“Ugh. Feels like my head’s splitting.”
Thud thud thud. Crash crash crash. Thud thud.
After being tormented by all kinds of noises all night, I was just about at my wit’s end.
No more sleeping in Clockwork City for me, fourteen times is enough!
Rubbing my aching head, I finally sat up.
“Huh?”
“Hrk…”
But just at that moment…
The centipede’s maw and antennae were pushed right up in my face!
“Ugh! Damn, you scared me!”
“Gah?!”
I kicked the centipede away out of shock.
The giant centipede went flying with a loud bang bang and a bunch of noise.
In that split second, the creature morphed into a girl and thumped her head against the wall, looking all teary-eyed.
“Ah! Why did you suddenly kick me while I’m sleeping?!”
“When I woke up to a giant centipede flaunting its stinky maw right in front of me, would you expect me to just ignore it?”
“Huh? Me? When?”
“Did you lose your mind? Just look at bugs, they don’t do that.”
Look at Mi Jeong over there.
So calm, just sitting in the corner of the room.
Even now, I’m sure…
“What’s up? Why are you here?”
“Because… it’s warm.”
“Why would a Blood Ghoul look for a warm place?”
“…”
It’s supposed to maintain a position while I sleep, but somehow, it’s snuggled up in my bed, covered in blankets.
Is it cold?
Lately, I’ve been feeling like humans have been getting more human, but at this rate, I wonder if it might even grow a heartbeat someday.
Of course, that can’t really be possible…
Current time: 8 AM.
Cern’s mornings start before the sun rises.
He must have finished preparing the magical tools by now.
Seems about time to head over.
I tossed Mi Jeong, all wrapped up in the blanket, and got out of bed.
“…Heh.”
“Apologize! For kicking me! Say you’re sorry!”
“But why are you still here?”
“Huh?”
“You’re free now. Go get some magical energy and scram.”
The expression on the centipede nun’s face went blank as she looked back at me.
After the near-suicidal incident in the dungeon last night, she was completely liberated.
Now we’re in a mutually beneficial contract.
She’s already fulfilled her part of the deal.
Now, I just have the duty to regularly replenish her magical energy.
Looks like she totally forgot about that part.
“Wha, what does it matter? It’s nobody’s business when I leave!”
“I’m just uncomfortable. Could you hurry up and leave? Every time I see you, I think about that squishy centipede belly and that stinky maw, and I feel like gagging.”
“Wha, what did you say?! That’s rude to a lady!”
“Oh wow, you’ve really become so human-like. You’re a monster, you know.”
“Anyway! Until I get my magical tools finished, I’ll stick with you! Since I’ve stepped into this, it won’t feel complete unless I see it through!”
I get it.
It’s like when someone next to you in the subway suddenly cuts off their video halfway and leaves you hanging.
It’s that kind of feeling.
“Let’s go, Mi Jeong! But hey, what are you doing?”
“…Not… letting go.”
I had already made my way to the front door, but Mi Jeong was still struggling to come out, all tangled in her blanket.
“Hmph. Let’s just leave her behind and go.”
“I can’t leave her!”
“I think I could easily replace her.”
“Absolutely not.”
“…”
How could one possibly replace a Guardian Knight who can activate electricity and flame magic at will?
That’s just not gonna happen.
Setting aside the fuming centipede nun, I unwrapped the blankets from Mi Jeong.
Then Mi Jeong casually walked out and stood beside me as if nothing had happened.
Her expression bent just once when she briefly glanced at the centipede nun.
‘Weren’t they supposed to be getting along?’
I’ve figured they could become friends since they’re both monsters, but it seems there’s a bigger gap between a human-born monster and a pure monster than I thought.
“Oh no… no way.”
Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong.
I approached Cern’s mansion and repeatedly rang the doorbell, but there was no response.
As memories from when I first came here crept back up, an unease rose within me.
‘No way, did he come down with dementia again?’
It’s only been a day.
Just got my head back together yesterday.
Less than 24 hours had passed, and it couldn’t be that he’s already lost his mind again, could it?
That’s not possible.
I still haven’t received my magical tools.
Familiar with the unlocking spell, I picked the lock and stepped inside the mansion.
“Old man! You in here? Hello?”
“…”
No matter how much I shouted inside, it was like I was talking to a wall.
I felt no signs of life.
I reached the bedroom and opened the door, but the bed was perfectly made and completely empty.
“No way…”
He hasn’t been taken to the hospital overnight or anything, has he?
Suppressing my unease, I headed out of the mansion towards the garage.
But oddly enough…
The garage door was slightly ajar, and not locked.
Curious, I opened the door, but similarly, Cern was nowhere to be found there.
Only Linda was sitting quietly in the charging port, with her eyes closed.
“This is maddening. I need to get out of here fast…”
I need to leave before Yerina arrives.
Where the heck did Cern go?
As cold sweat soaked my back, I discovered a cardboard box sitting on a shelf.
There was a note attached to the box.
Written on it was:
– “It’s the finished product. Sorry for not being able to hand it over myself. If there are any issues, contact me through Linda, and I’ll fix it.”
When I opened the box, a sophisticated-looking magical tool, resembling a pocket watch, revealed itself inside.
This is the machine that creates a hole in space-time.
It’s a clockwork machine nicknamed Longinus’ Spear.
[Item named.]
[Longinus’ Spear]
[Status: Incomplete]
[Paves the way to the other side of this world, the Shadowscape. Using it consumes an immense amount of energy.]
[Warning: Parts are insufficient. Operating in an incomplete state may result in random teleports without specifying coordinates.]
Oh no. That’s not what I intended to call it.
Is there no way to change this?
No matter how I shout ‘Change item name!’ or ‘Rename!’, nothing happens.
Eventually, I had to give it up.
After all, this name only shows for me, so it doesn’t really matter, right?
‘Now only one part remains.’
Just one part left.
I need a piece that somewhat resembles a navigator to teleport me directly to the Final Boss’s position when I move to the Shadowscape.
I can get that later at the Saint Francesco Maritime Fortress.
So, I practically secured a route to assassinate the Final Boss.
[Are you satisfied with the finished product?]
“Yeah. It’s perfect as expected. Even if he’s old, his skills are still flawless… huh?!”
“…Huh?”
“Eh?”
A voice came behind me naturally.
But as I realized it wasn’t Mi Jeong’s or the centipede nun’s, I turned around in a hurry.
And a breathtakingly beautiful maid’s face appeared right in front of me.
“What the?!”
[Whoa.]
Startled, I shouted, causing Linda to jump back in shock.
She looked like she was surprised too…
Now that I focused, her expressions are quite diverse.
The corners of her lips and eyes moved fluidly.
If I didn’t know this was Linda, I’d really mistake her for a human with how intricate and realistic her face looks.
[Sorry for startling you. That was rude of me.]
“You… no way.”
[I apologize for the late introduction. My name is Linda ver.3.1.2, a clockwork doll made for household use.]
With a graceful gesture, Linda bowed, her skirt swaying elegantly.
Her movements were so smooth I couldn’t help but be amazed.
The diverse expressions a clockwork doll couldn’t normally produce.
Instead of acting out scripted movements, she moved as if she were alive, in real-time.
This was nothing less than…
[During our last encounter, I made quite the fool of myself. It’s a pleasure to see you again.]
“You have an Artificial Soul left in you, huh?”
The ‘error’ that appeared in Linda’s logic circuit long ago, briefly manifested before disappearing in front of Cern.
Now, it seems like that error has lingered in her logic circuit after being reabsorbed by the dungeon’s magic.
Very strange indeed.
“What happened? Didn’t the magic absorb everything?”
[It appears that the damage caused by the magic remains in the circuit. That damage caused an error, which allowed the artificial soul to manifest.]
“Then magic didn’t serve any real purpose, did it?”
[Yes. The magic muddied my consciousness, leading to a compulsive urge to harm others. So I had to forcibly shut down, and I’m sure I fell into a sleep. However, someone cursed me with malice, which caused me to awaken.]
“…”
The one who cast that curse was us.
Feeling a bit guilty, I turned my head just in time to see the centipede nun tremble, avoiding Linda’s gaze.
But it’s a good thing.
Thanks to Linda choosing to forcibly shut down, there were no casualties caused by her.
Some mercenaries nearly died, but I saved them instead.
At least we dodged the bullet of creating the first killing machine.
“Your skin feels real.”
[It’s silicone.]
“What about your hair?”
[It’s a donated wig.]
“Oh.”
I found it fascinating and started circling around Linda, touching her here and there to test her response.
If I press hard, I could feel the metal inside, but a gentle touch feels completely indistinguishable from a human.
In a sudden moment, confusion washed over me.
Is this truly a clockwork doll?
It feels just too much like a human.
“Wait, hold still a sec.”
[Ugh…]
Swish.
I went behind Linda and lifted her skirt to check her back.
Unlike back in the day when they’d have their inner workings fully exposed, her back panel was covered now.
As I pulled back to peek, I saw a tangled mess of gears and the logic circuits I brought, whirling around.
A dizzying sight to behold just by looking.
[Um… Would you mind stepping away since it’s a bit embarrassing to show the insides?]
Linda politely asked, slightly bashfully.
After all, showing her internal mechanisms is like showing a human their naked body.
I covered up the back panel for her out of courtesy and pulled the skirt back down.
“This is really amazing. Cern must have been overjoyed, maybe even suffocating with happiness.”
[He actually had trouble breathing and needed emergency assistance.]
“Haha… But where did Cern go?”
[He has apparently fulfilled all his aspirations as an engineer. He said he had no regrets now. He mentioned he wants to reconcile with his wife and daughter for all the mistakes he made.]
Having successfully achieved his lifelong research must feel liberating.
He goes to ask for forgiveness from the family he had cast aside during that journey…
I’m not sure if he can receive their forgiveness, but at least one thing’s for sure.
“He’s going to be in better health.”
[Yes. His complexion has indeed improved significantly.]
Cern’s dementia symptoms should get much better now.
What drove him crazy was that he lost his purpose and desire to live, without any motivation to overcome despair.
As long as he wants to treat his family better,
Cern won’t act like a frail old man anymore.
That’s one good thing, at least.
“I understand why you were left behind.”
[You know why?]
“Having a maid like you around will make his wife suspicious. To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, you had to stay behind.”
[Beep beep. Incorrect.]
“What?”
Naturally, I thought he left her behind to escape from the annoying mechanic voice.
But Linda shook her head with a mischievous grin.
That smile was simply too lovely.
[Cern decided to give me to you to show his gratitude for restoring my logic circuit. Now I belong to you. Please feel free to use me as you wish.]
Wait… what?
Linda is now mine?
I was left speechless for a moment, utterly dumbfounded.
