As soon as I lay eyes on it, I sensed it.
This is not a creation of humans.
Given the human trait that unconsciously pursues aesthetic value and sharp angles over efficiency, this kind of structure wouldn’t have come about.
Was it intentionally twisted into this bizarre shape? No, that’s not it either.
Upon closer inspection, the flow of information and mana transmitted from the ends of each branch to the center is designed for maximum efficiency.
No, it’s not a design.
It’s more accurate to say that they built for efficiency, and this design happened to emerge.
The order is wrong.
“Excuse me, sir. In order to enter here, first you need security clearance—”
Beeep!
Despite the protests of the Nameless, the front gate opened effortlessly.
The barred door is exactly like the one from the old mansion.
But since the scenery beyond is an entirely different world, the sense of dissonance is quite strong.
“What’s going on? Even the Frost Duchess has to wait for a permit to enter here…”
The Nameless tilts their head in confusion.
There’s really nothing to think hard about.
The owner has arrived, so they just opened the door for me.
That’s all there is to it.
‘As expected, Linda can see me.’
My expectations were somewhat accurate.
Linda can recognize me.
Normally, I should be jumping for joy…
But for some reason, I also feel a bit creeped out.
“Are we just going in like this? The alarm is going to ring, right?”
“It won’t.”
“If we leave traces here, we’ll get tracked, won’t we?”
“You won’t get tracked.”
“······?”
Without hesitation, I moved ahead, and only then did the Nameless cautiously follow behind me.
Their face is filled with worry.
There’s no need to worry at all.
“······!”
Then inside,
The central building, which looks like a tree trunk, opens up, revealing a figure… no, a machine.
[It’s been a while, Master. I hope you’ve been well.]
“Looks like your jokes have increased.”
[Hehe…]
Snickers, unable to hold back, the clockwork maid bursts into laughter, covering her mouth.
With those enchanting eyes, I responded with a smile as well.
There was one more.
Someone who recognizes me.
Just that fact alone warmed my heart.
“I didn’t know there was a place like this in the Archive…”
While they say the Archive houses vast data storage, the mansion that Cern handed over to me remained the same.
Deep inside surrounded by machine-like structures.
The mansion stands tall, as if it’s a lonely house deep in a forest, not blending with the surrounding scenery at all.
Though there are no residents inside, it’s well-maintained and clean.
How should I put it?
It feels like a living space nestled in the middle of a fortress.
I’m not exaggerating; the buildings comprising the Archive may not have weapons on display, but their structure is optimized for defense.
As if it was made with an initial assumption of a siege…
Am I overthinking it?
Maybe it’s just that it was built to enhance mana efficiency, resulting in a defensible structure.
Who knows?
[The mansion wasn’t built for the Archive. The Archive was constructed where the mansion used to be.]
“Oh, really?! The owner of this house must have become super rich! The land value must’ve skyrocketed!”
[Hehe, exactly.]
“······.”
With a gentle smile, Linda pours tea into the cup.
She looks just like an ordinary human maid.
But the moment she turns her back, the exposed machinery and gears on her back and behind prove she is an artificially created being.
“Somehow it seems more human-like?”
[Oh, is that so? If that’s the case, it’s an illusion.]
“Why is that? Weren’t you still learning to resemble a human?”
[That’s a misunderstanding, Master. My personality was completed at birth and hasn’t changed at all. If anything has changed, it should rightly be called ‘growth,’ just like humans gain enlightenment and knowledge over time.]
“······.”
She admitted she’s undergone change.
It’s been three years, but I remember clearly.
Linda wasn’t this cheeky.
She used to be a more adorable maid. What happened to turn her like this…?
Of course, it’s not that I’m disappointed she got less cute.
Really, really not.
It just feels unsettling.
With the Nameless, their appearance has completely changed—everything I knew about them is gone.
The time apart was longer than the time we spent together, so it’s only natural.
But within that changed appearance, I could still find the Nameless I knew.
Though they’ve grown and changed in both appearance and essence, their core remains the same.
I felt that certainty.
But with Linda… it feels like the Linda I knew has completely disappeared.
‘Something must have happened during her repair and reboot…?’
If there’s a time when change occurred, it’s when Linda chose to self-destruct and Cern repaired her.
That particular moment is the only thing that fits.
What exactly happened during the repairs…?
‘Wait a minute. Why did Linda choose to self-destruct in the first place?’
As that question popped into my mind, a shiver ran down my spine.
I was too busy then to investigate, but now those questions come flying at me.
Linda chose to self-destruct on the night the Draken’s power was siphoned from all living beings in the current world.
The effects varied among monsters, but Linda was the only one who chose death.
And Cern, who arrived at the mansion to repair her, said it would take at least a month to fix her.
In retrospect, it’s strange.
Clockwork machines do not require particularly expensive parts or complex procedures.
As long as the blueprint exists, even if they completely dismantle Linda and build her anew from scratch, it should not take a month.
‘Was there some kind of critical error?’
The plausible suspicion would be a defect in the internal software.
For example, Linda’s memory could have been infected by some malignant code…?
If that’s the case, it explains why she chose to self-terminate.
Restoring the data would take considerable time, so I can also understand Cern’s words.
It’s a chillingly perfect fit for a hypothesis.
Then who’s standing in front of me right now…?
[What’s wrong, Master? Your expression isn’t good. Are you feeling unwell?]
“······.”
At that moment, an artificial skin face protruded right in front of me.
I’ve never felt unpleasant about that face before.
But today, every time I see it, it sends chills down my spine.
[Ah, ahh… why…? Whyyyyyy…]
Squish!
Stretching Linda’s cheek, I squeezed and inspected her face.
The texture and reaction belong to Linda.
The taste of the brewed tea also matches.
‘At least Linda hasn’t completely vanished.’
Whether she’s infected by malignant code or not, Linda hasn’t completely disappeared.
At least some memory data seems to remain.
In that case, does it mean the counterpart is not a type of malignant code that indiscriminately deletes and corrupts data, but someone who intended to manipulate Linda from the start?
“Linda. I want to ask you a few things.”
[Yes. Feel free to speak, Master.]
“How many times did you receive updates while I was away?”
[Zero times. Since the establishment of the alliance and my management role in the record storage, I have not received any updates. If I receive data from the outside, security issues may arise.]
No inspections or patches of the code since her repairs.
It’s absurd.
Letting a clockwork machine, which could malfunction at any moment, fend for itself without fixing issues?
People who don’t regularly visit the hospital easily break down—what about a mere clockwork machine?
Even if Linda was stubborn, Cern wouldn’t just sit by idly.
“Then how many times did you meet Cern?”
[I met Master Cern twice. Once when I was damaged and being repaired. And the other time was when the Archive was completed.]
So after those first two meetings, Cern cut ties?
Linda has clearly changed dramatically, right?
The person who cherished Linda that much never came again after seeming to lose interest completely?
Suddenly, I started to worry about Cern’s well-being.
“Then, how far can you follow my orders?”
[I can follow you to the ends of Hell, Master.]
Linda replies, placing a hand on her chest.
There’s no hesitation in that response.
I too spoke without reservation.
“Then right now, kill yourself, Linda.”
[······.]
Suddenly, as if the air conditioner turned on, the atmosphere turned chilly.
Linda’s various expressions froze stiff.
I gathered sword aura into my right hand, forming a transparent sword.
Mi Jeong picked up Blin’s Wooden Club (+1).
Then, with a vroom, I felt the Archive vibrating.
[Are you serious, Master?]
Structures that had been reaching outwards like branches twisted inward.
The ends of those iron rods were all aimed at us.
