After finishing the short conversation at the café,
Drake settled into the arriving vehicle.
It was a private car sent by Natasha.
She mentioned that the design was robust enough to withstand tram flattening, so it seemed there was no need to worry about other issues on the way to ‘No Answer.’
And since it’s an autonomous vehicle, there was no need to be cautious about their conversation.
Drake decided to break the stuffy atmosphere inside the car and was the first to speak, smashing the silence.
“…Wow, I didn’t believe it, but I really didn’t think Super Artificial Intelligence existed in this world.”
Through Drake’s black sunglasses, his green eyes glimmered with mechanical light.
Carefully, he turned his head back to scan the others in the vehicle.
Behind Drake’s seat were two women, each facing different windows.
A golden mercenary and a red elf.
Catherine and Andrea.
Under normal circumstances, it would be right for a wizard to join them in the vehicle, but they made an excuse of an urgent matter and fled without looking back, leaving no choice.
What on earth were they so intensely thinking about?
As there was no response coming, Drake leaned back in the car seat, resting his head against the backrest.
‘I’m tired.’
Drake thought.
The incident involving the Megacorp was usually too much to handle with just mental strength.
But still.
He could confidently say that the three people now in the vehicle were thinking of the same person.
“Eve,” that was her name.
A scene from the amusement park flashed through Drake’s mind.
Dozens of ninjas collapsed where they stood, unable to move,
and the firewall of the Megacorp, protected by dozens of professional security managers, was breached in an instant.
The view of the city’s lights that shone day and night disappearing in an instant was terrifying in a way.
It was a segment that his trusted friend and comrade, Siwoon, had explained.
If that wasn’t the case, he might have mistaken it for asymmetric power created by cities or large nations, like a ‘game changer.’
The fact that it was artificial intelligence and its performance and abilities were beyond disbelief observed by the eyes.
‘…It really doesn’t make sense.’
What would happen if this information leaked to the city, Neon City, or Megacorp?
The regular life around him, especially Siwoon’s, could be shattered at any moment.
Yet.
‘To have such an important conversation in a café.’
Was he completely uninterested?
Or he didn’t worry at all?
Drake couldn’t understand his fellow wizard’s thoughts.
Siwoon must have had a reason for planning to help his comrades, but a part of Drake hoped he could trust his comrades like himself and share things beforehand.
‘Well, would it be alright if he told me now?’
Drake covered his face with his hand.
Right now, their destination was ‘No Answer.’
Since Natasha, the owner of ‘No Answer,’ planned the operation to kidnap the vice-president, it was the natural route.
So how should he explain to her how everything went?
Drake had no clue.
He thought that’s why Siwoon ran away.
He couldn’t help but think that.
Drake gazed out at the city lights visible through the window.
By now, he must have arrived home.
Letting out a short sigh, he worried for his friend.
……
Also, a woman in a maid outfit.
Unintentionally, he was surprised to learn about his friend’s new preference.
‘What a taste.’
It was respectful.
15. A Bit Scary (2)
Really, people are peculiar beings.
I can only speak for myself.
The artificial intelligence Eve.
In the current situation, nothing changed between Eve and me.
AI and master.
Lost item and finder.
Our relationship had been maintained for quite a while.
After all, I first met Eve during the mission I undertook with my comrades.
Even if it wasn’t a few years, nobody could deny that the time had been enough for me to adapt and become familiar with Eve.
But still.
Eve hadn’t changed.
Neither had I.
The only difference was that the artificial intelligence that had always been there now had a body.
But what are these feelings?
“……”
The situation with Eve hadn’t changed,
yet I found myself feeling burdened by the fact that an AI (beautiful woman) was genuinely beside me in the same elevator.
I cautiously examined Eve.
Even on the way here, it seemed she was curious about the surroundings while looking around.
She pressed all the hologram panels that moved the floors.
And as if she hacked into the content of the surveillance cameras installed in the elevator, she stared blankly at the camera lens.
I didn’t want to speak up and interrupt Eve’s exploration.
After all, I would need to discuss things in detail once we entered my house, but I didn’t want to disturb her curiosity.
It would be a lie to say I had no questions.
Especially concerning the maid outfit Eve was wearing.
The way people’s gazes burdened me was unbearable.
Well, anyway.
The elevator stopped, and a short bell rang.
Eve followed closely behind as I stepped out of the elevator.
It felt like a chick chasing after a mother hen.
Just then.
“Ah.”
I let out a groan as I spotted someone in front of me.
Our eyes had already met.
There was no way I could just pass by him.
I bowed my head and greeted the number one old-timer in Cyberpunk I knew.
“…Bill, long time no see.”
“Um, yeah.”
In reality, it had indeed been quite a while.
A small boy, about ten years old, responded indifferently to my greeting.
Looking only at his appearance, the way he stood with his hands behind his back felt bothersome, but since he was nearly a hundred years old, I had no option.
I could just ignore him and go home,
but it was a tough choice for someone like me from a country that values etiquette.
I tried passing by Bill quickly while engaging in trivial talk.
However, Bill’s curiosity about Eve, who was beside me, was faster.
“…Who’s the girl in the maid outfit next to you?”
Even though he had seemed like a wild child,
it seemed the Cyberpunk maid outfit was a burden to him, as his tone was unexpectedly curious.
…Um.
How should I explain Eve?
Actually, there’s no need to explain at all.
Just as I was about to open my mouth to say she’s an acquaintance,
Eve took action at that moment.
“?”
Leaving behind my confused expression, Eve walked up and lifted Bill.
“…Huh?”
In the bewildering situation, Bill froze, unable to react.
He didn’t seem to recognize that the first woman he encountered had just lifted him.
Because Bill had the appearance of a ten-year-old,
he didn’t engage or respond to Eve’s actions.
After a moment, Bill came to his senses.
“What, what’s this!! Put me down!”
Ignoring Bill’s flustered voice,
Eve walked him towards the apartment door, placing him in front of his house.
At the same time, she opened Bill’s front door.
“…How did you open it when it’s locked—.”
Drake slammed the door as Eve let Bill down with a bang.
From beyond the door, Bill’s frantic knocks began to echo.
[What the heck, why won’t the door open!]
The doorknob outside was turning,
but strangely, it seemed that he couldn’t open it from the inside.
I cautiously called out to Eve.
“…Eve.”
“An act not violating the laws related to ‘Neon City’.”
“……”
Is that so?
Thinking back, it did seem right.
She hadn’t used violence.
She hadn’t illegally intruded into a residence either.
She just placed Bill back into the hallway of his home.
I fell into momentary confusion.
I looked back at Eve, who was returning to me.
Eve stood there expressionlessly as if nothing had happened.
It must be just my imagination, but through her emotionless facade,
I felt a sense of relief.
…Yeah.
Even you felt stressed because of Bill.
I glanced at the firmly closed door to Bill’s house and said,
“That felt refreshing.”
“I agree.”
It seemed my assumption was right.
Eve slightly nodded her head.
“This is what’s known as a refreshing feeling, I’m learning.”
The follow-up to that statement was a bonus.
I felt grateful to Eve once again.
If I had gotten tangled up with Bill when I was already tired, it might have turned “Respect the Elder” into “Attack the Elder.”
…Thanks!
I dragged my tired body down the hallway.
……
Anyway, thinking back to earlier,
would I have to live with Eve, who has a human body, in the same house?
My home wasn’t particularly spacious.
Wouldn’t it be better to find another house on the same floor?
“Hey.”
“Waiting.”
I stopped walking for a moment.
Turning back, I looked at Eve.
In the middle of the condo corridor, Eve’s white pupils stared right into me.
Since the day I first met her at the amusement park, I thought her facial aesthetics were extraordinary.
Looking at her like this, it felt like the 3D modeling I saw in Eve’s streaming was perfectly realized.
Ah.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
I had momentarily been distracted by Eve’s looks.
I spoke to Eve, who was waiting for my words.
“Wouldn’t it be better to live in another house—.”
“Declined.”
Eve’s response was quite swift.
“The current AI, this entity’s purpose is to serve human ‘Lee Siwoon.’ That’s why being in this small room with a female form is the most efficient method, as calculated.”
Her pronunciation was like that of an NCB24 news program announcer—the clarity was art.
However, her words came out at a pace that felt like I was watching a video on 1.5x speed.
“Since human ‘Lee Siwoon’ has already ordered furniture to enhance living conditions at the residence where he lives, I boldly declare this is not a good choice.”
“Wait, you ordered furniture?”
When did that happen?
Eve continued.
“Yes, this artificial body has implemented all the functions of a human. Therefore, elements like sleep and meals are necessary.”
…Turns out the artificial body eats too.
Even to me, who had a very vague understanding,
it sounded like an incredibly inefficient structure.
“This too, is said to be in order to serve human ‘Lee Siwoon.’”
Why exactly would eating and sleeping serve me?
I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Anyway, I couldn’t keep talking in the hallway.
“Alright, let’s just go inside for now.”
I passed through the hallway and input the password for the front door.
…Well, thinking back, nothing really changed.
After all, living together with Eve, who had been stored in my data module, was essentially the same.
It was just a matter of having a body or not.
I decided not to think too much about it.
Um.
It was fine to just carry on as usual.
With that thought, I opened the front door.
……
“Wait a minute.”
I spoke, glancing around the room.
Aside from the fact that there were numerous new pieces of furniture,
I wondered why my ‘single bed’ had been replaced with a ‘double bed’ size.
“…Eve?”
“Considering the room size and the number of residents, this is the most efficient choice.”
Was there even a concept of embarrassment for artificial intelligence?
It felt like she was making excuses.
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