So I headed toward the residential district,
where Artia was building homes for the Nymphs.
The breeze sweeping through the area carried a faint floral scent,
mixed with something artificial.
It blended with the constant hum of enormous machines.
The holographic lights marking the district's boundaries curved through the newly grown trees in emerald hues.
Once I arrived,
I noticed every one of them looked at me with disgust because of my appearance.
Their whispers were barely audible,
like the rustling of dry leaves.
Even so, I kept walking through the crooked stares until I found her in a place shaped by the Forest Nymphs' powers.
Aphrodite was using her abilities in a mesmerizing way.
Her hands moved with almost ritualistic precision,
refining countless herbs simultaneously in midair.
The stems floated suspended, slowly spinning beneath a golden glow.
Beside her, Lilith stored them inside crystal vials,
each one emitting a soft shimmer as it was placed into a wooden box.
The moment they saw me, their expressions changed.
It was obvious that, in my current state, I was unpleasant to look at.
Even so, Lilith approached me with a faint trace of compassion in her eyes.
Her fingers brushed against the box before handing it to me.
Lilith: —"I have a few potions here for you. And regarding your request for someone who could help train you... I think the most suitable candidate is Hercules."
—Wait... Hercules!?
My voice echoed through the trees.
The name reverberated through my mind with almost mythical force.
I had hundreds of questions.
Even so, he was still the legendary Greek hero—
The one who completed the Twelve Labors, defeated the Hydra, and slew the Nemean Lion.
The strongest and most famous hero in all of ancient Greece.
I'd read about him and seen him not only in poems and sculptures,
but also in light novels, comics, and manga.
I definitely had to meet that guy.
See the aesthetic they had designed for him
—
but above all,
the personality they had given him.
Though, thinking about it...
something worried me.
I turned toward Aphrodite.
—Won't he hate me for humiliating his father?
Aphrodite barely lifted her gaze,
allowing the green glow of her spell to fade.
Aphrodite: —"Relax. And you're mistaken about that... Hercules left Olympus a long time ago, and it's all Zeus's fault."
—What did Zeus do?
The moment I asked,
the atmosphere grew tense.
Lilith and Aphrodite exchanged a glance,
sharing a silence heavy with meaning.
The surrounding leaves stirred,
as though responding to the weight of that name.
Then, from behind me,
a firm yet calm voice answered,
making me flinch slightly.
Athena: —"He ordered his wife's murder."
—Why? (That's inaccurate... Hera was supposed to be the only one responsible.)
They all looked at each other as though the matter were a state secret.
Their gestures were subtle.
Aphrodite tightened her grip around the vial.
Lilith looked away.
Athena folded her arms with practiced composure.
Finally, Lilith broke the silence and revealed everything:
Lilith: —"Zeus tried to sleep with her, but she brutally rejected him with a kick where it hurts the most."
—How do you know she kicked him there?
Aphrodite: —"Hera told us. Besides, after that incident Zeus stopped having children. That's why he ordered her execution."
—Where is Hercules?
Lilith: —"Very few people know. He disappeared a long time ago... though I believe he's still in the Dark Lands."
—The Dark Lands? How do you know? (Shouldn't he be dead?)
Athena: —"The Divine Mirrors can reveal the whereabouts of anything. The Dark Lands are a region devoid of humans and infested with countless monsters."
—And where is that?
Athena: —"It's in the western territory of the continent. A kingdom known as Britain."
I remained silent for a few seconds.
The word Britain repeated itself inside my mind,
echoing with memories of the Accident.
I took a deep breath and nodded.
—I think I'll start making preparations to head there. (I barely recognize Artia's weapons, so I need her to build me something I actually know how to use.)
Aphrodite raised an eyebrow,
wearing a half-smile that barely concealed her annoyance.
Aphrodite: —"You're leaving? But you just got here." (What a relief. Having to keep looking at him is awful.)
—I don't like... yawn... wasting time.
Aphrodite: —"Weren't you exhausted? I think it'd be better if you drank the potions and went back to rest."
—Okay, I'll do it after making the preparations. (I don't think I can rest with so much work to do.)
Lilith: —"No. You need to rest immediately. It'll be nightfall soon." (Please drink them... and let your face improve.)
Lilith looked at me with a mixture of concern and restrained affection.
Aphrodite had already gone back to work,
though it was obvious she was still paying attention.
—Alright. I'm going. (Time to work.)
I entered Artia's facilities.
The automatic lights turned on as I walked,
casting a bluish glow across the metallic walls.
I ordered her to speed up construction of the citizens' homes.
At the same time,
I asked her to show me the weapons currently at her disposal.
Holographic panels unfolded,
revealing assembly lines suspended in midair.
I examined her technology.
It bore a slight resemblance to the conventional firearms from my own world.
So I immediately asked:
—Artia, why aren't your weapons more like blasters or something?
[Marshal, I have been affected by a shortage of resources and specific materials. Theoretically, with my current capabilities, I can manufacture any weapon I desire. However, without the proper materials, it is impossible. Resorting to archaic substances has become my tragic fate.]
—So humanity in the past really did develop that kind of technology... but now you simply can't?
[Correct. However, the production and use of gunpowder remains highly effective against the outdated technologies of humanity's current era.]
—If you're using gunpowder... does that mean you can recreate a 9mm Glock, an M19 assault rifle, a Desert Eagle, or a Scout sniper rifle?
[Of course I can recreate such weapons, Marshal. Though... aren't those preferences rather archaic? Why not try the RTU15-19 instead? I guarantee its performance is unmatched.]
—Nah. I'm much more familiar with those. (Part of me is still American, so I know what I'm talking about.)
[Very well. I will use the cerebral scanner to reproduce those designs. Please proceed to Zone B.]
The echo of my footsteps rang through the metallic corridors as I made my way there.
I met with Artia,
and she scanned my brain,
asking me to think about weapons.
Images, blueprints, and tactile sensations paraded through my mind like a digital military procession.
That was how she extracted every weapon design stored in my memory,
though not before asking:
[How did you obtain designs for such ancient weapons, Marshal?]
—Well, that's... I'm not telling you.
[Very well. The weaponry will be ready by tomorrow.]
—Thanks.
Once I finished speaking with Artia,
I immediately contacted Gideon through the «Consensus» channel.
His voice echoed through the communicator like a distant reverberation.
I instructed him to assist Artia with the construction of the defensive walls.
Meanwhile...
my thoughts drifted.
Originally,
all these preparations to build this city
had been for the sake of creating a utopia.
A place where I could live peacefully
until I found a way to escape this game.
But now...
I suppose it would instead become the foundation for fulfilling the original Sam's will:
"Attend that damned academy with Ryan."
The goal now
was not to stand out too much.
Assuming I even managed to enroll in that ridiculous magic academy—
or whatever it was.
That damned system had made one thing perfectly clear:
I needed to keep a low profile.
I think I've lived long enough to accept one truth:
"Anyone who stands out too much only earns envious enemies and unwanted attention."
Even so,
I still didn't understand the purpose of an academy in this game.
So I asked Quincy:
—Hey, Quincy. Do you know anything about an academy called... Naris?
[Master, naturally I do... Ah, and just one correction: it's Aeris, not Naris. (ಥ‿ಥ)]
—Alright. Why the hell does something that stupid even exist? (An academy? What the hell for?)
[It isn't stupid, Master. Naturally, it is where the children and talented individuals belonging to the continent's greatest powers and influences gather.]
—Okay, I understand why it's important for the mobs... but what the hell is the point of it for the players?
[Well, I can actually give you a rather simple answer... From what I know, a very important scenario takes place there—one that triggers something vital for advancing the story.]
—So several main characters converge there.
[Exactly. Your insight is impressive, Master. (・o・)]
—Thanks. We'll talk later. (Oh, damn... little Raymond really asked me for something complicated.)
After talking with Quincy,
I walked through the base's corridors.
The floor vibrated faintly beneath my feet with the pulse of the turbines.
I ordered Artia to prepare that ship—
the magnificent destroyer-class vessel,
the diabolical Phantom model.
And to organize a full robotic crew:
Indominus,
Risa G-35,
Tank-700,
among others.
If I was going to the Dark Lands,
I'd do it safely.
After planning my departure,
I finally reached my room.
I let myself fall onto the anti-gravity bed.
The soft hum of the suspension field filled the silence.
And after half an hour,
I finally managed to fall asleep...
as exhaustion once again settled heavily over my eyes.