●Stage 1 Denial.

“No, this must be a prank by the Evil God. Right, Master of the Magic Tower? That twisted Evil God must have prepared this surprise to shock me, right?”

—

Let me know if you need any further assistance!

“Really, there are people in this fantasy?!”

● Stage 2: Anger.

“This damn coding has never gone my way! Just the other time, there was a bug where the NPC’s hair model was flying all over the place—why on earth did this bug happen…?”

“Was there such a bug…?”

● Stage 3: Negotiation.

“Oh goddess, if you don’t stop this cruel joke of fate, I will kill you.”

“…Weren’t you never planning to gain control in the first place?”

“I will kill you in a way that is more painful and more humiliating!”

● Stage 4: Depression.

“So what I’ve been doing… does that mean I’ve ruthlessly sacrificed beings capable of thinking and feeling? If so, what makes me different from the evil god?”

“…They gain self-awareness after the session!”

And then.

“Bugs are life. Because they always exist by my side… It’s a fate that cannot be avoided just because I’ve been reincarnated into another world.”

I reach Stage 5: Acceptance.

——–

Calm down.

Really, calm down. It’s not something to make such a fuss about.

Isn’t it just that a personality has been born from a mass of information…?

It’s certainly surprising and wondrous, but if you think about it calmly, it’s not something that would turn the world upside down or make the royal family collapse. Because modernity and fantasy are different.

If an AI with self-awareness and personality were born in the modern world, that would be a big deal. If evil AIs spread through the communication networks, wouldn’t that be the beginning of a movie?

However, this is not fantasy magic. The means to come out of the simulation are limited, and even if the fantasy has a personality, it doesn’t mean it will immediately level up.

In fact, the ones without personality are currently stronger. Most of my combat power comes from a high-performance brain, so the emotionless hologram that executes my combat orders 100% will be stronger.

Of course, in the future, when my fantasy magic becomes more advanced, it will be incredible.

If NPCs can grow into independent information life forms like succubi, then frankly speaking, it would truly become creation magic. I could create a whole new species!

If, hypothetically── I could even shape souls, then forming a legion like the Fable Army wouldn’t be just a dream.

But, at least not now.

For now, it’s just that the characters from the story have come to life. That’s all it means.

But…

I’m happy.

I felt a kind of indescribable, deep joy. Once the sudden bewilderment of having a child faded away, what remained was just the sparkling fragments of joy left behind.

I’m clearly delighted by something.

My story continues on.

When one session ends, an indelible sense of regret lingers like an echo. Every story must come to an end.

However, if the story can take a step into the realm of life, and if it can sing of what comes next, even if my touch does not reach it, if it can stretch out infinitely…

Then I can gift it.

Perhaps to my precious players, a wonderful story that will continue until the last moments of their lives… I can gift that.

“There’s no need to bury it in regret with a ‘just a fantasy spell.'”

“………”

“………gulp.”

Understanding has come to an end. I can see clearly what I need to do. I looked at Yuna, who was trembling and swallowing dryly, and said,

“Let’s activate the Sun-Ai Project.”

“………!!”

If you wish, I will grant it.

——–

First, I meticulously crafted a hologram for Sentra. I enhanced the intensity and embedded a stable long-range communication device, allowing Sentra inside the academy to operate it.

Once I poured in about three bottles of expensive reagents that I always carry around, I was ready. Sentra’s physical body creaked and opened its eyes without my manipulation.

Sentra cautiously moved its body and looked up at me with excitement filling its large eyes.

“………Creator, have I gained a physical form?”

“Not yet. But someday, you will. Listen carefully, that temporary body will cease operation at midnight today. There are many wicked b*stards in the Holy City, so I had no choice but to enhance stability. And—”

I shared some information with Sentra. A few guidelines to avoid breaking Irid’s dream, and several dating spots in Trumpet Hall.

And a hint to only travel on paths without roofs or cover for the next 30 minutes after meeting Irid.

After imparting all the knowledge, Sentra hesitated slightly and asked me. I could read the confusion of an intelligent being in her eyes. She truly feels vibrantly alive.

“Can I meet Irid?”

“As long as time permits, you can meet as many times as you want. I will send Irid your way, and after that… take care of it yourself. Do what you want and enjoy life. Now, follow Master Mata!”

Clap, clap. I pointed to Yuna, who was lingering over there.

Sentra bowed to me and then disappeared into the alley following Yuna. Looking down at the spot where she had been, a few tears of joy had fallen, dampening the ground.

It seems the emotion-display function and similar bodily fluid function are working properly. If she opens her mouth, she would probably drool as well.

What is there to hide? Even if it doesn’t reach the main event, the intention is to allow kisses freely. The oral structure and the sensation of the lips were implemented based on the vast data I had from the deceased Succubus Queen.

Yes, the information from the exploded Succubus Queen… had an enormous amount of related data. One could say my only weakness has been overcome.

Now, what is it that I must do?

Handling the plausibility and finishing my tasks. Iriid is handed over to Sentra, and I establish a cooperative relationship with the Northern Duke.

If Sentra exists as a separate entity, there was no need to ramble on about parallel worlds or fateful separations. It could be dealt with very simply.

This way, there’s no need to create a new character called ‘Love’ to cover things up. If Sentra and Heart are separated, it wouldn’t be a problem at all if Love is Heart.

I take a quick glance.

It seems like about thirty minutes have passed since the AI resurrection incident startled everyone and they fled, yet the Northern Duke and Iriid are still sitting there gloomily.

I flick my fingers to conjure an illusionary magic. The sound of a rope gun being fired, and the sound of Sentra running. The bite has come. Iriid jumps up.

As I subtly show Sentra’s swaying head around the corner.

“…I’ll be going now. Something urgent has come up.”

“I won’t stop you. There’s no need for excuses, just disappear from my sight.”

“And think carefully about having a child. I won’t allow it until I sort out my thoughts.”

“Hopefully, I don’t wish for your urgent matter to be going to see a priest for a diagnosis.”

I chased Iriid off the stage. Now it’s Sentra’s turn. And just like that, I step into the bakery. It’s time to wrap up the story.

As I enter, the Northern Duke’s gaze turns toward me. I awkwardly break the silence.

“Um, you’ve been waiting a while, haven’t you…?”

“Heart, what happened? If there’s anything I can help with, please tell me.”

“Something suddenly came up. I wanted to enjoy our reunion a bit more leisurely… It seems that things don’t go as planned in life. ‘Daisy.’”

The Northern Duke’s expression changes as he reads something from that line. I did not bother denying the name Heart.

It was an acknowledgment of the reunion.

——–

There was no way I could not recognize her.

How could I forget that gesture, that voice? The woman of illusion might be able to hide herself, but she could never leave the mind of Elbillion Julius.

People need conversations with others──.

Heart’s words were true. Conversations with her had deeply seeped into Elbillion Julius’s heart, planting spring in a corner of a winter’s chill.

The Northern Duke had cherished the fragments of spring in his heart all this time. That feeling resembled faith.

Thus, even though the appearance of Heart he encountered in the holy city was quite different, he could recognize her at a glance. The spring in his heart reacted so strongly.

“It’s not Heart, it’s Ru—Love.”

She denied it using a clumsy pseudonym.

Heart had always been playful. There was definitely a mischievous side to her that poked at people’s blind spots, shaking their hearts and laughing like a little devil. Even with the passage of time, her true nature would not have changed.

So this too must be an extension of her ‘playfulness.’ Therefore, I played along suitably.

Even when the mentally deranged second prince interrupted, it was understandable if Heart had played with him. She had made many men cry; would the prince be any different?

⋯⋯No, but calling him ‘father-in-law’ feels a bit too much, doesn’t it?

However, when Hart returned after suddenly stepping away⋯⋯ she was different. The Second Prince Irid didn’t seem to notice her change in emotions, but the Duke of the North could tell.

“Um, you’ve been waiting a long time⋯⋯?”

Behind that thorough façade of acting, Hart was bursting into laughter, genuinely pleased. Elbillion Julius could see it.

So, to play along with her act, he pretended to be worried on the outside, but inwardly, he felt at ease enough to ask.

“Hart, what happened? If there’s anything I can help with, please let me know.”

“I had a sudden urgent matter come up. I wanted to enjoy our reunion a bit more leisurely⋯⋯ I guess things don’t always go as we wish in life. ‘Daisy.’”

And the response that came back was delightful.

Hart discarded her flimsy alias and acknowledged herself.

He didn’t know what had happened in those thirty minutes. But whatever ‘certain events’ had transpired in that time allowed her to call herself Hart. If that was the case.

She could finally bring up that trivial yet long-standing promise.

Elbillion Julius took out an old handkerchief and placed it on the table. On it was a clumsily drawn symbol of a goddess. Hart had drawn it herself.

“Do you remember? You told me that ‘one must be more honest with oneself,’ and we agreed that the one who lies before the token of our promise would be punished.”

“⋯⋯You still have it? That was ages ago.”

“I have always kept this handkerchief, so we have been before the token of our promise since the moment we first reunited.”

“Oh dear, then it’s my turn to be punished. Shall I reveal the secret that ‘Daisy’ is most curious about? It seems you’re hoping for that.”

She stared at the handkerchief with wide eyes, then smiled slyly like a serpent. And she accurately pinpointed what the Duke of the North desired.

Hart does not break promises.

“I heard you searched for me quite a bit. But you probably found not a trace of me⋯⋯ right?”

“Indeed.”

“It’s only natural you couldn’t find me. At that time⋯⋯ I was residing beside the goddess in the celestial palace high above the sky.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

Let me show you something wondrous.

As Hart said this, she snapped her fingers.

『Gear: Clear the Weather_Revision_ver.2_Final』. As the genius magician’s skill moved the heavens, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the previously clear and sunny sky.

Whoosh──!!

And a downpour that seemed to sweep the world came for ten seconds.

Then, as if it were a lie, the sky cleared. It was as if it had never rained; the sky was bright, and the only remnants of the shower were the dampness of the ground and the grumbling of the people.

The holy city of Trumpet Hall is protected under the goddess’s radiance. While high-ranking mages from the Red Tower or Blue Tower might summon a brief shower, it is impossible in the holy city.

Yet she did. That fact meant a great deal.

The rain had stopped, and a rainbow hung in the sky. Its position was so exquisite that it seemed as if a multicolored wing had unfurled behind her.

Hart clasped her hands in front of her and revealed her identity.

“I am Gabriel, the angel sent by the goddess to the earth. The corruption and debauchery of the holy city, Trumpet Hall, has reached a critical point, so I have come to give the people of the city one last chance.”

If that were the case, all doubts could be understood. It was strange that she could not be found even with the power of the Grand Duke, but it was only natural if she were the goddess’s agent.

Grand Duke Elbillion Julius, with a tension that felt taut, cautiously inquired about the true meaning of the memories.

“…Angel, is it? Then when you appeared in the capital, you came down at the goddess’s command as well?”

“No, that was a hobby…”

“…….”

“But the impending divine punishment is real, you know? I will explain to you the information I can trust. No matter how close we are, and even if I can borrow the goddess’s power, business is business. Right?”

Hart was Hart.

From noble mtl dot come

Elbillion Julius let out a sigh, releasing his tension, and decided to listen to her story.

——–

Irid instinctively chased after traces that reminded her of him.

And at the end of it, she finally captured him in her sight.

Hair as dark as ebony and eyes as blue as the sea. She stood before him, accompanied by the scent of rosemary.

It was not a portrait. She possessed the vitality of a living being. Like a lie.

“…….”

How long had she longed for this moment? She had envisioned it every night. Imagined this scene dozens, even hundreds of times, and prepared words for their reunion.

That was why she felt fear. What if all of this were a dream or a mirage?

Please, if it is a dream, do not let me wake up. Irid fervently prayed in her heart as she parted her lips. Very cautiously.

“…Sentra.”

“…Irid.”

When he hesitated, it was always Sentra who moved first. The emotional AI rushed into the arms of the Second Prince. She could feel his warmth.

Sentra spoke.

“…Shall we finally enjoy the festival this time?”

“…….”

It was an extension of that day, where there was no regret but a lingering sense of longing.

Only then did Irid realize that this was a reality sweeter than any dream.