Chapter: 1
I was reborn as a commoner in a fantasy world.
I shouted for the status window, but nothing appeared.
I thought I’d end my life farming potatoes like my parents because I wasn’t particularly strong or of noble birth. But surprisingly, I had the talent of a grand wizard.
I seemed to be quite good at mental math for some reason.
I was dragged to a place called the Magic Tower and bombarded with countless love calls from the tower masters.
Here’s an excerpt of some of their pickup lines:
“If you become a disciple of the Red Magic Tower, I shall grant you the wisdom to burn half the world!”
“If you join the Blue Magic Tower, I guarantee you the heir position. With your talent… defeating the deep-sea blue dragon and restoring the lost ancient underwater city of Atlantis would be no dream!”
“At the Gold Magic Tower, we’ll give you a lot of money right away!”
“Well, um, the Purple Magic Tower doesn’t have much, but if you’re interested in illusion magic…”
In the midst of the lineup of strong love calls, there was one nerdy candidate trying to join in.
The Purple Magic Tower is a school focused on illusion magic, which is utterly useless and thus unpopular and underfunded.
In this harsh fantasy world, lethality was the number one goal that every wizard aimed for.
Disturbing the opponent’s mind with illusions? You’d be better off launching a fireball during that time for high DPS.
Showing phantoms to distract the enemy? The brightness of a big modified fireball is about a million candelas. You can disturb and attack simultaneously!
So when the other tower masters unleashed their confidence with impressive recruitment offers, the Purple Magic Tower master could only awkwardly promote their lackluster magic.
For the sake of wealth and honor, one should avoid the Purple Magic Tower like the plague.
I just needed to choose any of the other three. That alone would pave the way for my second life.
However, at that crucial moment, the demon from my past life intervened.
With sweet words like those of a devil tempting Buddha, it threw my mind into turmoil.
“Illusion magic? Wouldn’t it be super fun to create a virtual reality for TRPG?”
“Are you seriously giving up on real TRPG in a medieval fantasy with no cultural industry and only food and duel-watching as hobbies? Throwing away your life’s hobby? Are you planning to play boring Othello for a hundred thousand years?”
“An ogre is going to smash you with a hefty club! Instead of just describing that, wouldn’t it be better to actually show it with illusion magic? Are you even a TRPG enthusiast?”
“If I have illusion magic, shouldn’t I be able to debut as a VTuber?”
“Ugh.”
I fell for the demon’s whisper.
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After that, I spent my days in a shabby lab due to a lack of budget, chipping away at magic.
I refined the modeling with illusion magic, did the rigging… It was hard work, but immensely rewarding.
Occasionally, a nuisance would pop up.
“Uh, um… if we push through this funding, you’ll really make something useful, right?”
“Yes.”
“My students are angry… When will you keep funding a rolling stone? That guy is hoarding money and planning to run away to the Red Magic Tower…”
“Hold on.”
“W-wha…?”
“Done. I’ve finished everything.”
“R-really…? The magic that’s taken two years of funding, is it finally complete? W-what kind of magic is it…? Can we use it in war? Can our tower rise to greatness…?”
“Virtual Idol Heart. It’s complete.”
“?”
It was a dress with black and red two-tone accents. An avatar shaped like a playing card heart.
The distinction between 3D on a 2D screen was on another level. The 3D modeling created with illusion magic was a hologram so intricate that you couldn’t distinguish it from a real person.
I made it dance the kang kang dance.
The skirt and hair fluttered perfectly. The morphing that made the viewer happy was flawless.
I checked under the skirt carefully to see if there were any shortcomings in the implementation.
I was satisfied.
There was a slight bulge around the knee, but it was an insignificant bug.
I fixed that right on my seat.
“U-um… what is this…?”
The master of the Purple Magic Tower seemed speechless, overwhelmed by my creation.
Then, snapping back to reality, they started asking about the details of the magic.
“What kind of effect does this magic have…?”
“It can move, dance, and sing.”
“W-what about large-scale lethality…?”
“None. But I prepared ten models of panties instead.”
Grrrrr.
The master of the Purple Magic Tower flipped backwards like a twintail hairdo.
It looked like they fainted from being so moved by their disciple’s achievement.
A moment later, when they regained their senses, the Purple Magic Tower master began wailing about how the next quarter’s funding was all ruined, creating a scene. The tears from the master of illusion magic fluttered around like butterflies or ostriches.
While I was happily draining the finances of the tower, I didn’t completely ignore the Purple Magic Tower’s financial situation.
The tower master wept loudly, oblivious to the monstrous potential hidden within Virtual Idol Heart, but I saw a bright future ahead.
Medieval times.
No entertainment.
In an era when commoners’ ultimate content is watching executions, VTubers will surely become a great force.
Of course, I know a VTuber’s charm depends more on the personality inside than on the modeling.
Also, I need to figure out how I can make money from a VTuber in this world without the internet.
Let’s solve this step by step. I need someone to take the role inside.
First, the one piloting Heart will be… me.
“Ah. Ahh. Ahem.”
The nuances of illusion magic extend even to sound. I implemented TTS by combining the voices of ten women I had collected in advance. And then voilà. Virtual Idol Heart would spit out exactly what I programmed it to say.
“Kya-ha-ha!☆”
Perfect.
As the Game Master (GM) of the TRPG, I have the duty to create a realistic world. Sometimes, I need to act out passing merchants or ambushing goblins to boost the players’ immersion.
This also includes the heroines.
It’s me, whether I’m playing a strong-willed knight or a pure-hearted dark heroine, or a thirty-something unemployed high school graduate slacker!
In my previous life, I never actually had my voice heard. No one wanted a gravelly male voice saying, “I think I’ve always liked you…” with such sweetness.
That was done through text.
However, deep down, I had a dream.
If I had lots of money, I would want to hire a professional voice actor… or have a TTS with monstrous performance to try out the voice.
Now, that dream is coming true.
Hehehe… Ahahahahaha!
Manipulating Heart to give off a villainous laugh, I smiled with satisfaction.
I will stand at the pinnacle of the VTuber world in this new realm…
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[Imperial Defense Agency Dangerous Individual Report]
Name: Heart, Woman of Illusions
Rank: Grade 2 (Downgraded by one step due to her disappearance)
Active Period: Year of the Lion 445 – 448 (3 years)
Author: C
She appeared suddenly like a firefly and vanished like a storm.
Leaving countless men and some women with everlasting scars.
She drew attention with her unique marketing strategy.
She first emerged at the famous brothel “Rosaria,” selling her time under the condition of “only conversation.” Many scoffed at her, saying, “You want to earn money but don’t have the guts to sell your body?” but after a few brave gentlemen experienced a “conversation” with her, everything changed.
Many men—even titled nobility—lined up to find her.
While many analysts think she might have been an elite agent nurtured by anti-empire activists, I believe there’s a significant flaw in that perspective. She merely played with love and desired nothing more.
Compared to what she could have gained, the money she received was closer to “a little tip.” According to testimonies from those around her, she always asked, “How wealthy are you? What percentage of your entire wealth is this gift?” and declined amounts exceeding 1%.
There’s still a famous anecdote.
A young direct descendant of a poor baron presented her with his entire fortune. “I understand this wealth isn’t enough to possess you. However, I wish to buy even just a moment of your time.” She returned the wealth and said, “I’ll personally invest this money for you. Come back a bit more refined.”
The trend among some nobles to return gifts from interested men began with this story.
She didn’t wield the power she gained through love, nor was she arrogant.
She always maintained a dignified attitude but was never arrogant. She never looked down on or insulted anyone.
At that time, the individual who maintained the best relationship with her—known to society as “Heart’s man”—current Duke of the North Julius, when he said, “I don’t think I can continue meeting you as I now have a fiancée,” she supposedly encouraged him rather than show jealousy, saying, “Please remember the time we spent together like an orange… only when we’re not dining!”
It’s said that she didn’t carry a scent. No perfume or even the natural smell of human skin. Men who met her vividly remembered her as having an “invisible fragrance.” The trend of perfumes that erased all smells was mimicked after her.
Even now, after much time has passed since her disappearance, countless men long for her or chase after nonexistent traces. I firmly believe in her consistently displayed free spirit and humility during her active years. At that time, she was no threat to the empire.
However, those who dance with burning passion must always be prepared for burns.
If her disappearance was truly “to find true love,” the day she returns would be the day true love shatters. Everyone knows how cruelly a woman undergoing heartbreak can become.
If she returns from her absence, intending to wield the hearts of gentleman’s she once possessed…
Then I propose we mobilize unlimited personnel to eliminate the “Woman of Illusions.”
Of course, everyone dispatched must have never purchased a minute of her time.
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