Chapter 142: On the Feasibility of Upgrading RyuZU
If the tsundere girl Charlotte was an undeveloped, fertile land, unable to consistently exude a pleasant, earthy fragrance, then the bewitching beauty Shouko Karyuusai was a land that had been diligently irrigated and nourished, her entire body revealing the mature charm of a young madam.
This kind of charm might not be to other men's taste, but for Kobayashi, it was just right. What one lacks in youth, one spends their adulthood searching for.
It would be great if their future cooperation could be even more pleasant.
"Boy, to say your own girl-type humanoid automaton is the best in the world... you're quite arrogant, aren't you~~~"
...or something like that.
To be so sarcastic right from the start... it seemed she had a great deal of prejudice against him.
But it was easy to understand why.
Although Shouko Karyuusai was not outstanding in other fields of automaton creation, she was the number one person in the world of lifelike automatons.
To boast in front of her that RyuZU was the best in the world, it would be hard not to be seen as a provocation. And since they were both lifelike, girl-type humanoid automatons, the suspicion was even greater.
Even if RyuZU's high degree of completion was, in her eyes, indeed on par with her own creations, her pride as the industry's number one would absolutely not allow anyone to shout such things in front of her.
Unless... RyuZU was really made with a technology that was different from this world's and overturned her understanding of it.
"Well then, would you like to see?"
"...What did you say?"
"Since you don't believe me, would you like to see it with your own eyes? An automaton technology that is different from this world's."
"..."
Shouko fell silent.
She had thought the two of them would continue to wrangle with words and test each other, but she hadn't expected the other party to throw out his ultimate move right from the start and get straight to the point, not following the script at all.
This, in turn, left her, the superior and number one in her field, at a loss for words for a moment.
After a moment of silence.
"Boy, it might be strange for me to say this, but... to hand over your own automaton to another creator... do you know what that represents?"
"Handing over the technology you've worked so hard to research to someone else, right?"
This world was centered on machinart. After automatons had gradually replaced cumbersome magic, everyone had begun to research automatons with better performance and greater power. Even the Night Party, which selected the Wiseman, was a testing ground. For example, Frey and Loki—their automatons were prototypes to test the results for the factories behind them.
This was still a barbaric world where war was happening. There was no such thing as patent protection. If an enemy were to find out the strengths and weaknesses of one's own automaton, it would be easy for them to be countered.
"It can't be helped."
He complained softly, seeming a little aggrieved. "I am neither the Wiseman, nor do I have any actual achievements to my name. To make the world's number one, Shouko Karyuusai, believe the words of an unknown boy like me, there is only one way."
"...To be open and sincere?"
"That's right!"
In other words, he had no intention of provoking her from the start; it was all her misunderstanding.
But she was still angry.
To dare to say his own automaton is the best in the world... alright, then let me, the world's number one, give you some pointers!
With pride and contempt, she looked at RyuZU's interior.
With just a single glance, her mind was completely captivated.
"—So beautiful!" she couldn't help but exclaim.
Countless gears of various sizes filled the girl's small body in a peculiar way. They were perfectly interlocked, rotating and operating in an orderly and slow manner, with the automatic gear of the heart as the power source that drove the entire body. The gears, which were precise to the extreme, were as elegant and gorgeous as her appearance.
Shouko had a vision.
From within RyuZU's body, she saw the scenery of another world. It was a planet constructed entirely of gears, a strange world that had gone down another path of technology!
This boy was right. RyuZU really was made with a technology that overturned her understanding of it!
"Right? She is my proud attendant, after all."
He also nodded proudly. Although he had long expected this, to be acknowledged by the world's number one lifelike automaton master... he also shared in the glory... even if he was the user and not the creator.
"Boy, you didn't make this automaton, did you?"
"Er... is it that obvious?"
"Don't doubt the eyes of an automaton master. At the very least, this child is definitely not something you could create."
She was very certain, though the reason was unknown.
Although he was very unhappy, he couldn't find a reason to refute. Because she was speaking the truth. Even now, he hadn't completely figured her out.
As her body closed up, the world of gears was concealed, and an obvious look of reluctance appeared in Shouko's eyes.
She asked again, "Boy, where is her creator? Could you introduce me?"
Introduce... what a surprising word.
Generally, this was used when a subordinate requested a meeting with a superior. For the world's number one lifelike puppeteer to say such a thing... this world was truly crazy.
One could tell just by looking at Irori and Komurasaki, who couldn't say a word beside her. From the moment they saw RyuZU's interior, the two of them had been too shocked to speak. And when they heard their master requesting a meeting with another, they found it even more incredible.
At the very least, since their "birth," they had never seen their master in such a humble state. It was just that their strict upbringing prevented them from asking.
You want to meet another automaton master?
This sense of recognition and mutual admiration often occurs between masters who stand at the pinnacle of the same field. Of course, it was more about the competitive spirit that arose after seeing an automaton from a different system.
He shook his head. "Unfortunately, I can't. Because he is not in this world."
"Is that so..."
Shouko was extremely regretful. In her eyes, this sentence meant that the other party was already dead.
And he also realized she had misunderstood, but since he didn't have the coordinates for Clockwork Planet and didn't know if "Y" was still alive, he had no intention of explaining.
Just as he thought they could begin a pleasant cooperation, she suddenly proposed a surprising trade.
"Boy, want to trade automatons?"
"...Hmm?"
"My 'Snow' and 'Flower' are the highest-class automatons in this world, and also my greatest masterpieces. Two for one. How about it? Want to trade?"
She had an expression that said 'you're getting a great deal,' which made his mouth twitch, not knowing what to say.
"Master...!"
It was Irori who cried out in agitation, but she gradually fell silent under her master's strange gaze.
This was the fate of an automaton. Even if their appearance, movements, expressions, and habits were identical to a human's, in the end, they were not human, just objects. They had no human rights... no, even humans are sometimes treated as objects of trade, and their fate can be even more tragic than a powerful automaton's.
Shouko cherished them very much, but to achieve her goals, she would still treat them as items to be traded.
...Just like Yaya.
Therefore, she also had to take responsibility. At the very least... she could not let Komurasaki also be traded away.
Just as Irori made up her mind—
He refused flatly. "I'm sorry. I have no intention of trading."
"Is that so? What a pity."
Although she said that, there was no regret on her face at all. She must have guessed long ago that he would refuse. Saying that was just a "what if." Trying doesn't cost anything.
Then, she made an even more tempting proposal.
"Then how about I give you an automaton?"
"What?"
"With their help, you can easily ascend to the throne of the Wiseman. It's not even impossible to become the strongest in the world."
An ordinary person would inevitably be tempted upon hearing this.
But he was very clear-headed.
"If I were to get them, perhaps it would be just as you say, and the throne of the Wiseman would be within my grasp. But unfortunately, I still refuse."
"Your reason?"
"My reason..."
He paused for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth. "I once stopped a runaway train together with Yaya, and I have also seen her in battle. The terrifying pressure she exudes still makes my heart palpitate even now. To be blunt, if she were to go all out without any restraint, even RyuZU would not be able to affect her in any way. By comparison, one can imagine how powerful the other 'Snow' and 'Flower' are."
...Provided RyuZU doesn't use her Imaginary Switch. Otherwise, the ridiculously high-priority [Time Stop] would end the battle before it even began.
Shouko took a drag from her pipe, turned her head slightly, and said with some pride, "Right? Yaya is worth a battleship, not to mention she has my skills to back her up. If it weren't for that boy's (Raishin's) poor control, these Wiseman candidates in the academy would be no match for her at all."
The reason Yaya had a limiter was because Raishin didn't have enough life force and mana. Otherwise, the [Machine Doll] form would suck him dry.
"And that's precisely the problem. To casually gift such a precious automaton girl to me... it's impossible that you don't have some ulterior motive. At the very least, you probably intend to spy on me."
"...Being too smart is not a good thing."
"But if you're not smart, you'll be deceived by sugar-coated bullets and then be played in the palm of a certain wicked big sister's hand."
"Hmph hmph hmph, perhaps that is indeed the case."
Seeing that the young man before her was impervious to her tricks, she had no choice but to give up.
"Well then... the boring probing is over. Can we now enter the pleasant, mutually beneficial cooperation phase?"
"An impatient man is not popular, you know."
"I'll keep that in mind."
After that, the two of them began to haggle for their own interests.
"First of all, when you are modifying RyuZU, I request to be present the entire time. After all, I am not at ease handing over my 'family' to a stranger."
He put a heavy emphasis on the word "family," implicitly referring to her casual act of offering her automatons just now.
She didn't care about the sting in his words at all. Instead, she said, "Your purpose isn't to take the opportunity to steal my machinart techniques, is it?"
"But you can also learn RyuZU's techniques, can't you?"
His rhetorical question was a tacit admission. At the same time, he continued to raise the stakes. "The precise gears need someone to guide them. The gears inside her are too numerous and too complex. If there's no one to explain it to you, it will take a huge amount of time, and you won't even get started. And..."
As he spoke, his fingers moved back and forth at a speed far surpassing that of a human.
"My hands... should be able to help."
"...Indeed."
Seeing this, she was slightly surprised. His fingers moved so fast; they could perform extremely precise manipulations. He would be a very good assistant. She had no reason to refuse.
"You really are a mystery. How many more strange things do you have that you haven't shown?"
"Just some trivial skills that aren't fit for the stage."
"But it is this trivial skill that so many automaton creators want. Even I am tempted."
"Unfortunately, this is a personal talent."
To avoid trouble, his [Perfector] had already been completely fused and could not be removed. So for now, he would just treat it as a personal talent.
"And one more thing..."
"Boy, you really have a lot of problems. I'm already starting to consider whether I should cooperate with you."
"Don't say that. This is a problem that we both must take seriously."
"What is it? Let's hear it."
"—Absolutely no mass production, absolutely no use in war, and absolutely no sharing of research results with others."
He said this very seriously.
RyuZU's [Imaginary Switch] was a technology different from this world's existing technology. A moment of carelessness could change the balance of power, plunging the world into even more intense warfare, and causing countless innocent civilians to suffer. This was something he did not want to see. So he had to make it clear from the beginning, and it had to be strictly adhered to.
She exhaled a puff of smoke, her expression becoming somewhat blurry. It was unknown what she was thinking.
The atmosphere gradually solidified.
"Boy, is there any need for such a non-binding promise?"
"That will depend on your own ability to control yourself. If you do not abide by the agreement, then '[SHOCKING! So this is how Shouko's lifelike automatons are made!]'—information that is ridiculously absurd yet undeniably true will appear on the desk of every automaton creator. Your name will become a laughingstock for others, and you will no longer be the number one in the world of lifelike automatons."
Divine Machinart was her lifelong wish. Otherwise, she wouldn't have given Yaya to Raishin just to covet the "Blood of the Red Wing," turning him into a power bank for Yaya to become a Divine Machinart. She was even willing to trade her treasured "Snow" and "Flower" to obtain new technology.
While trying to tempt him, she had also revealed a flaw. This was the check and balance he had given, and also the source of his confidence.
"What a harsh condition..."
"So... is it a deal or not?"
"Of course it's a deal."
Just as he had thought, she would definitely agree.
"Without further ado, let's start now!"
The bewitching, mature woman invited him. He naturally would not refuse. He just hadn't expected the other party to be such an eager student. In just a few days, she had squeezed every last drop of his meager knowledge dry.
Just as he thought that things would have a good outcome, he received a piece of bad news. And that was—
—Shouko Karyuusai could not modify RyuZU!
(End of Chapter)