I Give Up on Conquering the Heroines chapter 83

83 – 83: Linda (1)

“Ah, it feels like my head is splitting.”

Thump thump, clank clank, thump thump.

I woke up, disturbed by all sorts of noise throughout the night, and fell back to sleep. It was driving me crazy.

Never again will I sleep in Taeyeob City.

Rubbing my throbbing head, I sit up.

“Hmm?”

“Grrr….”

But in that very moment,

Genie’s mouth and antennae were right in front of my face.

“Ah! Holy sh*t, you scared the hell out of me!”

“What?!”

Startled, I kicked Genie away.

Genie flew off with a loud crash and made a commotion.

In that fleeting moment, the one who had turned into a girl cried and banged their head against the wall.

“What the hell! Why did you kick me while I was sleeping?”

“I woke up, and there was a giant bug showing off in front of my face. Shouldn’t I kick it away?”

“Huh? Me? When?”

“Are you also going senile? That’s why bugs are no good. Look at Mijung. She’s sitting quietly in the corner. Even now, she’s obviously-“

“What’s wrong? Why are you here?”

“…warm, I guess.”

“Why is a vampire looking for warmth?”

“… “

The one who should have stayed sitting just as they were when I slept is now inside the bed, flipping the blanket.

Are they feeling cold?

I do feel like they’ve been becoming more human-like lately.

If this continues, I might fail to distinguish the beating of my heart.

Of course, it’s unlikely that will ever actually happen…

The current time is 8 a.m.

Kern’s morning starts even before the sun rises.

He would have long since finished organizing his magic tools.

I think it’s about time I went to find him.

Wrapping Mijeong in a blanket, I get out of bed.

“…ugh.”

“I’m sorry! That was me stepping on you! Apologize!”

“But why aren’t you leaving?”

“Huh?”

“You’re free now. Hurry up and recharge your magic and go.”

The nun who had been chattering at me seemed taken aback.

Since the not-suicidal-by-proxy incident in the dungeon last night, this guy has been freed.

Now the nun and I have an equal contractual relationship.

Since the Nun has already fulfilled her side of the contract.

I am now obligated to regularly resupply her magic.

I must have forgotten about that.

“What, why does it matter! I can leave whenever I want! “

“I’m saying this for your own good. Please get out of my sight. Every time I see you, it makes me want to vomit thinking about the flapping of your belly and the smell of your mouth.”

“What, what did you say?! That’s rude to a nun!”

“Goodness. You’ve become so human. Given you’re a monster.”

“Anyway! I’ll accompany you until I receive the finished magic tool! I feel unsatisfied without seeing the end, since I’ve also put some effort into this.”

I understand.

It’s somehow unsatisfying, like not being able to see the end of a show someone else is watching on the subway.

Is this what that feels like?

“Let’s go, Mijeong. But, what are you doing?”

“… I’m. Not. Ready.”

When I had already finished preparing and stepped out the door.

I wondered why Mijeong was still not following me.

Mijeong is wrapped up in a blanket, whimpering.

“Pff, let’s leave her and go on our own.”

“I can’t do without her.”

“I think I could take her place.”

“No way you could.”

“…”

How could anyone replace a versatile tool that wields electric and fire magic with a standby knight?

Such a ridiculous notion.

Ignoring the nun standing with a pouty face,

I spread the folded blanket to free Mijeong.

Seemingly unphased, Mijeong walks leisurely to stand beside me as if nothing had happened.

The only time Mijeong’s poker face flinches,

is when she glances briefly at the nun.

‘Weren’t they supposed to be close?’

I thought they’d get along quickly since they’re both monsters.

But it seems the difference between a human-turned-monster and a pure monster was much greater than I anticipated.

“No way.”

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong swung the bell on Kern’s mansion but no response is coming.

An eerie memory of my first arrival here resurfaces burrowing up anxiety.

‘No way, has his dementia acted up again?’

It’s only been a day,

One day since he sobered up.

Not even 24 hours in actual time, could his dementia have acted up again?

That can’t be the case.

I haven’t even received my artifact yet.

With a familiar unlocking spell, I unlock and head inside the mansion.

“Gramps! Are you here? Hello?”

“…”

No matter how much I scream from inside, there’s no response.

There’s no signs of anyone at all.

Even when I manage to reach the bedroom and crack the door open, the bed is neatly made and completely empty.

“Surely…”

Surely they wouldn’t have been admitted to a hospital last night?

Suppressing my anxiety, I leave the mansion and head towards the garage.

Yet, it is strangely open.

The door of the garage isn’t locked, but slightly ajar.

Opening the door with a sense of unease, I find that the garage also lacks Keren’s presence.

Only Linda is quietly sitting at the charging port with her eyes closed.

“Dammit, I have to leave here quickly…”

I must leave this place before Yerin comes.

Where the hell is Keren?

Cold sweat dampens my back when I spot a cardboard box placed on the shelf.

On top of the box, I find a note that reads:

“It’s a finished product. I hope you understand that I can’t pass it to you personally due to circumstances. If there’s a problem, contact me through Linda and I’ll fix it.”

Upon opening the box, a tool resembling a sophisticated pocket watch reveals itself.

This is the machine for hollowing out space-time.

A wind-up mechanism with a nickname of Longinus Spear.

[Item named.]

[Longinus Spear]

[Status: Unfinished]

[It opens the path to the other side of this world, the underworld. A significant amount of energy is consumed when used.]

From Noble mtl dot com

[*Note: Parts are insufficient. If operated in unfinished status, transport to a random location without specifying coordinates.]

No, that’s not the name I had intended.

Can’t this be changed?

Even so, the name ‘Longinus Spear’ is too embarrassing.

‘I’m going crazy.’

No matter how much inside my mind I shouted ‘Rename the item!’, ‘Name it again!,’ nothing changed.

I eventually had to give up.

Anyway, only I can see this name so it probably doesn’t matter.

‘Only one component left.’

There was just one component left.

A component that performs a similar role to a navigator, which transports me to the location of the final boss when moving to a different dimension, is needed.

I can get that later at St. Francesco’s sea fortress.

In reality, I’ve basically already acquired a passage to assassinate the final boss.

[Are you satisfied with the finished product?]

“Yes. It’s perfect as always. Even in old age the skills remain… huh?!”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

A voice casually came from behind me.

Then I realized it wasn’t Min-jung’s or the nun’s and hurriedly turned around.

Then, a breathtakingly beautiful maid’s face appeared before my eyes.

“What the?!”

[Whoa.]

I exclaimed in surprise.

Linda flinched and retreated.

It looked as though she, too, was surprised…

Now that I look, her range of facial expressions is diverse.

Her flexible lips and eyes.

If I didn’t know her name was Linda, she looked so sophisticated and realistic that I might have mistaken her for a real person.

[Sorry for surprising you.]

“You. Could it be.”

[Apologies for being late. My name’s Linda ver.3.1.2. I’m a clockwork doll created for household chores.]

Linda cheerily picked up her skirt and curtsied.

Her movement was so smooth I couldn’t help but marvel.

An array of expressions unseen in a clockwork doll.

Not directing inputted actions but moving in real time, natural gesture.

There’s only one thing this could imply.

[My apologies for unfortunate mishap during our last meeting. I’m glad to meet you again.]

“You still possess an artificial soul.”

An error’ that appeared in Linda’s logic circuit.

It was an error that appeared briefly in front of Kern a long time ago, then disappeared.

The error, the artificial soul, reappeared as it was eroded by the dungeon’s magic.

It seemed to remain vividly in Linda’s logic circuit.

The magic should have been completely absorbed…

This is strange.

“What happened? I thought all the magic was absorbed?”

[It seems that the damage caused by the magic remains in the circuit. This damage caused the error, implementing the artificial soul.]

“So, from the beginning, the magic didn’t play a significant role.”

[Yes. The magic clouded my consciousness, creating a compulsion to hurt humans. Thus, I decided to forcefully shut down, when I should have been put to sleep. But someone maliciously woke me up with a curse.]

“…..”

The one who cast the curse was us.

Feeling guilty, I turn my head to see the nun, Gina avoiding Linda’s eyes and trembling.

Despite everything, it’s still a relief.

Thanks to Linda’s decision to forcefully shut down, no casualties were caused by her.

A few mercenaries were on the brink of death, but I saved them.

Fortunately, we dodged the bullet of creating the first killing machine.

“Your skin feels just like a real one.”

[It’s silicone.]

“And the hair?”

[It’s a wig that I received as a donation.]

“Oh.”

Finding it fascinating, I circle around Linda, touching here and there.

I stroke her head, feel her fingers and observe her reactions.

If you press hard, you can feel the metal beneath, but if you touch lightly, there’s no difference from a human.

Then suddenly, confusion strikes.

The confusion of whether this really is a leaf doll.

Even if it looks human, it’s too human-like.

“Just stay still for a moment.”

[Ugh… ]

Flutter.

Turning back behind Linda, she lifts her skirt and checks her back.

Unlike in the past when she used to expose the leaf and opened her back, it is now covered.

When she lifts the back slightly, the tangled leaves and the logic circuit I brought intertwine and work together inside.

Just looking at it creates a dizzying view.

[Um… Since it’s a bit embarrassing to look inside, could you come out?]

Linda shyly requests.

For the perspective of a leaf doll, showing the inner machinery is like showing their naked body as a human.

To consider Linda, I decide to cover the back and lower my skirt.

“It’s truly amazing. Keurn Halbae must have wanted to take a breath and faint.”

“He actually had difficulty breathing and I had to give him emergency treatment.”

“Oh. But where did Keurn go?”

“He said that all his achievements as an engineer have been accomplished and there is no limit. He said he wants to undo the mistakes he made so far and ask for forgiveness from his wife and daughter.”

His lifelong research was successful so he feels fulfilled.

And he is going to ask for forgiveness from his family whom he had neglected in the process.

I’m not sure if he will receive forgiveness.

But one thing is certain.

“He will get healthier.”

“Yes. In fact, his complexion has improved a lot.”

Keurn’s symptoms of dementia will improve greatly.

Keurn went crazy because he lost his purpose and motivation to live and couldn’t overcome the despair.

As long as he has the motivation to treat his family well again.

Keurn will no longer collapse like a 100-year-old man.

That one thing is really fortunate.

“I understand the reason why you let me go.”

“Do you know why?”

“If I have a maid like you by my side, my wife will doubt me. You must have needed to leave to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.”

[Beep. Incorrect.]

“What?”

I had thought he would obviously want to ditch the sound of a mechanized voice.

Linda draws an “X” with her index finger and smiles faintly.

Such a lovely smile.

[The real reason Master Kern dismissed me is different.]

“What is it then?”

[Master Kern expressed gratitude to you for restoring my logic circuit and transferred my ownership to you. Now, you are my master. Please use me as you wish.]

What…?

Linda is now mine?

I’m dumbfounded and lost for words for a moment.