A Fortuitous Encounter in the Game Becomes Reality Episode 24
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A Fortuitous Encounter in the Game Becomes Reality Episode 24
8. Now It Truly Begins (1)
8th floor of Manuel Lucas's Magic Tower.
The higher you go in the Magic Tower imbued with Grand Duke Lucas's fortuitous encounter, the larger each floor becomes.
Even the previous floor, the 7th, was several times larger than the ones before it, but this 8th floor was completely outside any standard.
"This is really…."
Is the Royal Library, pride of the Kingdom of Reinharts, even this big?
A space 300 meters in diameter and 50 meters high was packed full of books from top to bottom.
"Surely most of these aren't just decorative props made with game graphics, right?"
A question that slipped out without much thought.
"Every single one is real."
But when a reply came to that, I jumped in fright, whipped out my magic staff, and took up a combat stance.
Could it be that the test to attain the 7th circle still isn't over?
Even though I was on edge, Arcia for some reason was only staring at empty air.
"Sir Adrian, it's all right."
And as if to ease my tension, she showed a rare smile.
I lowered my weapon with a metaphorical question mark floating over my head, and then the owner of the voice that had come from empty air revealed himself.
"A fairy?"
It was a human.
A human so small he was barely the size of a handspan.
But he was far too different from the fairies you see in stories: not only did he lack wings, his appearance was far too… for a fairy….
"Grandpa fairy?"
Because he was old.
Just like a wizard in a movie, he had a long white beard and wore a black robe and a pointed hat.
'Could he be a new support character?'
Faced with a new existence that hadn't appeared on the previous floor, I voiced my doubts.
But before long, recognizing someone in his features, I had to widen my eyes.
"Grand Duke Lucas!?"
It was a face no Rondelian could fail to recognize.
He appears not only in various textbooks on history, science, society, and more, but is also engraved on the high-denomination banknotes of the Brigham Empire, and now that very figure had appeared in miniature size.
In response to my question, he looked up at me without any change of expression and introduced himself.
"My name is Chester. I am the manager of the fortuitous encounter, and also a trace of Manuel Lucas."
Manager of the fortuitous encounter?
No, more than that what do you mean, a trace?
"It would be easier to say I am an artificial personality created by copying Manuel Lucas's memories."
Grand Duke Lucas is my benefactor.
If he hadn't existed in this world, if he weren't a fellow Earthling, if he hadn't left behind a fortuitous encounter like this, my life would at best be just as miserable as it was, and there would have been no chance for it to become brighter.
Yet even though I was facing a being who, copy or not, was practically my benefactor, I wasn't happy instead my mind grew complicated.
'He's not going to take back what he gave me, is he?'
In my heart I wanted to welcome him coolly, but since I didn't know his purpose, all sorts of stray thoughts sprang up along with my wariness.
He had introduced himself as the manager of the fortuitous encounter.
Doesn't that mean he could also retrieve what was given?
'If he shows goodwill, nothing could be better, but if it's the opposite, it will be hard for us to respond. At least within the Hollywood System, he is a omnipotent existence little different from a god.'
There must be a clear purpose behind the appearance of Grand Duke Lucas's copied personality.
So until I got an answer, I couldn't afford to let my guard down.
* * *
[So you're vice-captain now? You've made quite a career.]
Despite the rudeness of the person on the other end of the video call, Billyam, vice-captain of the Lawrence Viscounty's knight order, did not take offense; instead, he smiled and answered with a polite attitude.
"It's all thanks to you, Sir Peshius, who was always my superior officer."
At that, Peshius, the former vice-captain and Billyam's call partner, let out a hearty laugh.
But the laughter did not last long, and soon he shook his head with a weary expression.
[In the end I'm just a deserter, aren't I. If I had held out to the bitter end, the situation for the lord and the viscounty might be better than it is now.]
A reaction of regret for past choices.
Seeing this side of Peshius so unlike his usual confident and boisterous self Billyam's gaze grew serious.
"So that's it."
[What is?]
"The reason you are joining the second young master's branch family instead of returning to the viscounty."
[....]
Silence meant assent.
Realizing that Peshius's choice was an act of atonement for the past, Billyam nodded in satisfaction.
[You didn't contact me to try and convert me to Cedric's camp, did you?]
Peshius narrowed his eyes, his expression turning cold.
But as if he had noticed something strange in that conversation, Billyam had to furrow his brow.
"Me 'too'?"
[The knight‑commander kept telling me not to do anything useless and urging me to return to Cedric's side.]
"And then?"
[Are they crazy!? Have they forgotten why I left the territory? If I were going to side with that single‑celled fool, I'd sooner have taken shelter with another noble house. Even like this, there are plenty of places saying they'll give me a commander's post if I come.]
Billyam knew that the knight‑commander's recent leanings favored Cedric more than his liege, Viscount Lawrence, but he had not thought he would act so blatantly.
Billyam could not hide his displeasure.
'Commander, are you saying you don't care what happens to the territory? Isn't Viscount Lawrence's domain our hometown?'
And the fact that the order of knights had contacted him meant that Anna's side had grasped Peshius's movements, so it was not a particularly good situation.
[Hoho… judging from your complexion, it seems you are still the lord's man.]
"Hoo, that's right."
Peshius's expression softened somewhat at that, and he folded his arms as he asked why Billyam had contacted him.
"Naturally, I contacted you for the sake of the territory's future."
[Hm?]
"Sir Peshius. I would like to meet you once."
[You must be plotting something.]
"Plotting? That sounds terribly ominous. I simply want to ask for your opinion, that's all."
Billyam tried to play dumb, but Peshius was no fool.
Sensing that the other party had some scheme, Peshius pondered for a long while before finally nodding.
[Very well, let's discuss the details when we meet.]
If Peshius was under a Mark, there was no telling where or how he might be under surveillance.
Therefore, meeting in person to talk was better for strictly maintaining secrecy.
"Then how about we meet tomorrow at 1 p.m., in front of Teleport Gate No. 2 in Nichen City?"
Nichen City was one of the royal domains located in the west, where the current front line was established.
Remembering that Billyam was still a commander of a frontline unit, Peshius agreed, saying he understood.
[All right, then let's see each other tomorrow.]
"Understood."
However, this city that neither Billyam nor Peshius attached much significance to was one personally chosen by Adrian.
The small city of Nichen did not have an aerial fortress for security, and that was a crucial factor that would broaden the range of action for Adrian, who was a mage.
Adrian did not trust Peshius.
Therefore, until he had checked Peshius's situation through the All‑Sight, he did not consider there to be any camaraderie at all.
* * *
At the appearance of the chance‑encounter administrator 'Chester', who claimed to be the trace of Manuel Lucas himself, I swallowed dryly and observed him closely.
"There is no need to be so tense."
As expected, even if he was miniature‑sized, he looked exactly like the face I had seen in the textbooks.
"To think such autonomous conversation is possible it's hard to see you as an artificial personality."
"It can't be helped. I may lack a soul, but I possess the data containing one human's entire life."
This is a fantasy world.
Even if there were miracles that defied common sense, it would not be strange.
All the more so in a fantasy world with advanced technology like Rondel.
"His body could not overcome aging and met death, but only his mind remains in the virtual world… In a sense, that's immortality."
"One could see it that way. From the beginning, the reason Manuel Lucas created the Hollywood System was for this."
I had heard of Grand Duke Lucas's greatness until my ears were sore.
But when I experience it like this directly, the limits of his abilities are nowhere in sight, to the point it gives me chills.
We were both born on Earth, so how can there be such a huge difference…?
Don't tell me, like a cliché in mass‑produced comics, he received some cheat ability from a god when he reincarnated?
"But this system is not perfect. The datafied memories are sometimes lost in places, and sometimes they deteriorate. Above all, this cannot be considered alive. It's merely an existence that drifts like a ghost."
Is there really any need to distinguish strictly between reality and the virtual?
If one puts their mind to it, it should be possible to experience everything here as if it were real.
Within the Hollywood System, he is a being that is practically a god.
If it's him, he could build a new world to his liking.
"Manuel Lucas believed that even if cloned memories were to gain a self, that would not be himself. If he had been interested in immortality through memory replication, he wouldn't be wandering around in a virtual space like this he would have made a homunculus like Arcia and transferred his memories into it."
"Mm, that's certainly true."
I had my doubts that Manuel Lucas's ultimate goal might be to take over my body, but fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.
I let out a sigh of relief inwardly and asked what the matter was.
"I seem to have wandered off-topic for a moment. May I ask now?"
"Ask what?"
"I mean why Sir Chester appeared. To be honest, I was thrown off by the situation being different from the previous floor. I was wondering whether some restriction might be placed on me, or whether some forced mission might be assigned."
In response, Chester pointed the small magic staff he had been holding at me with his usual unchanging expression.
[Hollywood System administrator privileges '5 uses' have been granted.]
And then a message window popped up.
It was a relief that Chester's appearance wasn't a negative factor, but I still had to voice my confusion at the completely unexpected message.
"The fortunate encounter obtained by Adrian Lawrence is all of Manuel Lucas. Naturally, that includes various privileges. There are still restrictions for now, since the fortunate encounter has not yet been fully secured, but in the future you will be able to exercise those privileges as you wish."
"What can I do with this?"
Chester looked at me, wearing an uncertain expression, and answered with a smile that somehow carried a sense of solemn resolve.
"You'll be able to exercise administrator privileges over all programs based on the virtual reality Hollywood System."
In an instant, numerous possibilities flashed through my mind.
But I swallowed dryly and carefully asked for examples.
"If a company or institution is using the Hollywood System, you could infiltrate their internal networks and forge things, such as creating or altering nonexistent records. You could also collect information on individuals and monitor them. In short, you can reshape anything you can do through Hollywood to suit your needs."
It was a rather simple explanation for something I'd asked to have explained in detail.
Still, I could roughly understand it.
The Hollywood System is similar to Earth's 'internet,' except that it has the feature of virtual reality.
In other words, it means I can manipulate all information connected online however I please.
'The fact that I only get five uses is a drawback, but if I use my head well, I can gain enormous benefits. Especially considering my current situation, it's practically the same as gaining an incredible ally.'
Chester clapped his hands to draw my attention away from my thoughts.
"However, you must observe four rules when exercising administrator privileges."
Was it to prevent the system known as Hollywood from destroying the trust and ecosystem it had built?
The rules Chester explained were well within the bounds of common sense.
First. Administrator privileges cannot be used on Chronicle Online, which is imbued with the fortunate encounter.
Second. Direct connection to another person's brain is prohibited.
Third. Theft of another person's property is prohibited.
Fourth. Exercising privileges that directly cause negative effects on the world is prohibited.
Having rules in place didn't make it feel especially restrictive.
At this level, there was nothing problematic about it.
I asked Chester about a few possibilities.
"Is it possible to launder the source of property obtained through the fortunate encounter?"
"It's not difficult. You can open a stock account and create a transaction history, or turn a paper company into an actual unicorn company. My recommended method is to invest in the online currency market and create a stock trading history."
"What about the chance of getting caught through an investigation?"
"The chance of being discovered approaches 0% without limit. It's not merely a matter of falsifying the books; all related information is altered, so on paper it becomes something that truly and completely existed."
Property obtained through the fortunate encounter was a great help, but if I started spending large sums, the National Tax Service would come after me to trace the source of the funds.
Naturally, if I were investigated, I wouldn't be able to explain where the money came from, and it might even be revealed that I had obtained the Duke Lucas's fortunate encounter.
It was enough to make the back of my neck crawl.
There was also the possibility that the whole world could come after me while I still lacked sufficient strength.
So, at Chester's reassuring answer, I clenched my fist and immediately asked him to launder the money.
"Understood. Your current assets total 12 trillion 625 billion Root. When you open the treasure chest on the 8th floor of the Magic Tower, additional assets will be added; shall I process those together as well?"
"Yes, I'd appreciate that."
"I will distribute them evenly across several overseas investment firms and handle it."
It seemed there was nothing I needed to do personally; as long as I spoke, Chester would take care of everything on his own.
And things like opening accounts and falsifying transaction histories were all lumped together as a single use of administrator authority.
"Is there anything else you would like to request?"
My gaze naturally turned to Arcia.
"Arcia needs a legitimate family register. If possible, I'd like her to be recorded as being from the Holy Land Everhill."
"That is possible. I will create a family register stating that all her family died and that she is currently an orphan."
The small being before my eyes, Chester, was a genie's magic lamp.
It was a bit of a shame that I had already used 2 out of 5 administrator authority uses, but I wasn't overly worried.
Just laundering the money and arranging Arcia's identity would give me considerable freedom of movement.
I did have some ideas for the remaining administrator authority uses, but I put them off for later and fixed my eyes on the treasure chest behind Chester.
"Is Chester-nim's role to grant me administrator authority and assist with processing?"
"That is correct."
It seemed he was something like a steward that Duke Lucas had left behind for his successor.
By entering the 8th floor of the Magic Tower, I came to realize just how much Duke Lucas cared for the one who would come after him.
I felt nothing but renewed gratitude.
"Why would Duke Lucas go this far?"
"It is an expression of his longing for his homeland, and a consideration so that others will not live as miserably as he did."
So that others will not live as miserably as he did?
It was a phrase that did not suit at all a person for whom the title *Great* was only natural.
I went down on one knee, as if to meet Chester's eyes, and voiced the sincerity in my heart.
"Thank you, Teacher."
"I am not Manuel Lucas."
However, Chester's reaction to this was dry and emotionless.
Yet, contrary to his chilly gaze, the corner of his mouth seemed to tremble faintly was that just my imagination?
"Now then…"
A short while later, I rose from my seat and, wearing a smile full of joy, walked toward the treasure chest.
[You have obtained 50 trillion Root.]
[An account at the Elysia Union Bank holding this amount will be issued.]
[A Union Bank account will be additionally registered on the terminal.]
[You obtain the Sky Fortress Icarus.]
[A 7th Circle is created.]