Since he left the book and entered the Dimensional Management Bureau, he had only been correcting simple errors, like fixing typos in the story.
Besides that, he’d been researching magic…
And honestly, he hadn’t wanted to fight anyone or try to become friends.
‘What should I do?’
Herace pondered.
Now, if he pretended to let his guard down, it would look too artificial since Luke was clearly exhausted.
But if he didn’t do that?
Should he just finish this without giving him the sword?
‘That feels wrong.’
It would be disheartening to make the protagonist work this hard with no reward.
Thankfully, Luke was the kind of protagonist who wouldn’t give up easily, with the stamina of a sports hero.
Actually, Herace felt a little guilty.
Luke, already a slave, had been through enough suffering.
Soon, he’d be rolling around in the monster hunter squad, and he didn’t need any more hardship added to that.
If he strayed too far from the story’s flow, things could get complicated.
So, despite the awkwardness, Herace made up his mind.
‘I guess I’ll let him win now.’
It couldn’t be helped.
What else could he do, even if it looked unnatural?
If he lost on purpose, at least Luke would benefit.
There was no need to argue that it was all just a staged loss.
Maybe pretending to let his guard down would work?
Luke, looking embarrassed or just too tired, kept his gaze fixed on the ground.
His chest, filled with muscles, rose and fell sharply.
“Damn, this is too much…”
Though it was a faint murmur, Herace, the Grand Magician, caught the voice with ease.
‘Is he giving up? I was just about to let him win, but this complicates things.’
Herace reduced the concentration of magic surrounding his body, making his presence less apparent.
He needed to seem vulnerable, after all.
‘Now then, what should I say to make Luke impulsively charge at me?’
“Arghhh!”
Before he could finish his thoughts, Luke charged at him.
Startled by the fierce shout, Herace reflexively released a burst of flames.
He regretted it immediately, but it was too late.
Heroes who have clawed their way through countless hardships and adversities instinctively counterattack, even when caught off guard.
Always wary, even in moments of peace, they anticipate an enemy’s ambush.
“What the hell are you yelling for!”
It was hard to pretend he hadn’t noticed.
‘He’s going to dodge it, obviously.’
After all, dodging such an intense flame and counterattacking would be no small feat.
Based on how Herace usually operated, actually letting Luke land a hit would have to wait for another time.
But Luke didn’t dodge.
He charged straight into the blazing fireball, throwing himself forward, prepared to suffer burns.
His sword, radiant and shimmering with absorbed flames, aimed for Herace.
‘Could it be that he’s been dodging on purpose this whole time, just to find an opening?’
His perseverance, holding onto his plan until exhaustion, was admirable—enough to make Herace briefly consider letting himself lose this time.
“If I could just get a look at your damn face!”
But it wasn’t an attack. Instead, Luke aimed to unmask him, throwing Herace off-guard.
“…”
“Hey! You said you wouldn’t use defensive magic!”
The moment Luke’s hand brushed the mask, Herace reflexively sent him flying.
Silence lingered between them.
‘Typical reckless behavior.’
What sort of protagonist thinks, “If I can’t win, let’s embarrass him instead”?
Is that really the mindset of a hero?
“You used magic! You said you wouldn’t, and then you did! That’s a foul! Don’t go back on your word!”
“…”
Something about this felt off.
‘I definitely intended to let him win…’
Things were going according to plan, but it left a sour taste in his mouth.
“What kind of swordsman throws away his weapon just to rip off someone’s mask?”
“I didn’t throw it. I set it down.”
“I saw you throw it. I even lent it to you, and this is how you treat it?”
“That was part of the strategy! Besides, I’m the one who’s been running around, busting my ass. You just stood there, tossing magic spells like it’s nothing!”
Fearing Herace might take the sword back, Luke hastily picked it up from the ground.
“I’m not upset,” Herace said flatly.
“This is just my usual tone.”
“Yeah, right. It’s obvious you’re pissed. What’s the matter? Is it embarrassing to lose to someone like me? Serves you right. Maybe next time, don’t underestimate me.”
Even as he clung tightly to the sword to keep it from being snatched away, Luke’s triumphant laughter echoed through the forest.
‘This is going exactly as I wanted—so why do I want to punch him?’
In the end, Herace sent Luke flying with a single blast.
“Ugh!”
He felt a little better.
“Damn it, I got burned.”
“Who told you to jump into the flames?”
“Wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to myself. Feeling guilty?”
“…”
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Herace glared at Luke for a moment, then turned away.
It was pointless.
“Why, indeed…”
Even Herace didn’t know.
Every time he looked at this man, he found himself drawn into these childish antics.
Despite being fully aware of it, he still found himself stooping to such petty behavior—it was mortifying.
To think he, Herace, the great Grand Magician, would be accused of showing his emotions to someone much younger than him.
Back when he was a “protagonist,” even trivial things wouldn’t provoke such immediate emotional reactions.
‘Well, I suppose back then, I just got rid of anyone who annoyed me.’
Herace had always been strong, beautiful, and arrogant.
In the story, he was untouchable by anyone other than the final boss faction.
Thinking back, the author probably went overboard with the whole “unstoppable hero” trope.
‘Potential allies either died or turned out to be traitors.’
Though he couldn’t be certain, Herace suspected his creator had believed companions were nothing but dead weight.
Because of that, Herace became a solo-player Grand Magician, perfectly capable of overcoming challenges alone.
Not having to rely on others was convenient, sure, but…
‘It means I have no idea how to handle situations like this.’
Still, he figured it wouldn’t matter in the long run.
After sending Luke to the Northern Monster Subjugation Squad and ensuring he gained the necessary fortuitous encounters, Herace’s plan would be complete.
After that, there would be no need to accompany Luke.
He could focus on finding the “Bookworm” who was disrupting the flow of the story.
‘Once I find the culprit, I’ll hand them over to the Dimensional Management Bureau.’
Then, this tiresome mission would finally be over.
‘Maybe I’ll take a vacation afterward.’
The thought crossed Herace’s mind.
Fifty years of being recruited by the dimensional bureau immediately after escaping a closed-off world had made his life monotonous.
‘No wonder I’m so easily amused by trivial things these days.’
Watching Luke flail and panic in reaction to his every spell had been… surprisingly entertaining.
“Just so you know, the sword is mine now! You gave it to me, so it’s mine!”
Luke was clutching the sword and hopping about anxiously, clearly uneasy with Herace’s silence.
“Who said I wanted it back? Stop yelling.”
“You were sulking about it earlier!”
Even after Herace reassured him, Luke continued grumbling all the way back to the inn.
It wasn’t until Herace treated his burns that Luke finally quieted down.
“Now what’s next?” Luke asked, finally setting the sword aside.
With a weapon in hand, his confidence had evidently returned.
“Whatever ridiculous, annoying trial you’ve got, bring it on!”
Hearing such words was proof Herace had played the villain well.
Still, no self-respecting antagonist would let that slide.
“Hey! Why’d you hit me?”
“For being insolent. You’re a slave, yet you still don’t know your place?”
“Damn it… You’re not even human, so don’t use their lousy systems against me.”
“Humans sell elves and beastfolk in their slave markets too. It’s not exactly a human-only system, is it?”
Left speechless, Luke pressed his lips into a firm line, though his face was still flushed with frustration.
As the young heir of a noble family, he clearly wasn’t used to being contradicted.
And let’s not forget—he was a troublemaker.
A protagonist, yes, but one who had yet to accomplish anything.
Just a fiery, prideful young man with nothing to show for it.
“Fine. What do I need to do now? You’ve given me a sword, so I’ll fight whatever you throw at me.”
Luke had no idea why things had turned out this way or what consequences awaited him.
But then, he was just a character in a book.
‘He probably hasn’t even considered how his actions might endanger the world.’
And that’s why the “Bookworm” interfering with the flow of the story had to be stopped.
Whether it’s a novel, a comic, or a drama, once a piece of creative work is completed, it becomes a distinct and independent “world.”
That completed world settles into its own dimension and becomes part of the vast structure of the universe.
Thus, when something goes wrong in the “story,” a part of the world itself is also thrown off balance.
The harmony shatters, and the structure collapses.
To prevent that from happening, the mission of the Dimensional Management Bureau is to ensure that all stories from “open worlds” play out precisely as intended while they are being experienced by their audience—until the day no one discovers them in the darkness anymore.
Herace agreed to join the Dimensional Management Bureau because the idea of preserving the balance of worlds seemed appealing.
Though, in practice, it was mostly monotonous labor, fixing minor errors over and over again.
It was a job that required immense power but was deceptively simple once you knew how to do it.
“Why…why are you being so serious? Stop stalling and just say it.”
“It’s nothing.”
But it wasn’t something he could explain easily.
After all, who would obediently comply if someone told them, ‘You’re the protagonist of a novel, so stick to the predetermined storyline’?
“Well, let’s get to work.”
Their banter really is something else~