One Step Further
Following Kasian Valerius, now even the Grand Sage. Lately, it felt like I was bumping into one bigwig after another.
Of course, City of the Dead Mages was a pretty shocking story... but wasn't this all because the mages got way too immersed? If they hadn't pulled so much aggro from the palace with their over-immersion, I wouldn't have had to bullshit Kasian about it being another dimension.
Yeah, I should definitely tone down the immersion in future games. Otherwise, next thing you know, the Third Princess shows up, then the Emperor, and even the Saintess from the Holy Autonomous Region.
Anyway.
"I greet the supreme Grand Sage Aldebaran Krotel, role model to all mages. I am Yujin Feltro, a 2nd Circle mage and head librarian of the Central Imperial Magic Library."
"Haha, no need for such formalities. Unlike today's mages, you're a young man who values etiquette."
"My father always taught me to prioritize conduct and dignity. Even now, with our relations all but severed, I've never forgotten that lesson."
"That's a fine attitude toward life. How is Count Feltro faring?"
"Yes, from what I've heard, he's doing well."
"Even if you've chosen the solitary path of magic, make sure to visit your parents now and then and keep them updated. That's your duty as a son. No need to follow the bad example of today's mages."
"Yes, I will."
"But... 2nd Circle? Did you just say 2nd Circle? Is that true, Arkythia?"
The Grand Sage's gaze shifted to my teacher, who let out a soft fu-hu chuckle.
"Yes, 2nd Circle. Surprising, isn't it?"
"...Let me see your hand for a moment."
I extended my arm, and he slowly kneaded it with his wrinkled hands, checking my circuits.
"It's true. Really 2nd Circle. So all this was done without your teacher's help, Yujin?"
The old man's eyes, which had been kindly and relaxed just moments ago, flipped 180 degrees.
Wait. I know that look.
It's the exact same glint my professor had when he was scheming to kidnap a grad student.
I hurriedly added an explanation.
"No, no! I just modified parts of the Cube structure my teacher had already established. And without the spirit's help, I couldn't have even started. The spirit played a bigger role than me in realizing the world itself."
It was factual.
I handled the details and implementation, but the overall framework and base were basically all Wiki.
"The spirit... you mean the spirit of knowledge?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then it makes sense. Spirits have long been mystical beings that shape worlds."
Phew. Dodging that predatory kidnapper gaze let me finally relax.
After that, Grand Sage Aldebaran asked more questions, mostly about other dimensions.
My wicked teacher just smirked mysteriously, refusing to intervene at all.
'I'm never claiming a game is another dimension again.'
Only after I'd given a full rundown on City of the Dead Mages did the Grand Sage step back, seemingly satisfied.
"...Fascinating. So, could I experience that dimension you and the spirit created?"
There it is. The real point.
Suits me fine.
Showing once beats explaining a hundred times.
But there was a problem.
"Grand Sage, I'm truly sorry, but it's impossible like when Sir Kasian Valerius played."
The last log was corrupted, and Mary Serfield's data file was wiped.
Eh... that's just a light diehard fan thing. Like WWE dipping into UFC territory—common in the game industry.
But the fatal bug discovered after was beyond my skill to fix.
"I was planning to tell my teacher once you returned, but... the game won't run on Extreme Hard difficulty or 100% sync rate right now."
It was like the entire game file had vanished.
The world Kasian Valerius played was gone for good.
"Is that so? Let me check."
My teacher approached the Cube and inspected the magic circle for a moment.
"...It's true. The mana circuits for that specific trigger are completely tangled."
She said it with a serious expression.
Even an archmage saw it as no easy task.
I bowed to my teacher and the Grand Sage.
"It's my lack of skill—I failed to simplify the magic circle. This Dimension is little more than a crude flesh golem built with maximum discretion within Wiki's framework, so recovery is outright impossible right now."
In modern terms, it's a spaghetti-code program riddled with an inexplicable bug.
In either world, there's only one solution for that.
"Then destroying the magic circle is the only way?"
Start from scratch.
That was the absolute worst.
Me and the club members had died inside a week before deadline—do that hell again?
'No way in hell.'
This was truly impossible.
"However, 50% sync rate and Hard difficulty work fine. Anything higher... I haven't integrity-tested yet, so I don't know."
"Heh, full of words this old man can't grasp. Just show me what you can."
"If that's the case... it's possible."
Even after all that, if he insisted, no choice.
I quickly set up a Cube.
About five hours in real time later, Grand Sage Aldebaran returned with a thoroughly shocked expression.
"...Hoo, truly astonishing."
"How was it?"
"Now I see why others made such a fuss. I've never heard or seen such magic or a world like this in my life. The emotional arcs with those two girls were quite intriguing too."
"You're too kind."
"So, Arkythia. You and your disciple must be more careful than anyone."
The Grand Sage's previously serene eyes sharpened.
"It seems to have passed this time... but it won't always."
His words carried layers of meaning.
"Whether this is fiction or truth—what does it matter? What matters is what happened through this bizarre dimension."
I agreed.
Maybe Aldebaran had even pieced together that it was all my fabrication snowballing out of control.
The title of leader of mages isn't just for big mana pools and spell-slinging.
"If word spreads that a 7th Circle mage awakened to 8th Circle, who knows the fallout. You know how desperately mages crave awakening."
Mages killing mages happens plenty.
Even archmages get ambushed. Why? For higher achievements. To prove themselves by slaying superiors.
Why do black mages keep crawling out like cockroaches no matter how many you kill?
They spawn 'naturally' from mages blocked by the wall of reality.
"I'll keep it in mind."
"I don't want promising young mages dying or getting hurt either. So... let me help with one thing within my power. Fair trade for the amazing experience."
"——!!"
I was genuinely shocked.
Grand Sage Aldebaran Krotel, archmage of archmages, could do anything.
His very existence was a walking deterrent, the norm of mage society.
I glanced at my teacher.
She nodded, wearing her usual benevolent smile.
"Yujin, ask for what you want. You worked hard this time."
What to request? A 200-year-old mana operation manual? A personal mana checkup from the Grand Sage? Or an ultra-rare artifact even Liana Merchant Guild couldn't snag?
"I..."
I had to go back to square one.
Why did I plan City of the Dead Mages?
To inflict self-damage on mages with its hopeless ending?
To gather people and even hire the century's master, Dante Otter Dubua, to write a story that never existed here?
In the end, one reason.
To supplement my lacking soul power and boost the Cube's output.
"W-wait a moment!!"
I dashed into the workshop and pulled out a dreamcatcher-like artifact.
Mansangchukhwan—the supreme Eastern artifact said to contain all things in one hand. A souvenir from my teacher's last trip.
"I want to miniaturize the Cube. It's already on the council agenda—could you approve it and make a prototype of the shrunken version?"
"Hahahaha!!!"
Aldebaran burst into booming laughter, his long beard quivering, clearly not expecting that request.
"Right, you're a mage too, even at 2nd Circle. I asked something obvious."
He examined the artifact I handed him, then placed both hands on the Cube he'd just played.
"The magic circle is quite complex. But reverse-engineering is on you, right? Arkythia, 8th Circle—you can handle it?"
"Compared to your abilities, Grand Sage, I'm still an immature mage. I sincerely thank you for your kindness."
"Tsk tsk, even so, I'm just a doddering old man on his last legs. You'll reach this level in no time. ——Compress!"
Flash! A blinding white light filled my vision for a moment.
"Here, take this, Young Lord Yujin."
On Aldebaran's palm sat a sleek black square object the size of a pocket watch.
The first step we'd longed for, me and my teacher.
"Cuter than I imagined as a magic tool?"
Cube miniaturization. Now, mass distribution of game consoles was truly possible.