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Chapter 252: Chapter 252

"Why the heck did the pillow come along too."

Aram looked uneasily at the pillow she was holding tight. Still, since the soft texture felt nice, she decided to carry it around for now. Her offensive and defensive abilities worked even without using her hands.

’Having my hands tied up should be fine.’

More than anything, if the opponent was on the level of an evil god, not being able to use her hands was a trivial penalty.

’But... it’s a little different from what I thought.’

Her wish had been, ’Please let my family be able to escape from the dream amusement park.’ A demand that ran counter to the very purpose of the dungeon. With that, Aram thought through several possible cases.

First, it shows her a dream exactly as that wish. Second, the dungeon’s owner becomes enraged and attacks. Third, nothing happens and she simply sleeps. She considered exceptions too, but the most likely outcomes were those three.

’But this is an amusement park?’

A flamboyantly decorated amusement park. She had never been to one, but there were similar places on Earth. There wouldn’t be many rides she could get on with a child’s body that couldn’t grow, but she had been curious at times.

"Hmm...."

As she paced in place, she realized she was barefoot.

"Ah, I should’ve... slept with my shoes on."

It seemed she had come exactly as she was when she fell asleep. She had anticipated that too and dressed comfortably, but she had forgotten her shoes. She must have been out of her mind after fighting with the bishop. She felt a little down.

’No. I’m the saintess of the Moon Lady Religion. I can’t slump like this here...!’

Aram hugged the pillow tighter and looked around.

’I’ve never actually been to an amusement park, so I can’t tell how different this place is from Earth’s. Teacher was right a hundred times over. Wisdom doesn’t increase just by studying theory inside the Moon Lady Religion. Even at a time like this, I can’t come up with a decent idea....’

After walking a little more, she sensed movement nearby.

’...Wait, movement?’

She could sense a person?

’Is it a monster mimicking someone? Or is there someone else, like me, who ended up in this odd amusement park instead of a wish-dream? I should check, but should I hide?’

She wrapped herself in holy power, concealing her presence and appearance. Then she lifted her feet slightly off the ground and erased even her footprints. Floating softly like a ghost, Aram moved carefully—and soon saw something.

"Oh my."

"!"

"Here you are, guest."

It was a woman with jet-black hair and eyes. The adult woman, wearing a neatly tailored suit, was looking straight at Aram. She bowed politely in greeting.

"Pleased to meet you. My name is Crow Cecil."

"...You can see me?"

"We have good eyes."

"Eyes...."

She didn’t feel any particularly special aura.

’...She said crow. Is there a separate race? On Earth I’ve seen hunters with animal traits a few times. Or did a crow transform into a human? What is this?’

She had heard there was a beastfolk race in other dimensions—could it be something like that?

"...."

She didn’t sense hostility, and there was no deceit. If even that was being hidden, Aram had no way to deal with it. Since she had called her "guest," matching her tone would be a good judgment.

She soon released her concealment and greeted her properly.

"My name is Aram. Could you tell me where this is?"

"Of course. That is why I was assigned to you. Please allow me to accompany you."

"Are you going to guide me somewhere?"

"This is the Amusement Park of Dreams. You may enjoy and appreciate everything you desire. I am merely an attendant to help you avoid inconvenience."

"Then... as I asked earlier, could you tell me where this is?"

She was more polite than expected. Rather than fighting head-on, this might be a dungeon that required knowledge and wisdom. This place was the belly of mystery. If she followed the rules set by the dungeon owner, she could at least avoid suffering losses.

Crow Cecil answered readily.

"This is, as I said, the Amusement Park of Dreams. Here, you may enjoy the things you desired only in dreams—or desired so strongly they sometimes appeared in your dreams."

"Am I a special case? I was invited into a dream the same way as everyone else, but I ended up at this amusement park instead of what I wrote down as my wish."

"You could be called a special case, but you need not worry that it might be a side effect. It is simply that you have been moved to the place you desired."

"I desired this place?"

"Our Amusement Park of Dreams always reflects the guest’s desire. What you wished for was reality, not a dream, and so you were invited here. We cannot force a dream upon one who rejects dreams."

"...."

If that was true, then "writing the dream you want" was not the primary element of this place.

’So putting a wish for the dream under your pillow wasn’t a necessary element after all. Maybe it served as a spark to help the dreamer make their desire more concrete. The most important thing is the desire within the sleeping person....’

Then the "Amusement Park of Dreams" had to be able to grasp even the inside of a human.

’I heard one of the other brothers report something similar. If it’s stated this clearly, then what he confirmed must be correct. But if not a single one of the many brothers reported on this amusement park... that must mean their desires were in dreams, not reality.’

No—wait.

"...Then am I in reality right now?"

"Yes, you are in reality."

"Th-then my body that was on Earth was moved here?"

"Exactly so."

No wonder she had arrived just as she had been sleeping!

"M-my parents will worry. If I suddenly disappear...!"

"But in reality, you can only be one person."

The crow, who introduced herself as an attendant, answered kindly.

"No one can leave their own body and see the world from a different perspective unless it is a dream. Once born, most must look upon the world trapped in that single body for their entire lives. That is, if they are living beings like you from Earth."

It sounded as though she were looking down at a body in reality.

"...Because you only have one body, there are things that become more precious too."

"You are correct, guest. That is why you were moved here."

"But didn’t you say this is the Amusement Park of Dreams? You said I can do everything I’ve dreamed of, so it’s hard to call this reality as well, isn’t it?"

"It is true that Earth’s reality and the realities of other dimensions differ. Here, you may taste your wish. That is the purpose of dreams."

"Dreams are...."

Dreams do not exist to enjoy fragments of wishes.

"...."

But one could still wish for that.

’...It’s not wrong.’

It was just a little different from what Aram herself believed. She accepted that. If she only sharpened her hostility because it was a dungeon, nothing would be accomplished. She needed to judge calmly and rationally.

"Then have people other than me visited this place?"

"Yes, they have. In particular, those who called themselves Association employees have visited often."

"Ah, people from the Association?"

"Besides them, hunters who said they belonged to Justitia also visit from time to time. Not as frequently as the Association employees, but they could be called regular customers."

"Wh-what do they do here?"

"Unfortunately, they often wake up without even seeing the entire amusement park."

"Why? A dream shouldn’t be able to wake its owner, should it?"

"But those who cannot dream cannot dream."

The crow smiled faintly.

"They have no dreams, so it is only natural they cannot remain here long."

"...What about me? Could you find out for me?"

"You can remain here far longer than you wish."

"How can I wake up?"

"If you dream all your dreams, you will be able to wake."

"...No, wait. If you’re saying that now, then...."

Noticing something strange and panicking, the crow tilted her head.

"Most guests who come to the Amusement Park of Dreams are guaranteed only a short time. From the beginning, they fell asleep with a purpose in reality, not a dream, so of course. But for some reason, guest, you are dreaming a great many dreams."

"Th-that can’t be. It’s a contradiction...."

"Of course. It is a contradiction. Yet you have made it reality. However, dreams are something you cannot wake from unless you exhaust them entirely. No matter who I am, I cannot help you exhaust your dreams within a short time."

"Why do you only talk about dreams in a place like this?!"

Perhaps because reality and dream were tangled together, the structure was absurd.

"Send me home! This is kidnapping!"

"I do not have the authority."

"Then who does?!"

"Only you, and...."

After letting it hang, the crow’s eyes curved prettily.

"And the owner of this amusement park."

"O-owner?"

"Yes. There is an owner who watches over us."

"Is the owner in this dimension? In this dungeon?"

"He always watches over us. It is not my place to presume to arrange a meeting for you, but if you try actively exhausting your dreams so that you might catch his eye, how about it?"

"Even if I do that... will that owner look at me?"

"He will, of course. He loves dreamers."

"What an unusual taste...."

She couldn’t bring herself to curse.

’Who knows how much longer I’ll be bound here—there’s no point building up bad feelings. I’ll only lose out.’

Patience would bring wisdom.

"Hoo...."

"Do you require a place to rest?"

"...Does an amusement park have a place like that too?"

"You may enjoy everything you desire."

"No. I want to see this place as it is."

Her dream should not be in a place like this.

"My dream is in reality, not in an abstract dimension like this. I’ll start exhausting my dreams only after every investigation of this dungeon is finished. Even that will be a means of escape, not an end in itself. Please remember that."

"Of course, guest."

The crow smiled faintly again.

"We sincerely wish for the guests’ happiness."

"...."

Hesitating, Aram asked.

"...Um, but. If there are other Koreans who came to the amusement park, could you arrange a meeting with them? In Earth’s reality, I must have suddenly disappeared, so my family will be very worried... I want to send word, at least."

"I will take measures so that you will not be inconvenienced."

"Yes, thank you...."

Aram, who had lived her whole life as a model student, became a runaway teenager like that.

* * *

The problem was that the people of the Moon Lady Religion did not feel it that way.

"Bishop, the saintess has not shown herself within the order."

"...Is that so."

"Please give us your orders."

"Search. You will not be able to find her."

"May we hear why you say that?"

"It seems the evil god of dreams coveted the saintess."

In a calm voice as always, with a face no different than usual, the bishop said,

"I will request help from the Association, Justitia, and the Collection Merchant."

She opened the door of the Moon Lady Religion that she had kept locked.

Whether this would become a path of learning, or a path to the end, none could say.

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