The way to go back to a specific point in time was blocked, but that wasn’t a huge problem for me.
Sure, it stung that I lost the ledger and couldn’t identify the identity of that hooded figure, but no one died, and I had no desire to rewind time any further.
So, it was necessary to confirm things a bit more definitely before I encountered that guy again and the path back got blocked.
For example, I could sneak around the Imperial Palace’s restricted library and check the contents of the book more thoroughly.
Just like years ago when I entered there, it was still a place even the Crown Princess couldn’t easily access.
But hey, I’d already been inside before.
I knew which parts were vulnerable from my multiple visits in the game, and I had got a fair grasp of the internal structure after running around a few times.
…It was a lot harder to get in than when I was back and forth years ago, though.
While I crawled through, the sound of clanking gears echoed loudly above me, and the hydraulic cylinders were continuously moving, producing the sound of well-oiled machinery. Luckily, there were no steam-spewing machines here.
The “restricted library” was hidden deep within the Imperial Palace, or in other words, deep underground. Generally, there was no way to get down without taking an elevator, which was protected by thick steel doors, teeming with guards inside and out.
Even when Alice and Leo sneaked into the palace, they decided to avoid that route.
Typically, the characters faced four to six heavily armed soldiers at once, and that few enemies made it a bit strange to dodge them… but hey, in a world where bullets can pierce through people, you could respawn with potions or healing magic no matter how many times you got hit in combat.
Anyway, that’s why those two chose this maintenance tunnel.
The palace was equipped with interpretation and calming mechanisms. To create machines that acted a bit “computer-like” unlike CPUs using semiconductors, they needed huge steam-powered devices. Inside were numerous large and small gears and hydraulic cylinders continuously cranking away while displaying information on something similar to a ‘screen’.
Of course, with so many parts, there were many ways it could break down. From the size of a person to tiny parts as small as those found in wristwatches, there were countless. Therefore, they had to be repaired periodically to maintain their lifespan.
And naturally, there were entrances to fix those things.
Those entrances were guarded, but—
It was still impossible to enter normally and reach the library. You had to find a way into spaces that seemed unreachable by people.
Thanks to Alice and Leo reading the palace blueprints beforehand, they could barely get in.
I already knew the path.
…If I could rewind time, I might just pass through that entrance…
But after spending years conversing with various people working in the palace, well… it felt a bit like a no-go for me.
At least there was some way to get in.
*
Initially, I thought it was just a dungeon, but when I actually entered, everything looked exactly as I remembered. It was so complicated that I had gotten lost a few times, going back in time to navigate through it.
That’s right. It was a dungeon.
That’s why I brought a gun with me.
Lost in thought, I pushed my gun forward, repeatedly moving forward. Having built up some muscle over time, it felt like I could manage the crawling now at a decent pace.
“Ugh.”
Letting out a groan as I crawled out, I heard the creaky creak of a poorly oiled machine moving.
Creek creek, an unnatural sound resembling the footsteps of a beast echoed, but it was just the sound of gears turning.
I stood up, gun loaded, looking ahead.
It was dark, but not completely devoid of light. The weak glow of magic stones faintly illuminated the room.
A person in armor was wandering around the room.
On one hand, instead of a hand, there was a sword attached, and in the other, a short firearm.
But there were no legs. It looked like the waist was cut off and stuck on a pole.
Of course, since it was a complete machine, it didn’t seem gruesome.
Like a moving target in a shooting range, a metal rod extended down to the floor and secured it in place. The sound of turning gears was coming from within.
It would probably move, tracing lines randomly drawn on the ground to follow me.
…They were security devices since it was hard for a person to stay inside all the time.
It was a bit dull-witted compared to a person, though.
I lifted my firearm and aimed at one of the moving machines.
I knew its weak spot. In the game, the final blow usually happened after continuously hitting until HP was depleted, but this wasn’t a game.
Bang!
At the same time as the sound, the metal plate at the back was cleanly penetrated, the machine’s torso fell forward. Meanwhile, the metal rod continued moving, and the disabled machine swayed and adjusted its posture as the rod moved.
Thankfully, it seemed the security system hadn’t changed.
But as soon as I confirmed that one machine stopped working, the remaining two turned towards me swiftly.
First, the right one, then the left.
Alright!
Again!
*
Before the right one could fully turn, I swung my arm and shot it.
The front armor of those machines wasn’t something an ordinary rifle could pierce. It was better to take care of the two first, then deal with the next one.
Watching the remaining machine spin towards me, I rolled on the ground.
As it turned, it fired. With a thud and a loud sound, numerous pellets struck the floor where I had been standing, creating sparks.
Thank goodness they turned with gears.
In a world without real-time cameras or laser motion sensors, physical shock was the only way for a machine to perceive a situation.
The floor was densely packed with tiny switches, and except for the areas for the janitor to stand on, everywhere else was a danger zone. Step wrong, and that machine would fire bullets at me.
Understanding where the rolling gears were coming from and figuring out the direction of the impact… all that couldn’t be done all at once. Either way, you could only make sense of it after the gears moved.
Thud, thud, while the machine centered on the place I had been, I diligently avoided the bullets.
The sight of the machine approaching me through the fastest rails was a tad unnerving, but it wasn’t like I had never faced it before.
Thud!
Firing one shot, quickly maneuvering back—if I had only a bit more time, it could have shot me.
Bang! Bang!
But I was just a fraction of a second faster as I anticipated its move.
I ducked to the side, firing two shots into its ribs. With a creaky, it seemed a couple of its parts popped out, making the torso unable to turn.
I swiftly circled behind the machine and took one last shot.
As the most crucial part in the back fell, the machine slumped down. Despite that, due to the continuously moving metal rod on the ground, all three machines were still following me at a regular pace.
I didn’t have time to delay and sprinted towards the next corridor. The switches on the floor not only activated those machines but also alerted the outside that there was an intruder.
In a normal situation, even if you retrieved information, you’d lose all means of escape.
But not me.
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