Home.

—

After that conversation, Richard then stayed there in each other's silent company, admiring the scene that this ethereal world presented to them. Maybe because this was the first time he had come close to dying, he became very melancholic and started to ponder once again the first acts he had done in this world.

Did he have a conviction to protect the weak even when every card stacked against him, with a very slim chance of winning? Was helping them just his selfless thinking to satisfy himself, especially considering his upbringing in modern society where danger was rare?

Thoughts like these kept popping up one after another, eventually causing him to let out a deep sigh. Looking at the frog-like creature earlier that was currently feeding her children, Richard decided he needed a long journey to truly understand what kind of person he was. 

If, by the end of that journey, he remained the same person, maybe he truly wanted to help others. If not, then perhaps the acts he had done were merely for his own satisfaction and nothing more. Maybe when faced with another invincible enemy in the future, he would likely run cowardly, indifferent to their lives.

Turning his gaze back to the mesmerizing purple night sky, Richard once again inhaled the cool, refreshing breath of fresh air and stood up. Looking at Margarita beside him who was still seated, he then delivered the news, "You don't need to worry anymore. Archimonde likely won't find Yggdrasil for the time being."

Stunned, Margarita asked, "Truly?"

"Yes," Richard replied, activating his vision to navigate the Transparent World, forgetting momentarily that his sight was obstructed by myriad atoms. Turning back to Margarita, he asked, "Where are the others?" He wanted to bid farewell to those staying in the Ethereal Realms and wish them luck in finding allies for Yggdrasil.

Standing up and looking at the top of the gigantic tree where a yellow light illuminated the surroundings, Margarita pointed out, "There. They are at the command center."

Following her direction and seeing the lone yellow light in this purple-glowing realm, Richard turned toward her, asking, "Do you want to see how I get there?" He wanted to show off his teleportation skill, which was quite distinct from that of sorcerers, though limited to within the protective bubble of the firewall program.

Noticing his mood returning to what it was when they first met, Margarita smiled at his gentle, magnetic face and replied, "Gladly."

Flipping open his translucent watch once again, Richard transferred all his data to the top of Yggdrasil. His body turned to dust, horrifying the lady in the green dress, but instantly he arrived at the large wooden stump platform where the command center was located.

Seeing the startled Triss and Logain who were currently overseeing this vast land floating in the air, he chuckled and walked closer. Looking at the translucent display of Yggdrasil hovering above the round stump of the tree, Richard couldn't help but be impressed, "Hmm, what a marvelous design…"

"Yes. I took inspiration from your Science Fiction section that discussed holographic displays," Triss commented.

"No, Triss. That's not what he meant. It's the anti-tracking system," Logain interjected.

"Oh," Triss said, disappointed since it was her creation.

Shaking his head at their misunderstandings, Richard corrected, "Actually, both. They are impressive in their own right," and then continued, "Anyway, I want to say goodbye. I'm heading back to the Physical Realm."

"Sure… But will you come if Archimonde attacks again?" Triss asked.

"Absolutely," Richard replied.

After walking out of the portal and hearing that sentence from Richard, Margarita couldn't help but have a strange expression. Wanting to tell them that it was okay, they didn't need to worry about being tracked down, she saw Richard's mischievous expression looking at her. Knowing it was probably good anyway for those responsible for Yggdrasil to work hard, she decided to stay silent and follow her partner in crime decision.

Looking around, Richard asked, "Where is Philipa?"

"She is currently sleeping. It is very hard on her, since she takes the brunt of Yggdrasil's teleportation calculations," Triss answered.

"In that case, send my regards," Richard said, feeling the existence of Huginn and Muninn. "Goodbye, everyone. See you later," he added before allowing himself to be dragged once more into the Physical Realm.

—

Phasing into the material world once again, exactly where he had been standing before being teleported to Yggdrasil, Richard saw many makeshift huts and shacks built by the people he had just saved, scattered throughout the misty island of Undvik. Nodding in satisfaction at the promising start to an excellent development, he heard footsteps beside him.

Seeing Margarita, who had also followed him into this realm, Richard asked her, "Rita, do you have a desire to build your Aretuza here?"

Nodding her head, since this location was obviously an excellent place to raise future sorceresses and nowhere in this world seemed better than this island, Margarita answered, "Yes. It is very good here. Not to mention the protection that was brought by Huginn and Muninn, just assistance alone will make every child's study here become more effective and productive."

"Say, do you not have an idea to include more genders and more people?" Richard asked.

Realizing something, Margarita still asked, "What do you mean?"

"You know my dream, right?" Richard asked. Seeing her nod, he continued, "So, I want to make this place the center of academic exchange. But I don't know how to even start it, let alone manage it." Embarrassed, scratching his head, he then asked, "Will you by any chance—"

He was cut short by her quick response, "Gladly."

Letting out a deep breath he had been holding, relieved to now have a reliable ally who knew how to achieve that dream instead of just talking about it, Richard then waved his hand to give her a translucent watch.

He began explaining, "Here is the Seon Operating System that I am currently working on. With it, you can access the deep functions of Huginn and Muninn that only Ciri and I have had the privilege to use. One example is the monitoring systems that cover the entirety of the firewall bubble protection. And not only that, this also…"

On and on he continued explaining, and by the time he realized it, Richard felt soft lips touching his own, followed by a conviction that made him realize right then and there that he wanted to become part of this world.

"Don't worry, my dear. I will prepare your home that you can call your own."

—