Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Chapter 144
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Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Chapter 144
35. Stories of Home (2)
Benjamin, who had been frightened and only glancing around cautiously, finally couldn't hold back and asked as words like Earth and English came out of my mouth one after another.
"W-Who are you? How do you know about Earth?"
I understand his desire to grasp at anything, but I didn't feel the need to explain.
As Gregory took another step forward, he closed his mouth, but still looked at me with desperate eyes.
"Come with me."
"What?"
Benjamin flinched at my demand.
I threw him a reasonable amount of hope.
"At the very least, there is no one in this world who understands your situation better than I do. And I am the only one who knows a hint about how you can return to your original world."
"I-Is that true?"
"Of course, I can't be certain. But if you ever return to Earth, it will likely be through me."
The content was hopeful, but the tone was utterly coercive.
From the start, he had no right to refuse.
"You will naturally follow me, right?"
"Understood. I will follow you."
That's the natural reaction if one has any sense.
I immediately released the magic.
The lady-in-waiting and Young Lady Otis, who had been frozen in place, returned to normal.
"Young Lady Otis, I will take this man with me."
She looked puzzled at my question, but nodded obediently, saying to do as I wished.
"If His Grace the Duke desires it, what could I refuse?"
At her courteous tone, Benjamin, who had already agreed to follow me, showed a hint of regret.
Well, I suppose one could develop special feelings for someone who extended a hand during hard times, but to him, whose very status was unclear, the daughter of Marquis Otis was a being beyond reach.
When I turned my gaze to Benjamin, he bowed his head.
"Then, I look forward to working with you."
And so Benjamin's fate was decided, and what remained was Young Lady Otis.
Honestly, the possibility of her becoming a threat to me was extremely low.
After all, Chester, the Opportunity administrator, had already made it clear that she had no chance of approaching the real Opportunity.
External intrusion is impossible into an Opportunity whose owner has already been decided.
That means the fake Opportunity she approached and the real Opportunity are of different tiers.
But this incident with Benjamin made me realize something anew.
She is a person who is troublesome in many ways, and cannot simply be left alone just because she isn't a threat.
'If Blue Moon had found Benjamin even a little later, if I had moved even a little later, she would have learned how to use the alphabet.'
Should I dismiss this as mere coincidence?
No, they say when coincidence piles upon coincidence, it becomes inevitability.
There is such a thing as fate in this world, and if the goddess governs that fate, then it was clear that some role had been assigned to her.
Of course, even if she learned how to use the alphabet, it would only increase her understanding of the figure Grand Duke Lucas, and there isn't much she could actually do.
However, since it's impossible to know what kind of chain reaction Young Lady Otis might trigger, I thought I needed to pay a bit more attention to her.
'A fragile being, soft as soft tofu, that can be crushed at any moment with just a squeeze of the fist.'
Killing her would be easy.
But the fact that her father was someone who showed me kindness when I was nothing, and I didn't think myself lacking enough to have to kill a girl who was simply doing what she enjoyed.
'They say the first-rate are those who gain profit even amid crisis and danger.'
So I decided to keep her alive, but came up with a way to manage her more efficiently.
Not only could I block the risk factors caused by Young Lady Otis, but I also saw a way to obtain several justifications and benefits.
"Young Lady Otis, come to my castle as well."
"What?"
At my suggestion, Young Lady Otis showed an even more dramatic reaction than Benjamin had.
-Clatter.
She dropped the teacup she was holding.
"Oh, how embarrassing. I misread things since you invited me to a tea party."
She took a towel from the lady-in-waiting who hurried over, wiped the tea splattered on her dress herself, and gave an awkward laugh.
I explained in detail that it wasn't that.
"No, I would like Young Lady Otis to stay at Duke Lawrence's Ducal Castle."
"What?"
To bring a young lady of marriageable age into my domain, I needed a clear justification.
But I had that justification.
"M-Me? In Your Highness the Duke's castle?"
"Yes."
"First, please dismiss the lady-in-waiting."
At my request, she signaled to her lady-in-waiting.
As the lady-in-waiting left the reception room, I cast a sound-blocking spell for show.
As if we were about to discuss something very important.
"I would like you to hand over the copied materials you obtained in the Prius Republic."
"What?"
By the materials she obtained in the Republic, I meant the copied materials of the fake Opportunity.
Though we called it a fake Opportunity, genuine materials from Grand Duke Lucas had been planted inside to avoid suspicion.
Of course, only the less important ones.
"B-But those materials should never be made public..."
"Given the situation with the Croysen Empire, isn't it? If something can contribute even a little to the nation's development, we should put it to use. If we apply it with slight alterations, even the Bringham Empire will find it hard to notice."
My words left her speechless.
But I knew she wouldn't be able to refuse in the end.
"Very well. If Your Highness the Duke wishes it, I shall hand them over. However, no matter how much those materials are my possession, His Majesty King Mikhail is aware of them, so I believe a report will be necessary."
"Leave that matter to me. His Majesty King Mikhail will surely approve as well."
Young Lady Otis nodded with a solemn expression.
If I utilized the fake Opportunity she had obtained, I would gain three things.
First, Young Lady Otis's person unpredictable as she was now under my control for the purpose of maintaining secrecy.
Second, even if we produced new weapons or goods, the King would understand it as thanks to the Young Lady's materials and strive to protect us at the kingdom level.
This also meant the Lawrence Mage Tower could quickly commercialize the Heaven-Piercing Fortress.
Third, even if the Bringham Empire were to brand Lewis Fairmont as a fake Opportunity Seeker and set out to find the real one, I could dilute suspicion toward me with her materials.
After all, even if Lewis Fairmont's Opportunity was fake, those materials were real.
'This means my range of action has widened.'
I calmly extended my hand to her.
It was a gesture for a handshake.
"We are now accomplices."
"If I can be of help to Your Grace, I am satisfied."
And so I washed away my worries and even devised a justification for unforeseen circumstances.
* * *
Obtaining permission from the new King Mikhail to use Young Lady Otis's materials was not difficult.
'I was actually considering using those materials myself. If Duke Lawrence is so confident, I shall entrust them to you.'
'But there is one condition. I intend to create a joint research council for technical exchange among the kingdom's mage towers, and I would like the Lawrence Mage Tower to participate actively.'
That was how I gave up what needed to be given up and obtained permission, and with that, Young Lady Otis's fate was decided.
Of course, Marquis Otis sighed that a political marriage was out of the question, but since Michelle Otis was treated like an outcast in the family anyway, he let her go without fuss.
Young Lady Otis, unaware of the true reason she was brought to my Lord's estate, seemed cheerful all day long.
"Young Lady, use this room. It is the room once used by Ibril, the prospective Saintess."
"Oh! What an honorable room! Thank you!"
Young Lady Otis led her luggage and personal lady-in-waiting away with a pleasant expression to tidy up the room.
Once she was gone, I was finally able to speak quietly with Benjamin.
"Follow me."
"Yes, Your Highness."
And we headed to my office.
I sent everyone out except Arcia.
"D-Did the Count leave?"
Perhaps Gregory's action of drawing his sword had etched fear into his mind, for Benjamin asked with an awkward expression.
"He had some business to attend to."
Benjamin looked relieved.
He must have been truly terrified.
Well, honestly, we were the stronger ones, but unlike Arcia, who looked harmless, and me, who looked like a pampered pretty boy, Gregory had real presence.
"I wish to hear information about Earth."
This was the purpose of bringing him into my office.
The story of Earth after I was reborn.
"I'll tell you everything I know. But if it's not too rude to ask, could you tell me how it is that you can return to your homeland?"
"Very well. I'll tell you that."
"Thank you! Where should I begin?"
"Tell me about what happened after 2020."
Earth was in 2020 before I was reborn, so I was curious about what came after.
Benjamin showed surprise at me specifying Earth, then English, and even the year.
"Just answer what I ask."
"M-My apologies."
But I cut off his curiosity.
After all, I had no need to earn his understanding one by one.
"If it's after 2020, then it's a short but significant story."
"Short?"
His tone somehow seemed laden with meaning.
And at the story Benjamin then told, I opened my eyes wide.
"It's only about two years' worth of events."
"Are you saying that Earth was in 2022 when you crossed over to this place?"
"Yes, it was the end of 2022."
My current age is 21.
Yet while I spent 21 years in Rondel, only two years had passed on Earth.
'Come to think of it, it was the same with Grand Duke Lucas.'
But this wasn't the first time I'd heard such a thing.
After all, Grand Duke Lucas, who lived 80 years in Rondel, had Earth be in 2012 before he crossed over.
In other words, this could be interpreted as the two worlds having a fixed time difference of about 10:1.
That meant that while I had spent 21 years in this world and my memories of the family I left on Earth had faded considerably, my family still on Earth had not experienced the same.
Naturally, that made a corner of my heart feel uneasy.
And then Benjamin began his story, and out came something so shocking that time ratios seemed like nothing at all.
"On Earth, 2020 was a special year."
"A special year?"
"Yes because all sorts of natural disasters that could only be described as a great calamity swept across the world."
Natural disasters sweeping the world?
I furrowed my brow deeply.
"Earthquakes, tidal waves, typhoons, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions massive catastrophes that would have topped world news headlines kept occurring without end. As a result, the international community was paralyzed, and countless lives were lost."
"I could understand that happening in Rondel, but how could something like that happen on Earth..."
"Because of it, there was much talk at the time of God's judgment and the coming of the apocalypse. The fortunate part was that the disasters that had turned the world into ruins gradually subsided after about ten days."
Were my family on Earth safe?
Worry flooded over me, but I held it in and waited for Benjamin to continue.
"With the entire world paralyzed at once and the casualty toll so immense, the restoration of social networks was delayed. As a result, looting, violence, and murder continued unabated in many places."
"As if they could afford to do that when they should have been uniting."
"It was a truly difficult time. Still, a considerable number of people lent their strength to the government, and as time passed, society slowly began to recover. Violent crime gradually subsided as well. But..."
His cutting off at "But" and covering his forehead with his palm made me sense that another incident had occurred.
"Was it the aftermath of the great natural disasters? Abnormal phenomena that threw the world into chaos broke out one after another."