Chapter 258: Teach Me! Your Majesty! (2)
Chapter 258: Teach Me! Your Majesty! (2)
The questions and answers continued, but no notable information surfaced.
Regarding the progression or resolution of the story, she refused to speak, citing "rules."
Occasionally, as if on a whim, she would offer an answer, but most were nothing more than meaningless wordplay.
For instance:
"What is the solution to The End Disease?"
"You just have to become one."
Sentences like that—utterly incomprehensible.
In the end, most of her replies vanished into the void, serving no purpose.
"Why did Un-ho take the form of a Flesh Magical Girl?"
"Since that world perished after failing to be chosen, there's a lack of information to confirm right now, but it was likely the image of strength Un-ho held in his subconscious."
Just as these answers—some seemingly meaningful, others not—were winding down...
"Quite a bit of time has passed. It’s almost dinner; do you want to keep going?"
The Queen, who had been staring blankly into space for a moment, announced the time limit.
"There are a few more things I want to ask."
I prepared to bring out the topics I had been saving, bracing myself mentally.
"Sure, as much as you like. There were no rules regarding a time limit, after all."
Whew.
I took a deep breath.
I posed the question that had failed to bear fruit even when I asked Grix.
"There’s... something inside me, isn't there?"
"Guts. Flesh. Blood. Quite a few things."
"You know that’s not what I mean. The Red-Eyed Colossus. The Magical Girls who look just like me but have different colors and are completely different people. I’m asking about them."
"Ah, right. They’re there. They certainly are."
With that, their existence was confirmed.
They weren't hallucinations or auditory illusions; they were entities that could be observed by others.
Grix had encountered them too, but he had only told me to accept them since they were also "me."
I wasn't satisfied with that answer yet.
"So, what are you curious about regarding those fellows?"
"The Red-Eyed Colossus sleeping within my psyche. What is that thing?"
One by one. I would ask them one by one.
So that The Queen could provide a precise answer.
"That is unequivocally yourself. There’s nothing more to it. What, did you think some omnipotent being had taken up residence inside you?"
That couldn't be it.
"I’ve only observed that entity directly once, but I’ve felt it indirectly many times. In life-threatening situations, or when I draw out power that transcends my limits. Something inside me responded. You’re saying that’s my power?"
It was the same during the fight with the Guardian Corps.
It wasn't my mouth that uttered the Sentence of Otherworld Erosion.
Something deep within my heart roared, and I simply opened my mouth and spat it out.
How could someone with such overwhelming power be inside me?
"Sigh. Fine, let me rephrase. That is you as a Magical Girl. Accumulating emotions, becoming twisted, hating the world. The source of all your power. Of course, since this concerns the inner depths of a Sentient Being’s essence—which even I cannot directly observe—this is an inference based on indirect observation. But I’m probably right. If it were some nonsensical entity like The End, it wouldn't be able to fit in there, and even if it weren't that extreme, any strong being would extend enough power to be noticed."
"...I don't have that kind of power."
"You do. Every Sentient Being does. Every Sentient Being with a will possesses it. Didn't I tell you? I was a mortal existence like you when I was born. How you draw it out is entirely up to you. Ah, of course, taking on a form and an ego even within the mind means you've drawn out quite a lot of power, making it a special case, but everyone possesses that power itself."
She was saying the exact same thing as Grix.
The seed possessed as a Sentient Being.
...Since both Grix and an Existence of The End said so, did I have to accept it?
That immense power was me.
And I was simply unable to draw it out.
"So, does this mean I have to train to draw that out?"
This was difficult.
Should I put myself in life-threatening situations?
Keep running into walls with the mindset of breaking through them?
"Well, good luck with that."
There was no advice.
As if she had nothing more to say outside of the rules.
Sigh.
A heavy sigh escaped me.
Fine, putting the Colossus aside, next were those Magical Girls who were so strangely overflowing with emotion.
"Then, what are those colorful Magical Girls? They look mostly like me, but something about them is decisively different."
Some were different colors.
Some spoke in a way I would never dream of speaking.
Some weren't even human.
What on earth were they?
I pondered deeply, but...
"Those are also you."
The answer that came back was an incomprehensible sentence.
"...Is this 'Lying Time' or something?"
Was she trying to fill her 2% quota at the very end?
If so, I’d have to reconsider the identity of the Colossus too.
"To be precise, they are versions of yourself from worlds that perished because of wrong choices—beings who possess a similar seed to yours. You’ve seen it, haven't you? The Heaven-Defying... no, in your world, it was the Curator. They’re the same kind. However, they didn't have the power to leap across worlds."
...Parallel worlds. The Librarian had definitely denied that theory.
He said it was about crossing between similar but different worlds.
But if The Queen was saying this...
"Does that mean parallel worlds actually exist...?"
"Ahahaha. You weren't supposed to bring that up. You stepped on a landmine right at the end. Hmm. Since we've come this far, shall I let it slide? It wasn't a formal question yet, so I'll delay the answer. If you really want to hear it, go ahead and ask."
...What was this?
Why was the simple question of whether parallel worlds exist a "landmine"?
To the point where even this twisted Queen would give me a chance to retract?
...A sense of foreboding loomed.
An ominous feeling that if I asked that specific question, something would explode.
But I couldn't back down.
I began to choose my words carefully.
"Then, are the Magical Girls inside me versions of myself from other worlds?"
"It’s not a perfect one-to-one correspondence, but you can think of them as kids whose fundamental seeds are at least similar."
So this wasn't a landmine.
The fact that similar but different worlds existed wasn't a landmine in itself. Actually, I already knew this through the Curator, so I didn't think it would be a major issue.
More importantly...
The ones acting completely like girls...
The ones running wild like lunatics... that was all me?
Just what kind of life leads one to become like that?
As someone with a stable and flawless mind, they were a lot I couldn't understand.
Then again, because they were such broken wretches, they were probably nesting and playing around inside me.
"Why did they attach themselves to me? Do other Sentient Beings carry such entities too?"
"There are a few who carry them. Like the Curator. It’s not common, though."
Only the answer to the latter question came back.
Should I change the question slightly?
"How did they attach themselves to me?"
"...."
For the first time, The Queen fell silent.
She stared at me with cold, hollow eyes.
"...Why aren't you answering?"
I threw the question out again, but The Queen remained silent, simply watching me.
How much time passed?
It probably wasn't that long.
At most, dozens of seconds.
Yet, it felt like an eternity.
the end of that silence was signaled by The Queen.
"You know, a story is the result of a character's actions. That carries a huge weight in its composition."
She began to talk to herself.
"In heroic epics, defeating an evil dragon and gaining treasure is a common tale, isn't it? It’s orthodox, even clichéd. Adventure and hardship. Followed by a reward. But usually, something follows that. Like how someone might receive the blood of a dragon, but because of a single leaf... the back of their heart fails to gain immortality."
"What are you trying to say?"
I spoke up, but she didn't react.
She continued her long monologue.
"In reality, a living being wouldn't be that stupid. A flawless being having a tiny flaw they don't even know about? So what? The probability of that flaw actually being exploited is probably lower than getting struck by lightning ten times in a row."
As if lecturing someone, she simply laid out words.
"But stories are different. If something is mentioned, it must be used. That’s what makes a story well-structured and popular."
She began to feel increasingly faint.
Even though she was clearly right there.
Existing without any change.
"Those causes and effects. Situational setups. Methods of progression. When those become famous, they become clichés. Some might call them boring, but there’s a reason they’re famous. They’re easy to use and convenient for progression. And those who consume them like them, too."
She was singing.
Her own song.
"Now then. Is the story of the Magic Kingdom well-structured? Countless pieces of foreshadowing, characters who seem to have something going on, the social landscape of the world... none of those are even being mentioned. Instead, an omnipotent being who fell from the sky is explaining everything."
She raised her gaze.
Not toward me, but toward somewhere else.
"Would there be any thrill in such a reward? A boring entity that suddenly explains everything through a series of coincidences."
"Information was my goal from the start."
"Ah, right. Information. That’s actually just bait. To lure you here."
She finally reacted to my words.
However, she still wasn't looking at me.
"But that is a reward that doesn't necessarily have to be used. It’s fine even if only a little is revealed, right? That’s the nature of information. And for the sake of the story’s structure, it must be so. Revealing everything at once... is something that cannot happen."
She sang. On and on.
"Now, while it’s not everything, a lot has already come out. What will you do? Your story must still continue. Do you want to know more? Even if the foundation crumbles?"
She spoke. Again and again.
As if...
If I wanted to stop the questions, I had to stop here.
It felt like a rule I absolutely had to follow.
I almost closed my mouth to end the questioning, but...
I soon remembered.
I was far from the kind of person this being was describing.
Since when had I ever acted according to reason?
Wasn't I the type to just go for it and see what happens?
And as for problems arising from that... well, there were many.
But that’s who I am.
I am not cautious, nor do I learn great lessons from the past.
In the first place, wasn't this whole mess caused because I acted unlike myself since coming to the Magic Kingdom?
If even this was a trap set by The Queen...
Then, I would act like myself.
"By what method do the Magical Girls inside me exist within me?"
I stepped into the minefield.
Even though I had already walked deep into it.
Without fear.
"...Using The Hammer as a medium."
She paused for a moment but soon gave the answer.
"...The Hammer?"
"Yes, The Hammer."
"Just what kind of power does my hammer have...?"
"You saw the video earlier. Most of them were holding hammers. When an entity with almost the exact same root as you becomes a Magical Girl, the vast majority become Magical Girls in a way that they share The Hammer. That’s how it is."
...Hammer, you were quite the impressive fellow.
I knew it was strangely versatile enough to cover for my lack of magic, but to think it was something that even dragged in versions of me with the same foundation.
Hmm.
Then am I consuming myself like the Curator?
Wait. Then something is strange.
Why...
"Why does Black Marauder... use a Pry Bar...?"
"Yep. Out. Selection miss."
Huh?
The moment I heard that voice...
She lunged at me.
Opening a hollow, infinite maw.
She was faster than anything else.
I couldn't react.
And just like that, I was swallowed.
* * *
After everything was over.
I was invited to dinner.
"You're not going to do anything weird to the food, are you?"
"I won't touch it. I won't touch it. You're leaving anyway. I'm done with you."
The Queen followed beside me, dragging her elaborate clothes across the floor as if everything was a massive chore.
She could have used Spatial Teleportation to move in an instant, but seeing her walk on foot made me wonder if this was another self-imposed restriction as a 'Mage.'
In any case.
I was guided to the Dining Hall by the Rabbit Doll Guardian Corps holding spears.
Opening the brown wooden doors, which were adorned with subtle but exquisite carvings...
I entered the Dining Hall.
"It seems your conversation is finished. Please, have a seat. I will guide you through today's course."
The first thing I noticed upon opening the door was the voice of the Guardian Corps waiter.
The next thing I noticed was the sight of the Dining Hall.
It was a place of luxury one level higher than the high-class restaurant we had been staying in.
The dining table, full of curves, was an indescribable work of art, crafted by assembling naturally shaped wood.
On top of the flat-cut surface of the table, several cloths of different colors were layered to create a beautiful tablecloth.
It would probably take hours just to clear that away and set it up.
That alone was enough to convey the sense of luxury.
But as if that weren't enough...
On top of sapphire-like, translucent blue candlesticks, several geometrically shaped candles burned, creating an atmosphere like an art exhibition.
Beyond that...
Countless pieces of silverware, their purposes unknown.
Pure white plates with blue exteriors, engraved with beautiful gold patterns.
Cups so transparent and thin they looked like they would shatter at a touch, containing liquids whose very existence seemed doubtful.
And so on.
With my crude vocabulary, I could only describe them as "luxurious."
However, at the edge of my vision, in the corner of the table...
There existed something that blew all that luxury away in a single blow.
"Excuse me! Can I get a refill on the bread!"
A piece of white trash was stuffing something into her mouth.
Un-ho was there.
And that made me infinitely happy.
More than anything else.