ARPG: City of the Dead Mage (2)

"Y-Yujin! You need to come out here right now!!"

While I was cleaning the Cube room on the library's regular closing day, Claude came rushing in with a face as white as his hair.

The guy was such a dignified old butler character.

If it had been Wiki or someone else, I would've snapped at them for making a fuss, but if even Claude was reacting like this, something was seriously wrong.

"What's up? Are the kids trying to force the door open? How immersed do you have to be to pull a power play like that even with my master right here…."

"It's not that simple! Kasian Valerius, the palace mage, is here!!"

"……?"

Kasian Valerius.

He was a legend in the mage world—you didn't know his name, you were basically a spy.

A 7th Circle mage whose raw firepower could rival an archmage, one of the Five Heroes hailed as the emperor's top asset.

And the commander of the 2nd Magic Legion, a single unit capable of wiping out a small nation without breaking a sweat.

He was the de facto leader of mages loyal to the imperial family, not the council.

Why the hell was a guy like that at the library?

'No way he's here to order a Cube… Did word already spread to the palace?'

Liana was quicker than anyone on palace and noble gossip.

If someone of Kasian Valerius's caliber was on the move, she'd have heard something for sure. So why hadn't she said a word?

"…Hold on. He didn't bring troops, did he?"

"No, sir. He's alone."

"I'll go greet him."

You couldn't snub a VIP like that just because he seemed suspicious.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Heading to the library's main entrance, there stood a man whose massive build made it impossible to picture him as a mage.

Height around two meters, maybe.

Mages were usually short and skinny by default, but this guy was the polar opposite.

If he were holding a sword instead of a staff, he'd pass for a top imperial knight with that aura.

His crimson hair and beard blazed like the sun, proclaiming his mastery of destructive fire magic.

Matching crimson eyes that flashed sharply, and a face scarred to hell—it was like a tiger transplanted into human form.

'And why the fuck is he wearing full armor? Scary bastard.'

His presence alone was overwhelming for a lowly 2nd Circle mage like me….

——But it's fine! I endured it!

I wasn't alone anymore.

I had heavy-hitters to cover me against court mages if needed—my politically connected backers—and right now, my master was reliably snoring away on the second floor.

I swallowed hard, placed my right hand over my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heart, and bowed politely.

The standard mage greeting.

"Commander Kasian Valerius, I formally greet you. I am Yujin Feltro, head librarian of the Central Imperial Magic Library and disciple of Archmage Arkythia."

"Where's Arkythia?"

But Kasian ignored the greeting and strode slowly into the library.

This was why high-circle mages were the worst. Zero manners.

"My master is currently sleeping."

"Hah, sleeping through this mess. What a archmage."

Kasian let out a hollow chuckle soon after.

His prickly beard shook roughly.

"Do you know what's happening in the capital right now? Or what chaos the council's in?"

Unfortunately, no clue.

Too many damn customers at the library.

Wiki and I had been swamped managing Dimensions for days—no time to breathe.

Seeing my blank reaction, Kasian bellowed with bulging eyes.

"Every mage in the capital is talking about doom in 500 years!!"

"Pardon?"

"The Day of Loss where all mana vanishes, the forbidden tomes' seals breaking soon—the whole city is trembling in fear!! It started among mages, but now it's reaching the nobles! And you lot…!!"

Hold up. Weren't they just over-immersed?

So all those players who'd thanked me profusely for the "noble intent," showered me with gifts, and grilled me on lore….

"The council senate will move soon. The palace can't sit idle. Do you have any idea what results that bizarre rumor your master spread will cause?!"

My mind went blank in an instant.

No, fuck. The manual clearly stated everything was fiction.

I'd warned them every three hours not to get too immersed, that it wasn't the real world, no hidden meanings!!

Suddenly, the puzzle pieces from the past few days clicked.

'These crazy mage fuckers…!!'

I'd completely forgotten what mages were like.

Over-immersion was their specialty, a virtue essential for greater achievements.

'All mages are bound to their own world and laws, living for them.'

As the academy drilled into us, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mages couldn't exist without immersion.

If they'd overdone it with my game and bought into a mana depletion in 500 years for some reason….

'Master, we're screwed.'

Fucked!!!!

Now it made sense why someone like Kasian Valerius showed up on a weekend.

They say real crises make you ice-cold calm.

My mind snapped back from Andromeda, strategies forming in real-time.

This disaster was purely because my target demo was mages.

My bad for not analyzing my customer base properly during design.

'If it'd been normal people—or at least sane ones—this bullshit wouldn't have happened….'

Same with Liana Merchant Guild, and Claude and Pletta during the Lancaster vice-count murder case.

They might've gotten briefly immersed, but I never expected it'd bleed into real life and action.

What, you vegan activists in fur coats now?

You research all kinds of fucked-up magic fine usually, but play a kids' game and suddenly your conscience kicks in?

"Choose your words carefully, third son of Feltro County. Your answer could absolve you—or doom your entire house."

But the problem was, the train had left the station long ago.

If the council ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠already had reports, as Kasian said.

That annual gathering of mages worldwide discussing agendas mentioning City of the Dead Mage?

No way saying "Guys, it's all bullshit, please believe me, it's just a novel I made up" would fix it now.

'And fuck, the lore had the council puppeteering the empire from the shadows….'

The palace was no different.

House-wide fallout wasn't an empty threat.

The Iron-Blooded Emperor gripping the empire had true madness.

Thirty years ago, he'd commanded triple fronts in the Imperial War to victory—a war maniac.

Not stopping there, he'd sparked the Prince's Rebellion against his elder brother, the rightful heir, and butchered his family.

Like Yi Seong-gye and killing Yuan combined, if you had to compare.

Tell that ruthless bastard it was a misunderstanding and grovel in the palace? If the emperor thinks, "Even fiction, you can't handle shit like this—let's make an example," game over.

No master lifeline then. He'd dust a flashy county third son like trash the moment he annoyed him.

Council-imperial relations were already sour, and I'd stuffed both sides with perfect aggravators. '…And if they use this as a leash?'

Even if I weaseled through, I'd aggro'd both council and palace. Slam the door wrong, and game dev gets banned or censored hard.

I'd birth this world's game ratings board myself. 'Can't let that happen, no matter what.'

So my only remaining play was—.

"Don't raise your voice."

I took a deep breath and met Kasian's eyes.

"What?"

"My master is sleeping. Barging in on closing day like this—is that proper for a court mage?"

"You little shit…!!"

What the hell was this greenhorn babbling?

Yujin Feltro.

Recently rising in fame as Archmage Arkythia's disciple, but to a 7th Circle like Kasian, he was barely half-baked.

Kiiii, fwoosh!!

As he drew mana to teach the punk a real lesson—

"I've never lied to anyone."

"……?"

"How much do you know about space magic, Commander? You know it wasn't always just called that."

"Spacetime magic? Dimension magic? You aren't crazy enough to claim you've restored it, are you?"

"Who knows. I can't reveal details, but I merely glimpsed a record. Maybe a memory from crossing real dimensions."

Kasian's fingers tingled.

He'd prepped a lie-detection spell for any contingency.

But this tingling meant….

'No lie…?!'

Kasian stared blankly at the second floor.

He sensed an enigmatic, massive mana permeating the library.

Not the usual colors, nor darkness or holy power.

"……No way."

Kasian's eyes shook.

Arkythia was divisive personally, but no one denied her 8th Circle status.

A sudden fear bloomed in his mind.

If it was her, maybe she'd truly restored dimension magic.

Then the "horrific calamity" 500 years from now—mana vanishing from the world—really was coming?

"Commander Kasian Valerius, we have a famous saying here: Better one experience than a hundred books."

"You…."

"Why not experience it yourself?"

Yujin Feltro—the young mage even a veteran like Kasian couldn't read—smiled brightly.

"Conveniently closing day, so I'll make it available just for you."

……

……

……

Kasian Valerius. You awaken in an unfamiliar city.