It was a line perfectly in character for the Emperor, who tended to escape reality when faced with difficulties. In any other situation, McClain might have let it slide, but this time he simply couldn’t.

“Your Majesty! How can you say such things! A citizen of the Empire has been taken. Moreover, that person could have become… no, she could have been an important asset to us, perhaps a great mage who would have amazed the entire Empire! How can you speak like this!”

He wanted to urge the Emperor to immediately send people to the temple and magic tower to gather reinforcements to rescue her.

But he couldn’t. The Emperor’s determination to cling to even the thinnest thread of hope was too strong, and the more McClain denied and raged, the more clearly Natalie’s absence remained as fact.

Well, the Emperor did decide to send people to the temple and magic tower before McClain could even speak. The problem was that his reasons and purposes were completely different from McClain’s.

“That’s right. The barrier that has protected the imperial palace for hundreds of years! A barrier created by countless priests and mages, layered three or four times over. Even the Demon King would find it difficult to break through such a tremendous barrier multiple times. You there! Send people to the temple and magic tower immediately to report the situation and request personnel to restore the imperial palace barrier!”

At the Emperor’s command, a hollow laugh escaped between McClain’s lips.

Right, you have to react this way to stay true to your character. This matter ultimately depends on whether I level up or not.

His already heavy shoulders felt even heavier. The despair and anger that seemed ready to explode at the slightest touch were threatening to exceed his limits of endurance.

If there was any consolation, it was that this time there were others besides McClain who opposed the Emperor’s self-preservation and groundless optimism.

“Your Majesty! Even if mages and priests come, it will be difficult to fully restore the barrier! It’s a barrier created over hundreds of years with countless holy power and magic! You must find other ways to stop the Demon King immediately!”

“Even if the imperial palace barrier could be perfectly restored, what meaning would it have if the Empire disappears? We must immediately gather all troops and personnel to prepare an army that can face the Demon King!”

“That’s right! While it’s very unfortunate that Lady Pereira has been taken, it’s absurd to do nothing and rely on that Miss alone! You must issue an imperial decree to prepare measures against him!”

The Emperor had believed that as long as the imperial palace remained intact, all would be well. But as nobles rose up like a swarm of bees to criticize him, his face lost color with each passing moment.

“S-so you all think he will soon invade here again? What should we do then? Should we send an army to the demon realm before he comes? But is there even anyone who can go to the demon realm?”

The Emperor trembled, losing even his imperial dignity in his confusion. McClain, who had been glaring at the Emperor with contempt, suddenly felt something strange.

He felt a peculiar sense of unease, as if not only Natalie but also an important element that had been controlling his actions until now had disappeared. With his brow deeply furrowed, he turned his gaze to empty space to check his status window, and he could hardly hide his surprised expression.

He had belatedly discovered that an enormous change had occurred in the status window that had always shown the same interface.

“Th-this is—!”

Genre change will initiate a new sys￥￠ ∂♂.

Time remaining until sys￥￠ ∂♂: 48 hours 35 minutes 20 seconds…

Even as he let out a sigh, he quickly scanned the empty space, trying to understand the changes happening to him. What the remaining time meant, what exactly was happening to him, what the word “genre change” that had changed to an unfamiliar language meant.

To check what remained unchanged and what was changing, he needed to examine his detailed stats first.

However, McClain could only let out another sigh as he checked his stat window. His stat window was also being consumed by all sorts of strange characters.

Even as he was checking his stats, the familiar interface was rapidly changing into something unfamiliar and meaningless.

Gender: Male

Race: ￠man

Lev∞: 99

Occupation: ꠈ꠪ꠛ

It was when he was taking small comfort in the fact that the number 99, which was clearly his current level, remained unchanged, and that the alphabets indicating his stat ranks had increased by one grade from before.

McClain saw a notification flashing in front of him indicating a new quest had appeared and hurriedly checked the quest window. He couldn’t close his mouth in surprise at the unexpected content that immediately appeared.

【Use the ‘Key of Space’ to move to the demon realm and find the main protagonist】

▶Reward: Gain 1 additional use of the Key of Space’s movement.

“So I can use that to cross over to the demon realm!”

McClain’s eyes, which had grown dim, immediately regained their vitality. His face, which had been colored with confusion, was quickly filled with firm determination.

There were some character strings mixed into the quest description that he couldn’t read. It was also difficult to understand what “a؃tion score reached 100%” meant.

But the quest’s instructions were clear:

【Use the ‘Key of Space’ to move to the demon realm and find the main protagonist】

▶Reward: Gain 1 additional use of the Key of Space’s movement.

It meant using the Key of Space to go to the demon realm and rescue Natalie.

When he first obtained it, despite the description saying it could move regardless of space and distance, there were limitations to how far he could travel using the key. When he tried to set a destination too far away for immediate movement, the transportation door wouldn’t activate. That’s why he hadn’t even considered this artifact when pondering how to reach the demon realm.

He had no idea this artifact had a setting that could transcend dimensions.

Though it was a setting even he, the developer, didn’t know about, he wasn’t surprised anymore.

After all, he had already experienced countless things that went far beyond the settings and developments he knew, including Natalie.

Since he still had two uses left for the Key of Space, he didn’t even need the reward of an additional use.

The only thing that mattered to him now was that he had found a way to go to the demon realm to find Natalie.

That wasn’t all. There was one more point to note in the quest content:

▶This quest is linked to the final quest, and upon clearing this quest, you will automatically proceed to the final quest without being asked to accept.

The meaning of this was simple. Once he crosses over to the demon realm and finds Natalie, the quest will be cleared and automatically transition to the final quest—defeating the Demon King.

Receiving the final quest meant reaching level 100, the max level.

The max level he had been unable to reach despite all his efforts. It implied that he would have to endure an arduous journey just to meet her, as there was no way he could reach it simply by meeting Natalie in the demon realm.

Of course, he had no reservations about facing danger and hardship.

Only one thing weighed on his mind: what would happen when he cleared the final quest—returning to their respective realities.

Having just revealed his feelings to her, he regretted that they would return to being strangers again before properly savoring their newfound closeness.

But he had to go. He had to find her.

Just then, the Emperor’s lament, which sounded like he was either bursting into tears or screaming, pierced his ears.

“What should we do then? You say we must attack the Demon King before he threatens the Empire again, yet no one knows how to reach the demon realm or how to defeat him. You’re all just talk!”

Before he knew it, he stepped forward in front of the Emperor and opened his mouth.

“I know a way to cross over to the demon realm! I will go and defeat the Demon King and bring back Miss Pereira!”

At this unexpected bold declaration, all eyes in the place, including the Emperor’s, turned to McClain at once.

McClain continued in a tone full of conviction.

“I have an artifact. I can use it to cross over to the demon realm.”

At his assurance, other voices joined in to express their support.

“I’ll go too! We can’t send the commander alone to such a dangerous place!”

“I feel the same as my brother! We will live and die with the commander!”

After Munash and Muki, who had received healing magic from Bertel, stepped forward, the other members immediately began adding their voices.

“I figured you would say that. A lieutenant cannot be absent from where the commander goes. I’ll join you as well.”

Following Orlando, who shook his head as he stepped forward, Bertel spoke next with a solemn expression.

“Though my holy power is insignificant, I will join you too.”

“You know no one surpasses me in finding paths, right? Leave tracking the Demon King to me.”