The End of the Harsh Fantasy
The renowned Sawatari Takeru, restorer of the Kingdom of Silesie, had explored the entire world. Finally, he discovered a gate within the ruins of a new continent—a portal that led back to his original world.
After a moment of profound silence, Takeru declared, “This Harsh Fantasy is my reality.” With those words, he closed the gate himself and returned to the Kingdom of Silesie.
Following his return, Takeru rarely left the kingdom, except for diplomatic missions. He dedicated his life to the nation’s growth and prosperity.
After an extraordinary reign of 331 years, Takeru’s time came to an end.
On a farm on the outskirts of Silesie, he passed away near the grave of his first wife, Silhouette, surrounded by over 3,000 descendants.
Some say that in death, he was guided to the goddess Asama. Others claim that the Mother of Chaos(tentacle oneesan) who adored him spirited away his body.
After the passing of this great hero and world ruler, his descendants divided the many nations he once united, governing them separately.
Contrary to fears that the world would descend into chaos without Takeru, it remained relatively stable. This was thanks to the intricate international order established by Lyle Laertius, the regent of Silesie, as well as the transition of most kingdoms into constitutional monarchies.
Moreover, one of Takeru’s descendants, Orakeru, inherited the northern Demon Kingdom and deliberately became humanity’s adversary, maintaining a delicate balance.
And so, 500 years passed— Under Lyle’s system, the world saw only minor conflicts, experiencing a golden age of relative peace. Magic and machinery fused, driving human civilization to unparalleled heights.
By the time of Takeru’s seventh-generation descendant, the 24th King of Silesie, Arle Silesie Albert, humanity had even reached the moon.
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Descending gracefully onto the ramp of the lunar base, Arle marveled at the moon’s low gravity, so different from the lands he knew.
「To think a facility of this magnitude could be built on a satellite… This, too, is thanks to the Sawatari Company’s immense wealth.」
With his Takeru-inherited black hair swaying lightly, Arle gazed out at the vast cosmos from the magnificent lunar base—a symbol of magic-mechanical civilization’s ingenuity. From here, their world appeared as nothing more than a small, fragile planet.
「Your Majesty, don’t forget to credit the technical prowess of our Magic Science Academy alongside the Sawatari Company’s wealth.」
A voice laced with sarcastic humor came from a stunningly beautiful youth—almost indistinguishable from a woman at first glance—who welcomed the king.
「Ah, Dr. Eil Laertius. Of course, the Academy’s genius in conquering even the moon is equally commendable.」
The handsome, brown-haired Eil, clad in a gleaming silver spacesuit, bore Takeru’s blood as well. He was the seventh-generation descendant of Lyle Laertius.
「Though we are a century behind the prophecy written by my ancestor, Lyle.」
Eil spoke as he leafed through a tattered book of predictions.
Had the hero Takeru unified the world by force, peace might have come swiftly.
But prolonged peace breeds stagnation. Like the Silesie Kingdom, which once nearly collapsed, any civilization could falter and return to ruin if it ceased to evolve.
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From the lunar base, humanity’s gaze turned beyond the confines of their world. With the legacy of Takeru and Lyle guiding them, their journey was far from over.
The advancement of human civilization thrives on the tension of national rivalries. Through the competitive nature of capitalism, science progresses.
Thus, humanity reached the moon, following the prophecies of Lyle Laertius to the letter.
As Dr. Eil Laertius was about to expound on this to King Arle, a deafening alarm reverberated throughout the base.
「What’s going on?!」
Bathed in the red glow of warning lights, Dr. Eil pointed out the window.
「Your Majesty, look at that.」
Beyond the thick glass of the lunar base, an enormous, grotesque creature clung to the moon’s surface with its massive tentacles, dragging its body forward.
「Is that the rumored Phantom Demon Dragon? What an abomination…」
The creature’s upper body resembled a dragon, but its lower body was a monstrous tangle of octopus-like tentacles.
A visceral sense of revulsion overtook those who looked at it. Its writhing mass seemed to drain the sanity of any who dared gaze upon it.
Yet Arle, the king, was no stranger to danger. Summoning his courage, he glared at the demonic creature.
The Phantom Demon Dragon’s coarse, metallic gray skin resembled the lunar desert, an alien life form utterly unlike anything found on Earth. Its resilience allowed it to endure the moon’s harsh surface, unprotected by atmosphere, exposed to relentless cosmic radiation.
The moon of this Harsh Fantasy was no barren satellite. It was a nest of such aberrant creatures.
「These attacks have hindered lunar development, but fear not. We have countermeasures ready. Show His Majesty the power of the Electro-Magic Cannon!」
At Dr. Eil’s command, a turret extended from the base, unleashing a violet bolt of magic-imbued electricity.
「Giiiigiiiigiiiigiii――！」
The Phantom Demon Dragon shrieked an inhuman cry as the bolt struck, its grotesque form obliterated in an instant.
「To think such magic could vanquish that monster… impressive.」
Arle, unused to combat or adventure, was inwardly terrified by the encounter with such a fearsome beast. As king, he maintained his composure, though he couldn’t help but suspect this was all a carefully staged demonstration by Dr. Eil.
Surely, no one would invite a king to such a dangerous locale without assurance of safety.
「That creature of chaos’s hide is both extraordinarily tough and flexible, repelling most forms of attack. However, it has a vulnerability to lightning.」
Dr. Eil’s prized magic cannon was said to be modeled after the unique spells of their heroic ancestor, Takeru.
「I see, so such a weakness exists.」
According to legend, Takeru once slew a Chaos Dragon. If his magical attacks could be replicated, even the most fearsome otherworldly creatures could be defeated.
「The remains of creatures like the Phantom Demon Dragon can be repurposed as materials for spacesuits capable of deflecting cosmic radiation. Once subdued, they become valuable resources.」
Dr. Eil gestured to his silver spacesuit with a triumphant smile.
However, Arle could not share his enthusiasm. Too many lives had already been lost to these creatures of chaos, and he sighed, burdened by the weight of those sacrifices.
「This world truly lives up to the name ‘Harsh Fantasy.’」
Arle inadvertently echoed the famous words of his illustrious ancestor, Takeru. The grimace on his face resembled the expression captured in Takeru’s portrait, as though their bloodline carried even such subtle traits.
Hearing this, Dr. Eil Laertius spoke with a knowing smile.
「According to the prophecies of my ancestor Lyle, Sawatari Takeru’s otherworldly birthplace exists somewhere within this very universe.」
「Is that so? Then, by venturing further into space, we may one day reach the land our progenitor came from…」
Eil nodded solemnly.
「Indeed, reaching the homeland of our ancestor Sawatari Takeru is within the realm of possibility.」
Of course, such a feat would require a vessel capable of traversing the vast, unfathomable stretches of space.
「Can it be done, Dr. Eil?」
「Without a doubt, Your Majesty!」
For now, exploratory probes were being sent from the lunar base, gradually expanding humanity’s observational reach. Just as creatures of chaos had extended their domain to the moon, Eil was confident that humanity could similarly expand its habitat to the stars.
「You’ve often said that conflict drives progress and development, haven’t you?」
Hearing this, Eil wagged his finger in playful reproach.
「Moderate conflict, Your Majesty. Mark my words. The moon will be ours, but the universe is vast, and its depths surely hold chaotic beings far more terrifying than the lunar phantoms. Some of these beings may not only surpass human comprehension but also possess intricate networks or civilizations beyond our understanding.」
As humanity pressed further into the moon, conflicts would arise, spurring evolution—both in humans and in the creature of chaos they battled. Such a struggle, fraught with danger, was the very essence of adventure.
If humanity could endure and adapt amidst these perilous conflicts, they might eventually evolve to stand equal against the chaotic entities. This vision stretched a hundred, even a thousand years into the future.
「Ha, the visions of magical scientists are too grand for me to grasp…」
「Which is why I hope for your continued support of the Magical Science Academy, Your Majesty.」
Waving his hand in a genial gesture, Arle laughed. ‘Very well, very well.’
In his reign, securing the moon’s domain would likely be the extent of their reach. Yet the thought of his descendants building starships and venturing into the glittering sea of stars was not an unpleasant one.
The step he had taken today would pave the way for an adventure-filled tomorrow, one brimming with hope.
「Oh, great ancestor Takeru. Perhaps this ‘Harsh Fantasy’ world wasn’t such a terrible place after all.」
Arle mused over what Takeru’s final words might have been. Could they have been something like that?
Gazing at the stars twinkling in the dark void of space, Arle smiled quietly, lost in thought.
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TN: After almost eight years, “Item Cheat” is finally complete! It’s surreal to see this project come to fruition, especially knowing it was the very first step in my journey as a translator.
I’m incredibly grateful to each and every one of you who has supported me on this adventure. Your encouragement, feedback, and patience have been invaluable. I wouldn’t have made it this far without the wonderful translation community.
Thank you for joining me on this magical quest. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I did.
Please watch out for the new novel.