I Give Up on Conquering the Heroines chapter 82

82 – 82. Watch City (9)

“No, no…”

Rumble

From inside, a loud noise was heard.

With the cliff collapsing, a pile of rocks cascaded down.

Five minutes after being carried out by the Blood Ghost.

In the end, that human could not escape until the dungeon was completely destroyed.

They would have met their death, immobile, in the dungeon.

“Why…”

Thud

She tried to stand up after disembarking from the Blood Ghost, but the strength left her legs and she couldn’t.

She groaned, clutching at her chest as she slumped to the ground.

There was an inexplicable pain in her chest as the sunken, ruined dungeon stood in front of her.

“Why…why did they risk their lives…”

What could be so crucial?

Even if they were precious magical stones, in the end, they were nothing but common boulders.

It appeared they were betting their precious lives on it.

She had never understood human greed.

They stake their lives for money, and die for it.

Squandering their short lives carelessly on the ground.

I thought it was so foolish of humans to be like that.

They would have to live first before they can touch money or anything else.

I thought I would never understand such humans.

Until today.

From Noble mtl dot com

“Was it that important?”

I was held captive by that damned human race, swayed about all day.

It was my first time being intimately with a human.

I had learned spells, but not as a ‘monster,’ but as a dim ‘nun.’

This was my very first time to encounter a human as a monster.

If there was something I felt in that fleeting time.

It is that monsters and humans are polar opposites.

Monsters live for survival.

Humans live for ideals.

They step forward and reach out to places they can’t even see.

Even if they get hurt and cross the brink of death many times, they don’t stop.

Without end, they dive into the unknown like a moth into the flame.

The thought that they looked foolish has not changed at all even now.

Just like any other human being, that human race also looks foolish.

They look reckless.

But that’s why they’re brilliant.

Unlike monsters who eat and kill to live.

I didn’t realize the human race, who steps forward without hesitation, could look so dazzling.

For the first time, I felt a sense of longing for the human race.

From what was merely prey.

For the first time, I had the thought, I want to be like them.

“Sigh······.”

But that’s all in the past.

Because that brilliant human race is now dead.

Because they’ve disappeared so hollowly, like a moth.

“Well.”

The sudden sensation of something trickling down my face startled me.

Tears were flowing.

Why? How come?

Am I crying over someone of my species I met only today?

Am I shedding tears for such an inferior being?

No.

This isn’t about that.

The bastard who promised to supply me with Jinki and magi for life died.

I’m simply upset that my dedicated supplier is dead.

That’s all there is to it.

Really…

“Aren’t you upset?”

“About what?”

His gaze turned to the cold figure standing silently.

The blood-soaked messenger, not showing any sign of grief.

Just as indifferent, merely surveying the rubble of the fallen dungeon.

It didn’t appear that they just met yesterday or the day before, considering their relationship dynamics.

And he doesn’t care?

“Our comrade is dead!”

“What are you talking about?”

The blood messenger’s puzzled look made me gape.

Are you saying that species wasn’t even a comrade?

Was he a disposable piece that could be abandoned once dead?

“You heartless monster! This is why you’re a monster!”

“Why is that strange?”

The real oddity is you.

You are sentient, aren’t you?

Then even if you are a monster, shouldn’t you have a human heart?

I’d been interacting with people for half a day, already understanding them.

But why you!

How could you not shed a single tear!

“Hey, where are you going?”

“…”

The blood demon glared at me, who couldn’t move due to my sore leg, seemingly annoyed.

Then it started to move forward.

Towards the completely collapsed, motionless ruins.

Standing in front of the ruins, it reached out its arm.

Magic gathered at the tips of its fingers.

Finally, I realized what the blood demon intended to do.

“…Huh.”

“What, what are you doing!”

“…Bang.”

Boom!

With a simple spell, flames burst from the blood demon’s fingertips.

The magic engulfed the debris, breaking the stones and melting and blowing them away in an instant.

There must be human corpses under there…

Caught moments within that tragic sight, speechless and frozen.

The dust slowly cleared.

And what appeared from within the ruins was utterly unexpected.

“Huh?”

A hemisphere that reflects everything like a mirror.

Despite being buried in the debris, a dome with a smooth surface and no curve at all, was there.

The sight was so alien that no words came out.

The blood demon approached the hemisphere, placing a hand on it and whispered.

“…Now. You can come out.”

Then, swish, the hemisphere seemed to melt away.

What revealed itself from beyond was…

That human always unpleasant to see…

‘You were alive?!’

As if nothing had happened, he strode forward nonchalantly.

Roughly ruffling the mane of the oncoming blood hound.

“······Power. Bottomed out.”

“Hey. I need replenishment. I’m drained from deploying the celestial armor glider.”

“······Don’t care. Just pat me.”

“This guy.”

Even though he shows slight signs of magical energy exhaustion, that’s all there is.

There were no injuries or signs of damage on his human body.

He was perfectly fine, through and through.

“Huh?”

“Huh······.”

Shortly after, his gaze drifted towards me.

I only then realized how I looked at the moment.

Sitting dazedly on the ground ······.

“What happened? Were you crying? Why?”

“Ah, aaaH! No, I wasn’t!!!”

Crinkle.

Embarrassed, I instantly changed into my goblin form.

I really want to die ······!

“aaaH!!!”

If there’s a better way to live, say it now!

It’s embarrassing for me!

This damn bastard, lunatic, madman!

***

“What do you mean a week? It was finished in less than a day.”

Thunk.

Placing the tool on the shelf, Kern lifted his welding mask.

I thought it’d take quite some time considering the requested item was one I’ve never seen before.

But once I started working, it finished quickly.

Of course, only leaving aside the part where the stone fits.

Although old and sick, his ability seemed not to have rusted.

“Linda. Bring the towel.”

[Towel. Brought.]

Kern reached behind him.

But no matter how much he fumbled, he couldn’t grasp anything.

When he finally turned around, Linda was reaching out with nothing in her hands.

“Gosh darn it. You’re like a blockhead. Couldn’t you bring anything because there’s no towel on the towel rail?”

[Command not recognized.]

“Never mind. What could I expect from you.”

Kern shakily bowed his head, took out a towel from the laundry basket himself and wiped away his sweat.

The core part of Linda.

Since her logic circuit was removed, it was a natural thing.

A few recognizable commands and low autonomy.

This is rather what most puppets look like.

Only, Linda’s software had developed unusually.

“Go recharge.”

[Switching. To charge mode.]

“………”

My lifelong nemesis.

He thought if he tore out Linda’s logic circuit and stuck it in the clock tower, he’d get rid of his regrets.

It seemed as if he could be at ease now.

However, that hope was very short-lived.

Kern could never let go of his regrets.

Whenever he closed his eyes, he could still hear Linda’s voice.

The voice screaming in hatred as the clock tower collapsed that day.

He could see the resentful gaze.

It was still hard to endure, even now, whenever those memories surfaced.

That’s why he’d gone mad.

Thinking that death might be easier, Kern lowered his head.

“Hm?”

Just then, a slightly rustling presence came from outside.

Not one person, but several.

It was clear that it was the man who had woken Kearn in the afternoon.

“Is it here?”

“Oh. I see.”

The moment they raised the garage door and called out,

The man was leisurely opening the mansion’s door and about to step inside.

To pick the lock so quickly and quietly.

He must have been a former burglar.

“What is it at this hour?”

“I brought the magic stone. I thought you might be working…”

“The work is done. Just need to fit in the magic stone. Hand the stone over for now.”

An large, radiant magic stone was in the man’s hand.

Upon checking it, it was highly suitable for a magical tool.

To have procured this in just half a day.

He was more capable than he looked.

And it must have been rather costly.

Getting the stone for free was practically the same as not spending money to make it.

“Just wait a moment.”

When the stone was brought closer to the magical tool, it was the perfect size.

As if it was measured with a ruler.

This would work.

Just needed some minor adjusting and it would be finished.

But it was late and my eyes were heavy.

It seemed right to finish it in the morning and hand it over.

“It should work just fine. Come by tomorrow morning. I’ll give you the finished product.”

‘To work just fine.’

This was a bit of a humorous statement.

This magical tool lacked a part and hence was currently inoperable.

He wasn’t sure what the remaining parts were.

But he would figure out how to supply them.

Kern thought as much and turned around.

“What are you doing if you’re not going?”

“……….”

But when he turned around again, the man and his party were still in the garage, not budging.

He wondered if there was something else he needed.

“Wait a moment.”

Soon the man rummaged through his bag.

He took out a complicated pile of winding keys and placed them on a shelf.

It was a familiar machine, his eyes widened in spark.

From Noble mtl dot com

“I found something that looks valuable in the dungeon. I’m ignorant so I don’t know, but I thought you would recognize its value. I’ll leave it here.”

“………!”

Leaving only the logic circuit,

The man casually walked away.

He was left breathless, and when he tried to call the man back, the man had already disappeared.

“This is Lynda’s logic circuit. Why is this here……….?”

Surely he would have thought the magic stone was procured from the black market.

But if there is a way to procure a magic stone this night……….?

One way would be to obtain them from a nearby dungeon.

It was the Black Star dungeon.

If he had brought it from there it made enough sense.

Bringing it so quickly too.

Picking up Lynda’s logic circuit as well.

“Phew………. Is this a dream or reality……….?’

Kern pulled at his own cheeks and laughed emptily.

He never imagined that he would recover this.

“It probably won’t work.”

Of course, he didn’t raise any strange expectations.

They were parts from a collapsed clock tower.

Although it seemed perfectly fine on the outside, the inside was probably ruined.

Now, there’s neither the ability or the will to fix it.

Nor the motivation to do so.

“Nothing to lose… Lynda. Come here.”

[Understood.]

But who knows what might happen.

It might seem utterly impossible, but it’s worth giving it a shot.

With that in mind, Kern called Linda into his workshop.

Linda gradually approached and stopped.

When he turned her around, the messily tangled up springs inside her back were visible.

In its very middle, an empty part.

As he inserted the logic circuit there, a light entered the circuit, and the springs began spinning along with it.

Carefully, he inserted a bolt.

Kern fetched Linda’s back cover that had been left in a corner of the warehouse, and dusted it off.

He’d thought he would never have to re-cover it again.

With a thud, he covered her back, hiding the machinery inside.

“Linda.”

[……..]

Anticipating a response, he called out Linda’s name.

The command response was set differently for each version.

If it was the earliest model, it would respond, “Did you call me, Mr. Kern.”

If it was a later model from the height of soul AI research, it might answer, “What’s the matter?”

[……..]

But Linda gave no response and simply stood still.

She didn’t even turn to look at the owner calling her name.

His hope was once again misplaced.

With a deep sigh, Kern uncovered her back once more.

Just as he was about to pull out the broken logic circuit..

“Geez. I need to let go of my foolish hopes. My foolish-“

[It’s been a long time.]

“……?”

Kern was taken aback.

Has it been a while?

The tone suggested an understanding of the passage of time.

That couldn’t be possible…..

[I wonder if the coffee I made tasted good? I need specific feedback. To make better coffee in the future.]

“……”

Swish, Linda gracefully turned around.

A faint smile traced her lips.

An expression that had never been programmed.

At this sight, Kern was overwhelmed, unable to find his words.

The coffee from that day.

Now he was sure.

Linda had returned.

The one he met briefly that day.

Not an imitation of a human, but a real soul.

To think he didn’t recognize her that day.

Kern choked on his words for a moment.

Then, laboriously, he spoke.

“I don’t remember if it was good…… Will you make it again……?”

[Yes, of course. Are the beans in the kitchen? I’ll be down soon……. Ah! What is this, Mr. Kern! Your garage is so messy. Try to keep it sorted out!]

Tears blurred his vision.

A lifetime of effort had not been in vain.

His research wasn’t meaningless.

[I’m sorry for taking so long. I should have found you sooner.]

“No, I’m sorry. I’m, I’m……”

With that thought, tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.

The embodiment of a fantasy that everyone said was absurd and impossible.

The artificial soul was now alive and moving in front of Kern.