3 - CHAPTER III "This Is a Dream"

Thirty minutes have passed since then.

Or maybe only three minutes have passed.

Leaning back in his cushioned chair, looking up to the heavens, Helian thinks about such a trivial thing.

...... is getting to be too much of a distraction from reality.

Forcing his head, which may or may not be working properly, to work, he lists the possibilities that could explain this situation.

While playing [Tactics Chronicle], a revolutionary version-up has been implemented in the background and the AI has evolved to the point of superlative. Similarly for the five senses, the amount of information that can be perceived has increased enormously due to the version-up."

Negative (Negative).

Impossible.

As for AI, it may be technically feasible if it is limited to NPC characters in the king's entourage, but it would take dozens of hours to process them in the background. I don't know.

First of all, there was no such notice.

Furthermore, it is a complete violation of the terms and conditions regarding the five senses.

In order to prevent people from perceiving the virtual reality as the real reality, the regulations for VRS games are strictly enforced, starting with .

Taste is a typical example.

In the alpha test before the commercialization of , there was a problem that the brain falsely believed that the player had already eaten a real meal in the game, resulting in a drastic decrease in the amount of food intake in the real world.

In response to this problem, the is set so that although the user can perceive some semblance of taste, the food is neither tasteless nor delicious, and is literally tasteless.

In addition, the tactile senses are set so that they are not too close to reality (realism), but only up to a certain level of sensation.

This is in response to the danger that players will be so satisfied with virtual reality that it will have a significant negative impact on their social life in the real world.

In the early days of virtual reality simulation (VRS) games, when the regulations were not yet properly established, this was a social problem for a while.

Therefore, it is absolutely impossible for an operator company to upgrade the version of the game so that it can acquire such realistic sensory information. This is because it would be an outrageous act that would not only stop the service of [Tactics Chronicle], but could also be a major incident that could threaten the very existence of the company.

Possibility 2. This is actually the real world, and I was taken to a place similar to the game while I was sleeping. The leeve is a real person, and the dog ears and fluffy tail are accessories. In other words, a well-done cosplay."

Negative.

Impossible.

What's the point of setting up a castle that looks just like the game to surprise a single person?

Besides, Riebe's ears and tail were completely natural. There was nothing unnatural about their movements, they were there as a matter of course.

First of all, he was able to open windows and send simple instructions to each of the legions. Needless to say, such a magical trick would not be possible in the real world.

"Possibility 3. This is in [Tactics Chronicle], but my consciousness is transferred to another dedicated server. And another version of [Tactics Chronicle] is running on that server. On that dedicated server, which has specifications as high as a supercomputer, I'm having this stupid experience as a tester of some sort."

You can't deny .......

There is still a possibility.

Although it is in serious violation of the company's code of ethics and the strict regulations specific to virtual reality simulation (VRS) games, it may be technically possible if one is willing to close one's eyes to it.

If only one person, Levee, is equipped with a high-performance AI that can act like a human, and if Levee is the only person who possesses enormous information (data) such as body temperature, skin texture, and pulse, it is not impossible to achieve this in terms of data capacity and computing power. It would seem so.

However, there is something that needs to be confirmed in order to prove it.

We have to establish the fact that only one person is an exception.

"----"

From a drawer in his desk, Helian pulled out a sterling silver paper knife.

After a few moments, he held his left hand in front of his face and stared at his palm, which felt as real as if it were the real thing itself.

He then pressed the blade of the knife against the palm of his left hand - he hesitated for a moment, and then quickly pulled it to the side.

"Ouch! ......"

Pain.

Real pain, as if undiluted. This is another violation of protocol.

However, this level of violation of regulations has already been predicted.

The problem comes later.

"...... I'm bleeding."

Red flowing from a line-like cut.

I clenched my left fist tightly, and the blood came pouring out in a flash.

Dripping red. If I put my nose close to it, I could smell the blood. An overwhelming amount of information that is almost the same as the reality.

In other words, if this is in [Tactics Chronicle], then it means that Levee is not the only character data that has been given an enormous amount of information.

Even if such a huge amount of information is given from the server, there is no way that a home video game console can handle it.

Therefore, possibility 3 is also negative.

"Possibility No. 4: ........................ dreamy."

I don't want to deny that possibility, which I managed to narrow down.

The cut on my left hand is aching, but I once pinched my cheek as hard as I could in a dream and did not wake up. I would like to think that it is the same kind of thing this time.

Because this is the only possibility left.

If I remove this possibility, I will have no choice but to face this impossible reality.

Just as I was drooping my head, there was a knock at the door.

The knocking sound sounded somewhat reserved.

Or maybe it is just my imagination, and the guilt I feel for yelling at him earlier is making me think so.

"[Enter]."

"......Excuse me, sir."

is used to convey permission to enter.

Opening the door quietly, he entered, and as expected, it was Levee.

Her expression was clear, but the triangular dog ears on the top of her head were flat on the ground, and her bushy silver tail was drooping weakly.

The reason for this is not hard to imagine.

"......Well, I've been compiling the information again, and I'd like to ...... report back to you."

"Oh--no, I have something to say first."

With a jerk, Liewe shook his shoulder.

She looked like a puppy before it was chastised by its master for misbehaving.

"......Lieve, I'm sorry. I was upset earlier."

"What?"

"It was a bit of a shock for me to be involved in such a situation as the transfer of an entire capital city. Please forgive me."

He offers his apologies.

As he was about to bow his head, a startled Lieve rushed to stop him.

"No, no!　It's just that I have said something rather impertinent, and it's not something for which you should be apologizing, Mr. Helian!　I'm the one who should be sorry--"

"No, I'm the one who should apologize. No, I'm the one who should apologize. I know it's uncomfortable for you, but please accept my apology. This is what I ...... need to do for me."

He interrupts Riebe's line and apologizes, as if he is pushing him.

It's not that I've ...... accepted the ridiculous reality of another world.

We still cannot deny the possibility that this is "a dream Helian is having.

On the other hand, just because it is a dream does not mean that we can do whatever we want.

At the very least, what I yelled at Lieve just now was completely out of anger. It is not something that can be settled without any human consideration. So I apologize. It is quite natural.

And I don't even want to think about ...... in case, just in case, this is "something" that is not a dream, there is nothing better than to act like a king. From the standpoint of mental health, it would not be a bad idea to act like a king.

Levee still seemed to want to say something, but then she sniffed as if she had suddenly noticed something and turned her gaze slightly downward to the right.

If you follow her gaze, you will see Helian's left hand with a knife cut on it.

She could not see it because it was hidden by the desk, but the smell of blood must have made her notice it.

She is indeed a Blutbad, a mana-galum.

I can guess that the reason why she didn't notice me until now is because she was upset because she was displeased with me, and I feel a pang of guilt for taking it out on her.

"Oh, is this it?"

He lightly raises his left hand to show the wound.

Then Lieve's clear face changed and she looked as if she was about to cry.

Helian, who was not used to seeing tears from a woman, hurriedly interrupted her.

"No, no, it's nothing!　It was just a little cut by mistake. Don't worry about it."

"...... Well, again, I am sorry to impose on you, but ...... please, treat ...... me."

"It's okay. This stuff goes away with a little spit. I don't care. I just want to understand what's going on."

Unable to look Levee in the face <>, he forced himself to change the subject.

"I dare to repeat, the first priority is to understand the current situation. What are the corps commanders doing now?"

"At present, each of them commands their own corps in accordance with the orders given by Herian to each corps. ......"

"I see. Then ...... is it possible to gather the heads of the corps in the audience chamber?　I only need about 15 minutes of your time.

Possible!

The reply flew forward.

Levee's face loomed in front of me. I could count the number of eyelashes.

I have no idea what's making her do this, but I wonder if she's too desperate.

"Oh, I see."

With a slight hesitation, he designates the legionnaires to be assembled and informs them that they will be in the audience chamber in fifteen minutes.

"Yes, sir!　Therefore, I will call for the nearest third corps commander first!

I watched as Levee bowed deeply and strode quickly out of the office.

I was about to nod my head and wonder what makes her so desperate, when I remembered her words as she was leaving.

......Oh, I see. You mean she was trying to get me to meet the Third Army Commander somehow.

The Third Army Commander is a specialist in healing magic.

He can't bring them here to his office since the king refuses to receive them, but if the king holds an audience with him, he'll use the opportunity to cure them somehow.

"You're a loyal dog, just like you're supposed to be. No, he's a wolf.

I look at my left palm, thinking that this is a very reproducible dream.

The blood was still flowing out from the cut wound, though it was less vigorous than before. It was painful to see, even though it was my own fault.

"I guess I should have asked for medical treatment first. ...... It's getting absurdly painful.

I wrapped an appropriate cloth around my palm while uttering such pathetic words.

As a mere student, I had no medical knowledge, but it would serve as a first aid kit for the time being.

I sat down on a chair in the audience chamber, hoping that the dream would wake up by the time I had an audience with him.

But time flies, and the time for the audience has arrived.