There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 107

As she returned to her seat, lost in thought, Nasar, who had been rubbing his cheek, spoke.

“Is something troubling you?”

“Troubling, you could say…”

‘Was it that obvious?’ she wondered, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“If you don’t mind sharing, please tell me. I want to help.”

There was a quiet strength in his earnest expression and words, making her want to confide in him.

At Philomel’s suggestion, the two moved to the rear garden of the Southern Palace.

Philomel and Nasar walked, watching the petals flutter in the wind.

“…What if,”

Philomel began hesitantly.

“What would you think, Nasar, if this world were a fictional story created by someone?”

“A story, you mean?”

“Yes. For example, if we were in a novel. We move, think, speak, and feel as the author dictates.”

Despite the absurd premise, Nasar seriously considered it before answering.

“It’s hard to imagine, but I don’t think I’d like it.”

As he walked, he noticed a line of ants and stepped aside to avoid stepping on them.

“I’m not particularly fond of the idea of fate either. If the future is predetermined, it feels like individual effort is futile.”

He looked down.

“Moreover, novels are usually stories for the readers’ enjoyment. To think that our joys and sorrows are merely entertainment for some… Well, that would be quite upsetting.”

“……”

Nasar accurately expressed why Philomel was feeling uneasy.

That’s right. That’s why she didn’t want to admit it. The possibility that this world might be nothing more than someone else’s fiction, whether it’s a novel or a game.

Philomel said with a slightly subdued voice.

“What would you do, Nasar? If one day you found out you were a character in a novel.”

He pondered for a moment before his expression cleared.

“I would live as usual.”

“……As usual?”

“Just because I’m a character doesn’t mean I would change.”

With that, he pointed to the ants crawling on the ground.

“Humans can trample on these ants for fun if they wanted to, but they continue to live diligently.”

The ants were clinging to a piece of fruit that had fallen on the ground, trying to carry food that seemed hundreds of times larger than their bodies.

When Nasar’s eyes met Philomel’s, he smiled.

“And above all, I am certain that this life is not controlled by the will of another.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve lived half my life according to my father’s wishes, so I know. Right now, I am thinking and acting entirely on my own will…”

At that moment, flower petals rained down.

“I love you, Philomel.”

Her face flushed.

Philomel stammered.

“Na, Nasar, you’re quite good at saying embarrassing things.”

“Is that so? For some reason, I really wanted to tell you…”

“Didn’t you practice saying this a lot somewhere?”

“What? I swear, I didn’t! Please believe me!”

He looked so desperate that she couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m just kidding.”

“Ah, is that so? I’m so relieved.”

The two walked along the promenade in the rear garden again.

He said.

“I’m sorry. I said before that I just wanted to be by your side as a friend… Now I realize how foolish I was. Being just friends is impossible.”

Nasar scratched his head.

“How pathetic. Confessing to someone again after being rejected once.”

Philomel shook her head.

“It’s not pathetic. I just realized it too.”

She took a deep breath and then said.

“I like you too, Nasar. More than a friend.”

The reason why he kept bothering her after he disappeared from her sight.

The reason why she felt relieved when she saw that his favorability towards Ellensia was 0%.

She realized it too late.

Philomel couldn’t treat Nasar as just a friend either.

“……”

Nasar had a dumbfounded look on his face. Philomel could feel the intensity of the shock he received, so she said as if making excuses.

“But I’m not sure if the size of my feelings is similar to yours yet. It’s just that, it’s definitely a different feeling from when I treat a friend…”

“It’s alright.”

His red eyes became moist with tears.

“That’s enough for me.”

“Are you crying?”

“……I feel like tears and cheers are coming out at the same time. It would be an unsightly sight, so can I walk around this area for a while?”

She told him to do as he pleased, and he disappeared for a while and then reappeared. Then, he silently continued his walk with Philomel.

His stiff shoulders were clearly visible.

To ease his tension, Philomel confessed something.

“This is a secret, but actually, my biological father is the Magic Tower Master.”

He looked quite surprised, though not as much as before.

“I might end up living in the Magic Tower later, though not right away.”

“……I should learn magic from now on and aim to become a magic swordsman.”

He talked with Philomel about various things and then returned home, saying that he would come back looking more presentable.

‘He already looks more than wonderful enough,’ she thought.

Especially his courage to convey his feelings again without being discouraged by one rejection.

Inspired by him, Philomel decided to be brave too. The courage to face the truth she didn’t want to admit.

* * *

Southern Palace, rear garden.

In front of the four brothers who had gathered to listen to Philomel, she revealed everything she had learned and thought about so far.

Ellensia’s memories, the events at the Starlight Store, and even her personal speculation that this world was like a game.

She also showed them the various items she had brought in her bag.

After examining the items, Lexion said.

“Certainly, Phil’s hypothesis that this world is a creation seems plausible.”

“……Do you really think so?”

She was the one who said it, but it was such an absurd story that Philomel was more surprised by their calm attitude.

“Some of these items clearly exceed the limits of existing magic. It’s not unreasonable to assume that a higher-dimensional world exists beyond this one.”

This time, Jeremiah spoke.

“And among some magicians, there have been talks of a great power that guides the world in a specific direction.”

“A great power?”

“It’s often observed in various places. A strong magical reaction that cannot be identified.”

The next words were taken up by Le Guin.

“And after such a magical reaction, unexpected situations always occur.”

He tapped the table.

“For example, on a day when magicians and priests all predicted would be clear, torrential rain falls.”

A memory came to mind. Philomel recounted what she had experienced at the founding festival when she was nine years old.

After listening to the story, Le Guin was lost in thought.

“I remember that day. It suddenly started raining from the sky. And I felt Estellion [a unique magical signature] everywhere.”

“Why Estellion…?”

He shrugged at Philomel’s question.

“In fact, the magical reaction left by the great power itself is quite similar to Estellion.”

Jeremiah added.

“So we have always speculated that Estellion might have originated from a great power. For some reason, a part of the great power fell off and attached itself to a human.”

Le Guin glanced at the items on the table.

“I can feel Estellion in these too. Just like that potion back then.”

Come to think of it, he had said before that he felt Estellion when looking at the Elixir of Wisdom.

“I felt Estellion when Phil disappeared with the Light of the Rock. But when the light disappeared, Estellion was no longer felt.”

Philomel stroked her chin.

Not only the Elixir of Wisdom but all the strange phenomena she had experienced seemed to be closely related to Estellion and the great power.

At that time, for some reason, a word she had heard from the fox came to mind.

“System……”

“System?”

“Ah, it’s what the fox I met at the store said. He said that if you use something called the system, you can go to the store no matter where you are.”

Kardin, who had been silent until then, spoke.

“Isn’t the system the great power?”

Jeremiah glared at Kardin.

“What’s your basis for saying that?”

“It’s my gut feeling.”

“Don’t speak with just your gut feeling!”

Lexion mediated between his brothers.

“Now, now, stop it. Kardin’s words aren’t entirely unreasonable. Le Guin felt the great power when Philomel disappeared somewhere, and she says that you can go there through something called the system.”

Kardin was excited when his guess gained strength.

“That’s right. From now on, let’s just call it the system instead of the great power! It sounds cooler too!”

Lexion stepped in to organize the complex situation.

“Anyway, Phil’s hypothesis has gained a little more strength. That this world is in someone else’s creation… Honestly, it’s too unconventional.”

His eyes, visible beyond his glasses, burned with enthusiasm.

“Because it’s so unconventional, I’m itching to verify it quickly.”

The others also expressed their agreement. Even Kardin.

‘Is it because they’re magicians? Everyone’s way of thinking is so flexible,’ she thought.

She had hesitated, wondering if they would dismiss it as nonsense, but it seemed like it was an unnecessary worry.

Le Guin raised his hand.

“Then let’s find out about that system by researching the suspicious items that Phil brought.”

At those words, the brothers each took a few items they liked.

“Let’s move on to the next agenda.”

Now it was time to discuss Ellensia.

The author of and a person from another world.

‘And someone who wanted to act as the creator of this world.’

But the her she saw at the store was too pathetic to be called a creator.

If this world is a game world, what exactly is the identity of ?

“It’s a very important issue…”

Suddenly, Le Guin’s eyes sharpened.

“What’s the relationship with that Nasar guy?”

“……Pardon?”

“What kind of guy is he, and why does he keep hanging around you?”

Four pairs of eyes, as if interrogating her, were focused on Philomel.

Her relationship with Nasar.

Philomel, feeling drained, asked somewhat sullenly.

“Is that important right now?”

Le Guin slammed the table.

“Of course, it’s important. An intruder from another world has appeared, and even the identity of this world is in question. We have to be suspicious of the humans who approach you.”

He had a point.

“Nasar and I are……”

She paused for a moment.

In their meeting just now, the two had not specifically decided what kind of relationship they would have in the future.

‘But Nasar said he liked me, and I said I have feelings for him beyond friendship, so……’

Romance was something she had only encountered in novels, but this was how she would describe this relationship.

“We are… involved romantically.”

“A re… romantically?”

Le Guin stuttered, looking shocked. Jeremiah’s eyes widened slightly, and Kardin’s mouth dropped open.

Only Lexion calmly drank his tea, as if he had expected it.

‘Is it that unexpected that I’m in a relationship?’