All the puzzle pieces had fallen into place.
BOOM!
Surrounded by terrifying magical power, Marigold looked as if she truly intended to bring about the end of the world.
But I wasn't afraid anymore. Now that I knew I was the master of this dream. Now that I knew this was a dream demon phenomenon.
*What unused data skills did knights have again?*
Lancel thought for a moment before drawing his sword.
A quiet smile formed on his lips.
*For once, I'm grateful to you, sister.*
He could see the way forward.
"Lord Lancel."
Lancel returned his sword to its scabbard. Taking a drawing stance, he stared at Marigold with clear eyes.
The dark sphere hovering in Marigold's palm slowly rose into the sky. It drifted toward Lancel unhurriedly.
"This ends now."
Facing the dark sphere that approached while lifting the very earth beneath it—
Lancel slowly drew his sword.
Neither too fast nor too slow, it cut through the air.
"Sorry, Mary. This is a broken skill."
Along the path of his blade, all space split in half.
Soil, gravel, light, air, sky, magic, and even Marigold herself—everything was cleaved in two and slid apart.
It was essentially a developer cheat skill, unused data that was almost introduced as a limited feature for players who had achieved over 90% of the endings: "Space Severance."
From the moment this became possible, not just beings approaching godhood, but even gods themselves would be no match for Lancel.
It cuts anything that exists, whatever it may be. That's how the technique was designed.
Marigold's eyes widened.
"...Lord... Lancel...?"
"Time to go back, Mary."
The world shattered into pieces.
The long dream came to an end.
30.
"..."
The full moon was visible through the window.
Lancel lay still, gazing at it for a long time. It was hard to believe he had actually awakened from the dream.
His body was wrapped in bandages. Pain shot through various parts of his body with each breath. He had clearly suffered serious injuries.
He had no idea how he'd ended up like this. There was a huge blank in his memory, and nothing came to mind.
*Probably a war or rebellion or something like that.*
Suddenly feeling a weight around his waist, he looked down. Lancel found himself face to face with a familiar face.
"Mary."
There was Marigold, sound asleep with her head resting against his side.
A tiny sprout was growing from the top of her head.
It was hard to imagine that this was the same terrifying being who had transcended the level of grand magician and entered the realm of transcendence.
"You're weak."
The magical power emanating from her body was at best between 4th and 5th rank.
"Hey, how do you expect to become a grand magician like that?"
The 12th rank transcendent being from his dream had vanished like a midsummer fantasy, leaving behind just an ordinary magician named Marigold.
Feeling mischievous, he blocked the sleeping girl's nose. Her face turned bright red before she let out a "Puha!" and started breathing through her mouth.
"You little dream demon."
============
—Playtime 9 years 364 days 20 hours 45 minutes.
—Nursing is difficult work, but be grateful that Lancel Dante is still alive. However, seeing his health deteriorate day by day, even this moment won't last forever.
â»Marigold simply wishes for time to stop like this. Her intense longing affects the dreams of the sleeping Lancel Dante. The two spend time there that they never want to wake from. Emotion, Mana, Sensuality UP! Health, Condition Down.
============
*It's been a while since I've seen this.*
Lancel seemed oddly glad to see this system notification.
Perhaps because it told him he was in reality.
"Hey, Mary."
He carefully removed the sprout from the top of her head.
"Mmm..."
Marigold blinked slowly as she gradually woke up. She let out a long yawn.
"Hwaaaaaaah."
It was definitely Marigold. The same sloppy, loose, foolish Marigold as always.
"Mmm... Lord Lancel?"
"Drool."
"Slurp."
She hastily wiped her mouth.
"Why aren't you sleeping in bed?"
"I accidentally fell asleep..."
"How long have you been sleeping?"
"Um, roughly an hour or two."
Responding drowsily, Marigold reflexively picked up a nearby towel. She began wiping down various parts of Lancel's body.
Her movements suggested this was something she'd been doing for a long time. Just from that, Lancel realized his hospital stay had been quite lengthy.
After diligently wiping away his sweat with the damp towel, she began stretching stiffly.
"Nnnnngh. Haaaah."
Her gaze was somewhat vacant, as if she hadn't fully awakened yet.
"...I think I had a dream."
"A nightmare?"
"No, not a nightmare..."
"Then what kind of dream was it?"
"The dream was like..."
Marigold pondered deeply for a moment, then furrowed her brow.
"Mmm, the dream was like..."
Lancel quietly brushed back her disheveled hair. Belatedly realizing what he'd done, he withdrew his hand. A habit from their married life in the dream had unconsciously emerged.
"Hehehe."
The twenty-four-year-old Marigold let out a silly laugh.
*Is this the final scene of this playthrough?*
Even her wish for this moment to last forever would soon be shattered.
After all, there were only a few hours left until the playtime reached 10 years.
"Ah."
Marigold's mouth opened.
"Something with Lord Lancel in it, and I was there too... something about walking arm in arm... getting married?"
"Who said anything about marriage?"
"Sleeping in the same bed."
"..."
A faint smile spread across her face.
"It was... a really nice dream. I think."
"That's good then."
Lancel responded, once again ruffling her hair haphazardly.
Looking back, it really was an unremarkable playthrough. Just a rather long dream.
Yes.
An unremarkable playthrough.
"It's almost evening. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
"..."
Lancel thought of something without hesitation. If there was one food he wanted to eat in his final moments in this world, it was already decided.
"A sandwich."
Marigold smiled at Lancel's answer.
"You really do love those."
And so, 10 years passed.
.
.
.
[Playtime 10 years 0 days]
—Marigold has turned 25.
—There is no marriage partner.
—There are achievements.
â¶7th Rank Magician +300 points.
â·Academy Valedictorian +50 points.
â¶Bloodline Awakening (High Elf) +200 points.
â·World Tree Seed +50 points.
—Total score: 650 points. (Points remaining until 2nd Succession of Memory: 1250/1500 points)
[Special Ending 3. World Tree Marigold]
—The ending has been recorded in the "Album of Memories."
—Opening the album.
.
.
.
The Great Magician Marigold.
She was buried beside the land where her long connection lay.
After spending the last 11 years in loneliness, she finally found peace.
10 years.
100 years.
1000 years.
On this land where countless empires have fallen and risen again innumerable times.
Marigold's seed finally sprouts.
When the vigorously rising trunk reaches the top of the sky,
People once again face the master of this land.
Great Earth Deity.
World Tree Marigold.
May you be eternal.
[World Tree Marigold - fin]
—Would you like to restart the game?
.
.
.
"So you're not even human anymore, Marigold..."
A special ending that was like an Easter egg in the game. Did it really have to go that far?
Lancel couldn't help but gasp. How could he not be shocked after seeing something even rarer than a regular ending?
Honestly, Lancel had never seen a special ending even in the game. Naturally, he hadn't expected this.
Somehow this playthrough felt off from the beginning. To think it would end like this.
As Lancel stared at the ending screen in bewilderment, his eyes soon widened again. The cause was the screen that appeared immediately after.
=============
—Congratulations. The Game Guide for Fallen Lady Simulation has been successfully installed. From now on, when achievements and endings that can be unlocked are discovered, notifications will be sent to the 'Player'!
=============
"What the hell."
Lancel jumped to his feet.
Around him, members of his family who had been celebrating Lancel Dante's eighteenth birthday were looking at him strangely.
*The Game Guide here?*
An ominous presence had appeared before him.
*This is... a mod program?*
Since his sister's "Fallen Lady Simulation" was notoriously difficult, this was one of the programs circulating among users.
Yes, in short, this was a mod. A guide program designed to help players obtain endings and achievements more easily.
While not quite a cheat, it was certainly a convenient tool to have.
Of course, he couldn't be certain until he saw it in action.
"No. No way. This playthrough was supposed to be about cooling off. Quietly spending a vacation in the Archipelago..."
Lancel tried to quickly erase the presence from his mind.
*This playthrough is a vacation. This playthrough is a vacation.*
That's what Lancel had decided since wrapping up the previous playthrough.
His heart was already set on the Archipelago.
Yes. Right now.
"No one can stop my vacation."
Lancel shook off his complicated thoughts and finished preparing for his journey. Toward the fantasy islands, the Archipelago.
.
.
.
BOOOOOM!
And then the ship Lancel was on sank in a storm.
"Hey. Can you hear me?"
Slap.
Slap.
When he opened his eyes, a familiar face was rhythmically slapping his cheeks.
"..."
"Are you alive?"
Slap.
"That hurts."
"Oh, so you are alive."
At this point, it had to be fate.
Lancel stared at the insignia on her shoulder.
-Imperial Navy Guard.
*Navy...?*
[Magician Marigold - End]
[Next - Navy Marigold]