Sisters
※Those who would like to recall the last moment of Nana's sisters, please refer to [5-12. Maze of Trazayuya (3)], (they survived in the published version, unlike in the web version.)
"This place is the ruins of the maze so I confirm."
Nana murmured as she looked at the valley below from on top of a mountain.
A huge amount of debris and rocks have piled up under the steep cliff.This was the maze Nana's previous master, [Undead King (No Life King)] Zen had activated in order to encourage his own elimination.
Vegetation has grown on top of the debris during the last two years, you wouldn't know this was the place if you didn't actively look for it.
Nana surveyed the surroundings with calm eyes.
This is Zen's graveyard, as well as a sad place where Nana's sisters vanished into mana bubbles when Zen's Uniqe Skill [Limit Break] released powers beyond their limits.
"Is this all right?"
"Yes, Liza. The tombstones are correctly vertical so I inform."
We set up tombstones for Nana's sisters and Zen in the spot she picked.Since we had no bodies to bury under the tombstones, we buried articles of Zen and Nana's sisters that had been put away inside my Storage by Auto Loot function instead.
"Nana."
"We've picked up some flowers."
"Please give them to your elder sisters."
"I thank you so I inform."
Nana took the flowers Mia, Arisa and Lulu picked and offered them before the graves.
She put her hands together to pray for the deceased, we also offered our silent prayers with her.
If only I had the power I have now back then, would there be a future where they survive I wonder...
After she was done praying, Nana looked at me.
It's hard to tell due to her lack of expression, but it feels kind of languid somehow.
"Master, would it be possible to reproduce my sisters, so I inquire."
Now that's one unexpected question.
I check my Storage.
The machines that created Nana got broken along with the collapse of [Maze of Trazayuya]. They look similar like the adjustment tanks used by the elves, but they appear to have been customized. I have documents left behind by Trazayuya-shi and Zen in my Storage, but not the complete sets.
"I believe so. But it seems like it'll take some time."
"Yes, Master. Requesting reproduction of my sisters so I wish."
A tinge of smile floated on Nana's expressionless face.
Okay, I gotta rev up the engine a bit.
◇
"U~n, I don't get what these parts about..."
Now that I've undertaken Nana's request, I'm doing research at Boruenan Forest to try to repair the machines.
I'm trying to recreate by the creator's intents by guessing from the surviving and destroyed parts, but it's not going too well, they're too unique.
"Satou, isn't that an implant to support the magic circles?"
"Wrong! That's an auxiliary device to adjust mana."
"We've got one already for that here though?"
"Maybe just one isn't enough?"
"I recall hearing about multiple rectification devices when I was observing No.8's creation so I report."
"I knew it! We'll proceed with that!"
The elves and Nana are helping me as assistants. Even the research loving elves from Burainan Clan and Beriunan Clan would occasionally visit and lend their opinions.
"Refreshment~?"
"Here comes sweets for your tired brains nanodesuyo."
"Nn, honey cake."
The girls brought provisions along with a sweet scent.
Us sugar-lacking researchers rushed to the sweets.
I quenched my throat with the superb blue tea Lulu poured, and supplied my brain with the honey cake Mia put aside for me.
"How is it going?"
"We've taken another step forward, but it's not proceeding too well from there."
I gave a lowdown to Arisa who asked for our progress.
I can make homonculi with the exact same shapes, but from simulations, their force magic circuits and expansion slots would turn out far inferior than Nana's initial state.
We're currently trying to review things, see if we could cut down on unknown and unnecessary circuits.
"Would be nice if we could ask the maker himself."
Arisa murmured as she shrugged.
...The maker himself?
"That's it!"
Since I've put a Marker on Trazayuya, I know his location simply by looking at Map.
I met him as tactician Touya at Weasel Empire, he was acting there as a spy for Goblin Demon Lord of Saga Empire, but now he's living together with the plain-faced reincarnated person making a living opening an alchemy shop at some remote country.
"Eh?"
"Zen is impossible, but I can go see Trazayuya-shi whenever I want."
There's a branch office of Echigoya Firm near the place where the Marker is, I've just got to fly with Flash Drive from there and I'll be there in a flash.
"Master, wishing to accompany you so I inform."
"An extra person is no problem at all."
I brought Nana with me to where Trazayuya is.
--Huh?
His dot shown on my Map disappeared.
"Master?"
We landed in a spot near Trazayuya's mansion while Nana had a question mark above her head.
"Looks like they went out."
Must have teleported away using the Unique Skill of that plain-faced reincarnated person who was with Trazayuya.
"Master, the stove is still lit under this pot, so I warn."
So Nana told me as she peeked in the house from a window.
Peeking in next to her, I saw a pot still being cooked left out, cups fallen on a table, and a half-finished document.
Wonder if something urgent came up?
"Let's come here again later."
Dunno when they'll be back after all.
"Yes, Master."
Nana nodded with a slightly dejected look.
It'd be bad if it turned into fire, so I put out the stove with magical psychokinesis [Magic Hand] and also cleaned up the fallen cups while I was at it.
Since Trazayuya wouldn't move from his new residence even after a few days had elapsed, I went there myself to see him.
--However.
"There is no one here so I report."
Just like a few days earlier, Trazayuya was nowhere to be seen in the residence he moved into.
They were here just now, must be another urgent business.
"Let's try catching up to them."
"Yes, Master."
The spot I can Unit Arrangement ourselves is a bit far from his location, but Flash Drive would get us there in a jiffy.
We teleported in, and headed for Trazayuya's residence, but he disappeared once again.
"Master."
Nana stares at me expressionlessly.
"Maybe Master is being avoided by the target so I ask."
"You think so too?"
I had my suspicion, but getting that pointed out is a bit awkward.
◇
『Preparations for [Project Free Fall] is complete so I announce.』
Nana's voice, coming from inside the space ship's cockpit, was transmitted to my bone-conduction speaker.
I wave at the silhouettes reflected in the space ship's cockpit and plunged into the atmosphere with Flash Drive.
If they can find us from horizontal plane, then we'll just gotta barge in vertically.
I broke through speed of sound as the barrier created by [Canopy] magic protecting my body glowed red hot.
My views on grounds turned clear in a blink of an eye, the city that looked like a lump turned distinctive.
I would end up creating a crater on the ground if I kept this up so I moved into the garden of the target's house using sight-based Unit Arrangement to kill my inertia.
Then I saw a bald man standing up beyond the window with a flustered look on his face--Trazayuya.
He was gonna shout something, but I Unit Arranged right in front of him and teleported back onto the space ship above along with him before the plain-faced reincarnated person could react.
"--Kuh, just kill me."
Once I released Trazayuya on the floor of our space ship, he went and uttered the same line as some [captive knightess].
"Aren't you misunderstanding something?"
"And don't you harm Mio. That girl was merely following my orders."
We're not syncing up.
By the way, [Mio] is the name of the plain-faced reincarnated person.
Checking on Map, she's moving about in confusion inside the mansion Trazayuya vanished at.
"Looks like she's worried about you, wanna give her a call?"
After saying that, I connected us with an original space magic in the form a bidirectional video call screen between us.
『Touya-sama! Are you unhurt?!』
"What are you doing! I told you to immediately move out to the next base if I got abducted!"
『There is no point in a world without Touya-sama!』
They started some sort of drama.
I'm feeling guilty now they've gotten super serious.
"Now then, mind if we continue?"
I spoke out after letting it go for a bit.
"State your demands. I shall spare nothing now that you've taken Mio hostage."
『...Touya-sama.』
He took it as a threat even though I made this video call for them out of kindness.
Well, whatever. Let's get to the point.
"Could you show me the blueprints for the homonculus production system you used to build [Maze of Trazayuya]?"
"Is that all?"
Trazayuya opened his Item Box, took several rolls of blueprints, and several books of what appeared to be development diary and put them on top of a nearby table.
"This is everything."
"Don't mind if I take a look."
I put all the documents in Storage, quickly copied them with magic and put them back where they were.
Afterward, I used my Menu OCR function on the documents in my Storage and searched for the terms I was looking for.
I stumbled upon some uncertainties and cleared them all up by asking Trazayuya for answers.
Being able to have an interview with the creator itself is so handy.
"You have my thanks for the information. I've copied the documents, so you can have the originals back. I'd like to pay you for the information and the trouble--"
"No need."
Trazayuya curtly interrupted me.
"--No wait, I have two demands. Get me back to where I was, and don't concern yourself with us ever again."
"Got it. I promise to never have anything to do with you again so long as you don't do wrong on the world."
I gave my consent to the sour looking Trazayuya and teleported him back to the residence Mio was waiting.
◇
After I got the machine done thanks to Trazayuya's documents and explanations, I started the production process of Nana sisters right away.
No issue on the software side either. Since Zen had left behind detailed instructions and adjustments on the sisters' individualities.
When I found out the source of those girls' knowledge on the mysterious shoujo manga was from a shoujo manga Zen wrote himself, the shock was beyond description. He mentioned that he died in a war, but apparently shoujo manga already existed in the Japan he lived then.
I was done installing the education device while relishing on the shock, and then I brought the sisters along to meet Nana.
The meeting spot is not at the solitary island palace but at the place where [Maze of Trazayuya] was, per Nana's request.
"№１、№２、№３、№４、№５、№６、№８！"
"""Yes, Nana."""
Nana called the girls' production numbers with inexpressible feelings as she stood in front of seven people with the same faces as hers.
Numbers are too tasteless for names, let's give them real names later. Something like Ichiko-san or Ein-chan would be too boring, gotta think up something with a twist. Like Adein maybe.
Nana brought the sisters to the tombstones.
"Everyone should visit these graves, so I encourage."
"Whose graves are these, so I ask."
"These are predecessor sisters' graves so I inform."
"Are we the second generation then so I inquire."
"Might be even the third so I point out."
The sisters were lively.
Nana gave a short summary of what happened, after listening to that, the sisters put their hands together in front of the tombstones with a meek atmosphere on them despite the lack of expressions.
"Master, did I alone get rolled out during the manufacturing process, so I inquire."
Once they were done with the prayer, No.8 jumped and raised her hand, asking me.
She must have noticed the physical differences between her and her sisters.
In No.8 case, I didn't downsize her chest measurement and height by choice, that was just how it was with the preset.
"Don't worry about it, you'll grow up in no time."
I swiped and patted No.8's head, she squinted and pushed her head on my palm.
Suddenly noticing glances, I realized the other sisters were staring at me.
Pochi and Tama are already lining up behind No.8 with sparkly eyes like they were saying, [We're up next!]
"""Doing that only to No.8 is unfair so we report."""
Dunno if it's because they were manufactured all at once, but No.1's behavior feels kind of more childish than what I remember.
Well, I'm sure their individual personalities will blossom up eventually.
"It's time for a welcome party then!"
"These sisters have just been manufactured, they can only eat liquid food for now."
"Then we just make it a porridge party."
"Porridge~?"
"Pochi wanna eat onigiri-san nodesu!"
"Onigiri won't do, it's got to be liquid food."
"Indeed. It's either porridge or soup."
"Then let's treat them to deluxe consomme soup."
"Nn, look forward."
"""Yes Mia. We're looking forward to consomme soup so we report."""
Nana sisters and the girls are happily mingling.
As for the sisters' training, maybe sending them to the veteran elven masters after power leveling them to level 10 at Dejima Island's Phantasmal Labyrinth is a good idea?
After that, it'll be the usual training at Selbira Labyrinth until level 50, then we can take it easy.
"Master! Hurry hurry~"
"Master, let's party so I report."
The girls are calling for me in front of a gate connected to the solitary island palace.
I offered my prayer to the tombstones once again and ran to the gate the girls were waiting for me.
※ The next snippet is planned to be about the skipped sightseeing tour parts of chapter 14. I might put a questionnaire on twitter to decide which character gets the spotlight.
<TLN: The above is a message from the author, mistranslated some stuff earlier, corrected.>
