"You've been waiting a long time, session delivery is here!"

"What, what is this!"

Crash! Bang!

Startled by the Mad Magician who suddenly appeared by smashing through the window, Finn jumped up in panic, throwing away the peanut butter toast he was eating.

Splat. By some mysterious law of magic, the jam-covered side lands face down on the floor.

"Hehehe... you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment."

"No, why again?! Why are you here again!"

Rustle rustle!

The two faced off with a table between them. As the black-haired intruder moved closer with rustling steps, Finn circled in the opposite direction to maintain distance.

Even while instinctively executing evasive maneuvers, his mind was in chaos. Finn knew who this man was! And he knew that getting involved with him always led to trouble!

A walking chaos, the pinnacle of illusion magic, and the mastermind who forced Finn into the hero's position. The "Mad Magician."

Why had he come this time? Was he going to dump some task on him like before? Or perhaps add another unbearable title to his shoulders?

Looking at Finn's wary expression, the Mad Magician chuckled.

"Didn't you call for me?"

"...What?!"

"You said you needed power, and you even made the request voluntarily. I rushed over when I heard the news. Leave it to me, Hero Finn, I'll even make double-jumping possible for you."

"W-well, I did, but I was talking to Benett!"

That's right. He had made a request.

After the commotion with the Evil Dragon fragment, Finn had wondered: what if there hadn't been a safety mechanism on that fragment? Something terribly bad might have happened to the Little Pope.

Until now, he'd thought everything would be fine with the numerous holy knights, priests, and the shadow hero Benett. But look—they had all been breached by a mere fragment of an evil dragon.

"The Evil God"—the enemy faced by the Holy City and the Goddess Cult—was such a dangerous being.

If that was the case, even a nobody adventurer like himself needed to become stronger to be of some help.

He couldn't just leave everything to others and simply pray. Even if, compared to the brilliant geniuses of certain myths, the light he could emit was only as bright as a firefly.

If his efforts could buy even one second to protect the Little Pope.

The child who had been tormented by the former Cardinals all his life was only now learning what normal happiness felt like. Finn couldn't allow dark clouds to gather over the Little Pope's future again.

So... he had asked Benett about ways to get stronger quickly. But for the Mad Magician to pop up here?

"Bravo."

The Mad Magician gave a standing ovation, deeply moved. He had completely read Finn's inner thoughts through the subtle changes in his expression. What a precious young man.

His red eyes gleamed as he declared:

"You can become stronger. Of course, your talent, Hero Finn, is E-rank. Your muscle quality isn't good, nor do you have sharp senses. Until you break through Ascension... you'll inevitably fall behind compared to those with talent."

"...Ugh."

"What we need is short-term power enhancement. We could go with a plan to awaken your Ascension through soul-shattering pain and trials, but you don't actually need that. Because you're a hero. You can use the hero's power."

"...I don't have a holy sword, nor can I handle divine power. What power could there be in my empty hero position?"

The Mad Magician snapped his fingers and answered immediately:

"Precisely—the 35 free benefits the Goddess bestowed upon you."

"...?"

[Proposal: Accept the position of godfather and receive 35 free benefits.]

Yes, Finn had previously received free benefits from the Goddess. But those benefits were either very trivial and mundane, or had complicated explanations and difficult controls, or functions whose meanings he couldn't understand.

Among those functions, he was effectively using only two: the daily weather prediction service from the Goddess, and the power to see the growth percentage of crops when looking at them.

With this ability, he could pick perfectly clear days to go stargazing with the Pope.

Hearing this, the Mad Magician cackled.

"Benefits are combinations of functions. Even weather prediction requires tremendous computational power, and the ability to discern crop growth rates demands sharp insight."

"When you put it that way, I suppose that's true."

"Then, what if you could extract only the necessary parts from these benefits and use them in combat? I can make that happen for you. It's a simple matter."

"Wait, wait a minute. That's..."

It was like taking a pendulum clock gifted by the Goddess, disassembling it into individual parts, then assembling a crossbow with those parts and going around shooting with it.

...Wouldn't that invite divine punishment?

The Mad Magician answered this concern:

"Hahaha! Then the Goddess should have made it disassembly-proof. Making good use of a gift shows resourcefulness—if the Goddess has any conscience, she'll leave us be. Even when I was hacking it before, I noticed the structure was surprisingly flimsy—OW!"

Clang!

A pot unnaturally fell from the cupboard and struck the Mad Magician's crown. The blow was even imbued with divine power, making the sound particularly refreshing.

The Mad Magician had to clutch his head and groan in pain for three minutes under this stern divine punishment.

===============================================================

The Goddess's pot attack was essentially permission. While disassembling and reassembling Hero Finn's "free benefits," there was no revoking of powers or divine energy blasts.

She probably just wanted to smack him once because he was being annoying.

Perhaps it was even a sign of affection. After all, they were in the midst of planning to soundly thrash the head of the Black Dragon, the Goddess's nemesis, which might have pleased her.

Anyway.

Since Hero Finn hadn't yet achieved the three elements of Fullness-Tuning-Comprehension, reaching Ascension could take quite some time. So that was out.

As mentioned earlier, teaching him how to make thrifty use of the powers bestowed by the Goddess seemed the best approach. Let's think about this more concretely.

The Goddess resembled a mechanical device, so her powers were composed of tiny modules. I needed to help Hero Finn become familiar with these modules and teach him to create synergy through application.

However, her powers were closer to modern than fantasy. Rather than techniques for moving and firing magical energy, they required computer-like thinking.

That's where I discovered the cyberpunk angle.

If her power consisted of small mechanical functions, wasn't that conceptually similar to implants, cyberware, and gears—modules attached to the body?

Through a cyberpunk world, I planned to give Hero Finn a solid tutorial. This would also help him understand the Goddess's structure.

"...So you're saying I'll experience another world."

"That's right! And very safely too. Even if you face death, you won't die but return here. Just like Benett did."

"..."

"It's a world where science is highly advanced, and people are as cold as if money flows through their veins instead of blood. But... there you'll discover how to handle 100% of the Goddess's powers."

Hero Finn looked tense after hearing my words. He seemed a bit hesitant. Well, from the perspective of someone entering a session, it would feel like traveling to a distant foreign land.

After staring at the floor in silence for a while, he finally asked me after much thought:

"If I go there, can I really become stronger?"

"Yes. The 'favor' the Goddess gifted you is more powerful than you think. If you become proficient with these powers... you could put up a good fight even against someone who has awakened Ascension."

"...Then I'll do it."

The young man's eyes shone with a sense of duty to fulfill his responsibilities. I smiled with satisfaction. With this, Hero Finn's participation in the session was decided.

It's a joy to properly meet a good person. Now, I can finally remember his name correctly.

Let's go without delay. There's no need to take Hero Finn to my research lab at the Academy. I've already brought the necessary data packs, and above all, I have the Dragon Heart!

Oh, you beautiful thing.

I draw a magic circle and let magical energy flow. Then I reconstruct the prepared materials to create a city of greed with flickering neon signs. And the people walking the city.

The lights are so brilliant, yet the fog in the heart doesn't lift. This is because, while the clamor of neon signs may disturb the eyelids, it doesn't penetrate beyond the window of the heart.

......

Alright, Finn.

I invite you to Omelas, a fictional megalopolis set in the year 2120.

===============================================================

Blink.

You.

You have never been surrounded by such brilliant lights in your life. Red, blue, yellow, lights of all colors moving here and there. This space was also filled with loud noises.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Music louder than heartbeats, people mindlessly shaking their bodies, the clinking of glasses, laughter.

"W-what, what is this?!"

You couldn't help but be flustered. Suddenly, opening your eyes to find yourself in such a place.

Looking around calmly only makes you more dizzy. People, regardless of gender, were nearly naked. Tight mini-skirts and mesh tops that revealed everything underneath.

This, this was more daring than even Saint Tara's outfits in her prime. With nowhere safe to look, visual shocks followed you everywhere.

This was the "Harmony Club," the third largest in Omelas.

"First, first I need to get out...!"

You need to leave. Both your reason and instinct agreed on this judgment. You move your body. You try to advance without touching others, but it doesn't work as planned.

Inevitably, you feel various sensations all over your body. It couldn't be helped. There were just too many people.

"S-sorry. I'm sorry, ladies..."

The women giggle at your mumbling. Their laughter makes your face flush and your head spin.

"Oh my, honey. Is this your first time in a place like this? How cute."

"Try some alcohol. Even cheap stuff. Some might have methanol mixed in that could make you lose your sight the next day, but then you can just replace your eyes with artificial ones. Right?"

You drifted through the crowd.

But you don't know where the exit is or how to escape. You just keep walking forward with the thought that you must move ahead.

Then a blue window appears in your vision.

[Tutorial: Use the Basic Situation Analysis Module to escape from "Harmony Club"]

How do I use that?

As soon as you think this, the operating instructions play in your mind. It's a strange, unfamiliar feeling. Like pressing a switch inside your head.

Click.

[Situation Analysis Module activated].

Pop! Instantly, the surrounding area is scanned, and people's outlines begin to glow in various colors. Their movement paths are indicated by arrows.

It's dizzying, with too much information. You try to calmly use this information, but... it feels like when you first learned swordsmanship. Your head aches trying to figure out what to do.

Then.

A woman in strange attire takes your hand and leads you away. Tight black leather, fishnet stockings, and bunny ears—the outfit known as a bunny girl costume.

In this strange land, following the rabbit's guidance, you barely manage to reach the emergency stairs at the back of the club.

Clank. The door opens, and a cool breeze blows in. You lean against the iron stair railing three floors up and breathe heavily.

"...Huff, hoo..."

"You looked like you were panicking, so I brought you out. Was it unwelcome meddling?"

"No, no... it wasn't. Thank you. You saved me."

From the name tag on her chest, you learn that her name is "Mary." Bunny Girl Mary advises you:

"If you can't handle it, don't come to places like this next time. Being so clueless, you might get robbed of everything and sold off, you know?"

"Yes, yes..."

The bunny girl giggles and returns to the club.

You try to calm your confused mind by breathing in the fresh air. You've physically realized that this world is literally another world.

Even the cityscape entering your eyes now. It was as bright as if all the stars in the sky had been plucked and embroidered on the ground.

What should you do here? While briefly pondering this distant question...

Growl.

"..."

Thanks to your stomach clock's kind advice, you realize the answer.

What else? You need to survive.

===============================================================

Two weeks passed like that.

Finn worked as a dishwasher but got his wages stolen, begged on the streets only to be chased by police, and gradually learned how to use the "Goddess Modules" in real situations.

He also discovered the "clear condition."

[Amount needed for return: 1,000,000 credits]

"...So it's a paid service."

He figured the Mad Magician's intention was for him to naturally get involved in incidents while running around trying to earn money, thereby increasing his proficiency with the Goddess Modules.

Eventually, he ended up living in a motel run by someone called "Drunken Mama." How he managed such luck in this city with murderous housing prices?

"Robber, robber! Someone help me!"

"...!!"

He helped her when she was being robbed of all her belongings, and through that connection, he was able to rent a room at a very low price.

By now, he had a sense of what this city, Omelas, was like. He had adapted. A place where you could do anything if you had money. A place full of bastards. Yet still a place where people lived.

This world had many bad points, but also many good ones. Especially the abundance of entertainment.

With just a small cost, he could purchase various magazines. Finn carefully stored the "Bunny Girl Special September Issue" magazine under his bed.

Wondering what job to take, he started working as a problem-solver. It sounds grand, but it's essentially errand center work. Like finding someone's cat.

The freedom of living alone was comfortable. Before, living with the Little Pope meant sacrificing parts of his own life in various ways.

But sometimes... no, quite frequently, he missed the Little Pope. Was he doing well? What if he looked for me? Or conversely, what if he forgot about me?

Maybe it's time to take on missions that pay more.

While pondering this, smoking cheap cigarettes in his motel room and watching risqué variety shows on TV.

Knock knock knock. Someone knocked on the door. Thinking it was the usual annoying visitor, Finn frowned and opened the door.

"I'm not buying newspapers. Won't subscribe either, not interested in drugs, and also—"

"Finn, I missed you! Wow, your beard has grown a lot."

"...Your Holiness?!"

Beyond stood the Little Pope.

Before questions like why he was here or how he found this place, what flashed through Finn's mind was his own appearance. The cigarette in his hand. The inappropriate TV program currently playing.

He needed to clean up.

He couldn't let a child see him like this.

"Um, wait 5 minutes, no, 1 minute please...!"

Finn began cleaning his room at the fastest speed of his life.