Automaton

"Hand over your Porter, Lyle."

The well-dressed adventurer said this, then issued orders to his companions nearby.

"Get ready. He's winded from the battle just now—this is our chance. Take out the Automaton first."

Smoke began to appear, and my body wouldn't move the way I wanted it to.

(Something about the explosion—)

The Second Generation said.

'Hurry up and ventilate!'

I let go of the saber in my left hand and activated a spell with my right, but new smoke was billowing from the arrows fired at Poyopoyo.

The well-dressed adventurer looked at the battered Poyopoyo.

Her clothes were torn, skin exposed, blood trickling, the metal parts underneath visible.

"Poyopoyo... You bastards!!!"

I shouted in fury, and the Fifth Generation spoke to me.

'Calm down. Use magic to ventilate as quickly as possible. Then negotiate. Stall for time while watching for an opening... It looks like the enemy is willing to talk.'

Listening to the Fifth Generation's advice, I realized they were indeed watching me.

Poyopoyo was taking the hits while falling apart.

"Automaton, huh... A crystal of ancient technology resurrected by the Seven Worthies of the academic city. It'd sell for a pretty penny, but if that doesn't work out, we can destroy it. It'd still fetch a decent price even broken."

I gritted my teeth and felt the numbness in my body weaken slightly.

The Third Generation gave instructions.

'If you let emotions take over here, more people will die. Look at Porter.'

I turned my gaze and saw Clara signaling with her hand that she was safe.

Aria was about to rush out, but Miranda held her back.

The Sixth Generation said.

'They haven't attacked Porter—no, the other members yet, but they've got arrows aimed. Move carefully.'

The Seventh Generation said.

'Lyle, the challenge is clear. Use your Skills. Pretend to throw down your weapon and enter negotiations.'

Poyopoyo, still under constant attack, held both arms up as shields and wouldn't move.

I threw my weapon to draw the well-dressed adventurer's attention.

"...Stop."

At the well-dressed adventurer's command, the attack ceased, and Poyopoyo collapsed. The adventurers approached and kicked her.

"Not moving, huh?"

"Tch, what a pain in the ass."

"How much do you think she's worth in this broken state?"

Fuming at their conversation, I glared at them.

The well-dressed adventurer, approaching with his escort, tossed a piece of paper at me.

The Third Generation said.

'Pretend you can't move. Did you count how many enemies there are?'

I looked at the paper and picked it up with trembling hands. The enemy grinned when he saw me do that.

It was a contract to hand over Porter. A price was even listed.

"...What is this?"

"Just what it says. I'm buying that doll. The golem magic that bastard Damian taught me... I thought it wouldn't work, but you gave me the hint I needed. Porter... Not a bad name."

The well-dressed adventurer's subordinate tossed a pen at me.

"You could've just negotiated from the start!"

When I said that, the Fourth Generation spoke.

'...These guys never intended to pay from the beginning. They wanted to catch this moment and force us into signing under favorable terms.'

I hadn't considered that Porter would be the target.

I'd been convinced they'd be after Novem and the others.

"There were other potential competitors looking to move in, so I struck first. Thought I'd played it smart by getting the staff dismissed... But things don't work out that nicely in the real world."

From the way he was smirking, the guild staff must have been in on it.

I remembered the staff member Damian had asked me to dismiss, and the Seventh Generation said.

'Hmph, it's only that level of organization. Nothing surprising... But striking back when we can—that's who we are. He doesn't seem to understand that.'

Our ancestors who'd lived as lords all had this temperament, to varying degrees.

I looked at Poyopoyo being kicked by the adventurers.

"...I thought you were after the others too."

Saying that, I picked up the pen and ran a check in my mind.

(Poyopoyo still has signs of life. Until everyone can move again, I need a little more time...)

I activated a Skill.

Using the Second Generation's All, I mapped the boss room.

Using the Third Generation's Mind Skill, I made the enemy talk.

"Women? Are you an idiot? If you make good money with Porter, you can get all the women you want. Doesn't matter if they're adventurers, high-class prostitutes, or noblewomen—they'll spread their legs for enough gold. Looks like you didn't understand that. Eh, Lyle?"

The Fourth Generation said.

'You're the idiot. You think I didn't notice? Once we build credibility and demonstrate our usefulness, the options only expand! Amateur!'

Using the Fifth Generation's Skill, I mapped the surrounding terrain. With the Sixth Generation's Skill, I confirmed enemy positions.

They were all completely hostile.

The Sixth Generation said.

'...They intend to kill all of us. The losers are in for a grim fate.'

Lose, and everything gets taken from you.

I was reminded once more that this was the kind of world I lived in.

(Steal Porter, kill me, and then—that's what they planned?)

I realized I'd been naive.

Monsters weren't the scariest thing—it was people. Here, I didn't just know it as knowledge; I felt it in my bones.

They used tools, tracked with Skills, and struck at the perfect moment.

I'd been careful, but not careful enough. That was probably why my ancestors had been naive too.

In a sense, this situation might be an extension of the trials I'd been facing.

(But... I won't forgive you.)

The well-dressed adventurer laughed at me, who was pretending to tremble.

I turned my gaze to Poyopoyo and spoke.

"My companions will be returned to me, right?"

"Of course. I promise—we'll treat them with care."

The Third Generation said.

'He said he'd "treat them with care," not "let them go." The plan was probably to take the documents from Lyle, wipe out the party, and claim Porter through the contract.'

Disgusting—was that the right word?

(What would the First Generation have done?)

Thinking of the reckless, headstrong First Generation, I laughed.

The well-dressed adventurer clicked his tongue at me.

"Sorry to interrupt your moment of joy, but if you don't hurry, things are going to get ugly. The guys I hired are short-tempered."

I pretended to sign the document while speaking. I glanced at Porter, and the signal came that everything was ready.

The Fifth Generation said.

'They're too soft. Their endgame is sloppy. That's why Lyle survived...'

The Fourth Generation said.

'Lyle's got luck on his side. Plus, this time there was Poyopoyo—the Automaton. We knew the damage would be minimal.'

The Third Generation said.

'That comment's going to hurt Lyle. Well, with that Poyopoyo around—'

I had things I wanted to say to my ancestors too, but for now I held back and raised my head.

Then I deliberately put on a smile and spoke.

"You guys underestimated me—"

"Huh? What are you—"

I activated my Skills.

Using the Second Generation's Skill, I activated Skills on my companions nearby, and as we all rose at once, I drove my knee into the well-dressed man's face.

Then, spinning in midair, I hurled the knives and short swords I'd been holding at the subordinates flanking me.

At the same time, Aria burst out toward the adventurers surrounding Poyopoyo, and Miranda threw knives at them.

Novem's magic activated.

"Storm!"

Wind erupted, sending arrows scattering in all directions. Smoke appeared too, but Novem and the others had their faces covered with cloth.

Boosted by the Fourth Generation's Speed Skill and the First Generation's ability-enhancing Skill, I charged toward the enemies hidden in the corridor.

"Box!"

From the box I summoned in midair, I pulled out the spare saber I'd stored as backup.

Beyond the adventurers in the room, there was another group watching us from the corridor.

They'd been monitoring us with small, bird-like clusters of mana.

The Second Generation said.

'The ones hiding in the corridor are the real trouble.'

In the room, Novem and the others were subduing the adventurers who'd been attacking.

Before leaving the room, I glanced at Poyopoyo.

(If only you'd told me sooner... No, this was my responsibility. My mistake.)

I drew the spare saber and charged down the corridor with both blades.

Using what must have been a scouting Skill, the group had sensed our movements and entered attack formation.

"Mages, three of them..."

I murmured this, but before I reached their position, arrows flew at me.

In the dark corridor, could they even see? Yet they aimed at me with precision.

The Second Generation said.

'Good aim, but useless against the current Lyle.'

Where were they coming from? Where were they aiming?

I could tell even with my eyes closed.

It had been a while since I used Skills, but the performance was as exceptional as ever.

(This applies to the enemy too.)

Dodging the attacks, I reached the group, and in the darkness where the rest couldn't move, orders were barked to the mages.

"Light!"

"Come on! Why won't you light it?!"

I slashed the mage and kicked their head upward. I didn't finish them off, but instead targeted the other troublesome mage and the archer who could see in the dark.

"Hey, why aren't you responding?!"

"How many enemies are there?! There can't be just one!"

"Hey! Hey!"

After neutralizing the man with night vision—or perhaps one who could see in the dark through Skills—I went through the enemies one by one in the darkness.

I cut their arms, kicked them unconscious, and moved on to the next target.

As the number of voices dwindled, some tried to silently hide.

I didn't let even those escape, knocking them unconscious. Whether they were down from Skills or simply knocked out... just being able to tell the difference was a relief.

(I don't need to kill everyone.)

I incapacitated them and destroyed or disabled their weapons.

The Second Generation said.

'Lyle, you're too soft.'

The Second Generation called me soft for not killing our enemies.

But he also sounded a little pleased.

After disabling the last adventurer, I sheathed one saber and lit magic in my left hand.

"Hey."

"Hrrk!"

The man wore a robe and seemed to be a pack carrier. Looking around, there were quite a few armed pack carriers.

The main members were few; they must have been protecting the supply convoy.

Since he'd said he'd hired them, they must have been skilled adventurers. I kicked the mage-like adventurer.

To frighten the terrified man.

"You lot have been tailing us and launched this ambush. You can't seriously pretend you don't know what's going on."

"N-no, we really didn't know! The pay was just really good."

I muttered.

"Mind..."

Between that and the adventurer's confusion, I was able to easily interfere and make him talk.

"...They said there were lots of beautiful women, and we could have our fun before killing them. 'Lyle' is making good money, so if we take that, we'd be rich too. That's what they told us, and they said we could do whatever we wanted with the women before—"

"Enough. What about the Guild?"

"The Guild—the guy you'd had dismissed before reached out to us. We used a mage's Skill to set up surveillance from there, gathering intel on you... How can we not be able to beat you?"

They must have been investigating us thoroughly and getting information from the Guild.

The receptionist who'd been there before—how had she gotten our information?

The Seventh Generation said.

'Hmph! This is why you can't trust the Guild! Lyle, we'll tie this one up and make him a witness.'

The Second Generation said.

'Well done, Aramsass Guild... Not that different from Darion, actually. Hawkins must have been the exceptional one.'

There had been decent staff in Darion too, so the quality varied wildly depending on the location.

"...Looks like Novem and the others are done too."

I kicked the pack carrier unconscious, forced him to abandon the supplies, and headed back to the boss room.

—When Lyle left the room and headed for the corridor, Novem defended against the arrows with magic.

She generated wind and directed the smoke—since it caused numbness—toward the exit.

With her face covered by cloth, Novem saw Aria and Miranda rush out.

"Get your filthy feet off!!"

The furious Aria kicked the adventurer who'd been toying with Poyopoyo, then smashed her short spear's shaft into his head with all her might.

She didn't go so far as to kill him.

Miranda was the same.

But her approach was slightly different.

"You're going after the Golem Porter instead of me? That makes me jealous."

She was smiling, but her eyes weren't.

The adventurer who'd lost an eye from one of her thrown knives still raised his weapon against Miranda.

"You've got enough skill to make it to floor thirty, I'll give you that."

But as she said that, Miranda sliced both his wrists and drove her elbow into his head.

Inside Porter, Shannon was making a commotion.

"What is this?! What exactly is going on?!"

Clara was helping Novem direct as much of the smoke toward the exit as possible.

An adventurer with a bow fired an arrow at Novem.

The wind deflected it, sending it to land in a completely wrong spot, where it exploded.

"You intended to kill. What a shame."

With that, Novem stopped her magic and approached Poyopoyo.

The archer had been knocked unconscious by Aria.

Seeing this, Miranda narrowed her eyes slightly, then began tying everyone up. Having shown that, she was about to slash their wrists.

Novem said.

"Miranda. I'll treat them later, so please line them all up."

When Novem said this, Miranda shot her a sharp glance for just an instant.

"...Fine, I understand. More importantly, how's Poyopoyo?"

Novem sat down near Poyopoyo and looked at her—the one who'd become a shield to protect her.

Everything from the neck down was in ruins, with red liquid splattered all around.

Almost like real human—no, where the parts corresponding to a silver-painted human's bones were visible.

She really was different from a human.

(No matter how much they're made to look like humans, inside they're—)

Novem had her own thoughts on the matter, but she spoke.

"Why did you protect me? You're completely destroyed."

When she said this, Poyopoyo moved only her eyes to look at Novem.

"Don't underestimate me... I am a one-of-a-kind special model, that Chicken's—my master, Lyle's Automaton. I cannot disobey orders."

Novem said.

"But you could have disobeyed... for your master's sake?"

"...What a sharp-tongued woman you are. If I did that... the Chicken would be sad, wouldn't he? I don't want to see the Chicken looking sad."

Her words were harsh, but she'd certainly given everything for Lyle.

Then Poyopoyo spoke.

"...Do you have something to cover me with? I'm prepared to bare myself before Lyle, but I can't let him see me in such a pathetic state."

Aria went to Porter and brought back a blanket.

Shannon climbed down from Porter, looked at Poyopoyo, and turned pale.

"How... how could you do something like that... You really are..."

Seeing Shannon's shock, Miranda said.

"Shannon! Get back in Porter!"

While Shannon hurried back, Aria draped the blanket over Poyopoyo and spoke to her.

"You... why did you do something like that..."

Poyopoyo smiled at Aria.

"Don't make me repeat myself. Because the Chicken would be sad. You see... when I finally woke up, the factory that was supposed to have manufactured me was gone, the company was gone, even the country was gone. Someone like me had no one left but Lyle. In this fantasy world, I woke up and found a master... I never expected anything like that. Even being called a Special Model... Hm? I can't remember now? But anyway, I was able to gain a master. I'd follow any bastard. Because that's what an Automaton wishes for."

Novem heard this and looked down.

Poyopoyo's eyes began to flicker, and Aria said.

"Hey, say something!"

Poyopoyo smiled and spoke.

"Please wait. Until Lyle comes... I absolutely have to hold on..."

Just then, Lyle burst in.

He threw aside the adventurer he'd been dragging from near the entrance and rushed to Poyopoyo's side.

—Lyle ran to Poyopoyo and touched her face.

"I was waiting for you, Master... There's something I really needed to ask you."

Only her face had been preserved; from the neck down, she was hidden beneath the blanket. Red liquid had spread all around.

It looked like real blood.

"Why did you push yourself like this?!"

Then the Second Generation said.

'Ah, come on... At times like this, just listen to what she has to say.'

I had things to say to my ancestors too. I wished they'd spoken up before casualties occurred.

I understood I was still green, but even so—

"...Ask whatever you want. I'll listen. I'm not going to joke around."

Poyopoyo opened her mouth with a smile.

From the corner of her lips, red liquid trickled.

"A name. I actually liked Poyopoyo, but since you went to the trouble of thinking of one for me, I'd like to accept the name you chose."

Her tone had become polite.

I held back tears.

Something told me I shouldn't cry.

Yet tears dripped onto Poyopoyo's forehead and cheeks.

"...It's Monica. That's the name I'd been planning to give you. I'd been thinking about it for so long. Even back then, the book I was reading wasn't about Porter. It was for coming up with your name!"

Then Monica spoke.

"Monica... That's a lovely name. I'll treasure it."

"Yeah. So stay by my side from now on. No more calling you a clunker. You're my Automaton."

Aria was crying as she watched Monica fading.

Miranda stood with her arms crossed, looking away.

Clara illuminated them with magic.

Novem placed her hand on my back.

"I'll be proud of it. My... name... is... Monica, you see... from the Third... so... again... together..."

I grabbed Monica's face with both hands and brought it close.

Our foreheads were almost touching.

"Yeah, be proud of it! I'll have Damian fix you! He's a genius—something like this is nothing."

When I said that, Monica shook her head.

"I can't... That professor... activated me... to his limit..."

Her voice was becoming inaudible.

As Monica's eyelids began to close, I said.

"Monica? ...Monicaaa!!"

Then, with a small click, Monica opened her eyes and said.

"Restart complete!"

"...What?"

And then Monica kissed me, leaving me dumbfounded, and before I could react, she planted both feet and used the recoil to spring into the air—

The blanket fluttered, and Novem said.

"Oh, she's white."

Not the time! I thought, and Aria too—

"No way. Wait, what?!"

Miranda—

"This one's surprisingly capable."

And Clara—

"The ancients really were amazing."

Shannon, poking her head out of Porter—

"I told you so. She'd already started regenerating at that point. She just sped up when she sensed Lyle coming."

I watched Monica land after spinning in midair with a twist, my mouth hanging open.

My ancestors spoke in order, starting with the Second Generation.

'See? I told you it'd be fine.'

'Her body's something else, isn't it?'

'She has a mana line with Lyle, so I could understand most of it.'

'It's so astonishing it makes you wonder if the ancients really couldn't use magic.'

'What were they thinking to need this level of performance in a maid...'

'It must be romance.'

Monica, in a spotless maid outfit, gave a beautiful bow.

"I am Poyopoyo—no, Monica. Everyone, please continue to treat me casually. As for the Chicken, I plan to be with him until the end of time, so don't think you can escape, you bastard."

She said this with an absolutely radiant smile.

"You—you—you... You were putting on that hopeless act!"

Novem said.

"L-Lyle, calm down!"

"Let go of me, Novem! Today of all days—ah, huh?"

The Third Generation said.

'You should listen to Novem. Also, isn't this the first time in a while?'

Then Monica said.

"I've been using the Chicken's mana—that mysterious energy—so I'd been holding off on self-repairs. Well, after all the fighting we've been through, I figured sudden self-repair would be dangerous... Are you listening? I'm explaining this for your sake!"

I felt dizzy, experiencing mana depletion for the first time in a while.

(Overusing Skills plus the boss fight... Ah, it's really hitting me.)

As I was about to lose consciousness, I heard Novem's panicked voice for the first time in a long while.

"Lyle, stay with me!"

Monica said.

"That's what I was trying to tell you. Besides, when I was fading earlier, it was because of the restart—"

Monica kept talking, but I lost consciousness entirely.

—When Lyle passed out, everyone gathered the surrounding adventurers and restrained them.

The hidden weapons they might carry were dangerous, but Novem used healing magic—enough to stop bleeding while stripping them down.

"Even when he wakes up, he probably won't be able to move from the fractures."

Miranda said.

"What about this one?"

The man Lyle had dragged in had been immobilized using their own drugs—a type of paralytic, Clara explained.

Shannon said.

"Oh, that one's got something hidden on his body."

Miranda, having stripped the man down to his underwear, confiscated his weapons and discarded them on the spot.

Aria said.

"Hidden in his underwear? Looks like a folding knife."

I'd expected a simple pack carrier, but he seemed to have some field experience, like Clara.

Clara said.

"They're all well-known adventurers in Aramsass. I hadn't heard any bad rumors about them, but..."

She looked at the bound adventurers.

They must have been smooth operators until now.

"...After hearing their conversation with Lyle, I can see they're not exactly likable people. Once Lyle recovers, let's ask for his judgment."

To this, Aria said.

"They were obviously planning to kill us!"

Aria, still seething, fell silent when Miranda said.

"Then would you like to do the killing, Aria?"

Aria fell silent.

(Needing to make a judgment... I can't let Lyle carry that burden, but what should be done?)

Personally, Novem would have preferred to handle it herself.

But she also felt this was necessary for Lyle's growth.

What judgment would he make?

Novem was curious.

(In Darion, we left the bandits' disposal to others, so how Lyle would decide in a situation like this... I'm curious.)

Curious—having thought this, Novem caught herself.

(Oh, so that's how it is...)

Novem looked at Lyle, sleeping inside Porter, and smiled.

---

When I woke up, I was riding in Porter with a sour expression on my face.

Novem, Aria, Miranda, Shannon, Clara, and Monica were all sitting on Porter's ceiling, progressing through the dungeon without walking a single step.

Utterly comfortable.

After all, my Skill usage restrictions had been lifted.

I wasn't the only one who looked displeased.

Miranda too.

"Your equipment, food, water—you left all of it behind. Were you really okay healing them?"

The adventurers who'd ambushed us had been left alive on floor thirty. The broken equipment couldn't be restored, but we hadn't taken anything and had just left them there.

"You know how they didn't think twice about any of that when they tried to rob us, right?"

They'd clearly been short on supplies.

They must have been making their living around floor twenty or so—their approach was sloppy.

The Second Generation said.

'Way too soft. Not even finishing them off yourself.'

I ignored my ancestors who'd stayed quiet about Monica.

Then I glanced at Monica.

"I'm Monica! Cute Monica! Master's Monica~!"

I didn't know whether to be angry at or happy about Monica, who was singing cheerfully.

But Miranda wasn't convinced.

"Be that as it may, they'll definitely hold a grudge."

I said.

"Of course. But they'll never make it back to the surface."

From one of the adventurers tied to Porter, I'd gotten the full story.

Their Skills, who their allies were, and—

"Hmm... You even gave them water?"

I said.

"Yes, I left them a present. They seemed like they were running short."

I made my sour face again.

Miranda seemed to understand what I was getting at, but still wasn't satisfied.

The Sixth Generation said.

'Not getting your hands dirty is for mental hygiene, huh... You're too overprotective, Lyle.'

I sighed and said to Miranda.

"...You wanted me to show Shannon that we kill people who are completely helpless? Well, it did prevent them from taking her hostage, so bringing her along worked out."

By bringing Shannon, we'd avoided the risk of her being taken hostage.

"Put that way, it's hard to argue. But there are no absolutes in this world."

This time, we'd ended up being targeted by Porter-hunting adventurers.

Sensing I needed to take some measures, I said to Miranda.

"That's true. But..."

The Fifth Generation said.

'Those guys will never crawl back up.'

That's right.

I'd prepared water for them with "magic," after all.

Using my Skill, I operated Porter and moved on along a safe path.

"What's wrong?"

Since Miranda seemed concerned, I said.

"Nothing at all. Besides, even if they did crawl back up, they wouldn't have anywhere to go."

I looked at the captured adventurer.

He'd been drugged into paralysis, unable to even make a fuss, trembling with fear.

"Well, they'll find out when they get back."

That's what I said.

And when we returned to the Guild, their deaths were confirmed.