The Sixth Prototype's Epilogue
The sky was a brilliant blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds drifting lazily by. A vast grassland stretched endlessly, more than enough to sustain countless grazing livestock. The crisp, refreshing scent of nature—something Eight hadn’t smelled in years—filled the air.
Gazing at the nostalgic landscape with his own eyes, Arima couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp.
‘Ardenia…….’
Ardenia lay before him. The fantasy world he had searched for so desperately, yet could never find. A place that existed in no video footage, no one’s memories—a world of pure illusion. His homeland.
“Can I really go in alone♠?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Then…… I won’t hold back.”
The scientist who had created this breathtaking view had graciously yielded the path home to him alone. Eight had warned him not to enter other worlds recklessly, that unknown pathogens might be mixed in and thorough disinfection was essential, then simply watched as Arima stepped into Ardenia.
What an astonishing being. How could he accomplish such a monumental feat without batting an eye? And how could he hand over the fruits of that achievement entirely to someone else?
He looked so manly that Arima wondered if he would have fallen for him had he been born a woman. Taking in the scientist’s image, Arima slowly crossed over into Ardenia.
Step—.
“Ah, aah……”
Soft blades of grass brushed against his ankles and bent aside. Tickled by nature’s caress, Arima looked up at the sky.
The two moons that proved this was Ardenia sparkled overhead even in broad daylight.
And the mana that filled his lungs with every breath? It felt like he could cast dozens, even hundreds of spells he’d been unable to use in that other world with a single gesture.
“I have returned.”
The very next moment, Arima announced his homecoming to the entire world. The magic he unleashed painted the sky, and his presence and magical power blanketed the land.
The great spells he could never use in the other world—where replenishing mana had been nearly impossible—exploded one after another. Before long, knights from the nearby castle came rushing in.
“Who goes there—!”
“Do you even know where you are?!”
The mounted knights swiftly surrounded Arima. He grinned slyly, then swept a hand down his face, wiping away the garish clown makeup he’d been wearing.
He erased the stigma he had placed on himself—the belief that he could only survive as a clown because he couldn’t use proper magic.
The clown had returned as the Archmage.
“—O night of falling stars.”
With his incantation, the pure white sky began to turn pitch black. Time was forcibly accelerated, turning day into night. The newly formed night sky was embroidered with countless comets.
The knights who had charged forward fiercely froze at the sight of the suddenly darkened heavens. They quickly realized who stood before them—the calamity of Ardenia who had vanished without warning several years ago.
“The… the Archmage……”
“Where have you been all this time, suddenly appearing like……”
“—That I, this day, have returned.”
The Archmage Arima smirked and swept his hand downward.
“Let the entire world know.”
In the next instant, the comets began to fall.
Meteors rained down. As if that weren’t enough, Arima soared through the sky, firing beams of light from his hands. According to the magical knowledge he’d learned, it was the most basic spell of all—Magic Missile.
‘He really was an Archmage…….’
Watching him perform through the gate, it was easy to see just how frustrated he must have felt in this world. To possess such power yet be reduced to playing the clown as a mere stage magician—it was no wonder he’d built up so much stress.
I sipped my coffee and continued observing the scene. Sten, who had been refilling my cup whenever it ran low, asked me with a puzzled look.
“Scientist, aren’t you going to go in yourself?”
“Hm? Where?”
“In there…… I mean, into Ardenia.”
“Why on earth would I go there? It’s dangerous……”
“Dangerous……?”
I shook my head and sighed at Sten’s words. This was exactly why ignorant arts majors were hopeless. Even the science of this world should have revealed enough about how microorganisms could affect things.
I explained to him in simple terms why one must not carelessly cross into another world.
“Ardenia…… as we’ve observed thousands of times, it’s a fantasy world with a relatively low level of civilization. Whether it’s because of things like magic and aura that resemble superpowers, or simply because it hasn’t existed very long, I’m not sure, but……”
“Yes. I was surprised to learn such a world like something out of a movie actually existed.”
“And on top of that, they have this all-purpose cure-all called divine power, so instead of advancing medicine, they’re busy praying to gods…… If you or I went over there, what do you think would happen?”
“……I’m not sure.”
“The pathogens and microorganisms in our bodies would devour that world.”
Of course, a small number of nobles, mages, and clergy would survive. They possessed magic and divine power capable of protecting themselves from super-microbes.
But what about the countless farmers and commoner slaves who couldn’t receive such treatment?
“A great many would probably die. At least thirty to fifty percent, I’d say.”
“Is that so……?”
“Statistically speaking.”
This applied to me as well. If I hadn’t worked in a lab that was extremely strict about hygiene and contamination, my body would have been teeming with Earth’s various pathogens and microbes. The moment those microorganisms entered this world, they would have caused massive contamination and enormous damage.
Of course, suddenly falling into another world was an extremely rare occurrence, so there was no guarantee the microbes clinging to one’s body would travel along.
‘The microbes inside my body seem perfectly fine, so maybe the ones on the surface are surprisingly…….’
In any case, even with 21st-century science, recklessly traveling between worlds was incredibly dangerous. And according to Earth’s knowledge that no one in this world knew—
Unauthorized world travel was illegal. Not to mention it could provoke the beasts lurking in the gaps between dimensions.
“—Now do you understand why I’m not going to Ardenia?”
“Yes. I never imagined our bodies carried something so dangerous……”
“The people living here are fine. The danger comes from first contact. People who’ve been attached to them their whole lives…… well……”
While I was chatting with Sten, Arima—who had been single-handedly dominating the knights—returned through the gate. His face was filled with satisfaction.
“—Scientist.”
“Yes, Arima.”
“It really is the best.”
He spoke with a broad smile on his face.
“I think it’s time to prepare for retirement.”
“Retirement?”
“Yeah. I should at least say goodbye to all the audiences who waited for me and my fans.”
“Ah—”
Hearing his words, I finally understood. Opening the gate meant he could return to his original world. And typically, people who had drifted to a foreign land never let go of the chance to return home when it presented itself.
Now that Arima could return to Ardenia, there was no reason for him to remain in this world. Likewise, no reason to stay as a member of the villain organization or as the world’s greatest magician.
‘……This is bad.’
I had expected this, but now that retirement was right in front of us, I was genuinely worried. How would Regalia react if she learned Arima was retiring? And if she found out it was because of me?
‘I’m really going to get scolded…….’
The thought of being severely lectured by a boss whose height and age were less than half of mine already made my heart flutter with anxiety. But what was done was done.
Turning back time was impossible without magic. I delivered the news of Arima’s retirement to the boss. What followed was, naturally…….
I’ll leave it to your imagination.
The news that Arima, the world’s greatest magician, was retiring quickly set the entire globe ablaze. The man who had never had a single scandal suddenly announcing his retirement?
The retirement performance held amid that heated atmosphere became an enormous topic precisely because it would be the last chance to witness the world’s greatest skill. If even the boss failed to get tickets, one could easily imagine just how much of a frenzy it caused.
If Arima hadn’t given us tickets on the grounds that we were fellow members of the same villain organization, we would have had to send him off without even watching his final show.
—Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming to my retirement performance. Since this is the last one, I will deliver the greatest show…….
In the VIP room prepared as a private box, we watched Arima’s magic performance and burst into exclamations of awe. Whether because it was his final show or because he had gone to Ardenia and recharged his mana, Arima’s performance was far more spectacular than any before it.
As the dazzling magic stole everyone’s attention, Regalia murmured softly while watching.
“To think we must part with such a talented individual……”
“……”
“And all because someone acted without a word, without even asking for my permission.”
“……Um, that is—”
“You won’t abandon me like that, will you? I won’t ask you to repay my kindness, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t discard me like an old rag.”
Watching Regalia murmur with such sorrow, I lowered my head. It would have been better to be loudly scolded. Seeing her look like an abandoned puppy was too painful to watch.
It was even more so because these words came from someone who had actually experienced parting with others. The performance ended in silence.
—Everyone. Thank you so much for coming today, and once again, thank you for loving the magician Arima all this time…….
Before he could even finish speaking, Arima’s figure vanished. While the audience grew noisy thinking it was an accident, I realized he had used magic.
Watching Arima disappear via teleportation even at the very end, I thought, Even when leaving, he does it with style. Truly worthy of the world’s greatest magician.
“Let’s go as well.”
“Yes, Boss.”
After watching the performance, we returned to the villain organization feeling a deep sense of regret toward Arima, who had left without even saying goodbye. For some reason, the headquarters felt especially desolate today.
A few days later, the gate opened. I tilted my head at the sight of Arima sitting casually on my laboratory desk.
“Why did you come back?”
“They only have pit toilets over there.”
I burst into a hollow laugh at Arima’s words. He came back just for that? Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.
“The food’s terrible, there’s no entertainment…… and since I can go back anytime now, there’s no need to live in that world, is there?”
“So that means……”
“Yeah. From now on, I’m going to live in this world. I’ll just visit my hometown when I’m bored. It’s not really a great place to live permanently, you know?”
Arima laughed heartily as he spoke. Even though it was the homeland he had longed to return to for so long, that longing had probably been amplified by years of accumulated memories. In reality, it didn’t seem like such a wonderful place to live.
He swung his legs back and forth and smiled lightly.
“Take good care of me from now on, Eight.”
And so, the Arima who had left returned. For an incredibly absurd reason.