RP.
A fairly well-known term in the Vtuber industry.
For a Vtuber who shouts something like:
"Greetings, a fine and strong morning to you! I am Raqyuryung, the pro gamer from the world of games!"
"Ah, so that's the concept?"
This is the standard reaction for anyone who's watched a few Vtubers.
It's only natural.
It's been about twenty years since the Vtuber industry, which began with Kizuna Ai, became a massive success and evolved into what is now known as VRK-POP.
In the current year of 2035, the Vtuber industry, enhanced by the virtual reality technology that was fully introduced around 2030, has become a leading sector.
If you were to ask just how much the Vtuber industry is booming...
"Uh... among our proud K-pop culture, there was the cyber singer Adam in the past, and such..."
It's even mentioned in political circles from time to time.
"Hello, I'm Kkugeup, the Vtuber in charge of public relations for the Seonghwa District Office! Ahem, the district mayor, you say? I am not the district mayor~"
Some local governments go beyond just actively using Vtubers as promotional models; there are even rumors that the "red pill" behind one is actually the district mayor.
You can even see cases in the entertainment industry where existing idols are turned into virtual avatars, or where talents are trained specifically as virtual idols from the start.
In these cases, they are a bit different from Vtubers in the strict, traditional sense.
If there's one thing that's most important to a Vtuber, it's their character.
Having animal ears on their head is commonplace, and their hair and eye colors are a vibrant kaleidoscope.
There are plenty of cases where they aren't even human.
Most are designed to be as handsome or beautiful as possible for the viewers' viewing pleasure, but each one has their own unique and peculiar backstory.
A Vtuber's unique personality.
If the backstories Vtubers had were real, humanity would have been watching broadcasts from beings from other dimensions and mythological creatures since 2017.
Creatures from Atlantis, grim reapers, phoenixes, priests serving a void god, or even an English detective.
Since then, an incredible variety of individuals have appeared in the Vtuber industry, but everyone understands the one "red pill" in the back of their minds.
The red pill.
The person inside.
As someone who worked in an industry where I saw the "red pill" of Vtubers with my own eyes, I've always thought of a Vtuber's backstory as just a character persona for business.
Beings who sell fantasies to their viewers.
People who create a concept that makes viewers just dismiss it with an, "Ah, so that's the gimmick."
In that sense, it was truly difficult to find the words to describe the being who had appeared before me.
"So, you're an archmage from another dimension?"
"That is correct, being of this dimension."
A woman was sitting across the table from me.
Her blonde hair and blue eyes were of a vividness rarely seen even abroad, and with her fair skin and well-defined figure, she was the very picture of beauty.
So much so that one could call her a 'goddess'.
It even crossed my mind that you could take a full-body photo of her, lift the model directly, and create a Vtuber avatar from it.
"I was researching magic that opens dimensions and connects different worlds. Are you perhaps familiar with magic?"
"...You mean, like, gripping a staff, shooting fire, launching ice missiles, and eventually dropping meteors?"
"A relief. You are well-informed. I thought you might not know, given the near absence of mana here."
"...It's not that mana is scarce. It doesn't exist at all."
"What..."
The being from another dimension was taken aback.
"I see. So that's why these artifacts function without any magical energy in the ornaments or those magical tools over there... It seems technology has developed in place of magic. I understand."
Was she capable of quickly absorbing and organizing knowledge and information on her own, even while flustered?
Her blue eyes sparkled as if with insight, as if seeing through everything, as she scanned my home.
"A civilization that has developed a system similar to magical tools—no, far more efficient—by harnessing the pure power of electricity itself, rather than mana with lightning properties... Perhaps if the world where ancient alchemists researched technology without mana had continued to develop, it might have become a world like this."
"Um, hey."
"Ah. My apologies. I have been rude. My introduction is late."
The self-proclaimed being from another dimension bowed her head to me.
"I am Lasianne von Arphios. Master of the White Tower and an archmage known as one of the 'Five Sages' in my dimension."
"...Kang Min-hyuk."
Archmage.
It was surprising, but not enough to make me faint.
After all, there's a Vtuber out there with the concept of 'barely survived being burned at the stake and can only use her witch's mana by streaming'.
"To cross over to another world, it must have been a grand spell that not just anyone can use. It's an honor to meet you, Archmage."
"...Are there others in this dimension who have crossed worlds, like myself?"
"Not exactly."
There are people who cross between 2D and 3D to perform like idols, but if I tried to explain that to this archmage, she'd probably think I was talking about the UFC.
"It's a bit difficult to explain, but for us, even if traveling to other dimensions or fantasy worlds is impossible in reality, we imagine it in our heads or express it through things like books, paintings, and plays. Um, for example..."
The moment I took out my smartphone to find a suitable YouTube video...
Ting.
An alert went off.
"Ah."
The moment I tapped the pop-up that appeared on the main screen, the display changed immediately.
[Cheeehaaaaaa!!]
A woman's voice boomed out.
The face of a beautiful girl's avatar appeared from the bottom, and in the right-hand window, text reading 'Heya' began to scroll up quickly.
"Ah, sorry. This is, well..."
"...In this world, too."
The archmage, Lasianne, began to stiffen, her expression turning serious.
"Do demons exist?"
"..."
The Vtuber's character, whose livestream I'd accidentally jumped into by tapping the pop-up, was unmistakably a red-skinned, horned demon.
The subtle hostility she directed at the demon was a mixture of discomfort and tension, an instinct she tried her best to hide but couldn't completely conceal.
"No. I don't know if your concept of a demon is the same as mine, but she's not a demon."
"Then what in the world is this...?"
"...There's a person inside."
"A person? You mean to say a person is speaking through the form of a demon like this?"
"Well."
Where should I even begin to explain?
As I was pondering this, the archmage from another dimension looked at me with eyes that seemed to say, 'If you don't explain this demon to me right now, I will use magic.'
And so.
"This is what's called a Vtuber..."
I suddenly found myself explaining not the culture of Earth, but Vtubers, as the very first thing to a being from another dimension.
"First, would you like to watch this video?"
"This is...?"
And to aid my explanation, I pulled up a video.
Play.
[Hello, travelers, castaways, and dimension-hoppers from other worlds! I am Ryurparta, an Outer God who fell to Earth before you!!]
"...Oh? So there is already someone here who has used dimension-traveling magic?"
"Not exactly. It's a video with that kind of concept."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
About five hours later.
"I see. I understand."
By now, the sun had set, and night was approaching.
"So there is a person inside a Vtuber."
"Well."
"Ah. Was that too disrespectful to the industry? My apologies."
After about five hours of explanation, the archmage Lasianne had come to grasp the concepts of Earth and Vtubers.
"Thank you for the detailed explanation. Thanks to you, I now have a good understanding of my situation."
If you were to ask to what extent she understood...
"First, I'll need to find a broker and resolve the issue of my resident registration."
"Um."
A being from another world was already pointing out the exact difficulties one would face trying to live in Korea.
"What is it? Do you perhaps know a broker?"
"Well..."
"I may be an archmage, but I do not yet possess a method to directly interfere with the resident registration's computer system."
"There's so much I want to say, but... aren't you understanding all this a little too quickly?"
"Because I'm an archmage. I don't mean to brag, but I have one of the five best minds in my world."
Lasianne raised both hands and made V-signs.
"I am smart."
A smug double peace sign.
It wasn't a gesture common to her world, but one she had learned from watching videos of Vtubers from this world.
'Of all the things, the reference videos I showed her were all ones I watched back when I was at the Japanese company.'
"Fortunately, it seems I won't have to work part-time at a hamburger joint like that senior of mine, the Demon Lord, who lost all her magic or couldn't find a way back to her original world."
"It seems you understand so well now that you don't even need my explanations anymore."
"I am still far from knowledgeable. All the knowledge of this world is unknown to me. Everything I've learned about Earth, Korea, and Vtubers is thanks to you, Mr. Kang Min-hyuk."
Lasianne extended her hand to me.
"Would you please help me? If you do, I will be sure to repay you in some form."
"In some form...?"
"Yes. First, regarding financial matters."
Lasianne extended only her long index finger, swiped the smartphone screen, and played a video.
"If you teach me about the capitalist system, I will make you a rich man, Mr. Kang Min-hyuk."
"...Don't people usually offer gold or jewels?"
"The reference material said that converting jewels to cash is not feasible. 'When in another world, follow the laws and order of that world,' it said."
"I understand what kind of help you can offer, but I'd like to know why you're asking for help in the first place."
I first took Lasianne's offered hand.
"Is it to establish a foundation for living on Earth? Or to conquer it?"
"I am a witch, or an archmage, not a demon lord."
"Still, with the power of magic, you could do something..."
"It is possible. Like this."
As Lasianne extended her hand to the side.
Shwwwk!!
The blackout curtains, untouched, drew themselves open, and the sofa in the living room floated gently into the air.
"Using the power of magic, causing a localized disturbance would be a simple matter. If I had enough mana, dropping a meteor from the sky wouldn't be impossible either."
"..."
"Ah. I used the mana remaining in my body for that."
So meteors were real.
"Of course, considering the military power of the Uni...ted States? America, if I were to pull down an actual meteor, it would likely be destroyed before entering the atmosphere. But the very fact that it's possible is a great danger. That is why I wish to ask for your cooperation, Mr. Kang Min-hyuk."
"So, what kind of cooperation?"
"I would like you to help me live here quietly while I acquire knowledge. I am curious about this world called Earth... and especially."
Was I imagining it?
"This 'Vtuber' thing... it's quite intriguing. The fact that an elf is doing something called a broadcast, but isn't actually an elf, for starters."
She was showing considerable interest in seeing fantasy-like beings, similar to herself, communicating with others in real-time.
"Right now, here..."
[Ah, the delivery is here!!]
I had opened a Vtuber's stream, but the Vtuber had run off, saying her food delivery had arrived.
[LMAO]
[Abandoned the avatar again.]
[She means well. Just chill.]
Because of that, the avatar froze as if it had been struck by a powerful gust of wind.
A common mistake for beginner Vtubers, or perhaps one of the basic moves of an expert meant to entertain the viewers.
What you might call the classic AFK pose.
"What on earth is 'food delivery' that would make an elf... no, the person inside, run off like that?"
"...It's magic. The ultimate magic that allows you to save food, time, and labor with money."
I switched to a different app on my smartphone.
"Cashmancy."
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