Chapter 38
“Pero, listen carefully… You’re actually a brain in a vat.”
“A brain in a vat? What’s that?”
“Ah, right, otherworlders wouldn’t know, huh…?”
This was a new bad habit that Yuna, the Master of the Purple Magic Tower, had developed: carelessly using knowledge gained from associating with him and inadvertently sharing it with others.
But where else could one find such a fitting metaphor as a brain in a vat?
With just four words, it could summarize all profound dilemmas. This is how effective clichés are as a means of information delivery.
Should she start by explaining the Matrix, then?
After pondering for a moment, instead of launching into countless discussions about the dilemma of created beings, the structure of the soul, the responsibilities of birthed intelligence, and the value of artificial souls—topics that could take a year to debate—Yuna decided to gloss over it with a hefty dose of religious dogmatism.
“I am… God.”
“You’re God?!”
“I’m a friend and business partner of the God who created you all. I have access permissions and editing rights, so, um, you could say I’m God too.”
“Uh, if that’s the case, God… Why is the world filled with suffering?”
“………”
The sharply delivered counter-question staggered the Archwizard. He would probably have replied, “Suffering is what makes happy endings shine.” But that only applies in stories; from the perspective of someone living through it, that would be infuriating.
“To ensure that the future happiness you will experience is truly savored, I decided to bestow suffering upon you!”
If someone claiming to be God blurted that out, Yuna would be ready to unleash the maximum output of her Yuna Death Beam directly into that God’s face.
Thus, she could do nothing but mumble awkwardly.
Fortunately, whether Pero was a brain parasite or merely a parasite mistaking itself for God, he had a warm enough heart to genuinely consider the voice in his head as God.
“It’s a tough problem!”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Let’s figure it out together!”
“… O-Okay.”
===============================================================
She wrapped up her rough explanation. To shake off the parasite label, she even revealed her true form. Pero seemed to feel a sense of camaraderie with her, as they were relatively short in stature.
With just a wave of her hand, she proved her divine power by conjuring up 30 years’ worth of food—a miracle reminiscent of the loaves and fishes.
Thus, paradise was overflowing with provisions. The facilities were great, the emergency power supply was robust, and the ventilation systems were functioning perfectly. It was comfortable enough for a pair of men and women to team up and form a soccer team if they so desired.
However, the biggest issue was that Pero was alone.
Humans are social creatures, so being alone can be incredibly lonely. Lack of communication and interaction with others can lead to significant stress. He might even fall into despair if his heart burdened him too heavily.
So, Yuna tried a few methods to remedy this.
“What’s this?”
“Uh, um, a life-sized body pillow of the First Princess… I couldn’t program an AI into it, but I thought hugging it as a pillow might make you feel a bit less lonely…”
“……..”
“S-Sorry…”
As Pero, embodying pure goodness, looked up at the sky with eyes that could only be described as those of someone staring at a pile of trash, Yuna immediately deleted the First Princess model. She had no intention of causing him psychological trauma; it was purely a gesture of goodwill.
In his previous world, didn’t long body pillows often feature images of women?
Yet, a failure is a failure. After all, a gift only has meaning if the recipient is happy with it.
Next, she drew a face on a volleyball and gave it to him.
“This is Wilson.”
“Uh… This is just a ball, right?”
“No, it’s Wilson.”
“G-God… If you’re lonely, I can keep you company.”
“… Well, a friend of mine has been busy moving, so I guess I’m a tiny bit lonely…”
Rather than comforting him, their roles had amusingly flipped.
He was overjoyed when the Second Prince suggested, “How about you become a Professor at the Academy?” practically tumbling over with excitement. He was too busy preparing Simulation Room No. 2 to focus, dreaming of playing TRPGs all day long at the Academy.
Yuna attempted to cling to him like a cicada on a tree trunk; she even tried to inflict her signature move, the ELRERERERERE attack on his ear, just like she had endured before—only to receive no result.
“Uh, but, um… are you not showing your appearance to anyone else besides me?”
“… Huh?”
“Like to Learo or something?”
“T-That’s because only the chosen ones can see me, or something like that… Oh?”
Yuna was supplying mana directly to run the simulation, so Learo was probably wandering in some wasteland. With the player disconnected, he’d be in power-saving mode.
He would likely be executing only basic processing tasks: survival rolls, success, fail.
Thus, calling Learo would serve no purpose; he hadn’t developed self-awareness. There was no need to engage with an entity akin to an answering machine. While sorting this out in her mind, a sudden thought struck her.
If feedback from the First Princess could get Pero to move, what about the Second Prince, who had likely been ten times more immersed than she was?
Having belatedly reached that conclusion, Yuna conjured the Prince, the Flower, and the Resistance and tapped in. As expected, Centra, who had attained self-awareness, was now prowling the city…
===============================================================
Centra believed in a future reunion someday.
So, she gathered all kinds of junk from different parts of the city, creating a statue of the Second Prince Irid (which, no matter how one looked at it, bore no resemblance to Irid) and decorating it with signs saying “Congrats on Your Return!” After all, events were essential for a reunion.
The time spent waiting wasn’t painful. She could feel her own heart beating vividly. And from that, she sensed that they were indeed connected.
So, trusting that even a tiny bit of her heart would reach him, she’d start every day by shouting this.
“Alright, Irid! Let’s do our best today too!”
Sob sob sob!
“Who are you?!”
The Archwizard, witnessing this scene, clutched her handkerchief with a wail.
Unlike Pero, Centra was aware that she was a created being. So she understood that this being who had suddenly appeared in this frozen time was somewhat akin to a Creator. But…
“I-I’ll help you meet him again… Sniff. I’ll protect you from that wicked disciple!”
“Uh, um… Shall we start by blowing your nose? Come on, blow here. Blow.”
First, she opted to comfort her.
The Archwizard rambled about her feelings toward the Centra-Irid couple for ten minutes before finally managing to stop her tears. Nevertheless, she had successfully managed to convey the crucial information: that they were allies.
===============================================================
Three people gathered in the Apocalypse Shelter: a boy adventurer, a Resistance lady, and an Archwizard.
“Let me introduce you,” she said. “This is Centra. And this is Pero.”
“Nice to meet you! I’m Centra.”
“Ah, hello! I’m Pero!”
“… You have blonde hair.”
Centra was observing Pero’s blonde hair intently. It was a shade that reminded her of Irid. Then, just to be sure, she posed a question to Yuna.
“He’s not Irid’s child, is he?”
“?!”
“Because the time I felt and the time outside may not align. Just asking in case.”
“No, Pero is like you.”
“Aha.”
On the other hand, Pero seemed to recall someone when he spotted Centra’s chest armor. Yuna playfully gave him a noogie, saying, “Of all things to remind you of her, it’s that?” The boy had a subtly lewd streak.
“Wait, blonde… and lewd.”
A bolt of realization struck Yuna. This guy must have been modeled after seeing Irid…!
When she noticed the beauty mark, she thought he was modeled after the man from the adventurer party. But looking back, there were many elements that matched Irid.
In Irid’s Think Tank meeting room, perhaps Elaine had picked up on her affection for her younger brother and decided to have him brought in…
“So, what’s the reason you invited us here?”
“Ah, about that… I’d like to propose a deal!”
Of course, there was a desire to protect these self-aware characters. If possible, she aimed to facilitate their needs. If they could be pulled into reality, then it would bring about a deep satisfaction.
You promised a Happy Ending, yet you still haven’t reunited with Irid, you punk.
However, the Purple Magic Tower Master wasn’t mistaken about her priorities. This was all about creating a situation that benefited both sides, without bringing harm to him.
The simulation world was fragile.
The world was expansive, teeming with numerous races and even more monsters. The creatures they needed to be especially wary of were those like incubuses and succubuses. Just as they could intrude into human dreams, they could likely hide in the simulation world too.
Thus, the plan was to use the self-aware NPCs as a sort of vaccine.
“Become a civil militia.”
“Uh, civil militia?”
“Yeah. Welcome new members, enjoy a happy life, and if any nasty creatures try to infiltrate this world… punish them! In return, I’ll take care of all your needs…”
“Well, that means you’re making us your champions, God!”
Pero’s eyes sparkled. Although faith had nearly dried up due to the Variant crisis, stories of deities continued to be passed down orally, so he understood. Gods select champions to embody their wishes on Earth.
Feeling the boy’s adoring gaze, the Tower Master felt her shoulders rise ever so slightly.
Strangely, the wizards of the tower typically regarded her with fear or a sense of cuteness rather than reverence. Having never received such pure admiration before, she found herself swelling with pride.
“All sorts of equipment, food, amenities—j-just leave it to me! Even if there’s no data, I’ll carve it out to create something…!”
Puffing out her chest as if she had soared to great heights, requests poured in from Pero and Centra.
“Then, perhaps a Holy Sword!”
“If I can request equipment, could you make a more comfortable combat suit? The one I’m currently in is way too tight around the chest—”
“How about a double-barrel shotgun?”
“Or a beautiful dress for my reunion with Irid!”
Rumbleee.
With the full unleashing of her genius, the Tower Master produced items one after another. Whether it was full-body tights that were comfortable yet revealed the chest’s shape, or a Holy Sword that produced the sound of a wyvern when its gem was pressed, she crafted them all and more.
As she indulged in this Creator’s blowout sale, the desired items started to stack up like a mountain before the two. While Centra was admiring a dress that plunged rather steeply in the back, she stealthily approached the Tower Master.
Tilting her head in contemplation, Centra quietly whispered:
“Uh, um… about Ronya, you know, the one who went into Ronya… Do you not have to let him know?”
“H-How did you know I didn’t tell him anything?!”
“Your expression looked like that of a kid, worried about being caught for breaking a vase…?”
It seemed that she had read the remnants of anxiety lingering in the Tower Master’s eyes even amid the spectacle of creation.
She would eventually be found out. Sooner or later, the truth would come to light.
However, Yuna had her own reasons and justifications. These were characters from a concluded tale. If he wasn’t going to reuse them, then there would be no harm in revealing it later.
Furthermore, Yuna wished to delay that moment for as long as possible, even if he would find out one day. After all, he was under the influence of That. If symptoms worsened, he might literally end up “playing” with Centra and Pero.
She hoped to wait until everything was resolved, and he liberated from That, to let him know…
Vooooooong. A voice echoed from above.
-Tower Master, what are you doing there?
“HEUKIYAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
The danger of everything being revealed had arrived.
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