****-
Manuel Lucas's Mage Tower, 8th floor.
The Mage Tower, imbued with Duke Lucas's fortune, grew larger in scale the higher one ascended.
Even the immediately preceding 7th floor had been several times bigger than the previous ones, but the 8th floor utterly defied all norms.
"This is just..."
Was even the Royal Library, the pride of the Reinhartz Kingdom, this massive?
The entire space—300 meters in diameter and 50 meters high—was packed floor-to-ceiling with books.
"No way most of these are just decorative game graphics, right?"
I muttered without thinking.
"They're all real."
But when a reply came, I yelped in shock, yanked out my magic staff, and dropped into combat stance.
Had the trial to reach 7th Circle not ended yet?
Even as I tensed up, Arcia stared blankly into empty air for some reason.
"Lord Adrian, it's fine."
Easing my nerves, she flashed a rare smile.
I lowered my weapon with a question mark practically hovering over my head. Then the owner of that voice from thin air revealed itself.
"A fairy?"
It was a human.
A tiny human, barely a foot tall.
But it differed vastly from the fairies in stories—no wings, and its appearance was far too...
"Fairy grandpa?"
It was old.
It had a long white beard like a wizard from the movies, clad in a black robe and pointed hat.
'No way, a new support character?'
The sudden appearance of this unprecedented entity on this floor left me puzzled.
But soon, recognizing someone in its features, I widened my eyes.
"Duke Lucas!?"
A face no Rondellian could fail to recognize.
Not just in history, science, and society textbooks, but even etched on high-denomination bills of the Bringem Empire—this figure had appeared in miniature form.
Without changing expression, it looked up at me and introduced itself in response to my question.
"My name is Chester. I am the fortune administrator and also a remnant of Manuel Lucas."
Fortune administrator?
No, wait—remnant?
"It might be simpler to say I'm an artificial personality created by copying Manuel Lucas's memories."
Duke Lucas was my benefactor.
Without him in this world—had he not been another Earthling like me, had he left no such fortune—my life would have been far more miserable than it was now, never bright.
Yet facing what was essentially my benefactor, even if a copy, brought no joy—only a tangled mess of thoughts.
'No way he's going to take back what he gave, right?'
I wanted to welcome him coolly, but with his intentions unknown, all sorts of worries and wariness bubbled up.
He'd introduced himself as the fortune administrator.
Didn't that mean he could reclaim what was given?
'If he shows goodwill, perfect. But if not, we're in trouble. Inside the Hollywood system, he's practically omnipotent, like a god.'
There had to be a clear purpose for this copy of Duke Lucas to appear.
I couldn't relax until I got answers.
***
[You're the vice-captain now? Quite the promotion.]
Billyum, vice-captain of the Lawrence Viscountcy's Knightly Order, smiled instead of bristling at his hologram call partner's rudeness, responding with polite deference.
"It's all thanks to you, Sir Pessius, my former captain and savior."
Pessius, Billyum's interlocutor and ex-vice-captain, let out a hearty laugh.
But the laughter didn't last; his face fell into a weary shake of the head.
[In the end, I'm just a fugitive. If I'd held out to the bitter end, things might be better for the lord and the viscountcy now.]
A reaction laced with regret over past choices.
This uncharacteristic side from the ever-confident, boisterous Pessius made Billyum's gaze turn serious.
"That's why, then."
[Why what?]
"Why you're joining the second young master's branch family instead of returning to the viscountcy proper."
[...]
Silence affirmed it.
Learning Pessius's choice was atonement for the past, Billyum nodded in satisfaction.
[You didn't contact me to drag me into Cedric's camp, did you?]
Pessius narrowed his eyes coldly.
But noticing something odd in the exchange, Billyum furrowed his brow.
"'You too'?"
[The captain told me not to do anything stupid and pushed me toward Cedric.]
"And?"
[Are you insane!? Have you forgotten why I left the territory? I'd rather join another noble house than that single-minded fool. Plenty of places are offering captain positions even now.]
Billyum knew the Knight-Commander's leanings had shifted from their lord, the Lawrence Viscount, toward Cedric—but he hadn't expected such overt action.
He couldn't hide his displeasure.
'Captain, do you not care what becomes of the territory? The Lawrence lands are our home!'
And contact from the order meant Annas's side was tracking Pessius—hardly a good sign.
[Heh... From that look, you're still the lord's man.]
"Yeah, pretty much."
Pessius's expression softened as he crossed his arms and asked why the call.
"Naturally, for the territory's future."
[Hm?]
"Sir Pessius, I'd like to meet in person."
[You're plotting something, aren't you?]
"Plotting? What a scary word. I just want your opinion."
Billyum dodged, but Pessius wasn't fooled.
Sensing an ulterior motive, Pessius pondered long before nodding.
[Fine, we'll talk details in person.]
If Pessius was marked, surveillance could be anywhere.
Meeting face-to-face preserved secrecy better.
"How about tomorrow at 1 PM, in front of Teleport Gate 2 in Nichen City?"
Nichen City—one of the royal demesnes on the western frontlines where battle lines were drawn.
Recalling Billyum still commanded frontline troops, Pessius agreed.
[Sure, see you tomorrow.]
"Understood."
Yet neither Billyum nor Pessius attached much importance to this city—it was one Adrian had personally chosen.
Nichen lacked a sky fortress for patrols, broadening a mage like Adrian's range of action.
Adrian didn't trust Pessius.
Until he scryed the man's situation with his telescope, no alliance was in the cards.
***
I swallowed dryly, scrutinizing the fortune administrator 'Chester,' who claimed to be a remnant of Manuel Lucas.
"No need to be so tense."
Miniature-sized, yes, but its face matched the textbooks perfectly.
"Autonomous conversation like this... it doesn't seem artificial at all."
"Understandable. I may lack a soul, but I hold the data of one man's life."
This was a fantasy world.
Miracles defying common sense were par for the course.
Especially in a high-tech fantasy realm like Rondell.
"The body succumbed to age and death, but the mind endures in a virtual world... Immortality, in a sense."
"One could see it that way. Manuel Lucas created the Hollywood system for exactly this purpose, after all."
I'd heard tales of Duke Lucas's genius until my ears rang.
But experiencing it firsthand, his abilities seemed boundless, sending chills down my spine.
Same Earth-born, yet such a vast gap...
Had he gotten cheat powers from a god upon reincarnation, like some mass-produced comic cliché?
"But the system isn't perfect. Memories degrade or corrupt midway. Above all, this isn't truly alive—just a ghost lingering."
Did virtual and real need such distinction?
With will alone, everything here could feel utterly real.
Inside Hollywood, wasn't he godlike?
He could craft new worlds to his taste.
"Manuel Lucas believed that even if copied memories gained ego, it wasn't truly him. If immortality via memory transfer interested him, he wouldn't drift in virtual space—he'd have made homunculi like Arcia and implanted memories."
"Hm, fair point."
My fleeting suspicion that he aimed to possess my body was unfounded—thank goodness.
I sighed inwardly in relief and got to the point.
"We've strayed a bit. May I ask now?"
"Ask what?"
"Why you've appeared, Sir Chester. The sudden shift from prior floors threw me. Any restrictions on me? Forced quests?"
Chester aimed his tiny magic staff at me, expression unchanging.
[Hollywood System administrator privileges '5 uses' granted.]
The message window popped up.
Chester's arrival being benign was a relief, but this unexpected notice puzzled me.
"The fortune Adrian Lawrence acquired is all of Manuel Lucas's legacy—naturally including various privileges. Constraints remain since you haven't fully assimilated it, but later you'll wield them freely."
"What can I do with this?"
Seeing my stunned look, Chester smiled with an oddly solemn air.
"You gain administrator privileges over all programs based on the virtual reality Hollywood System."
Countless possibilities flashed through my mind.
I swallowed, cautiously asking for examples.
"If corporations or institutions use Hollywood, you could infiltrate their internal networks—forge or alter data. Collect or surveil personal info. Alter anything doable in Hollywood to fit."
Simple for such a detailed request.
But I got it.
Hollywood was like Earth's 'internet,' just with VR traits.
Meaning I could manipulate any connected online data at will.
'Only five uses is limiting, but smart use means huge gains. Especially in my position—it's like gaining a massive ally.'
Chester clapped, snapping me from my thoughts.
"But four rules must be followed when exercising admin privileges."
To protect Hollywood's trust and ecosystem?
The rules were eminently reasonable.
First: No admin privileges on Chronicle Online, where the fortune resides.
Second: No direct brain access to others.
Third: No seizing others' property.
Fourth: No privileges directly harming the world.
The rules didn't feel overly restrictive.
No issues there.
I probed Chester with scenarios.
"Could I launder the fortune's assets?"
"Simple enough. Open stock accounts with trade histories, morph paper companies into real unicorns. I recommend fabricating investments in online currency markets and stock trades."
"Detection risk via audits?"
"Approaches zero percent. It's not just ledger tweaks— all related data changes, making it fully real in records."
Fortune assets were invaluable, but massive spending invites tax authority scrutiny.
Failing to explain origins could expose the Lucas fortune acquisition.
A chilling prospect.
With my current weakness, the whole world might turn against me.
Chester's solid answer had me clenching my fist; I requested laundering immediately.
"Understood. Current assets: 12.625 trillion rute. Opening the 8th-floor treasure chest adds more—handle that too?"
"Yes, please."
"I'll disperse across various overseas investment firms."
No work on my end—just speak, and Chester handles it.
Account creation and history fabrication counted as one use.
"Anything else?"
My gaze drifted to Arcia.
"Legal household registration for Arcia. Ideally from the holy city Everhill."
"Possible. I'll make it an orphan registry—family deceased."
Chester was my genie's lamp.
Pity about burning two of five uses already, but no real worry.
Laundering and Arcia's status alone granted huge freedom of movement.
I had plans for the rest but tabled them, eyeing the treasure chest behind Chester.
"Is granting privileges and aiding processing your role, Sir Chester?"
"Yes."
He seemed like a butler Duke Lucas left for his successors.
Entering the 8th floor revealed the duke's profound care for posterity.
Gratitude welled up anew.
"Why go this far, Duke Lucas?"
"Expression of homesickness—and a plea not to live as wretchedly as he did."
Not to live wretchedly like him?
Such words ill-suited a man dubbed 'great.'
Meeting Chester's gaze, I dropped to one knee and voiced my sincerity.
"Thank you, Master."
"I am not Manuel Lucas."
Chester's response was dry.
Yet unlike his cold eyes, his lips seemed to twitch faintly—was it my imagination?
"Right, then..."
Rising moments later, I approached the treasure chest with a joy-filled smile.
[You have acquired 50 trillion rute.]
[Elysia Union Bank account holding the amount is provided.]
[Union Bank account added to terminal.]
[You have acquired Sky Fortress Icarus.]
[7th Circle generated.]