Chapter 2
A few minutes later, inside Valkyrie’s room in the ryokan rented out for the ES idols
Hmmm… Sora-kun was worried about something, so we came here to check it out just in case.
But I’m glad. It doesn’t look like anything’s out of the ordinary.
……
……
It looks like those two are still sound asleep. There are no issues with their vitals—The SSVRS and the equipment that takes care of their bodily functions are working without a hitch, too.
Well, I’m no expert, so I can’t say for sure. But I have read the manual.
HaHa~ ♪ Even to Sora, Valkyrie looks like they’re just sleeping~ That’s what their colors look like!
They are in a deep sleep—or rather, they’re just dreaming.
In order to achieve something like that, we need these huge machines. If this technology continues development, perhaps it’ll start being made smaller and slimmer.
Yes. It would be great to see them scaled down to the size of contact lenses, like something out of a sci-fi cyberpunk world.
People would be able to travel between dreams and reality as easily as they would put on or take off their glasses.
There are countless ways we use to escape reality—movies, manga, games, and many more.
But it is my hope that the SSVRS, a machine that allows people to dream freely, will at least rival, if not surpass, those other forms of entertainment.
Perhaps we’ll even end up in history books as pioneers of this technology?
Ahaha, if that happens, Switch might just become the most famous idols of all time.
In the ES of today where rivalries are so fierce, it would be rare for someone to become such a renowned historical figure. But I’m sure a person like Eichi-kun would appear on that list.
Heh. I’m not particularly looking for validation from history or the world. But it would be a little exciting if it did happen.
It would be an achievement that could override the chagrin I feel from not being able to weave the story of the miniature garden called Yumenosaki the way I wanted.
I feel like I’ve wanted to be someone like that ever since I was a child.
Ahaha, looks like your wish was granted~ ♪
It wasn’t just granted—We granted it ourselves.
……
? Sora, what’s wrong? Is something bothering you?
If something feels off to you, don’t hold back from telling us. Your eyes are more reliable than anything else.
Ngh~… Sora doesn’t think he can figure it out from the outside, though~?
Maybe Sora should go into SHINSEKAI and check it out~ Like he said before, something in there makes him feel uncomfy—
Nngh. But if you enter SHINSEKAI, you’ll become entirely defenseless, just like Shu-nii-san and all the others.
Those left in this state—the players may have their dreams toyed around with by the Administration.
And depending on the story that unfolds, it’s possible for them to exert control over your innermost thoughts.
If it’s done a certain way, they’d be able to inspire love or hatred within you, or even break your heart or cripple you.
What an unethical machine~ I guess we’ll have to wait for some laws and regulations to be passed to deal with that.
If we claim victory at SS and gain influence, we can work to that end. Laws are passed for the convenience and profit of the victors and the powerful, after all.
Thanks to you, Senpai, that beautiful idea has been reduced to something far more suspicious.
Huh~ But I’ve been giving it my all for the sake of that ideal, both now and in the past.
I don’t understand why people distrust me or even hold me in contempt, even though I’m not acting out of ill-will or anything.
For some reason, people would rather be attacked by someone they love than to receive kindness from someone they hate. It would be helpful if we could play around with those parameters.
Can’t we make that kind of thing possible with the SSVRS? Look, I could tamper with Shu-kun’s mind to make him love me… ♪
Isn’t that even more inhumane than murder…?
You might remember this principle from Tsumugi’s conversation with Eichi in element! Tsumugi is quoting Jeremy Bentham here, specifically his work fragment on government, within which he states that “it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong.”