***
“This… this can’t be….”
Count Viviana, who had been observing the street through the window, tightly shut his eyes.
It had been quite some time since he was last able to leave his home.
As a wind-element mage, he was at least able to use his powers to protect the Viviana estate, but he didn’t know how much longer he could hold out.
The first thing visible outside the window were automatons patrolling the streets, selecting ‘individuals who contribute to population reduction.’
The automatons used vision, sound, and temperature to detect humans, and any humans they found were immediately dragged to the Population Reduction Department.
Once there, people had to prove they were worthy of survival by solving extremely difficult mathematical calculations.
They had to demonstrate their intelligence to prove they had value.
Automatons like maids and waiters, which had previously served as tools without issue, had suddenly turned hostile one day.
These automatons primarily patrolled and guarded the capital, Pérez, focusing on capturing humans attempting to flee the city.
Factories, most of which had been automated, continued to run without interruption, spewing smoke into the air.
However, air purification machines had ceased functioning, leaving the capital shrouded in smog.
The smog was so severe that many people lost their lives, making it a significant problem.
Some nobles living close to the royal palace tried to request help from the palace, but their efforts were in vain.
The palace, a massive mechanical structure, had moved itself to a higher location, completely isolating itself from the ground.
No one could approach the palace, which was now entirely cut off from the rest of the world.
The government had yet to issue any statements about the situation.
If humans tried to attack the automatons, military automatons would appear out of nowhere and fire bullets.
Naturally, it was impossible to alert anyone outside the capital about these events, as telephones no longer worked.
Some radio frequencies were still operational, but even those seemed to be monitored by the automatons.
A radio frequency that had been broadcasting just fine yesterday would often go silent by the next day.
It was clear, the automatons were dominating humans.
It was as if they had staged a rebellion. Artificial beings created by humans were now attacking them without hesitation.
Terrified of the automatons’ power, people no longer dared to leave their homes.
Resigned to the possibility of starving to death, they hid in hopes of avoiding detection.
If they were spotted by the automatons, they too would be dragged to the Population Reduction Department.
“Oh, Count….”
One of the maids from the Viviana household spoke in a trembling voice from behind.
The automatons, including Abigail, had begun attacking humans, forcing everyone outside the estate. As a result, only a handful of human servants remained in the mansion.
“Will the young lady be safe…?”
“…We can only hope she will be.”
Unable to send letters outside, Count Viviana desperately hoped that his beloved daughter would not return to the Kingdom of Boleno.
“Seraphina, please, run far away….”
***
“Wait a minute, this is….”
My eyes narrowed as I read through a book in the study.
Finally, I had found useful information about humanoids.
The book appeared to be a collection of recent research papers, and one passage stood out:
– Recently developed automatons are becoming increasingly human-like in form.
In February, Princess Eva released an automaton capable of consuming food like a human.
Of course, such automatons require sufficient amounts of oil and energy to digest food, but it cannot be denied that they have taken a step closer to the realm of humanity.
Some question the purpose of food-digesting automatons, but this development is undeniably significant.
Automatons have now gained the ability to learn and evolve based on what they consume.
This self-learning capability, independent of human input, is a meaningful achievement.
Could Princess Eva already have created a humanoid and be slowly revealing her technology while keeping it hidden?
Hmm, but is there any more useful information here? Ah.
– Leading magical engineers are currently devoting all their efforts to creating humanoids.
However, the potential side effects of creating humanoids cannot be ignored.
If a humanoid were to escape human control, it would pose a significant threat to humanity.
If humanoids gain the ability to think like humans, they could become rulers of automatons, dominate others, and potentially subjugate humanity.
This aligns with what’s currently happening with Princess Eva.
This book might actually be useful….
– Meanwhile, there are also efforts to transform existing humans into automatons.
Recently, a certain researcher faced criticism for attempting to transplant a human brain into an automaton.
This ‘certain researcher’… isn’t that Princess Eva?
– If a brain were transplanted into an automaton and replaced with an artificial brain, the resulting being would be closer to a humanoid than a human.
Wait a minute, could it be…?
I need to investigate further, but…
‘Could Princess Eva have transplanted an artificial brain into herself?’
If so, she might have transformed herself into something closer to a humanoid than a human!
As I swallowed hard at the thought that had just crossed my mind, I heard someone calling out to me.
“Seraphina, Seraphina, look at this!”
“What is it?”
Sitting in the study with Simone and Raffaelo, I turned my head to look at Arkhangelo and Ghieuspe.
Arkhangelo came running toward us, looking excited. In his hands… was a box?
“Aurora!”
As soon as I saw the box, her name immediately came to mind, and I shouted it out. Arkhangelo nodded in confirmation.
“That’s right! I, Arkhangelo, have discovered Aurora’s box!”
“……….”
“Actually, wasn’t it Ghieuspe who found it?”
“Ugh, why don’t you trust me?”
While Arkhangelo grumbled, we all gathered around the box.
As always, a letter from Aurora was written on the surface of the box.
‘Hello, friends!
It seems like you’ve been working hard at the Lithman estate. So, to avoid bothering you, I kept quiet.
But now it’s time for me to leave, so I’m leaving this box behind and moving on from Crman!
You’ll find out my next destination when you open the box.’
“Why does she keep doing this…?”
With half-dead eyes, I continued reading the letter.
‘As always, you’ll have to figure out the sentence to fill in the blank.
And be careful! If you get it wrong, the box will explode!’
“This is really getting tiresome….”
As Raffaelo expressed his frustration with Aurora, I came across a shocking revelation in the letter.
‘Seraphina, I’ve told you many times before—this is all for you.
Don’t you want to avoid Princess Eva?’
“What?”
How does Aurora know about Princess Eva?
