Two researchers sit at a metal table near the far wall. One wears thick round glasses, nervously stirring a lukewarm drink. The other, with spiky orange hair and dark bags under his eyes, leans back in his chair, staring into a half-empty mug of coffee.
"Did you… see the footage?" the one with glasses asks, voice low, almost afraid of the answer. "Please tell me I'm not losing my mind."
The tired one nods slowly, setting his mug down with a soft clink.
"Yeah. I saw it."
A pause. The lights above flicker.
"He walked up the stairs, muttered something under his breath, collapsed… and vanished. Just like that. No distortion, no trace. Gone."
"That's not supposed to happen," the other mutters, shifting in his seat. "He's Safe. The safest thing in this whole cursed place."
"Was," the tired one says flatly.
The nervous researcher leans in.
"Could it have been 343? He visited him before, right? Maybe this was some weird spiritual vanishing act."
He shakes his head.
"No. 343 hasn't moved from his sector. And if he did something, he'd let everyone know. You know how he is—he's too enigmatic. Sneaking in as a private tutor… and what was it he did? He taught him moral philosophy."
Despite his tired face, he chuckles.
"Learning moral philosophy from God. What a unique experience that must be."
The other, despite the heavy atmosphere, chuckles back.
"I even heard he gave him some cartoon recommendations."
The tired one sighs.
"It's called anime."
The one with glasses frowns.
"Then how did he disappear? And why did 682 lose it minutes later? I've never seen it move that fast. It didn't even look… mad. It looked panicked."
"Yeah," the other mutters, eyes distant. "Blew through two reinforced gates. Ignored everything. Just charged for 001-7's room."
"Like it knew."
Another pause.
"Yeah," he repeats. "Like it knew. And it wasn't just reacting. It was mourning."
"But that doesn't make sense," the nervous one says, adjusting his glasses. "682 doesn't mourn. It hates. Everything."
He shrugs.
"Guess 001-7 was special to it."
A long silence follows.
"Do we tell the Council?"
The tired man doesn't respond at first—just takes another sip of cold coffee.
"They already know. They're watching the footage now. Haven't said a word."
"And if the Scarlet King is involved—"
"Then we're not just looking at a containment breach. We're looking at a countdown."
The man with glasses sits back, pale.
There's a pause before the tired one stands and dumps his mug in the nearby bin.
"We need to figure out what he said. Right before he vanished. That's where we start."
"I'll check the audio logs," the other says shakily. "You?"
"Dimensional scans. Just in case this is something worse than reality bending."
He nods.
As the man with glasses watches the other walk away, he mutters under his breath:
"It's always the seemingly safe ones."
***
Everyone was sitting at the main dining table. Roswaal was at the head, with—once again—more fruit and vegetables as the main course for lunch. Toyota was already sick of the food. He knew he should be grateful for any food at all, but he could feel himself starting to get grumpy. He particularly hated vegetables.
After picking at his food and nibbling on it, he heard Emilia mumble, "Hmm, feels like something's missing… shouldn't Puck be clingy the moment I got back?"
She turned her head side to side as if searching.
Beatrice, noticing what she was doing, lowered her head before drawling out, "Puckie needs to stay in the library with Betty, in fact."
Hearing this, Emilia tilted her head. "Why?"
"It's a personal matter, I suppose."
Emilia, looking disappointed, lowered her head.
"So, Toyota," Roswaal chimed in, "I heard from some others that you plan on leaving today. Is this when you're planning to cash in on the request?"
"Y—"
Cutting off Toyota's response, Roswaal continued once more,
"Before you answer that, I have an offer to make you. How would you like to be our Minister of Internal Affairs? With your abilities, I think it would be a fine fit. If you agree, I could grant you a hefty salary."
Emilia, Rem, and Subaru—who heard this—looked surprised.
Subaru looked excited. He internally thought to himself how he might find a way for Toyota to stay… but couldn't think of a valid reason. Maybe, he reasoned, if Toyota had some incentive, he'd reconsider.
"I'm sorry," Toyota said, "but I must decline."
He paused, letting the silence settle in.
Roswaal frowned, and Ram had a strange look on her face.
"At least for now," Toyota continued, "I have someone I must meet in the capital—and things to take care of. If that offer is still open after three months, I might reconsider… but for now, I must apologize."
Roswaal, regaining his whimsical tone and smile, responded,
"Not at alllllll. This is purely an offer—nothing to apologize over."
He clapped his hands lightly.
"Now, let's get to the main evvvvent. Have you decided on your wish?"
Toyota took a breath, steeling himself, and swallowed before mustering the courage to speak.
"About that wish… would it be possible to change from one wish to three minor requests?"
Ram immediately had an outburst.
"Three?! So greedy! If we give you an inch, you'll ask for a foot!"
Roswaal grinned.
"Of course—if they are truly minor, ask away."
Subaru and Emilia were both leaning forward, curious what he was going to ask for.
Rem leaned towards Subaru and whispered into his ear,
"Do you really want Toyota to stay?"
"Of course," Subaru whispered back. Toyota was the only one who truly understood him, who knew what he'd gone through. In Subaru's mind, Toyota had started to become an emotional pillar—someone who made him feel less alone.
Yet… thinking about it, he realized he truly knew nothing about Toyota. Even his name felt made up on the spot.
But then again… all names are made up.
Rem, hearing his response, nodded and whispered back,
"Understood."
Subaru blinked in confusion.
"Wait… what did you understand?"
"If he accidentally breaks both of his legs," she said, "then he'll have to stay to obtain treatment."
Subaru blanched.
"Wait—you don't mean… you're going to make it look like an accident and injure him so he has to stay, right?"
Rem smiled sweetly.
"Isn't that what Subaru wants?"
Toyota, who was about to respond to Roswaal, suddenly felt a slight chill.
Hm. That's weird.
He brushed it off and spoke clearly.
"My three requests are: One—that you provide transport and supplies for my trip to the capital."
Nodding his head, Roswaal drawled,
"That can be arranged~."
"Two—I'll need at least as much money as you feel I deserve."
Ram muttered from the side,
"Greedy pig…"
Roswaal simply smiled.
"As a lord, money for me is no object."
"Great," Toyota smiled. "And the third request is more of a mere formality… but I'd like to be allowed to visit the mansion again. To see Subaru."
Subaru, hearing this, felt a bit of relief wash over him.
He had carried a lingering paranoia… that he might never see Toyota again.
But it was at this third request that Roswaal subtly narrowed his eyes.
Toyota could feel the shift in the atmosphere—his suspicion was palpable.
Roswaal had been hesitating to let Toyota go, out of fear.
Fear that it might be him—not Subaru—that the Tome of Wisdom, passed down from his beloved master, had actually been referring to.
While all signs seemed to point toward Subaru, Roswaal couldn't shake the idea that he may have misunderstood his master's teachings.
And if he had… then letting Toyota go would be a grave mistake.
Puck had been assigned to probe the boy's memories, but now even that spirit seemed strangely preoccupied—and with Toyota planning to leave immediately, there was no more time.
Roswaal had no justifiable reason to forcibly detain him.
And that, more than anything, irked him.
"Very well," he said finally, voice smooth and deliberate.
"It will all be prepared within a day. I wish you luck with the things you have to take care of."
He gave his trademark whimsical smile—but inside, disappointment simmered.
Someone of Toyota's talents, as Ram had just recently informed him, was a resource he did not want to lose.
Abruptly standing, Roswaal announced, "I, like you, also have some things I need to take care of," as he picked up his now empty plate and left, with Ram trailing behind him.
"Master Roswaal, there is no need for you to carry that. It is my duty as a maid to do the dishes and serve you."
As they both left the room, Toyota felt Rem staring at him intently, and another shiver traveled down his back.
Why did he feel such danger coming from her? Creepy.
Subaru, noticing Rem's gaze, grabbed her arm and abruptly pulled her out of the room.
Rem looked like she was enjoying it.
"So I have a day before I can leave," Toyota thought.
"I already made preparations for the future with Beatrice."
He did, however, leave out the information on why Roswaal wanted to kill the dragon—for the simple reason that if Beatrice knew it was all to revive her mother, she might join in on helping him.
It was a small chance… but a very dangerous one.
He couldn't allow Echidna to be revived.
Because of the simple reason: she knew too much.
If she was brought back, with her near-omniscience, she could easily gain influence and possibly overthrow the entire government.
Being a sociopath, she would manipulate people like they were her tools.
When it came to an indirect antagonist, Echidna took the cake.
Now that he had finished with the essentials, Toyota couldn't think of anything else to do.
If he could destroy Roswaal's Tome of Wisdom, that would be ideal…
But that would make him an immediate enemy, which he couldn't afford—especially since Roswaal was the one providing his ride.
He decided to sideline that objective for later.
If only there was some way to contact Subaru after he left.
In this medieval world, there were no phones, no FedEx—he'd have to rely on a messenger just to send a single sentence.
(Host, you have the Bond function.
Anyone who considers you a friend can be contacted one-way via your cellular device.)
"What? Really?"
"If that's true," he muttered, unlocking his phone, "can I try sending a text message?"
He typed:
Meet me in the garden ASAP.
Then hit send.
***
After scolding and explaining to Rem how hurting someone without a solid reason was wrong, Subaru heard a ding from his pocket.
He pulled out his flip phone and blinked in confusion. There was a text notification—from an unknown number.
Meet me in the garden ASAP.
His expression immediately shifted. He hadn't had any service since arriving in this world. Either there was some insane lag… or something else—something unusual—was happening.
After excusing himself, he made his way to the garden.
There, he found Toyota, sitting calmly on a hill overlooking the forest. Flowers bloomed all around him, swaying gently in the breeze.
"It was you, wasn't it?" Subaru asked. "The one who sent the text. How did you know my number? And how does your phone even work?"
Toyota didn't answer right away. He kept his eyes on the distant trees, like he was planning something.
Finally, he sighed. "It only works one way. I'll be able to send you information... nothing more."
He turned his head slightly.
"You'll need to step up, Subaru. In a month's time, something big is going to happen. And I need you to be prepared."
"If you know something, just tell us," Subaru pressed. "We can prepare together."
"That's the thing," Toyota said, still quiet. "If I tell you now… he will find a way to make it worse."
Subaru's brows furrowed. "Who's he? Someone I know?"
"Someone you currently believe is an ally."
"…Do you mean Roswaal?" Subaru asked. His voice had softened, hesitant. Roswaal had helped him, sure—but Emilia had nearly died twice already. If not for him, she would be—
"Listen, Subaru," Toyota cut in, looking him in the eye now. "You're a kind guy. You've got a heart of gold—even forgiving people who've killed you. But there's a difference between forgiving someone… and trusting them."
"Then who can I trust?"
"The only one you can fully trust… is Beatrice. But only after you make the contract."
Subaru frowned. "Why not anyone else?"
"It's just a precaution," Toyota said, standing up. He pulled something sleek from his pocket.
It was a phone—but not like Subaru's. Slim, dark, with multiple lenses on the back. Subaru had never seen this model before.
"With this," Toyota continued, holding it up, "I can let you know when something's coming. Anything I think is important… I'll send it."
Subaru looked down at his flip phone. The screen now showed a full battery.
"…Thanks," he muttered. "I guess."
After Subaru left, Toyota decided it was time to try the other spells in his arsenal.
"System, show me the spells again."
Vita: Amplifies gravity. (Mastery Level: 1)
Murak: Decreases gravity. (Mastery Level: 1)
Minia: Creates purple projectiles. (Mastery Level: 2)
Shamac: Distorts senses with inky mist. Potential for minor teleportation. (Mastery Level: 1)
"Since I'm out in the open… let's try Shamac."
He used the same method he'd practiced with Minia—gathering mana into his palm.
"Shamac!" he yelled.
A two-foot sphere of black smoke shot from his palm.
"This isn't even a smokescreen… this is a smoke basketball," he muttered.
"I'm even worse than the squid himself."
Still, considering he had good mana regeneration, he figured he could just continually produce the stuff. He waved his hand through the air, watching it leave a thin trail of mist that quickly dissipated after a few seconds.
"So it's just a minor distraction at best…"
Then he had an idea.
"What if I release it throughout my whole body, all at once?"
Staying perfectly still and holding his breath, he concentrated. He gathered mana within all of his limbs, channeling it evenly.
And then—released.
A black cloud burst out, creating a smoky clone of himself—about nine feet tall.
He stepped out of the fog and looked back at the illusion.
"…It might be absolutely useless," he muttered. "But at least it looks cool."
With Shamac testing done, it was time to try out the gravity spells.
"Murak!" he shouted.
…Nothing.
Something felt off. Like the spell needed a specific activation trigger.
Then he noticed the mana inside him starting to spread outward, and with it, a strange itching sensation in his limbs.
"Murak!" he shouted again, letting the mana instinctively expand.
It might already be active.
To test it, he jumped.
To his surprise, he rose nearly five feet into the air before gravity pulled him back down.
"…Not bad."
Next, he picked up a nearby grey stone. Tossing it lightly into the air, he counted the airtime.
Two seconds.
"Murak."
He channeled mana into the stone, which suddenly felt lighter in his hand. He tossed it again with the same force.
Three seconds of airtime.
Notification:
Murak: Decreases gravity. (Mastery Level: 2) — NEW
"Wow, that was actually quite simple to master. Let's try the gravity-increasing spell now."
He grinned with excitement.
"I wonder if I can use it like in Dragon Ball Z—train under heavy gravity and make my body stronger. I know in reality that might be harmful, but it's always been a dream."
He shouted: "Vita!" excitedly.
Immediately, he felt all the mana in his body spread evenly—then a pressure built in his head.
That's when everything went black.
(AN: Recently, I met the critic of all critics. He commented on almost every chapter, correcting my grammar, and even said—and I quote—"This chap was straight trash. Good job, exactly where it belongs." But what impressed me most is that he spent almost four hours straight on my book doing this. I won't say his name, but you can probably find it if you search.
If you're doing this, that means one of two things: either you have a boatload of free time, or you actually enjoy doing it. I'm not even mad. But if you have the free time to read and critique my book for four hours straight, why not become my proofreader? Since you clearly think you can do better, I think my profile has my email—contact me.
I really want to get to the capital and meet a certain redhead already.
I've set an official release schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Although when I get bored, I add extra.
Bonus chapters will drop on Saturdays if my demands are met. 🔫
Trade deal:
You give me 70 power stones, and I give you a bonus chapter.
Sounds fair, right?)