Chapter 85: The Time of Reunion, Comes I (1/2)

Tortch came back to the cathedral after tucking Maria in for the night.

He got a fire going for warmth. Then he made coffee that resembled muddy water. His crude fingers were pretty dexterous.

Using a suitable wooden crate as a chair, I sat down and took a sip of the coffee. It was incredibly bitter.

This sort of taste has always been unpalatable to me. I really have a child's tongue, don't I? I don't even know how to appreciate the taste of alcohol.

After that short break, we exchanged information with each other again.

「Come to think of it, even though more than half a century has passed, the supplies haven't deteriorated much」

『In this cathedral, things deteriorate extremely slowly. It's a phenomenon that cannot be analyzed. ………Question. There is a discrepancy in the time period you just said. What do you mean by “half a century”?』

「It's the number of years since you guys came here」

『The total time elapsed since we came to this world is 131,592 hours』

「Hmm?」

『It's fifteen years and four days』

「………Huh?」

『State the year from which you came from』

I told him the current year according to the Anno Domini calendar.

『Answer. By putting our information together, the portal is a manifestation of space-time travel. It’s no surprise then that there is a difference in the time elapsed between the modern world and this one』

「Then, supposing I go back to my world, will the amount of time that has passed in that world be different from the time I had spent here?」

『Unknown, but if the coordinates of the portal are still present in the modern world, there is a good chance that you will be able to return to the same time period』

Even though I have little intention of going back, I felt relieved for some reason.

The place I want to return to is the right continent.

「So, you're the one who took control of Makina and opened the portal, right?」

『Affirmative. But that was mostly Maria's ability. I simply restarted my sister, who had been shut down, and took control of her body temporarily』

「Is Maria able to make portals at will?」

『Negative. Not at will. Maria's portals can only teleport to places that are within her sight or relevant in some way. You were originally supposed to be summoned before me, but you were instead summoned before the royal family of Ashtalia, which you had stronger ties to』

「………I see」

I have the crest of the Brave, and Crown Princess Amelia had called on a Brave to save her country.

On top of that, I slew Lola, the ancestor of the royal family of Ashtalia.

My wife and sister have the blood of Velsvain running through their veins.

Among His Majesty's vassals were Zamonglass and Regure, who have strong ties to people associated with me.

Of course I would end up being summoned to that side.

『It's extremely effective as a means of escape, but as a means of attack, there are uncertainties involved, so it's foolish to use it that way. We had even plotted to assassinate the Popes, but there's no one in Elysium today who has a connection to Maria, so teleporting to them using the portal isn't possible』

「Are you guys involved in the conspiracy that embroiled the Gasim family?」

『Given that her name was used, I cannot say that we're completely uninvolved. But we aren't involved in any other way』

「I see, that's good」

If these guys were involved in the Gasim family's downfall………………I should stop.

I changed the subject to something a little unrelated to what we were talking about.

「The black elf's army, oh, is it the new Vindoobunikuru army now? Well, whichever it is, do you guys intend to arm them with firearms?」

『Negative. First of all, firearms have been proven ineffective against beasts. Not just the Seeker Brigade's infantry firearms, but our heavy weapons as well. The situation we fear the most is those firearms falling into Elysium’s hands.

Firearms are effective against our anti-beast forces. If we were to manufacture firearms, it would only be after the beasts have all been wiped out』

「In other words, firearms can kill heroes, but not beasts」

Knights of St. Lyridias who are armed with firearms.

Please spare me that. There's a good chance that I'll be shot dead before I can use Wild Hunt.

『Are you willing to cooperate with us?』

「It depends on what kind of cooperation you want」

『I wish to change this world so that my daughter can have a better life. To do so, I intend to destroy the current discriminatory system of rule』

「What an arrogant wish」

『No matter my current form, I was originally an inhabitant of this world. Wishing to change the world one lives in is a perfectly natural desire for any creature』

It's a sound argument.

It’s not one that I can swallow and say, “Yes, you’re right,” though.

「How many people will die for that wish?」

『Unknown. According to projections, 35% of the Hemus living on the center continent will likely die』

「35%, you said? What are you planning?」

『The liberation of beastkin from the system of slavery. Revolution and massacres go hand in hand. I plan to gather those who are talented on our side』

「Innocent people will die too」

『Even if they're babies, those who have been raised by the ruling class cannot be said to be unrelated. Those who are able to make a living because of them are equally sinners as well. The sins of people are tied to their lineage. If I want to stop those sins, I need to eliminate all of them』

「Maria is also part of that lineage, isn’t she?」

『No. Maria is my daughter. She has been abandoned and forgotten. She is completely different』

This guy, he has a screw loose somewhere. Well, to a greater or lesser degree, all who wage war are insane.

It’s impossible for me to talk him down. I'm not someone who has a glib tongue to begin with.

「I understand. I'll tell you upfront that I won't cooperate in anything related to war. And I also have no interest in your revolution」

『I understand. Even without you, the plan will proceed without a problem』

It's about time to get to the heart and soul of the matter.

「Are you the one who called us to this world?」

『The company you work for sent you to this world because of the information they received from me』

「I knew it」

『Izora is the only one of my lineage that still exists in the modern world. That's probably why the company that possessed her received my quantum communication』

「Izora is of your lineage?」

『The original plan was to scrap the first generation A.I.s in 1957 and develop a whole other line of A.I.s. It's only conjecture, but I believe that they either sealed the first generation in the prototypes of the planned integrated type, or the first generation infiltrated those prototypes and survived』

「What benefit is there for the company for doing this?」

『The money in the secret accounts that I know of, and the scrapped technology of the previous generation』

「What are they using those things for?」

『Unknown』

So you don't know.

What was it that the Japanese company wanted, I wonder?

「Then tell me. What’s on the 56th floor of the Odoriji spire? For what reason do I have to explore the dungeon?」

『It’s unknown』

「Unknown?!」

Hey, are you messing with me?

『First of all, I don't know what’s there on the 56th floor. That’s because this is information that comes from an A.I. other than me』

「In this world, an A.I. other than you………」

I see. These guys are……

『As I told you earlier, we fell from this world into yours. At that time, we lost our original forms. And in this world, there are humans, or creatures similar to them, from which we originated from. The details remain unclear to this day, but one piece of information from that event is still being sent out. It says, “Reach the 56th floor of the Odoriji spire”』

「Oh………something does come to mind」

It's the place Lola hid in.

「There was a door that couldn't be opened unless an A.I.’s core unit was inserted」

『Very interesting. The concept of the core unit is a technology that we originally possessed. Initially, the plan was to use A.I.s as a part of radio and communication devices. That plan was quickly abandoned due to the discovery of the problems with stress』

「So, the goal is to reach the 56th floor with an A.I.'s core unit, is that right?」

『Affirmative. And that's the reason why it has to be you who explores the dungeon』