Case 152: Treasure from the deep.
''Erm... is that okay?''
''...''
I don't know.
Isn't it such a delight when your eldritch creature posing as an uncanny deer suddenly jumps into a lake of imnse depth?
No, seriously, though, I can feel that Blob is still alive and well, so it's probably okay. As long as another hydra doesn't show up, it'll be fine. Let's think of it as letting Blob go on a walk.
So I flop down the grass and relax my body, stretching my long legs and my wings to their limit.
''Hah...''
The sky is tall today.
As I silently watch the clouds floating by, a shadow falls onto .
''Hey, aren't you worried about your... er... deer?'' Becky puzzledly asks.
''It's not a deer, and it'll be fine. Maybe.''
''Maybe...?''
The assistant nervously turns to the still lake, lifting her prop glasses. After muttering sothing to herself, she also flops down beside , hugging her knees.
When I glance at that side, she is still looking at the lake's surface, which perfectly reflects the blue sky.
''By the way.''
''Hm?''
''You seem to know a bunch about tech.''
''Not much. I only know what I know.''
''That's a good non-answer, actually. Where did you hear that from?''
''Don't rember.''
''Huh...''
How should I say this... even though I've only known Becky for a short period of ti, speaking with her feels quite natural—as if I'm having a conversation with my friend.
It seems Becky is also feeling the sa, seeing her simring eyes that are full of unrealized confusion sotis.
Is it sothing related to those flashes of mories again? These days, I feel like I'm becoming soone else. Strangely, I don't sense panic, but is that a good thing?
I am undoubtedly becoming stronger, but is that really a good thing?
''...Hey.''
''Hm?''
''What would you do if you found yourself turning into soone else?''
''What? That's... a question.''
Perhaps mistakingly thinking that I'm taking a jab at her and her antics, Becky flinches and gives a nonsensical response. However, just a few seconds later, she seems to realize the intention behind the question.
''Er... I'm assuming you're concerned over this problem?'' She asks.
''Kind of,'' I reply.
''You need to find your values, then.''
''Values?''
''Not your body's worth or your mind's worth, but what you hold as important in regard to your morals. In other words, your principles of action—of what matters to you the most.''
Slowly, the assistant rises to her feet, removing her glasses as she becos soone other than 'the assistant.' For a brief mont, her brown eyes that are looking down on gleam a faint shade of pink.
''Machines also have values.'' She continues, her tone stable and aloof, unlike that of 'the assistant.' ''Zeroes and ones—they're what make them machines—digital, of course—but even if those machines were to be split in half or smashed into hundreds of pieces, we could still restore them and take a guess as to what they were used for.''
''You're talking about the software. What about malfunctioning codes?''
''That's the point. Those values wouldn't fail so suddenly if there weren't sothing alien that affected them, and by that point, they beca sothing else—an altered version of themselves that didn't work well. I believe humans are the sa. If, at the end of the day, you find your values unchanged, then I think it's pretty safe to say that you have remained unchanged.''
My... values.
No, seriously, I didn't expect sothing so edgy-sounding yet useful coming out of Becky, of all people.
Now, the question is—did any of my values change?
I still like horror, still like my friends and my usual hobbies, and I am still... sympathetic toward humans. So does that an that even though I have strayed a bit from the path of ordinary homo sapiens, I am still Aurora?
The mont I flick my gaze up toward Becky, she lightly nods her head, looking real proud of her words.
''Well, just rember that it was who told you these pieces of wisdom—''
Splash.
Suddenly, a splash of water is shot right before us. The two of us imdiately turn our attention to the obvious source of water—the lake, and—
''GYAH!??! Save !!!''
Before I know it, Becky has already jumped onto my body, locking her arms tightly around my torso while determinedly planting her face into my neck.
...You know, I haven't been hugged like this a lot.
''Hah...''
But I guess her fear is perhaps justifiable.
If I were a normal person, seeing a giant eldritch creature whose mismatched, thin, and hideous blade limbs carry an equally crooked body of a deer that has been split in half, revealing fang-like teeth growing out of its exposed inner flesh and organs, would make scream.
Like a really, really grotesque spider, yes.
————!!
After a short and vividly inhuman screech, the creature drops stuff onto the ground and promptly disappears.
''...Weh?''
Which makes Becky turn around to see its absence... only to be greeted with the uncanny deer's face from before.
''Uuuuu...!''
Blob... you're amazing.
So it took a bit to peel Becky off my body, but here we are, enjoying the spoils my excellent new hire has brought to us.
''What in the world is this...?''
First of all, gold.
A ton of gold coins and bars. Sprinkled in so jewelry, too.
I'm not exactly short on money since Chloe is funding pretty well, and even the emperor sponsored so of my earlier purchases for building materials, too. No matter how talented Sikare and the doc are, there will be sothing they can't get if limited to this forest.
But I can still think of uses for these golds. I can probably get a nad item or two with this kind of wealth.
''Hey, congratulations. You're rich now.''
''Thanks.''
Ah... but I guess there's more down there? I don't think these are all, seeing how big the hydra and the lake are. I'm super rich, then?
Anyway, as curious as I am, I decide to dig through the pile of gold to see if there's sothing else mixed in them. Common sense tells this stuff can be quite heavy, but in my hand, they're as light as plastic.
And eventually, sothing pops up.
I imdiately notice it since its color is distinctly pinkish, unlike that of the surrounding objects.
''Wait, lem see that!''
''...''
Of course, Becky imdiately jumps in and snatches it away from . I think I understand her feelings this ti around.
Why? Because it's a computer keyboard.
Although broken in half and missing a few keycaps, it is still mostly recognizable. Now that I think about it, isn't it quite strange that there is advanced tech like automates or drones, but there are no computers or smartphones?
They have normal table phones here already.
Oh, right. The 'advanced tech' is supposed to be exclusive to Becky at this ti. It seems I'm a bit out of touch these days, having spent ti with her and not being a tech-savvy person in the first place.
Regarding Becky, if I were an ordinary person, I would probably wonder how a person who seems to be coming from another era is here. However, from a player of [Astra Magical Academy]'s perspective, it is quite obvious foreshadowing.
''Interesting... so it is an input device... but what language is this?''
This clueless, clumsy-looking woman... she is actually the Second Coming of Neveah, whether she knows it or not.
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