He’s here.

Right now, outside the door.

I don’t know who he is. He could be a newspaper boy, a male trying to hit on Yuri, or a colleague from the Annihilation Squad.

But whoever it is, they’ll be poison to me. The newspaper might contain information that could identify me, and if it’s a colleague, they might suddenly condemn me, saying, ‘That guy, he’s a dark wizard.’

So, it’s safer to exclude them. Fortunately, this world is lax, and the queen’s NPC creation skills are not sophisticated.

I’ve installed an information bomb on the doorknob leading into Yuri’s mansion. Yes. I used a bit of the information bomb I brought.

I’ve reached the door. I can sense someone’s presence. I smile slyly, like a hunter watching his trap.

Knock, knock, knock.

He knocks. Yuri responds.

“…Someone? I haven’t received any messages, so then…”

“Isn’t it some scoundrel trying to approach you? Shall I chase him away?”

“No need. How would you chase anyone away with that frail body? It might be an urgent message… And if it’s a horny male dog, I’ll make friends with him for you.”

Is she talking about making him a eunuch through primitive extracorporeal shockwave surgery? I added nonchalantly.

“I don’t get up, not that I don’t have one.”

“…I didn’t ask. Please, I didn’t ask!!”

Yuri jumps at the slight jab. The moment her attention shifts to me, I flick my finger. The information bomb is activated.

Tick.

With a small explosion, malicious information is fired.

Perhaps it looked like this: a grotesque thorn stretching out from the handle, piercing a person. The struck person contorts their body, then bursts into dust, leaving no trace behind.

When Yuri, grumbling, opened the front door with eyes full of wariness, there was nothing outside. Only a few specks of dust rolled across the floor. She blinked.

“I’m sure I heard a knock.”

“Maybe some neighborhood kid playing a prank? Knocked and ran away.”

“…Do even the neighborhood kids mock me now?”

I casually added from behind, and Yuri muttered slightly depressed. No, this wasn’t what I intended. I quickly consoled her.

“Do you think kids think that complicatedly? No, Yuri. It must have been just a coincidence that the wind touched here. Let’s not think too negatively, okay?”

“…Really, you think so?”

“Yeah, really. Now… let’s go back and finish what we were doing. Are you going to use this as an excuse to chicken out? There’s still a long way to go with Jenga.”

“The one who was scared until just now was you!”

Yuri turned around and went deeper into the house. I glanced at the remains of the dust-turned NPC and quietly closed the open door.

This makes it the sixteenth time.

Once again, a brief peace was restored.

—

To explain how this fight is continuing, one fact must be made clear.

The center of this world is Yuri. Although she is being swayed by the queen…

Everything she finds strange or impossible gets a debuff, and everything she can believe in without hesitation gets a buff.

So within her sight, there are rules and order. Settings and plausibility must be maintained, and if not, there are demerits.

If an incompetent magician had infiltrated here, who knows.

I have the skill to take that slight demerit and feed it back as a curse. So no matter how much the queen tries to escape, as long as I am here, the minimum conditions for a duel are met.

The queen knows this too. That’s why she got a counter-punch when she tried to force me into being the culprit last time.

So both the queen and I are developing the story around Yuri. Just like the NPC that knocked on the mansion’s door just before.

To put it simply.

I have been tagged with a negative setting of collaborating with “Red Resurrection.” Ultimately, the queen will use this setting to make Yuri hate me.

I have to dismantle this time bomb before it explodes or / raise my intimacy with Yuri to the max so she’ll think ‘this person couldn’t possibly do that.’

There are a few methods I could try. Like the story of Bennett I made up, playing the role of a dark wizard who infiltrated “Red Resurrection” as a double agent for revenge.

Or playing the role of a Robin Hood meta, claiming that “Red Resurrection’s” techniques can be used for good, stealing the lives of death row inmates to cure the disabilities of good people…

It’s possible, but…

Personally, I think the risks are incredibly high.

The one who leads the story is the GM. The one who has conquered this space is the Queen. Even if I counter with all sorts of techniques, I can’t control the flow of the world.

To be precise… it’s possible for a moment, but it consumes too much energy and the cost-performance is not good.

“Did you brush your teeth? How about washing your face and hair care? Did you stretch before bed?”

“Just mind your own business.”

It’s as if I’m saying it takes a lot of effort to get Yuri to take care of her appearance.

Anyway.

No matter how much I try to appeal as a double agent or a good guy in reality. If the Queen introduces just three NPCs, she can completely mess up the buildup.

Victim 1. A young girl set to remind Yuri of her past. She claims her village died because of that guy, condemns me, and then dies.

Ally 1. A colleague from Yuri’s annihilation team. He pushes all sorts of data, officially branding that guy as a real bad one.

Villain 1. Suddenly appears, beats up Yuri, and then when I show up, he says, “You’re here, brother. Still have that bad taste, huh? Pretending to be friendly with this kid, just to kill her later.” That’s the kind of push he makes.

If the world is against me, no matter how well I tap dance, it doesn’t mean much. So, my conclusion is.

I have to counter, everything.

The best strategy I saw was to counter the assassination attempt known to Yuri/prepared by the Queen, to strengthen my position.

To attack me by following the flow of plausibility, the Queen had already begun the groundwork. She had installed a suspicious object in my house and… another thing.

“Here is the information on the hidden bases of the dark mage group ‘Red Resurrection,’ and their collaborators.”

“The documents are encrypted, so the seniors have been working day and night… but once the analysis is complete, we should be able to achieve some results.”

The ‘encrypted documents’ previously mentioned by Yuri. Quite a threatening chatter.

As long as Yuri is aware, these documents must exist somewhere in the world. Even if they don’t, it becomes easier to compile and create the information.

Eventually, it will be delivered to Yuri through an NPC.

Should I call it a bomb that grows stronger over time?

From noble mtl dot come

Documents that unravel in just two hours can be doubted for their authenticity, but those that take a week to decipher are more likely to be considered true, right?

So, the danger is still escalating.

I need to prepare a countermeasure. The best thing for me is to be right there with Yuri the moment she checks these documents.

If I can manipulate the information in real-time and frame myself as ‘innocent,’ the balance of power shifts greatly in my favor.

So, if possible, I need to stick close to Yuri and act together… that’s what I should do.

“…Aren’t you going home soon?”

“Can’t I just sleep over?”

“Would that be okay?”

I guess so.

I quietly packed my things and stepped back. There was no need to scratch and create a sore spot in our budding friendship. Before leaving, I waved goodbye with a smile.

“See you tomorrow!”

“Don’t come!”

Though the words were harsh, the eyes told a different story. Should I compare them to a puppy pretending to be uninterested? The desire to play more was clearly visible.

So that means, it’s an invitation to come again tomorrow. I left with a lazy smile and headed home. Then I climbed up to the attic and focused my mind.

I twisted the information and shaped it. To avoid the Queen’s gaze, I created a thin, long conduit and moved it carefully. The conduit I created reached inside Yuri’s house.

It was eavesdropping, an application of the trickery I had suffered in the interrogation room of the Knights of the Water.

This timing, with me away, would be the best opportunity for the Queen to play her tricks. I’ll wait like this until dawn breaks, and I can be by Yuri’s side.

And I checked the progress in my head.

Over the past few days, the information bomb installation rate had reached 50%.

There were minor disturbances during the process, but they weren’t a big problem.

I realized this world was smaller than I thought. Like a game that hasn’t fully loaded its map, there’s just a black void beyond certain sections of the city.

I created a mental map marking the key locations, mainly investigating and noting down everything related to the Annihilation Squad and the Defense Bureau.

My lifeline is still strong. The Queen has been persistently attacking, but not enough to break through the backup of the Purple Tower’s master.

Once the information bomb installation is complete, I have the option to smash in and take the “key” from Yuri.

But can we become close enough before that?

About three hours passed?

Crackle. Fizz.

A suspicious noise traveled through the conduit, so I half-opened my eyes and concentrated. I read the information. A light flashed from the communication crystal, and Yuri, who had been awakened from sleep, received the message in a daze.

– Decryption nearly complete. For security, an Annihilation Squad member must immediately receive the information directly at Counter 4.

“…This is Yuri, acknowledged.”

Yuri yawned widely and moved to wash his face to chase away the sleepiness. I kicked off from my spot and stood up.

The Queen has chosen today.

There’s decrypted material at Counter 4. If I can get there before Yuri… if I can switch it out before Yuri checks it, I can thwart the Queen’s current offensive.

I ran silently over the window. I knew the location of Counter 4 from consistent information gathering. Let’s go. Hurry.

I raced through the night under a fake moon.

Yuri said there are rules and order within her sight. Her perception affects the power and cost-effectiveness in this space.

But if you think about it the other way around.

Outside of Yuri’s sight, all sorts of strange things can happen.

Whoosh-!!

As the wall burst open, a monstrous creature that seemed to have mashed dozens of ogres and orcs to a pulp bared its teeth. I swiftly extracted wings from my back and maneuvered to dodge.

The ground tilted and folded in half. Shooting stars fell from the sky. NPCs who were once human twisted into the form of spears and shot towards me.

The ground that was intact moments ago suddenly turned into bubbling lava.

As I moved towards counter number four, the queen manipulated the world to launch a massive offensive.

It was like an aggressively nightmarish scene straight out of Inception. It felt as if the entire world hated me, trying to kill me.

But I didn’t flinch. Despite the impressive visuals, the amount of information inside was minimal, and the movements were clumsy. I could easily break through such defenses.

The queen knew it too. This was all to hold me back.

So that Yuri could reach counter number four and check the data before me.

I raced through the nightmare, becoming an eagle or a butterfly. When the ground stretched out like gum, creating distance, I tore through space to fold and run.

At some point, the queen’s attacks became passive.

It seemed Yuri had left her house and was on the move. She would find it strange if she saw the world folding in half or beams shooting from the moon. So, I needed to hurry even more.

I fought off all distractions and reached counter number four.

—

The queen humbly admitted it. He was a monster.

Initially, she had no intention of killing him or splitting him in half. She needed to consume him. She had to devour all the information in his head without leaving anything behind.

To absorb everything without loss, she couldn’t leave any significant wounds. She had to melt and consume him leisurely.

How sad it would be if she shattered him and precious knowledge flew away.

So she thought… she should deal with him gently, mercifully.

Because after all, he was just a human. Even if he was a magician of the Purple Tower, the illusion magicians she had seen before were inferior to her. There was a vast gap in perception between her, a succubus born as an information entity, and him.

He was young. He had only lived for a few decades. She thought there would be an immense gap between her, the queen who had controlled dreams and minds for over a century, and him.

When she entered and eyes opened all over his body… it was momentarily dizzying. But still. She believed she had the upper hand.

She was wrong.

At first, she thought to weaken him lightly. The human guy wouldn’t have imagined the ground suddenly turning into a monster and swallowing him. That’s what she thought.

But her plan was easily thwarted. Instead, she was the one who got hit.

Really? Is that so? Then it’s okay if some information is lost. “I’ll break you and make you tame,” she thought, summoning an incomprehensible ancient giant that would make humans feel an indescribable fear.

“Fake Cthulhu.”

He didn’t flinch.

From then on, it was all-out war. Information or not, she was willing to shatter him completely. She squeezed out her creativity to the limit, trying to catch him off guard.

But he was nonchalant, as if he knew all about such things. Had he already experienced the world warping and folding in half?

She pulled all her strength, moved the world to attack, but he didn’t budge. She couldn’t understand how that was possible. This was her domain, wasn’t it…?

So, I acknowledged it.

That mad wizard can do what I cannot. Once I acknowledged it, the path became clear. Assume he’s reading all my intentions. If so, I’ll set a trap one step ahead.

You must already be aware and on guard about the ‘encrypted documents.’

Now, I’ll secretly contact Yuri Lannister. Tell him to come to counter number four. To my senses and magic… the mad wizard seems to be just cooped up in his room, meditating.

It feels like he’s not taking any action.

No, that can’t be right. You must be watching Yuri by means I don’t know. I’m sure of it. If I twist the information and contact Yuri through the crystal ball.

You will definitely notice it.

Yes, heading to counter number four. Just as I thought.

Like a child caught doing something forbidden, I feign a slight panic. I’ll delay a moment and then start the attack. As if trying to buy some time.

But no. I’m hoping you’ll arrive at counter number four. Now.

It’s time to turn the tide. Let’s turn this comedy into a tragedy, this ridiculous spring dream back into the original nightmare. The queen thought so, touching her thin red lips with a satisfied smile.

With this, I’ll be one step ahead.

—

Creak.

I entered a shabby warehouse. This is counter number four. An NPC belonging to the Annihilation Squad was guarding it, so I took it out with an information bomb.

There was a door inside, surrounded by a high-intensity black box. And the information was clung to with all its might.

Even if you beat me to death, I won’t let you delete this information. It’s been heavily fortified with that sentiment.

Beyond the door must be something about ‘encrypted documents.’ It’s been reinforced so that Yuri can somehow see it.

I check Yuri’s location. He seems to be arriving here in about 10 minutes. Ten minutes might be too tight to erase the documents.

In this case, it’s more cost-effective to steal the information and hide it somewhere it can never be found. I opened the door to take the documents—

Whoosh.

Thud-!

I’m being sucked in. My body is pulled into the room by a sudden force, and at the same time, the door slams shut.

I soothe my aching body and try the doorknob. It won’t open. Even trying to disassemble the information, it’s been held so tightly that it’s hard to destroy in a short time.

I’m trapped. It’s a trap.

But what can you possibly do by confining me to this small room…

“⋯⋯Look at this guy⋯⋯.”

I look around the room. There’s one Annihilation Squad member’s corpse, covered in blood, one heavily damaged document model, and my fingerprints smeared all over.

To anyone looking, it would seem I snuck in here to destroy evidence. This.

Yuri was coming here. It’s a trick to show her this suspicious situation and greatly raise her suspicions about me.

Before she arrives, can I manipulate everything?

Impossible. They’re all reinforced with information, so it takes quite some time to break them down into objects.

Can I leave this place? That’s also a problem. I can feel the Queen’s gaze on me. It’s as if she’s going to grab my ankles and pull me back.

“Ah⋯⋯.”

I’ve been misunderstood as ‘Red Resurrection’ by Yuri for 10 minutes.