“This is a problem…”

Isaac deliberated on his bed with his legs crossed. If they were really trying to torture him, those mutts were doing an excellent job of it.

How long could a human being maintain sanity while locked away in isolation? Prisons had solitary confinement cells for a reason.

The size of the cell wasn’t a problem, but humans were social creatures. Without contact, one would slowly lose their sanity. Isaac had been holding on partly because he was already somewhat insane, but it was also thanks to the choyu leaves, which had kept his mind clear.

The choyu leaves were the only things keeping the insanity from further encroaching on his already-insane mind, but Isaac had finally hit the limit of his perseverance.

“The last one… What do I do…”

Isaac had tried to conserve as much of his use as he could, but only one was left now. Without the choyu leaves, he wouldn’t be able to use magic, becoming completely powerless.

Having no knowledge of how much longer his imprisonment would last, Isaac would lose his last chance to escape the prison if he used this last choyu leaf. Just like how maddening it was to have a cigarette without a lighter, Isaac would have lost the last of his sanity if he had a method to escape but was without the magic to cast it.

Isaac was pondering whether to escape after reaching the limits of his sanity or escape now while he was still sane when the dim light of his cell crackled alight suddenly.

Isaac covered his eyes, which had been accustomed to the dark environment. He could hear someone entering his cell, but Isaac couldn’t see who the person was until his eyes adjusted to the new lighting.

More than just a moment had passed before Isaac thinly opened his eyes. He greeted the person with a grin.

“Wow! Look who’s here! Glad to meet you! I really am. Do you by any chance have any choyu leaves?”

Warmly greeted by Isaac, the Queen snickered and threw a bundle of choyu leaves at Isaac.

“Hohoho. Aren’t you happier to see these leaves than myself?”

“Well. I won’t deny that. I was a bit troubled since I was on my last leaf.”

Isaac happily caught the leaves and immediately rolled a cigarette. He took one breath, and energy soon returned to his face. Satisfied, Isaac quickly looked around.

Behind Isaac were those who seemed to guard the Queen from Isaac, the hostility of their gazes piercing into Isaac. The Queen, oblivious to her guards’ feelings, handed something to Isaac with a smile.

“Hoho. To be honest, I wanted to do this once in my life too.”

“Tofu?”

Isaac was surprised by what was in the Queen’s hand. He took it from the Queen, and the Queen wiped away the water on her hand using her handkerchief.

“It’s quite rare, you know. The Grand Council has killed all Invaders except yourself and I. We can’t make it anymore. It’s the last piece of tofu in this world.”1EDN: In Korea, ex-convicts are often given tofu after leaving prison. The white colour of tofu symbolises purity and living a life of purity in the future. In addition, prison (especially during the period of colonial occupation) is often associated with malnourishment, and tofu is a simple, nutritious dish that can renourish ex-convicts. Source.

Isaac ignored the Queen’s explanation and took a bite off the tofu. He asked amidst the chewing.

“This means that I’m free now, right?”

“That’s right. You can come out now. You’ve done really well until now.”

Isaac threw the remaining tofu in his hand at the wall of his cell without hesitation. He got off his bed, ignoring the flinching guards, and walked past the Queen to leave his cell. The Queen followed behind Isaac silently.

“I agree that rebuilding a nation was complete bullshit, but did you really need to completely destroy the forces that were going to support it?”

The Queen shrugged at Isaac’s question.

“You know just as well as I do that it was an impossible plan, Mr. Isaac.”

“Well, you’re right.”

“I guess they wanted to become the revered founding fathers after living and being respected for so long.”

“… They may have succeeded if you helped them.”

Isaac asked, to which the Queen puffed her cheeks and nagged.

“But that’s not what I’ve been planning all this time! I refused them time and time again, but they forced it onto me. That I should cooperate because that was everyone’s will. When I refused, they locked me away.”

“They locked you away?”

“Yes. Until the Grand Council saved me, I was locked away in a cell just like you.”

Isaac’s eyes narrowed as he peered at the Queen. Could that be the truth? Of course not.

“Is that how it is?”

“I think so?”

The Queen smiled cryptically as she replied. Just as Isaac had thought, he couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. Every one of her puzzling answers only confused him more.

Walking through the long corridor, they reached some stairs and a door at its end. Isaac was greeted by warm sunlight and fresh air when he opened the doors. Isaac stretched his tensed up body, lit up a new cigarette, and asked.

“So what’s happening now? Last I remember, the Grand Council was debating whether to kill me or not for killing that eye on the forehead. I’m surprised my head is still on my shoulders at this point.”

The Queen smiled and spoke.

“The Empire has suffered much because of recent events.”

“I assumed so.”

“The Grand Council has decided to proceed with a peace treaty between the Empire and Expeditionary Forces as a consolation.”

Isaac stopped on his tracks. He turned, looking back at the Queen with disbelief.

“The key you have, Mr. Isaac, will be used to create a giant Gate between New Port City and the other world. New Port City will be announced as an Interdimensional Free Trade Zone.”

Isaac meekly took out the pen from his finger and spun it in his hand.

“You could have given this to anyone else.”

“Only an Invader can use it. But you and I are the only Invaders in this world now.”

“…”

Isaac walked on silently as he breathed out the smoke. They all died again. Empty, without achieving anything—just like before.

“Was this all according to your original plan?”

“Of course not. Your existence, Mr. Isaac, and your possession of the key was a significant setback to my plan. It was quite a headache. But it all ended well, since it yielded an even better result.”

“I was a setback… I am happy to hear that. But what if I don’t want to cooperate?”

Isaac looked back at the Queen, determined that he wouldn’t be swung around like the Queen wanted him to.

“Do you not want to?”

The Queen cocked her head as if puzzled. Isaac folded his arms and replied.

“There’s nothing in it for me.”

The Queen smiled and replied.

“How about I promise to relocate you to a quiet village, free from everything, and let you live a peaceful life once the Gate is opened?”

“Wow! Why does that sound awfully like the cheesy ‘I’ll let you live’ lines from the movies?”

The Queen broke into mad laughter. It took a while for the Queen to regain her composure before she spoke again.

“The world will change so much from now.”

“…”

“Can you imagine? A world where technologies you’d only see in sci-fi movies come to realisation? Magic will, just as the word means, change the world like magic. The near infinite energy will bring prosperity to the people and medicine will conquer all diseases known to man, and disabilities would be a thing of the past. Pollutions and global warming will disappear, and we will march on into the stars.”

The Queen spoke grandly, spreading her arms out in excitement. Isaac sarcastically spoke back to the Queen.

“Are we moving on from fantasy to sci-fi now?”

“Don’t you understand? Everything I said is what’s to come thanks to trade between this world and the other.”

“I’m starting to like it less and less the more I hear it.”

The Queen’s smile disappeared, hearing Isaac’s remark. She peered at Isaac and smiled once again.

“New Port City will play a crucial role in this. Not only is New Port City already a trade city, it also contains a large vein of mana crystals that we desperately need to open the Gate there.”

“Didn’t you say this key can stabilise the Gate?”

“That’s right. The Key can open and stabilise the Gate. But sustaining it is an entirely different matter.”

“… It’ll take a while before the mines come to operation.”

“There’s no need. The Gate will pull mana from the veins on its own. We identified a few more locations that could substitute for New Port City, but New Port City was the only place that could sustain the Gate for a long time.”

“I’m asking this because I’m not sure, but isn’t it much more efficient to mine the crystal and bring it to the Gate?”

“That’s right.”

“And you still destroyed the mana crystal mine?”

The Queen smiled brightly at Isaac’s question.

“They’ll find out too quickly that the Gate can close again if we mine the mana crystals. We have to keep it a secret until the technology of this world becomes the mainstay of our original world.”

Isaac quickly stepped back at all of the Queen’s actions. And he realised the Queen’s goal.

“Puahahahaha!”

Isaac couldn’t help but laugh when he realised the Queen’s true goal. She was mad. She was truly mad. She has planned something on a scale beyond what Isaac could muster. And for that objective, she quietly persevered onwards.

“You crazy bitch.”

The guards who followed behind the Queen silently immediately went on guard, but the Queen simply smiled.

“Wow! How? How is it?”

Isaac couldn’t hide his astonishment. He cycled between looking at the Queen and exclaiming his awe again and again.

“Ha! It really is beyond my scale. Amazing. I have no words to describe it.”

It was going to create a new industrial revolution. Something only possible thanks to this world’s magic and mana crystals. And when a new chapter of human history began, when everyone would be thriving in the days of plenty and peace, the Gate would disappear. What will happen then?

It would be madness beyond anyone’s imagination. An economic crisis would submerge the global society in turmoil. If an energy crisis was added on top of that, the old world would turn into a warzone.

Feed the greedy until they are crushed under their own weight. A method truly to Isaac’s liking. No wonder the Queen had no ambition to accept the offer of rebuilding the nation.

“This must be why the Three-eyed died at my hands too. If the Three-eyed was alive, Kunette would have become suspicious and investigated. The plan wouldn’t have gotten such support and moved forward so quickly. Did the Three-eyed know he was going to die?”

“Of course. If not, he would have transformed into his draconian form and escaped unharmed. Why would a Three-eyed die so stupidly otherwise?”

“Ah, you’re right.”

Isaac reminisced how the Three-eyed flew over New Port City in his draconian form and nodded. He didn’t know before, but remembering this, Isaac realised the Three-eyed wasn’t afraid. He simply spoke what he wanted. And that was what pushed Isaac over the edge to pull the trigger.

Everything has been playing in the Queen’s hand all this time. The Empire, Director of Surveillance, the Grand Council, and Isaac himself.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Isaac found himself clapping. Truly, he was in awe of the Queen. Creating something of this scale was something Isaac couldn’t even fathom. He thought he was the craziest being in this world, yet there existed a woman who dwarfed him.

This wasn’t a plan that was made over a few days. It was a project that had been progressing slowly and quietly, creeping its way in the shadows. You could say it was a triumph of patience and undying, single-minded focus, fighting over so many setbacks and detours that would have stood in its way. And the result of this project would only manifest after a generation passed.

“Is that enough for your cooperation?”

The Queen asked. Isaac, without a choice, nodded.

“I can’t miss something so fun. When will it begin?”

Isaac asked, to which the Queen smiled brightly.

“All of the negotiations ended while you were in this prison. All that’s left is to open the Gate.”