Otherworld TRPG Game Master

269 – Chain Longevity Extension

Arte Ropelman, the guild master of the Alchemy Guild, felt a thrill of excitement and convenience as if she were using a computer for the first time.

“Can it do mental calculations?”

“Yep.”

“Wow, then can this also…?”

“Right here.”

Just inputting a problem yields an immediate answer.

“Could this problem also…?”

“That one, I don’t know alchemy well enough for.”

“You could just read this book, how long would that take?”

“Unless it’s too difficult, about a minute?”

Even regarding the intricate combinations and techniques of alchemy, if she inputs basic knowledge and asks again, it provides a clear answer.

My friend Hart has summoned a treasure. While I have occasionally benefited from her insight and wisdom, this man is on a different level. The usability is outstanding.

I’ve heard this has been nerfed for some reason, so I can’t even imagine how fast the original processing speed was.

When an opportunity arises, one must seize it.

Arte decided to outsource the problems she had been struggling with all this time. With this, the history of alchemy would advance a decade.

She felt a mix of fear and awe. Time is flowing here!

After about half a day of work, Arte promised the mad wizard a highly satisfactory elixir. She took out a large cauldron and began to combine the ingredients.

The important calculations were all handled by the human computer, the mad wizard, so Arte only needed to move her body.

Thus, she had the leisure to chat.

As she tossed in a scream herb into the cauldron, Arte asked.

“Heart and… well, you said it was a doppelgänger relationship, right? Originally one, now two.”

“Yes. That’s what you heard at the briefing from Daisy.”

“So, are you planning to retrieve it?”

“That’s why I came. But… it’s a bit different from what I thought.”

The mad wizard looked somewhat perplexed. He had already considered the possibility that the detached piece might have self-awareness, but facing it in reality was another matter…

“It seemed like she was living quite happily. It wasn’t just a facade to escape her situation; it looked like she genuinely opened her heart to you.”

“I’m glad to hear that from her own mouth. Aside from the fact that she drinks coffee with ice, she was a good person I wanted to befriend.”

“You don’t know the taste of iced Americano…”

“The spirit of the coffee beans will curse you.”

Regarding Heart, Arte wrapped things up succinctly.

“It would be rude to add any unnecessary comments to a wizard trying to retrieve their familiar. I understand that it’s your decision, and you shouldn’t be forced into any choice.”

If the mad wizard didn’t absorb Heart, there would be a tangible loss of several percentage points in computational power. It was like tearing off one’s own ribs to create another person.

“……..”

“But, she is my friend. She was someone the Grand Duke’s family desperately needed; it would be lonely if she disappeared. I think I’ll just leave it at that.”

You’re really going for the conscience, aren’t you? The mad wizard smiled bitterly.

Bubbling.

Arte stirred the boiling magical solution with a long ladle and tossed in 2.3 medicinal frogs. The mad wizard prepared to drop in a centipede with tweezers from the side.

He seemed to have made a decision regarding Heart, as the worry faded from his expression. Arte silently hoped that this decision would save Heart.

After a brief silence.

The mad wizard asked Arte about a rather concerning detail he had seen in the hundreds of papers he had studied for deep learning.

“I saw it in the materials earlier. The head of the Paladin Order, Kim Lulu… it seems you created her.”

“Kim? Was that her name…? Anyway, if we’re talking about the head of the Paladin Order, that’s correct. I received a request for a human who could be leashed and controlled by the royal family.”

“It seems to be a design that requires regular maintenance. Did you intentionally make it that way to serve as a leash?”

“It was a coincidence, close to a technical limitation. When I made it, it turned out to be unstable and short-lived. So I thought, ‘I can just insist this is a leash…’ and that’s how it ended up. Do you know her? Your expression doesn’t look good.”

The mad wizard nodded. Kim Lulu, initially kidnapped for the purpose of a prank, had shown such magical girl qualities that it was impossible not to grow fond of her.

The short life of the created clone paladin and the magical girl crying in despair. It was a scenario that hurt just to imagine.

Then it must be stopped.

“After this, let’s make seven more potions.”

“…Looks like you have a lot of people to give them to?”

From noble mtl dot com

“I need to give one to Yunayuri, one to Irid, one to Selvier, one to Kim Lulu, and it would be nice to prepare one for that Alexon fellow too. No, maybe I should make about twenty and distribute them to everyone around…”

“Does the Specter provide the ingredients? I’ll only make five, so you’ll have to figure out the rest on your own.”

After that, there was the ruthless production of elixirs for lifespan extension terror.

Half a day later.

After neatly sealing the beautifully packaged bottles, the mad wizard stretched to relieve his stiff muscles. With this, the goal of reaching the North had been achieved.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Yes, thank you for yours.”

He was about to leave the room after a tidy farewell to Arte. She was a friend of Hart, not a friend of the mad wizard, so this level of formality felt just right.

As he placed his foot on the threshold and was about to take another step, a pointless curiosity caught his ankle.

Asking another wizard or artisan for their secrets is an act of shamelessness. Even now, he was shamelessly consuming Arte’s research materials and alchemical knowledge, but he had paid a price for this part, so it was acceptable.

However, demanding more than this was not a matter of manners.

Still…

The mad wizard, who had been hesitating at the threshold for quite some time, finally opened his mouth, crossing the line of manners as if someone had pushed him from behind.

“Kim Lulu, haven’t you reached sublimation? How did you do that?”

“Oh, were you tap dancing for ten minutes just to ask that…?”

Aren’t you honestly curious?

If he could create clones and produce humans of Kim Lulu’s caliber, then right now, Arte Ropel would be more than enough to become the next cosmic emperor of the New Empire.

How on earth did he achieve sublimation, not just a fable?

The mad wizard had been sorrowful for not being able to achieve a fable until now. Perhaps there was a hint in Kim Lulu’s birth, and he couldn’t hold back.

After a moment of thought, Arte readily answered. The news that the mad wizard was a close aide to the second prince, Irid, was already widespread, so she deemed it acceptable to share.

“The imperial family granted permission to use the Dragon Heart. There was an intervention of the dragon’s essence in her birth.”

“…The Dragon Heart!”

“Your reaction is more intense than I expected… I don’t know the principle either. I just used the magical power generated from the Dragon Heart, and that alone produced this result… I’m still in disbelief about it.”

Arte gently closed her eyes and reflected on the past.

In the imperial palace, at the request of the elderly emperor, she was creating a knight to protect the empire. In the deepest part of the palace, a pitch-black heart was floating in the air.

A biological artifact that exudes immense magical power just by existing, the Dragon Heart.

All the materials were prepared. The Dragon Heart granted Arte a fleeting spark of inspiration, and she cast alchemy as if entranced by something.

When she came to her senses, the work was done. She faced the results after surpassing three days in time.

The hunger that felt like the skin was sticking to her back and the lethargy that made her fingers barely move came right after. She had immersed herself in work without eating or drinking for three days.

Even now, looking back on it.

“…It felt like a dream.”

After farming the leap for life extension, I faced Heart alone on the balcony of the second floor of the mansion. She was resting her arms on the railing, gazing at the northern snowy landscape.

The more I looked, the stranger I felt. Should I see her as a gaze from my parallel self, or is she also a part of my creation?

Well, maybe it’s not that important.

I tapped the ground lightly with my heel to make my presence known. Heart turned around with a carefree expression. I could tell that look was a facade.

Heart smiled brightly and said,

“Alright, the farewells are all done. Now, eat me.”

“Why would I eat you, you idiot?”

“Huh?”

“Uh-huh?”

This guy just doesn’t match with me at all.

Heart seemed to have heard something unbelievable, raising a question mark above her head, but soon calmed her expression and said,

“…But, shouldn’t I be going back?”

“Why are you being so cold and harsh to someone of the same identity? Just because a few percent of you is reduced doesn’t mean you’ll die. If anything, if this leaves you feeling uneasy, your efficiency might drop even more.”

“You still have ‘that’ in your head, and there are dark sorcerers targeting you. You know how dangerous it is to spread your power in this situation…”

That’s a case of knowing one thing but not the other.

Whether Heart is here or not makes a bigger difference than one might think. The completed broth, Daisy, will help me in emergencies, but the mansion’s members are a different story.

If Heart can roast and bake everything here without distinction, I could turn the entire northern ducal house into my ally, not just Daisy.

Heart took a rebellious stance against my claim.

“Do I look like a fool? The benefit of recovering your lost computational power is greater than what you gain from that.”

“This guy says he’ll let me be independent…”

“No one can afford to lose out just so I can live.”

So stubborn for no reason.

I crossed my arms and let my true feelings out.

“Hey, our motto is a happy ending. If we can’t even cover for one clone, how can that be reasonable?”

It’s not that I have a grand dream of making everyone in the world happy. But at the very least, I hope all my friends can lead happy lives.

And I’m willing to act to make that happen.

Also, when I think about it, am I not my closest friend? This isn’t about sacrificing something for others; it’s a small gift for myself.

Honestly, the idea of absorbing Heart sounds quite delicious.

“Well, if it gets urgent later due to lacking computational power, you can just come back to retrieve it. At that time, I won’t show any mercy and will absorb you, so you can say tearful goodbyes to your new friends.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

Hart let out a snicker, a half-laugh escaping her lips. After a while of chuckling to herself, she suddenly said this.

“⋯⋯Yeah, you be the main body. You deserve it.”

“Out of nowhere?”

“Having been shattered into dozens of pieces, can we really say there’s a main body? For a moment, I even thought maybe I was the main body. But⋯⋯ it’s clear now. You are the main body.”

Is this brat just throwing out lip service now that he thinks the atmosphere is saving him?

When I shot Hart a suspicious glance, she burst into laughter. I couldn’t make sense of it. Has she been affected by some female hormones or something?

“Thanks.”

“How gross. Between real men, a bro fist is all it takes.”

“You’re calling yourself a real man when you’re the one who cries like a baby when Yuna says something harsh⋯⋯.”

“That’s just spitting while lying down.”

Tap.

I finished the greeting by bumping fists with Hart.

By the way, it seemed that the piece of Hart hadn’t noticed what was happening as he prepared for his end. When I was explaining the situation at the mansion.

When I revealed that I had come for recovery, I clearly saw Daisy’s gaze waver. The emotion froze in an instant, hidden away, but it was a sorrow akin to watching a VTuber announce their graduation.

Even the Northern Duke, who embraces everything—gender and the person within—seems to waver at ‘graduation’⋯⋯.

I could deeply empathize with that feeling, and for the sake of the friendship between men, I had no choice but to leave Hart behind. Live happily with your favorite, Daisy.

I had no more business in the North. I casually bid farewell to Daisy, gave a potion to Sister Bennett in advance, packed my things, and set off for the academy.

The last thing I witnessed before leaving the North was the Northern Duchess crying loudly, and Hart, who seemed awkwardly comforting her after what felt like an emotional farewell the night before.

I spoke to my companions in the carriage.

“Let’s stop by the capital.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve extended Sister Bennett’s lifespan, but her vitality is still weak. We need to buy some herbs, get a few souvenirs, and also.”

I need to give a potion to Kim Lulu.

—-

At a dessert shop in the imperial capital, Crown Hall.

The commander of the capital knights, Kim Lulu, who had downed three cups of black tea, suddenly sprang up from her seat and declared loudly.

“Hey, I need to go to the bathroom!”

“Don’t report every little thing! Lower your voice! And say it a bit more like a girl⋯⋯!”

“Eh, what’s wrong with saying I’m going to the bathroom? I’ll be right back! And Hayang, don’t steal my scone!”

“Let’s go pick some flowers or something nice!”

Kim Lulu laughed brightly, exaggeratedly leaping away as if fleeing from Oh Dae-soo. She didn’t forget to give a warning to the white girl she had picked up not long ago (she named her Hayan because of her color).

It was a scene from the peaceful routine that always repeated itself.

But in reality, Kim Lulu was a bit desperate.

A surge of sensations welled up, and the sharp, metallic scent of blood lingered at the tip of her nose. Her insides felt twisted, and the world spun around her. Pain was familiar, but this was a truly unpleasant kind of hurt.

She barely managed to suppress the grimace threatening to break her expression.

The place the girl, who had run out with such determination, arrived at was not a bathroom, but a distant alleyway. Kim Lulu leaned against the wall, staggering.

“Uweeeek──.”

She spilled a bucketful of dark red blood.

A foul stench spread from the contaminated blood, a clear sign of imminent death approaching rapidly.

Kim Lulu gazed at the pool of blood with sunken eyes and summoned her magical power. A blue glow of magic enveloped her hands. And then.

Chijijijik──!

With a texture close to solid, the magic neatly erased the pool of blood from the world, leaving only a faint burnt smell behind.

She knew.

The realm of sublimation was a great one. That foolishly strong old man had only reached it after turning fifty, and it was not a level that a simple-minded girl could achieve.

Kim Lulu also understood that there was always a price to pay in this world. For her, it was her lifespan. Regular health check-ups, adjustments, medications. She had stretched her life in countless ways, but…

Now, it was at its limit.

Kim Lulu muttered with a tearful expression.

“Damn it, Dae-soo will be so sad…”

The girl facing death worried not about her remaining life, but about the sorrow of those left behind.

Oh Dae-soo was more tender-hearted than she had expected. If she were to die, he might cry for three days and nights without stopping. That thought brought her both joy and fear.

She wished Oh Dae-soo would keep thinking about her. But she didn’t want him to be crying either. So she had hidden it until now. But time, cruelly, had passed.

“………”

It seemed she needed to prepare for a farewell.

Kim Lulu resolved to part ways with Rodeleus.