Chapter 55: And The Cat Was Dead

Nearly two weeks had passed.

During that time, Princess Eleanor had increasingly sought me out. Nevertheless, with many proficient mages stationed around, the magical concept, Mack, was successfully completed.

“Wow.”

An exclamation came from one of the mages. They were all gazing at a small creature inside a glass case, smiling contentedly.

It was Mack.

The amalgamation of the mages’ mana and thoughts had formed a concept, and this was embedded into the form we had created, giving it artificial life.

Looking at this, I couldn’t help but wonder if humans were really any different. Hadn’t God perhaps created us in a similar manner?

Of course, Mack couldn’t think as diversely as we could. It was akin to a robot or AI.

It acted and behaved as we had programmed it.

It was a creature that couldn’t do more than that.

[Thankfully, we didn’t have to use the Lemegeton.]

“...”

I silently agreed with Dark Sage chattering next to me. The fact that we didn’t have to resort to using the Lemegeton proved the prowess of these mages.

Also, while I could conceal and use it when battling in the Execution ground, it was something that could make the mages go crazy if they saw it; Even more so since, the stone of command, better known as Lemegeton, was a coveted item in the kingdom.

“We succeeded.”

The Grand mage standing next to me seemed moved and offered his hand for a handshake. I gently took it, nodding in agreement.

“Thank you for your hard work. If it weren’t for the Grand mage and his apprentices, this would’ve taken much longer.”

“No, thank you for allowing me to take on this challenge at such an old age.”

The Grand mage said, clearly elated for having surpassed his own limits.

We both turned to gaze once again at Mack. The creature, about the size of a small puppy, was sniffing around inside its case, searching for nightmares.

The time had come to see the fruits of our labor.

* * *

“Sigh.”

Princess Eleanor slowly breathed out as she lay down on her soft bed.

The warm lemon tea she had just sipped warmed her from within, and the soft pillow along with the fluffy duvet comfortably enveloped her.

The room’s main lights were off, with only a dim lamp illuminating the space. To ensure optimal sleeping conditions, her brother had arranged for the room to be humidified through a mage and had even enlisted classical musicians to play softly from one corner of the room.

Every effort seemed to have been made for a perfect night’s sleep, but in truth, all of this felt more burdensome to Eleanor.

Just...

Wouldn’t it be enough to have Deus, who simply sat by her side, gazing at her?

Such a thought crossed her mind, but she closed her eyes, pretending otherwise.

If only Deus could tell her a fun story known only to him, much like reading a fairy tale to a child, sleep would certainly come more easily.

However, if he did so, her brother, King Orpheus, would undoubtedly glare at him with fiery eyes.

“Is this truly the end?”

With unease, Eleanor asked Deus. She still couldn’t believe that the nightmare that tormented her for years would end tonight.

In his usual calm, monotone voice, Deus replied, “Yes, it’s the final nightmare.”

“Whoah.”

She momentarily wished he’d respond with a bit more warmth. But that was Deus Verdi for you, and perhaps because of that, she found herself trusting him even more.

His unchanging demeanor brought a sense of calm to Eleanor’s heart.

“I’m going to sleep now.”

Eleanor slowly closed her eyes.

Beside her, Deus Verdi, King Orpheus, and the Grand mage Rockfelican silently nodded in acknowledgment.

Given her minimized sleep, she was always worn out, so falling asleep happened in an instant.

Alongside the lulling lullaby, Mack, held by Deus, began to sniff around.

It was a sign that it had detected a nightmare, and soon after, it opened its mouth wide, directed at the princess.

* * *

“......”

When Eleanor awakened, she found herself in the palace garden. It felt as if her previously empty mind was gradually filling with thoughts again.

For a moment, Eleanor stood still, dazed like a lifeless doll, before abruptly scanning her surroundings.

Ah, the royal garden.

‘What was I doing again?’

She began to piece together her scattered thoughts step by step.

Right.

She remembered calling out to Deus. Though she couldn’t fathom why she had been standing so aimlessly, she noticed Deus seated on a bench, casually jotting something down in a notebook.

Without any particular intent, and almost instinctively, Eleanor approached Deus.

Despite her approach, he continued to write in his notebook.

Eleanor often wished Deus would take the initiative to offer up answers. If he voluntarily spoke to her, it would give her the sense that he truly valued her and that she wasn’t just being whimsical.

Moreover, hadn’t she prepared an answer?

“This is obviously reality!” she wanted to assert confidently, indicating she wasn’t defeated by mere nightmares.

With such sentiments, Eleanor, maintaining a laid-back posture, walked over and queried Deus with a hint of playfulness, “Is this reality, Deus?”

Upon her slightly teasing inquiry, Deus slowly looked up, meeting Eleanor’s gaze, and opened his mouth.

“There’s a green animal called a ‘cellphone.’ A place called a ‘website’ is something I often frequented.”

“......”

Eleanor’s eyes narrowed sharply upon hearing his response.

That single answer felt like a sharp jolt, snapping her sluggish mind back to alertness.

This isn’t reality.

She was in a dream, currently asleep to confront the finale of this nightmare.

Her heart wavered momentarily, but the thought that this was the end brought her immediate solace.

The figure of Deus from the dream began to warp slowly.

Soon after, it took on the form of Eleanor.

Without uttering a word, the emotionless doppelgänger stared back at her. Eleanor sternly addressed it, asserting dominance.

“This is the end. Today, I bid farewell to this relentless nightmare. Deus is outside, erasing this bad dream.”

At her declaration, the fake Eleanor replied with a peculiar expression, nonchalantly stating, “Yes, it seems so. The dream is indeed coming to a close.”

The dream’s backdrop started to fade. Cracks formed, turning into fragments, which became translucent and lost their color.

It felt liberating, as if a cage was crumbling.

Reading her sentiments, the doppelgänger, mimicking Eleanor, asked, “Do you feel relieved? Knowing you won’t dream any longer?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Nights were always terrifying for me, and sleep was an unshakeable burden. Now, I’m finally free.”

The fake Eleanor nodded in understanding.

This felt different than before.

It wasn’t the same as its previous attempts to discern the difference between reality and dream, striving to eliminate that disparity.

Had it given up?

It felt as if Eleanor could get any answer from it now.

Swallowing hard, fists clenched, Eleanor posed a question, “What exactly are you?”

“......”

The fake Eleanor slowly stood up. As they locked eyes, only then could Eleanor discern a difference.

Astonishingly,

In the pupils of the fake Eleanor were desires, ambition, and unwavering conviction.

Suddenly, seeing that invoked a wave of fear that began to seep through her eyes, nose, and mouth.

Right now, when comparing herself to this doppelgänger,

She couldn’t dispel the question of who was the superior Eleanor and couldn’t even find the conviction.

She lacked that level of belief in herself and didn’t possess that self-confidence.

Even though they were on the verge of the dream’s end, the doppelgänger’s shoulders didn’t slump, and there was no sign of her back bending - it showed a will and desire as mighty as a mountain, contrasting its petite frame.

It violently overwhelmed Eleanor, yet,

Crackle, rustle!

The world, the dream, was crumbling.

The long, hellish dream was finally drawing its curtain, signaling its end.

Deus was assisting her.

With that thought, Eleanor regained her composure. The doppelgänger seemed displeased.

“You’re relying on that shoddy professor? You’re getting weak.”

“......”

“I’m not sure how long you plan to live like that, but fine. If that’s what you want.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s been fun.”

The doppelgänger sighed, swiftly turned around, took a step, and began to leave.

“Goodbye.”

It was the moment the final chapter of Eleanor’s nightmare came to an end.

* * *

“Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!”

Eleanor abruptly sat up. Thanks to the Grand mage’s magic, which dried her sweat, she was able to rise feeling refreshed.

“E-Eleanor!”

King Orpheus rushed desperately towards Princess Eleanor. I deliberately took a few steps back, not wanting to interrupt their brief separation and reunion.

“Ah…”

Upon seeing her brother, tears began to stream down Eleanor’s face.

“I did it.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Eleanor leaned into King Orpheus’s embrace, as if entrusting her whole being to him. The weight of her tears was palpable as the King’s expression contorted with emotion.

“Now… don’t have to fear the night… anymore.”

Hearing Eleanor voice out the resentment she’s held for years, King Orpheus too sheds tears, holding her tightly.

There were no more nightmares.

A peaceful night had finally come to the young girl.

The two of them were immersed in a long, tearful embrace. The Grand mage sent the musicians outside, turning away so as not to witness the King’s tears, though the corners of his own eyes were slightly moist.

Afterward, Eleanor, seemingly drained of strength, slumped onto the bed. King Orpheus approached me.

Reaching out, he pulled me into an embrace.

“Thank you, truly! It’s all thanks to you!”

“…….”

To be honest, I wasn’t particularly fond of such overt displays of affection. However, sensing the king’s immense joy, I remained still.

“Let’s hold a feast tonight! It will be a grand banquet!”

The king said, showing a hearty laugh.

With the jubilant king and the Grand mage leaving, only Eleanor and her maids remained in the room, preparing to change into her pajamas.

As I was about to leave too, I paused, slowly turned back to Eleanor, and spoke one last time.

“There’s a thought experiment called Schrödinger’s Cat.”

The maids looked at me, puzzled by what I was getting at. Eleanor, seemingly bemused, smiled softly.

“Go on.”

“It’s an experiment devised to critique the incompleteness of quantum mechanics…” I continued to explain.

Let’s say a cat is inside a box.

Beside it, a radioactive substance is placed which has a 50% chance of decaying.

If a counter detects radiation, a hammer strikes, breaking a vial containing poison, which would kill the cat. If no radiation is detected, the vial remains intact, and the cat stays alive. It’s a truly famous experiment.

The maids frowned, evidently confused by the story.

But my eyes were solely on Eleanor.

“Until the box is opened, no one knows if the cat is alive or dead.”

In essence, Schrödinger’s Cat only has meaning when the box remains unopened.

It exists in a superposition, equally likely to be alive or dead.

For a moment, I felt like I had become Schrödinger. Without opening the box, all possibilities coexisted.

Eleanor chuckled softly.

And then she responded.

“What are you talking about?”

Creak.

Slam.

I closed the door and stood outside, in silence, unable to move a step further.

Schrödinger chose not to open the box.

But I did.

And the cat was dead.

--- End of The Chapter ---

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