Chapter 606 – Restoration and Security

000

“I did some cleaning. Then, is it my turn to leave?”

While rolling up the sleeves of his white robe, Artis twirled his arms as if to loosen the lumps in his shoulders.

Looking at her somehow getting her form, her lila is talking to her as if she’s dumbfounded.

“You didn’t do anything. Rather, I tried to help but got in the way and was dragged out…”

“That’s— well, it’s the right place. Is it good? Haha.”

In response to her carefree words, ‘Really…’, Layla let out a sigh as if she was tired of tackling her.

When Kshat starts to clean her room as her spirit as her butler burns, it takes a long time for her to clean this large space alone, and Cleon, thinking that it will be difficult for her, helps her. About an hour after starting to help.

Then I said, and Layla and Artis tried to help tidy up, but neither of them were the type of people who couldn’t keep their rooms tidy.

In the end, it was judged that helping was an obstruction, and the two of them quietly sat in the corner that had already been cleaned out and ate the manju they had brought as a present, passing the time.

Meanwhile, Kanon and Fleur were talking in writing behind the scenes, as if they had completely understood each other.

Seeing dozens of sheets of white paper full of writing already scattered around the desk, Layla thought, ‘Here, this is the place I just cleaned…’ And had enough common sense to gather the papers in one place. It was visible

“By the way, this is the first time I’ve seen Fleur communicate with someone she just met like this~”

“Well, it looks like the same category. Isn’t that right in that respect? Furthermore-“

Besides, Fleur is a huge fan of Kanon.

The joy of being able to meet the author I like so much that I would buy a new book and put it on the bookshelf after reading the novels written by Kanon since I was little.

And the fact that she could ask her about her work, Fleur was actively talking with Kanon about her, forgetting about her usual self.

[Then, the truth of the story is as stated in the book!]

When Fleur asks Kanon in her handwriting, Kanon answers her with a nod of her head.

“No, that’s right. According to what I saw, the samurai was thought to be dead, but he is actually alive… The truth is that he fled from this eastern country with a noble lady…”

[As expected, it was a happy ending!]

Probably talking about the work, but neither Layla nor Artis can touch that part, so while watching the two people who are completely lost in their own world, they wait for Cleon and Kshat-

“It’s done. At this rate… It must have been enough space for people to live.”

When Kshat’s report came back, Attis got up from his seat and said the same thing as before.

“So? Where is the machine you want me to look at?”

“That’s- I’ll have to ask Kanon. Yes? Canon.”

When Cleon called out to Kanon while saying that, Kanon didn’t even notice that he was being called and was talking passionately with Fleur.

“That, I mean, after that, it’s better to lay some foreshadowing like this, so the catharsis when a reversal occurs-“

“It’s all writer mode.”

Seeing her canon like that, Lyla shook her head helplessly, then walked over to her and placed her hand on her shoulder.

“Canon.”

“Huh!?”

When Kanon was startled by the sudden touch and let out a scream, Fleur, who was in front of him, was naturally startled and almost dropped the pen he was holding.

“Uh, no matter how surprised I am, even I get hurt a little…”

Laila suffered more damage than expected from the reaction of the two.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry…! Everything, I’m not used to being touched by other people… I’ve been living alone for hundreds of years…!”

“Okay, okay… So you don’t have to apologize while banging your forehead on the ground like that.”

Thud! Thud! After her Lyla stops her from banging her head so loudly, Cleon goes on to talk to her.

“That video I mentioned before… I’m going to check it out, did you prepare it?”

“Ah, yes… As I said before, most of the parts related to Rakshasa… But I took a look at it, but there was no information about the Earth Dragon or Gaios.”

“Because it is our job to restore that part. Yes?”

“Of course. Leave it to me, Cleon-kun. Whoops. I will show you the power of a genius archaeologist.”

Her eyes twinkle as she flicks and lifts her glasses.

She gave off the aura of a villainous scientist that could have appeared in a novel somewhere, and she, along with Kanon and Lyla, were walking toward the machine.

“Hey, is Ryla coming too? You can leave her to me.”

“If you take this opportunity to learn it, you won’t have to call Artis in other places later, right? Please show her that her skills as a teaching assistant have not rusted.”

Artis smiled at Layla’s words, raising only the corner of her mouth.

Then, she pulled a chair in front of the huge machine that controlled the output, adjustment, and editing of the video, sat down, and walked her arm.

“…This is the first ‘computer’ in such good condition.”

“Uh. Kerr, do you know about computers…”

“Computer?”

It’s a word she’s never heard of, so when the two of them repeat what they said over and over again, Artis hesitates a bit and thinks about how to explain it before speaking.

“In other words, it should be called an information processing and arithmetic machine… There’s probably a huge amount of information in this machine. Truly, Asteris… No, it is a machine that can process a greater amount of information at a faster rate than all of the Academy’s Forbidden Books Library put together.”

“Huh… So?”

“What. A video is also a kind of information. It is necessary to have an arithmetic machine of this level to be able to store images close to hundreds of years. In the primitive world, it is said that the value of this ‘computer’ machine was enormous. Literally, to the extent that each person has one.”

After Artis’ explanation, Kanon admired her knowledge.

“Huh, after all, an archaeologist…”

“Do you want to see me again? Whoops. Well, but Computers are mostly precision machines, and there is a limit to the durability of parts. Very few things remain intact. All the computers I’ve seen so far have been crap. Maybe it was because of this facility that we were able to survive. Well, now it’s more about video than about computers.”

While changing the subject, Artis quickly checks the images that Kanon has organized while operating the machine with skillful hands.

Then, Artis nods her head, confirms something, then turns to Lila and talks.

“Certainly, there are traces of outside intrusion and modification, as Layla expected.”

“Do you have any records like that?”

“Using magic, tampering with records… It would be difficult to leave it in books or memories. A machine like this leaves a record. Like this scene, for example-“

As Artis said, pressing a button lit up a huge screen on the wall.

There, I saw a scene where a girl with green hair was talking in a small room with Chennen, who seemed to be from the dark horse clan.

“Rachal…”

Cleon confirms that the man on the screen has the same face as the man he saw in his dream before, and is convinced that he is also a Raksha.

“Then, the one next to me must be Nayuta.”

At Layla’s words, Cleon nodded her head and took a closer look at her.

The features on her face- Looking here and there, it gave the impression that Quon and Tokoyo were merged and split in half.

It’s a little sharper than Quon, but a little milder than Tokoyo, a medium impression.

While she was saying something to Raksha with an expression that seemed to be pretending to be angry, she suddenly swung her fist at Raksha from Nayuta’s side.

Of course, rather than fighting sincerely, she looked worried, like a mother who scolds her child somewhere.

Then- the door to the room the two of them were in opened, but the two of them glanced in that direction.

Again, it goes back to the scene where the two of them quarrel.

“Here.”

Then, Artis pressed the button to stop the scene.

“It’s just weird to look at. The door suddenly opens.”

“Ah. Like, it’s the timing when someone should have stepped in.”

At Cleon’s words, Atis and Lyla nodded to her.

“There are traces of manipulation here as well. If you remove the traces and press the button to restore it to its original state-“

At the same time as he heard a clicking sound, he heard the sound of something tightening in the machine in front of Artis.

The noise, too loud to ignore, Cleon talks to Artis as Fleur anxiously grabs Kshat’s hand.

“…Isn’t it okay?”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. When people get worried or focus on their thoughts, they groan without even realizing it, right? It’s like that.”

“Wow, that explanation is not reassuring at all.”

When Layla comes to Cleon’s side and spreads her magic barrier, as if she doesn’t know when it will explode, Artis just shakes her head as if she is dumbfounded while looking at Layla.

It was then.

[Warning. This compilation is made by highest authority. Please stop restoring the video. If you ignore this warning, the security protocol will work.]

“Huh?”

A warning text large enough to fill the entire screen appeared, and the entire screen was dyed red.

“Hee-hee…!”

Fleur shuddered as if surprised to see such a terrifying sight, but both Kanon and Artis looked at the screen with slightly serious faces.

“Isn’t this what Kanon did?”

“Ah yes. That never happened. This, I’ve never seen a screen like this before…”

Artis shut her mouth for a moment at Kanon’s words, then turned his body to the spinning chair and looked back at Cleon.

“What are you going to do? It’s like this.”

She asks Cleon if he will ignore this warning or stop quietly checking the video according to the warning.

“What exactly is a security protocol?”

When Cleon asks such a question, Artis shrugs his shoulders and answers.

“Well? But since it’s called “Security,” You’re probably trying to keep it a secret. The surest way to keep a secret is to erase those who try to dig it out. It looks like you don’t want to be found out, ‘Gaios’.”

Cleon had no choice but to keep her mouth shut.

Certainly – there will be a battle.

For some reason, Cleon was able to be so sure.

The arm engraved with the pattern to control ghosts trembled slightly- as if he had experienced such a thing in the past.

Earth, more than any other element, is best suited for hiding secrets.

Many people hide their secrets by burying them in the ground.

The Earth Dragon, Gaios, is a dragon that possesses the authority of the earth.

A dragon perched on a pile of treasure coiled up in a cave, guarding a secret- and keeping that secret from others.

That, he said, was the nature of the Earth Dragon, Gaios.

“…If a battle breaks out, this place might collapse. Therefore-“

So, Cleon clenched her fist as if he couldn’t help it and said that.

Even Cleon didn’t want to destroy Kanon’s place.

I can’t help it, but I have no choice but to find another way.

Thinking so, Cleon shook his head for a moment-

“It’s okay, it’s okay…!”

Kanon raised his voice and spoke.

“I-I’m fine. Even if this place collapses or is destroyed… Ah, no, actually, it’s true that it would be nice if it wasn’t broken… But…”

Kanon is talking to the party while clenching his fists.

“If it’s for my hand, the fans, and all of you who are fans of me… At least a hideout like this…!”

At her words, Layla and Cleon looked at her with a slightly dumbfounded face.

Come to think of it- Did you introduce yourself as a fan when you first came here?

And she wants to use Cleon as the main character in her next work.

Kanon’s pupils were shaking here and there, unable to keep his eyes on one place, as if greatly agitated, but his determination seemed sincere.

“… I heard that? Cleon.”

“… I’ll try my best. Kshat. Take Kanon, Fleur, and Artis and leave here for a while.”

When Cleon said that, Kshat nodded and took the three of them to the door they had entered.

“If you’re going to start, just press that red button.”

When Artis leaves, if you talk to Cleon like that, Cleon will also nod.

Finally, when everyone else had left the shelter except Layla and Cleon, Cleon took a deep breath and stretched out his hand.

[Galatea, Caliburn.]

At the voice calling for the two, the two women appeared as they tore through the air.

“It’s been a while since I appeared like this. Every time I leave it there, it slips into a strange place and I can’t even call it.”

When Caliburn smiled and said a bit of venom, Cleon’s face turned sour and held out her hand.

“I learned.”

“That’s fortunate.”

When the two swords, Galatea and Caliburn, are held in both hands, each assumes its original form.

Lyla also spun and turned around, revealing her blue cloak and wooden staff.

“Subspace storage magic. You did well to learn.”

“When did that…”

Cleon muttered that he was a little envious of her magic, and then moved closer to her machine and put her finger on the red button that Artis said.

“Then, let’s try.”

“Whenever.”

Lila’s answer rang out as her fingers pressed her buttons.

Then, beyond the red color that filled the entire screen, something causes noise.

It seemed like a brown storm, like a sandstorm, was coming towards us from beyond the screen.

“──”

As Cleon gazed at the scene, she could not help but open her mouth involuntarily, for she could see the silhouette of what was approaching from beyond.

It had a huge body.

It has a ferocious snout and wavy horns, and its eyes sparkle with emerald green.

The body was generally yellowish brown, close to gold.

It did not break even in the storm, and had strong wings.

“Fire Wall.”

In the meantime, Layla places the magic of firewalls around her to keep her heat from leaking out, lest her magnetism damage her machines.

The next moment, if you think that the silhouette that has come close to the front of the screen has moved, the huge head pierces the screen and appears in front of Cleon and Layla.

It wasn’t an existence that humans could face and win against.

No, in the first place, the human species might not have been given the possibility of fighting and winning against this gigantic monster in front of them from the start.

An existence that makes you think so, overwhelming, overbearing, and at the same time arousing visceral fear in the souls of Cleon and Layla.

Its mouth breaks mountains, and its wings swirl.

Crying kills the soul, breath burns the ground.

“Dragon – Earth Dragon, Gaios…”

“Anyway, welcome. As…!”

Just by being there, the suffocating mana pressure burst forth, and Cleon and Layla felt their legs stagger.

“Kuh…!”

In a situation where I can’t move, I thought that if this happened, the fight itself wouldn’t be established, but-

At that time, the dragon ring on Cleon’s finger glowed and neutralized Gaios’ magic pressure covering the two of them.

“You did a good job bringing it…”

Thinking so, Cleon corrected Galatea and Caliburn, and saw the dragon with Lyla.

It was a monster that imitated its appearance and power, not showing the intelligent side like a real dragon, looking at this side with only its face sticking out from the screen.

[Finally, you’re facing the dragon yourself, Cleon.]

[Unfortunately, it might be weaker than the original~]

At Caliburn’s words, Cleon sighed and looked back at Layla.

“Let’s go. Lila.”

“Really, what kind of trouble is this just to watch a video. Be careful not to break the screen!”

When the two of them ignited their fighting spirit, the Earth Dragon let out a loud roar, stretched out its face towards the two, and started a battle.