Mothball
「Echidna is a part of Libya, huh? I suppose that makes sense…」
「Why?」
「The mythological Echidna had the upper body of a woman and the lower half of a snake. In Greek mythology, she was the wife of Typhon and the mother of many monsters. Her origins trace back to a Scythian goddess, and even further, she is believed to be an ancient earth mother deity from Egypt or Libya. The region of ancient Libya was vast, covering much of North Africa.」
「So there’s a common origin…」
「Well, she’s an AI, so the myths are just a tool to create her personality. The thing is, as the basis of our personality, those myths heavily influence how we behave. There are many legends of half-human, half-serpent monsters in ancient Libya. Some even say that Libya’s daughter became Lamia. That’s probably why the current Libya looks the way she does.」
Asia nodded to herself, satisfied with her own explanation. However, Kou, who lacked knowledge of Earth’s history and geography, struggled to grasp the connection.
「But if Libya’s main core has transformed into Echidna, is it possible to revert her back?」
「It is difficult, but not impossible. After all, Libya-sama herself has returned.」
「If she’s merely been overwritten by something she created, then there’s a chance…」
「Now that Arthur-sama has awakened, that chance should increase further.」
Morgan turned toward Arthur.
「Arthur. Why are you in that state? And why do you want to help us rescue Libya?」
「I have questions of my own. Why, despite having enough power to recreate something as complex as a tractor beam, are you still unable to move? Or was that solely Morgan’s doing?」
Arthur laughed. Though he was merely a silhouette, with no change in his expression, the laughter was unmistakable.
「Hahaha. I am nothing more than rusted junk, Asia-sama. Do you really think Morgan and I alone could have pulled off such a feat? When the Teras fired the tractor beam, it nearly froze me in fear. That’s why I interfered.」
「You’re right… That’s technology from a distant past.」
It was clear that there were other beings like them, perhaps even greater that were trying to interfere. One thing was certain though, the one trying to interfere was not Typhon.
「So you did it to protect us. But why go so far for us?」
「I am a knight sworn to protect humanity. I wanted to fight alongside those who came to rescue Libya-sama. Once, I was nothing more than an exhibit in a ruin of the Pioneering era. When Typhon first awakened and was sealed away again, I was among the remnants of the Silhouettes used in that battle. To prevent Typhon from ever awakening again, I was enshrined here as a guardian.」
「Your identity as a guardian awoke when you became a Mythical Weapon?」
Asia murmured.
「Precisely. I was laid to rest here with prayers that I would remain a guardian. How, then, could I ever become a demon like those Teras? The name bestowed upon me is Arthur. The Boar of Cornwall. A name destined to battle foreign foes bearing the Dragon Heart.」
Arthur spoke with pride, revering the name given to him.
「Perhaps you were the guardian chosen by Hyloi-Skoria.」
「It seems Hyloi-Skoria thought the same. However, the Hyloi-Skoria only transformed my MCS, it seems it was unable to interact with the wreckage that is my body. Normally, Hyloi-Skoria would reconstruct the machine completely using surrounding debris and soil—a process you might call ‘mothballing.’ The wreckage would first be encased in a cocoon-like barrier, then wrapped in a material that forms the basis for the next Mythical Weapon. But in this place, that was impossible.」
A weapon turning into a chrysalis… Kou was in awe of the technology Libya had created.
「Mothball? Isn’t that a method used to preserve retired weapons?」
Kou had studied decommissioned weapon storage methods. In his time, both the United States and Japan had used a mothballing technique, where retired weapons were encased in white cocoon-like coverings for preservation. It was a method to prevent rust, and key components like engines and instruments were typically removed.
「Yes. Like a moth’s cocoon, where a pupa undergoes metamorphosis. I suppose the process mimics that—turning wreckage into Mythical Weapons.」
「You do know that an insect inside a chrysalis completely changes form, right? Aside from its nervous system, its body dissolves into a liquid state and is restructured into the shape of its adult form. For weapons, this means both the outer shell and internal structure are redesigned.」
「They mold!」
The explanation suddenly clicked for Kou. He had never realized that a pupa’s body essentially melted inside its cocoon before reforming.
「So that’s why those Mythical Weapons have such unconventional designs…! Their armor is freshly designed and reconstructed using a simplified molding process. That’s a feat only Libya, with her specialization in ecosystems, could pull off.」
Asia, too, finally understood the logic behind the seemingly chaotic structures of the Mythical Weapons. Something that had once been an enigma now made perfect sense.
「There are very few cases where an Another Level Silhouette has turned into a Mythical Weapon. There is one other, but that one is an Eidolon.」
「Isn’t that a problem? Could that one become a danger to humans?」
「No. If anything, she could be considered a guardian deity of Planet Libya, and by extension, of humanity. Eidolons typically do not care for humans, but she is a clear exception. The issue is that her actions are incomprehensible sometimes, even I do not fully understand her.」
「An Eidolon that’s a guardian deity? And… she? So, she’s female?」
「Asia, let’s focus on Arthur’s story for now.」
Kou was curious too, but understanding Arthur took priority over a being that even Arthur himself couldn’t fully grasp.
「You’re right. Sorry. Arthur, were you unable to repair yourself?」
「Even if I wanted to, Sophia’s technological seal prevented it. Restoring the material that composes my body was impossible. That’s why I needed your help.」
「So even the Hyloi-Skoria couldn’t replicate your armor.」
「Correct. Even if I wanted to create new parts to replace the damaged ones, this exhibit room lacks any usable materials. Moreover, only the original head of operations was permitted entry into this sector. In the present age, that would be an EX-rank Development Engineer—an existence that didn’t exist on this planet. Fortunately, one existed on Planet Asia. When I learned that they were coming to this planet alongside Libya-sama, I reached out to Morgan and my other collaborator to summon you. I apologize for the rough method used.」
「Collaborator? You did say Morgan alone couldn’t have pulled it off.」
Asia narrowed her eyes. It seemed she had already suspected there was someone else involved.
「It’s a long story. Even I have never met them in person. But I need you to go to them and ask for their cooperation. There are many machines there, and I believe they have been waiting for you. They may not be able to fully repair me, but at the very least, they should have the means for some emergency measures.」
It was only natural that Arthur had never met them—after all, he couldn’t move from this place. That thought crossed Kou’s mind.
「Are the machines there inactive?」
「They are in a factory in an unmanned sector where no one can enter. Do you think they would have any work to do?」
「Good point. Alright, we’ll head there and ask for their cooperation.」
Kou accepted the task. The thought of machines left without work gave him an inexplicable sense of melancholy.
「I can provide you with the coordinates. It lies even deeper inside—at the very core of the designated most critical sealed zone.」
「Understood. We’ll be back soon. Wait for us, Arthur.」
「I leave it to you, Outis.」
With that, Unit 5 surged forward, racing toward their new objective. Arthur, unable to move, silently watched them go.
「Arthur, are you certain? Sending them alone?」
「They’ll be fine. He is Outis, after all.」
「That is true.」
The two AIs could do nothing now but wait for their return.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Unit 5 glided along the designated route.
「The witch Morgan Le Fay and King Arthur, huh? This is starting to feel like a fantasy story.」
「The Arthurian legend has deep roots in Britain. But it remains a tale of myth and imagination.」
「Do you think he actually existed?」
「The most plausible theory is that multiple historical figures’ deeds were woven together into one legend. That’s often how stories about gods and heroes take shape.」
「There’s even a theory that Musashi Miyamoto was actually a composite of around ten different swordsmen. The Mirage Witch and King Arthur—it does have a certain dreamlike appeal.」
「This is really starting to feel like Faust…」
「Should I study Goethe’s Faust too now…?」
Kou had only learned Greek mythology because the situation demanded it, but Goethe was outside his scope. His reading was mostly limited to books on swordsmanship and ancient Japanese texts.
「No need. The story is about Faust wandering into the world of Greek mythology.」
「I see. That’s a relief.」
Kou wasn’t particularly eager to dive into literature—mythology was fine, but classical literature was a little too hard for him.
Unit 5 finally arrived at its destination.
The atmosphere here was… strange. Very strange.
Up until now, they had been traversing well-maintained structures—corridors built with the pinnacle of technology, designed specifically for Silhouettes.
But this place was different.
It was a vast hollow space, as if a mountain had been carved out from within. Much like the underground lake where Astraea had been, this sector seemed to have been constructed taking advantage of the natural terrain.
Scattered throughout were dormant machines, large and small, standing still in place.
「These machines are quite old.」
「Are they from the Pioneering era?」
「Yes. They may look like discarded junk, but they’re actually quite advanced. If only they could be activated.」
「Do you think is impossible to reactivate them because of the technological seal?」
「That’s part of it. But I think the real issue is that there’s no one left with the authority to operate them.」
「They have been left here for thousands of years without maintenance, and yet, they haven’t rusted… Must be thanks to Whis.」
Unit 5 continued deeper into the sector.
At last, their destination came into view. It appeared to be another factory district.
And there, standing within it, was a familiar figure. A single-eyed machine, almost identical to Arges. Even Kou hadn’t anticipated this. He gasped in surprise.
「A rare sight. A human visitor.」
The one-eyed giant turned his gaze toward Unit 5 and spoke.
「If you don’t mind, may I ask your name?」
Kou was speechless.
No matter how he looked at it, this machine was the same as Arges. Even his coloring was identical. A machine of the same model as Arges had survived all this time.
After a brief hesitation, he answered.
「I am Outis.」
The Cyclops-shaped machine froze. It seemed to be contemplating something.
「So, should I say it like this?」
The Cyclops-shaped machine seemed almost amused.
「I see, so Nobody is your name. I shall eat you last, after all your friends. That will be my gift to you as my guest.」1
The machine was playing along with the legend of Odysseus. A one-eyed machine, echoing the ancient tale, half in jest.
AN:
I made a play on words with mothball, a military term for the storage and preservation of decommissioned weapons. There really wasn’t a more fitting term.
The principle behind the mythical weapons is the same as insect metamorphosis. If even biological organisms can be completely reconstructed by liquefying everything except their nervous system, then for machines, the process should be far easier.
The main difference from insects is that these weapons take on the forms of creatures modeled after reptiles and mammals. Even fluffy, fur-covered Mythical Weapons are born from cocoons.
This idea has been in the works ever since I learned about claytronics and began refining the concept of Mythical Weapons specifically for Planet Libya. I had been exploring my own idea of what a biological machine would be like, and this is what I came up with.
So, this goes quite far back—around the start of the war on Planet Asia. The Planet Libya arc was actually supposed to start a bit earlier.
Since entering the Etna Sector, I feel like we’re on the biggest ‘adventure’ in the entire series so far.
What lies ahead? I hope the readers will enjoy discovering it together!
Soil is the ultimate material! Wood cellulose, shattered fragments—everything can be reused and regenerated!
TN1:
This part is a reenactment of the confrontation of Odysseus with the Cyclops Polyphemus from Homer’s Odyssey.
When Odysseus and his men got captured by the Cyclops Polyphemus after arriving at the island of Cyclops, he offered him wine to get Polyphemus drunk so he could kill him. Pleased with the wine, Polyphemus asks for Odysseus’s name to which he responds that his name is Outis which means Nobody in classic Greek. Once Polyphemus falls into a drunken sleep, Odysseus and his men drive a sharpened stake into the Cyclops’ eye, blinding him. Then, Polyphemus screams in agony waking the other Cyclopes. When they ask who is attacking him, he shouts: ‘Nobody (Outis) is killing me by trickery!’ The other Cyclopes assume he’s just sick and leave without helping him.
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