When you lose consciousness, you lose your sense of time.
You know that feeling when you doze off for a bit and suddenly a chunk of time has passed?
That’s why drowsiness is the number one thing to watch out for when using public transportation. If you’re not careful, you might end up somewhere way past your destination.
…So, how long was I out for?
And what happened while I was unconscious that led to me using Alkiné’s lap as a pillow?
I was so confused that I just sat there blankly, and then Alkiné flicked my forehead.
“If you’re awake, move.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Finally snapping out of it, I quickly got up. I glanced back and forth between Seria and Alkiné.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out how I ended up with Alkiné’s lap pillow.
I mean, if it were Seria, I’d get it, but Alkiné? What’s going on?
But Seria and Alkiné just gave me these weird smiles and didn’t seem interested in explaining, so my questions remained unanswered.
I decided to let it go for now… but then a wave of embarrassment hit me.
I remembered what I had just done.
‘I got way too excited.’
I should’ve thought about the risks, considering how unpredictable things could get, but I was too caught up in experimenting with something new.
As a result, I got caught in an explosion that wasn’t even that strong and ended up passing out.
It’s not like I have a huge ego or anything, but I’ve been trying to show off my Experienced Player vibes, and then I go and faint like some amateur. It’s a bit embarrassing, you know?
So, I decided to look away and collect myself.
“Hmm, the flowers are pretty.”
“What are you talking about? There are no flowers here…”
“No, look. These flowers, embracing the colors of nature, aren’t they beautiful?”
“Rudion. That’s just grass.”
“…Aren’t you being a bit too harsh?”
“If I indulge you, Rudion, you’ll never stop.”
Huh. Now that I think about it, she’s probably right.
But usually, she’d humor me a little.
I think she knows I’m embarrassed and is doing this on purpose.
In that case, I have no choice but to double down on the shamelessness.
Ignoring Seria, who clearly has no intention of playing along, I start enthusiastically evaluating the grass on the ground.
Then, I suddenly notice Alkiné, still sitting in the same position, staring at me.
I locked eyes with Kineu.
…Was it a bit awkward to act like this in front of Alkiné? Unlike Seria, we haven’t spent *that* much time together…
As I was lost in thought, Alkiné casually stood up and spoke.
“It’s fine, Rudion. My mother always said men are just big kids, even when they grow up. So, I understand.”
“…Chairman. Are you teasing me right now?”
“Caught me, huh?”
Ugh. I’ve got no allies here.
It’s not like I did anything wrong to deserve this, though.
“Sigh. It’s my fault for being careless. Go ahead, roast me all you want!”
“Huh? What did you even do wrong to get roasted?”
“I’d like to ask too. Why have you been so embarrassed since earlier?”
So, I decided to just accept it… but their reactions were completely different from what I expected.
“Rudion, the stuff you do on a daily basis is way more embarrassing than this? It’s just cute—oops, no, funny, so I teased you a little.”
“Yeah, Seria’s right. This kind of thing can be brushed off as a mistake, but your usual antics are more like bizarre performances.”
Turns out, they just noticed I was embarrassed and decided to mess with me.
…What? Was I the only one embarrassed? I totally overreacted.
Of course, shame is subjective, so that ridiculous mistake is still embarrassing… but if no one else is making a big deal out of it, I’d just look ridiculous if I kept overreacting.
Dragging this conversation out would only make things harder for me, so I changed the subject.
First, let’s summarize the results of the experiment I just tried.
“I’ll stop the mana storage experiment. I didn’t expect it to explode like that… That was dangerous.”
“Exactly. It’s a good thing you only put a little mana in, or it could’ve been a disaster.”
“Similarly, the experiment to store the Chairman’s mana sword is also scrapped.”
“You were planning to try that too?”
Well… I thought if I could store everything possible, it might somehow be helpful.
Even now, I’ve got all sorts of random stuff packed away.
To give you an example of the most recent thing I stored, it’s a fork I swiped from the student cafeteria.
I suddenly remembered doing fork parrying at the Royal Palace and thought it might come in handy.
…But now that I think about it, if I keep stuffing random items in, will it explode if I try to store something with mana? In games, stuff like that just goes in without a problem.
I can’t test it right now, but I don’t recall thinking items that go into an inventory in games would explode.
Once my thoughts reached that point, something suddenly piqued my curiosity.
“Seria. If you try to put magical power into a subspace pouch, does it explode?”
“It depends on the conditions. The connection to subspace is structured with magical energy, and the materials that form the subspace pouch are very susceptible to interference.”
“Right. That’s why we can’t take it on Rift explorations.”
“Oh, about that. There was a theory in a recently published paper about maintaining subspace spells within Rifts…”
…Now I’m not that curious anymore.
I didn’t know it was this technical. The game never explained it in such detail.
“…Did I hear that wrong? What’s the prerequisite for executing that method?”
“You need to be able to activate at least three layers of magic simultaneously and have the ability to control magical energy at different speeds for each spell.”
“Is that even possible?”
“I can do it.”
“…Rudion. I’ll rely on your abilities from now on. Take care of me.”
At first, Alkiné seemed interested, but she soon reached the same conclusion as me.
Seria, while visibly disappointed, agreed that it was probably the most efficient approach.
…I don’t think efficiency was the point here.
More importantly, when did she even find time to read such papers?
I knew she had an incredible passion for magical knowledge.
If there’s a talented genius who enjoys putting in the effort, it’s definitely Seria.
But “recently” means she was at the Royal Palace, right?
The thought of her reading the latest papers even there is kinda scary.
Anyway, let’s steer this mountain of a conversation back to where it started.
“What I wanted to ask was whether a subspace pouch can hold items infused with magical energy.”
“Items infused with magical energy, like magic stones or magical adjustment tools?”
Hmm, I was thinking more along the lines of magic swords or dragon hearts… but close enough, I guess?
“Magical energy bound to a specific material has a completely different nature. A bond, you could say? The structure prevents any interference, so those items can be stored in a subspace pouch without any issues.”
“…Ohhh, so that’s how it is? I thought magical tools had separate safety mechanisms.”
“To create a safety mechanism, you’d need to use the theory I mentioned earlier.”
“Now that I think about it, that was a ridiculously stupid idea.”
Yep. It seems even Alkiné learned something new today.
Enough about theories. The important thing is that the inventory is similar to a subspace pouch.
There are many points.
If I were to point out another difference, it would probably be that, unlike the fragile subspace pouch that breaks easily, the inventory is practically invincible.
Perhaps the moment I tried to infuse it with magic, it exploded, which might have been the result of the inventory winning the battle against magic.
Good. Listening to Seria’s theoretical exploration and then simplifying it like this makes my head feel at ease.
“Now that we’re done with the subspace pouch, let’s just finish the experiment.”
If I dig any deeper, it feels like Seria’s solo lecture might start, so I decided to return to the original purpose of the inventory experiment.
Actually, I had already tested everything I could do alone.
Like the simple tricks that were possible in the game.
If I had to pick the most important trick using the inventory, it would probably be quick-swapping and canceling.
Quick-swapping is, as the name suggests, a technique to quickly change the item you’re holding, and it’s essentially the foundation of inventory tricks.
Therefore, canceling was an application of quick-swapping.
Delay cancel, cooldown cancel. Whatever it was, it was about using quick-swapping at the right timing.
Unlike simple quick-swapping that just changes items, it requires precise timing, making it a high-level technique… but I’ve mastered that part, so it’s not a problem.
I couldn’t test it with weapons since I didn’t have any to experiment with, but seeing that quick-swapping is possible, I think it might work.
Well… obviously, quick-swapping doesn’t increase damage or anything, and there’s not much benefit to canceling delays and cooldowns unless it’s PvP, so it’s a trick that’s rarely used otherwise…
‘But that’s only from the perspective of a protagonist who keeps growing rapidly.’
For me, it’s like a godsend in a drought. I’ll make good use of it.
The conversation has strayed a bit, but all of these are essentially applications within the game.
However, what I gathered today wasn’t for those game-like elements, but to see how far they’re allowed when reflected in reality.
Even though it failed, trying to infuse magic was part of that.
And what I’m about to experiment with now is very dangerous.
Yes, dangerous.
The experiment to see if I can put equipment someone is wearing into my inventory is a one-way ticket to becoming a criminal if I mess up.
Ah, but… I’m not trying to cancel with quick-swapping, just trying to put it in the inventory. What could go wrong?
