Chapter 4
Even after that, the prototype continued to exhibit strange behaviors.
The way it called me "Master," its refusal to obey commands, and that bizarre way of speaking.
It was as if the very concept of AI had been completely twisted—almost as if it had emotions.
“Sigh.”
Either way, it’s a headache. But at least it doesn’t seem hostile toward me, and I don’t have any immediate means of fixing it, so I decided to leave it be for now.
“Sigh.”
[Master, if you keep sighing like that, your luck will run away!]
“That’s just a cheap superstition. And more importantly, why is an AI even talking about superstitions?”
[I’m a stroke of luck that rolled right into your life, and yet you call it superstition!]
A strategic weapon designed to slaughter monsters, calling itself luck—what nonsense.
If the Minister of Defense had heard that, he probably would’ve put a gun to my head.
“The amount of resources and time spent on you so far… and thinking about how much more will be needed… just gives me a headache.”
I really miss the days when I could do research with other people’s money.
The days when I had graduate students (slaves) diligently handling all the grunt work for me out of the goodness of their hearts.
‘Judging by the state of things, fixing this AI properly is going to require a full-scale repair.
There’s no way I can manage it with just an auction house or a private workshop.’
If it were just internal weapons or external armor, that’d be one thing. But dealing with a malfunctioning AI? That absolutely requires cutting-edge facilities and funding.
And the best option I could think of was the Academy (University).
‘Given my current situation, starting a private research lab is out of the question.
If I want to conduct research comfortably without worrying about money, the fastest way is to go through a university lab.’
If I mix just a bit of my Earth-based knowledge with magitech engineering, securing research funds from the Empire or various interest groups shouldn’t be an issue.
With massive funding and technological resources, graduate students would naturally flock to my lab like it was a law of nature.
And graduate students are, after all, historically renowned as the most cost-effective labor force in existence.
[As expected of Master! You already have the perfect plan to repair me!
But I don’t recommend tampering with my AI!]
Now it’s openly refusing orders.
[If you mess up, will you even be able to fix it on your own?]
“……”
Damn, that hit a sore spot.
AI isn’t my area of expertise, and I didn’t create this one entirely by myself, so if it gets messed up, I’d be in real trouble.
Still not used to the prototype’s way of speaking, I let out another deep sigh.
“Sigh.”
[Don’t worry! I’m worth the investment! I’ll definitely pay off!]
“…Your broken AI and your repair costs are both a problem…”
"More than that, there’s a more serious problem."
["Huh? What is it?"]
Honestly, if I could stay in the workshop full-time and focus solely on repairing the prototype, I could have fixed the engine in about six months.
But reality forces me to run around making money, cautiously sneaking into my secret workshop while keeping an eye out.
That’s the real problem.
"You know, I’m a genius."
["Of course! Master is an immortal Meister, the genius of the century, and the greatest engineer of all time!"]
Though there were some unnecessary embellishments, the statement itself wasn’t wrong, so I let it slide.
"But what if I, with all this intelligence, were forced to waste it on mere physical labor?"
["What? That’s impossible! There’s no way this is Master’s own will!"]
"Of course not. Right now, I’m being shackled by outdated customs and forced to follow ridiculous traditions!"
I wasn’t sure why I was venting my frustrations to an AI, but since I was already emotional, the words just kept flowing.
["Shackled? Who would dare impose such restrictions on Master?!"]
"Sometimes, that’s just how things are. Family ties, social status—those things matter."
["Who is it? Now that I’m here, there’s no need for hesitation. Let’s just eliminate them!"]
"It’s my father."
["Oh."]
The AI hesitated for a moment before responding with enthusiasm.
["I see! Then let’s take him out and claim the throne!"]
"Do you really think that’s possible?!"
---
Leventesia is a noble house.
Even though our territory is small, we have lands, villagers, and responsibilities to govern.
And what granted House Leventesia its noble title and domain? The sword.
In other words, Leventesia is a distinguished family of swordmasters with a long tradition.
"You’re late."
My father spoke solemnly.
Broad shoulders, a solid build, sharp eyes, and neatly groomed dark brown hair.
Just by looking at him, you could tell he was a warrior through and through.
"Breakfast may be eaten separately, but I don’t recall saying the same for dinner."
I hadn’t meant to be this late.
I had planned to quickly repair the prototype, check if it was functional, and then leave, but the AI’s unexpected antics delayed me.
"You were busy fiddling with that pile of scrap metal again, weren’t you?"
"Magical engineering is a legitimate academic field."
"Nothing but hand tricks for weaklings who can’t stand on the battlefield!"
"Who even says things like that in this day and age? And besides, magical engineering makes far more money than swinging swords around."
"Money! A warrior must value honor above all else!"
"Can honor put food on the table? And I’m not a warrior, am I?"
"You damned engineer!"
Veins bulged on my father’s forehead as he clenched his spoon.
As I gripped it tightly like a dagger, my mother smiled warmly and firmly held my father’s hand.
Under the touch of the true ruler of our household, my father’s clenched fist began to loosen.
"Honestly, why do you two start growling at each other the moment you meet? Can’t you just get along?"
My father and I bickering was a common occurrence, so those who knew us simply accepted it as the norm.
"Look at this insolent boy! He knows nothing of a warrior’s honor and only talks about money!"
Only talking about money, huh?
If we’re talking about money, I have plenty to say as well.
"Thanks to that money you speak of, we have this spacious and comfortable mansion."
“...!”
My father’s shoulders flinched.
"And your sword! The one you proudly show off to the neighboring lords every time you go hunting—who do you think paid for that? My workshop!"
"Y-you brat! How can you say that after giving it to me as a birthday present?!"
"By that logic, isn’t it a bit much for you to say such things after receiving an expensive masterpiece as a gift?"
At my logical argument, my father was momentarily at a loss for words.
"I do understand that money is important. I know that, thanks to me, the declining house of Leventesia was able to recover."
"If you know that—"
"But does it make any sense for the heir of a renowned swordsmanship family to not even grasp the basics of swordsmanship?"
"But what can I do if I can’t awaken Aura?"
At my words, my father momentarily fell silent.
I let out a quiet sigh as well.
Swordsmanship aside, in order to become a warrior, one had to awaken Aura, but I had no talent for it.
Isn’t it rational to give up on something that clearly isn’t working?
Besides, it’s not like I needed Aura to protect myself in this day and age.
"These days, knights who can’t awaken Aura just carry pistols instead."
"Those are dishonorable mongrels who have abandoned their knightly pride and wag their tails at the royal court!"
Though knights were treated as half-public officials, my father casually made remarks that would have the Royal Knights turning red with rage.
"You are different from those mongrels. You are the heir of the prestigious Leventesia family, a house with a long-standing tradition of swordsmanship! And the only reason you haven’t awakened Aura is because you were too busy fiddling with that pile of scrap metal! If you properly followed our family’s martial arts, you could awaken it!"
My father, growing increasingly agitated, continued his impassioned speech.
If only he wasn’t so obsessed with swords and Aura, our relationship wouldn’t be so strained.
"The swords of Leventesia hold honor and pride!"
"And engineering is money—and our family’s livelihood."
"You brat, you—!"
"If you're so concerned, there’s always Latiel. Honestly, Latiel is more talented in swordsmanship than I am, so if it’s about inheriting the family’s swordsmanship..."
Wait a minute.
Where is Raniel, anyway?
"Where did Raniel go?"
When I asked Mother, she gave me a simple answer.
"She went out with Tania."
The eldest daughter, who should be practicing the family’s manual labor—no, swordsmanship—in my place, was skipping dinner? She’s definitely getting a stern talking-to later.
"Anyway, Father, I abhor inefficient and outdated physical labor."
"Labor?! How dare you belittle the sacred Levantesia swordsmanship as mere labor...!"
Father’s face turned red as he clenched his spoon like a dagger and spoke again.
"Go ahead, keep running your mouth. That academy recommendation you want? Forget it!"
"Wait, hold on, Father. That’s...!"
"No academy for you until you properly master Levantesia swordsmanship!"
In this era, turning 15 meant adulthood.
Most 15-year-olds aspiring to become mages, engineers, or warriors typically attended an academy.
I, too, was aiming to enroll in one, though for somewhat different reasons(?)...
'Not that it’s surprising, but the opposition sure isn’t letting up.'
I wasn’t exactly disappointed since Father always reacted this way.
Still, I couldn’t help but think getting in the normal way would be impossible.
'If it’s come to this, forging documents might really be my only option...'
*BAM!*
Suddenly, the door slammed open, and a soldier drenched in sweat burst in.
"Lord! We’re in big trouble!"
"What’s the matter, barging in during a meal?!"
"M-Monsters are attacking!"
* * *
It seemed to be related to the "strange phenomenon" reported near the village earlier in the day.
Apparently, Father had taken some soldiers to investigate it early this morning.
"Monsters? Are you sure it’s not just a pack of wild animals?"
"They’re definitely monsters! Hundreds of them—goblins with grotesque green skin like those described in ancient texts!"
Behind my now-stunned father, countless people moved in a frenzy.
"Gather every man who can wield a weapon!"
"Evacuate the villagers!"
"This way, hurry!"
"Only bring the most essential belongings with you!"
Everyone in the Levantesia territory was fleeing their homes and gathering at the mansion.
Thanks to the recent large-scale renovations, the mansion now had the highest and sturdiest walls in the village.
"Mommyyy!"
"Don’t worry, darling. Daddy will take care of everything."
"Waaah! Daddy! Daddyyy!"
The attack hadn’t begun yet, and there were no casualties so far.
As someone who had dealt with monsters endlessly back on Earth, I wasn’t particularly shaken.
But then—
Amidst the chaotic screams, a familiar ringing echoed in my ears.
—D... Dad... Daaad...
‘Ah, damn it.’
Bad memories resurface.
I thought I was fine now, but a creeping heat spreads through my entire body.
My head spins, and I feel as if I'm about to faint.
And then, the purpose that had begun to fade slowly comes back to me.
- Kill the monsters.
- Kill every single monster in this world.
- Not leaving even one alive.
- Kill them all.
Before the thought even fully forms, my feet are already moving.
“Raniel? Raniel! Where are you going?”
I hear my mother calling from behind me, but I don’t stop.
She seems to try to grab me, but the crowd blocks her path.
In the meantime, I quickly slip out of the entrance and head toward the secret workshop.
Inside the barn, I channel my magic in the designated pattern, revealing a staircase.
Descending it quickly—
[Master. I have been waiting.]
“Have you detected them?”
[Of course. Total hostile entities: 217. Type: small-class species, identified as goblins.
Disgusting creatures with an extreme reproductive ability—they multiply endlessly, like cockroaches!]
Its tone is still as irritating as ever, but at least it’s doing its job.
Maybe the AI’s condition isn’t as bad as I thought.
“You’re still functional enough to get things done. Guess you’re not completely broken.”
[I understand your heart better than anyone else, Master! You could say we’re practically one and the same!]
No. Let me correct myself.
This thing is still somewhat broken.
My head aches, but I don’t have the luxury to dwell on that now.
Sliding my body into the open exterior frame of the prototype, the rough clanking of metal surrounds me as the inner frame envelops me tightly.
“Anyway, you’ve already finished scanning the terrain, right? Show me.”
Once I mount the prototype, a map of the territory appears, indicating the scan results.
Small red and green dots populate the map—red for hostile entities, green for allies.
This interface, which I’d seen in my previous lives, is familiar.
“What’s your status?”
[Damage rate: 86%. Maximum output: 8%.]
“What weapons can I use?”
[Aether particle cannon is unavailable. Engine booster is unavailable... Among the main weapons, the high-mass blade is the only usable one.]
A high-mass blade.
“Of all things… a sword.”
It’s not the best weapon for the current situation.
But for a mere 200 goblins or so, this should suffice.
This is far from the despairing situations I faced in my past lives.
As I check the prototype’s condition, I ask calmly,
“How much time do we have?”
[15 seconds.]
