A scratchy emotionless voice was played from the broken cleaning golem's half-depleted speaker. Its tone sounded strange from time to time and its racket only sounded bizarre, but...
“Well, then. Welcome, young ones. It may be a small space, but please make yourself comfortable.”
The three were able to recall Abraham's voice from the noises made by the cleaning golem. The gentle tone of an old man that puts the listener at ease.
“If we were at my mansion, there would at least be some tea to serve. It is quite a pity. As you can see, there is nothing in this room but dust and scrap metals. And there is only one chair too…”
The cleaning golem's wheels moved with a rattling sound.
Tara traced that scene with her eyes, hesitated for a while, then asked with earnesty. Perhaps it could be considered as a voice closer to a wail.
“Are you⋯⋯ really Abraham?”
When she heard the answer, “That’s right.” She couldn’t tell if she was supposed to feel happy or sorrowful.
A red light blinked from the cleaning golem's lens, as if showing that it was thinking.
“I have already thought deeply about such philosophical discourse. Although I am stuck in a this can⋯⋯ I do think of myself as Abraham.”The broken cleaning golem went around the shabby room as if guiding them. Then, the scenery of the small cramped space came into Tara's eyes.
Of course, the space where the golem was stored was not a suitable place for a human to live. Similar looking cleaning golems were piled up by rows in a cramped room with no windows. It was only a space consisting only of walls and an entrance without any interior. There were no tools for living.
Of course there weren’t any. Golems weren’t humans.
The only thing that stood out was a crude chair that was made out of scrap metals. A terrible sense of loneliness was felt from it. Maybe Abraham was waiting for someone to come here.
So, if── Someone had to live here… If one had to spend endless years in a place where there was literally nothing… How would they be able to sustain themselves?
The three were able to read Abraham's response from the wall.
Words were carved into the wall with a piece of metal. Sometimes it was a diary. Sometimes it was regarding a vague impression, an exploration of the surroundings, or a reflection about himself. And the final destination where all those words reached were about humanity.
There was a map of the interior of the Dungeon on the wall. The location of traps, how strong they were, how to overcome them were marked. And right next to it, there was writing about how to observe the stars and how to cook a delicious fried egg.
He seemed to have decided to spend his last days helping others while he himself was in a strange situation. Abraham spoke.
“I believe that what defines one’s existence is their own self. So, I am Abraham.”
It really was Abraham.
Even though he had a metal body that was falling into ruin, with a speaker that made unpleasant noises, a spring that creaked as it spun, and a mechanical arm for cleaning…
He was still Abraham
===============================================================
[How did you end up like this⋯⋯?]
“Well, I don’t know. I was counting the stars, you see. But then, when I opened my eyes, I found myself in this place. At first I thought I had landed in the pits of hell, but then I realized it was just another life.”
Abraham responded elegantly.
Although they asked, ‘How’... The group had an idea as to why Abraham was in this situation.
Putting a human soul into a golem void of even the flow of blood. This might be one of the many ways the Evil God tortured souls that had been harvested.
Bennett gritted his teeth. He was enraged. Not only was Abraham murdered so horribly, but he also had to go through this situation. Why? For what?
Meanwhile, Abraham looked through his memories. No matter how hard he tried to recall, there was no information about them. Perhaps, memories of them were included in that 20% of his memories that were lost.
“It seems like you all know me. But, I am afraid to say I have no memories of you.”
“Abraham, we are⋯⋯.”
As Tara was about to share her memories of the past days with him, Bennett held out an arm and stopped her. And then he stepped forward and calmly explained the situation.
“We are people who are indebted to you. When we had nowhere else to go, Abraham, you invited us to your mansion.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Hoho, I see⋯⋯.”
The sound of his laughter sounded ominous due to the distorted mechanical sound. Abraham didn’t want to give an unpleasant impression to the first guests he had in a while, so he decided to refrain from laughing.
“Could you tell me a bit more? About our⋯⋯ encounter. Our story.”
“We met at a waste disposal site near the slums. We had been robbed, so we must have looked pitiful to you, Abraham. So, you showed us grace.”
“Yes, that’s right! Thanks to you, Abraham, we⋯⋯ got clothes. And.”
[You teached us various different things over the past few days, it was fun.]
“We looked at the stars together, you taught us what kind of research you do, ah, and you also showed us around the university. And⋯⋯.”
[An amazing breakfast too.]
As soon as they started opening their mouths, Niolle and Tara started talking about many different things. Maybe they wished to reconnect the thread of a broken relationship once again. However, the more they talked about it… The more they testified about the last few days they had with Abraham, they felt it more clearly.
A blank. A void of a relationship that could’ve perhaps been tied to something called a family, albeit it just a little. The fact that that relationship had already disappeared hurted them. Tara cried. She couldn't speak any more because of all the pain and sadness that rose to the top of her throat, so she just closed her mouth.
Abraham quietly looked at them through old lenses.
“It's strange. It feels like there's a gap in time between us.”
“⋯⋯It seems like it. How long have you been trapped in this dungeon?”
“I guess this place is called a dungeon. I’m not sure because there are no objects that can estimate the passage of time. This place⋯⋯ Isn’t there not even a single window here?”
“It definitely is not a good place for a person to live in. Did⋯⋯ you make that chair yourself?”
Bennett pointed to a crude chair. It wasn't something a person could sit on because it was spiky, but it would have taken a lot of time and effort to assemble a shape like that with a clunky mechanical arm.
“I made it just in case guests would come. I thought that other people would come to this strange space one day. It seems I got another one correct.”
“What are the markings that you left on the wall?”
“This is a pretty dangerous place. I don’t know who set it up, but there were a lot of nasty traps that could harm people’s lives. That’s why I marked them.”
Bennett looked at Abraham's shattered body. Now he was able to know why his body was broken. It seemed like he'd been damaged as he scoured for traps and marked the location of them.
Tara covered her mouth and turned back. It seemed like she didn’t want Abraham to hear her crying. For Niolle, she was just looking at Abraham's scars; it looked as if she had a lot on her mind.
[⋯⋯⋯⋯.]
“The only good thing about having a mechanical body is that I can do these difficult tasks without any hesitation. It is nice that I’m trapped in a lifeless body because I don’t have to worry about joint pains the next day.”
“Were you doing this over and over again? In a place where nobody comes?”
It was an action that Bennett couldn't understand. With the amount of information that Abraham knew, he couldn’t possibly have known that this structure was a dungeon and that people came in from time to time. So, it wasn’t even guaranteed that his dedication would help others.
If it had been an abandoned dungeon where no one came, all of Abraham's efforts would have been all useless. Nevertheless, he did it anyway. For what reason?
“Abraham, may I ask you a question?”
“You can ask as much as you want.”
“Even after your body turned into like that… Even after being in a situation like this… How⋯⋯ were you able to do this?”
“To be honest, I did it because I had nothing else to do. You can’t live here doing nothing as if you’re dead, right? And——”
Abraham joked about his situation, before...
“I believe. I believe that good intentions have power. I believe that the kindness of people contains a mysterious strength that leads the world to the right way. This is the only sort of occult I truly believe in. That’s why I did it. I believed that it would be some sort of help to the world. "
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
“And⋯⋯ Isn’t it quite a cool thing? To help others?”
Abraham would have probably laughed because he was embarrassed. Just like when, at one point in time, Bennett had asked the old man why he continued his research despite being threatened. He would have surely answered that question in the same way as he did before; with sparkles in his eyes akin to those of a young boy’s.
Ironically, even though he was trapped in the cleaning golem, he lived very much like a human. As if the change in appearance or lack of ability to do something had nothing to do with it. He was just walking unwaveringly in the direction of the starlight in his heart.
Abraham's records that were left on the walls of the dungeon were not just about the locations of traps or knowledge. It seemed to be pointing at something much bigger. What was contained here, was the life of the old man.
People couldn’t understand with their heads, but they did understand it with their hearts. After all, it was the belief that allowed humans to remain as humans. The future was still dark and tremendous waves of suffering and pain were rushing in, but…
If one knew where to go… There was no reason to get lost.
Bennett nodded as he smiled. He thought this golem was just a poor old man who suffered from the tricks of the Evil God. But that wasn't the case. Even in the terrible situation where his soul was trapped in a golem, he was taking his clear and determined step.
Instead of feeling pain or sadness upon seeing the old man… the hesitant Black Wizard decided to admire him. Moreover, he decided to pay his respects. Because Abraham would also want it this way. He spoke honestly.
“You are certainly cool. Abraham.”
“⋯⋯Huhhmm, I feel rather embarrassed.”
Bennett spoke to Abraham, whose lenses were flickering rapidly with a red light. There was something he had to find out.
“We need the password to the safe where Abraham’s research materials are stored.”
“You’re not planning on using it to do something bad, are you?”
“No, Abraham. Your research will save many people. And we are planning to make that come true.”
“Then I will tell you. 0714, it’s my daughter’s birthday.”
The party had obtained the password to the safe.
===============================================================
“I’m guessing that you were exploring a dangerous place like here because you’re busy with something important. Perhaps I’ve been holding you for too long.’
“No, no you’re not. We have plenty of time⋯⋯ Sob.”
Tara sniffled,her eyes red. Even though she had already used two handkerchiefs, the tears refused to stop. So, she tried to dry them out by not blinking on purpose.
She kneeled in front of Abraham and held his mechanical arm as she spoke.
“Um, Abraham. Come with us. Let’s get out of dungeon⋯⋯ and to the outside. There’s so much I want to show you.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Bennett tried to stop Tara. But, Abraham was one step faster. Words of rejection flowed out from the half-broken cleaning robot.
“I am grateful for your words, but I shall only take your consideration.”
“⋯⋯W-Why? Abraham! If you’re going to keep living like this, instead of staying here⋯⋯!"
“Tara, stop.”
Bennett grabbed Tara's shoulder and pulled her. This was because the cleaning golem was almost at its limit already. The damages gained from disabling traps had built up; it was a miracle that it was even able to move right now.
Looking at Niolle's complexion, she seemed to have noticed that too. There was not much time left in Abraham’s life. It was unclear whether Abraham would be able to get repaired even if he was taken to the Gold Magic Tower right at this moment.
But before that, living as a golem would be a type of torture for Abraham.
The reason why the Demonic Sword was called a Demonic Sword was because souls couldn’t withstand the inorganic body, eventually causing them to go insane. The soul that had been imbued into the golem was the same. It would be nothing but selfish greed to keep Abraham alive.
Perhaps if Abraham wanted to live longer, it would have been a different story. But he didn’t seem to.
“When one’s time has come, shouldn’t they take a bow and leave with grace?”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Tara looked at the Demonic Sword hanging on her waist, and then at Abraham. She seemed like she finally understood as well. Tears continued to fall.
Bennett sat next to Tara and advised her as he patted her back.
“⋯⋯Say what you want to say. Tara.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
She was so overwhelmed with emotion that she could only let out a whimper from her throat. But Tara still managed to convey her words one by one, albeit barely.
“A-Although⋯⋯ it was short, I had a very happy time with Abraham. Truly. L-Like a f-family⋯⋯ you treated us warmly. I...”
“Tara. Slow down. And take deep breaths.”
“⋯⋯Sob, so, I... I couldn’t tell you because we had to leave in a hurry, but I really wanted to say this to you. I should have…told you this a long time…ago⋯⋯.”
Tara was desperately trying to swallow the rising sobs. Even though she was stuttering, with crying mixed in incoherently… Thanks to Bennett's help, she was able to voice what she wished to say in the end.
“I wanted to say that…… I was very⋯⋯ happy⋯⋯.”
“I am sure I was happy too. The time I spent together with you must have undoubtedly been fun.”
Tara hugged Abraham and cried. For a long, long time.
===============================================================
Abraham's spirituality operated intelligently even while being trapped inside a machine's body. He was able to realize a lot of information about his gaps of memories, thanks to the words spoken by the young people that stood in front of him.
It seemed as if something had happened to him. Perhaps, he got caught up in something very strange and became seriously injured⋯⋯ Or perhaps he even died.
He could feel through their eyes and actions even through his old lenses. They were in incredible sorrow about his death. There was also one who felt guilty about it. Although he had no memory of them, it seemed like they were quite close to him.
So, he consciously didn’t probe any further. Look at that girl. Hadn’t she already turned her back, crying in such sorrow? He thought that if he showed a more miserable sight, then they would all be in an even greater despair. As such, he deliberately pretended to be noisy and normal.
The old man trapped in the machine thought.
He had no regrets in his life. He lived his life doing what he wanted until he was old. And even when he was trapped in a machine, he lived his life to the fullest. He had almost no regrets, precisely because he lived his life so proudly.
But the only thing that bothered him was his daughter.
The day he looked up at the stars together with her.
Abraham's daughter, Isaac, seemed like a person who had seen something in the universe that shouldn’t have been observed. Afterwards, she began to fall deeper into strange occult practices. Moreover, she began to live for her religious faith rather than even her own life.
That was why they fought and that was why Isaac left the house. Abraham wanted Isaac to live for her own happiness, but Isaac wanted to live for her God.
Although he just wanted to show his daughter what he liked the most, his choice still remained a regret for Abraham.
Therefore, Abraham had no choice but to request a favor from these young people.
“May I ask you a favor?”
“Yes, Abraham.”
“I have a daughter who I have a bad relationship with. We were estranged for a while because she fell into some weird faith, but I believe that she’s going to come back one day. I believe that she’ll come back and live for her own happiness. So⋯⋯.”
With a body like this, he wouldn’t be able to wait for his daughter. As such, Abraham conveyed his sole wish.
“Please take good care of Isaac.”
"⋯⋯Yes. We will."
Bennett nodded.
===============================================================
After calming their emotions down, Tara, Niolle, and Bennett concluded this reunion after saying their farewells. They were currently in the Dungeon Exploration Practical Exercise and they had work to do. They had to let go of both their regret and sadness.
Tara left the room supported by Niolle, still in tears. Right as Bennett was about to leave, Abraham called for him.
“You said your name is Bennett, right?”
“⋯⋯Yes. Abraham.”
“It seems like you're similar to me. That is why I want to tell you something. This old man might be mistaken, but please do not take it the wrong way.”
“I will listen carefully and engrave it in my heart.”
“Life is difficult and storms will rage. Strong waves will always crash against you as if it's trying to swallow you whole. Nevertheless, do not lose yourself. After all, losing yourself is no different from losing your life.”
Bennett nodded his head heavily.
The three people left. The cleaning golem was left alone in the room. The wheels creaked and the mainspring did not turn properly. Perhaps he should feel relieved that he was lucky enough to not break apart until the conversation ended.
If his condition had been just a little better, he would've been able to check the traps at the left fork that he had not been to. Or perhaps he could've talked more with those young ones. He could have gone beyond the lost memories and started building a new relationship.
Static began to appear on the screen portrayed by the lenses. The springs in his limbs stopped moving one by one. He was able to clearly feel that the functions of his entire body were coming to a halt. He thought of leaving some last words, so he tried to move his arm that was holding a piece of metal, but then stopped soon after.
After all, he had already conveyed what he wanted to say. To that young man with all too many concerns.
He felt like his body was floating. And then, a certain attraction could be felt. Abraham thought his soul was being sucked away somewhere. It was a liberation from this body that had turned into a machine.
What happens next? Would there be an afterlife? Right as he was thinking such…
Abraham saw a girl in a pure white space. A female child with blonde hair tied into pigtails had tears streaming down her face. Abraham intuitively sensed that she was his Creator, or perhaps something similar to that.
“O God. Are you here to guide me?”
“⋯⋯Eung. You worked hard, Abraham. Both inside and outside. Sob.”
“You do exist. My life seemed so poor, so inflexible, that I thought you would never exist. I lived half my life as an atheist⋯⋯ Are you perhaps going to punish me for that?”
“No. It was an accident. He, too⋯⋯ probably didn’t meant to do this. You know, Abraham. Do you want anything? A wish, I mean. It’s okay to think about it slowly. I just so happened to need an educator right──.”
I see that God is more emotional and talkative than expected.
Abraham thought this, as he was being taken away by the Purple Magic Tower Master.
===============================================================
The three people each made their resolutions in their own ways.
Tara was able to complete the final farewell she had never gotten. Through these last words, she partially alleviated the resentment she felt toward herself for not being there for both her family and Abraham in their moments of death. She was able to escape, albeit slightly, from her regrets.
However, her anger toward the Order of the Silver Twilight was gradually intensifying. If it continued to grow, it would consume her heart entirely, setting it ablaze with dark wrath.
Niolle found inspiration in Abraham's approach to life. Instead of meaninglessly writhing in guilt over lives she couldn't save, she knew she had to move forward. She had to navigate between the realm of her abilities and goals and the realm of self-sacrifice. This notion of moving on was deeply engraved in her heart.
However, her footsteps teetered on the edge between herself and fanaticism. Perhaps, she might throw away her entire being for the sake of something.
And finally…
Bennett raised a star in his heart. Although it was still emitting only a weak light, it was enough to serve as a guiding star. Amidst a complicated crossroads where friends and a younger sister, a Black Wizard and a swordsman, were entangled… He vaguely decided on a path to take.
Furthermore, one day, when the star would shine brightly... It would surely steer his heart in the right way.
And so, once again… The day the session began arrived.
***
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