. Serudora seems good at magic development, so that kind of thing is greatly welcomed.”
“Ah, I think I’m pretty good at it. We used to talk like this, discussing various things, a thousand years ago.”
“Um… that was the period when I had sided with ‘North,’ right? I have work today, but let’s talk about that too again. Well then, I’ll be going. I think I can be back by nightfall—”
“Ah, go ahead. I, on the other hand, have found various things I want to do—”
Leaving Serudora engrossed in reading, I went back up the stairs I had descended.
Then, I reunited with Fedelt in the warp room and heard about problems with food supply. I immediately went to the surface and solved the problem properly. Again, I repaid another debt left by my sister and Tiara.
—Instead, the tenth day passed cleanly by.
From the next day onwards, whenever I went to the room on the lowest floor, Serudora would be waiting for me as a collaborator.
We worked together whenever we had free time, advancing the stabilization of “Replace Connection.” Of course, my main job was still the reconstruction of the Allied Nations, and the research was more of a change of pace.
Therefore, although it seemed like our development efficiency had improved with two people, there was also more waste. We even ended up creating completely unrelated new magic at one point, laughing at its silliness.
It was fun.
It was much, much more fun than when I was cautiously researching alone due to the danger.
I felt like the time for healing increased.
Thanks to Serudora, I felt I might just be able to recover by the time the Allied Nations were fully rebuilt. Thinking this, one day, two days, three days passed—
—A week after I started joint research with Serudora, the “Ordeal” began.
On that day, I was deep in sleep.
To shorten travel time, my sleeping quarters had been moved to the basement of the Great Cathedral.
As I slept in the dimly lit hidden room, I did not have “dreams.”
It was a restful sleep, as if floating in a quiet, pitch-black darkness.
It was only during this sleeping time that I could forget the grief of losing someone precious.
Therefore, I treasured my sleeping time more than anything. However, on this day, a “voice” echoed in the comforting darkness.
” —Ka, Kanami!! Wake up—”
The “voice” tried to wake me.
I didn’t want to wake up.
If I woke up, I would have to “dream” again.
I didn’t know when I’d be unable to bear “dreams” anymore, so I wanted to rest my mind to the limit.
I wanted to go back to sleep, preferably sleep repeatedly. I wanted to sleep as long as possible and avert my eyes from this world without Rustiara—but a reason that wouldn’t allow this request was carried in the “voice.”
” —I think it’s an enemy! Kanami, there’s an enemy I don’t understand coming!!”
Enemy.
That word jolted my brain awake.
“—!”
As soon as I opened my eyes, I threw off the blanket and sat up.
Out of habit from my explorer days, I expanded “Dimension” without chanting and gathered nearby information.
The hidden room I used as my sleeping quarters was dimly lit, small, and filled with bookshelves.
In that cramped room, a group of dark, grotesque figures had crowded in.
They were holding something like black iron lumps in their arms in front of the bed where I slept.
I was surprised by the group of figures, which were indeed grotesque.
However, even though they were grotesque, they weren’t misshapen like monsters or “Blood Dolls.” On the contrary, they were perfectly humanoid and lacked any malevolence.
Still, I described them as grotesque because the group—or rather, the four soldiers—were equipped in a way that was unsuitable for this “Another World.”
“Helmet,” “assault suit,” and “bulletproof vest” were what “Dimension” told me. If what I was wearing was “otherworldly clothing,” then this was “otherworldly armor.”
Information that should only be obtainable in the “Original World” flooded my mind.
I recognized it.
However, it wasn’t me, but the memories of the magic stones of Hidaki and Tiara within my body.
A thousand years ago, when Hidaki froze “the Original World,” there were enemies just like these.
They were likely soldiers prepared by the nations of the “Original World” to stop the freezing world. Furthermore, they weren’t existing units, but a special unit organized with the goal of assassinating “Aikawa Hidaki.” Those special soldiers were now standing before me.
Seeing me suddenly sit up, they looked surprised and gasped.
“—!”
Though they seemed as surprised as I was, one man quickly raised his hand silently.
His thoughts were unhindered, and his judgment was quick.
—But he was slow.
Their movements suggested military training, but they were still within human limits.
For me, who had been enhanced with “Qualialess nerves” and “Qualialess muscles” by the “Demonic Poison,” they were far too sluggish.
Before the black iron lumps the special soldiers held—what appeared to be automatic rifles—could move, I had the余裕 to deploy over ten spells.
In front of the four gun barrels, I deployed the space-warping magic “Default,” and then flashes of light erupted from the four barrels.
There were a total of twelve shots fired. Three short bursts per person.
“—Eh?”
The bullets pierced the “Default” wall.
The fact that twelve shots were flying straight at me caused me to utter a dispassionate voice.
However, the bullets still didn’t hit me.
Twisting my upper body, I dodged them all with minimal movement.
Simply put, it wasn’t that fast an attack.
At this distance, the gun’s characteristics weren’t effectively utilized; it was like four swordsmen making sharp thrusts.
But that would be the perception in a world of swords and magic. The four soldiers were clearly shaken before the man who took continuous gunfire right after waking up and remained unscathed.
While retreating, they exchanged quiet voices. In short, “as planned,” “this is different,” “continue,” as they exchanged information via radio.
In the meantime, I also organized the information I had gathered.
First, there were the bullets embedded in the wall behind me.
The surface was etched with a “Spell Formation,” and it would fly straight, deflecting simple magic.
I could probably deflect it by concentrating magic power, but if I was caught off guard, it would be dangerous even for me.
As Rustiara said, they are a group that could be considered enemies.
Those enemies came to attack me while I was sleeping, even reaching this secret room.
With a sense of familiarity, I found myself calmly observing this unfolding situation.
There was no evidence.
However, this was precisely what Serudora wanted to “try.”
And Rustiara next to me, impiously, wore an even more dazzling smile than usual.
She seemed to be enjoying the “Ordeal” of the “Thieves of Principles” as if reading a book—
