41 – God AI

“Sister. Are you feeling any better?”

“Oh, I’m always the same. Hehe, thank you for your concern. But, what’s this?”

I offered the medicine to my sister, who was sitting demurely on the bed.

The medicine I had prepared resembled modern-day pills.

It was powdered medicine with fast absorption rates, neatly packaged with gelatin to make it easy to consume. Of course, Nob AI had instructed me on how to make it.

Since it was an invention that directly affected the human body, I asked again just to be sure if it was really okay.

『Misoprostol, Benexate, Rebamipide, Alginic acid, Sucralfate…』

Even if you say it like that, I still don’t understand…

『Hmm, let me put it in simpler terms. I’ve made a mixture of stomach medicine, anti-inflammatory painkillers, and medicine to suppress mana. The effects aren’t too strong, so there shouldn’t be any issues with long-term use.』

Okay.

『If you’re worried, you could conduct clinical trials.』

It’s alright. I trust you.

You told me the ingredients, you told me how to make it, you told me the components, you really did everything for me.

“From today, you are no longer Nob AI, but God AI.”

” *I do prefer my original name, though…*”

” *If the user prefers God AI, then I shall change my name accordingly.*”

” *From today, I am God AI. Pleased to be working with you.*”

” *(*´▽`*)*”

No. If you like the name Nob AI, then it’s only right that I call you by that name.

I look forward to working with you as well, Nob AI.

” *Heck, thank you! I look forward to working with you too!*”

” *՞ ⸝⸝＞ ̫ ＜⸝⸝ ՞*”

Anyway.

“It’s medicine. Try taking it with water.”

“Medicine…?”

Haniel seemed fascinated by the medicine I’d created.

She stared at it intently for a long while before tipping the pill into her mouth and washing it down with water.

“The effects should start appearing in about thirty minutes. Please take it consistently, every morning, thirty minutes after breakfast. It will probably reduce the amount of mana you produce.”

I carefully explained to her about her condition, something I’d learned from Nob AI previously.

“Anyway, if you experience any unusual pain or problems, stop taking it and tell me.”

Haniel wore a puzzled expression.

“Did you make this yourself, Ester?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

Was she finding it difficult to trust me because I wasn’t a professional doctor?

Honestly, if a fifteen-year-old boy suddenly offered me medicine, I’d think it was appropriate to look at it with suspicion.

“Wow. Really, my little brother… How can you be so smart?”

Haniel slowly pulled me into a hug, stroking my hair.

“S-Sister?”

“Your sister is so proud that Ester is my little brother!!”

A head-pat onslaught without warning was truly troublesome.

If I were a child, I would have been all smiles and snuggled in, but for me, a grown-up, it was a lethal dose of affection.

“Since Ester made me medicine, I’ll work hard to get better.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. And there’s one thing I want to ask.”

She seemed to already know what I wanted to say.

Before I could even finish the sentence, my sister spoke.

“You want to leave the estate with Esther?”

Slowly, I nodded.

Kennes’ death was a shocking event not only for the Tristi Dominion, but for me as well.

No matter how urgent the situation, it was still the death of the heir to the family.

Especially since it wasn’t an accident, but a tragedy born from someone else’s machinations. It was impossible not to feel wary.

“Perhaps.”

The unexpected reply caught me off guard.

I had expected Haneil to refuse.

“Didn’t you say you had a promise to keep with Mother?”

“Yes, I did. That’s why I told you I was taking the Lordship exam.”

“Why have you changed your mind?”

Haneil smiled faintly, gazing at the Garden of Five Colors.

Where the amaranthuses, symbols of eternity, bloomed; the place our late mother had created.

“The Garden of Five Colors… Do you remember Father trying to tear it down when Esther was around eight years old?”

I shook my head.

It was the first time I’d heard such a thing.

“He must have thought hiring gardeners was a waste of money. After all, he’s the type of person who values other things more than aesthetics.”

The Tristi manor was devoid of decorations.

This was due to Porto’s frugal nature.

The moment he became Lord, he sold all the luxuries, except for the antiques that symbolized the Tristi family, to merchants. He was such a penny-pincher to the core.

He must have seen the Garden of Five Colors the same way.

“I managed to stop him in the end, but the fact that the things I truly cherish could vanish with a single word from Father… I hated it.”

Haneil gently took my hand.

Today, her warmth felt even more comforting.

“The promise I made to Mother consists of two main things. One is to protect the Garden of Five Colors, a symbol of eternity, and the other is to look after my precious younger brother. If I become the Lord of Tristi, they are things I can easily do.”

Haneil bowed her head low.

And apologized to me.

When I asked her why she was suddenly apologizing, she spoke softly.

“I came to realize it was recklessness. Looking back, with my sickly self remaining in the mansion, all I would bring Esther was worry, not help. I’m sorry. If only your sister had listened to Esther from the start, things might have been a little….”

Haniel seemed burdened by guilt for not being able to properly care for me since being confined to the sickbed.

She spoke of how she was sorry for not stepping forward like she did when we were children, when the other siblings tormented me. How she felt unworthy as a sister, only receiving help now.

I held Haniel’s hand, refusing to let go.

“Sister, you have protected me all this time.”

Haniel was my sole sanctuary in childhood.

She was the only family member, the only one on my side, who fought for me against the siblings who shunned me, the unwanted child.

She replaced our mother and showered me, the unsightly one, with affection and the warmth of human connection.

That was more precious than any treasure in this world.

I was simply returning the favor, giving back what I had received from her.

If she hadn’t been there, I would be a completely different person from who I am now.

“From now on, I will protect you, Sister.”

“…….”

Haniel smiled quietly.

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, and I carefully wiped them away with a handkerchief.

*

I was drinking coffee and studying a map.

Currently, I was preparing to move.

I had a considerable sum of 1.1 billion Credits in my possession.

To be precise, I had about 15 million in cash, having received payment from Porto some time ago. The remaining 1.09 billion needed to be obtained from selling the Helltank.

The transaction wouldn’t be difficult, as I could go through Erps.

“Young Master.”

While I was selecting a territory that offered easy access to medicine and a good quality of life, Dalpi abruptly spoke to me.

“Your bearing has become much more refined.”

“Hmm?”

“You finally look like a proper young nobleman.”

Hmm.

Was I running a slightly more suave and gentle Genius Mage Ver. 2?

『No.』

Dalpi commented that my diction and voice were far cleaner than before.

It seemed the Nob AI, somehow, was subconsciously recalling sensations as it piloted my body.

Whatever the reason, good was good.

I decided to be pleased.

“Looks like we have a visitor.”

Dalpi rose from her seat.

I returned to studying the map.

‘Really, there’s no place like the capital.’

The capital of the Yustina Kingdom was the Lognes Royal Territory.

The King ruled it directly, and it was the most populous metropolis in the kingdom.

Lognes boasted countless attractions, from theater and concerts, to art galleries, not to mention it was the prime location for the publication of my favorite trashy novels.

It was also a hub for all sorts of culinary delights, so I could even indulge my appetite.

The housing prices were infamously steep, but with my fortune of 1.1 billion, I had little to fear.

It would eat up nearly all my savings, but if I put my mind to it, I could even build a mansion in the Royal Territory as grand as the Tristy estate.

Knock knock.

I was lost in pleasant daydreams when a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.”

Assuming it was Dalpi, I spoke casually. The door swung open.

I couldn’t help but blink.

First, Dalpi, always so expressionless, was now frozen, stiff as a board.

And second, beside her stood a middle-aged gentleman in a dazzling suit.

I recognized that attire.

I’d seen it at social gatherings in my youth.

It was the uniform of the Royal Spokespersons.

“I am Art, an envoy here to deliver a message from His Majesty the King. Are you Esther Tristy?”

『On』

“Indeed. I am Esther Tristy.”

Art immediately adjusted his clothes and unfurled the royal edict with a flourish.

*Swish-*

“Esther Tristy, genius who deciphered the Millennium Problem, mage who interpreted the Necronomicon’s seals, hero who averted the eastern kingdom’s disaster, saving countless lives: You are commanded to immediately proceed to the Lognes Royal Territory and present yourself to Vimarque Yustina. If, however, you are too busy or circumstances prevent your audience, then His Majesty shall personally travel to the Tristy Autonomous Territory to meet with you.”

He recited the contents of the edict in a solemn and measured tone.

Nob AI’s face muscles, held rigid until now, twitched.

“Pardon?”