༺ Prologue (4) ༻
In the world of eternity, there existed an obelisk that governed time. Every now and then, a bluebird flew to the obelisk and grinded its beak against it. It chipped away at it until it was nothing more than a grain of sand.
When the obelisk gradually wore away after near-infinite time and finally lost its original form, one second of eternity was said to have passed.
This was a mythical tale from ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, and the time-acceleration spell, [Obelisk of Eternity], was a spell derived from that myth.
The [Obelisk of Eternity] was the desire of the mastermind, Alice Carroll, and if activated on the rooftop of Bartos Hall, it could shorten the time required for the resurrection of the Evil God.
The only requirement was to use the Phantasmal Clock as a catalyst, so I remembered the in-game story of Alice sending her minions to find it.
However, the Trial of Frost had apparently given her the Phantasmal Clock.
As a result, Alice’s activation of the [Obelisk of Eternity] accelerated time long enough to resurrect the Evil God.
The Phantasmal Clock was probably being used as a catalyst on the rooftop of Bartos Hall.
‘The solution to the trial is pretty simple.’
The solution was simple: turn the hands of the Phantasmal Clock backward. It was like a stopwatch, but with the push of a button, it would reverse itself.
Then, at the place where the [Obelisk of Eternity] was triggered, time would reverse its course in proportion to the amount of time accelerated. I would witness the absurd sight of the Evil God resurrecting and being thrown back into the abyss. It seemed like 3D glasses and popcorn would be necessary.
However, there was a side effect: everything within range would also be reversed and travel back in time. Of course, I didn’t need to worry about the consequences in this world.
‘So, my plan is…’
To break through Alice’s defense.
Go to the rooftop of Bartos Hall and press the button on the Phantasmal Clock.
And prevent the destruction of the world.
This trial will be cleared in no time. It’s quite easy, isn’t it?
‘The problem is that Dorothy is the only one who can make it happen…’
I was walking around the academy grounds, away from the vacation ceremony in the square. I needed to find Dorothy.
Perhaps this trial was designed in such a way that it could only be cleared by enlisting the aid of Dorothy. There was no other way to deal with Alice.
‘But how come I couldn’t see her on a day like this?’
Where are you, Dorothy?
I wondered if she was taking some time off to enjoy the scenery or sleeping in because it was her vacation.
As I continued to think, a strong sense of unease washed over me.
‘That’s strange.’
The emerging question stopped me in my tracks.
Dorothy was a character who bravely accepted that she was destined to die. For this reason, she was willing to lay down her life in order to protect the academy’s students.
‘It’s odd that she hasn’t appeared despite the Evil God being resurrected.’
It didn’t make sense, even if her opponent was the Evil God. Dorothy was the type of person to face the Evil God even if it meant losing her life. She was someone who saw her own life as expendable.
Even the ridiculous explanation of the Evil God appearing while Dorothy was asleep so she couldn’t stop her made no sense. Dorothy’s mana perception was beyond compare. She would have awakened to the enormity of the Evil God’s mana.
‘Is there a reason why Dorothy hasn’t appeared…?
First of all, it was obvious that Dorothy was on the island. There was no way she could have gone out of the academy grounds.
Then… what really happened?
“Senior Dorothy!!! Where are you?!!!”
I was hoping that Dorothy would answer my call if she was nearby.
But no matter how many times I called out, she never appeared. Maybe she was in her dorm.
I rushed to the academy’s dorm and headed for Charles Hall, the dormitory for the top-ranked students.
It was very quiet at the dormitories of the Magic Department.
The first years were amid a belated vacation ceremony, and the rest of the students were already in the middle of vacation.
It couldn’t have been a better time to sneak into Charles Hall.
“Eden!”
[Kyuu-!]
Clusters of light brown mana gathered in the air and took the form of the small golem familiar, Eden. I didn’t know if this guy was real or fake, but that didn’t matter right now.
I knew where Dorothy’s room was. It was something I learned while playing ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
“Eden, create a staircase for me!”
[Kyuu!]
Eden created a crude stone staircase on the exterior of the girl’s wing of Charles Hall.
I built an ice ladder on top of it. My [Elemental Efficiency] was higher than before, so it was a more sophisticated ladder.
Dorothy’s room was on the third floor. Even the third floor was high up in Charles Hall due to the high ceilings on all floors.
I had no time to feel guilty about sneaking into her room. I scrambled up the crude staircase, then climbed up the ice ladder.
A room on the third floor. Through the window, I caught a glimpse of Dorothy’s room.
It was gray, devoid of anything other than essential furniture and basic items. It seemed like the kind of space where an incredibly quiet and uninteresting person would live in.
Dorothy’s room was always like that. The only adorable thing left was a teddy bear stuck inside the wardrobe, its fluffed-up fur peeking out as it stuck out its arm.
In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, Dorothy’s true feelings were never fully revealed.
However, it was clear that she was sorting through things that might make her hesitate to throw her own life away.
I only discovered this indirectly by exploring the map and searching for traces of Dorothy.
‘She’s not here…’
Anyway, Dorothy wasn’t in her room. I quickly descended to the ground, unsummoned Eden, and started running again.
I searched every place she might be, but to no avail.
In the end, the time of apocalypse arrived, and the Evil God Nephid was resurrected.
Black spheres of flame crashed to the ground.
And just like that, the world met its end.
● ● ●
“We will now be holding the summer vacation ceremony for the first years of the Magic Department.”
Finding Dorothy in the vast academy ground was going to be extremely difficult.
I, on the other hand, had a time limit. Once the frigid cold of the Frostscythe completely consumed my physical body, I would die.
‘What should I do?’
What I needed now was manpower. I needed as many people as possible to help me find Dorothy.
However, when I played ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, alternative paths that deviated from predetermined routes to clearing the trial tended to be a landmine.
This was one of the reasons why Ian felt hopeless during his trial.
‘But this trial is different from what Ian went through.’
Maybe one of the routes to clearing this trial was to get a group of people together to find Dorothy.
‘I should give it a try.’
Nodding my head, I stood up from my seat. The ceremony host and the students of the Magic Department started to stare in my direction.
Undaunted, I raised my right arm in the air and shouted.
“Kaya! Mateo! Luce! Amy! Follow me…!”
Moments later, I gulped.
In the blink of an eye, the faces of the students and the host of the vacation ceremony had vanished.
It was like an egg ghost; their eyes, nose, and mouths were completely invisible. Only an apricot-colored sea remained.1E/N: An egg ghost is a Korean ghost that lacks limbs and any facial features. It is said that if a person sees an egg ghost, they will die.
Their gazes were all fixed on me. Without a hint of movement, they solely focused on me.
“Holy shit…!”
A shiver ran down my spine. It was a bizarre sight, like something straight out of a horror movie.
And then.
Kiwooooooooh─!
The heads of the faculty and students were split in half.
I could see a cross-section of their red bodies with numerous teeth and elongated tongues, rising like pythons before my very eyes.
I staggered backward. An anaconda-like tongue protruded from each severed head.
I was already running at full speed when I heard a chair collide with my leg, sending me tumbling backward.
‘Ah, fuck! I shouldn’t have looked…!’
It was just like what I saw in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
When I met Kaya after the vacation ceremony, her head would have probably split in half right in front of me if we hadn’t had the same conversation.
I couldn’t imagine how hopeless I would have been without my gaming knowledge. Seriously… those landmines were even worse in person.
Damn, these trials. How ridiculous. Forget it. I’ll just find her on my own then.
As I had said before, the academy grounds were ridiculously vast, so it was crucial to quickly rack my brain and pinpoint the specific places where Dorothy could be.
“Where could Dorothy be…! Tell me!!”
I started pulling out every conversation and story I had shared with Dorothy up until now, trying to remember every little detail.
Senseless chatter, useless jokes, anything would do. I just needed to find a clue.
Where can Dorothy possibly be at this moment? Where is that place?
Where are you?
Where?
─ President, what are you doing?
─ □□□□□, □□□’□□ □□□□. □□□□’□ □□□ □□□□□□ □□ □□ □□□□□□ □□□ □□□□?
─ Your expression seems a bit too relaxed for that.
─ □□’□ □□□□□□□ □’□ □□□□□□□ □□ □□□, □□□□□.
─ Nihihi, just like how my fan should be!
● ● ●
─ Do you like me being that?
─ □□□. □’□ □ □□□ □□□ □□ □□□□□, □□□□□, □□ □□ □□□□□.
─ Hmm, do you like me, President?
● ● ●
─ Nihihihi…! Oh, what was that reaction? The president is cute.
─ □□□□ □□□ □□□ □□□□□ □□□□ □□□□ □□ □□□□□?
─ The stars are so beautiful tonight, I was watching them and suddenly thought of you, so I came to see you! You’re still training, huh!?
● ●
─ Nihihi, nice to meet you.
─ □’□ □□□□□ □□□□ □□□’□□ □□□□□. □□□□ □□ □□□□ □□□ □□□.
─ Look at the way you talk~ It’s so cute! Nyahaha!
●
─ I was falling from the sky!
─ □□□□ □□□ □□□□ □□□ □□□□□□□ □□□□ □□□ □□□?
─ I was watching the rain clouds gather. I especially like the moment when the rain clouds form. Should I call it aesthetically pleasing? So! I was flying around watching it when I said, ‘I’m done now,’ and came down.
─ …
─ Nihihi.
I gazed up at the sky. The rain clouds, which I once thought were fluffy clouds, were gently floating around. Those clusters of clouds would surely pour in the afternoon.
From the west, rain clouds drifted and gathered in the direction of the Arkins Sea.
I explored this area after experiencing multiple deaths. Finally, I arrived at a cliff that stuck out near the shore.
A schoolgirl with long, lavender hair and a witch’s hat sat on the cliff, hugging her knees. Her gaze was fixed on the dark clouds that filled the sky above the distant sea.
“Huff, agh…”
I ran with all my might. Barely catching my breath, I began to approach Dorothy Heartnova.
She seemed startled by my sudden footsteps, her head slightly trembling.
“Senior.”
“What’s up, President? What brings you here?”
Dorothy turned her head toward me, but her face was still hidden under the witch’s hat she always wore.
After sniffling once, she lifted her hat to reveal a lovely smile.
She had lived her life admiring the sky, even skipping class for it. She wanted to take in as much of the world’s beauty as possible in her heart before her inevitable death.
While hiding her true feelings behind a fake smile, she acted friendly to everyone, and always strove to shine the brightest.
That was the Dorothy I knew.
“President…?”
I sat down next to Dorothy.
The sight of rain clouds forming… I should have realized the first time I heard it.
‘What’s so beautiful about that?’
It’s just cloudy and dark, not beautiful in the slightest.
Does Dorothy see herself when she looks into those dark rain clouds?
“Senior.”
“Uh, yes?”
The Dorothy here was bound to disappear. She was a mere replica, observing the sight of rain clouds gathering in the faraway sea during the vacation ceremony. A simple tool to clear the trial, nothing more, nothing less.
Still, the more I thought about Dorothy, the more aware I became of how many things I truly wanted to tell her. I couldn’t bear it if I didn’t say it now.
It would be difficult to say what I truly wanted to the real Dorothy, so I decided to take this opportunity to tell her.
I opened my mouth and decided to express the feelings I had been holding back all this time.
“You know, senior. I thought you were really cool back there.”
“Hmm. Isn’t that why you’re a fan of mine?”
“That’s right, the way you try to shine in any situation, you just looked so cool. So I thought, ‘Hey, I can’t help but be a fan.'”
“Nihihi, is that so?”
“But, you’re overdoing it, senior.”
“…Huh?”
“You’re forcing yourself to smile, and you’re forcing yourself to see beauty that isn’t there. It’s because you want to decorate your life meaningfully and beautifully, even if it’s just a little.”
I said bluntly.
“Honestly, nothing here is actually beautiful, right?”
“…”
Dorothy’s smile slowly faded.
But, as usual, she immediately put on a mask-like smile.
“What are you talking about, President? I’m getting a little bored.”
Dorothy’s smile had a tinge of wariness. One slip of the tongue and she would cast a spell on me.
In any case, I’ve died a lot in this trial. Rather, if I were to die by Dorothy’s hand, it would easily be considered the greatest death of my life. It wouldn’t be so bad if my gravestone said, ‘Cause of Death: Fanboying Idiot’.
Of course, while I was joking about death, my body was in grave danger.
When I lifted my clothes to check my abdomen, it was frozen solid. There was only so many times I could regress. Maybe… one or two more times.
Nevertheless.
There was something I wanted to tell Dorothy, even if it meant facing death.
As I reflected on the time I had spent with her, I began to question whether my determination to save her was misguided.
What if Dorothy desires death? What if she doesn’t want me to save her at all?
I needed to see Dorothy’s reaction.
“Senior, I will save you.”
I wanted to hear Dorothy’s answer – whether I was allowed to save her or not.
“So, stop living like you’re on borrowed time, and instead start thinking about how you want to live after graduation.”
Dorothy’s eyes widened. Her voice trembled.
“Why… would you say that to me?”
I want you to find happiness.
More than anything.
“Because you’re a shining light to me, senior.”
It was for that simple reason that I loved Dorothy the most.
Dorothy flinched. There was an awkward silence, only broken by the sound of waves crashing.
“…You’re so boring, President.”
Dorothy finally replied, turning her head back to the rain clouds.
There was a hint of laughter in her voice.
“I actually prefer being saved by force. It’s more fun that way~”
The gathering rain clouds were not pretty in the slightest. There was no need to pay more attention than necessary.
Dorothy completely understood what I had just said. My sincerity seemed to have reached her.
I bowed my head, closed my eyes tightly, and felt the humidity of the sea wash across my skin.
Dorothy wanted to be saved. That was enough.
I opened my eyes again and looked at Dorothy. It was time to get down to business.
“Senior, there’s something important I need to tell you.”
“You’re getting out of here, right?”
“…?”
…Huh?
“I already knew this world was fake. I can see through the essence of everything, remember?”
“Then, senior, you knew all along…?”
“Not really. I don’t know what will happen next. But I’ve realized that neither I nor this world are real, so what happens doesn’t matter. I didn’t feel the need to give any meaning to my existence.”
It was then that I realized.
Dorothy hadn’t fought the Evil God because she knew this world and herself were fake; there was simply no reason for her to do so.
“But it seems that wasn’t the case.”
Dorothy stood up energetically, then laughed mischievously as she extended her pure white hand towards me.
“Nihihi. Let me help you, President! Let’s tear down this world together.”
I swear. Her smile is as bright and refreshing as a ripened fruit. It’s so cute. I can’t help but laugh.
“Yes.”
I took Dorothy’s hand and stood up.
It’s time to break through this trial.
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