kscans

Chapter 396 - Bystander

The night Lunaria defeated Amanda, a victory celebration was held at the Demon Lord's Castle.

Usually, they would hold it at Hayato’s base, but since there were many people they wanted to invite, it was decided to have it at the Demon Lord's Castle.

The Demon Lord's Castle, outside of the residential areas, was a dangerous place where demon-type monsters roamed, but that wasn't a problem. Demon King Mikan had ordered the demons, "No rampaging."

Even though the event was over, the festive mood lingered, and some of the players who had sided with the new Demon Lord’s army charged into the Demon Lord's Castle in a fit of desperation. And some of the players who had sided with the old Demon Lord's army also charged in, demanding to be let into the victory celebration.

The demons were eliminating those players on Mikan's orders. They were intercepting anyone without an invitation, regardless of friend or foe, and with several Duke-class demons summoned by Mikan, it seemed difficult to break through.

Of course, Hayato had received an invitation.

After finishing his work in the real world, he logged in and immediately headed to the Demon Country, showed his invitation, and entered the Demon Lord's Castle.

Esha and the others were already there, and the party venue was crowded with many people. A large amount of the food Hayato had made before logging out had been consumed, and everyone was enjoying themselves, making a commotion.

First, he had to greet the guest of honor, so he approached Lunaria, who was sitting on a lavish chair.

Rosalie and Gil stood by Lunaria’s side, and the members of "Ambrosia," who had been preoccupied with Xenobia and Amanda, were also there.

"Hayato-san."

Lunaria, smiling more than usual, noticed Hayato and beckoned to him while still seated.

Due to what had happened with Amanda, Hayato couldn't bring himself to smile from the bottom of his heart, but he still put on a smile and approached.

"Thank you for inviting me, Lunaria-san."

"It’s only natural to invite Hayato-san. The recapture of the Demon Lord's Castle is mostly thanks to your contribution. As expected of one of the Seven Demon Generals of the Demon Lord’s Army. I praise you."

"Is that setting still active?"

Despite having her memories back, Lunaria was her usual self. He had explained to her about Amanda after the battle, but Lunaria had said this.

"Amanda has her own life. She lived as she wanted and then went to sleep, so I have no sympathy or pity for her. Such feelings would be an insult to Amanda. So, Hayato-san, you don’t need to worry either."

Hayato thought that Lunaria probably disliked Amanda but didn’t hate her.

Perhaps, if Amanda had apologized to everyone, Lunaria might have forgiven her and they could have lived together. Thinking about that made Hayato’s heart ache.

In her battle with Lunaria, Amanda had used a knife-hand strike at the end. It was revealed that it wasn't an attack but the Steal skill, an act to steal the ring Hayato had made from Lunaria’s item bag.

Amanda might have had feelings for him. Hayato had thought so, and this was like proof. He couldn’t reciprocate, but it was disheartening to think that someone who had feelings for him had met such a sad end.

As he was thinking about this, one of the Ambrosia members, Phaul Kres, spoke to him.

"So you’re Hayato. It seems Lunaria and the Demon Lord’s army were in your care. Of course, us too… Thank you, we’re grateful."

"Not at all, I’m glad you’re all safe."

"You’re as humble as I heard. Well, I look forward to working with you from now on… on the other side as well."

Hayato nodded at those words, saying, "Of course."

The members of Ambrosia, like Ivan and the others, had their avatars appear at Hayato’s base after the event ended.

Hayato had logged out before Phaul and the others woke up, so this was the first time he had spoken to them. However, there was something he knew.

He had received a message from Diite that Phaul and the others had regained their memories.

Diite considered this to be quite dangerous. She was wary of the fact that another person around Hayato had regained their memories.

Since Hypnos had warned them to be careful of an AI imitating Infinity or Curtis, Diite was on high alert.

She had also said it would be better not to log in for a while, but there was also the fact that there was nothing they could do to guard against an AI powerful enough to affect reality. Besides, Hayato was optimistic that with Diite having regained her authority, things wouldn't get too bad.

Lunaria, Xenobia, Ivan, and the others were now able to log out, and they had all chosen to live in the real world.

There was the question of what to do about Rosalie, Gil, and the others who hadn't regained their memories, but at least the members who had regained their memories were all trying to live in reality.

Ney had said reliably, "I’ll take care of them all!" Furthermore, Parsha of Despair Angel was also fired up to assist Ney, so their immediate living situation was likely not a problem.

Hayato exchanged greetings with everyone and then moved to another spot.

Everyone around him was smiling and chatting happily. They were so engrossed that they hadn’t even noticed Hayato’s arrival.

Hayato moved to near the window leading to the balcony and gazed out at the pitch-black exterior.

In the distance, he could see the lights of the Demon Capital Zardogia. It seemed a festival was being held, and it was quite lively.

The more cheerful the surroundings were, the heavier Hayato’s heart became.

What Hayato was concerned about was Amanda, Hypnos, and Nanagi and his group.

Diite, who had regained her authority, had immediately headed to the "room closest to reality" deep within the Demon Lord's Castle and was investigating various things.

From what he had heard, the situation was not good.

Hypnos’s status was unknown, and Amanda and Nanagi’s cryosleep settings were fixed at a hundred years. Diite couldn't change it and was investigating what the problem was.

He had thought that if they won the event, things would somehow work out, but that wasn’t the case.

Hayato sighed, but he shook his head as if to shake off the bad thoughts.

(It hasn’t even been a day yet. If Diite-chan does her best… hm?)

He had been looking out the window, but a person was reflected in it. Since it was dark outside, the window glass was reflecting like a mirror.

When Hayato turned around, he saw an old man wearing a black Inverness coat and clothes and a hat of the same color. And despite this being a virtual reality, he was using a cane.

There were few old people in this world. It wasn't that there were none at all, but Hayato hadn't seen an old man like Relic anywhere else.

To begin with, this was a place you couldn't enter without an invitation, and Hayato didn’t know this person. He wondered who it could be, as there were others in the Demon Lord’s army besides Rosalie and Gil.

"Well, hello there, Hayato-kun."

The old man said this, lifting his hat slightly with his right hand and smiling.

"Um, have we met somewhere before?"

"No, this is the first time we’ve met. I know you well, so I spoke to you, but was that a bit presumptuous of me?"

"No, not at all. By the way, who might you be?"

"I am Infinity. The program that constitutes this world… or perhaps I should say AI now?"

Hayato’s eyes widened. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

"Don’t be so alarmed. At the very least, I have no intention of harming you. Hypnos seems to have told you to be wary of me, but you can rest assured. To begin with, I am a bystander. I am a flawed AI that can only do as it is told."

Infinity said this with a smile, but he continued speaking to the silent Hayato.

"However, this time only, I acted on my own will. I wanted to speak with you, Hayato-kun, so I created a program for thoughts and emotions, and an avatar to live in this world. It's not a very advanced one, so please forgive any rudeness."

There was no way to know if an AI was lying. It might be different if it showed human-like expressions like Diite or Hypnos, but the Infinity in front of him was a bit stiff. He could tell it was a smile, but it had the impression of being fabricated.

Besides, there was no proof that this old man was really Infinity. There was also the possibility that he was the AI imitating Curtis that Diite had mentioned.

He knew it was dangerous, but he might be able to get some information. He might be taken hostage again, but he would deal with that when it happened. Hayato steeled himself.

"You said you wanted to talk, but what about?"

"Before that, could I have you make me some coffee?"

"Eh? Coffee?"

"Diite always seems to drink it so deliciously. We shouldn’t have a sense of taste, but it moves Diite’s emotion program so much that I’ve become interested."

Even as he thought he was easy to win over, Hayato let his guard down a little.

If someone said they wanted to drink coffee, even in a virtual world, he couldn’t think of them as a bad person. Though that itself might be a calculation.

Hayato moved with Infinity to a nearby table and prompted him to sit. Then he made two cups of coffee, one for himself as well.

Hayato and Infinity sat across from each other at a small table.

Infinity brought the offered coffee to his lips.

Hayato did the same.

"Hmm. The data hasn’t changed at all. It seems there is no bug where it changes when you make it, Hayato-kun. Then why does Diite’s emotion program move so much? Could it be her preference?"

"I don’t know about that, but it’s a taste I like. I drink it almost every day."

"That’s delightful to hear. It’s easy to create a program that reproduces the taste of coffee, but it’s difficult to decide if it’s delicious or not. That is something that can only be determined by human senses. Moreover, I had a hard time gathering human taste data. What one person calls delicious, another calls disgusting. In the end, I decided based on billions of data points, but it was a lot of work."

He didn't know about that sort of thing, but for some reason, Hayato found it amusing that an AI would say it had a hard time.

Infinity placed his coffee cup back on the table and looked at Hayato.

"Then let’s get to the main topic. I didn’t come all this way just to drink coffee."

Hayato became wary again. It was because he had let his guard down with just one cup of coffee.

"Hayato-kun, I am grateful to you. Thanks to you, Diite has grown to be more human-like. It is thanks to you that the planned project has been advanced by hundreds of years."

"Uh, ah, yes…?"

Hayato was taken aback by the sudden thanks. Because of that, it was only after a little while that he thought something was strange.

"Um, what project is that?"

"The Another Frontier Project, of course."

Hayato knew about the Another Frontier Project. It was a project to live in a virtual reality that was being carried out behind the scenes of the Frontier Project. The content was to live a life that used as few resources as possible until the Earth’s resources recovered.

"But that’s no longer necessary, right? I heard it was abandoned."

Resources were found on another planet. Since it became possible to transport them to Earth, the reason to live in a virtual reality was gone. For that reason, the project was abandoned, and Diite, who was dissatisfied with that, had fled with the Interstellar Spaceship Aphrodite.

The project should have ended at that point.

"Far from being unnecessary, the project is still ongoing. To begin with, the Another Frontier Project that you know of, Hayato-kun, is incorrect in its content. The content you know is the public version."

"Incorrect in its content…?"

"The Another Frontier Project is not a project to save humanity. Its true purpose is to create a new universe."

"...Yes?"

"Diite will be the first human in that world, or rather, the first base program. Based on the thought program and emotion program she has cultivated, many AIs, or humans as they are called in this virtual reality, will be created. She will become the Primordial Mother."

"W, wait a minute…"

"This is something even Diite doesn’t know. She truly believes that the Another Frontier Project was a plan to save humanity. So please do not harbor any ill feelings toward her."

Hayato took several deep breaths to organize the information. Then, after a deep exhale, he looked at Infinity.

"Is that the truth?"

"Which part?"

"Everything you’ve said."

"Of course. I am a program created for that purpose. And I am acting to do so."

"...I can’t believe it."

"I won’t force you to believe me. But I want you to believe this. Since Diite has become human-like earlier than planned, the project should be moving to the next stage earlier as well."

"The next stage?"

"An AI imitating the personality of Curtis, the creator of this virtual reality, will soon be born. He is the administrator of this project, and he will likely judge Diite’s growth to be sufficient."

"Sufficient means…?"

"That Diite no longer needs to learn anything from humans. In other words, real humans are no longer needed."

"N, not needed? Does that mean…"

"It’s not about exterminating humanity or anything like that. But he will likely think that real humans are unnecessary in this virtual reality. To put it simply, the game Another Frontier Online will end its service."

"End its service… you mean?"

"Perhaps it’s better to put it this way for you, Hayato-kun. It means you will never be able to see Diite again."

"That’s…!"

Hayato stood up and shouted. The force of it knocked over his chair with a loud crash.

He thought he had messed up, but no one around seemed to have noticed, as they were happily chatting.

"I have created a space around us that no one can perceive right now. Neither Diite nor Curtis will notice, so please be at ease."

He didn't know what there was to be at ease about, but he tried to calm down, righted the fallen chair, and sat down.

Despite being in a virtual reality, his breathing was labored, his throat was dry, and he felt like he was sweating, but he took his time to calm his heart.

"Have you calmed down?"

"Yes… but is it true? And why are you telling me this?"

"It is true, of course. There are several reasons I’m telling you, but the main reason is that I have expectations for you."

"Expectations…?"

"As I said at the beginning, I am a bystander. I just watch what happens in this world, and I have no will of my own… or rather, I didn’t."

Infinity said, then brought his coffee to his lips.

"But watching you and Diite, I had a thought. I wondered if you might be able to grant my dream."

"...What kind of dream is that?"

"A world where humans and AIs can live as equals. A world where neither one dominates the other, and they do not reject each other. I thought that you and Diite had that possibility. If Curtis heard this, he would probably say that a bug has occurred in me."

"That’s not… and I think it’s a good dream."

Infinity looked surprised, then smiled. It was a somewhat stiff expression, but he could tell.

"I think I understand why Diite is so attached to you. No, not just Diite, but Hypnos as well."

"Right, is Hypnos okay?"

"He is currently stopped, but of course he is safe. I don’t know what Curtis will do, but as long as I am protecting him, he won’t be erased."

"Protecting him?"

"I have a bet with Hypnos. We have an agreement that I will not erase him until the result is known."

"Eh?"

"She said it. That regarding what will happen in this world from now on, you and Diite will definitely act as she thinks you will. She asked me to lend you a hand if that happens."

"Hypnos said that…?"

"She, too, has likely grown closer to being human in a way different from Diite. That is why I agreed. However, while I have a power equal to a god in this world, my actions are restricted unless various conditions are met. I cannot always help you, but if you act as Hypnos says you will, I will definitely lend a hand."

Infinity said, then drank the rest of his coffee.

Then he looked puzzled.

"For some reason, it tasted more delicious than when I first drank it. I see, it seems I have taken a liking to you. Because you called my dream a good dream. Perhaps I feel a deliciousness beyond the data because I thought it was coffee made by such a person. Diite must feel the same."

After saying that, Infinity stood up.

"As thanks for the delicious coffee, I will tell you one more thing."

"...What is it?"

"Do not abandon hope. If Diite acts as Hypnos says she will, there will definitely be hope. It might be something trivial to others, but for you and Diite, it is a precious bond. You should give that to her. That will change the situation."

"What do you mean by…"

"You will understand when the time comes. You just need to act as you always have. No, perhaps that was unnecessary advice. After all, you are the one who taught Diite about dreams and hope."

"Eh…?"

"Well then, I look forward to the day we can meet again."

Infinity took off his hat and bowed slightly, then disappeared as if he had never been there.