Chương 110: Chapter 3:”Journey to Explore the World”

I am now walking on the main street of District 4. Coming out to the main street, shops increased, and buildings became even more magnificent. Overhead, many cars are flying busily. Traffic lights, or something like them, are floating in the air to match the height where cars run. Instead, there are no traffic lights or traffic signs on the ground, and everything was designed for pedestrians.

Even though it's not a shopping street or during a festival, people are walking proudly in the middle of the road wide enough for cars to pass. Such a scene is the norm. Parking lots seem to be exclusively on rooftops, and I sometimes saw cars landing on top of buildings. The sight of people walking or stopping to talk was truly full of emotion. No unnatural points could be felt at all. I took a rough look at what kind of people were there while walking.

It was about half and half between those with the appearance of men and those with the appearance of women. Faces, voices, body sizes, eye and hair colors vary, but skin color is generally white, and body shapes are relatively uniform. At least, extreme obesity or excessive thinness is not seen. I didn't see anyone who looked like an elderly person at all, but there were quite a few who looked like children and behaved like children. Near them, there were often people who seemed to be parents.

The sight of parents and children holding hands happily was heartwarming to watch, but I wonder if they are really parents and children. Looking from the outside like this, they really look no different from humans, but... All these people are Machine Humans called Natura. Unbelievably. What kind of technological power and what kind of circumstances are there to create a metropolis overflowing with only Machine Humans? I am amazed beyond admiration at the excessive spectacle. I inadvertently sighed....

Somehow, I've come to an outrageous world. It seems I am the only flesh-and-blood human here. If my identity is exposed, my life will be targeted, and if I'm not careful, I'll be killed. Suddenly, things have become serious. Anyway, as long as I stay a woman, I seemed likely to blend in well with the surroundings if I didn't stand out. I never thought the day would come when the fact that I have absolutely no Qi power would be so useful.

But if I think about it carefully, this is not the first time that my lack of Qi and "Ore's" (male me's) complete lack of Magic Power have saved me. In Sacris and Iskira, I have been saved from predicaments several times by this characteristic that looks like nothing but a flaw at first glance. Simply having power isn't always better. It's interesting, or something. I found a bench while walking, so I decided to sit and rest. Even in this world, benches aren't wastefully high-tech, huh.

But the material is the same as used in parts of the buildings, looking like plastic, light and sturdy. Now, what shall I do from here? When I come to a new world, I started thinking about what to do there. Just spending days safely is fine, but since I'm here, I want to enjoy the journey of that world as much as possible. I want to interact with the people and things of that world as much as I can. If I find something I want to do there, I want to do it. I want to actively leave memories. And, like in Sacris.

If there is any problem in that world, and if there is something I can do. I want to get involved. Even if it is dangerous or involves risking my life. But doing so is not from a sense of duty or just a sense of mission. It is strictly to follow my own conscience and stick to my way of life. I want to do so to avoid regrets as much as possible. Among various problems in each world, some are delicate. To what extent should I, an outsider, stick my nose into it? I don't know that.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Of course, I don't think what I do is absolutely correct. I don't have the arrogant idea that I can always save someone. My intervention might make the situation worse. I might be resented by someone. I don't have the self-righteous idea that having great power creates an obligation to do the right thing with it. Well, I intend to be careful not to do anything too strange, though. I am a World Traveler, a FabL.

I haven't realized it much, but apparently, I have the power to overturn the logic of this world. But before being so, I think I am a single human being. That is the basis, and I want to remember that. So, strictly as a single human being, I decide what to do with selfish values and will, and I decide where to stand. Whether the choice I made was correct or not, I won't know until later, or even after... I'm not an omniscient and omnipotent God. I think that's what humans are, and I think that's fine.

Well, I kneaded various theories, but in short: I'll do what I want according to my conscience. That is my current stance. So, what should I do? Like before, if I landed on a vast grassland, a great wilderness, or a vast ocean, the goal would be to reach a human habitation safely first, but this time that was automatically cleared. Or rather, I feel like I haven't landed in a decent place every time. Is my luck bad?... Well, whatever. Let's put it aside. Then, the next issue is how to make a living.

I feel like this is rather the problem this time. Ideally, I intended to get to know the people of this world normally and build a foundation for life while creating interactions. But since the surroundings are all Natura, it might not go so easily. As a woman, I need to make contact carefully so as not to be exposed as a flesh-and-blood human. I wonder if I can do it well. I'm a little worried. No, well, I don't have to force myself to contact Natura, and I can live while surviving alone.

Like Lenks often seems to do. But still. Listening to his homeless-like life stories, I feel kind of meh. He eats strange things calmly and recommends them to me. Yeah. I shouldn't follow his example. After all, as long as I am a civilized person, I think I should make an effort to live in society as much as possible. If it's absolutely impossible, then it can't be helped.

Or rather, he is a hopeless person no matter how I think about it, who dares to do nothing even though he should definitely be able to do anything if he wants to. Yeah, yeah. Idiot Lenks. —Hmm, wait. I suddenly noticed a fact that might be quite bad. A fact that shakes the laid-back plan of living while earning money normally from the foundation. Do Machine Humans eat meals in the first place? Since they are Machine Humans, I feel like they might replenish energy as power and somehow don't eat food.

If so, a worst-case scenario where there is absolutely no food in this town is conceivable. Because such things are not necessary. In that case, I have to go out of this town and secure food by myself. Could it be that no matter how much I earn here, it will end up being survival after all? Come to think of it, among the shops I looked around so far, there was not a single grocery supermarket-like thing. Could this be, could it be? It might be a little bad.

My stomach is still fine, but before I become unable to move due to hunger, I need to investigate thoroughly whether there is food in this town and reach a conclusion. Even if it becomes survival, the only salvation is that I can safely secure drinking water, which is usually the biggest problem, with [Tiltap]. I'm really glad I learned magic. Well, let's think about living while looking around the town carefully again. More importantly.

What I am curious about now is about the Machine Human Natura, and another existence called Humite. I haven't seen Humites directly yet, but information has been obtained indirectly from the words of Naturas. Let's roughly organize the information obtained about them so far. They resemble me enough to be mistaken for them. They seem to be ordinary creatures with life reactions. According to Lilna, Natura were made to resemble Humite. They are intensely hated by Natura. Something like this.

Judging from these, there is probably no mistake that Humite refers to the "ordinary" humans of this world. Why are Humites hated so much by Natura? Because of that, I was about to be killed suddenly. If Natura themselves were evil existences threatening humanity. The story is simple. But I don't think so. Rather, as far as I see here, they are good citizens themselves. To think they change so abruptly as soon as they see a Humite. It seems there are circumstances that are not ordinary.

A huge city full of Machine Humans. Humans who are detested so much that they are immediately executed just by being seen. I have a premonition that something smells fishy. —Alright. Decided. This time, while living, let's start by exploring the state of the world. Especially, I will investigate mainly the relationship between Natura and Humite. First, I want to know the background that led to this current situation. Knowing it might not change anything, but I'm curious after all.

Let's think about what lies ahead when the time comes. From the waist pouch, I take out the World Gauge I received from Lenks before. I check the remaining stayable period in this world. About half a year, huh. It's the shortest period so far. But well, if I have this much time, I'll understand various things. Deciding on the policy, I clenched my fist tightly saying "Alright" and fired myself up. Standing up slowly, I start walking again. First, start investigating this future city.