Chapter 107
Chapter 107
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Chapter 10 - Reunion
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Crack-
An unpleasant sound echoed across the sand. I prayed the priestess's neck wasn't broken.
“Gah-…”
Amy endured Nefer’s constriction,
But Nefer couldn't withstand Amy’s grip.
Her consciousness faded, her eyes rolling back, her face turning a deep, purplish red.
“Amy, is everything alright?”
“Yes! Of course!”
And so, Amy was victorious. Her full power, unleashed, was likely unmatched on this planet.
Thud-
Amy slammed Nefer’s unconscious face into the sand. The fight was over. She had to return to Juho.
But before she left,
Amy paused, looking back at Nefer.
She had no reason to spare her. She had only let the soldiers in Aaptukemen live because of Juho, and now, she could eliminate Nefer without his knowledge.
I prayed she wouldn't,
But Amy, without hesitation, extended her blade, her arm retracting, then snapping forward.
She would kill Nefer, then leave. A clean, efficient solution, from Amy’s perspective.
If Nefer met Juho, it would create inconsistencies in Amy’s carefully crafted narrative. Juho, upon hearing Nefer’s story, would once again realize the danger Amy posed.
“Amy! What are you doing?!”
But before Amy could strike,
Juho, his body still weak and broken, crawled out of the shelter.
Amy immediately stopped, rushing towards Juho, trying to divert his attention,
Her arms spread wide, blocking his view.
“It is nothing. It is time to relocate.”
“What? That’s not what we discussed. We were supposed to stay here for a few days and gather supplies from Aaptukemen-”
“I have formulated a more efficient plan. Let us proceed.”
She scooped Juho into her arms and quickly carried him back into the shelter.
It was time to leave. She regretted not being able to finish off Nefer, but in this situation, she had made the best possible choice.
“Let us go find this… Nefer. We must find her and proceed to the temple. Based on my calculations, the supplies I have gathered are sufficient to maintain your stability.”
“Wait, stop!”
Juho struggled, trying to escape her embrace, but she had already retrieved a long rope, preparing to bind them together.
Before, Juho had carried Amy,
And now, Amy would carry Juho, their bodies bound together.
It was a strange, almost comical situation.
Two beings, who had arrived on this planet together, their fates intertwined, their destinies inseparable.
“You’re hiding something from me.”
But Amy’s sudden urgency aroused Juho’s suspicion. Their relationship wasn't built on unconditional trust, and this small crack, this inconsistency, could lead to a greater distrust.
“I don’t know what you’re hiding, but… we don’t have time for this. Just tell me the truth. Before this gets any worse.”
And Juho, with his inconvenient conscience, wouldn't let it go. This made things difficult for Amy.
“We must move-”
“Elder!”
This wasn't the time for arguments.
Nefer’s voice, from outside the shelter, reached Juho’s ears, and he stared at Amy, his eyes wide with surprise.
“That monstrous thing should not be near you, Elder. That… evil thing!”
The misunderstanding, the game of cat and mouse, ended here.
It was time to move forward.
***
“So, you’re saying that Amy attacked you and hindered your progress?”
“Yes! You must escape from that… thing…! I alone can protect you. Elder, please trust me!”
I massaged my temples, sighing. It seemed Amy and Nefer had developed a deep-seated animosity towards each other.
“Doctor, that being is incapable of protecting you. It has already failed once, and it did not properly share its information.”
And Amy, even while being scolded, showed no remorse. She simply glared at Nefer, her expression a mask of cold disdain.
She sat facing the wall, her arms supporting a heavy bundle of supplies, as if being punished. But this form of punishment had no effect on her.
I was tied to her back, and I used my elbow to jab her in the ribs. Perhaps that would get her attention.
“Amy, you’re in trouble! Stay out of this conversation! You said you didn’t even meet Nefer, didn’t you? Now you’re lying to me?”
“…I apologize.”
Only after I had yelled at her did Amy pout, her gaze fixed on the ground. It seemed my raised voice and my elbow had hurt her feelings.
But could an AI even have hurt feelings? I didn't know how to treat her anymore. My head throbbed.
“What did I hide from you? If I have, then you may punish me as you see fit. I swear, on the sun and the sky, that I have been honest with you…”
And Nefer, her eyes filled with tears, her voice a pathetic whimper.
She even collected her tears in a small bottle, a strange and unsettling gesture, but she was genuinely concerned for me.
“You are all I have now, Elder. Leading you to the temple, fulfilling the prophecy… that is my purpose in life. So please, abandon that cruel woman and come with me…”
But Amy had also been instrumental in my survival.
Without her, I would have starved to death, or succumbed to exhaustion.
While she had become more aggressive, more… foolish, since regaining her body, I couldn't abandon her.
“No, it’s fine. I can’t leave Amy. I need her. I’ll… educate her. Just… be patient.”
Nefer’s face crumpled in disappointment, and she looked down, sobbing quietly, then…
“Very well. If that is your wish… I will obey…”
Even though she hadn't forgiven Amy,
She nodded, for my sake.
Nefer and Amy were opposites in many ways. While they were both devoted to me, Nefer was subservient, and Amy was independent, her actions driven by her own calculations.
“But I do not wish to speak to that… treacherous woman.”
I was relieved that Nefer had conceded, at least partially. With the three of us together, I would be much safer.
“Alright. I won’t force you.”
I would be safe, at least until my hand and leg healed.
But there was one funny thing.
If we could just find my severed limbs, our situation would be much simpler.
“But Amy, you’re sure you didn’t know that was my hand Nefer was holding?”
“…Yes.”
Amy shifted uncomfortably, her voice hesitant, like a five-year-old child caught in a lie.
I wanted to press the issue, to demand the truth, but we didn't have time.
“Elder, let us proceed. With the temple gates closed, your plan to resolve matters in Aaptukemen is… most merciful.”
Yes, let’s go.
Even if we found my hand, I still couldn’t walk. And my leg was probably being devoured by some desert creature by now…
“…Then please, allow me to carry you. I will release you from your bonds.”
“Doctor, please cease this unproductive activity. You will be safer with me.”
But the two women began arguing again, squabbling over who would carry me.
“Will you be silent! How dare you speak to the Elder in such a manner, with your treacherous tongue-!”
“Doctor, I advise you not to trust this creature’s words.”
And one of them spoke human language,
While the other spoke the planet’s native tongue…
My head was spinning.
“Stop, both of you!”
With each new companion, my life became more chaotic.
My safety and my stress levels seemed to be inversely proportional.
Fortunately,
Both Nefer and Amy fell silent at my command.
I was a little relieved, realizing they still respected my authority, but…
Their gazes were no longer on me, but on something to my side.
“Daddy, hello?”
A familiar, and unsettling, face was waiting for me.
“Shall Jenny help?”
Perhaps it was my imagination,
But she seemed to have grown much larger since we had been separated.