“Ah….”
So, it was the machine that took away their jobs.
It reminded me of the world I used to live in. Scenes of highly developed artificial intelligence replacing jobs and such.
Raffaelo handed them some money and, with a somber expression, we returned to the main road.
“I never imagined such problems would arise with the development of automatons.”
“I had some suspicions, but seeing it firsthand makes me uneasy.”
Automatons are, of course, efficient and convenient.
But… if we only use automatons because they are convenient, what will become of humans?
Machines are running. No, machines must run. If machines stop running, it means death.*
*Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
Will there come a future where machines dominate us….
And how should we take care of the poor who are driven to the streets by automatons?
No matter how I think about it, this world is somewhat unsettling. The superior technology of Princess Eva couldn’t be matched by anything else.
That is to say, even ethics.
Things that should develop alongside technology, like social welfare and lifestyle, were lagging behind, and above all, technology ethics couldn’t keep up with the speed of technological advancement.
Hmm, no matter how I think about it, I can’t just blindly praise the extremely advanced magical engineering.
Seeing the original Seraphina running away makes it seem like she created something terribly frightening. It’s indeed bothersome.
While I was lost in thought, Raffaelo spoke.
“Actually, this isn’t what I originally wanted to talk about. What happened with Simone?”
“Oh.”
Now that I think about it, there was also an issue with Simone. My head is really getting complicated.
“Don’t worry too much. He’s always been the type to say unsettling things and make people nervous. He acts kind and gentle on the outside, but who knows what he’s thinking inside.”
“Haha, you’re right. He’s quite difficult. I thought Arkhangelo’s personality was the worst, but Simone seems even harder to deal with.”
“He probably found something interesting about you, but I don’t think it’s a big deal. There’s no need to worry too much because of Simone.”
“That would be a relief. I sincerely hope so.”
“Yeah, he likes to observe, but he’s never actually done anything dangerous.”
However, I couldn’t shake off my uneasy thoughts.
He wouldn’t figure out that I’m an outsider from another world and accuse me of being a witch and have me killed, right? Is this too much of a medieval mindset?
Anyway, I spent time with Raffaelo, and in the evening, we went to a Cassan Empire-style restaurant.
The Cassan Empire is a neighboring country to the Boleno Kingdom, and I liked their food.
Low-alcohol drinks mixed with beer, lemonade, and pomegranate syrup, pasta with a refreshing lemon juice drizzle, and crispy sugar-coated egg desserts lightened my mood a bit.
After finishing our meal, we headed back to the inn.
That meant it was time for me to meet Simone again.
Both Raffaelo and Arkhangelo thought Simone was acting strangely.
But I couldn’t hide my uneasy feelings.
What if Simone spreads the fact that I’m an outsider or uses it to blackmail me?
As soon as I opened the inn door and saw Simone’s face, I stopped breathing.
“Oh, lady Seraphina.”
“Please don’t tell me you were waiting for me. Although it looks obvious, I really hope that’s not the case.”
The face that shone like an angel in the sunlight now looked terrifying.
“No, we just happened to come in now.”
As if to confirm his words, Arkhangelo and Ghieuspe, who were about to climb the inn stairs, were standing beside Simone.
“Sigh, I clearly told you not to scare the kid.”
Arkhangelo said with a disgruntled face, and Ghieuspe….
“………..”
“Ghieuspe, why are you blaming me?”
Ghieuspe was also implying with his eyes that Simone was at fault.
“Anyway, lady Seraphina, don’t be too scared.”
Simone tried to reassure me with a bright smile.
However, that bright smile made him even more frightening…. I know. People who smile like that are always the villains.
“Are you planning to report me to the Magic Tower and use me as a test subject?”
“…What?”
“Isn’t that your intention? Do you think I wouldn’t notice? Considering Simone’s personality, my guess is undoubtedly correct!”
“…What do you think I am?”
“Simone, what exactly did you say to Seraphina?”
Raffaelo shook his head in disbelief, and Simone, looking unusually flustered, answered.
“Lady Seraphina, do I seem that strange to you? Why would I do such a thing?”
“Oh…. Do you really not know? Are you unaware of your own character?”
“Don’t worry, I have no intention of harming lady Seraphina.”
Saying that, Simone elegantly extended his hand toward me.
“And why would I report lady Seraphina to the Magic Tower? If I were to report, it would be to Princess Eva.”
“Gyaaaah!”
This guy, he must be a spy for Princess Eva!
I quickly backed away and rushed to Ghieuspe, extending my hand.
Ghieuspe, after standing blankly for a moment, seemed to understand and handed me the key to my room. I grabbed it and ran up the stairs.
‘At this rate, I’ll be caught by Princess Eva…!’
I definitely need to have a proper talk with Simone soon, or I need to run away from them.
Seraphina, if you were going to swap bodies with me, you should have given me a way to not get caught…. You should have given me all your memories from the beginning!
Resenting the original Seraphina, I locked the door tightly.
***
“Is it okay to fall into such an obvious trap?”
Aurora murmured while rehearsing at the theater.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“Oh, nothing!”
She waved her hand nonchalantly to the actor beside her, who tilted their head in confusion.
The play <Summer Geranium> was being performed in Trevelora, with the main role of Arisha.
‘Arisha’ is the heroine who overcomes all adversities to find love, a role Aurora had always wanted to play.
She fell in love with opera after seeing <Summer Geranium>, and from that moment, her dream was to become an opera singer.
When Aurora left for the Eastern continent, she took the <Opera Daily> with her.
The <Opera Daily> contained news of all operas, updated weekly by wizards. It was a very expensive item, but Aurora had stolen money from a friend to buy it.
From the moment she saw the advertisement for the role of Arisha in <Summer Geranium> in Trevelora, she was sure it was a trap.
Even more so when the troupe leader cast her as the lead without even checking her skills, she was absolutely convinced.
The troupe leader said it was fortunate that Aurora knew the entire script by heart since the performance was in jeopardy, but they should have held an audition regardless.
Aurora knew clearly that this was a trap set by her friends, yet she couldn’t refuse the role.
If she could just stand on stage as Arisha even once, she had no reason to refuse.
Even if her friends caught her after the performance, she absolutely wanted to play that role.
The moment she first saw <Summer Geranium>, Aurora thought:
Oh, maybe this is the reason I was born into this world.
Singing on stage in that role might be my mission.
Her friends also knew this about her, which is why they laid such an obvious trap. In the end, Aurora couldn’t help but fall into it.
‘It can’t be helped; everyone has a mission in life.’
Aurora thought of a few of her friends who also seemed to have been born with a mission.
For example, Arkhangelo had a mission with opera, and Seraphina seemed destined to study humanities.
Who else….
Yes, her longtime friend and maid, Maria, believed her mission was to help Aurora grow up strong and brave.
It’s probably thanks to Maria that Aurora turned out this way….
“Alright, the performance is about to begin! Get ready!”
Hearing the staff say that, Aurora smiled brightly.
Well, in any case, she chose to stand on this stage. Aurora never looks back once she makes a choice.
There’s no reason to waste time worrying about things she can’t change.
Alright, the die is cast! From now on, it’s my time!
Aurora stepped onto the stage, ready to shine brightly even in the midst of a trap.
