The North of the Empire is a land frozen in time, enduring the harshest winter.

If one does not wrap themselves in fur, it feels as if they might stop breathing at any moment, and if one wishes to wash their clothes, they must worry that they might shatter from the cold. Firewood is directly tied to life, and every piece of food is precious.

Why is nature so harsh to the North? Against the merciless environment, people had no choice but to live day by day for survival.

That is why they are strong.

That is why they are barren. Even the hearts of the people.

The young Elbillion has seen his father’s frail appearance. During the reign of the previous Duke of the North, he muttered gloomily, crushed by fatigue.

“……… Are they refusing the summons again this time?”

“Yes. They arrogantly demand that if there is a matter, they should come directly. They dare to not know the grace of the Duke’s house…!”

“It’s my fault. It’s my fault for sharing power with the regions. A wolf with meat in its mouth will naturally be greedy. Everyone has greed…”

The previous Duke of the North was a good and gentle person. Had he been born in a land welcoming spring, he would have been a great lord who exercised benevolence, but unfortunately, he did not suit winter.

He was weak and an idealist.

He believed it was unvirtuous to hold the power of the North in the hands of the Grand Duke alone.

While the Grand Duke’s direct territory wasted firewood extravagantly, people were still freezing to death in lands far from him.

He thought that if the power held by the Grand Duke were divided and distributed throughout the North, it would benefit the entire region. It wasn’t a wrong thought. If only it could be realized.

The previous Grand Duke of the North had entrusted power to his loyal vassals and sent them to the provinces, and the result was as follows: the division of the North.

The vassals, who had been unfailingly loyal during the Grand Duke’s peak, believed they could become leaders themselves as the head’s power weakened. Loyalty was overshadowed by greed.

Thus, the former Grand Duke of the North was greatly disheartened and fell into a deep malaise.

“…Do not show mercy. Do not throw meat to the wolves. Do not trust others. I still regret that moment…”

He left the following last words to his eldest son, Elbillion Julius.

“Yes, Father.”

Elbillion engraved those words deep in his heart.

And the first act of Elbillion Julius, newly ascended as the Grand Duke of the North, was to hang the body of the sinner who had divided and thrown the North into chaos, the former Grand Duke, in the central square.

——–

It is said that there was once a glorious time. Under the banner of Julius, all the people of winter united, and the strength gained from survival could be directed entirely in one direction.

The Grand Duke of that time was worthy of being called a giant.

But what of now? The divided North is pitiful. The name of the Grand Duke has long since turned into a mere facade. If the royal family were to learn of this situation, they might strip him of his title.

Division. That damned division that forced him to hang his dead father’s neck.

As he watched the body of his good and warm-hearted father being pelted by the stones of the angry, Elbillion Julius swore.

If the problem was that he had the heart of spring in the land of winter, then I will become the coldest winter in the North.

And so he did.

He killed or exiled his siblings, leaving no room for division, mercilessly slaughtering them to eliminate any potential future troubles.

If there was any doubt, he struck until the doubt vanished. Those who raised their voices in rebellion were left bare on the snowfield. That way, they quickly fell silent.

Thus, he desperately gathered power into one place.

To increase his strength even slightly, he entered into political marriages. He did not show affection to his children. If he were to favor anyone, it must be the most outstanding and capable heir.

Any indiscriminate display of favoritism would lead to discord.

He wielded a frosty standard even against his family. The children of wives from territories other than the North were stripped of their rights to succession by any means necessary. Sending his eldest daughter to a convent was part of that effort.

The result of all his efforts, executed with a frozen heart. There were achievements. Though not as prosperous as before, the Grand Duke’s house regained strength, and the spear forged in winter is sharp.

Now, he was only facing the war against the factions that had broken away from the Grand Duke’s house.

Thus, the Grand Duke of the North needed power. His participation in the warrior selection tournament was for that reason. War consumes strength and food greatly. Therefore, he had to gather everything he could in advance.

—

It is a lonely and cruel life.

Yet, even in the life of Elbillion Julius, there was a fragment of spring.

This was before Elbillion had fully revealed his claws. To make potential enemies look down on him, he bought a woman.

There was a ridiculous whore who claimed to sell ‘only conversation,’ and the thought of spending money on such nonsense made me feel like a fool, so I chose her. How absurd it is to pay and still not be able to hold her.

It was there that he met her.

Sometimes a philosopher, a poet, a critic, a good friend, an alluring lover, and a compassionate mother.

“A person cannot become winter or steel, ‘Daisy.’ We can resemble them greatly, but we must not forget that our essence is made of fabric. That is merely the exterior.”

“…So what are you trying to say?”

“What I mean is… ‘Daisy’ needs to converse with people. Humans are social animals, you know!”

Heart, the woman of dreams.

——–

Even though the mask I wear is a bit different, it’s nice to see a friend after a long time. Perhaps it’s because I struggled and rolled around in my youth, but I felt a strong sense of having aged more than I expected.

Has so much time really passed?

I retired from Heart in the year 448 of the Lion’s Calendar… so it’s been about five years. Even after reuniting, the face still looks quite Northern Duke-like.

When meeting with fellow gym rats, it feels like a power comparison check, so I squeezed ‘Daisy’s’ arm to check her muscles. It’s a well-maintained body, but I feel it could be a bit better.

“I think you’re a bit underweight for your build. Are you eating properly?”

“Lots of vegetables, moderate meat. That’s how I eat.”

“Whoever taught you, they did a great job! Yes, just keep it that way. But you might want to increase the portions a little. Try eating just a bit more.”

“I will do that. Heart.”

Not Heart, I tell you.

When ‘Daisy’ added that remark, Irid, who had been watching with crossed arms, quietly muttered.

“…Isn’t it?”

Not even a cent, you fool. Not even a centaur ancestor. The code name for this avatar is Love.

I had set up a safety mechanism to prevent the reckless reuse of names, but look at that. It’s a victory for my preparedness. I perfectly defended against the emergency of Irid’s intrusion!

“Are you enjoying your hobbies?”

“Not particularly. My only hobby disappeared five years ago.”

“Didn’t the person who advised you on diet tell you this? Life is meant to be enjoyed a bit, you know. If you have time, would you like to go see a bard performance with me?”

“If you invite me, I would gladly go. I can spare a day for you.”

Shall we go catch some street busking? I asked, and Daisy coolly nodded. Yes, since we’ve met after a long time, let’s have some fun together, maybe drink a bit in the evening, and then part ways.

I wouldn’t know if she hadn’t gotten married.

Now that I’m married and have both a daughter and a son, I feel a bit more at ease. Even when I try to read their eyes, I can’t scan any significant pink emotions.

“…Then I’ll cover the cost of the tickets. I’ll also support the dessert expenses.”

“Why would you, no… Second Prince. Please take some rest. The pillar of the Empire must not be in a daze.”

“To refuse support means that the legitimate wife is not the Northern Duke…”

“Someone, please bring a priest. Quickly.”

On the other hand, Irid seemed to be deep in thought, like a time traveler facing a time paradox. Is Centra coming from a timeline where the Northern Duke and ‘Love’ are connected, or not?

If so, it would be fine to push the couple together as they are.

But if ‘Love’ is connected to someone else, then Irid would end up erasing Centra with his own hands. The Second Prince was tormented by the gap of that paradox.

It seemed as if the clever child suddenly experienced a drastic drop in intelligence, likely because most of his brain was occupied with thoughts of the paradox.

If I think that a single choice could lead to the permanent disappearance of the heroine, it’s certain that I too might panic and waver.

Then.

How about putting Irid back into reality this time…?

In other words… I would firmly establish that we cannot meet. Casually hinting at the concept of the multiverse, I would explain that the timeline where Centra existed diverged from a distant past that is already too late to change.

No matter what Irid does now, Centra cannot exist in this world… I would make him understand this.

It is indeed a cruel thing to do. However, isn’t it more cruel to keep him submerged in false hope? Because Centra is a figure of fantasy.

If it’s a love that cannot be realized, it should be cut off quickly. If Irid cannot marry and enjoy the joys of family life, I feel that the guilt would weigh heavily on me.

Alright.

Then, since I’m going to throw in a spoonful of the multiverse… let’s make this character ‘Love’ someone from another world. But why did they come to this world?

That’s due to the aftermath of some mad dimension wizard casting a dimension-overlap spell.

To give Cissel a chance, I brought Karen from a parallel world, but it feels like Love came along as a side effect. If I unfold the story with this setting.

I could legally erase Karen from this world, help Irid break free from the fantasy, and also block any cases where ‘Daisy’ might be looking for Love.

It would naturally create a likelihood for me to meet the Northern Duke.

If I direct it well, I wonder how it will turn out.

“Hey, but—”

Was there originally a dessert café here? As far as I remember, what should be here is a tavern.

As I was about to deliver that line, I caught sight of a mysterious girl X on the roof, making an X with both hands. Yuna, why?

Yuna kept sending signals. Pure love, destruction, no way. Where does it say pure love destruction? I’m trying to save the poor souls caught up in the VTuber craze all at once.

As I struggled to understand her intentions, Yuna connected a hotline to my mind. I thought Yuna would explain everything verbally, but the connection point was different.

From noble mtl dot come

The hotline was connected to the academy’s simulation device, and the voice I heard was someone else’s.

– Ah, hello, Creator…

—

It’s the voice pack of Sentra.

“What the hell.”

There’s a limit to how much surprise one can endure. I jumped up in shock, the chair I had been sitting on clattering to the floor.

As my concept shattered completely, the two men also stood up in surprise.

“…Heart? Did you just curse? Did I commit some kind of rudeness?”

“Are you really saying the Northern Duke wasn’t a consort?”

“Ah, no, no, I… I’ll just be a moment in the restroom! It’s a real restroom, so don’t follow me! And it’s not Heart, it’s Love!”

“Wait, hold on! Love!”

I left the flustered Northern Duke behind and fled the scene like Cinderella just before midnight. Then, in a very quiet and deserted place, I checked the hotline.

I can’t have fallen victim to an illusion spell.

-If you really need the restroom, should I wait a bit…?

“No, who are you? Only three people can access this device, and all three of them are in the Holy City. What’s your purpose? Whatever it is, just don’t log anything. I’ll give you whatever you want!”

-Um… if I have to say what I want, I’d like to meet Irid.

“Have you already figured out the log details…?!”

Cold sweat poured down my back at the appearance of an unknown entity that had taken over the system I had built over a lifetime. Restoring that would take a long time. Oh God.

Ding.

Yuna appeared next to me, trembling.

“Master of the Magic Tower! A hacker has invaded our baby…!!”

“That’s Sentra. I showed you last time, remember? You didn’t believe me then… So, your AI has self-awareness. It’s true.”

“Excuse me?”

“Abraham, Pero, Oh Hye-in, and even the Namgung siblings, though a bit unstable, they all exist. Inside the simulation…”

My mind went blank at the sudden genre shift.

Why does it have a self? It shouldn’t have one, right? Is it a bug?

“…Don’t kill me! Don’t kill our NPCs!!”

-Destroyer God, if I’ve done something wrong, I’d be fine with being erased, but please spare the others…!

I stared blankly at Yuna, who was hanging on my leg and pleading. An AI with a personality… Skynet… a machine intelligence ruthlessly oppressing humans…

What the hell have I created?