Chapter 42

A bright blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds. A vast meadow, so spacious that even a multitude of livestock can graze without it being an issue. The fresh scent of nature that I haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing in years.

As I gazed at this longed-for scenery, I couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

“Ardenia…”

Ardenia lay before my eyes. The fantasy world I had searched for countless times, yet could never find; one that wasn’t captured in any media and existed in no one’s memory.

My hometown.

“Am I really allowed to go in alone? ♠”

“Yes, of course.”

“Well then… without further ado.”

The scientist who created this amazing spectacle had allowed himself to take the path back home. Eight, who had given all sorts of warnings about the dangers of recklessly entering another world and the potential mixing of germs, simply watched as I prepared to return to Ardenia.

Truly, it’s amazing how composed he is. How can someone achieve such a monumental feat without even blinking? Moreover, how can he completely reserve the fruits of this achievement for himself?

If I were born a woman, I might have fallen for him. With that manly figure, I slowly made my way over to Ardenia, soaking in the sight of the scientist.

Thud-.

“Ah, aah…”

Soft grasses brushed against my ankles, causing a ticklish sensation. Amidst the gentle caress of nature, I looked up at the sky.

Two moons, proving this was indeed Ardenia, sparkled brightly in the sky despite it being daytime.

And what about the mana filling my lungs with each breath? It felt like I could access dozens, if not hundreds, of spells that I couldn’t even touch in the other world, with just a flick of my wrist.

“I have returned.”

In that next moment, I proclaimed my return to this world loudly.

The magic I unleashed adorned the sky, my presence and mana enveloping the world.

In the other world, I had been unable to use countless grand spells due to the lack of mana, but now they burst forth. Soon after, knights from the nearby castle began to rush toward the source of the disturbance.

“Who goes there—!”

“Do you even know where you are to dare—!”

The knights, riding swiftly on their steeds, quickly surrounded me. Meanwhile, I, who had been grinning, started rubbing my face and wiped off the extravagant makeup I had been wearing.

Having erased the stigma I had imposed upon myself, thinking I could only survive as a clown, I transformed back into a great mage.

“—Starry night.”

With the incantation on my lips, the once white sky began to turn dark. Time forced itself to flow, and day turned to night. The newly formed night sky was adorned with countless comets.

The knights, who had been charging in fiercely, realized who stood before them the moment they beheld the rapidly changing night sky. The calamity of Ardenia, which had abruptly vanished years ago.

“The, the great mage…”

“Where have you been all this time, suddenly…”

“—Today, I have returned.”

With a sly grin, the great mage Arima waved his hand down.

“The entire world shall know.”

In that next instant, a meteor fell from the sky.

*

Meteors were crashing down. As if that weren’t enough, I began flying through the sky, shooting rays from my hands. Just your basic magic missile, as I learned from my training.

“Wow, he really is a great mage…”

Watching him perform beyond the gate, it was easy to see just how much frustration he had felt in this world. With such power, he had merely been playing the role of a clown—no wonder the stress had stacked up.

I continued to sip my coffee, observing him. Sten, ever the dedicated assistant, kept filling my cup, looking perplexed.

“Isn’t it alright for the scientist to go in?”

“Huh? Where to?”

“To the inside… I mean, to Ardenia.”

“Why would I want to go there? It’s dangerously reckless…”

“Reckless, you say…”

I shook my head, letting out a sigh. This is why naïve folks shouldn’t meddle with things. With today’s science, it should be clear enough what effects microbes can have.

I simply explained to him why we shouldn’t dare cross over to another world.

“Ardenia… as we’ve observed thousands of times, isn’t exactly known for its high level of civilization. With magic and aura-like superpowers, or maybe just being a recently formed world…”

“Yes. I was surprised too that such a world exists like something out of a movie.”

“Meanwhile, with holy power, they’re still praying to gods rather than advancing medicine. What do you think would happen if I or you crossed over?”

“…I’m not really sure.”

“The germs and microbes within our bodies would wreak havoc over there.”

Of course, a few nobles, wizards, and clergymen would likely survive. They had spells and divine powers to fend off super microorganisms easily.

But what about countless farmers and ordinary slaves?

“They would probably die in large numbers. At least thirty to fifty percent would likely perish.”

“Is that so…?”

“Statistically speaking.”

This reasoning also applied to me. If I hadn’t been working in a lab hyper-focused on hygiene and contamination, my body would have been teeming with Earth’s myriad of germs and microbes, potentially infecting a lot of folks here.

Of course, falling into another world suddenly like that was a rare occurrence, so there’s no guarantee that microbes sticking to me would just up and transfer.

“Given how the microbes in my body seem to be alright, it’s possible that the ones on the surface…”

Ultimately, it’s easy to see that crossing into another world with 21st-century science is incredibly risky. And speaking with knowledge unknown to anyone here,—

“—Do you understand now why I wouldn’t go to Ardenia?”

“Yes. I can’t believe our bodies carry something so dangerous…”

“As for the people living here, they’re alright. The first time meeting might be risky, but those who have lived here all their lives are immune…”

While conversing with Sten, Arima, who was wiping the floor with the knights, re-entered through the gate. His face was brimming with satisfaction.

“—Scientist.”

“Yes, Arima-ssi.”

“Seriously, it was the best.”

He said with a beaming smile.

“Now I need to prepare for retirement.”

“Retirement?”

“Yeah. I should at least bid farewell to the countless audience members and my fans who have waited for me.”

“Ah—.”

Hearing his words, it finally clicked. Opening the gate meant he could return to his original world, and generally, those who have drifted far away wouldn’t miss a chance to get back home when it appeared.

Given that Arima could now go back to Ardenia, he had no reason to stay in this world. Just as there was no reason for an evil wizard to remain within an organization.

‘…This is a big deal.’

I had expected this would happen.

Yet now that he was truly on the verge of retirement, I felt a deeper anxiety.

What would Regalia do when she finds out Arima is retiring? And what if it turns out the retirement is because of me?

‘I’m going to be in big trouble…’

Just thinking about being scolded by a boss not even half my height made my heart race already. However, what’s done is done.

Turning back time is impossible without magic.

I delivered the news of Arima’s retirement to my boss. Naturally, what happened afterward…

I’ll leave it to your imagination.

*

The news of the world’s number one magician, Arima, retiring caused quite the stir globally. Who would’ve thought that he would retire out of the blue without any scandal?

In the charged atmosphere, the retirement show became the talk of the town as it was the last chance to see the world’s greatest craft on display. If even my boss failed at getting tickets, you can only imagine how much buzz there was.

Had Arima not passed tickets to our evil organization, we may have missed witnessing his farewell altogether.

—Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for attending my retirement performance, and since this is the last, let’s make it the best show ever…

In the VIP seats. As we watched Arima’s magic performance in the specially prepared room, we couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. Perhaps it was because it was the final one or because he had gone back to recharge his mana, but Arima’s performance was far more dazzling than before.

Amidst the stunning magic stealing the spotlight, Regalia started muttering carefully.

“I can’t believe we’re letting such a splendid talent go…”

“…”

“And this is all thanks to someone who went and did it without saying a word or asking for permission…”

“…Well, that…”

“You wouldn’t do the same, would you? I wouldn’t be asking you to repay kindness, but I hope you won’t treat her like a discarded shoe.”

Seeing Regalia looking so sorrowful made me lower my head. I’d rather receive a loud scolding than watch her tragic face looking like a forsaken puppy.

Especially since she spoke with such poignancy from someone who had experienced it firsthand.

In the quiet, the performance concluded.

—Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for coming today, and thank you once again for loving magician Arima throughout the years…

Before his words were even complete, Arima disappeared. Unlike the panicking audience who thought it was an accident, I quickly realized he had used magic.

He had vanished using teleportation, demonstrating that even when leaving, his flair for the dramatic was intact. Truly, he was the world’s greatest magician.

“We should go too.”

“Yes, boss.”

Having watched the show, we returned to the evil organization feeling quite disappointed that Arima had left without saying goodbye. The headquarters felt oddly barren that day.

*

A few days later.

The gate opened.

I peered at Arima, perched on the desk in my lab, with a puzzled expression.

“Why are you back?”

“There’s only a squat toilet over there.”

Upon hearing Arima’s words, I couldn’t help but chuckle. He came back for such a silly reason?

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.

“The food’s bland, and there’s no fun entertainment… There’s no need for me to live there forever now anyway.”

“So that means…?”

“Yeah. From now on, I plan to live in this world. My hometown is just a place to drop by when I’m bored. It turns out it’s not really a good neighborhood for living permanently.”

Arima said with a hearty laugh. Though he had longed to return home, perhaps it was more due to the nostalgia built up over the years. It seemed it wasn’t such a lovely place to live after all.

He swung his legs back and forth lightly with a cheerful grin.

“Thanks for your support moving forward. Eight.”

And just like that, Arima, who had left, returned.

For such utterly ridiculous reasons.

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