“As explained, we begin the search today.”

Ha-Yul’s voice echoed through the room.

A heavy voice, completely different from usual.

He, who normally talked politely to the students, now spoke with such gravity that the rest of the group also became serious.

“The plan is simple. Siwoo, who has the ability to search, and three others to escort him will conduct the search. The main force will be on standby at a slight distance. Any questions?”

“Why is the main force staying away?”

“Even monsters have intelligence. If we stick too close, they won’t even approach in the first place, making the search meaningless.”

I see.

It was a really simple plan, just as Ha-Yul said.

To the point where I wondered if we even needed to gather for a briefing like this.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one with that question, as one of the other participants asked Ha-Yul.

“The plan is so simple. Is it really enough with just that and nothing else?”

“The plan is simple because we haven’t yet fully grasped Siwoo’s ability. Consider it a test run.”

“I didn’t think of that. Sorry.”

A test run, huh.

Well, even though he verbally promised to finish it quickly…

There’s no way it could really end that fast.

“Intuition, was it? How far can you go?”

“Who knows. It’s my first time using my ability in a place like this.”

“Don’t worry too much. We’ll help you out.”

“Yes, thank you.”

The people looking at Siwoo had eyes smiling as if seeing a cute child.

It’s unpleasant.

No, well. Sure.

It must not be easy for the people here to go outside.

So maybe they would make that kind of expression when looking at young kids like Siwoo.

But still. It feels gross to be looked at with those eyes.

What the heck is with that face?

Why are you making a face like you’re looking at a pretty little brother?

Why is Siwoo smiling?

Feeling betrayed, I stared intently at him.

Perhaps sensing my gaze, just as he was about to turn his head, a nearby member pounced on him from behind, and his head was yanked down.

“Wha- What the?!”

“Aww, are you jealous?”

“J-Jealous?! No way!”

“Yes, yes. This unnie knows everything.”

“Since when were you my unnie?!”

Just based on the age difference, she’s probably old enough to be my parents’ generation!

She may look young, but I won’t be fooled.

Most superhumans in this world are beautiful.

I don’t know why that is.

Even if I asked the Author, she’d probably say something about mana, so I didn’t even bother.

But the fact that most superhumans are beautiful doesn’t change.

Lyla, Claire, Ha-Yul, Amelia, Dorothy.

And the students and teachers at the school.

Seeing so many superhumans made me wonder if they use some mana to maintain their appearance.

Well, it’s a bit of a stretch to call the Übermensch good-looking with those weird things attached to their bodies.

Anyway.

That’s the kind of world this is. No matter how much she looks like a pretty older sister…no, I guess it’s unnie now.

Even if she looks young, that’s all just surface level.

In this superhuman society overflowing with people who look younger than their age, if she looks like this, she’s probably actually an old lad-

“Hey, hey. You’re thinking something weird, aren’t you?”

“Mmph!”

“I have no intention of hitting on your boyfriend, so don’t worry too much. Your eyes are scary, kid.”

“B-Boyfriend?! He’s not my boyfriend!”

“Yes, yes.”

Boyfriend, she says. I’m not in that kind of relationship with Siwoo yet.

But what the heck is this…

I tried vehemently denying it, but no one seemed to believe me.

After patting my head once, the woman lightly dismissed my words and started talking with the others.

“Now, now. Let’s all get going. Shall we see what our juniors are capable of?”

“Sure. It’s just a warm-up today, so we’ll be done soon.”

“You’re already thinking of resting.”

“You’re the same way.”

“Heh, busted?”

Even though no one said the meeting was over, people flowed out like the ebb tide. Seeing that, Ha-Yul sighed.

“These people never change…”

“Are they always like this?”

“Yes, well. It was a similar atmosphere when I was here too.”

This is so different from what I imagined.

I expected the front lines to have a very rigid atmosphere.

Since it’s a dangerous place where you never know when you might lose your life.

But the reality is this kind of atmosphere.

“Isn’t this better than being rigid?”

“Ah, Commander.”

“If we just tremble in fear of the danger that could come at any time, the atmosphere would be very heavy. I used a bit of force.”

Used a bit of force, he says.

Is this the atmosphere the Commander wants?

As if confirming my guess, the Commander smiled benevolently as he watched the others leave.

“If you’re always just worrying about trivial things, you can’t move forward.”

“But isn’t it too dangerous to call it a trivial worry?”

“You think so?”

A casual remark that I would have brushed off any other time.

But I couldn’t let the Commander’s words slide and talked back to him.

“In a dangerous battlefield where you never know when you might die, yet you call it a trivial worry. We need to prepare as much as possible-”

“But there are also things that are impossible, my child.”

“What do you mean, impossible?”

His expression was still benevolent.

A benevolent look filled with years of experience, like a grandfather I met when I was young.

That experienced expression seemed incapable of causing me harm, but it felt like it was seeing right through me.

“This place is the front lines, just as you say. Dangerous monsters appear daily, and accidents happen the moment you let your guard down.”

“Then all the more reason to-!”

“And that’s exactly why the atmosphere can’t be heavy.”

Thump, thump.

As those piercing eyes drew closer, I unconsciously backed away bit by bit.

It felt like some unknown pressure was being added.

“If the sky were to collapse, what would you do?”

“I’d hide in the ground.”

“Then, if the ground were to cave in?”

“Why are you even asking that?”

I have no idea what he’s trying to say.

Irritation welled up, and my voice rose without me realizing it.

I really don’t get what he’s talking about.

There’s no way the sky would collapse or the ground would cave in.

Even if something like that really happened, there’s no way we could find a solution-

“Yes, that’s it.”

“Huh?”

“No matter how much you worry, there’s a limit to what we can solve.”

Those piercing eyes stared straight at me once more.

How? Did I say that out loud?

No, that can’t be. I’m sure I didn’t.

“People sometimes worry about all sorts of things. Philosophical quandaries and such.”

Have you heard of the brain in a vat?

The Commander said with a smile.

“Of course, pondering those things is good too. It’s interesting. But is it really necessary?”

“What do you-”

“Let’s say we really are a brain in a vat. Even if that’s true, what can that brain do?”

“…”

What can a brain in a vat do?

Even if it realizes that everything it feels is just electrical signals from a scientist, a mere brain cannot do anything to the scientist.

An existence that is just a brain couldn’t possibly have a way to do anything to the scientist-

“Exactly. Even if this world is fabricated, there is nothing we can do about it.”

The Commander still had that benevolent smile.

However, I couldn’t properly look at him.

It felt like he was seeing through my thoughts.

It felt like everything, even the depths of my heart, was being exposed.

“Then is that kind of worry really necessary? Even if it’s true, nothing changes. It only hurts the heart.”

“…”

“Your perspective on the world may change, but in the end, the fact that you’re living in this world doesn’t change.”

Just who is this person?

I blankly stared at the Commander.

I thought he was just an ordinary, senile old man.

I thought he was just one of the extras placed in the Author’s world.

“It’s the same. Sometimes, there are worries you can’t solve. We can’t stop people from dying here, can we? It’s a battlefield after all.”

Is that why the atmosphere is like that?

Is that why…it’s a pointless worry?

I’m sure we were talking about the atmosphere here.

But somehow, it felt like he pierced my essence.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry. I guess I’m getting old. I tend to ramble on when I meet young folks I can connect with.”

“We’re a bit late because of that.”

“I’m sorry. They’ll understand if you tell them this old man was holding you up. Go on now.”

“Yes. Let’s get going.”

Even as I left my seat following Ha-Yul’s instructions, the Commander’s words lingered in my mind.

A pointless worry, huh.

***

“Hmm.”

The Commander wondered if this would be enough. He hopes it helps even a little.

“There are beings that toy with the world, beings that the human perspective cannot possibly fathom…”

It would be shocking to learn that such a being has been arbitrarily changing the common sense of this world on a whim.

Since childhood, everything he learned about this world’s common sense and history had apparently been altered by an otherworldly existence.

He never imagined the incident 500 years ago only happened a few months prior.

For someone who solely knows that truth or senses such an existence every day…

Perhaps it’s only natural they can’t see people as such.

But even after learning that fact, he doesn’t change.

Even if his memories are warped based on that point in time, it doesn’t make him any less himself.

“I just hope that boy can cheer her up a bit…”

The only lifeline for a girl whose mind is broken from solely shouldering the truth of the world.

Only that boy can save that girl.

Sighs of pity repeatedly escaped.

They say God doesn’t play dice.

Those words were right.

They played pranks instead.