episode_0009

“Honestly, I wouldn’t say everything you’re saying is wrong… I can’t. But there’s just one thing I definitely want to confirm.”

Elfelt hugged her arms and spoke softly with a troubled expression, then,

“Whether you have the right to take responsibility for Arianna, whether you have enough skill to preach to me as if you’re great.”

She pointed her finger at me again with a cool flourish and declared. It was a powerful hand gesture befitting a duelist.

“Alright. Fine. A duel is better than rambling on and on.”

As expected, for a duelist, a duel is the best, rather than a word war. Above all, that’s much more fun.

“Ugh. Please don’t fight because of me…”

Arianna discouraged us listlessly, looking troubled yet not entirely displeased, but it was futile to stop duelists who had already decided to duel.

“Before that, I was hoping you could help me build a deck. It’s my first time in this world, so I don’t even know where to get cards. And of course, I have no money.”

“Understood. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go straight to the Duel Academy. As for the cost of putting together a deck, I’ll pay for it.”

Elfelt, despite showing so much hostility just moments ago, readily declared she would build me a deck.

“I appreciate it, but are you sure? I have no intention of building a weak deck. It’ll probably be quite expensive.”

“It doesn’t matter. Not if I set the condition that I get the ‘Replica’ of Ice Scenery Marius first in the future.”

The ‘Replica’ of Ice Scenery Marius, which is one of the [Four Sceneries] that hasn’t been discovered until now.

In this world, which is all about duels, it must have immense value. Even building a deck full of shiny cards probably wouldn’t come close to that value. I guess I don’t need to feel hesitant.

“Well, if the result of the duel shows you are completely unqualified, I will truly consider taking it away, though.”

Elfelt chuckled and spoke provocatively.

“Hmm. People who say things like that usually lose.”

“Is that so? I’ve never lost.”

“Hahahaha.”

“Hehehehehe.”

“Hee…”

Tomorrow’s duel seems like it will be very enjoyable.

“Then, let’s rest for today in preparation for tomorrow. I used a lot of magic finding you, so I’m tired.”

Having finished talking, Elfelt plopped down beside the bed, leaned back, and closed her eyes with her arms crossed. She was quickly getting ready to sleep.

“Elfelt sunbae, are you staying the night?”

“…Knowing what might happen if I left like this.”

“Ugh. You’re too interfering!! You’re not my mom!!”

Well, if it were just me and Arianna left alone right now, it feels like it would be awkwardly deadly. We just argued, but it’s better if she stays.

…To be honest, I’m not confident I can make the right choice between responsibility and desire. Even in my past life, whenever I went to a TCG store, I always pointlessly ripped open a pack. Even though I didn’t particularly need any cards other than high rarity ones.

“Um… By the way.”

Just as I was starting to feel tired myself and leaned back on the bed to try and sleep again, Arianna, who was alone on the bed, called out to us in a slightly trembling voice.

“I’m listening.”

“Um, well, if Elfelt sunbae and Kishu-nim duel tomorrow, and if Kishu-nim wins… *Hoo*.”

After a slight pause,

“Um, will, will me and Kishu-nim become, a couple?!”

“That’s not it.”

“That’s not it.”

I and Elfelt immediately denied it simultaneously because she said something strange.

“Ah, I see. I didn’t quite understand the flow of the conversation… Please don’t mind it…”

Of course, it’s not that I dislike Arianna.

But such things are not decided by a duel. It’s not even a duel against herself. This is between me and Elfelt.

“…It’s not that I dislike you. It’s just not something to be decided by a duel.”

“Huh?”

“I said I don’t dislike you.”

“…Yes.”

I had no intention of saying it because it was embarrassing, but I heard what sounded like sobbing from the bed, so I had no choice but to say it, and she replied sounding a little relieved.

“…”

“Well.”

Elfelt stared at me intently with an expression that had a lot to say, and my ears got a little hot.

*

Time passed and it became morning.

“Ugh. My back hurts…”

“See, I told you you didn’t need to come down.”

“It’s lonely being on the bed alone. It would have been nice if both of you had come up.”

“Talk sense. How could I share a bed with a guy I just met?”

The three of us didn’t sleep on the bed at all, but came down and slept leaning against the bed, like Koreans use sofas, waking up to a morning where nobody was comfortable.

“I don’t mind sleeping below alone.”

When I said this, thinking it might have been better if Arianna and Elfelt slept on the bed together, even if I couldn’t,

“Hmph! I don’t want to hear excuses about being in poor condition because you didn’t sleep properly. If I were in the same environment, there would be no room for excuses either.”

Elfelt declared proudly, propping her chest with one arm and pointing at me with the other hand. I don’t know if her personality is good or bad. I do like the fact that she’s fair and square.

Anyway, after coming down from the inn room together, we,

“…Here’s the key. Thanks for your work.”

“You, what kind of person are you exactly?”

Ignoring the innkeeper’s jealous gaze, we headed towards the Duel Academy.

*

Upon arriving at the Duel Academy, we,

“Kyaak!?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, no. A drop of water fell on my neck… I’ve never come this way before.”

“Be careful not to hit your head.”

We proceeded into the Duel Academy not through the main gate or the back gate, but through the underground waterway.

I had hoped to see something like Hogwarts, but it seems the genre is different.

“Why are we going this way? Aren’t we going to meet a professor or something?”

“If you don’t mind being tied up for about a week with troublesome, complicated, and annoying procedures, I’ll guide you.”

“I don’t know where we’re going, but please lead the way.”

Anything is better than a bothersome Hogwarts tour. I decided to follow her obediently.

How far did we proceed like that?

“We’re here.”

Elfelt announced our arrival, unlocking the magical lock on a large iron gate.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE…

The door opened with a heavy sound, and as I stepped forward nervously wondering what was beyond,

“Th-This is…”

“This is the Duel Aptitude Tester, commonly known as Neuron-nim.”

There was a [Duel Protocol] machine decorated in an antique style.

The [Duel Protocol] was the arcade game version of [Duel Fantasia], which came out over 10 years ago, and some of the archetypes and cards born from it are still actively used today.

It wasn’t released in Korea, only the cards that were included came in, so I never imagined I’d meet the legendary game machine that I had only seen in pictures and imagined here.

[It seems not long after I fell asleep, but has the entrance ceremony already arrived?]

“?!”

Just as I was thinking if it was going to measure my duel aptitude by playing a game with it, the [Duel Protocol] machine, or rather, Neuron-nim, spoke.

“The entrance ceremony hasn’t arrived yet. I woke you because there is someone who needs to be tested.”

Elfelt knelt respectfully in front of Neuron-nim and replied. It seems to be treated as quite a significant being.

[I see. Understood. What kind of person are they?]

“He is someone who says he came from another world. Could you measure this person’s duel aptitude?”

Following Elfelt’s gaze, I stepped forward in front of Neuron-nim. Numbers were constantly flowing down the screen, creating a very sci-fi scene. Like the Matrix.

[You have a face that suggests you know me.]

“…I’ve seen you in the world I originally lived in.”

I added ‘-yo’ because I thought Elfelt would scold me for being impolite if I used informal language.

[Interesting. But I am a different entity from them, so you do not know me.]

“Well, I guess so…”

A highly intelligent response, unexpected from a machine from over 10 years ago, came back. As expected, it doesn’t seem like an ordinary machine. Although it was obvious just by looking at it.

[Anyway, let us measure. Please place your hand on my touch panel.]

“Yes.”

Even if it gained intelligence, the name of the touch panel is still touch panel, I thought. With that thought, I placed my hand on the touch panel, and soon several lines passed over and scanned my palm.

“What results will come out… I’m getting excited.”

“Since you could use Ice Scenery Marius-nim, you definitely have the Water attribute.”

“If you can also handle the Fire attribute like me, perhaps it would be good…”

While Arianna and Elfelt were chattering, the scan was completed.

The result of my duel aptitude test was,

[Usable Attributes: Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Light, Dark]

[All-Meister]

“Wh-What did you sayyyy?!”

It was a content that would make Elfelt exclaim in surprise with a voice comically high.

“6, an All-Meister who can handle all 6 attributes…?! That’s the same level as the principal!!”

“Is that so?”

In [Duel Fantasia], there wasn’t such a restriction in the first place, so honestly, I didn’t know it was that impressive. I was relieved there were no annoying restrictions, though.

“Yes!! Th-That’s impossible. This guy with a bad impression and not an ounce of magic power is an All-Meister!!”

“Are you being harsh…?!”

While I was getting annoyed at Elfelt’s words, which were both praising and insulting,

[CRACKLE, CRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE…!!]

Intense noise started appearing on Neuron-nim’s screen.

[Registering user information.]

[Checking data saved on the server.]

[Loading saved data.]

And a voice synthesization tone distinctly different from before flowed out.

“Saved data? Neuron-nim. What does that mean?!”

And then,

CRACK!

“Whoa?!”

“Kyaa?! Wh-What is it?!”

CRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE…!! RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE…!!

Neuron-nim started crackling wildly and vibrating. Blue energy-like stuff surged up, traveling through the hand I had on the touch panel.

“Wh-What in the world is happening?! Are you okay?!”

“I’m okay!! I think I’ll be okay…!! Both of you get behind me!!”

I wondered if I was being electrocuted, but it didn’t feel like that. It was a strange sensation of something pouring into my body, and it didn’t seem harmful.

CRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE, RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE…!!!

“Whoaaa, the ground…!!”

“Kyaaaaak!!”

After the blue energy overflowed and caused vibrations close to an earthquake,

BOOOOOM…

[Data upload complete.]

Neuron-nim calmed down with a single line of message.

“Ne-Neuron-nim. What in the world just happened?!”

[…This is the first time I’ve been this overworked.]

[I will sleep now.]

*Psh.*

And Neuron-nim turned off as if the power had been cut.

“Ne-Neuron-nim?! S-Surely you aren’t broken?! Aah, I’ll be in trouble just for using you secretly…!!”

While Elfelt was on the verge of tears, hitting Neuron-nim like a broken TV,

“…’Binder Summon’.”

I took my hand off the touch panel and muttered the words that came to mind, reaching out into the air.

Then, with a blue screen, the information of the cards I possessed appeared.

“…Elfelt.”

“Y-You!! Do something about this, Neuron-nim is acting strange because of you!!”

“It seems I don’t need your help getting cards.”

My deck, my cards, hadn’t disappeared.

[Possessed Cards: 102242]

They were all saved completely, along with the cards I had collected without discarding them because I found it troublesome when opening boxes and packs until now.