After the development of a certain area, a great disaster befalling the newly constructed buildings is something of a ‘cliché’.
– Argh! Why is there a fire?!
– Well, the entire area has dried out, hasn’t it?
For instance, when land is leveled, and large-scale deforestation occurs to make way for construction, the resulting dryness can lead to fires.
– Argh! Why is there water?!
– That’s because you dug too deeply and damaged the water pipes, then secretly covered them with cement during construction.
Excavating land recklessly and building on top of it could cause underground water veins to burst later, flooding the building from below.
This world is no exception.
‘The North, South, East, and West Terminals aren’t there for no reason.’
Especially when the protagonist goes around during vacations, encountering various incidents and accidents.
For instance, if the protagonist visits a museum or historical site with heroines for an outdoor excursion, they might find a cultural artifact imbued with divine power and end up battling demons targeting it.
Or, if they visit a quiet dungeon seeking profit, villains who benefit from the dungeon in the future might coincidentally appear.
Or, a murder case might occur if they attend a banquet hall.
These are events that wouldn’t happen at all if the protagonist weren’t involved—events triggered solely because the protagonist takes action.
From that perspective, I can confidently predict what might happen here at this resort.
The attack of an S-rank beast.
This is a predetermined future.
‘It’s just the trouble caused by the original protagonist’s design.’
Not just this resort but most of the world’s “landmarks” will experience apocalyptic events.
‘Combat events that trigger upon the protagonist’s arrival.’
Such incidents would happen eventually, whether during the first-year summer vacation or the third-year winter vacation. The moment the protagonist visits this place, the disaster will inevitably occur.
‘The timing doesn’t matter. The trigger for the event is ultimately the protagonist, the player.’
No matter when the resort begins operations, the S-rank beast will appear in sync with the protagonist’s arrival.
That’s the kind of world this is.
A world intertwined with the game’s settings, where such “clichés” ensure that events occur inevitably.
How to prevent them?
One possibility is to stop the protagonist from coming here at all.
Problem.
If you don’t trigger the event, will the resort remain safe?
‘Even if the event isn’t initiated to deal with the beast, the beast will still appear and wreak havoc.’
Much later, after the third-year winter vacation and a week before the “graduation ceremony”, the story changes.
‘The Great Apocalypse.’
The world collapses.
Places where the protagonist visited during vacations and resolved incidents will face a relatively less severe A-rank apocalypse.
Places untouched by the protagonist, where events didn’t occur, will suffer from S-rank beasts rampaging in catastrophic apocalypses.
In other words, this resort will inevitably face either an S-rank beast or something less destructive but still devastating.
Therefore, it’s better to prepare in advance, especially against the S-rank beast, the most destructive of them all.
‘There’s so much to do.’
While I’m one to talk, as someone who has scheduled everything to overcome every crisis, the game developers are truly cruel.
Whether during the semester or vacations, neglecting events will always lead to some unsettling catastrophe later on.
From the perspective of a player, they might casually shrug off, “Oh, 30,000 people died because of the beast here?” But for someone living in this world—
‘Death isn’t the end.’
If I were just an ordinary person, I’d do everything to prevent their deaths. Fortunately, even if people die, there are ways to clean up the aftermath.
You can either prepare in advance.
Or manage and resolve the situation afterward.
How much I intervene or clean up the various incidents worldwide ultimately depends on my choices.
As for those elsewhere, decisions about them will come later.
For now, I can at least assure you about the Grand Hyatt Resort in the South of the Marquisate of Ludvecia.
Because I’m here.
In that sense, I had something I needed to do first.
Swimming?
No.
Unpacking?
I hadn’t brought much in the first place.
The first thing I needed to do.
“The bread is evenly baked. Approved.”
“Um, Phoenix?”
“What is it, Miss Yunia?”
“Those people in white hats have been glaring at you rather fiercely for a while now….”
“Well, of course they are.”
It was to visit the restaurant of this five-star resort and savor their desserts.
“I’m a guest, right? Surely, this much is fine?”
“Senior Yurha is busy preparing countermeasures against the S-rank beast, and here you are with two desserts—analyzing and deconstructing one while savoring the other.”
“Exactly. I’m thoroughly enjoying one while studying the other.”
Even if the world were to end tomorrow, I would savor an apple pie today.
“It’s a rare chance for an Academy student aspiring to master baking and pastry arts with the [Hand of the Sun] to taste the desserts of a five-star resort. I’m fulfilling my role as a student.”
“You still haven’t given up on that, have you?”
“Why would I? I’ve been sincere about it from the start.”
“…I suppose the people glaring at you might find this situation a bit absurd, to say the least.”
Yunia took a bite of the cake she had brought and spoke.
“The creator of the Magic Pants, the sole male student in the special class of the Old School Building at the Academy, which draws the attention of all political figures across the continent. The adopted son of the Marquisate of Ludvecia. Rumor has it he was abducted to the Demon World for ten years before returning to the surface. And on top of that… the mage who is closer to the essence of ‘magic’ than anyone else.”
Such was the public image I had built during the first semester.
Among those, there was even.
The side of me that others find difficult to talk about, like being a ‘Destroyer of Faith’ in the eyes of Angels.
The role of a ‘Guide of Trials,’ which required caution even within the Old School Building, such as during the Seven Star Trials.
“… And the one who foretold the attack of an S-rank beast.”
Whether through regression or foresight, I was seen as a ‘prophet’ who had a 99% certainty about future possibilities and who prepared for all outcomes.
“And now, that same person is, to borrow the slang popular among students, acting as a ‘food fighter.’ Surely those people over there have good enough ears to know who you are.”
“Prophet or vanguard sent by the Demon King, if it’s vacation and a hotel stay, one should enjoy it properly.”
Perhaps it was absurd for someone of such status to idly sample a variety of cakes, but I was meticulous about using my time efficiently for the tasks I needed to accomplish.
“And for the record, eating a slice of every kind of cake here is part of my preparations for next year.”
Before me were eight different slices of cake.
“…When you put it that way, thinking about overcoming the present crisis and preparing for the future does offer some reassurance. But still, are you sure it’s fine to eat so much cake?”
“It’s not about eating a lot; it’s about checking the taste and ingredients.”
I swallowed a piece of cake in one bite.
“When there’s a flavor I’ve never experienced before, can you imagine me passing it up?”
Decorated with fruits completely unlike anything from Earth, the cake was a sensory delight.
But if I could commit the flavor and balance to memory, I could recreate it someday, even after returning to Earth.
And if, by some chance—however unlikely—I couldn’t return,
“Miss Yunia, which of these cakes do you like the most?”
“Me?”
“I’d like to make your favorite cake for your birthday next year. Wouldn’t it be better to make it in the flavor you like most?”
These cakes could be recreated with the ingredients and baking equipment of this world.
“Do you have a favorite?”
“…Didn’t I already tell you?”
Yunia puffed out her cheeks, clearly annoyed but speaking as if she were letting it slide. I reached out and poked her puffed cheek with my finger.
“Cream pie isn’t a cake.”
“…”
Yunia deflated her puffed cheeks with a soft hiss of air.
“Well, I’ve always had cream pie for my birthday. My master always made it for me.”
“You don’t think I forgot your favorite dessert, do you?”
“…No, of course not.”
Yunia stepped back, her cheeks flushing red.
While an innocent cheesecake crumbled under her fork, I handed her another dessert before it devolved further into a pile of cheese mush.
“Here, try this. I think this is the best one here.”
“What is it?”
“A churro filled with fresh cream.”
Although whether it could still be called a churro was debatable, it at least looked like one.
“…”
Yunia carefully held the churro with both hands.
Slurp.
Looking at me, she brought the tip of the churro to her lips and sucked the cream out from inside.
“Phoenix.”
“Yes, Miss Yunia?”
“Compared to yours, this one seems a bit… small.”
“…”
Naturally.
“You’re talking about the churro I’m making, right?”
“Of course.”
“I see.”
“That’s exactly what I meant.”
Lick.