One Day, Aaaru

The man walked with a bundle of luggage.

“……..”

Occasionally, the wind carried dust.

He flicked away the small particles that stung his eyes.

He shaded his eyes with his hand, looking into the distance.

It was clear that a yellow storm was coiled in the distance.

It was quite far away, but it was a distance that a raging storm could cross in a single breath.

“Let’s hurry.”

He readjusted the bundle made of stitched cloth.

Clang, the scrap metal inside the bundle clinked against each other.

Following the path of the excavated city, he hurried towards the center.

The shadow of the storm that had been visible in the distance was now chasing him.

Breaking free from the storm’s pull, he scanned the path he had taken.

The city had declined.

The artificial lines of asphalt that divided the differently shaped lands had already blurred.

The uniformly black road revealed uneven dirt roads here and there, as if exposing its bare skin.

Also, the controlled nature now took root as it pleased, greedily invading artificial creations.

In other words, Aaru was collapsing.

He pulled up the luggage that was hanging below his waist again.

Sand was already reaching his ankles.

He chewed his lower lip and managed to arrive at the door of the Cradle.

Something rushed out from beyond the dark glass door, and soon the door opened.

“You’ve come at the right time. If you had been delayed, you would have been caught in the storm’s influence.”

It was Isis, the administrator of the city.

“It’s a good thing I scouted the area in advance.”

He began to climb the stairs, dragging his luggage, and Isis followed him, patting off the dirt on his body.

Isis’s hands touched him from his shoulders to his hips.

For some reason, it seemed like she was dusting his hips more carefully than other places, but Kang In-ho didn’t bother to point it out.

Isis, who had tidied up Kang In-ho’s clothes, overtook him.

At the gray woman’s clap, the building began to light up.

“Is there enough electricity?”

“Storage capacity 52%. It can operate for 328 hours with minimum power.”

“There’s still some leeway.”

“If the storm stops, it seems like we can replenish it with solar power.”

“The sun doesn’t seem to be shining well these days.”

“The problem is that the efficiency has decreased due to the recently damaged solar panels.”

Kang In-ho and Isis arrived at the floor where the warehouse was located.

He was finally able to put down the luggage he had been carrying on his shoulder.

As the wrapping cloth unfolded in the shape of a flower blooming, pieces of scrap metal of unclear use poured out.

Isis watched the scrap metal scattered on the floor.

Soon, a robot made by modifying a cart appeared at a slow speed.

The two loaded the robot with things that looked to be in good condition.

The sorting work was soon over, and the robot disappeared at an even slower speed than when it came.

“I’ll melt the remaining ones and make them into other parts as always.”

Isis said, putting the remaining scrap metal in a sack.

“Some of the urgent things will be resolved.”

The spirits of iron that managed the city had been in eternal sleep for a long time.

It was almost impossible for two people to manage this huge city.

“Yes. That’s a relief.”

Rubbing his stiff shoulders, Kang In-ho watched Isis bring the sack.

His gaze turned to Isis’s feet.

He saw dirt of the same color as what was on his shoes.

“Isis.”

“Yes, Master.”

“You followed me, didn’t you?”

“……..”

“I thought it was strange that you let me go so easily when the storm was coming.”

Kang In-ho chuckled. It wasn’t a rebuke.

Respecting each other’s freedom. It was a condition that Kang In-ho had set for Isis after he came here.

Kang In-ho said he would gather the materials needed to rebuild the city, and Isis respected his will.

But she couldn’t abandon her unique protective nature, so she must have secretly followed him.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s your will to follow me. And you didn’t really stop me.”

“It was to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.”

“Yeah, I know. But….”

Kang In-ho’s eyes narrowed.

“Did you finish the work you were supposed to finish by today? You were supposed to do it while I was out. X-12 facility wiring maintenance.”

“Ah….”

An out-of-place sound popped out of her mouth.

“That’s….”

Isis lowered her head and avoided his gaze.

The gray woman wiggled her index finger and began to calculate.

Clearly, she was thinking of a suitable excuse.

“That’s?”

Kang In-ho waited patiently for her.

Soon, Isis, who had finished calculating, raised her head.

Her gray eyes were filled with something that looked like confidence.

She put her hand on her waist and puffed out her chest.

A pose that embodied confidence.

Kang In-ho waited for her to speak.

“I didn’t do it. Master’s safety is more important.”

At the brazen answer, Kang In-ho’s hands went up on their own.

His hands changed into a shape that was good for grabbing something.

And he gently wrapped her soft face.

“Hmm?”

“Is that something you should say!”

Squish!

Isis’s cheeks stretched out mercilessly.

“Ah- It hurts!”

“Funny. An android.”

“The pain sensors are turned on.”

“You don’t sound like you’re in pain at all?”

“Actually, that was a lie. I turned off the pain sensors in advance.”

“You little punk!!!!”

In the most incomplete world with only two people, a boisterous sound echoed.