Chapter 172.1

Chapter 172.1. Speculation Continues

What is the meaning of the Night of Magic? I had thought it represented a world of the night, arbitrarily controlled by those in power or a world with societal disparities.

But even in the epilogue of the final volume, there was no expression like “the dawn has come”. Was it an entirely different meaning?

Pondering with my chin on the sofa, I start to feel sleepy. Perhaps Mii-chan’s activity limit is approaching.

While dozing off a bit, I recall the final volume in detail. Let’s see, it went something like this.

“After defeating the Demon God, Shin stood on the balcony of the Imperial Castle, waving his hand with a smile to the people on the ground, proclaiming himself as the new Emperor. His companions around him celebrated with smiles, and the people on the ground cheered. It was a typical template ending…”

“Was there something strange written there?”

Freya-neesan notices Miu stumbling over her words and asks her. I nod while letting out a yawn. There was a slightly concerned expression at the end.

“Mmm… The harem members were all clinging to Shin, competing for his affection, but Sena wasn’t in the illustration on the balcony, which looked like a commemorative photo of everyone. And the last line was odd too. It said, [Sena gazed at Shin, smiling happily.]. What’s up with that? And that’s how it ended.”

“I see… It certainly is intriguing, that expression.”

Freya, who has emptied the bag of mochi, speaks while chewing.

“Yeah, the expression seems off, right? Normally, in the illustration, the main heroine would be next to the protagonist. And the last line is also puzzling.”

Wait, wasn’t it supposed to be a pack of 24? Now that’s what I’m more curious about. Did you eat them all?

“It was a suggestive way of writing… Such paintings always carry a different meaning.”

Grandpa Odin seems completely unconcerned. He gets up from the sofa, paces around, and starts pondering the meaning of the epilogue with a serious expression.

“It might be weird, but maybe the illustrator made a mistake? There were too many heroines, so they forgot.”

Back then, the author, the illustrator, and the readers had a good laugh. That’s why I remembered it clearly.

“That possibility exists, but… young lady, you were summoned to the world of that novel, you know?”

“That’s true…”

Isn’t it just a straightforward story? The most famous meaning embedded in paintings is The Last Supper. There are many other examples, like casting shadows on the Emperor’s portrait in a painting or putting mice in a peaceful castle to convey a different meaning.

Could such deep meanings be concealed in light novels’ illustrations?

“If that’s the case, there should be a reason why Sena wasn’t depicted. But a traitor? It’s already the epilogue, right? There won’t be any more sequels, right?”

Frigg-neesan makes a sharp observation. Yeah, it’s strange for the final volume.

“Yeah, there weren’t even rumors about it. There were no spin-offs either.”

I seriously think about it, but I have no idea. It’s unlikely that Sena would betray and kill Shin. He defeated the Demon God and gained overwhelming support from the people, becoming the strongest among humanity.

Reversing the situation from there is impossible. Besides, Sena was a gentle and peaceful saint. There’s no way she would do such a thing.

“Young lady, to confirm again, there was no expression indicating that the night of magic had ended, right?”

“Now that you mention it, there wasn’t. I just assumed that since everything became peaceful, the night had ended.”

Detective Odin strokes his white beard and sits heavily on the sofa.

“I see. If that’s the case, the night in this world did not end. It remains submerged beneath the veil of darkness.”

“What is the meaning of the night of magic?”

Watson Miu asks Odin, wondering what it signifies.

“There are a few hypotheses.”

“Hurry, Hurry. I’m sleepy…”

Miu lightly taps the sofa, feeling annoyed by the grandiloquent wording. She’s tired.

“First, Nagaraja referred to you as the overseer of this world, or rather, as an overseer who abandoned this world, but that is incorrect.”

“No matter how much I dirty my hands, I cannot change the world.”

Nagaraja briefly transformed the world, but deliberately intending to do the same is impossible. It merely adheres to my game specifications.

“The reason Nagaraja misunderstood is clear. Your game specification creates a god domain within this world. Nagaraja sensed that and mistakenly believed you to be the overseer of this world.”

“But I’m not overseeing anything.”

“That’s how it appeared to him.”

Certainly, I created a god domain with my powerful special moves. The power of my game specifications is impressive.

“This world is filled with magic, or rather, it’s filled with the power of magic. And it is you, Takano Miu, who is transforming that magic power into your own set of rules.”

“It’s embarrassing.”

“However, even with the ability to operate within the game’s rules with your game specifications, you can’t control the world itself.”

She ponders and rolls on the sofa. But from Nagaraja’s perspective, Miu was completely black.

However, Miu is a player, not someone from the game’s administration. That’s the difference.

“The young lady’s power is formidable. But compared to the entire world. It’s minuscule.”

That’s right. If Odin’s words are correct, it would be like scooping up a tiny amount of water from the vast ocean and turning it into fresh water. Such a thing cannot change the entire world.

But then, the next question arises.

“Where is the true god supposed to be?”

Mii-chan becomes an unauthorized intruder who plays in someone else’s yard without permission. Why is that allowed? It seems like neglect of duty.

“…I don’t know. But the god is certainly alive. Even if their magical power is being used to change the rules, it’s unclear whether they’re sleeping, sealed away, or have become mere concepts.”

“Well… if that’s the case, then there’s no problem. We’ll continue living as we have until now.”

I’ll live harmoniously with papa, mama, the soon-to-be-born younger sibling, and the companions of darkness.