Ch.191Succession War for the Family Headship (6)

Following Mezulen’s guidance, Brian entered Eidel’s laboratory and immediately examined the interior structure.

The room had a separate chamber attached to it. Since Erica wasn’t visible, she was probably inside there.

However, entering without permission would be impolite. Brian decided to wait first, pretending he had no ulterior motives.

“Here’s a chair.”

“Thank you.”

Sitting in the chair, he habitually tapped his knee with his index finger. Brian slowly looked around.

High-quality research equipment.

Mathematical formulas written on the blackboard.

Undergraduate students busily conducting research.

The lab seemed to have all the necessary components…

“I didn’t expect the third young master to be this thorough,” Erica (Unit 1) whispered in Brian’s ear.

Brian nodded.

If by some chance Eidel was a genius, the existence of this laboratory would make “some” sense. Though rare, there were people who became professors in their mid-20s.

No, this was still too strange. How could an undergraduate student set up a research lab and employ classmates as assistants?

He couldn’t figure it out. Any possibility he considered remained uncertain.

“Excuse me.”

After composing himself, Brian asked the green-haired girl. She seemed to be in charge of the lab when Eidel was absent.

“What do you research here?”

“We research crystals from Darwin’s Legion. They have many applications and are actively studied across disciplines. Recently, they’ve gained attention as new materials with various applications. In other words, they have potential!”

She readily shared the information. She didn’t seem to be in cahoots with Eidel. Brian knew what these crystals looked like, having seen them throughout the South until he was sick of them.

“You’re Rheinland’s brother, right? A medical student?”

“No. I’ve graduated from college and I’m currently working as a fellow.”

“Ah, a fellow? So you’re half a graduate student?”

Brian silently smiled.

Graduate school. Yes, he was attending. But unlike typical graduate students, he wasn’t full-time. He also had to care for patients as a doctor.

The girl didn’t seem to know this, however, and continued her questions cheerfully.

“Isn’t writing papers really hard?”

“It is difficult.”

Writing papers was what Brian hated most. It was much more troublesome and arduous than writing case reports. Mezulen said:

“Wow, even brothers are different.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Eidel really loves writing papers. He just eats and writes papers. I tell you, he’s the type who would secretly text his professor if he got an idea even while on a date with his girlfriend!”

The green-haired girl clutched her stomach and laughed loudly. She didn’t seem normal. How to put it—there was a hint of subtle madness about her.

Eidel, who had gone to buy engagement jewelry, returned at that moment.

He was being carried on Sonia’s back. He wasn’t injured or unconscious, just taking a short nap. Brian frowned and asked why.

“The young master takes short naps like this while moving. It’s because his research blurs the boundary between day and night.”

After Sonia answered, she put Eidel down. His eyes opened smoothly as if someone had turned on a switch.

“Ah, you’re here, Brother.”

It was creepy.

Was he a machine?

How could someone who was just dozing wake up so naturally and greet someone so calmly?

“I heard my eldest brother came looking for me twice. I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you sooner. And thank you for your concern. I bought coffee—would you like some?”

“…No, that’s fine.”

He might have put sleeping pills in that coffee. For some reason, that thought crossed Brian’s mind. Brian reflexively complimented Eidel.

“You’ve been working hard. I couldn’t have imagined the old Eidel being like this. I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ve been too busy to know what my brother has been doing, but seeing this makes me feel nostalgic. Could you perhaps show me around your lab? I’d like to see what scientists do.”

“Of course. You’re curious about what physicists do, right?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes. That’s it. Just simple curiosity.”

It was slightly forced, but Eidel nodded willingly. Instead, Brian’s suspicions deepened. Was some huge trap waiting for him?

“For this project, I chose to research crystals. It’s a toy project with moderate difficulty.”

In fact, Eidel had been conducting this research for quite some time, but Brian had no way of knowing that.

“Is writing a paper your goal?”

“Yes.”

“It would be difficult to write one within two months.”

“Why would it be difficult?”

At this point, Brian felt a chill down his spine.

It was instinct.

In the eyes of Eidel, who was calmly responding while looking at him, he vaguely sensed an abyss. He felt fear toward his brother, not some alien or monster.

His pride was hurt.

At that moment, Erica (Unit 1) raised her hand and asked:

“Has an android entered here recently? A robot with the family label.”

“Android? Ah.”

Eidel nodded as if realizing something. He rummaged through his pocket and took out a key card.

“The family sent one two weeks ago. I don’t know who sent it, but I’ve been using it effectively.”

“…Effectively?”

“Yes.”

Brian barely concealed his bewilderment. As soon as Eidel opened the door to the separate chamber, Erica (Unit 2) appeared.

Unit 2 was connected to what looked like hundreds of cables. The tangled electrical wires, like tentacles, reminded him of an inspector captured and violated by a Darwin’s Legion alien.

“Calculate, calculate, calculate, no, no, no, matrix, matrix, matrix…”

Unit 2 was muttering something like a broken person.

Looking at her, Eidel shook his head.

“This is the computer room. It’s a bit hot because I’ve been running calculations continuously… Sorry, let me turn on the air conditioner for a moment.”

Whoosh.

Not long after the air conditioner started, Unit 2’s cloudy pupils returned to normal. She slowly raised her head as if waking up from unconsciousness. Soon her eyes widened.

“…Young master? Young master!”

Unit 2 shouted.

“You came to save me! Please help me, young master! This place is hell! It’s more terrible than an alien’s demonic realm! Please, save me…!”

“Oh?”

Eidel scratched his head and turned around.

“Was that friend the android you sent me, Brother?”

“…Well, that’s.”

“Thank you very much. Thanks to her, I wrote my paper well. The VRAM capacity was sufficient, so the simulations ran smoothly.”

Brian unconsciously took a step back.

The response was too mechanical to claim ignorance. As if trying to hide that there was no malice. That made it even more eerie.

When Brian remained silent, Eidel asked with a look of sudden realization:

“…Perhaps you didn’t give her to me?”

“Please save me, young master——!!”

“It seems like you did, though.”

“Please save meeee——!!”

What should he do here?

There were two options.

Either abandon Erica (Unit 2) or retrieve her.

Abandoning her would be easy. He could simply show generosity. He could say he specially gave her for his studious brother, so accept it without hesitation. This would also demonstrate his magnanimity to the council of elders.

Conversely, retrieving her would require Eidel’s consent. If his research wasn’t just for show, Unit 2 must be taken back. Eidel should not complete his project if possible.

However, it was uncertain how Eidel would react afterward. That uncertainty caused anxiety that tipped the scales.

The deliberation wasn’t long. Brian made his decision and spoke:

“It was a surprise gift to celebrate meeting my brother after a long time. You can continue using that robot.”

“Young master?”

“Y-young master…”

Erica Unit 1 was too shocked to speak, and Unit 2 began crying with a sorrowful voice.

“Young master! Why! I’ve been so loyal to you! Why are you abandoning me!”

Click.

Brian closed the door without saying anything. Erica (Unit 1)’s expression became even more dumbfounded. Eidel asked:

“Are you really giving her to me?”

“Yes. We’re brothers, aren’t we?”

Brian smiled while patting Eidel’s shoulder. He was desperately managing his image right now.

There was a reason. Looking into Eidel’s profound eyes, he realized:

A hidden dragon.

This guy was a dragon submerged underwater, quietly waiting for his time.

The hypothesis that all his past mischief was to hide his abilities.

Add to that the papers that shook the universe, his suddenly respectful attitude, his father’s defense of him, and his sudden closeness with Seti. When all these results were fitted into this hypothesis, everything made sense.

Why? If Brian had known earlier that Eidel was this intelligent, he would have dealt with him long ago.

At the very least, it was proven here that Eidel knew how to play politics, so abandoning Unit 2 was the right choice. Otherwise, he could be caught in reverse.

As if waiting for this moment, Eidel said:

“If you were going to give her to me, why didn’t you just say so? Why did you just leave her at the lab door for two weeks without saying anything?”

Interpretation: If it was a gift, Erica wouldn’t be saying such things. Why are you lying?

“Brothers can share things. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of this.”

Eidel swallowed at those words. Brian nervously swallowed as well.

Eidel reopened the door to the separate chamber. Inside was Unit 2, tears streaming down her face.

“I appreciate your consideration, Brother. But as you can see, she seems to dislike being with us. I’ll return her to you.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Please take her back. I’ve already collected all the data I needed for my experiments, so I won’t need a GPU until the first half of the year. If anything comes up, I can leave it to Sonia.”

At Eidel’s nod, Sonia moved. She released Unit 2 from her restraints. Freed from the black tentacles, Unit 2 ran to Brian and collapsed before him.

“Young master, please don’t abandon me, sob…!”

She pleaded desperately.

“I may have been overworked, but I’m still fine. Look, I can display videos. See? High definition, right? I’m still useful. So…”

An image formed in the air. Though it stuttered slightly due to overheating, the quality was generally clear thanks to her excellent basic performance.

“So p-please don’t abandon me. I’m begging you. If you don’t need me anymore, just dispose of me properly. Master, you know. I have lots of gold, silver, and platinum in my body. It’s worth quite a bit of money…”

Unit 2 begged as if praying to a god.

Erica’s main body was also looking at Brian with a confused gaze. She had already exchanged information with her clone. All the video information of Eidel’s actions over the past two weeks had been copied.

In other words, Unit 2’s role was finished.

“Brother. You should keep this robot.”

“Y-young master…”

“Continue to use her effectively. Now I’ll be going.”

“Young masteeeeer——!!”

Brian left without looking back.

***

“I won the mind game.”

Brian is so cautious that when told to advance, he stays still, and when told to stay still, he advances. I used that trait appropriately, and he ended up giving me his android.

Plus, he seems to think I’m crazy, which is even better.

Two-faced. He’s someone whose outside and inside are different anyway. In the original work, as soon as he became the head of the family, he sent Seti and Rezein to a distant planetary system, which shows his character.

It felt satisfying to have gotten one over on such a snake-like person.

“Erica, get up.”

“…No.”

“Sonia.”

“No! No! Absolutely not! I don’t want to do matrix operations anymore! Aaaah!”

Sonia firmly grabbed Erica and forced her to sit in a chair. After staring at Erica for a moment, she unexpectedly said:

“Young master, it would be best not to assign excessive work.”

“Why?”

“We also have intelligence. And emotions.”

“Hmm.”

This was peculiar.

Was this the “machine rebellion” commonly seen in science fiction?

It felt like preheating leftover pizza and suddenly having the microwave say “Stop eating and lose some weight” before automatically turning off.

Humans created machines for convenience, didn’t they?

If a machine refuses to work, you send it for repairs—who would keep it around and coddle it? Even if it has a human form.

Nevertheless.

“I know what you’re thinking, young master. Yes, neither I nor this Erica are human. We’re not even alive. But…”

I quietly listened to what followed. In three years together, this was the first time I’d seen Sonia in this mood.

“…Although our neural structures are different, our thoughts and feelings are the same. The materials that make up your hand and mine are different, but both can cook food, write, and play the piano.”

“Functionalism…”

“That’s right. We may not be living beings, but we are intelligent entities. We can’t claim rights as we were created by you humans, but we ask for your mercy.”

It was logical.

“But weren’t you the one who brought Erica here?”

“I never dreamed you would work her so hard without a single break.”

Ah, so that was it.

Just as people go crazy from working overtime, and computers crash or show blue screens when left on too long.

I learned that artificial intelligence also cries when overworked.

“Alright. I’ll let Erica rest for a while.”

“Thank you, young master.”

I looked at the panicked Erica. The expression of an android abandoned by its master was more devastating than I had imagined. She looked like a woman who had been rejected. In situations like this, they really are just like humans.

Brian quickly discards useless things. Charitably speaking, he’s decisive; less charitably, he’s heartless.

Since I couldn’t handle Erica, Mezulen would take care of her. After settling the matter, Sonia bowed her head respectfully. She opened her mouth:

“And, young master. Congratulations on your engagement.”

Perhaps because I had listened to her plea earlier.

For some reason, her voice seemed to be trembling.