"Will this computer work?"

A woman waiting for Gardner in a small room.

Iscaliote.

Unable to tolerate her boredom, she wandered around in the narrow room of Gardner's mental world and finally touched the computer.

'It's not really appropriate to touch things in someone else's mental world, though.'

The mental world is a place manifested from a person’s inner thoughts.

Traumas one wishes to hide might be left as books or photographs.

So, if she accidentally touched something strange and discovered Gardner's secrets, it could become awkward, so she had been refraining...

'He didn't come last night either...'

So she decided it could be her compensation for being left bored.

Things in the mental world might not function properly.

Unexpectedly, the computer worked flawlessly.

Seeing its unique design... it seemed to be the latest model PC of this era.

With an expectant expression, Iscaliote turned on the computer.

As it powered on with a flash of light, she clicked the only icon there.

[Hero Academy]

"Is this… what they call a game?"

She'd only ever seen her younger sibling play games, never having tried it herself.

'My sibling seemed to enjoy it a lot.'

With a nervous heart, she moved the mouse and clicked.

A small loading window appeared, and then...

The game began.

Iscaliote started reading the instructions, handling the mouse and keyboard.

In just 8 hours since starting the game, she reached the ending successfully.

If it were the original Hero Academy, it wouldn't have been possible to complete it in just 8 hours.

It seemed the game implemented in the mental world had various things omitted.

Having cleared the game, Iscaliote was left with a lingering feeling.

"In the end… it's an 'everyone dies' ending."

They called it a 'bad ending'.

It was a rather elegant way to put it, though.

Nearly everyone perished in the battle against the Cult.

Even though the protagonist struggled at the end.

Ultimately, their efforts were not enough to secure victory.

Despite using an incredible ultimate skill.

"They said it involved combining all seven attributes and unleashing them…”

Reclining in her chair, she tried gathering mana just as the player character did in the game, maneuvering the seven attributes.

'Reversing light and darkness and passing Full Spectrum in between them.'

Then, as the Full Spectrum’s nature changed...

It was supposed to transform into a new form.

"There's no way something like this could work..."

Even if the game featured real-life figures, it was still just a game.

‘If this were possible… it would be an artifact with at least an apocalyptic-level Magic Book’s value.’

Such an artifact couldn't possibly exist in Gardner’s mental world.

Instead, this seemed more like...

Perhaps Gardner had embedded his ideal utopia into this game.

Isaliote scoffed and prepared to disperse the attributes she had gathered.

However, as the Full Spectrum passed through the ring created by light and darkness, it broke free from Iscaliote's control and began to move on its own.

"Oh?"

The attributes started to converge into a single point.

Though she attempted to disassemble them, the Full Spectrum, which had already changed form, ignored Iscaliote’s potent control and began to absorb everything around, growing in size.

Iscaliote was startled by this strange phenomenon.

Before things could escalate further,

She used her abilities to the fullest to sever all the causes connected to it, and it shrank into a single point before disappearing from the mental world.

It looked as if it had crossed dimensions to another realm.

Though not truly annihilated, it appeared completely gone from Iscaliote's perspective.

“That was close…”

Iscaliote exhaled a sigh of relief.

“What the hell, damn it.”

I was shocked by the scene unfolding before my eyes.

Just when I was about to lose consciousness from a blow to the chin.

My heart felt aflame, and there was something in my arms that shouldn’t have been there.

It was a grenade with the pin removed.

Unresponsive to control, its creation method unknown, it exuded an ominous presence.

Had the Special Task Force not grabbed it and thrown it away while I was trying to comprehend the situation,

Both I, my unit, the Special Task Force, and the Division Commander would have been caught in the blast, resulting in death or injury.

“This guy must be insane…”

The Special Task Force Commander approached, expressing rage, and I understood their feelings completely.

“Senior, let's talk first. I didn’t expect this to happen either…”

“I'll make sure you never pull a crazy stunt like that again. You won't be able to move a single finger.”

The Special Task Force Commander approached, gathering an intangible aura in both hands.

Her demeanor was quite fierce.

She walked forward with long strides.

One hand was raised high.

And then, with tremendous force, her fist struck my face.

Just like that.

My vision truly went dark this time.

“…Iscaliote, Senior?”

“Oh, oh? You’re here?”

Iscaliote, unusually flustered today.

She was sitting on a desk.

I woke up on the bed in the small room, as always.

Simultaneously, Iscaliote spoke.

“Nothing happened, right?”

“…Something serious did happen.”

“Oh, oh?”

Iscaliote.

She seemed taken aback by the unexpected response to her casual inquiry.

Something serious, out of the blue.

It's understandable to be shocked.

I explained the situation I went through in detail.

I hope she becomes the Division Commander.

I also needed to relay that request.

But first, there was something more important.

The existence of the black grenade that appeared from my grasp.

I discussed it.

Judging by its destructive power, it was likely even more potent than Full Spectrum.

If it suddenly reappeared next time, it was certain we wouldn't avoid a major disaster.

Listening to my explanation, Iscaliote began to sweat nervously.

“Senior?”

“Oh, right, what were we talking about?”

“We were discussing the black grenade that suddenly appeared in my hands. It almost caused many casualties... If things like that happen in everyday life, what am I supposed to do? Has such a thing ever happened to you, Senior?”

“Well, uh... I don’t think you need to worry about it happening in everyday life…”

“You can’t be sure of that…”

Iscaliote fell into thought.

'What should I do... It seems my mistake of throwing it caused trouble...'

She pondered for a moment and decided to confess the truth.

Out of boredom, she played a game on the computer, and imitating something from it, she created that.

And she tossed it outside, and it seems it accidentally went beyond the mindscape.

When she explained it that way, Gardner was unexpectedly shocked and yelled out.

“You played a game on the computer?”

The computer within my mindscape. The game in it must be one I've played before.

If she played the game that serves as the background of this world, doesn’t that mean Iscaliote realizes this world is actually inside a game?

When I asked in surprise, Iscaliote responded reflexively.

“Uh, um… I didn't play much..."

"What kind of game did you play? No, wait..."

Hearing Iscaliote's words, I immediately turned on the computer.

Who knew there would be a function to play games in my mindscape?

Now that I think about it, I remember having played phone games too.

I approached the computer that had turned on.

There, I saw a familiar screen.

The ending credits scene from Hero Academy after completing the game.

'...Of all games, it had to be this one.'

"Sigh..."

Could it be that she realized I'm someone from the outside world who entered a game world?

I never intended to hide it... but I didn't want to talk about it either.

Saying that this world is a game, isn't that an unbearably harsh reality?

If everything I've achieved were not the result of my free will but decided by someone’s fingers creating this world...

I felt like I could go mad.

It was too frightening, utterly meaningless, and irrational.

If the residents of this world learned of this truth...

I turned my head to observe Iscaliote's expression.

She didn't seem particularly upset.

Still, just in case, I asked her.

"Did you... notice anything?"

'Please, please... don't know anything...'

"No, nothing..."

"Senior. Please tell me the truth."

I asked Iscaliote with a serious expression, void of any humor.

Iscaliote cautiously looked up and spoke.

"Well... there's one thing I did find out..."

As soon as Iscaliote said that, my heart sank. What kind of expression would she have if she realized this world was a game?

Would she resent me?

Would she think of me as an alien, simply playing a game, viewing my actions as hypocritical?

These were the worries that plagued my mind.

Then, Iscaliote said, "Gardner, you... like that girl who's the Head of the Disciplinary Committee, right?"

"..."

"Well, I feel a bit sorry for peeking into something you wanted to keep hidden, but isn't it normal to like someone of the opposite sex? Even though it's not my place to say, I don't think you should be too embarrassed about it."

"Is there nothing else?"

"Besides this?"

"There’s something more important, isn't there? For example..."

I was pondering how to ask if she realized this world is a game without actually saying it, but that concern turned out to be unnecessary.

"If there’s something else... I can understand if a boy dreams of having a harem, you know?"

"...I have never dreamed of such a thing."

"No... it's okay, you don't have to hide it. I saw all your desires while you were playing that game anyway..."

"..."

I tied together Iscaliote's words.

So, currently, Iscaliote… That game... is she viewing the game as something not actually played by me, but rather a projection of my desires?

Does she think the harem elements in the game are actually my desires?

If that's the case...

I'm relieved.

I let out a sigh of relief and said,

"Whew... Yes, I am a shameless person who dreams of a harem."

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