Author: Tanaka Romeo

My name is Lev.
I believe that this year, I'll likely be around 82 or 83 years old.
My life was supposed to be filled to the brim with hardships.
I was born in a poor village and received only minimal education.
Being overworked with manual labour and never knowing the joy of reciting poems was how I had once lived my life.
I'm certain that there were times in my life when all I had was nothing but suffering.
But enough time has passed that even the memories of those times have long faded.
I no longer think of those painful days anymore.
Despite almost looking like a feral initially, one event would eventually lead up to me being appointed as the leader of a town, allowing me to play an important role in leading the lives of many others. T/N: Feral or "Yajin" in JP refers to people like the ragged looking man at the beginning of the game who was shot at and shunned by the guards.
I would eventually retire, but even now, I will still never forget those days.
Until now, her image is still vivid in my memory.
But even that won't last forever.
When I die, all of it will disappear with me.
So, before that happens, I am leaving this here as a record.
It all started about 70 years ago...

There were 22 of us.
12 male and 10 female.
Although I was the oldest among them, I was only 8 years old.
The others were even younger.
We all lived in a nameless village.
Thinking back now, I believe that those who we call ferals and who have been exiled from various communities, are also likely the very kind of people who had founded that village.
I had come to this conclusion because all the adults in the village looked similarly middle-aged, with no other generation being present as well as the fact that the remaining children left were all of a certain age range.
That place was like a hodgepodge of many different households.
There was not a shred of wisdom or enthusiasm among those who lived there, so inevitably, we had no choice but to live a primitive and poverty-stricken subsistence lifestyle.

Then one day, pillagers came to the village.
They shot and killed the adults as if they were target shooting.
Then they seized the remaining children and took them away as slaves.
Just because we were spared from being killed does not mean that we were treated with any care.
We were all collared up and chained together in two rows.
We didn't even have time to understand what was happening, and while we were still in shock, we were tied up and dragged around like livestock.
We were surrounded on all sides, and five bearded man were walking on each side.
They were the very pillagers who had done this.
Twenty men. Five of them carried weapons.
There was no way for us to resist or escape.
"Don't stop!"
Someone had hit me in the back.
I didn't look back.
Even if I had, the violence wouldn't have stopped anyway.
I didn't think about anything, I just kept walking.
I didn't want to think about what kind of life awaited me in the place where they were taking me.
Our situation wouldn't have changed much.
That's what I had told myself.
In poor villages, even children weren't exempt from hard labor.
Hunger was also common.
We had always lived as slaves.
All that's different is that the people giving the orders have changed from our parents to those pillagers.
That was how I tried to think of it, but it didn't work.
Deep in my heart, I was grieving.
It raged and swirled inside me so hotly that I wanted to scream.
But if I did that, they would have beaten me for sure. So why I didn't scream. I had to take it.
'Get up! Do you want to be killed!".
Someone behind me seemed to have collapsed. This caused the movement of the entire column to come to a halt.
In an instant, my anger had turned in their direction. I could no longer hold it in any more.
'Stop it!'
I shouted.
The pillager who was kicking the fallen child looked at me with a surprised expression.
Eventually a straight face returned to him as, without a word, he drew his machete and slowly approached me.
I knew then that I was going to be killed.
But I kept glaring at him.
Then the man raised his machete.
If the next events had happened a few seconds later, I would no doubt have been killed on the spot.
One of the pillagers who had been walking at the rear collapsed without making a sound.
Next, the pillagers that were on our left and right flank collapsed one after the other.
All three had guns.
It had all happened silently.
A few seconds later, three consecutive gunshots shook the air.
Although it was only now that I understood what had happened, those had been bullets from a high velocity sniper rifle that were fired at speeds exceeding the speed of sound. T/N: That's why the gunshots were heard only a few seconds after the pillagers had fallen.
"We're being shot at!"
Someone shouted.
There were still guys with guns at the front.
The heads of those two guys were also then silently split apart.
They had been pulverized by the shooter.
"Where are they! Where are they shooting from?!".
Several men tried to retrieve the guns from the dead
These men were all shot dead in rapid succession.
The shooter was an accurate marksman.
"Will somebody pick up the guns!"
"You bloody pick them up!"
The men were yelling at each other while laying low.
The sniper was nowhere to be seen for them.
They don't even know which direction the sniper is coming from.
"Damn it!"
The man with the machete crawled across the ground and reaches for a gun.
A bullet then pierced his head with pinpoint accuracy and shattering it like a fruit.
The man's whole body convulsed as he died.
The pillagers soon started scrambling to escape.
Eventually, the pillagers were all out of sight, leaving only those of us who were in chains the only remaining ones there.
We couldn't move a single step.
We had no way of knowing whether or not we were being targeted afterall.
All we did was just stand there, frozen.

A few minutes later-
A mirage-like shimmering appeared in a space several meters away from us.
The next moment, something appeared out of nowhere, it was... a girl.
To the eyes of those of us who weren't aware of such science and technology, it had seemed like magic.
"...Unn, I've really done it this time."
The girl had a troubled look on her face as she scratched her head.
'Pi!'
At the girl's feet was a little red colored machine nestled between it.

That was how I first met her.

Philia the courier.
That was simply how the girl had introduced herself as she freed us from our shackles.
We didn't even know what a courier was back then.
As I was the most articulate of the children, I negotiated with her on their behalf.
Still, as someone who only speaks the simplified language of a remote community, I couldn't understand even half of what she was saying.
But at least I was sure she had no intention of mistreating us.
If she wanted to kill us, she would have done so already, and if she wanted to take us as slaves, she wouldn't have needed to remove our restraints.
Uneducated as I was, I had at least gathered that much, so I begged her for help.
On the spot, she made a fire and served us a simple meal.

"So even if I were to take you all back to your village, you guys still won't have the means to supporting yourselves anymore, right?".
"Yes...we won't be able to survive on our own."
I answered her question hesitantly.
The others were too busy slurping their porridge to talk.
In the first place, I was the only one in the group capable of having proper conversations with other people anyway.
“This… more.”
Seven-year-old Isla had interrupted our conversation while holding an empty bowl.
"Another helping, huh, sure."
Isla then snatched the serving utensil from the pot filled with porridge.
This prompted the other children to ask for a second helping.
Philia smiled wryly as she served them one by one. I didn't ask for any myself.
I looked down at the bowl in my hand.
There's still about half of it left.
A ravenous appetite took hold of me and I gulped down the rest in one go.
Even though I felt ashamed that I was no different from the others, I just couldn't resist my appetite any longer.
Part of it might have been my hunger, but I had also never tasted anything so delicious before.
"This taste good."
"It's just standard preserved food though. What do you all normally eat?"
"Nuts, and sometimes fish. Then there's grass and mushrooms... and sometimes, when there's really nothing else to eat, insects."
"Did you guys cultivate land?"
"It wasn't done. The adults said they tried it at first, but they said it soon became clear that it wasn't going to work.'
"...Being a human sure is tough huh."
"Eh?"
"Uun, I was just talking to myself."
Once their appetites were satisfied, some of the children curled up on the spot and fell asleep.
They were exhausted from the forced march.
Philia, using the top of her knee, rested her chin on her hand as she groans an U~n. T/N: 'Hozue', the JP term for the position where she rests her chin on her hand was used. It's something like this. And yes, she Un alot.

"There is a ruin near here. I often use it as a base when I'm scavenging around here. I can't say it's an easy place to live in. But I do have some supplies being stored there. Would you like to go there?"
We had no reason to refuse.
In order to survive with my friends, Philia's help was needed.
Although it must have been quite a burden for Philia to bring along a group of weak children, she didn't look the least bit annoyed.
It felt to me that there was something off about her appearance, that there was something about Philia that was definitely mysterious.
The journey took about half a month.
The place we had arrived at was a valley.
It was a scenic area with clear streams running through the mountains.

'Where's the village?'
Isla said. There was a hint of disappointment in her voice.
The scenery was spectacular, but there was nothing but wilderness in sight.
“You may not be able to see it now, but maybe you'll be able to after this."
Philia laughed as an iron door that had been hidden in the mountainside turned visible behind her.
That caused a stir amongst us all.
"There's no need to be afraid. Since this is one of the safest places you can find in the world."
With these words, she invited us into the facility.
The children were all left speechless by the sight that they were seeing for the first time.
"It's a military facility from a long time ago. Although it's small in size, I don't think you'll will have any problem with living here for the time being."
The base had an extensive underground space as well as the facilities necessary for self-sufficiency.
It had a stockpile of supplies and a water source nearby.
Clothing was also available, although it was mostly military uniforms for adults.
Philia then set up the hydroponic growing system and entrusted us children to manage it.
Up to that point we had been like half-feral children, living a primitive life of eating whatever was available, so at first we were perplexed by the unfamiliar work.
But working indoors was safer, It was much better than wandering around in the open looking for food.
We all adapted to our new life with the kind of flexibility that only children have.
As soon as our life there was settled, Philia immediately started working on our education.
Education.
It's all thanks to her teaching that I am where I am today.
Considering the times, I think the education we received was perhaps of the highest standard.
No other settlement would have had such a high level of learning.
Philia used a highly structured educational programme, which I'm sure was one of the sources responsible for producing the civilized people of the past.
We had grown up in an environment that had both clean water and sophisticated teachings.
After a few years we were civilised enough to be able to read and write.
Within the group we had all taken on some specialized role.
Up to this point, Philia had been a really good leader.
We had all assumed that she would always be there to lead us.
"I'm the leader?"
"Yep."
"Even though we have you here, Philia?"
"I'll be your advisor."
I'd thought it was a joke. It was just too soon no matter how you looked at it.
It turned out she was serious.
From the day after I was anointed as the leader, all kinds of requests for advice came my way.
I knew that if you wanted to develop, you needed to be made to experience hardships through such practices.
That's why I worked hard.
I can only be grateful that under her direction, I was able to get this kind of opportunity.
But even so, I honestly wanted Philia to be the leader.
Then she would be with us forever.

Now that I've thought about it, I think that Philia had already planned from the very beginning for the takeover to happen.
She seemed to be in a hurry to educate us, and also gave us work assignments that encouraged self-sufficiency.
She was the only one who did not try to settle down on the base.
She would take care of our various needs, but never go beyond that. Although she would help us, she would prefer that we didn't go too far.
For example, Philia has never taught us how things should be done, like a mother would teach her child. Things like what's important as a person and the importance of looking after your neighbour.
In other words, what I'm saying is-
Philia tried to avoid becoming like a goddess to us. Some of the children probably felt distanced by her attitude. Over time, although it wasn't because they didn't like her, they began to want to be more independent of her.
Isla, in particular, had a strong sense of rivalry towards Philia.
She took her teaching as a challenge and seemed determined to learn.
That's why Isla achieved the best results among the older students.
When she was nine, she began to devour texts on electrical engineering.
She must have felt the need to acquire such knowledge quickly.
On the other hand, I was gaining experience as a leader.
However, if I were to judge myself on performance alone, I was at best second or third from the top, and unlike Isla, I had nothing to call my speciality. I wasn't the most talented.
I had discussed this with Philia once.
At the time, I was quite distressed about it.
"One reason is that you are the oldest, but the other reason is that you are the calmest and most open-minded out of everyone. You are cut out to be an adaptable leader."
My slight sense of inferiority had melted away like a fleeting snowfall.
Some of the more foul-mouthed types would say 'Lev is a worshipper of Philia' and laugh about it, and it bothered me, but eventually I stopped worrying about it.
I knew I had nothing to be ashamed of.
Just like that, the foundation of a nation made up entirely of children grew stronger.
There was no end to the quarrels and troubles. Sometimes there were even fistfights.
But despite all that, it was still a happy childhood.

Some time had passed.
I was now 12 years old.
While most of our lives still took place inside the base, small farms had begun to spread out on the land surrounding the base.
No matter how well equipped the facilities are, it is still difficult to spend the rest of one's life indoors. Expanding the range of outdoor activities was also necessary from a mental health perspective.
"Un, looks good. You've done well."
The first log cabin that we had built was a terrible one.
There were gaps in various places, and although a fireplace had been built, we had forgotten to work on the chimney.
The door was the wrong size and wouldn't close completely, so the only way was to tie it shut with a rope. The only thing worthy of praise was the even floor.
Despite all this, Philia still praised us.
"Appearances aside, it's actually sturdy and well made. You have all managed to focus on the essentials."
After hearing such praise, the frowns on the faces of the children involved in the construction began to soften.
To be honest, though, I couldn't be pleased, considering our age.
Even though we had access to a whole range of construction equipment, was this really something that children of about ten years old could do?
There's no way we could've done it. Until recently, we had lived a very primitive life.
This was clearly an achievement that went far beyond what we could've achieved.
It had only been possible with Philia's teachings.
Then, a thought occurred to me.
What if one day we were able to solve everything on our own, wouldn't there then be no reason for Philia to remain here?
"Isla, you did a great job of learning the most difficult task. From now on I'm going to entrust you with its operation, so I'm counting on you."
"Don't need you to tell me that."
Isla replied apathetically.
Although she had always acted in this way towards Philia, she had never refused any work or teaching given by her. She had an eager attitude to learning.
"What is it Lev, you look worried."
"Can this cabin even be used to store our harvest?"
“Un, that was the plan, but it has gaps in it, so it’s best not to put food there anymore. We have a good vantage point here, so why not make it an installation. We can place it with a comms relay device. What do you think, Leader?"
"I think it's a good idea."
"Eto, then Mikhail and Polly, can you help me carry it? I'll also show you how to set it up."
The two appointed stand up from the floor with a jump.
When Philia says she's going to teach you something, it also means she's giving you the role of handling it.
Having areas of responsibility is important for survival. That's what Philia had taught us.
As the three of us made our way to the base, Isla approached.
“Ne Lev, is it true that Philia is going to be a courier again?”
“…Who did you hear that from?”
"It's just a rumor. It's been on everyone's lips. Military training started recently, so maybe that's how it started."
Military training.
How to shoot a gun, how to conduct recon. How to identify friend and foe.
And everything to do with operating surveillance systems.
In the early days, we were forbidden to touch the firearms and explosives stored on the base.
All the hunting and scouting was taken care of by Philia alone.
Recently, however, there have been signs that even such military work will be assigned to us children.
The other boys were excited, but I was not so happy.
It suggested to me that the teachings might be entering their final stage.
When all the teachings are finished, Philia will...
By now, I had a good understanding of the existence of couriers.
There are still densely populated areas of the world where civilized society still thrives, albeit on a small scale like embers.
With her talents, she would surely be in demand everywhere.
The thought of that made me feel as if someone was grabbing my heart.
"Lev, even you haven't heard about this?"
"...Yea"
Isla chuckled.
"Strange, considering you're the leader."
I sensed a hint of mean-spirit within the way she said that.
But at the time, I couldn't decipher the reason for the cattiness, and in fact, I had mostly agreed with her.
Seriously. If it was something important, I should have been the first person she talked to.
That's what I thought.
After I thought that, it came true.
I was the first to be told about the important matter.
"I wanna visit a town soon. It will takeme about two months to get there and back. Lev, can you and the others manage on your own during that time?"
"Not possible."
If I give in, she'll really be gone, and that's unacceptable to me.
It's true, as others have said, I may have worshipped Philia a little too much.
“Is it really impossible?”
"...Well, we have food and we are self-sufficient. Everyone's ability to look out for enemies has also improved, and in case of an emergency, if we barricade ourselves in the base, no one will be able to get in. So I don't think it's impossible."
Even though I really want to, I couldn't lie.
"Are you planning to leave this place, Philia?"
"Nope, I'm just going to stock up on supplies. I'm not leaving, you know."
In that case, should couriers ever become obsolete, will you still stay here forever.
I couldn't ask what I really wanted to ask.
I didn't have the courage to hear the answer.
“Then, would it be no good if I followed too?”
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to suddenly come into contact with outside groups. The production of vaccinations has not progressed at all. Considering that, I have still yet to obtain the necessary supplies that we are currently lacking."
"You're saying that we don't have immunity to diseases right. But Philia, haven't you travelled around to other towns before? Since we've lived with you for so long, aren't we fine now?" T/N: I think he's implying that they've already build up natural immunity because of Philia. He doesn't know she's an android though so who knows how that really works.
Philia's eyes widened as she looked at me unexpectedly.
She let out a small murmur of 'Ooh, clever'.
Then after contemplating for a moment-
"So you think that as long as we avoid contact with outside groups from now on, things will be fine as they are now. But I don't think it's going to be that way."
"Why not?"
"Because one day, when this place becomes a town, couriers other than myself and those hoping to migrate will come here."
"A town? Here?"
“If you guys keep on doing what you're doing right now, it will happen one day.”
I couldn't imagine it.
I had repeatedly seen cities, towns, and the large numbers of people living in them on video.
But they were all stories of the past. They were a kind of myth for us.
No matter how hard we tried, I couldn't imagine it ever happening. I could only think of one way it could happen.
"Isn't that... something quite far in the distant future".
"Not really. I have a feeling it will happen."
Philia had a lonely look on her face as she patted my head.

A few weeks later, Philia was ready to leave town.
I accompanied her, carrying a rifle I was not accustomed to.
I can't remember exactly, but I think at that time, I took advantage of the fact that there was no one else around and kept saying some pretty pathetic things.
Things like I really don't want you to go, it'll be dangerous, it'll be lonely.
I was like a child being spoiled by its mother.
"Don't worry. The place I'm going to has a town, which has come in handy while I've been exploring unknown areas. I'll come back as often as I can."
These were words that implied that Philia would one day return to her work as a courier.

Two months later, as promised, the thing arrived.
A convoy of carts coupled in a line like arthropods, filled excessively to the brim with containers.
They were supplies. A huge amount of it.
There were all sorts of medicines, crop seeds, spices and live chickens that were not to be found at the base.
The chickens were not wild, of course, and had been selectively bred.
The carts however seemed to be automated, and Philia was not on board.
We looked all around for any sign of her.
As we passed a curious looking cage, I peeked at it and saw for the first time the side profile of a flock of domesticated birds.
On the control section of the carts was a machine docked to it which then uncoupled and drove by itself.
Although it had grown in size since we had last seen it, its characteristic coloring and details were identical to Ver, the small self-acting machine that had accompanied Phillia.
So we chased after it.
At the destination Ver was heading for was where its owner had been.
When I saw that figure, I was finally able to feel relief.
“Lev, I came back as promised, didn't I?”
That's a relief. She came back. I was so happy.
"...What are you crying about. Don't be stupid. "
Isla, standing next to me, said without hiding her irritation.
"Lay off... I've been through a lot."
"Crybaby."
Isla spat and got back to work.
After carefully wiping away my tears, I slapped my cheeks to steady myself and walked over to Philia.
" Lev, thanks for your hard work. You did a good job keeping the group together.”
"I only just somehow managed to keep it together. Things were so difficulty without you, Philia."
"Is that so? I spoke to Isla just now though and it seemed like things were going well. She was even puffing out her chest and gloating that the day would soon come when my help wouldn't be needed anymore."
Isla's unruliness had really impressed me.
She was beyond ungrateful.
"I'll forward you the list of supplies."
I confirmed that the data had been sent to my terminal.
"Amazing. How did you get your hands on all this?"
"All I did was use some commodity money known as IC."
"IC?"
"Information currency. Information that's tied to market prices. It's usually what you use when you make a big purchase in a big town."
""Does it point to where treasures are?"
"It's pretty close. Information about dangerous areas and simple maps can also be sold. If you map the land around here, even you, Lev, can make a small fortune in no time."
"There's no way I can survive in a town you know. I have no idea how to live in one. Besides... adults are scary."
"Then we'll continue this conversation when you're grown up."
"That's years away."
"It's sooner than you think."
You'll grow up soon. It'll soon become a town.
Philia will sometimes say things like that.
As if to say that the years would fly by.
Even though Philia shouldn't be that different from us, if you only go by appearances.
"That's right. I plan to give you all a helping hand for a while."
A helping hand.
She spoke as if it were someone else's problem.
We know that if the need arises, Philia will risk her life to fight for us. She is by no means irresponsible.
But the sense of distance that permeated in her every word and action made me feel uneasy.

"Hang on Philia! There's a child I don't know sleeping in the cart!?"
“Oh, I forgot!”
Philia ran towards Isla.
I was about to stop her when I stopped myself.
Though immature and childish, I was still a leader.
I was beginning to understand that it was time for me to stop depending on Philia.
Anyways, while poultry farming has made our lives even richer, it has also meant more work for us.
Even back when we lived in a village, wild birds were a valuable source of food, and chicken meat was considered a delicacy.
Especially the taste of domesticated chickens and eggs which were exceptional by comparison.
We had extended the chicken coop and built houses around it.
As a result, the number of people sleeping off base has also increased.
"It's all starting to come together now. You can see it quite clearly from up here."
Philia said, looking out over the area below from a bunker disguised as a rock face, accessible from the top floor of the base.
Cabins were beginning to dot the landscape, spreading out across the valley.
Although they were all built in the same way, using the same template architecture that used machine tools and pre-designed data, the constructed results had gotten much better since the first iteration.
"I'm worried that we're getting a little too far away from base."
I was looking at the same view next to Philia, but I was more concerned about other things.
...The current state of not being able to immediately flee to base when attacked gives me various worries.
"This land itself is unexplored, so intruders are rare. The surveillance network is also up and running properly. There's no need for you to worry so much."
"What I'm worried about is whether or not I'll be able to handle things properly when the time comes. I've been training with guns, but I don't know if I'll be able to shoot properly... that's why I really want us all to live in one place as much as possible."
"I couldn't shoot at first either."
“Even you, Philia?”
"Not at all. The person who taught me how to use a gun often yelled at me for it."
It was hard to imagine Philia being scolded by anyone, as she wore a look of confusion, struggling to shoot a gun.
"Most things can be worked out with time and experience. Even if this place is ever attacked by someone, it will be a long time before it happens. Just be prepared and keep training."
I didn't even want to think about such a day ever happening.
"Ah, that's Isla. She's on her way back."
Philia spotted a girl coming towards the base below and pointed.
She had a penchant for red clothing, so her figure was clearly recognisable even from a distance.
"She's already taking on more henchmen."
I laughed amusedly.
Three young children walked behind Isla. They looked like a family of waterfowl.
"The new kids have become quite attached to Isla."
Philia was referring to the three children she had just brought back.
When asked about the origins of the three children, she had simply said that 'I found them in the wilderness'.
We were all perplexed, but given our own past, none of us had the right to complain.
There was some arguments over who would be taking care of them.
As it was, everyone was already busy.
The general feeling was that they didn't want to take on an unnecessary burden.
In the midst of all this, Isla had taken the initiative to take on the role of carer.
"Isla really has the natural inclination to be a big sister."
At first Philia was the only one the children were willing to open their hearts to, but in no time Isla had managed to win them over.
It had surprised me a little, as I hadn't thought she was capable of such a feat.
"That's cause Isla is better than me, so maybe one day she can take over my leadership position.''
"No way, no way. One hundred percent no way."
"Is that so... in fact, I'm totally fine with it if it happens."
“Isla wants to support you, Lev.”
"Eh? That's a lie. In fact, she's always making fun of me."
"Isla would never make fun of someone that's responsible, you know."
"Is that really the case."
"That's why she doesn't really like someone like me who's so unreliable. Whereas when it comes to you, Lev, Isla turns into a cooperative girl."
I wondered if that was really the case.
From my point of view, she had never given me that impression.
All I could say was that she did her job properly and that's all.
“I hope you will all talk things through so that this town can prosper.”
"...It will prosper very quickly if Philia becomes the leader."
"Uun, I already have plenty of work to do myself."
"Couldn't you retire as a courier? It's a dangerous job, isn't it? Don't you hate it?"
"It's a dangerous job, but I don't mind it. I think couriers are like holy vagabonds."
“Eh, holy?”
"The movement of couriers back and forth between cities is a big deal for people today. For example, in a small and isolated village like the one you and the others lived in, no matter how hard you try, if you're on your own, your standard of living will continue to fall. Then, in the end, when they can't even afford to raise a child... terrible things would often happen."
Philia waved her hand openly at Isla as she spoke.
Isla noticed Philia and me in the inner bunker and turned her head away with a pout.
"The concept of public works no longer exists, but couriers unwittingly play a role more similar to it than you would realize."
"Even if they're just vagabonds?"
"Yes. There are a lot of them who just don't fit into the group life, or who just want to make a fortune and so on. But even if their motives are profit-driven or self-interested, the arrival of couriers brings hidden benefits. Just as insects carry pollen without knowing it".
At the time, I couldn't quite make sense of Philia's explanation.
Maybe I didn't want to understand it.
"Besides, I'm not cut out to settle down."
"That's not true. The truth is that everyone wants Philia to be the leader."
"Thank you. But even if you feel that way, it's only for now."
"I know you don't like living here, but you're our saviour. Our hero. To have someone like you leading us is what all of us really want. Including me, of course!"
At my suddenly passionate tone, Philia's eyes fluttered for a moment before she immediately began to smile sadly.
"It's not that I don't like it. But I had made my decision for a reason."
"What's the reason?"
"One day you'll understand, you as well as the others."
Ah, of course, I thought sadly.
There's a wall between us. An invisible wall.
A solid line that neither of us can cross.
Does she not trust me? Does she just not care? Does she think it doesn't matter? Considering all the help I've received from Philia so far, anything I could think of seems impossible.
One day you'll understand.
I had thought those words to be a lie, but many years later this prophecy will be fulfilled.

I was now turning 15.
"...Sorry, but I want you to look after these kids."
Whenever Philia returned from her supply run, she would bring back new orphans with her.
"You've taken in more again!"
Philia smiled sheepishly at Isla, who had accepted the children despite her ranting.
"Forgive me, Isla. I just can't leave them."
"That doesn't mean you should overdo it! You deliberately went out of your way to find them, didn't you!?"
Thanks to this, even though none of us were married, the population had grown year by year to over 50 people.
"That's really not the case. I'm honestly sorry. I even worked really hard scavenging lots of things to make up for it."
I could tell that there was no hint of remorse in her apology.
She likely still has plans to bring in a lot more people.
"We're still a small community, so please think for a minute before you bring more of them here!"
"Un, I'll do that the next time."
Although she said that, she ended up bringing eight more next time.
Eventually, Isla started working as a teacher on top of her engineering and kindergarten jobs.
This was because she wanted to educate the younger boys and girls so that she could off load even just some of her workload to them.
"There's really no one busier than me in this town!"
Isla shouted. Philia laughed in return.
She had a joyful smile indeed as a I recall.
As the population grew, so did our needs.
As a result, the frequency with which Philia went out on supply runs increased.
The time it took her to travel back and forth had also increased, and once she left town, she wouldn't return for months.
We had no choice but to adapt to life without Philia being around.
There's also no doubt that the supplies she brought back were useful to us.
Through the benefits of her courier work, our community was able to maintain law and order throughout.
Things went exactly as Philia had explained to me before.
The existence of someone like Philia, who could provide things that the town could not provide for itself, was indispensable to the town.
However, the number of orphans she was bringing back was beginning to overwhelm us.
Each new arrival brought its own unforeseen burden.
Philia would apologise again and again, while bringing more and more children.
It was obvious to everyone that she was deliberately trying to increase our population.
At one point, she had even brought people of the same age as those of us in the older age groups.
"I'm Chun. I'm willing to so anything. So long as you give me work and something to eat."
As a result of this, controversy ensued.
The three male and female she brought in were about 15 or 16 years old.
The same age as me.
I was feeling somewhat on edge, but I didn't pick up any signs that they were trying to intimidate us.
I could tell that they had lived in a harsh environment.
They were shabby, thin and frail.

Underneath the brand new clothes Philia had given them, a rough skin covered in scabs and dirt peeked out. I could also see what appeared to be whip marks on them.
We used to be like that too.
A decision was made and we ultimately decided to accept them in.
No matter how much Philia had asked, if the ones she had brought were adults, none of us would have likely accepted them willingly. But since they were of the same generation as us, we could barely tolerate it.
I think Philia had taken into account the psychology at play for the earliest inhabitants of the town.
In other words, as we grew up, she gradually increased the age range of the people she would bring back.
"I'm Lev, the leader here. I'll be counting on you."
"Are you really going to let us join? To such a wonderful place..."
There was still a hint of fear in his eyes.
He was clearly not used to being helped by others.
"Ah, we're short on manpower. As long as you aren't violent, we'll welcome you."
"Thank you...you guys seem so amazing even though we're both about the same age."
He was so suddenly moved that he began to cry.
Then the conversation I had with Philia some years ago suddenly came to me.
Because one day, when this place becomes a town, couriers other than myself and those hoping to migrate will come here.

In time, our living space had moved completely above ground.
I was 17 at the time.
In just two years, the landscape around the base had begun to resemble a village.
We were transitioning to a life that was independent of the base.
At the time, the base was only used as a warehouse and bathing facility.
Our population numbered 70 people.
Up to that point, the number had only increased when Philia brought someone back, but that was no longer the case.
The precocious ones among us had begun to give birth.
Two newborns were born.
Everyone was deeply moved and happy.
The mothers initially wanted Philia to name the children, but as she wasn't there, I was asked to do it instead.
By this time Philia was only coming back about once a year.
She tended to avoid long distance communication for security reasons, so we didn't know if she was safe until she actually returned.
"Lev, please come here for a moment. It's from Watchtower 3.
A highly secure short-range transmission had arrived at my terminal.
It was from Chun, who was now the captain of the guards.
"I'm heading over right away."
Transmissions are always at risk of being intercepted, so it's not recommended to use them, even if they are highly secure.
So that means something serious had happened.
When I arrived at the scene, Chun was staring off into the distance.

"What's going on?"
"Get over here."
The watchtower here is completely made of wood and sways a little when two people are on it. I braced myself thinking something big must have happened as I climbed the ladder.
"Over there. Do you see it?"
Chun pointed to a forested area in the distance.

I squinted.
I could barely make out a small black shadow moving through the forest.
"What's your analysis?"
"Sorry, I'm not good with machines..."
I ran the object through my terminal for image analysis.
Although the resolution captured by the terminal was limited, it had a huge amount of historical data provided by Philia to rely on. It can dramatically increase the accuracy of its analysis by comparing it to other similar cases.
"That thing is a huge machine alright."
"I knew it. That's a..."
Iron monster, demon, giant weapon... the names vary depending on the region, but to couriers they are referred to as Singularity Machine.
"What should we do? Why did it appear here out of the blue? ”
"No, not out of the blue. It seems that these machines originally patrolled their territory for decades. The newcomers here are us."
"Have we been found then?"
"Since we've been developing so much, it wouldn't be surprising if it detected our presence...even so, we should avoid provoking it."
Even if it were to crush your friends, you are still not to lay a finger on it.
I remembered Philia, usually so carefree, turning stern when the subject of these machines came up.
“To me, the right call is whatever that ensures it doesn't come here.”
Even for people like me and Chun, born and raised on the outskirts of the world, Singularity Machines are something we rarely encounter.
To be honest, I wasn't sure how dangerous it was exactly.
That being said, that thing was huge. It had to be a real threat.
If the machine were to enter the city... Isla for instance would likely take the initiative to pick up a gun and confront it first.
In recent times, the number of residents who have not received Philia's teachings has increased.
This made me think that perhaps I should write this down as one of the rules that all residents must follow.
Some time after this incident, when I was 19, something happened.
A courier came to town.
It was the first time a stranger had visited us.
Several of our armed men surrounded the visitor.
It was an act that could be seen as intimidation, but until we were sure of our safety we had no choice.
The other party, however, showed no sign of being rattled by our treatment.
"Oi, oi, don't shoot. As proof that there's no hostility, I even came with my concealment lifted didn't I. I only came at the request of a fella called Phillia."
The man explained that he was a courier who usually worked in a more remote area.
"I've heard stories, but I really am hella surprised that there's a town here. For such a young town, it looks impressive."
"Is Philia not coming back?"
I asked.
"Ah, she's still busy with a major gig. There were supplies that she wanted delivered here, so I took care of them for her. Go ahead and take them. Also, for such a remote area, you guys sure have settled in well eh.”
The man had used animals instead of robots to carry his cargo.
I then pondered.
Up until now, we have lived our lives making sure that no strangers knew of our location. Not to mention that it was Philia who advised us to do so.
Now it was the same Philia who had sent a stranger here.
The time had come when we could no longer move forward by simply hiding. There was no other way but to interpret her actions in this light.
After handing over the supplies, the man immediately started preparing to leave.
"Would you like to rest here for the night?"
“Do you have any request you need me to handle?”
"No…nothing in particular at the moment.”
"Then it seems like there's no money in it for me to stay. I'm outta here for the day then."
There were still some people here who hadn't got over their fear of adults. So I'm honestly glad that he decided to excuse himself.
At first glance, he might appear to be just another armed thug. But his professionalism as a courier was much higher than I had given him credit for.
I guess that's just the kind of persona that he had chosen to take on.
"No reason for me here since I had made a deal with the young lady that I wouldn't leak this place to anyone nor bring others with me to scavenge this area without permission. Although it would be a different story if you guys had a request for me. So if it's okay with you, you mind if I show my face around from time to time?"
Isla and Chun, who were there, both looked at me.
“Where do you usually operate at?”
"You'd check that on the map. I just sent it. Can you see it?"
I took that to mean that he had sent it via a short-range data transmission.
I took out my terminal.
It contained a map of the area where the man worked and what he did on a daily basis.
If we were to take the info at face value, he seemed to be a courier with quite a track record..
"I see now... please come again. The next time we meet, we'll have at least an inn built by then."
The man laughed and extended his hand. We shook hands and the deal was done.
"Are you sure? Deciding this on your own."
Isla questioned after the man left.
"We should gradually start looking at trading with the outside world. It's about time it happened."
"Can we trust that adult?" Chun asked.
"He's basically someone Phillia introduced us to, so it makes sense to me. Even if information leaks out, we can still evacuate to the base. There's more to lose by being overtly caution and missing out on the potential gains."
"That... may be the case. Considering what we would need in the future."
"Looks like Philia's back to her original job anyway, we'll just take care of the things that we have to ourselves. I think that's a good thing. That's what I would expect of a leader, Lev."
Isla patted me on the shoulder in a good mood.

As promised, the courier would visit about once every six months.
During each short stay, he would observe the way of life here and bring back items that were in short supply.
Take clothing, for example.
We all wore military uniforms, salvaged from the base, which we had to either squeeze or tailor to fit; to an outsider, this seemed like a clear business opportunity.
“Is it really that expensive? Isn't it just a piece of cloth?”
Isla said as she inspected the items.
"The materials ain't the only thing that makes up a product you know. Also, just look at the pattern on it. When you dress gorgeously, it makes you feel better about yourself. It'll even bring you luck in love."
"Is that true!?"
"Just think about the impact for a second. A dull military uniform versus a flowery one-piece, which one do you think will attract a man's attention more?"
“…How much is it?”
"Let's see. Currency money would be good, but you guys don't use that. So, resources or a map of this area would also work as payment."
"With the map, it's not up to me to sell it, so that won't happen."
"Can't you get your boss to buy in bulk and divide it among you?"
They both looked at me.
Whether it was the resale of the provided map, or if the man decided to come here and scavenge with his buddies, the existence of the town would probably be known to a few others at some point.
I thought about what would happen if that happened.
Bad things will happen, no doubt. But self-destruction is all that awaits us if we try to avoid every trouble that comes our way at all costs.
"Alright, I'll give you a map. But I don't think it's worth it if it's just clothes and miscellaneous goods. Could you please add in some spare parts as well?"
“Hmm, did the young lady teach you to bargain like that?”
"No. But in those old novels I've read, that's how they haggled."
"Mr. Lev here seems like someone who would make a great mayor. I'll give it to you as a way of me committing an upfront investment in you. I'll ask you for the details of the parts that you need later, but for now, these are yours.''
The girls that had been gathering up to this point cheered.
"Oh right, does this town have a name by the way? It would be nice to have an official name for this place that I can refer to when talking about it with other folks."
"The name of this place... is Valleytown."
Is that so? A voice could be heard spilling out from among the girls.
Apologies everyone, but it was a name that I had came up with on my own.
At first, I was planning on naming it "Philia".
But I stopped myself just as I was thinking about using it.
I am grateful of the fact that my growing self-awareness has managed to catch up with my immature mind.
In any case, this was how other couriers started visiting our town.
I spoke to them and agreed to support their activities throughout the town in return for a share of their profits being reinvested in the town.
After being provided with shelter, food, medical care and information, the couriers would disperse into the surrounding areas.
They ventured into the dangerous lands without hesitation, bringing back resources, information and the legacies of scientific civilisation.
It seemed that in the land where we had planted our roots at, there were still many ruins that had been left untouched.
Thanks to their excavations, the town was able to develop further.
The number of visitors increased and businesses were set up to cater for them.
As everyone feared, some of the couriers were nothing more than ruffians, and some disputes did occur, but the security team led by Chun would do a good job of keeping things under control.
"You are young, yet so strangely adept at subduing unruly people."
A certain courier once praised the skills of Chun and his team.
We had been forbidden to confront machines, and instead trained to focus solely on incapacitating humans. This had undoubtedly proved to be an important skill for us to learn.
And at last, even serious applicants for immigration had started showing up.
Several groups of families with children approached us about immigrating.
The time when we were afraid of adults was over. We were becoming adults ourselves.
We decided to take in the would-be immigrants.
When my friends from the early days turned 20, they all started competing to get married.
And so, of course, came the baby boom.
The population kept growing.
I remember there was a kind of uplifting atmosphere that permeated the whole town at that time.
Then one day I received a big list of supplies.
They were all rare items that we needed, but I had no knowledge that they had been ordered. I was told they would be delivered in the morning...
When I asked the sender about what was going on, he told me that the items were given courtesy of Philia.
I dashed out of the office.
At the center of the now expanded town is a large park.
It was here that the first cabin was built in the early days of the settlement.
As the settlement expanded and the town center moved farther away, it was torn down so that the land can be used as a plaza.
Under a gazebo, members of the early settlement gathered around a circular wooden table.
Nowadays they are all busy with their respective jobs, so they have less opportunity to meet face to face. Isla, who was there, then told me about this.
"If it's about Philia, she left an hour ago. She told me to give you her regards."
I was shocked beyond belief.
Without saying a word, I ran off with my heart pounding.
I ran down the main road and reached the sentry at the main gate.
Although my breathing was a little irregular, I thought I still had the strength to run.
"Mr. Lev, what's wrong?"
A boy who looked like an apprentice guard called out to me.
"Didn't Philia come through here?"
The boy checks the entry and exit records.
"Umm... ah, she just left about 40 minutes ago. A female courier, right? The one who looked just a bit older than me..."
And then my previously light body suddenly felt much heavier.
I was so numb that I just hadn't realized it, but I was already at the limit of my physical strength.
Philia left without even seeing me.
I was devastated by that fact.
Everything had become clear to me.
My heart felt like it would stop from the emotional pain.
I felt betrayed by the one person who had been my whole reason for living.
"Philia, why would you... to me, you are..."
A groan escaped from the back of my throat.
I sank into a despair that would not heal for a long time.

"Congrats."
I stopped my work when a voice suddenly called out from behind me.
“I heard that Isla just had a baby?”
I was in the data center within the base.
It was the facility that managed the short-range network within Valleytown.
It's the most important facility, most aren't allowed entry and only a few people know of its existence.
To prevent unauthorized entry, it also has a bulkhead to seal it off.
But if it was Philia, she could probably get through it easily.
It was several years since we last met.
My heart was in turmoil.
"...I've got a kid now that's already about to be born. Do you even know just how many years have passed since then."
I couldn't help but say it in a stinging voice.
Even though five years had passed since that day, there were still traces of despair within me that I couldn't wipe away, and it began to stir my emotions.
"Unn... about a year?"
".... Huh?"
I was stunned speechless.
I slammed my hand down on the console, releasing the emotions I had been holding in, and turned around.
There she stood... looking just as she had in my memory.
My heart had been seized by the sight of her.
"I'm sorry I left without seeing you. I also wanted to see your face at the very least... But after talking to everyone else and seeing how independent you all had become, I just thought that there was no need for me to worry about you guys anymore."
With just that one line of apology followed by the line of confidence she had in us, my anger vanished.
"By the way, Lev, you really do have a face of a father now, don't you?"
She said so as she peered into my face.
Up close, her face was radiant.
I was entranced by it, but at the same time, I was also convinced of something that I had only been vaguely mindful of previously.
Philia hadn't aged a bit at all since I last met her.
I had long since surpassed her in height.
Anyone looking at the two of us would think that Philia was the younger one.
How would the others perceive this once she had settled down, I wondered.
I don't think they would have taken it well.
That's why she didn't want to settle down here.
I could only see a kind of sad future for her.
"Could it be that you are planning to leave again so soon?"
"I intend to at least say hello to everyone else first."
"You're joking... is this how it ends? Are you planning on never coming back?"
"...I don't know. However, I think it's best if I don't settle down here."
"You were the one who raised us, Philia. It's more abnormal that you can't be here with us."
"Thank you."
"If you decide to stay, you can leave it to me to explain it to everyone. Most of the inhabitants don't know who you are at the moment. As long as we keep our mouths shut, no one will find out."
“But what if enough time has passed again?”
I had no words.
She's right... the day will come when the newer generations will have doubts too.
Even if we were to hid the secret from some of the them, nothing would still be solved in the end.
I looked down without saying a word.
"I heard that I'm considered a legendary saviour?"
"...That's just how the rumors have developed."
"But no one would have thought that the legendary saviour would be so young. It will definitely be strange for them, and I'm sure some of the children will feel uncomfortable."
She's not wrong.
If our savior who remained the same, stayed around for decades...
"Something bad will happen. I'm sure of it. You've seen enough to understand my point of view now, right?"
I nodded silently.
Philia walked over and put her hand on my shoulder.
She would have to really reach for it now to be able to pat my head.
"I won't be presumptuous enough to come by just to see you. But that doesn't mean we'll never see each other again. If Valleytown ever needs help, I'll definitely come back.
"...Un"
"...Also I'm ashamed to say this, but can I get some compensation for the supplies this time? I ended up needing them for this other job that I have at the moment. I simply just need to pick up some old devices that are currently sitting in the warehouse... don't worry, the job isn't anything risky."
I managed a smile as I faced her.
The children grew up quickly after that.
Perhaps because they've lived a rich and fulfilling life, they were a generation that was, at best, carefree and at worst, oblivious to danger. Chun often lamented that.
Personally, though, I think that's the way it is when there's peace.
Before I knew it, the town had expanded even further, becoming a place where men and women of all ages lived.

By this time, Philia had completely disappeared from the public eye.
Her name was also no longer being written in the entry-exit record of the town.
Having said that... at times, I could still find traces of her that she had left behind.

A few years later, the town was targeted by a large armed group.
At the time, we were forced to evacuate all of the citizens to the base at once.
The invaders had blocked the front entrance to the town and were killing or enslaving any travellers who passed through, stealing their supplies in the process.
They had even set up a camp to guard the bottleneck, apparently preparing for a siege.
The topography of the valley meant that if the front entrance was blocked, communication with the outside world would be cut off.
It's no wonder that the situation had me at a loss.
The stressful days continued as a tall, half-naked man in a mask, who seemed to be the leader of the armed group, shouted words that seemed to be a recommendation for those of us behind the main gate to surrender.
Then one day, the armed group just suddenly withdrew.
We hadn't done anything on our end.
The town militia followed the savages as they retreated.
When they reached their camp, the militia had witnessed them being attacked by a giant machine.
The lowlifes were in a panic. None of their weapons could penetrate the giant machine. The masked leader was also crushed to death by the giant machine.
When the giant machine left, only the ruins of the destroyed camp remained.
Someone had already rescued the folks who were enslaved.
They had been evacuated to a safe place, and each of them would say that a girl had saved them.
The girl did not give her name.
Only a few people had a vague idea of her true identity.
But those same people would not speak of it tactlessly.
We owe it to her for all that she's done for us.

I had an argument with my son and as a result, he ran away from home.
The young man insisted that he wanted to be a courier. I tried but failed to dissuade him.
After that, Isla went to bed in shock, while I started drinking more alcohol.
For the crisis this time, it's save to say that I shouldn't expect any help from "her".
Then one day I overheard some gossip in a bar.
"The word is that androids have apparently started blending into human society."
At first I thought it was just an absurd story, typical of a drunkard.
But as I listened to the rest of the story, a dark cloud of emotion gradually began to cast over my mind.
"They've become so sophisticated that they are virtually indistinguishable from other humans."
Various pieces of information began to fit together in my mind.
"If you go far south from here, you'll be able to faintly see a tower that reaches up to the sky. I'm not kidding ya know. Apparently it suddenly appeared just before I was born. Also, anyone who's seen the thing will tell you it's a very advanced structure, there has even be news that the push to survey the south is gaining momentum in the east." T/N: Presumably, the east here refers to the people from the eastern part of the continent. For reference, Valleytown is apparently a town located on the north of the continent. And the tower mentioned here may or may not be referring to Willem's space elevator."
The man explains that a series of ruins have been discovered that appear to belong to a southern civilization.
The ruins are said to be from that time, hence the reason for their origin.
As for the rumours about androids that began to spread.
"Also, an android has finally been found, hasn't it? It was caught sneaking into a residential area... at least it was safely destroyed afterwards.
By this time I had completely sobered up from my intoxication.
"Oh man, machines lurking in human society, what a depressing talk. Anyway, I'm gonna call it a day."
Wait wait wait.
When I asked if androids were his enemy he said-
"Well they are spies, so shouldn't they be an enemy. I'm sure their goal is to take over humanity. Actually, I even moved here 'cause I was afraid of that. My basis? Beats me, all that complicated talk is beyond me. But it's what everyone's saying, so I've no doubt that they're dangerous."
With such a superstitious thinking, it was hard to believe that he was a descendant of the people from a more civilized era.
But that's the way the masses are. Having been a mayor for several decades, I knew this very well.
People are afraid of things they don't understand. It's normal to feel that way.
That's why she couldn't stay in one place. It's because her existence frightens others.
She was definitely wise beyond her years.
Even though I had been taught directly by her, at that time I couldn't understand what she was saying.
However, even if I was wise, I'm still just one person and some things are beyond my control.
It's become well known that a giant machine roams near Valleytown.
It is a giant machine that orbits in a cycle of 20 to 30 years and is tens of metres high.
Although it has never directly interfered with Valleytown, apocalyptic theories such as it being 'the destruction of the city' or 'the extinction of mankind' have begun to gain traction.
Until now, the great forest to the west, where the machines operates, has never been developed. If we were to develop that area, we would eventually come into contact with its patrol route.
However, in recent years, land constraints has worsened, and clearing the forest has thus become a topic of discussion.
Parliament was divided between those who favoured development and those who were cautiously opposed. I was in the cautious camp.
Don't mess with those giant machines——
When I considered Philia's teaching, it was a foregone conclusion where I would stand.
But most people these days tend to see machines as hostile entities.
It's a perilous way of thinking.
Those of us who are in the cautious camp however were on the back foot.
The people also seemed to be quite critical of my weak attitude.
And so, despite my best efforts to persuade them otherwise, the forest reclamation plan passed through the parliament, and a large number of couriers and engineers were hired.
As a matter of democratic principle, I could object no more.
In fact, I didn't think there would be any major problems for the time being.
But in the distant future... what if, for example, the next patrol cycle collided with the reclamation area?
That would be a headache.
It's quite possible I would not even be alive by then.
It is inevitable that there will be hatred of machines.
That's the understanding of the people of Valleytown.
Machines will sometimes slaughter people.
Many folks had personally seen this for themselves during the previous confrontation with the group of armed thugs.
Forget it, I won't say any more.
I will only do what I have to do for the people until it is time for me to leave my position as Mayor.

Even more time had passed.
By this time, the town had grown considerably.
It's now known as a major hub in the north and sees a great deal of traffic in both people and goods.
It's been more than ten years since I stepped down as mayor.
I'm just a mere citizen now.
As for the rest, they've all passed on.
All my friends who were with me from the beginning. Mikhail, Polly, Manado, Rietta, Isha, Chun... and even Isla. No idea who's Manado or Rietta, this is the only time their names are mentioned.
I am the only one left now.
The young people who walk the streets of this town wear gorgeous clothes, are educated, and have dreams for the future. There is a wealth of life now that was unimaginable in the past.
In recent years, the number of people who remember me has decreased, and even when I'm walking alone, people no longer approach me as often.
Not that I mind.
I had managed to complete most of the work that I needed to do in my life.
I had only two real regrets.
The first one was that I had not been able to resolve the rift with my son. But now that my son has a family of his own and is independent, trying to mend fences now would be long overdue.
So all that remains now is my business with Philia.
Before I die, I would like to see her once more and talk to her.
It's not that I have any lingering regrets with her that need to be settled.
It's just that I believe my life only began when I met Philia.
I just want to talk to her one more before I'm done with everything.
Will my wish come true? Will my wish not come true?
This faint hope is all that hangs over my head in my old age.
And yet.
At the last minute a big problem arose.
"Kramnik" the giant machine approached for the first time in decades and came to a stop right in front of the reclaimed area to the west of the town.
"For the sake of our future development, it is imperative that we remove this damn giant machine that is currently obstructing our reclamation efforts. For decades, Parliament has been divided on this issue between those in the hawkish camp and those in the dovish camp. But now, gentlemen, we have a golden opportunity to throw off the old shackles that have held back our progress! We hereby declare the establishment of a volunteer force! All men and women between the ages of 16 and 60 who are physically fit are eligible to join! We look forward to your help in securing the future of our town!"
It was no longer unusual for street preaching of this kind to attract crowds.
We now have so-called volunteer soldiers.
Many of those from the generations that grew up in this peaceful tiny world are not afraid of some old, slow, giant machine.
It's only old people like me who feel threatened by them. It is this group of older people who are now leaving the world.
Everyone in town was talking about it.
Night after night in the bar, plans were discussed on how to destroy and dismantle this machine and scarp it for resources.
All they did was dream of the economic boom that would come once they'd completed their great project.
I could no longer just stand by and watch this.
I gathered up all my strength and went to the town's army headquarters.
Although I was stopped by a security, when I announced my former status, he became bewildered and led me into a reception room.
Eventually, the door opened violently, and a well-dressed man in his prime appeared without any of his subordinates accompanying him.
"What the hell are you doing, Dad?"
"Leave Kramnik alone. I know you're trying to influence public opinion on it."
My son is an officer in a paramilitary unit that reports directly to the municipal police.
"...Do you have any proof of that?"
"I can give you as much of it as you want. You should know that."
"By making use of your specialty in cyber espionage? You should know that your methods are now a criminal act!"
"As is the fact that you've incited the public."
The man glared bitterly at his father.
"Why are you throwing away an opportunity for the town to prosper!"
"Because messing with a Singularity Machine will destroy the town."
"That's just old-fashioned thinking. With the current military might of Valleytown, those old machines are no match for us."
"Even with a military force a hundred times greater than what we have now, it still won't be enough to defeat them. And if you show hostility even once, it's over. That machine will become hostile to this very town. You should have seen it for yourself through the data that she left behind."
"Another one of the those tales about the savior一"
My son slammed the desk in frustration.
"They're obviously made up!"
"They're all true. It all really happened."
"Who would believe that this savior single-handedly wiped out dozens of bandits, or that it annihilated an entire armed group? You probably made it up or exaggerated the facts greatly to increase your own authority. That sounds like something a cunning man like you would do."
"I saw it with my very own eyes."
"Shut up! You've already retired. You may be the founder of this town, but I still can't have a citizen meddling with politics in this manner. If you behave like this again the next time, I will have you detained as I am responsible for your actions!"
My son ended the conversation unilaterally and left the room, the click of his shoes echoing with each step.
Left all alone in the room, I sighed.
The resentments were too deep-rooted and the ideological differences too irreconcilable.
A truly predictable outcome...
Afterwards, although I tried to remedy the situation as best I could, I was still unable to reverse the outcome.
To begin with, the majority of citizens already wanted Kramnik to be subjugated anyway.
With the cheers of the citizens behind them, the volunteer army marched out of Valleytown.

A few days later, news arrived that the volunteer army had been destroyed.
Overnight, the town descended into chaos.
We were able to learn what happened during the battle from the survivors who had fled.
To begin with, Kramnik first stopped moving three weeks ago.
It was located deep within a dense woodland west from here.
The giant machine had suddenly tilted sharply and stopped moving.
Extensive damage was seen throughout its foundation including its legs. The cause was thought to be age-related deterioration.
It had completely lost it's ability to move. However, strange phenomena such as ignition discharges and light emissions were still observed throughout its structure.
After 9 days of observation, it was determined that its self-repair function was no longer working.
They had concluded that... the giant machine had stopped working.
They came to that conclusion even though it's almost as if they had zero understanding of what that giant machine——a Singularity machine even was.
An initial attack was made on it.
Though the weapon used was not explosive, but rather a more primitive ballistic type, it was made from salvaged parts from a facility on the base, and still had tremendous destructive power even if it wasn't fast or self-propelled.
After taking a few hits, Kramnik immediately roared back to life.
It then removed its damaged part in such a way as to allow its other remaining parts to take over the functions of the lost part... in other words, it removed its legs and crawled on the ground with its two arms to regain its mobility.
The revived Kramnik charged decisively into his encirclement.
As it trampled the routed soldiers on the ground, it sent out high-power observation waves into the surrounding area to identify enemy groups.
By observing, collecting and analysing the relationships between enemy groups, it is possible to statistically correlate them.
For example, "wearing the same military uniform, "having identical equipment", "homogeneity in types of materials used, force composition, and operational framework", "receiving support from the rear", "belonging to the same cultural sphere", "genetically similar groups" and the like are some of the things that it would be able to easily pickup on in its statistical analysis.
In that way, it becomes possible for it to determine, for example, the main group to which an attacking force belongs.
The severity of the attack will then determine the level of retaliation it will receive.
The level of retaliation is set differently down to the individual level.
An entire village could be destroyed just by just a single stone throw.
Unfortunately for them, Kramnik has a cranky and thorough personality.
So a massacre ensued.
Some of the routed volunteer troops managed to return to town.
It was a pitiful state of affairs.
Some had their arms and legs crushed, others had their faces burned off, not to mention the folks who were exposed to its directed-energy weaponry.
There were not enough beds in the clinic and many of the victims had to be laid out in the park.
Animal like groans could be heard all about.
Without any proper medical care, a person was dying every few minutes.
It turned the picturesque public park into a hellish sight.
"Ahh, what a..."
It was turning into a case I had easily foreseen.
I should have acted more decisively.
Kramnik had proved to be far more ruthless than I had imagined.
If Philia's words were to be believed, such a machine would analyse the similarities between soldiers, discover the existence of the town where they were based, and then set out for it.
My son, who was supposed to have left for battle, is as good as dead.
Valleytown was built by all of us.
It's steeped in the good memories we've had all our lives.
"I'm sorry, everyone."
Destruction is inevitable.
But I must at least try to preserve something for the next generation.
I decided to turn my attention back to parliament again.
Would the words of a forgotten old man be heard in the midst of a session that's in upheaval I wondered.
No, I have no choice but to make sure they are.
Otherwise, I would not be able to show myself to Isla and the others.

Half a day later——
A mass evacuation of the town's citizens was carried out.
The remaining reservists troops, instead of being tasked to counteract Kramnik, were ordered to assist in the evacuation of the citizens.
"Mr. Lev, here's the single-shot rifle you ordered."
One of the soldiers presented to me a brand new piece of equipment.
I thanked him and received it.
“But would a single gun like this one here even do you any good?”
"It's more for self-protection. Think of it as a talisman. I doubt I'll be using it."
When I entered Parliament, there was a lot of out-of-touch discussion about the post-war process and what compensation should be given to the families of dead soldiers.
All these members of parliament thought that the situation was over simply because the army had been decimated.
Naturally, my direct appeal was about to be dismissed as the nonsense of an old man, so I had to resort to more forceful means.
On the spot, I made them watch video footage from the past, which, due to its sensitive nature, had been classified as military secrets.
They contained many examples of Singularity Machines overwhelming hostile forces. In addition to those provided by Philia, some were also recovered from the database within the base.
The parliamentarians turned pale.
Even so, there were still some stubborn individuals who refused to believe it, but the atmosphere changed completely when during the meeting, word arrived that Kramnik was approaching Valleytown.
I told it to them straight.
That Valleytown and the base are currently far apart in terms of distance.
In addition, it is difficult for one to make a connection between an idyllic town and the ruins of a military base. Statistically speaking, human settlements don't normally originate from the ruins of some base.
I explained that the base was therefore likely to survive destruction.
From there, the conversation proceeded swiftly.
I was granted some temporary powers, which I used to request a military rifle with. And that rifle was the very one that the soldier had just given me.
After 22 hours, all of the civilians were evacuated.
I was the only one left in the town, apart from a few scouts who were assigned to the watchtowers.

So here's the plan.
If I could get at least one shot off at Kramnik coming this way, I could draw its attention to me.
The machine will attack the only old man left in the town, find no other armed civilians, and will then most likely conclude its retaliation process.
This plan will cause some property damage, but it should save lives.
The downside of this plan is that I'm going to die, but that's far better than having to give a pathetic account when I meet my comrades on the other side.
I awaited Kramnik's arrival on a high ground overlooking the town.
As I waited for the attack, night fell.
I had fallen asleep without realizing it, but was suddenly woken up as I had felt something like a premonition hitting me.
Right behind me, there was a nostalgic presence.

I groaned.
Slowly, I looked back.
There she was.
She looked exactly the same as I had remembered.
At that moment, I had even forgotten that I was an old man.
It was almost as if I had gone back in time.
A strange feeling of longing combined with apprehension started to surface, causing my old body to act up for the first time in decades.
"...I'm so glad. I was hoping to see you one last time..."
Philia was looking down at me with her eyes seemingly frozen.
It was the first time I had ever seen a face so stiff.
"You amateur!"
She hit me with a scream that came from deep inside her.
"I have never taught you to self-sacrifice did I!""
I knew full well that she'd figured out my plan a long time ago.
"But... I have no other choice left."
"There was still time. Enough time at least for you to explore other options."
"...Maybe so, but I've already lived long enough. An old man like me... needs a reason to keep living on you know."
"You're the opposite of that. Even at that age, you still came to such childish conclusions. ...It just shows what an amateur you are."
"You can only say that because of the kind of being you are!"
Philia's intense gaze flickered slightly for a second.
"...It's just, I don't want you to sacrifice yourself so easily, even if it is to save someone."
While holding back some of her emotions, she began to speak.
"With the knowledge and skills that I've taught you all, it should be possible to protect the lives of others without sacrificing your own.''
"I might have been able to do that when I was in my prime. But I'm well past my prime now. No matter how idiotic their choices were, it was still hard for me to stop them."
It's why I had no choice but to put my body on the line and take matters into my own hands.
"You're wrong, Lev."
"I also tried to pass on my teachings to the next generation. But... I wasn't able to do it well. I had planned to give the kids as much education as I could... but that only seemed to have caused a backlash."
Philia was tight-lipped.
After all, even she herself had been accused of being irresponsible for not staying on as their saviour until the very end.
"The thing is... such things are inherently complex to tackle. Meddling in the affairs of another generation is only possible when they're still young, I'm certain of that."
Philia stayed silent.
"I don't know who taught you. But I'm sure it must have been the same for you when you were being taught. There must have been misunderstandings. But even if there are disagreements, when the child becomes an adult, there's no choice left but to just watch over them. Today's generation will decide what happens to today's era. The older folks have no right to overturn that. So this was the only option that I had left. I wish I was more capable.”
"...Lev, you are definitely a capable individual. I suppose you're right, you may be on to something with everything you've said."

Philia's expression softened and she turned her attention to the landscape that can be seen from the high ground.
It was as if she was looking at not just the landscape but at a distant past as well.
I wonder if that past included the person who had taught this girl. T/N: Judooooo~
At any rate, she really has not changed one bit.
Whether it's because of stopping time, magic or even because she was the very same android from those rumors, none of that really matters now.
The fact that I got to see her one last time.
That was all that I needed.
"I'm the last one left, Philia. On behalf of everyone, I want to thank you."
"...Think nothing of it."
As she turned to face me, I saw the composed and gentle Philia that I'd always known.
But just being in her presence brought satisfaction to my heart.
"I apologize for doing this in such a sad state, but I'd like to invite you for some tea."
Just as I was about to light the stove,
"What are you saying now? There's no time for that. I've got to get to Kramnik quickly."
I look up at Philia in surprise.
"I have a good grasp of the situation. It may be close to a worst-case one, but there's still time."
“But… the fight with it has already broken out…”
"Don't worry. I have the means. The only thing I don't have is time. So, Lev, please guide me by the shortest route possible. I'd rather not waste time looking for it from scratch."
That's right.
She always returned whenever the town was in trouble.
Even though we were far apart, we were always under her protection.
She gave peace to those of us who had suffered misfortune.
From the corners of my eyes, something hot that had been building up since Isla's passing, began to spill out.
As long as I could help her, I didn't care if I embarrassed myself.
I led the way, followed by Philia as well as Ver who seemed to get a little bigger every time I saw it. I wonder why it keeps getting bigger. When I asked this question during the conversation we had on the way, she jokingly explained, 'cause he's in his growth period'.
The journey to the site didn't take long.
By taking advantage of the road built by the military, we were able to reach the site by dawn.
The remnants of the army were still there and they were still unexpectedly maintaining military readiness.
"Dad! Why are you here!?"
It was my son who was still alive and leading the remaining troops.
"Unbelievable, don't tell me you're actually here to help."
"I'm only just here to accompany her."
My son glanced at Philia.
"...A courier, huh? You're young. Though I don't suppose that you're here as a volunteer soldier."
"And I don't suppose you're planning on making a suicidal last stand."
My son frowned in the face of the correct conjecture.
"I won't stop you if there's a chance of winning, but with your current firepower, it's not feasible."
“What would a lowly passerby courier like you know?”
"Your total strength now is only a measly 69. But isn't it a bit much to let that many die in vain?"
"How do you know that?"
My son winced when the exact number was pointed out.
"I did my own scouting."
She waved her terminal.
"You may have the skills, but don't tell me you intend on taking over from here because you think I can't make it or something."
"I'm taking over from here because you're not gonna make it."
“Are you making fun of me!”
"You were asking for it though..."
"Sorry about that, but my son doesn't have a sense of humor..."
"Just stop!"
"If you say so, then in that case shall I volunteer to scout ahead. I'm pretty good at finding enemies."
My son snickered.
"This is a battle to buy time. There’s zero need for reconnaissance.”
"Even if I told you that I have a way to stop Kramnik?"
"What!? Through what way?"
"To explain it simply, I have an access code that allows me to command the machine. By making use of that fact, I can get it to cancel its retaliation process."
"Are you serious? If so, please hand it over. I'm not asking you to do it for free either. I assure you there will be a great reward for it.”
"That's impossible. I'm the only one who can use it."
“…First of all, is what you're saying even true?”
"There's no benefit for either me or Lev to be lying. I wouldn't put lives at risk arbitrarily".
The man was deep in thought.
His subordinates who were listening in on the conversation kept watch of the perimeters with beseeching eyes.
Even they don't want to die in vain.
"...Fine. But we're also going with."
“I don't mind if it’s just a few of you.”
My son nodded and instructed his subordinates to select a few people.
“Dad, is my family… no, is the evacuation of the townsfolk progressing along?”
"It's already been completed."
"Is that true?"
His eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expect the evacuation of all the citizens to go so smoothly.
"I was able to convince the people in parliament. All the base functions that had been sealed off were also ordered to be restored. Even if the machine reaches the town, the townsfolk will still survive."
"...~Funn, if this were peacetime, you would have been court-martialled. Everyone of your generation was like that. Even Mom was like that too. They were disgustingly good with machines and were masters at outmaneuvering people. At the end of the day, that town is still even now in the palm of your hands."
"I was trained by the Savior afterall. But don't worry. After tomorrow, you guys will be the ones to take the reins."
"The Savior eh... I wish such a talented person was here right now."
Philia beamed with delight.
A few selected soldiers lined up in front of the three of us.
"Alright, time to move out. Come to think of it, I didn't catch your name."
"I'm Phil...I mean... Piroshki the courier."
"That's an unusual name. Well, whatever. I'm betting on your plan. Frustrating as it is, your plan seems to be better than ours."
He ordered his remaining men to retreat, and the small force of 8 men headed into the inner cordon.
The march to our destination didn't take long.
"He's right ahead of me. In roughly 5 minutes, we'll make contact."
Philia warned of the presence of a giant machine even though none of us had noticed anything yet.
"I'll go ahead first to execute the code, but... please I don't want any shots being fired"
The whole group began to tense up.
"There's a canopy gap there. Why don't we make that our rally point. You can all start hiding now."
As a precaution, the soldiers scattered to the rear to hide.
This way, they would avoid total annihilation in case of an attack. But it's only a stopgap measure at best...

Philia stood out in the open.
A few seemingly endless minutes passed.
Soon, a huge machine appeared sweeping away the many trees in its path.
Using the cranes sprouting from the sides of its torso as arms, it crawled forward.
With its lower half completely cut off, the bare figure approached with its internal structure exposed. It was a horrifying sight, like a beast that had lost its lower body.
One of the soldiers screamed in horror.
Then came the sound of gunfire.
Philia grimaced.
The bullet fired by the terrified soldier must have hit Kramnik.
The next moment, firearms protruding from its body were pointed at the dense green forest at the rear. Once again, a gunshot rang out.
This time, it came from the rifle I was holding.
It was a bullet I had fired as a part of my contingency plan. For the sake of that plan, I was the only one who had circled the machine to hide at its side just so that I could draw its attention to myself when needed.
I could see the look on my son's face.
He was stunned.
I guess he had never expected me to do something like this.
"Dad!"
The man, who had been protected by his father until the very end, cried out to him without shame or hesitation.
Then Philia made her move.
To say she moved might not even be true.
She had dissapeared.
With the aid of her equipment, she was able to increase her muscle strength instantly. With a rate of acceleration similar to instantaneous movement, she ran across the ground and jumped between me and Kramnik.
I have no idea why this happened.
In front of Philia, the Singularity Machine called off the aggressive behavior that it had just shown.
But, it was a moment too late.
It's machine gun was able to fire off briefly.
In response, Philia seemed to have used some sort of equipment.
Some of the advanced technology she was using is beyond even my comprehension.
I wouldn't be surprised if she had some sort of invisible barrier in her arsenal.
A spatial fluctuation appeared in front of Philia.
And it soaked up the gunshots.
A few seconds later... I realised that this old body of mine, which should have been torn apart by the machine gun, was still breathing.
I was still alive.
I look at Philia.
"...What a blunder. There's still a bit of lag."
She mumbled without a hint of pain even though her arm had been torn off at the elbow.
"For the time being, I'm putting you on standby."
Kremnik turned offf its main engine and bowed its head.
The only way to interpret its action was that it had just followed Philia's order.
Ver huddled anxiously to her feet.
The soldiers came out of the forest in shock.
"T-that girl... Her body is...!?"
We could all see the state Philia was in.
Her arm had been torn off by a machine gun. If she were human, she would have died of shock or blood loss, but strangely, she was not even bleeding much.
But what was most disturbing was that she never uttered a single cry of pain.
All eyes turned to her face at once.
Upon seeing it, we all caught our breath.
Even with unknown technology, it was probably not possible to stop the bullets completely.
Along with one of her arms, part of her face had also been gouged out, exposing its internal structure.
Her internal structure is clearly completely different from that of a human.
"Is she a machine?"
"No way. It's gotta be a prosthesis, Commander."
"No... that can't be right... there's no way such a prosthesis exists. It should be impossible to change out something like your head!"
The soldiers all unconsciously clutched their guns.
"...An android then?"
"It's only her body that's artificial. The rest of her is still human."
"She seemed so human... this is unbelievable."
My son gripped the gun in his hand tightly. Even he seemed confused.
"I can't imagine an android saving a human..."
I could feel the tension in the air around me.
For the people of Valleytown, machines are an existence that should be considered a threat.
A machine that can blend into human society——the fact that androids might actually be real.
This is a particularly frightening thought for most people.
It would be impossible to cover up.
No words in her defence now could possibly alleviate the current fear and tension. This atmosphere was precisely why Philia had been so cautious all this time.
This could turn into a worst case scenario.
I was at a loss.
What could be done to resolve this situation?
My eyes met with Philia's.
There's no way she doesn't understand the situation she was in. And yet——
She was smiling.
She smiled as if she was leaving it to me to say something.
Philia never misjudges in situations like this.
An action that would resolve the current tense situation with the soldiers, the action that she would have taken if she hadn't left it to me.
What else could it be. There's only one thing.
...To leave this place while everyone is bound by doubt.
As soon as I realized this, the emotions that I had been suppressing flooded out.
"Philia! I've... been thinking about you all this time!"
Even if she visits this place again someday, I won't be alive by then.
This will be the last time.
"I... I* have always been watching you! Always!" T/N: In the first I, he used "Watashi", in the second I, he used "Boku" which is the first person pronoun that children would normally use.
At that moment, I was no longer an old man, having returned to the boy I once was.
Philia smilled as she accepted those words from me. T/N: The JP word for smile being used here is "Bisho" which normally brings to mind a soft elegant smile with the mouth closed sort of like Mona Lisa's smile.

She might have have realized too that this was our last time.
"But gradually you stopped showing yourself to us. I was only sad because I thought you were being cold towards us! In truth there were so many things I wanted to ask you! I wanted to hear what your journey was like! I wanted to know all about you! I'm sure everyone felt the same way too... But, I understand that you had your concerns... So I held back..."
As children who had never enjoyed the love of others in a harsh environment, we must have craved love in particular. It's not hard to imagine.
She kept her distance so that we wouldn't become dependent on her. I understand that.
But all of these decisions are made with only logic in mind.
It's not possible to deny the feelings that I've been suppressing.
Even so, I couldn't put those searing feelings into words.
There's no way I could possibly disregard her kindness.
"But it's all right now. Because you've given us the best that you could have. I truly understand that. I'm feeling on top of the world right now! Thank you Philia!"

"That's my line, thank you."
While the soliders were still at a loss for words, she started to laugh.
It was the best smile that I had ever seen. T/N: The JP word for smile used here is "Egao" which normally brings to mind a heartier smile than the one seen in a "Bisho" smile.

It was as bright as the sun.
Just the sight of it alone may have been the best thing anyone could ever want in life.
She was the very light that had guided me to the end.
“Please be at peace until your last day, Lev.”
Philia and Ver began to walk towards the depths of the forest.
Kramnik started again with a low rumble and followed after like a loyal dog.
The soldiers scream as they scattered to escape.
I stayed where I was.
My son ran up to me and shouted something, but I registered none of it.
I was just watching Philia's back.
I kept watching her until she was out of sight.
"Goodbye, Philia."
I stood there for a long time, until the girl and the giant machine had disappeared into the darkness of the sea of trees and the tremors were no longer felt.


* * *


More time has passed
History never stops, not even tempoararily.
It will go on forever. As it always has.
But my clock is about to stop.
No one knows what happened to her after that.
But she herself has not disappeared.
She will likely be spinning a new story in another time at another place.
She will do so while leaving a vivid impression on those involved.
Human life is short. No one can stay with her forever.
Who will comfort her? She, who will live on forever.
There's only one thing that humanity can do.
I sincerely hope there will always be someone there each time to witness her greatness.




Fin.