A bright, clear sky with fluffy white clouds drifting lazily by.
An endless green field, abundant enough to feed countless livestock.
The fresh, invigorating scent of nature that hadn’t been felt in years.

Taking in the familiar landscape, Arima couldn’t help but gasp in awe.

‘Ardenia…’

Ardenia was right in front of him.
The world he had longed to return to, the one he had searched for endlessly but could never find—an elusive world, unseen by any recording medium, existing in no one’s memories.
His homeland.

"Is it really alright if I go in first?♠"
"Yes, of course."
"Well then… I won’t hold back."

The scientist who had made this incredible feat possible—who had opened the way back home—graciously stepped aside to let Arima pass first. Eight had simply stood back, offering practical advice about not entering foreign worlds carelessly, warning about unknown pathogens, and stressing the importance of sterilization. Yet, he watched as Arima crossed into Ardenia without joining him.

What an extraordinary individual. How could someone accomplish such an astonishing feat and remain so composed? And then, to graciously allow Arima to take the full reward for it…

If Arima had been born a woman, he might have fallen for Eight’s impressive masculinity. With admiration in his eyes, Arima slowly stepped into Ardenia.

Step.
"Aah… Ah…"

The soft grass brushed against his ankles as it bowed underfoot. Feeling the gentle caress of nature’s touch, Arima lifted his gaze to the sky.

There, shining even in the bright midday sky, were two moons—irrefutable proof that this was Ardenia.

And the mana filling his lungs with every breath? It was overwhelming. Spells that had been impossible to cast in the other world suddenly felt like they could be summoned with a mere flick of the wrist—dozens, hundreds of them at once.

"I have returned."

In the next moment, Arima proclaimed his return to the world.
His magic filled the sky, and his presence—his power—suffused the landscape.

All the grand spells he couldn’t use in the other world, where mana was scarce, erupted around him. Before long, knights from the nearby castle came galloping toward him.

"Who are you—!"
"Do you know where you are, to dare—!"

The knights, who had surrounded Arima with weapons drawn, were met with a sly grin. He brushed his hand over his face, wiping away the garish clown makeup he had worn for so long—the self-imposed brand of failure he had given himself when he believed he could never be more than a jester in a world without magic.

The clown had returned as a grand mage.

"—O stars of the flowing night."

With the utterance of his spell, the once bright sky began to darken. Time itself was forced to bend as day turned into night, and the newly born night sky was lit up with the streaking lights of countless comets.

The knights who had charged so fiercely toward him froze, recognizing the phenomenon. They quickly realized who stood before them—the calamity of Ardenia who had disappeared years ago.

"The grand mage…"
"Where have you been all this time, suddenly…?"

"—Today, I have returned."

With a wicked grin, Arima lowered his hand.

"Let the whole world know."

In the next moment, comets rained down from the sky.

Comets fell from above, lighting up the sky in a brilliant display. If that weren’t enough, Arima soared through the air, unleashing beams of light from his hands. Judging by what I had learned from him about magic, this was the most basic of spells—Magic Missile.

‘He really was a grand mage…’

Watching him wreak havoc through the gate, I began to understand how frustrated he must have been living in our world. Despite possessing such overwhelming power, he had been reduced to playing the part of a clownish magician—no wonder he had been stressed.

I sipped my coffee, watching the spectacle. Sten, who had been refilling my coffee as needed, glanced at me with curiosity.

"Don’t you want to go inside, Scientist?"
"Hmm? Go where?"
"Into Ardenia… you know, through the gate."
"Why would I? That sounds dangerous…"

"Dangerous? How so?"

I shook my head with a sigh. This is why people outside of science never understand the risks. Even with the knowledge available in this world, the dangers of microorganisms should be common sense.

I explained it to Sten in simpler terms, so he could understand why entering another world was not something to take lightly.

"Ardenia, as we’ve observed over thousands of tests, isn’t a highly developed world. It’s a fantasy realm with limited technological advancement. Whether it’s because they have magic and aura or simply because the world hasn’t been around long, we’re not sure…"

"Yes, I was also amazed by the fact that a world like that exists, one you’d normally only see in movies."

"And in that world, instead of developing medicine or technology, they rely on divine powers like holy energy to heal. So, what do you think would happen if we went there?"

"I’m not sure…"

"The microorganisms on our bodies would likely infect their world and wreak havoc."

Of course, some of the nobility, mages, and priests with powerful magic or holy energy might survive. They would have the means to shield themselves from these super microorganisms.

But what about the countless peasants, commoners, and slaves who lacked such protection?

"Many of them would die. Thirty to fifty percent of the population, at least."

"That many…?"

"Statistically speaking."

The same risk applied to me. Had I not spent so much time in a sterile laboratory, teeming with careful attention to hygiene, the bacteria and microorganisms on my body would likely have contaminated this world the moment I arrived, causing a huge epidemic.

Of course, world-hopping is rare, and there’s no guarantee that the microorganisms on one’s body would transfer with them.

‘If the microorganisms inside my body survived, then perhaps the ones on the surface would too…’

Still, even with 21st-century knowledge, entering another world was dangerous. And if we’re talking Earth’s knowledge specifically—

Unauthorized world travel is illegal. Setting aside the pathogen issue, one could also provoke creatures lurking between the dimensions.

"—So now you know why I’m not going to Ardenia?"
"Yes. I never imagined we carried something so dangerous on our bodies…"
"The people here are fine. It’s just the initial contact that’s dangerous. Anyone who’s been around long enough is safe."

As I explained, Arima returned through the gate, having just finished mowing down an army of knights. His face was filled with satisfaction.

"—Scientist."
"Yes, Arima?"
"You’re truly incredible."

With a broad grin, he added,

"I think it’s time I prepare for retirement."
"Retirement?"
"Yeah. I need to say goodbye to all my fans, all those who waited for me."

"Ah—"

Hearing his words, I realized what was happening. Opening the gate meant he could return to his home world, Ardenia. And generally, when people from other worlds get a chance to return, they don’t hesitate to take it.

Now that Arima could return to Ardenia, there was no reason for him to remain here. There was no reason for him to continue being a part of the evil organization or to keep performing as the world’s greatest magician.

‘...This is bad.’

I had anticipated this, but now that his retirement was on the horizon, I couldn’t help but feel worried.

What would Regalia do when she found out about Arima’s retirement? And when she learned that I was the one responsible for it?

‘I’m really going to get in trouble for this…’

The thought of being scolded by a boss who was half my height and age already had my stomach churning. But what’s done is done. There’s no turning back.

Reversing time, after all, is something only magic can do.

I delivered the news of Arima’s retirement to the boss. What followed, of course…

Well, I’ll leave that to your imagination.

The news of Arima, the world’s greatest magician, retiring spread like wildfire. The sudden decision from a man with no prior scandals shocked everyone.

His retirement performance, billed as a chance to witness the world’s best one last time, became a massive sensation. Even the boss had failed to secure a ticket, which should tell you how big it was.

Had Arima not personally handed us tickets, claiming we were part of the same organization, we might not have been able to see his final performance.

—Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming to my retirement show! Since it’s the last one, I promise to make it the best…

From our VIP room, we watched Arima’s magic show in awe. Whether it was because it was his last performance or because he had recharged his mana in Ardenia, it was far more extravagant than anything he had done before.

As the dazzling magic captured everyone’s attention, Regalia muttered softly,

"To think we’re letting such a talented individual leave…"
"..."
"And all because someone decided to meddle without permission, without even asking for approval."
"...Uh, well…"

Regalia’s sorrowful tone made me bow my head. It would’ve been easier to endure a scolding. Seeing her look like a heartbroken dog was much worse. I couldn’t bear to watch.

Given that she had experienced the pain of losing someone before, her words cut deeper.

In silence, we watched as the performance drew to a close.

—Once again, thank you all for your love and support of the magician Arima. I…

Before he could finish his sentence, Arima vanished. The audience erupted in confusion, thinking it was a performance accident, but I knew better. He had used magic—likely teleportation.

Even as he disappeared in a flourish, I thought to myself, He’s an artist through and through, even in his exit. Truly fitting for the world’s greatest magician.

"Let’s go."
"Yes, boss."

We returned to the evil organization, feeling a pang of sadness for the magician who had left without saying goodbye. The headquarters felt especially desolate that day.

A few days later.
The gate opened.

I stared at Arima, who sat casually on my desk, legs swinging, and tilted my head in confusion.

"Why are you back?"
"The toilets there are all primitive."

Hearing his response, I let out a disbelieving laugh.
He came back… just for that?

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.

"The food’s terrible, there’s nothing fun to do… And since I can always visit my homeland whenever I want now, there’s no reason to live there permanently, right?"
"So that means…"
"Yeah. From now on, I’m staying here. I’ll visit Ardenia when I feel like it. It’s not really the best place to live full-time."

Arima chuckled heartily. Despite his longing to return, it seemed that his nostalgic view of home had been clouded by years of rose-tinted memories. In reality, it wasn’t as great as he’d remembered.

He grinned, swinging his legs playfully.

"Looking forward to working with you again, Eight."

And so, Arima, who had left for such a grand reason, returned.
For the most mundane reason imaginable.