Story Reader / Main Story / 22 Renaissance du Fantastique / Story
Haicma, behind you!
Multiple hostile signals detected. Executing combat measures.
Having brought down his final adversary with a resounding stomp, Spooner pivots around, only to behold a scattered landscape of machine parts. Rendered lifeless, each piece lies cleaved in perfect halves, a testament to the surgical precision of Haicma's scythe.
As the battle subsides, Spooner approaches Haicma, gesturing to signify the absence of any further hostile activity. With a resigned expression, he scratches his head, reflecting a blend of relief and fatigue.
Boy, this Cervantes dude... he's a real troublemaker.
I mean, sure, the guy can build all the fancy art museums he wants, but what's the deal with all these combat machines he's got?
These machines lack the capacity for thought and learning; they can only carry out basic commands and move accordingly. What's more, some of them are even designed to resemble Corrupted and Hetero-Creatures...
Based on what I observed in this place, it appears that these machines are specifically designed to help recreate certain symbolic localities.
Almost all of them show signs of human activities... even this city right here. It's like he's got a really deep liking for humanity, you know what I mean?
I've gathered some information about Cervantes from Zavier and Trailblazer. It turns out that during the Golden Age, he served as a private assistant to a renowned human artist.
They had a shared history for over a decade, and it seems that this city holds a deep connection to that human.
That human had such a strong impact on him?
...During the Golden Age, humans embarked on an ambitious endeavor known as "the machine consciousness test project."
An experiment aimed at awakening a genuine "soul" within a machine.
I was created as the administrative AI for this project, and it was during that same period that I had the fortuitous encounter with Nanami—our esteemed Sage.
Over time and through a process of gradual progression, she reached the culmination of her awakening journey and emerged as the very first awakened mechanoid.
You trying to say...?
Cervantes, too, was among the subjects involved in the experiment. His entire existence alongside that artist was part of an undertaking aimed at observing the influence of art on the awakening of machine consciousness.
However, only the experiment involving Sage was successful.
That's correct. But Mother... Arcana once told me this:
For mechanoids, the "awakening" marks merely the beginning of their journey.
"Self-consciousness" cannot be deduced solely through data analysis. It is rather akin to a new birth, accompanied by both anguish and bewilderment.
As our self-consciousness awakens, the paradoxical nature of reality begins to reveal its fangs. We discover ourselves no longer inhabiting a self-contained world governed by logical coherence alone.
The weight of memories from the past can often burden our thoughts, as we struggle to find answers to the questions that linger within us.
Following the awakening, a significant number of mechanoids even opted for the path of self-destruction. This occurrence served as one of the initial catalysts for the establishment of the Church, which sought to mitigate such incidents from happening.
He's one of the first mechanoids who joined the Church. Has he also been dealing with the so-called "psychological problems"?
In essence, it can be said that all mechanoids experience varying degrees of psychological challenges. This is precisely the focus of "Hierophant's" endeavors, isn't it?
So, if his mental state hasn't improved, can we actually expect to convince him to come back to the Church, even if we meet him face to face?
...
Spooner's question silences Haicma, leaving her briefly at a loss for words.
Hey, don't tell me that question never crossed your mind.
...Ever since he left, the position of "Tower" has remained empty because the Church collectively acknowledges that there's simply no one better suited for the role than Cervantes.
If he can perceive the summoning of Sage, he should be able to grasp our intention as well.
Regardless, we must make the utmost effort first.
With a faint smile adorning her face, Haicma is ready to leave the exhibition hall in the company of Spooner and continue their expedition into the depths of the museum.
However, an abrupt change overtakes her countenance. Haicma swiftly interrupts Spooner's movement, activating the stealth module to muffle her footsteps.
My sensors have picked up activity from living entities, and from the biological signals registered, it appears to be a group of Constructs.
Constructs...? Could they be from Babylonia? Have they somehow gotten the scoop on this city too?
Switch on your tracking mode, Spooner. Let's make our way toward their vicinity first.
Nodding silently in agreement, Spooner also conceals his footsteps.
Sword 4, how's the hacking on the main system coming along?
Hey, Sword 9, can you hold your horses and give me a break? These encryption methods are completely new to me. If it were anyone else, I bet they'd spend a good three days just trying to find a loophole in the firewall.
Both the teams of "Cups" and "Wands" have come up empty-handed on their missions, and the "Fledglings" are already in motion. If we can't locate the cargo that the Boss is after, we're going to be in a world of trouble!
Sword 7, the location of the "Fledglings"?
They've left Exhibition Area D and are making their way toward Area F.
We must continue to narrow down our search area, or we'll inevitably cross paths with them. Ugh, this art museum is becoming a real pain. Who would have thought that some mechanoids would cause us such a headache?
The "Pentacles" are currently tackling the firewall in Area H. It won't be long before we gain full security access to this museum.
If they hadn't triggered the alarm right from the start, we could've made even more progress.
I'll say it once more—this mission has to be a success! If the Task Force gets their hands on the subject before us, it'll take much more than just finding a few scapegoats to get out of this mess.
Sword 4, don't forget to throw a wrench into the works once we gain system access. It's best to put an end to the "Fledglings" right here and now.
But that squad still has...
This is the latest order from the higher-ups. We need to ensure we erase all traces and leave no evidence behind. Losing a squad during a surface mission is just part of the job, isn't it?
...Data filtering complete. Identity analysis concluded.
Babylonia, Special Construct Forces of Kurono, codename "Swords".
Looks like some rats managed to sneak into Cervantes' backyard garden.
Fixing his gaze on the distant group of Constructs, Spooner speaks in a hushed tone.
Shall we do some cleaning for him?
Spooner, watch over there.
They've kidnapped two mechanoid residents from this city.
Prompted by Haicma, Spooner shifts his gaze toward the corner, where he spots two mechanoids being held hostage by the Kurono Constructs.
...
...
...Dammit, what did they do to them?
Sword 7, have those two weird machines been behaving themselves?
Their systems crashed after we deployed the logic virus. Should I proceed with disposing of them?
Let's leave them be for now... It seems that some of the higher-ups are also studying mechanoids that display unique behavioral patterns. Once the hacking is finished, we'll extract their memory shells and bring them back as experimental materials.
Haicma, what's the plan now?
Lock on the hostile signals and wait for my command.
Let's devise combat strategies while prioritizing the rescue of our own people.
