Story Reader / Main Story / 22 Renaissance du Fantastique / Story
Even when they stepped foot on the ground, the sight in front of them still seems unreal.
What surrounds the city is a bunch of ruins, just as Babylonia's intel had stated.
Originally, Constellia was supposed to stretch on for tens of thousands of square kilometers, a scale as large as Kowloong. The numbered cities from the Post-Pandemic Age are like children's sand castles in comparison.
But the unattained glory of the past is merely an unachievable fantasy to current humans.
Constellia—a shooting star that graced humanity at the end of the Golden Age, has long disappeared from the pages of history with the outbreak of the Punishing Virus.
But now, though it may be small, a "miracle" has happened without people noticing.
As if time reversal magic has been cast on the city, the further into the ruins they go, the more orderly their surroundings become.
Until the point they reach an invisible line that separates the areas.
As they cross the line, all the weeds and trash on the ground are replaced by neatly planned roads; crumbled buildings with battered walls are now brand-new skyscrapers.
It is as if this city is alive and hidden in the wilderness.
Yet, the most surprising part is not how out of place this city is, but the strange tower standing at the center of all this contradiction.
A... windmill?
The huge blades of the tower spin slowly like a vortex, attracting the eyes of visitors.
Although we've seen the vague outlines of it in the images, this is more than I imagined...
If one is to judge purely based on visual impact, then the Hetero Tower made of Punishing Virus would have won, yet the windmill in the distance exudes solemnity and beauty.
I know that Golden Age cities tend to favor exaggerated landmarks, but a windmill is a first for me...
Hm... when we talk about windmills...
Oh, you're thinking of "Don Quixote", right?
Fantasizing to be a famous knight, Don Quixote mistook a windmill to be a giant and charged at it with his spear, only to crash into a wall again and again.
It doesn't seem positive just from the synopsis... What was their intention to make the most eye-catching building in the city like that?
That... I don't know.
You're not even going to try to explain it...
"There are a thousand Hamlets if there are a thousand readers," my interpretation may not be what the designer had intended. And, we just got here, there's a limit to the information we can gather by just looking at the tower.
This kind of tall buildings are usually used as electromagnetic wave towers. According to Babylonia, the only reason why we were not able to detect this city earlier is because the tower was sending out deceiving signals.
That "windmill" may be some sort of huge electromagnetic interference device. It may also function as a Central Purification Filter looking at the low Punishing Virus concentration here.
Huh... If the windmill is the center of this city, then we should be able to find answers there.
You're technically right, but it's not so simple.
Turning toward the direction of the voice, they see a Construct with short lilac hair walking over.
Are you members of Iris Warbler? You're half an hour late... Do none of you own a working watch?
You're... Lena?
Ayla, Sica, and... Trojan.
She does not answer Ayla's question, instead, she quickly inspects the members of the squad.
I already know about you and Iris Warbler, so we can skip the introductions.
I will be joining this mission as a reserve member, pleasure to be working with you.
She gives an expressionless nod, not showing a bit of "pleasure" on her face.
Welcome to the squad!
Ayla smiles as usual and reaches our her hand.
...
Facing the palm awaiting her, Lena purses her lips and briefly shakes Ayla's hand before quickly withdrawing her hand.
Enough with the introductions, let's get to the main event—let me share with you some intel I gathered on this city.
You've already started exploring this city?
Yes, I'm a Construct built for recon work, and I had been here for a few days already, so I took the opportunity to investigate this city a bit.
After comparing my intel with Babylonia's, let me answer some queries you may have first.
To start off with, how this city came to be—as the General Staff had suspected, this city is indeed currently maintained by mechanoids, and according to my observations, their AI levels have exceeded their original threshold.
Then it really is like the orphanage...
Not quite.
In most areas, the mechanoids are not aggressive toward outsiders.
Their behavioral pattern is a bit unique... at least to me it's a bit incomprehensible.
But, based on my observation, there's nothing of interest in the outer parts.
It may look glamorous, yet there's nothing but empty shells inside.
It may sound confusing if you can't see it, so let's do as Ayla suggested and head toward the center first.
I'll lead the way.
Under Lena's lead, Iris Warbler sets off for the windmill by walking along the main road.
Ayla suggests a short break as they reach a plaza near the windmill.
They are almost at the core of Constellia, and they have yet to encounter a single mechanoid up till this point. But the spinning windmill, the flashing building lights, and the irregularly changing signal lights all signify that this city is currently operating due to some "unknown existence."
Something just feels off...
As the only one out of the four who has actually lived in the Golden Age, Trojan sighs at the clean streets and endless lines of buildings.
Different from Babylonia, which is heaven for only a chosen few, Earth used to be covered in bustling cities that could house millions of people.
Did people of the Golden Age live in places like this?
Not all of them, but at least when I was born, more than 90% of human settlements have been highly urbanized.
Although not all cities were as grand as this one, they were definitely better than our conservation areas nowadays, with no problems supporting the daily lives of its citizens.
Most of the production process was carried out by machines, humans were free to live their dreams—
The Renaissance, the Age of Enlightenment, the industrial revolution... The flower of civilization was able to bloom thanks to hundreds of years of history.
And that is the Golden Age. What we see now is just the tip of the iceberg.
Yet, the outbreak of the Punishing Virus was able to destroy all of that within decades... How ironic.
Sadly, that is also true.
Humans nowadays can only try to comprehend the knowledge of the Golden Age through images and books, even the professionals at the WGAA, there's always a "barrier" when we try to understand the thoughts and concepts back then.
Even when humans win against the Punishing Virus and rebuild their civilization, there will never be another "Golden Age".
However... ever since the Hetero Tower was reversed, it is rumored that Babylonia has been planning the reconstruction of the surface—the discover of Constellia at this point in time is too much of a coincidence.
This area has always been a Dead Zone. How were mechanoids able to rebuild a city without being infected...?
Let's put that question aside for a moment... If mechanoids only wanted to secure their living space, there's no need to preserve this area to perfection like this.
Trying their best to preserve these "ruins" from the past, is it not because of "nostalgia"?
Isn't the goal of our mission to find that out?
Lena removes herself from the others, staring blankly into the distance.
By the way, why did you join this squad?
With your qualifications, you could've joined any squad you fancied.
Are you secretly an art lover?
...
That's my choice, it doesn't concern you.
Aw, you're not even gonna satiate my curiosity for a bit?
You're the one talking, Trojan. Hmph, I hate people who pretend to be mysterious.
Since we're teammates, I had thought I'd be able to know more about the Task Force from you guys.
...My frame data and non-confidential qualifications are all listed on the squad list. The other parts do not concern you, they're irrelevant to the mission.
I wish to decrease the frequency of small talk, we're a squad, not a tourist group.
So cold...
As Ayla and the others were chatting away, Sica had been trying to reestablish contact with HQ from her personal terminal.
...It's no use, it just won't connect...
It's not going to work, I've already tried it. This city is using some unique interference that blocks all electromagnetic signals from outside. All normal long-distance communication devices are useless here.
But, our short-distant comms within the squad should not be affected. We can also locate each other through M.I.N.D. connection.
Right, about the abnormal mechanoid in this city, I have a few pictures. It should be clearer than the ones Babylonia has, let me send them to you—
...Oh, I guess there's no need.
Lena looks toward a corner of the street.
Create... Create...
I have to finish creating... before Matisse... My work is a hundred times better than his... Hehe...
The mechanoid passes through the streets without noticing the four of them in the plaza.
Is that the abnormal mechanoid mentioned in the report?
Since he's here, why don't we follow him? It's a part of our investigations.
You're right, we should record his behavioral patterns.
The mechanoid finally stops in front of a city wall. The wall is already covered in all kinds of colors and shapes.
He activates the spray paint module connected to his arm and splatters new colors on these rainbow walls.
As long as I can cover this wall with my colors, then area B-2 will belong to us, the Fantastical Mechanical Impressionists!
Those damned Surrealist Mechanical Fauvists... Thinking they could surpass me in the understanding of colors by using new palette modules—What a joke! I, the great Bazille, will not permit that!
A bit of color here... and then edit this part... The Fantastical Mechanical Impressionists will reclaim the city while you cowards are too scared to come out!
AHAHAHAHA!
That laugh sounds so evil... Is that really something a mechanoid can generate?
In a corner, the members of Iris Warbler are observing this mechanoid who calls himself "Bazille".
And is he... painting?
Wonderous, isn't it? A lot of mechanoids here do that.
Did you notice those incomprehensible ads and graffiti when we were walking on the streets? Those are all their "masterpieces."
These mechanoids seem to possess a deep obsession with art. They even have different factions who occupy different areas of the city.
Mechanoids obsessed with art... Would it be similar to "Nozzle" whom Gray Raven found before?
I remember Nozzle was kept by the WGAA for research after Gray Raven retrieved him. Do you know anything, Ayla—
A-Ayla?!
Just as Sica turns to ask Ayla for her opinions, Ayla has already stepped out of their hiding place. The pink-haired Construct storms toward the doodling Bazille, her eyes filled with rage that could melt even steel.
Argh... I can't stand this anymore...!
Ayla raises her fists and shouts toward the mechanoid.
Hey, you! What do you think you're doing?!
Wha—?!
Startled by Ayla's sudden outburst, Bazille frantically tries to scurry away without a specific direction in mind. He ends up crashing into the wall with a "bang" and falling over as he loses his balance. The whole scene is quite comedic.
This wall was originally covered with someone else's art, was it not? How could you ruin other's work without permission?!
I don't know what kind of ideals war you have going on or if it's a personal grudge—
But if you can't pay the minimal respect toward other creators, then don't expect others to respect your work!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Don't take me away... I don't want to be disassembled...
Eh...
Lena is dumbfounded by Ayla's actions.
Is that what they call the "rage of artists"... This is the first time I've seen Ayla so angry.
Either way... Let's go.
What should I do... Cervantes was right... Sisley and Monet are both gone... and now me...
You really gave him quite a fright, Ayla.
Huh...? Eh...
Ahaha... Was I too aggressive?
After Ayla calms down, she looks at the "trembling" Bazille. Realizing that she went a bit overboard, she scratches her head apologetically.
But if we don't properly educate him on his behavior, he won't notice his mistake.
Parts... Disassembly... Sob... I still haven't revived Fantastical Mechanical Impressionism... yet my end is here...
He's so different from how he was before... but isn't he overreacting a bit? I didn't say anything that scary.
Um... We're not going to do anything to you.
...Really? Are you not Constructs from Babylonia? The ones who want to bring us back and dissect us for research?
We are from Babylonia but we wouldn't do anything like that without reason.
No, since he's an abnormal mechanoid of this city, isn't it our responsibility to send a sample back to the Science Council?
Trojan, stop teasing him like that... At least for now, we just want to find out more about this city.
But he did mention other mechanoids being abducted... I think that's not a lie.
If these mechanoids are trying to avoid being captured by "someone," then what we saw before makes sense.
Are there other teams here carrying out missions other than us? If that's the case, HQ would've notified us.
...
And the mechanoid he referred to as "Cervantes"... He seemed to know that Babylonia was going to send someone over.
Well, to be fair, we were "invited" over.
Um, you're Bazille, right? Who is this "Cervantes" you speak of? And what is it about Babylonia abducting mechanoids?
If you answer our questions truthfully, we'll let you go.
Ayla kneels down and smiles at Bazille.
C-Cervantes is our spiritual leader. We followed him here and rebuilt the abandoned city to how it is now!
Us mechanoids who want to learn more about the art left behind by the Sage have turned this city into our base. We want to recreate the emotions that the Sage had inspired in us!
But Cervantes never joins us. He's always in his "museums" and the tower left behind from the Golden Age.
Two months ago, he suddenly announced that people from Babylonia would be coming to this city and told us to hide. He even went as far as to ask us to leave the city.
But the streets are our battlefield! If we don't occupy it, it'll be occupied by those Surrealist Mechanical Fauvists and Multidimensional Mechanical Cubists!
Us Fantastical Mechanical Impressionists are the originals and most traditional. We cannot lose to those who came after!
So Sisley and Monet didn't heed Cervantes' warning and they were never seen again after coming out to the streets...
Cervantes... Looks like he's the mechanoid we're looking for.
But... two months ago? Babylonia still hadn't found out about the existence of Constellia yet two months ago.
...Looks like the situation is more complicated than we think.
Would Ascendants have pretended to be Constructs from Babylonia? With the effect of the Hetero Tower, they would look like normal Constructs if they suppressed the Punishing Virus within them.
Hm... We can't rule out that possibility...
(Two months ago... Someone from Babylonia...)
(Whale song signal... Selena...?)
(No, you wouldn't do something like this... I'm sure you wouldn't.)
Lena, have you been to the "museums" Bazille mentioned?
No, I have only investigated the perimeters. But the museums surround the windmill, so if we want to get to the windmill, we would pass the museums.
Looks like we got a clear objective and route now, let's go.
The four of them replan their route. Just as they are about to leave, Ayla stops.
She turns to look at the wall covered in graffiti of curious shapes and symbols. Bazille has already stood up, but when his gaze meets Ayla's, he starts to tremble again.
Ayla just smiles at him.
"Art" created by mechanoids, huh... I would love to understand it more in-depth if possible.
About the differences in the factions you mentioned and why they fight with one another...
And the art of the "Sage" you worship so much...
Please tell us more about you guys if we do meet again.
But before that, remember to properly apologize to the artist of this painting, got it?
O-of course!
Well then, good bye. Oh right, since the situation doesn't look that good, you should get back to somewhere safe. We'll keep an eye out for your missing friends.
And once this is all over, you can have a proper showdown against the other factions!
If you're going to win, might as well do it with style!
Ayla signs Bazille a "V" sign with her fingers, signaling "victory" and "peace," before rejoining her teammates.
...
Bazille stares at Ayla, lost in thought, until she disappears on the horizon.
For some reason, he is reminded of a wanderer he had met not long ago.
"Art" by mechanoids...?
I'm really interested in your creations... Can you tell me more about you guys?
