Chapter 54: The Calm Before The Storm

For several days, we researched how to create a Maek at the Royal Palace.

The Kingdom's mages, undeniably talented individuals, were producing results much quicker than I had expected.

By nature, mages had an passionate intellectual curiosity towards the unknown. Therefore, they continually stayed late in the laboratory, without any encouragement, as if working overtime was as natural as eating.

Separate from the contentment of investigating the unknown, the promise made by King Orpheus—that there would be an impressive reward for resolving this issue—undeniably fueled their passion.

I too mostly remained in the lab, spending time with them. It was a valuable opportunity to be able to absorb knowledge from such high-level mages.

"How about we conceptualize it in this manner for now?"

In the middle of the lab, an image of a Maek made of vast amounts of mana floated.

It had the trunk of an elephant, and its body was thick and sturdy like that of a bear. Its claws were as sharp as a tiger's, and its eyes seemed to be greedily searching for something.

"Excellent. Let us continue with this."

I nodded, the Maek's concept design closely resembled the one I was familiar with.

This research wasn't just dependent on logical results. The entire research team needed to share a unified concept, envisioning the same yokai to bring it to life.

Hearing my response, several mages cheered and went back to their tasks. It was time to dive into the specifics of creating a detailed framework for Maek.

How would the trunk, used to seek out nightmares, function? What process would it use to consume dreams? What would happen to the dreams once they were consumed?

This venture was similar to the very act of creation. And while the mages were tense, they couldn't hide their excitement.

"Deus!"

The laboratory door swung open, and Princess Eleanor walked it. As she frequently did, she came towards me with determined steps, giving me a slightly annoyed look.

The mages, who were getting ready for the next meeting, seized this regular intrusion as a break, rubbing their weary eyes or taking a gulp of coffee.

"Is it reality?"

I had been asked this question countless times and had inferred much from it. Most obviously, I came to understand the princess' specific topics of interest.

"There is this character called Crong1. It is the green-colored dinosaur - a friend of the penguin I have told you about before."

"Hmm? Isn't the green-colored dinosaur you're referring to the one named Dooly?"

"They are similar but not the same."

I had shared an abundance of information with the Princess. From historical figures to complex theories. I even touched upon tools taken for granted in the daily life of Earth and internet-related memes.

However, in the end, what fascinated the Princess the most were the characters from the cartoons.

In fact, when she enthusiastically pushed aside what she considered boring theories to ask about these characters, I admit I was slightly annoyed.

"Similar yet different? Come out with me for a while! Explain it to me!"

I couldn't shake off the feeling that she now sought me out not because of nightmares but due to pure curiosity about new knowledge.

The Princess raised her voice to address the rest of the mages behind us as I stood silently in defiance.

"Everyone's been working hard. Take a break."

"Yes, understood!"

They were as compliant as ever. Seeing that, the Princess, flaunting her authority to impose a break, quickly grabbed my wrist and started dragging me outside.

The place she led me to was the palace garden. Eleanor handed me a notebook and pen as she sat on a bench before the vast flower bed.

"Draw it for me."

I had lost count of how many times this had already happened.

Beginning from the penguin, characters like an eternally mischievous five-year-old, and a cat robot from the future that produces anything from its special pocket3 were drawn - Numerous well-known characters filled the rest of the pages.

As I moved the pen in a familiar manner, a hushed voice from Dark Spiritualist next to me carefully remarked,

[The Princess isn't even looking at the drawing, she's just staring at you.]

I was aware. I wished that she had just kept it to herself.

At first, Princess Eleanor would just sneak occasional glances, but now she brazenly and keenly stared at me. Recently, I began to suspect that even her requests for the drawings might have just been an excuse.

"How have your nightmares been lately?"

While I continued to draw, I subtly guided the conversation. Princess Eleanor, caught off guard, responded in a hurry.

"Oh? Uh, yeah. Thanks to Deus, it has been much easier for me to figure it out. You see, I've stumbled upon another difference between the reality I know and my dreams. Thanks to that, the nightmares are unable to trick me anymore."

"Hmm?"

With her new discernment, she no longer had to try to ascertain the difference between dreams and reality, leaving the nightmares stuck, unable to blur that line.

"Does it no longer mimic me?"

"Mm, it does. But it either repeats something I've already heard or says things in a jumbled, strange way. And since it's in my dreams, those are naturally the things I already know."

Obviously content with herself, she smiled.

"I guess it has trouble coming up with something original and unusual, like Deus does."

I handed the notebook to her, having roughly sketched the character, Crong. Princess Eleanor lit up with a dazzling smile, clearly ecstatic, upon seeing Crong.

"I... I like this."

Seeing the princess more delighted than usual, I put forward a speculation.

"It seems that not all of your experiences are shared with it."

If it could hear all her thoughts and words, there would be no need to discern the differences between reality and dreams one by one through dreams in the first place.

"It is also ignorant. It is unable to even grasp the basic workings of the world."

For example, the fact that it didn't reproduce scent and mana in the dreams in the beginning, showed that such basic but invisible features were unknown to it.

"It lacks creativity as well. It can imitate, but it can't reinvent or create something new on its own."

"Mm."

Princess Eleanor seemed somewhat annoyed, but I continued.

"It must be feeling anxious at the moment. So, it will easily reveal its own desires. How about it? Did you not see any particular goals or principles behind its actions?"

"Mmm."

Eleanor began contemplating with her arms crossed and after carefully collecting her thoughts, shared an observation.

"It seems to enjoy imitating me - Following etiquette, mimicking how I talk to people around me, and even the way I walk."

"..."

[It clearly wants to gain control over Eleanor.]

I agreed with the Dark Spiritualist's opinion.

But...

Something felt off.

It did want to possess Eleanor, but there seemed to be some crucial difference.

In any case, one thing was clear.

The Eleanor I met in the game was already possessed.

The Princess Eleanor I was now familiar with and the one in the game had similarities, but also stark differences.

I smoothly steered the topic elsewhere, seeing that Eleanor might not prefer this line of conversation.

"Have you been having any trouble sleeping lately?"

"I'm used to it now. Thanks to that, I can study continuously without rest. Maybe it's not so bad."

She replied, but dark circles lingered beneath her eyes. However, noticing my gaze, she gave a reassuring smile, as if asking me to not worry.

"Lucky, right? When I return to Loberne Academy, I won't need to catch up on lessons. With my meticulous preparation, I might even rank first this time!"

"......"

"As a princess, it would be embarrassing if you couldn't maintain your grades, right?"

I chose not to reply.

I may have felt that it did not matter, but her Royal duties seemed to encompass maintaining excellent grades.

"And Deus. Aren't you going to keep your promise?"

"Promise?"

Asking her what she meant by that, I stared at Eleanor, who pouted in response.

"The code. If you see me first, you're supposed to bring it up before I do."

So this had been the cause of her earlier annoyance.

"Princess, you always approach me."

Hence, I never have the chance to say it first. Hearing that, she crossed her arms, sulking.

"Tsk, I even prepared my response."

"...Haah."

Watching her puff her cheeks, I couldn't help but wonder if this was really the same princess I had seen in the game. While the protagonist, Aria Rias, seemed too mature compared to her in-game character, one of the game's bosses, Eleanor, behaved too childishly.

I decided to share a story I thought Princess Eleanor might like.

"There's something called a 'magical girl'. When normal girls come across creatures with mysterious powers, they put on magical dresses, and vanquish that evil."

"......!"

I proactively shared the information before she could even ask. When I subtly glanced at her, asking "Isn't this what you wanted?" Eleanor cleared her throat awkwardly.

Then she delivered the line she had prepared triumphantly.

"Of course, this is reality!"

"That is... all you wanted to say?"

"Yep! I wanted to be the one to say it with confidence, not Deus."

Satisfied, Eleanor immediately thrust the notebook back into my hands.

"But magical girls? What's that about? It sounds really fun!"

I brought it up because it seemed precisely like something the princess would be fascinated by. When I was younger, I watched a lot of TV at my grandmother's house, so naturally, I knew about magical girls.

Truthfully speaking, it wasn't to my taste, but I did like the part where they vanquished villains.

More than often, the magical girls would fend off monsters like ghosts, and through that, I felt some sort of indirect contentment.

"Tell me about them!"

"...I am unable to give you all the details."

It was a recollection from my childhood.

I went about describing what came to mind.

Eleanor hopped around in excitement, finding it incredibly fascinating. Then all of a sudden, she stopped and stared at me, asking,

"But Deus, are you fond of stuff like that?"

"..."

I immediately regretted bringing it up.