A faint sunlight penetrated through the gaps in the curtains. I got up slowly and approached the window sleepily. I touched the glass covered with condensed water with my fingers, feeling that only in this way can I feel the warmth of the sun.
I turned around and saw your sleeping face. Although our faces were so close that we touched our noses, you didn't respond. Even if I touch your bangs lightly, you won't open your eyes. Squeezing your cheeks, you turned over and continued to sleep as if disgusted, I sorted the quilt and left the bedroom.
I went to the kitchen and set a fire to heat up the soup left in the pot yesterday. Then we will make a salad. Lettuce with ham and hard-boiled egg. After slicing the tomato, place two more slices on one of the plates.
Because you dare not eat raw tomatoes.
"It should be when I was 4 years old. Dad fed me tomatoes, but I vomited out as soon as I put it in my mouth."
"Even I don't know why I dare not eat."
"You can't even swallow it, it's an exaggeration."
You say so as if you are sorry.
Just when I was almost ready, the bedroom door opened.
"good Morning."
You look stretched in a good mood.
"Hey, Edgar."
You look at me.
"Edgar?"
You call my name.
"Edgar."
You called my name several times.
"Hey, Edgar!"
You──
"──!"
The vision greatly expanded in one breath, bursting into the noise in the ears.
This is the restaurant in the town. Sitting across from my friend Henry. He let his slightly longer light green hair curl up. The food he ordered appeared in front of him. I quickly sorted out the situation in front of me in this instant.
"Excuse me, do you want to bring you water?"
The one who spoke to us was a girl who was a waiter, Klem. She looked at my pupils, and the blue was shining like a clear sky.
"Okay, then..."
"No, no need. No trouble."
I interrupted Henry and rejected her offer. Although Kerem looked confused, he left our table.
"Why? "Don't bother". I really love to pretend to be good."
"I don't want to trouble people needlessly."
"Yes, I drank water anyway."
Henry began to devour again and continued to eat.
"This, I'll give you my share too"
I handed him the vanilla sandwich that I hadn't touched yet.
"I feel dizzy, I shouldn't be able to eat it."
"You seem to be like this often these days."
"Well, and suddenly there will be scenes that I have never seen before."
I lifted my eyes and saw Klem, who was walking around in a hurry. The guests gathered in the restaurant asked her to speak, and she was responding to them with a smile.
"In my opinion, it should be after you started to care about her. I see a lot of people who are trapped by love, and I can see it."
Henry nodded affirmatively.
"Is that right?"
My eyes couldn't help but follow Klem.
"My question is the best thing to ask Henry."
She noticed my gaze and cast a gentle smile on this side.
"Because even I can't figure it out myself."
Seeing my self-pity, my dear friend smiled sadly.
──September in the Qiyao calendar, 1294. In the Leman Autonomous Prefecture, which embraces the headquarters of the Epstein Consortium. As members of the consortium, Henry and I plan to personally invest in the research and experiments that have been going on all the time.
Until I fell in love with a young girl.
When did I start to fall in love with Klem? There is no such time as "a moment on which month and day" in my memory. However, this incredible affection exists in my heart without any falsehood, and the object of this emotion is completely aimed at Kolem, which is not fake at all.
Before I knew it, I often patronized the restaurant, and before I knew it, my gaze had been following Kerem's figure. Whenever her petite figure was rushing around, her beautiful linen braids would sway with it.
What does Kolem think of me? How do you feel about my voice and my appearance?
Problems like this always disappear after they surface.
"Your sniper eyes will be hated."
Today, I came to the restaurant without exception, Henry was as strict as usual.
"But I am not a sniper."
The unhappy friend stared at me.
"Because I have been patronizing here for several days, I am still worried that I will become your accomplice and be treated as a stalker together."
"But if you visit every day, will you be considered a stalker?"
"Sometimes, sometimes it may not... Uh, why do I explain this kind of thing seriously, and what do you think of me!"
"Henry is Henry. My good friend."
He slammed on the table as if he was discouraged.
"I said you, what plans do you have in the future? Do you really want to patronize every day like now?"
"Well, after all, I can't think of another way."
"Just like this, there is no way to let the other party know what you want."
"Then what do you think I should do?"
"Of course I want to show my heart. Say it all. Although you can roll your eyes twice with the consciousness of death, if you take it step by step, you may be able to increase your favorability."
"How can I improve? Pick up Kerem?"
"How could it be possible. I think about it, if you take what happened before us as an example──"
"Miss, shouldn't it be this attitude toward guests?"
I followed the direction of Henry's fingers, and a drunken male guest was talking to Klem.
"I'm working, and I will be very troubled to make such a request."
"I just want you to sit by and drink with me. This is also one of the "services."
"──For example, when she is in trouble like that, rush to her side. You can increase your favorability by showing up handsomely. Then you can accumulate it all the way. However, it seems that you will be involved in trouble this time, so forget it. Now let’s solve it specifically..."
"So that's it, I understand it completely."
I got up from my seat and walked towards the center of the commotion. Although I heard the "wait for me" from behind, responding is not the first priority at the moment.
"Well, what are you doing. This young lady is talking to me. If you have something to ask her, please wait."
"I'm looking for you for something."
The man who had ignored me, suddenly focused on me.
"Talking here will cause trouble in the store, let's go out and talk about it."
"Huh? I'm fine looking for you, you won't go out by yourself."
"She's okay looking for you. So let's go out together."
The man's gaze changed, and he made a fierce noise when he got up. He was a tall man who was taller than me, and I had to look up.
"If you are too arrogant, you will suffer."
"Please go back to your seat, I'll be fine."
Kerem stood between me and the man.
"But you are shaking."
"──!"
Tears started to flow in her eyes, but her lips were closed tightly and she looked at me with hatred.
"If you don't come out, I will stand here and won't leave."
"Oh, then I will drive you away with my fist."
The man slammed Kleem away and stretched his hand to my front. Throw a fist towards my defenseless face. At this moment──
"End here!"
Several people broke in and stopped the man's movements.
"We were notified that someone was fighting, so we came over. Is that you?"
Seeing the shiny coat of arms on their chests, even I know what it means.
"We are members of the Guerrilla Association. In order to investigate this matter, please follow us to the branch."
"Guerilla!? Wait, wait a minute. We are not fighting."
The man let go of his hand in a panic.
"It's just a little overrocketing. Right, brother."
"I can't agree."
"What are you talking about. Don't be arrogant."
"Okay, well, that's it. Please follow me obediently."
As the guerrilla approached, the man's arrogance disappeared without a trace.
"Hey, don't contact my mother? Please."
After watching them leave, the other guerrillas turned and faced me. This guerrilla with powerful features is called Boris.
"Really saved. He will leave it to you."
"Huh? Of course you have to come together. Fighting is both responsible for both parties. Haven't you learned it in school?"
"Both parties are responsible... so it is."
So I was carried out by him.
After Edgar left the restaurant, Kerem looked confused.
"Oh-my partner is really rude, causing such a commotion. He is a nerd and doesn't care about my stopping. The rampage and uncontrollable guy is really troublesome, ah ha ha."
Kerem didn't react much to Henry who was talking with a smile.
"Well, you, how are you~?"
"...Excuse me, who was the kid who was taken away together?"
"Eh?"
"What's that little brother's name?"
"Ah, oh. His name is Edgar."
"Mr. Edgar. I haven't had time to thank him."
Henry could only smile wryly when he heard Kolem's muttering to himself.
The investigation of the incident last night, after explaining the situation, was quickly over. The man seemed to be released soon after receiving a solemn warning.
"You guy will really cause trouble."
And this morning, when we met in the dormitory of the consortium, his mood was very bad.
"I told you to wait, but you won't listen."
"Just intervene like that, what should I do if I get hurt."
"Why do you want to beg for yourself?"
Today is stricter than usual.
"But because Kleim is in trouble, can this increase her favorability?"
I thought he would widen his eyes, but his anger suddenly extinguished the fire, and Henry seemed to give up and became dejected.
"Anyway, she asked me your name, and I answered her too."
"Yes, thank you."
"In this way, I will probably be promoted from "an ordinary guest" to "the one who came to the rescue at the time," right? She said she was too late to thank you, and she looked regretful."
"really?"
It seems that my head feels numb because I am so happy.
"She was trembling. When she tried to stop us from fighting."
"Of course. It's just based on the waiter's sense of mission, but she can do that."
"Well, I think she is a very strong woman. Because of this, if the same thing happens again, I still want to help."
"Oh, yes. I won't help again next time."
"Ok?"
My thinking stopped for a moment, and then immediately became fully operational.
"Henry was the one who notified the guerrillas?"
"Yeah, it's so risky that they will come before anyone gets hurt."
"Although Henry is very verbose, he is still very gentle in nature."
"Right?...It means that the previous sentence is superfluous."
After noon on this day, I went to the restaurant. Kerem ran to me as soon as he noticed that I was coming.
"I'm waiting for you. Your seat is here."
I followed her lead and headed towards the corner of the shop. She prepared a seat for me away from other guests.
"I was a little worried, will you stop coming in the future. After all, something like that happened yesterday."
"I don't care at all. Miss Kolem, won't you be afraid to come to work today?"
The girl lowered her head slightly.
"I'm not afraid, I just feel that I'm useless. Because it has evolved into a situation where I have to let a client help me out. It caused Mr. Edgar to be investigated, which really caused you trouble."
Kerem bowed his head and saluted me.
"I only took action when I couldn't see it. Miss Kerem didn't need to care at all."
"but……"
"Ms. Kolem also intends to defend me, and is caught between us to persuade you? So we don't owe each other."
She gave a sad smile.
"Then let me at least thank you. I will entertain you today, so please order what you like. The chef also prepared more for your friend."
"He has something to do today, so I can't come. So I will eat a lot and make him regret that he didn't come."
We couldn't help but grinning at each other.
When the sun began to sink.
"Thank you for the hospitality. Thanks to your company, it was a great meal."
Kerem escorted me to the door of the restaurant.
"Great. I was still worried, what should you do if you feel bored."
"I can't be bored. Because--"
I couldn't say the following words, she looked at me in a speechless strangely.
"Because the weather today and today is very good."
"Does it have anything to do with the weather?"
"Well──it doesn't seem to be there."
"Hehe, Mr. Edgar is really fun. Please come back for dinner. I will wait for you."
"Okay. I will wait for you too. Please always rely on me if you have anything."
"Huh?...Well, then please let me rely on it then."
"I will wait for you. Because I want to be your support."
"──!"
"Then I will leave."
After I walked for a while, I turned around when I heard someone calling my name.
You who gently waved your hands were dyed red by the setting sun.
It is located in the Lou Lokl Valley near the town of Guinea. The steep high cliffs on both sides formed long slender deep valleys. Perhaps because of this, although it was morning, the valley between the cliffs seemed gloomy.
A feeling of isolation for a while.
"The sky is so narrow."
Above the distant head, two birds flew across the sky.
Looking up at the direction they were flying, I recalled the conversation with her yesterday.
"Have you two heard of "Firefly Mushroom"?"
Klem asked as we were eating dinner.
"I've seen it, but I haven't eaten it."
"Is it fireflies? Or shiitake mushrooms?"
My speech caused Henry to squirt out the water in his mouth.
"It's shiitake mushrooms. The fireflies with shiitake mushrooms on it are too disgusting."
It feels like there will be such a treasure, but I didn't express the idea.
"Actually, I'm thinking about adding new dishes with rare ingredients. If you have completed the trial work, would you like to try it?"
"of course."
Henry looked at me in astonishment.
"You promised too quickly, maybe it's an exaggerated weird dish."
This sentence made Kolem excited very rarely.
"I will definitely make delicious dishes."
"However, there is no way to buy it in this town, right? Maybe you can buy it in other markets. Are you planning to go there every time you buy?"
"Close, on this point, I still need to think about countermeasures."
As soon as she finished speaking, she hurried back inside.
"You said too much, Henry. Isn't it really impossible to pick this area?"
"It's hard to say. There is a forest in the valley, maybe──"
Although I stood up quickly, I was caught by Henry who reacted instantly.
He offered the condition that "you can only go while the sky is still bright", so I came to Lou Rocker Valley from the morning. The width of the towering cliff gradually widened, and finally entered a lush forest, surrounded me.
According to Henry, shiitake mushrooms "grow in the shadows of trees and on rotten wood." I have confirmed all the locations that meet this requirement, and collected all the umbrella-shaped objects that are suspected to be shiitake mushrooms. As a result, the bag carried on the shoulder becomes heavy.
In case there is no way to find firefly mushrooms, I plan to give her this big bag of mushrooms as compensation.
Going forward, the field of vision widened, and a small river with steady water appeared. The sun shone warmly, and the surface of the water shone. Birds and squirrels also appeared on many trees.
"The so-called poetic and picturesque is to describe the scene in front of you."
As a member of the consortium, it is impossible for me to see such beautiful scenery during working hours.
"Oh, it's strange to go sightseeing in such a place."
Accompanied by the sound of stepping on the grass, a young man appeared.
"Travel alone? Is this a sad journey? Or are you looking for something?"
Faced with the eyes I had been staring at, the old white-haired man did not continue to question.
"...Ahem. I'm here to pick shiitake mushrooms. But almost everywhere, the shiitake mushrooms are lighted up."
Facing my unwavering eyes, the old man's eyes began to wander.
"...Ahem. Oh, what is in the bag you are carrying. Could it be the shiitake mushrooms I was looking for?"
"In other words, is there an exchange condition?"
"That's great! I don't hate young people who can get through at a little bit. Then the firefly you want...no, what do you want?"
"Firefly mushrooms."
"Oh! What a coincidence! I just happened to have one."
The old man handed out shiitake mushrooms with a faint green light.
"It took me a lot of work to find this, so you can make good use of it."
"Of course, thank you."
"Wait, wait a minute."
The "old man" grabbed me who was about to leave with a strong grip.
"This is different from what you said. Give me your bag."
"I didn't say that I would agree to your exchange terms."
"What! Too, too despicable. Are you playing an old man!"
"For an old man, your wrist is very strong."
The old man was shocked.
"Just give me all the shiitake mushrooms and wait for the shiitake mushrooms to be cooked, and you will definitely get a share of the soup. I, guarantee, certification..."
"Less, less long-winded! Since I helped, of course I want to get my share!"
I intend to take back the firefly mushrooms, but the old man did not let go of my hand.
In the one-to-one exchanges of "Okay, pay me back soon", "Don't pay", and "Come back", when we realized that the snatching farce was over, it was too late. We were "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh". With a sound, the firefly mushroom was torn off. There was a strange silence, and our eyes did not meet at all.
We embarked on the return journey together.
After passing through the forest, just as we were about to cross the valley, the sun was already going down.
"Young man, you can carry me a poor old man."
"Walk a little longer and you will be in town. Come on."
The old man seemed to give up and walked forward quickly. We are all tortured by complex emotions such as regret. At this moment──
"Wait, two. What are you holding in your hands?"
Hearing the sound coming from behind, I turned back and saw that it was the "them" who had only met with him a few days ago.
"You all have leaves on your heads."
When Kleem, who was brought over with dinner, said so, I just found out. Because our minds are filled with other things.
"Regarding the new dishes, I have decided not to put firefly mushrooms. Although I wanted to try my best, I still couldn't."
She smiled embarrassedly.
"...So, it's a good result."
"Well, yes..."
"what?"
That night, we all concentrated on a hard-won meal.
An hour ago, a group of guerrillas called us in the valley. Boris, who had met because of the restaurant fight, was also inside.
That area is a training ground for guerrillas, which is separate from the tourist area accessible to ordinary people. Because we were too enthusiastic, we accidentally crossed the boundary.
All the shiitake mushrooms I collected were confiscated.
"I ask you, this isn't the place of those guys, right?"
Henry spoke to me from a little further away.
"If you say that, people won't help you next time."
"Huh, it doesn't matter. I trample on the efforts of others and don't know the accommodating guy. I can't forgive him."
He didn't want to conceal the fact that he was looking for firefly mushrooms, and he complained bitterly while playing with his white wig.
"Aren't you angry?"
"It's our own violation of the rules, and there is nothing we can do about it."
"What is the structure of your abused nerves?"
You can feel his boredom from the sound.
"From the very beginning, there was no reaction at all. My concentration is almost running out."
"Aren't everyone hungry?"
"Ah~ah, I have a bad feeling."
Except for the two fishing lines that sway in the wind from time to time, there is no other movement.
"In this case, I'll go find a helper."
After speaking, Henry left the fishing rod as it was and walked down the river by himself.
This is our second visit to Lou Rocker Valley.
In order to recover from the failure of picking mushrooms, we wanted to catch the big fish that made Kleim happy, so we came to go fishing.
After a while, Henry returned with a man he had never seen.
"The so-called "surgery industry has specialization". I will bring experts here."
Wearing a hat, a jacket, and a box with tied bags hanging on his shoulders, this middle-aged man holding a fishing rod is undoubtedly a fisherman.
"When he was fishing in another place, I talked to him. He said that he was a member of the fishing division. That's an expert among the experts."
"If you can help young fishermen, it's just a matter of effort."
We briefly introduced ourselves.
"So, what is your goal today?"
"Rare fish, we want to give it as a gift."
"Although the conditions are unclear, I appreciate that you give fish as gifts. If you want to catch rare species, you need suitable fishing tackle..."
The master picked up the fishing rod we used.
"Fishing rod."
"You can only borrow this in towns, Master."
"It must be called Master, right?" Henry said.
"What kind of bait?"
"earthworm."
The smile on the master's face disappeared.
"Do you really want to catch a big fish?"
"We thought that as long as we lay down the bait during the day, everyone would be hooked."
Hearing this answer, the master sighed, looking very disappointed.
"Come on, take this. Gang pole trident. This is a fishing rod suitable for attacking big fish. You need to use live medium fish as bait."
Master handed me his precious fishing rod, and I started to prepare.
"Then what kind of fishing rod do you want to borrow from me, Master!"
"You continue to fish for medium-sized fish that are used as bait. You can use earthworms. But you have to fish in a different place."
Although Henry was disappointed that he hadn't changed much, he still moved to a greater distance according to Master's instructions.
"The small ones shouldn't take much time to get the bait."
As the master said, within a few minutes Henry made a struggling sound of "Uh-huh". I also walked to him, and the three of them stared attentively.
"Drink!!"
Pulling up the fishing line vigorously, the object hanging at the front end is...
"How are boots?"
The torn boots were thrown to the ground by the ruthless youth. However, I successfully caught the medium-sized fish. I used the medium-sized fish as bait and raised the trident.
"Come on."
After waiting for 10 minutes, the fishing rod was pulled tightly, the fish shadow became obvious, and fierce water splashed. I saw that when the opponent's pulling force became weak, I pulled it up with all my energy.
"Well……!"
Large fish appeared from the water. When the master saw the fish hitting the shore, he couldn't help but exclaimed "Oh oh".
"Long beard and sharp fangs...it's sure to be true, it's a giant catfish in a lake and marsh."
"Is it a very rare fish?"
"It's uncommon to catch fish in such a place. Like the nickname "Lake Trickster", it is a fish that can only be caught in a lake.
Contrary to me, who was immersed in joy, Master's expression was serious.
"what's happenin?"
"...I want to discuss something with you."
Master solemnly corrects his posture.
"Can this giant catfish in the lake and marsh give it to me?"
We can't help looking at each other.
"Hey, I haven't heard you say that there is a tuition fee."
"How come. I don't want to deceive you. But I want to bring this fish back to the fishing team anyway."
"Do you want to collect other people's achievements as a collection?"
"That's not the case. Because I'm interested in the ecosystem. So I want to study why the fish that inhabit the lake come here."
Master's serious expression remained the same.
"Also, this fish is a "piranha"──"
"Eater, piranha!?" Henry bounced back in shock.
"There is such a rumor. It seems to spit out jewelry. You will accept those. How about the terms of exchange?"
"You, do you want to win over us with other people's relics?"
"It's just a rumor that it can eat people. Maybe it swallowed something that sank to the bottom of the lake."
"...The whole thing sounds very favorable, how do you decide?"
He looked at me while watching Henry's expression.
Although there is no basis, I think the master did not lie.
"Got it. Just do as you say."
"Thank you, I'm so grateful. Then where am I going to find you?"
"I usually spend most of my time in restaurants in towns."
"Got it. I will definitely take things with me these days. Then I want to take the fish back as soon as possible, so I'll leave first."
Master tidy up the props.
"...If that kid is used for research, will it die?"
Regardless of my worried look, Master smiled heartily.
"No, I will take care of it."
When the master finished speaking, he waved and left.
"Thank you so much for trusting someone you only met today. He might just not go back like this."
"It can be taken away by those who really need it, and that fish should be happy too."
"What's the reason for this."
"However, if it's as you said, there is no way. You can only come fishing again."
"I can't help it. I really envy you for being so open-minded."
"Henry knows why I like Kolem?"
"what?"
"Even I don't know it myself. So I can't help it."
After that, we immediately began to prepare to embark on the return journey.
Henry remained silent.
"Human memory is really unreliable."
Your voice is heard from afar.
"Whether it is a happy thing or an unpleasant thing, remember it roughly. As you grow older, you gradually forget it without knowing it."
"..."
"But most of what stays in my mind are painful memories. This should be God's punishment for mankind."
"..."
"In this case, because the memory is unreliable, I still want to share every moment of it with you. Whether it is something that is remembered or forgotten, I hope it is something we experienced together──"
"──Mr. Edgar?"
Consciousness slowly returned to the soul like a ripple on the water surface. Kleim is with me now, walking in the valley together.
We went to the training ground for guerrillas in order to send a lunch. We are now on our way back.
"Sorry, I was thinking about something..."
Kerem put his hand on my forehead.
"No fever. But don't try too hard."
Kolem grinned and started to move forward.
Ah, I really hope that time can stay in this moment forever. Why did you choose me to accompany this time?
I just heard your voice, is it my wish to project?
"What does Mr. Edgar like to eat?"
When we finally reached the street, she asked me that.
"Well──it should be the cooking made by Miss Kerem."
"Hehe, I didn't expect that Mr. Edgar would also say such things."
"Then next time you can ask, I will cook it for you."
"Really!? Great, there is one more thing to look forward to."
"Do you have anything not to eat?"
"No, I eat everything."
"I'm so envious. In that case, would you dare to eat tomatoes?"
"Yes, I dare to eat tomatoes too."
My heart reacted to the word "Tomato".
"I dare not eat it anyway. Especially raw."
You who hate raw tomatoes.
"When I was young, I wanted to try to eat, so I vomited it out. It's rare that my dad feeds me specially."
Even I don't know the reason.
"Even I don't know why I dare not eat."
The scene emerges vividly.
"Mr. Edgar?"
"Are you thinking, "You can't even swallow it, it's an exaggeration, right"?"
"──! Yes, yes. But how would you know."
"……Do not."
The image that appeared in the restaurant before. Lines at that time and now.
"Maybe I just know."
"what?"
These pictures in my mind, maybe──
"Mr. Edgar, what is going on?"
Kolem caught my hand and shook it.
"I──"
Just at this time. There was a fierce movement in the grass, and at the same time, several dark shadows jumped out.
"Magic, monster!?"
It is 3 cat-shaped monsters, jumping cats. They blocked the way to the town and threatened us.
"Mr. Edgar!"
I calmly blocked the frightened Kolem behind me.
"They will run to the street, indicating that the nearby guide lights may be out of order."
"What should I do?"
"It seems that there is no way to move towards the town. Turn back the same way."
Kolem looked like she was about to cry, and I held her hand tightly.
"Going to the guerrillas for help should have a solution, shall we go there?"
I ran with Klem, who nodded and said yes several times.
"Huh...huh..."
I don't know how long she ran, she was almost out of breath. Unchanging scenery, because of the darkening of the sky, the view becomes worse.
As soon as we stopped, Kerem squatted down.
"Sorry, I dragged you down..."
"It's me who should apologize, and I should be able to find them right away."
The location of the association's branch is also indistinguishable. One after another, there were astonishing footsteps, which dulled people's sense of direction.
"Take a break, and then──Yeah!"
A jumping cat aimed at Kolem and leaped out. At the very moment, I picked up the thick branches that fell on the ground and attacked it. But the other two took advantage of this opportunity and attacked me from behind.
I felt torn by hard claws. One attacked the back and the other attacked the feet. Although I immediately turned around and waved down the branches, they flashed away with a swift movement, and moved towards my shoulders and head. I felt the world spin for a while, and when I waved a branch again and hit one, it couldn't move.
Kolem covered her mouth, so scared that she couldn't move. I shot one of her who was approaching her. But it was not killed by one of my blows. Instead, it stabbed its claws in like it was about to hollow out the back of my head.
At that moment, I landed on my knees and then fell down, and Kelem's screams rang in my ears. There is also the piercing cry of Warcraft and the sound of her calling my name.
Before I was about to lose consciousness, the last thing that reached my ears was the sound of people's footsteps and the shouts of men.
I can't do anything except call his name. He was lying on the ground right in front of me, just motionless. The moment his body was about to fall, hesitating eyes appeared in my mind.
I couldn't always run to him right away, nor could I pick up the thick branches that he dropped to the ground to fight. The monsters who changed their goals began to approach me step by step.
But I can only continue to scream, and I hear my screams mixed with other sounds from a distance. The sound of approaching footsteps and the mutual greeting of "here!"
The jumping cat that scratched Mr. Edgar with his claws was easily knocked down by the guerrillas in threes or twos.
"Sorry for being late, are you hurt?"
When I heard the female guerrilla question, I shook my head.
They turned their eyes to Mr. Edgar, gathered around him, and checked his injuries.
"This young man...what's going on...Anyway, he was sent to the hospital first."
At a distance, I only vaguely heard part of the conversation.
"Let's send the man away first."
They only said this and took Mr. Edgar away.
"Please, may I ask, is Mr. Edgar saved?"
"We have no way to judge."
I couldn't even reach him, he just left.
The people who stayed stayed with me, and I also left the valley.
"I'm sorry for the trouble. We will fix the guiding light soon."
After sending me to the restaurant, Miss Bella, a female guerrilla, bowed her head to apologize to me.
"Thanks to that young man, we can save you."
"Mr. Edgar is a very strong man."
In a breathless silence, a guerrilla spoke:
"...The young man named Edgar is familiar to me. I saw it in the mushroom picking incident."
He reported his name and was called Boris.
"He intends to bring a large bag of shiitake mushrooms home. Since they were collected in an area forbidden by ordinary people, we confiscated them all."
"Yeah, he didn't want to hand over the firefly mushrooms. I remember he said it was something important people wanted."
"Speaking of which, in the fight that took place here, I saw him during the investigation. He was saying that he wanted to relieve someone from the siege."
"Haha, I seem to have a relationship with him── uh, what's wrong with you?"
I burst into tears alone.
"...Just, that is to say. It hurts his brain if he doesn't get well."
Miss Bella patted me on the back, and my tears flowed like a broken thread.
The next morning, I took time off to go to the hospital. Tell the receptionist Mr. Edgar's name and ask him to help me find the ward.
But it was not found. After I asked him to confirm, I found that although he had been sent here, he was immediately transferred to another place. I then went to that place.
"The Epstein Consortium...the Intellectual Brain Development Research Institute."
It feels like a place that has nothing to do with receiving injuries.
"Why were you sent here?"
I made up my mind and started walking into the building. What catches the eye are the people in work clothes and those in white robes.
With suspicion, I walked directly to the service desk.
"There should be a young man named Edgar who has been sent here."
The receptionist had a confused expression that she didn't understand what I was talking about.
"The hospital told me that an injured young man was sent here last night. In which ward is he?"
"I haven't received any notice that young people have been sent."
She frowned tightly and seemed unpleasant.
"If you can't tell the exact location, at least please tell me if he is here. I'll just wait here."
"That would be very troublesome for me, please leave."
"No, I have to wait here."
Just as the quarrel between the two women began to gather a crowd of onlookers.
"She was right."
"Of course...ah."
It was Mr. Henry who was speaking, wearing a crumpled white robe.
"Mr. Henry, it's great to see you."
"...I will receive her. You can go back and work."
After dismissing the receptionist, he immediately led me.
"Have you seen Mr. Edgar?"
"Well, rather than seeing it, it should be more like "seeing"."
We stopped in front of a seemingly sturdy door and went inside. Going deep in the dark corridor, a room separated by floor-to-ceiling glass appeared.
"Egypt, Mr. Edgar!"
He is in that room, lying on the table.
There are two metal arms doing a certain job around his body.
"Mr. Henry, this is..."
"He is repairing where he was injured. Especially the brain damage is very serious."
"So... will he become a mechanical body? Is there no way to return to his original body?"
"..."
"Such a sight...too cruel. It turns into a mechanical device. He was injured because of me? If necessary, please use my body for treatment. Think of a way to restore him to his original body. I just told him that I will do what he loves next time. So──"
"What you are worried about now is not a problem."
For the first time I heard his cold tone.
Mr. Henry's eyes did not leave the lying Mr. Edgar at all.
"Why can he provoke a drunk and brawny without fear. Why is he not blushing and breathless after running for a long time. Why is he torn apart by the claws of beasts but not bleeding....Have you ever thought about it?"
I looked at Mr. Edgar with a serene face.
"The noble existence far surpasses the mechanical puppet, as if literally without blood and tears, he is artificial intelligence dressed in a human skin."
"I don't quite understand what you mean."
Mr. Henry looked down at me who was at a loss and said:
"Artificial intelligence allows machines to perform the work of our human brain. It is an advanced system far beyond the products of mechanical puppets."
"..."
"The Epstein Consortium is developing this area. It pays particular attention to the improvement of situation interpretation and speech comprehension."
"..."
"There is a device in the carcass that is responsible for the function of the stomach bag, so you can eat and drink. Although you have to maintain the internal every day, at least in the form it can be used for human consumption."
"...No."
"Ok?"
"He is not a machine."
Mr. Henry's expression did not change.
"It’s so strange that a good person like him is a machine. Chatting with me happily, having a satisfying look during meals, and saying to me... "Want to be your support", his voice sincerely conveyed In my heart. He clearly looks like a human being."
"That's right. That guy is "like" a human being."
"──! No, it's not. I didn't mean that."
"Even if the structure is mechanical, the sense and sensibility must be completely close to humans. There is only one purpose for creating him. It is to experiment "Is it possible for artificial intelligence to have emotions?"
My breathing gradually became shallow.
"...So, what has happened so far? Are Mr. Edgar's thoughts and moods all designed?"
"Yes, for the research of the consortium, for future development, you are selected as the object. Everything is part of the experiment."
"how come……"
I fell to the ground feebly.
"Does Mr. Edgar know it himself?"
"He has the knowledge that he is artificial intelligence. But we didn't tell him the purpose we hold, and the reason for the favor of you."
"I know everything, but I'm just watching. I don't understand what you think."
"..."
"He is your important friend. Your relationship is obviously so good. Why do you want to betray Mr. Edgar like this?"
"Don't make a mistake."
His words were extremely sharp and full of deep anger.
"Between machines and humans, let alone love, even friendship is not established. "Edgar and Henry are good friends", this is a pre-made setting. After all, the experiment needs an observer. I just It’s just following the instructions above and pretending to wear a mask."
Mr. Henry sighed after breathing out.
"This way you should be very clear. He is an exquisitely crafted bionic human."
"..."
So his gentle expression, the voice of gentle conversation with me, the touch of holding my hand tightly when escaping from danger, none of these belong to him? Are all artificially manufactured?
I can only accept. But the more I forced myself to accept it, the more I found myself thinking back.
Seeing me stand up, Mr. Henry's eyes seemed to be confused.
"Can you really accept it? Can you write off all the days you spent with Mr. Edgar?"
"There is nothing to be able to do, because there is nothing at all. This is not a change from 1 to 0, but a state where it originally stopped at 0."
"Can you forget everything he said to you?"
"..."
Mr. Henry looked away from me and turned to him.
Judging from his profile, he seemed to be thinking of some memories.
"Mr. Edgar always speaks to us sincerely. It is the words he has woven in his heart thinking of us. At that moment, he must be...just like a human being."
Mr. Henry closed his eyes slowly.
"...If the researchers have made any mistakes, there is only one point."
At the other end of the glass, a metal arm stopped.
"It is to allow Edgar's personality to develop beyond expectations, allowing him to form human emotions on his own."
The other arm also stopped, and the whole area fell into silence.
I ran in a fog-like consciousness.
Someone is holding my hand... This is the forest? Oh, yes.
Where is Kolem? Are the guerrillas coming? Has she returned to town? I have to go quickly. Not there, stop now.
who are you. Where are you going? What are you going to do to me?
At this moment, I woke up. I was placed on the workbench.
"Oh, you are awake."
I turned my head slightly and saw Henry enter the room. It took me a lot of time to prop up my upper body.
"It's strange, my body can't move smoothly."
"Because your back head was injured. This is a "major operation"."
I touched a little bit above my neck and found the stitches. For me, it is the part of the heart, Edgar, the center of existence.
"Where is Kolem? Is she okay?"
"Just a little bit of skin wounds, she's fine now."
"Great, so the guerrillas have arrived."
Henry smiled and nodded.
"I want to see her, should I be able to move?"
I got off the workbench without waiting for his answer.
"...I'll tell her. About you."
This sentence stopped my steps towards the exit.
"She came here to find you. Because you are not in the hospital, she is still trying to force the receptionist."
"and then?"
"After showing her how you were repairing, she accepted and left. She also said that you have long felt you are not like ordinary people."
"...Haha."
"What are you doing."
"Henry really knows how to lie."
"You clearly know that she can't say that kind of thing."
"..."
"No matter how you say it, it will be a big blow, after all, people's hearts are very delicate."
I sat down at the workbench again.
"You are quite calm. It seems that the mechanical feeling has not become dull."
Henry said this with a wounded expression.
"Why didn't I go back to the dormitory after the repair was over? Why didn't I see Kolem? Why do you feel different now from the you I know? Artificial intelligence still has a way to draw conclusions from these clues."
"...This way, I don't have to spend much time, it's really helpful."
I feel that it is not like artificially made healthy skin tone and blue hair.
"I found out when I was walking in the valley with Klem. Her information was already in my mind. Whether it's food preferences or childhood habits."
I recalled the smile of Klem, who was walking beside me.
"That's all detailed information planted in order to treat her as a target. It's just that, but I seem to be a special case."
Henry has been listening to me quietly.
"The strange sights that I occasionally see when dizzy are all the images produced after I joined my own desires, the crystallization of the feeling of wanting to live with her and chat with her."
"..."
"Even so, will the conclusion waiting for me remain the same?"
"After the operation, have you become more talkative?"
Henry approached me.
"The results of the experiment came out, and it exceeded expectations and gave people a sense of crisis."
He stood in front of me and stared at me.
"Artificial intelligence with advanced self-awareness will hinder management. The above made a judgment and decided to remove your thinking data, analyze it, and then continue the experiment with a new appearance and personality."
"What does Henry think? Like them?"
"...Yes. If you get into trouble, it will be a headache. I hope to be famous in the research field to participate in the experiment. That's why I took on the troublesome work of protecting artificial intelligence. Now that there are results, This job is also over."
"I am artificial intelligence that hinders management? Did Henry think so too?"
"Yes, that’s what I thought. I provoked the drunk and almost got my face smashed. I ran to look for the firefly mushrooms that weren’t sure if they existed. I went to fish for rare fish. I ended up giving the harvest away. It's really enough."
This burst of anger broke out, his voice trembling, and his cheeks flushed.
"So, I know. Then I will follow Henry's instructions."
"Eh……"
"Don't follow the guidelines of the consortium? I will achieve your hope."
"But, Nakhram..."
"With her...no need to meet. This is better."
"Why is it so sudden..."
"Where did you go as a ruthless scientist? It's best to prepare early before I change my mind."
"..."
"Regardless of the form of friendship, I treat you as my important friend. That's all."
"Edgar..."
"It's been a long time since you called my name."
"..."
Then Henry went to prepare the device.
The mechanical sound of the device came from beside, I always felt my body became light and light, and my consciousness became vague. But the eyes can still be opened, and it feels like there is no one around.
Feeling holding paper and pen in my hand. I hope at least I can write a letter, so I asked Henry to prepare it for me. But I haven't thought about the content yet, so I haven't written anything yet. Obviously there are a lot of things to say, but there is no way to sort them out.
My hand with the pen was shaking. The thread printed on the paper did not help me at all, I must say thank you, sorry.
And ──
The restaurant in the evening. I come to work as usual. After all, there is no other place I want to go. It is better to come to work to divert attention.
In that place a few hours ago, when Mr. Edgar was sober, I ignored Mr. Henry's call and rushed out of the building.
Because I don't think I can see him again. It's better not to face-to-face.
I can't write off the past. So forget it. I can only use this method to protect myself.
"That, please ask."
"What, what's the matter?"
I wiped the corners of my eyes and turned around. A middle-aged man came.
"Is there a young man named Edgar here?"
This unexpected name froze my expression.
"He said he usually stays in this restaurant, so I came to him."
"he already……"
I stopped what I wanted to say.
"He hasn't come today."
"Well, what about Henry?"
Seeing me shaking his head, the man seemed disappointed. I noticed his coat painted with fish.
"If one of them shows up, please tell them that I am at the hotel."
Although he regretted agreeing to him, he had already left.
That night, I didn't see Mr. Edgar show up, so it closed the shop. I feel that in the future such days will become everyday, and the long nights will continue.
"You are working as usual."
When I finished cleaning and went outside, I saw Mr. Henry standing there.
"Is there a problem?"
Mr. Henry did not speak, and handed out a folded paper.
"I didn't read the content."
I thought he was leaving, but he just stood with his back to me.
On the opened paper, someone wrote a paragraph in crooked handwriting.
"This is my first time writing a letter. I can't organize my thoughts, please forgive me.
The concept of "forgetting" does not exist in machinery. Only record correctly, and delete record correctly. For me as an inorganic substance, forgetting is definitely not a thing full of disgust or regret.
But now, at the moment when I was writing this letter, an incredible feeling of "don't want to forget" emerged.
Because I met you. Think of me like this... this me who has no heartbeat or bloodshed is a person, not a you of an object.
I am just a puppet carrying life, you have given me color. thank you.
For you like this, you must be separated in a way that disappoints you. I am sorry. My lie is too big to ask for your forgiveness. But I hope you never get angry with Henry.
Finally, I offer the blessings I have always given to you in my heart──
I wish you happiness. "
"..."
I held the letter tightly and wept bitterly.
I can't keep my voice down, it doesn't matter if it spreads all over the night in the town.
I don't care if I will be regarded as a weird by people passing by.
"Mr. Edgar..."
I called out this familiar name and stood up. Mr. Henry showed a painful expression toward this place.
"Please help me."
He meets my eyes.
"Just one click, I know your position very well."
I stood alone in front of the door where Henry brought me.
He said, "That's all I can do," and brought me here.
When I was parting, I told him that a middle-aged man came to look for them in the evening. He seemed to remember something and left with a serious expression.
However, it doesn't matter now.
After taking a deep breath, I opened the doorknob.
"!?what are you doing?"
The researcher in the white robe turned around at the same time. Where they were staring, Mr. Edgar was lying on the table.
"How did you get in! It's forbidden to enter here!"
I am not afraid to scold and keep going.
"Please return Mr. Edgar to me."
Their eyes met and laughed at me.
"It's you, the girl who broke into the research institute."
"We have recovered Edgar's data and are currently analyzing it."
"Unfortunately, the young man named Edgar you knew no longer exists."
"...Please face up to his emotions."
My voice trembled, and I felt embarrassed.
"Artificial intelligence is not a person, but a tool that integrates the best of technology."
"... Does science just need to create props?"
"what did you say?"
"Please understand the emotions formed in him in more detail. Please look at the fetters created by the actions he took and the words spoken. Please don't ignore the interpersonal relationships that are connected because of him."
"I beg you too."
The man who suddenly entered the research room was the man he met in the evening.
"I have something to say to him, and I must thank him."
"I, so many ordinary people have broken in, what are the guards doing!"
"In short, we will not give up research results for emotional reasons."
"Yes, this conclusion will not change."
"If the emotional offensive is ineffective, just follow the procedures obediently?"
Hearing the man talking, footsteps came from the corridor at the same time.
"The fishing division officially submitted a request to the Guerrillas Association. Please return Edgar's body."
What the man said made the researchers' faces changed greatly.
"Huh, for Edgar, it looks like I've finally caught up."
"Yes. I didn't expect to be able to repay the kindness in the valley so quickly."
The two who appeared were Mr. Polis and Miss Bella.
"Now you should know how popular Edgar is?"
"I beg you, return Mr. Edgar to me."
Those researchers started to shrink because of our increased manpower.
"But, you didn't consider the risk. If the artificial intelligence self is too developed, it will be difficult to fully control it."
"Yes, if we get out of our management, who knows what will happen. It may also be used to do bad things."
"This one……"
Even in such a situation, the researchers resolutely refused to give in, and we could only remain silent.
"Then, please listen to my proposal."
The voice came from behind. I turned around and saw that it was Mr. Henry.
Waking up from long-term sleep, thinking, consciousness and movements are very slow. After staring at the ceiling of the dormitory for a while, my eyes moved to the bed.
Saw Kerem who was smiling at me.
I learned the ins and outs of the whole thing afterwards. Thanks to everyone's efforts, I was restored to my personality. Under the condition of not leaving this town, he was given the right to live freely. ...This condition is also Kleim's hope, and in the end she was tied to this small town.
The next morning of the commotion.
I will not forget the words that I have been longing for her to say to me.
"good Morning."
"Finish"
