Author: Himezaki Shiu	Original Source: Syosetu
Translator: Jiro	English Source: Re:Library

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

The hideout I prepared for the former king of the elves, which was meant to serve him until the world collapsed, was an uninhabited island in the middle of a vast ocean. It was a desolate place, far from any nation and beyond the reach of the spirits’ blessings. So I asked Lullus to handle that part for me. Though not luxurious, it was abundant enough to support a simple, normal life.

“Can you make it like that?” I asked.
“Yes. Please leave it to me.”

As I waited eagerly, curious about how she would carry out the adjustments, Lullus swung her arm in a wide arc from left to right. I wondered what kind of spectacle would unfold—would fluffy lights drift down, or perhaps pillars of light would shoot up from the ground? Maybe there would be a major earthquake, or something equally grand.

(Huh? Nothing’s happening?)

Confused, I turned to Lullus, who simply blinked at me.

“Are you done, by any chance?”
“Yes…” Lullus said, looking puzzled.

(Maybe I’m the strange one? Am I really?)

Sure, I was the one who expected some sort of flashy spectacle. That much was true.

But still, wasn’t it about time this world showed me something a little more fantastical? I wasn’t asking for anything extravagant. Just a bit of flair—something with a characteristic sound effect, something magical-sounding.

Then again, going down that route would make it feel more like a game world than a fantasy world. No, no, no—why not expect something game-like? Since this world already had a status system, that wouldn’t be wrong.

“You sure did finish it quickly…”
“If there were an elaborate display for every single adjustment, wouldn’t the world constantly be flooded with effects everywhere?”
“That does sound troublesome. If that’s the case, this simple method is certainly better.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”

Even while we were having this conversation, visible changes were already beginning to occur as the plants around us had become visibly fresher. It wasn’t immediately noticeable unless you looked closely, but in a way, it could be considered a kind of fantasy-like performance. I decided to be satisfied with that.

“Thank you very much, Lullus. Well then, shall we head back to the Tree of Spirits?”
“Let’s.”

Before that, we still had one more stop to make. I didn’t feel like carrying the leader’s head with me, so I first needed to figure out where to store it for a bit.

◇◇◇

Our second stop brought us to the Tree of Spirits. While we were still here, I first wanted to talk with the former king before presenting the leader’s head to the current king. And I also really wanted that key. So, we arrived in front of the cell.

“It’s been a while, former king.”
“It’s you. Does your visit mean you’ve come to break me out?”
“It does. I’m inviting you to a certain uninhabited island. It’s not large, but I’ve stocked it with enough food for you to survive.”
“You have… If what you say is the truth, then I won’t ask further.”
“You’re free to ask whatever you want. I simply enlisted the help of the spirit that was in Fraus.”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

He said, frowning as if he’d swallowed something bitter after he heard my honest answer. I noticed that there were many things in the world better left unheard, but I didn’t think this was one of them. Even if he knew, there wasn’t anything the former king could do. After all, I was taking him to a deserted island after this.

Honestly, if I had been in his position, I wouldn’t have wanted to hear it either.

“That aside, let’s take you there. How do I break you out?”
“You shouldn’t have any problems breaking me out discreetly as long as you don’t make any noise.”
“The security here seems surprisingly lax.”
“When this place was built, it wasn’t supposed to be used as a prison. Even the king doesn’t know its original purpose, but that was because I didn’t tell him.”
“That’s quite typical of you, former king.”
“I’m a man accused of treason. Although he’s my son, I do not see why I should share everything with him.”

The former king smiled wryly, and I thought to myself that he must have been quite the dignified father. I wished God, who now seemed to function more like some cosmic search engine, could learn something from him. And just so you know, that was a joke.

If God were to go all out and show his majesty, the pressure alone would cause one unable to move. A normal person would lose consciousness—or, in the worst case, die outright.

For now, all I had to do was block the sound. I could simply use magic to block the sound and break through as needed.

“Please stand back. I’m breaking it. Also, please hand the key over to me.”
“I’ll show it to you the moment I get out of here.”

When he didn’t hand the key over to me, I detected a hint of aristocratic bargaining in his response. Still, the agreement was that he would reveal the location, so if he intended to show us directly, that worked just as well.

Those things aside, I had to think about how I was going to destroy this prison. Using lock-picking or simply prying the gates apart with brute force were two methods I could take. Given the chance, I decided to practice holding back and took out a sword.

I had heard that swords on Earth weren’t well-suited for cutting, but in this world, they were designed precisely for that purpose.

Oh well. I used Creation to make a random sword that was roughly half of my height.

“Well then, let’s get this started.”

I said, just in case, before slicing through the grating. I wasn’t sure how it looked from the former king’s perspective, but from my point of view, I managed to cleave through it with only the slightest bit of resistance. The cut went as intended, but the sword was ruined in the process.

(Maybe I had to use tougher materials. Well, all that matters is that it cuts through.)

I created another sword, swung it again, and opened up a hole large enough for a person to crawl through.

“That should be enough.”
“It is. Thank you.”
“So, where’s the key?”
“Inside the prison.”
“Ah, I see, inside the prison.”

When the former king responded, I couldn’t help but repeat what he had said since it sounded so natural. Ignoring my confusion, the former king walked toward the prison across the hall, the one opposite the cell he had been locked in. I watched as he moved some of the furnishings inside, and suddenly, part of the wall opened like a hidden door. From within, he retrieved a black crystal ball-like object.

(Another game-like trick! And like before, there’s no special effect. That’s it. I’m not going to expect anything anymore. It’s fine. Good grief.)

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