NOVEL NEXT C13
C13: Rules
I unfolded the map, but it was in the way when I was in front of the house of the deceased village head. I closed the map for now and moved to the exit of the village. There, I opened the map again.
“So this is the world map——”
“A lot has changed since I was activated.”
To put it simply, this world was shaped like Iwate Prefecture. In other words, it was an oval-shaped continent, surrounded by the sea and dotted with islands.
The map was quite detailed. First, we were in the upper left corner of Iwate Prefecture. In other words, we are in the westernmost village of Ledo. I can’t see it at all, but it is on the coast. Maybe it’s near the sea. If we go east from the village of Ledo, we will find the town of Ledar. It looks close on the map, but I can’t tell until I actually go there.
“——Okay, our destination is the town of Ledar. We’ll gather information about this world there. Brünnhilde, the ancient ruins of this world are the buildings——from the time when you were activated, right?”
“I’m not sure. It’s also possible that some of my sister machines, replacement weapons, and special weapons may still be around. Master’s Repair might be able to fix them.”
“I see——Well, if there are ruins, I’ll investigate them. I also need to raise the level of my cheat.”
My goal is to gather information and investigate the ruins. I feel like an archaeologist. I mean, it’s not good if I don’t change my clothes. This is the military uniform of the Kingdom of Ostrode, and I don’t know how people who know it will react if they see it.
Now that we had a plan, we headed east. Brünnhilde seems to have stored the information on the map, so if I follow her, I’ll be sure to get there. By chance, my journey in another world has begun. And my partner is an android girl. Besides, I have to decide a lot of things about Brunnhilde.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
The sun was setting, so we camped along the river. I picked up some wood and made a fire. The food I received was bread and dried meat, so I lightly roasted the bread and ate it with the dried meat in between. I miss the food I had in the Ostrode Kingdom.
Now that I’ve finished eating, I’ll talk to Brunnhilde.
“Brünnhilde, let’s set some rules.”
“Yes.”
“First, you’re going to have this.”
I handed Brunnhilde the iron sword that I had.
“Look, that Ex stuff is off limits.”
“I don’t understand. The Maiden Divine Sword Excaliburn is the only armament installed on me. If I don’t use the weapon, my combat power is reduced by 80%. It’s inefficient.”
“You know——that’s too conspicuous. It’s like wielding a lightsaber in the Edo period. Or can’t you use a normal sword?”
“No problem.”
“You don’t? Anyway, you’ll just have to put up with a normal sword.”
“Master, this sword is made of impure iron. I will not be able to use it to its full potential.”
“But you know……shouldn’t be too obvious. You should only use EX something if your life is in danger.”
“I understand. I’ll carry out your orders.”
“And please don’t call me Master. It kind of bothers me.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Well, you could call me………..sensei.”
“All right. I will change the name of Master to Sensei.”
“There are some nuances in the……but that’s okay. Also, this is important. Look, you can’t……kill people.”
“The most effective way to eliminate a person who has malicious intent and intends to harm you is to shut down his or her vitals.”
“You know……if they die, that’s it. No matter how evil he is, you can’t just kill blindly.”
“I understand. From now on, if I engage in human combat, I will apply restraint.”
“……Yeah, that’s fine.”
It’s like you’re too understanding, I don’t know if what I say is absolute. And one more thing, if possible.
“Hey, Brünnhilde, that……the way you’re talking, it’s a little…..”
“What?”
I don’t mean to be rude, but the way Brunnhilde speaks is like a machine voice. I’d like to see her speak with a little more joy, anger, sorrow, and emotion, like Aoki. I add more wood to the fire, it crackles and explodes, as wood is too moist. Since I’m so busy, I changed the subject.
“……Brünnhilde.”
“Yes.”
“You were made by a man, weren’t you?”
“Yes. We, the “Battle Maiden Type,” were created to destroy androids.”
“……What kind of man made you?”
“Memory data is partially corrupted. Details are unknown. We may be able to find information in my sister’s memories. But I was able to acquire some fragmentary information.”
A war between humans and androids. And androids built to destroy androids. What kind of people created them?
“Our creators used the same ‘Repair’ cheat as Sensei.”
◇◇◇◇◇◇
The next day.
I was sleeping under a tree by the river, when Brunnhilde woke me up. I was a little freaked out because she shook my body with no expression at all.
“Good morning, Sensei. I suggest that we leave after consuming breakfast.”
“All right, let’s eat and get going. I’d like to get to the town of Ledar by the end of the day if possible.”
I washed my face, finished my breakfast, drank a lot of water from the river, and left.
When I arrived in town, I had to do some shopping. I don’t have a lot of money for clothes, equipment, and travel gear, so I’ll have to sell my Ostrode Kingdom uniform to make some money. Thinking about the future, I’ll need some travel money…….I guess that’s it.
“Adventurer……A classic of the other world? There was an adventurer’s guild in the Ostrode Kingdom, but…Does that mean that adventurers are also magic soldiers?”
I muttered to myself.
The weather was mild and it was a good day for an adventure. The situation isn’t that great, but walking leisurely along the city streets with Brunnhilde makes me feel like I’m on a journey. But then again, this is the kind of thing that protagonist types like Nakatsugawa and Shinohara experience. I’m not sure what to make of this.
“Sensei, a monster.”
“Oh, a monster………?”
Perhaps I was thinking too much about trivial things, but the bushes on the side of the street rustled and shook, and a three-meter-long bipedal pig appeared from them. He’s got a log in his hand…….What’s this?
“Individual name: Orc. Our current equipment can handle it. Permission to engage.”
“Yes, please!”
“Copy that. Moving to battle stations.”
Brünnhilde drew the iron sword at her waist, dived into the orc’s in an instant, put the sword into the orc’s leg, and cut it up in a single stroke. The orc was split in two before he could speak.
“Combat terminated. All parts checked, no problems…….Sensei.”
“Okay.”
“Brünnhilde shows her sword emotionlessly. The sword was cracked and chipped in places. “No metal of lesser purity can withstand my power. I request permission to use the Maiden Divine Sword Excaliburn.”
“………you really want to use it, don’t you?”
I’m not sure if the sword is fragile enough to be torn apart by a single blow, or if Brünnhilde did this on purpose…….Well, let’s just say it’s her way of expressing her feelings. In the end, I allowed her to use the Ex something. I’ve decided to buy a better quality sword when I get to town. That sword is big and conspicuous.