I might actually be able to return to my original world. When I shared this news with Arima, his reaction was unexpectedly lukewarm.

“Oh really? You think you can go back home?♠” “Yes. I’ll need some help from you and that Dragonheart, but it’s worth a try.” “Sure, sure◆. So, what kind of help do you need?”

I then listened as Arima explained the kinds of magic he could use. Among them was the magic that made me think he might be able to return home—restoration magic, or as he put it, a form of time-reversal magic.

It was an incredibly unscientific magic that could rewind time on an object, restoring it to its original state. Considering that even the most advanced technology on Earth had never succeeded in time travel, this was utterly mind-boggling.

An individual, even within a limited range, successfully executing a form of time-skip? If the scientists on Earth knew about this, they’d have gone mad with excitement, drooling at the thought of it.

“So, if you used that time-reversal magic on the Dragonheart or on yourself to return to Ardenia...” “It’s impossible. No way that would work, right? The magic only rewinds the state of time within a fixed space, and it’s very limited in duration. At best, I can only manage a few seconds.” “Hmm. That closes off an easy path.”

It was disappointing. If it were just a matter of insufficient energy, we could harness the sun’s power or something similar. This universe is full of wasted energy.

But if it’s a technical issue rather than just an energy one, then we’re entering the realm of science, not magic. After all, science was developed by humanity to overcome its limitations.

“I think we might be able to do it... but I can’t promise anything. It’s my first time mixing magic and science.” “Haha. That’s exciting, isn’t it? You’ve given me hope for something I’ve searched for so long.”

There was a hint of bitterness in his tone. Even I, not always the most perceptive, could pick up on it. But I didn’t mind. A bit of suspicion was better; it was something I could deal with.

What’s truly troublesome is pure, unquestioning trust—those who come with wild ideas they’ve picked up from somewhere, asking for things that are beyond reason.

Hoping to change the look in Arima’s eyes, I extended my hand.

“Looking forward to working with you.” “Likewise♠.”

As we exchanged a light handshake, Arima suddenly remembered something and spoke up.

“By the way, how are you planning to fund this? Projects like this don’t come cheap, do they?” “Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of money. I’ve got about a hundred million left over from some research funds I siphoned off recently.” “…How much?” “One hundred million dollars.” “Wow—you’ve got a lot of money. Even I can’t spend that much on a single experiment…”

As he marveled at the funds I’d diverted from Scholar, something seemed to click in Arima’s mind, and he asked cautiously,

“But isn’t that kind of money partly the boss’s? Shouldn’t you tell her about this?” “Ah… Well, technically, it’s my money.”

I paused to think. What would the boss say if I told her about this project? I doubted she’d be thrilled.

An otherworlder. In this world, there are only two of us—a rare, invaluable asset. If she found out I was working on a project to return us to our original worlds, I could only imagine how Regalia might react…

The thought alone was terrifying, so I decided to keep the research secret. After all, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

“Let’s try it first and see how it goes!” “I like that attitude☆.”

And so, the experiment began.

It was an experiment that would truly shock certain individuals if they found out, especially those at the top of the building.

Arima worried that this experiment might not benefit me, but in truth, it was incredibly useful. This project would greatly enhance my scientific capabilities—perhaps more so than anything I’ve created so far.

Unlike my previous creations, which were purely the result of scientific knowledge, this time I planned to fully integrate magic and superpowers.

After all, this is a world where you can find things like satellite beam weapons, hypersonic jets, and genetically modified monsters—things that should be impossible to create with 21st-century science alone. I knew these existed because people here freely mixed superpowers with science.

‘Besides, I developed this technology thanks to Sten.’

More accurately, it was a technology that could only be used if I fully utilized Sten’s abilities. I called him in to introduce him to Arima.

“This is Sten. You know him, right? He’s now the Chief of Z City, but I brought him here specially.” “Hello? I’m Arima.” “I know you, Arima. My wife and I once went to see one of your performances.” “Oh—really? Thanks!”

Sten seemed quite surprised to learn that the world’s greatest magician was an executive in the evil organization. However, his surprise was short-lived, and he quickly followed the executive’s orders like the good soldier he was.

“What would you like me to do?” “Just like last time, Sten. I need you to use your ability. But—not yet. I’ll tell you exactly when and how to use it, so don’t worry too much…”

And so, the experiment began.

The basic idea was to use the Dragonheart to trace the body of the dragon it once belonged to and find the coordinates of Ardenia.

“How exactly do you plan to do that?” “It would be great if I could just come up with a brilliant idea and succeed right away… But since that’s not likely, we’ll have to go with a very traditional, scientific approach.” “A scientific approach?” “Trial and error.”

Experiment 1:
We tried breaking off a piece of the Dragonheart and using a spell to return it to its original owner, then tracked it to find the coordinates.
It failed.

“It didn’t activate at all.” “What could that mean?” “Either it’s too far away, or the owner no longer exists.” “Then it’s probably the former. After all, if it’s the heart of a dragon, it should at least try to find the body…”

Experiment 13:
I realized it wasn’t just a matter of distance. Just as I couldn’t find any trace of Earth in this world, it became clear that Ardenia was indeed in a completely separate universe.

Experiment 27:
I tried collapsing space using the Haven-Kreuz theory to punch a hole in the universe and locate Ardenia. Finding Ardenia among countless bubble universes was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack, but fortunately, Arima had a magic spell that could help.

Arima used a simple “lost item” spell, which he considered to be a very low-level magic, to solve the problem. It increased our chances from finding a needle in a haystack to finding it in a bucket of sand. Still, it was going to be a long and tedious process.

Experiment 333:
It seemed the boss was starting to suspect that we were up to something. She kept pestering me about what I was doing every day…

Experiment 2,531:
We finally succeeded in locating Ardenia. Although we couldn’t yet interact with it, just being able to observe it was proof that we could eventually establish a connection.

Now, it was just a matter of grinding through the process—trial and error.

Experiment 12,515:
We succeeded in sending a small object to the other side.
We observed a pig’s head, walking along, suddenly startled as a sausage fell from the sky.

“—Sten! Hold it a little longer!” “Urrrrgh—!”

As Sten used his ability to fix the space in place, Arima cast a spell within the fixed space. The new matter created within the fixed space had to push out an equal volume of space somewhere.

But the fixed space couldn’t be pierced. As a result, the space began to tear in a predesignated direction. A tearing sound—spiritual rather than physical—echoed through the area.

The torn space was held open by a pre-installed stabilizer, revealing a bright view of what Arima called Ardenia.

“Aah… Ardenia…”

Arima gazed beyond the tear with eyes filled with disbelief. It was a profound emotion, one that even people reuniting with long-lost family members in divided countries might not fully grasp.

Those people only lost their families, but this outsider had lost his entire world. His family, friends, acquaintances, and the life and history he had built—all gone.

‘I finally succeeded… and just in time; my research funds were almost gone.’

Experiment 17,321:
After countless trials, we finally opened the door to another world.

Magic, superpowers, and science triumphed.