Chapter 98: Lower Realm Disappearance Case 3
“This way.”
Following the Executor responsible for managing the lower realm’s gates, I came upon a staircase used as quarters for the Executors.
[Sillion Residential Area]
“For the lower realm, it’s quite clean.”
The architectural style and materials themselves felt out of place.
Magrid and the lower realm beneath it were generally places where displaced lower-class citizens and criminals, chased out of Ark, had gathered, making the architectural styles markedly different.
To draw a comparison, if the upper layers, including the Nine Dragons, gave off a cyberpunk or futuristic sci-fi city vibe, this place leaned heavily toward dark, gloomy medieval fantasy architecture.
And not just medieval fantasy, but the impoverished kind—like peasants from a minor domain struggling to live in dens packed together like an anthill.
The buildings weren’t just medieval in style; they were made of low-quality materials, with electric wiring and illegal sewage pipes tangled visibly on the outer walls, making them look crude.
Compared to that, the Sillion Residential Area felt like a clean housing complex lifted directly from near the Barrier Agency.
“The Sillion area is one of the upper sections of the lower realm. From here, you can oversee much of the lower realm.”
“I heard there are many criminal groups, mafias, and gangs. Won’t it become a target?”
“This area is designated for Executors and Overseers dispatched directly from Ark. Even the most reckless trash would not dare to look this way if they had any sense.”
Though the central government had largely abandoned the lower realm, Executors and Overseers were periodically dispatched to monitor power dynamics and check for calamities.
“This is as far as I go. Once you’ve settled in, you’ll find an instruction manual for the Overseer inside.”
“Can I use the whole building?”
“My orders end here, but the entire building is likely designated for the Overseer.”
The treatment for Overseers was certainly generous.
It wasn’t on the level of my Ultima-class accommodation in the Nine Dragons, but being able to use an entire clean, three-story building was a pleasant surprise.
The Executor saluted me and departed after saying this. I set Marlang down on the ground and opened the door.
-Click.
The interior was spotless.
“There are so many beds!”
“Yeah, I see that.”
As Marlang pointed out, there was an unusually high number of beds inside.
Fifty.
No, fifty-two beds were neatly arranged in rows in what looked like an auditorium.
“Marlang!”
While Marlang dove onto a random bed, I began exploring the surroundings.
The exterior resembled a luxury pension, but the interior felt closer to a large-scale dormitory.
Had a small special operations unit stayed here before?
Just as I was beginning to feel that the space was unnecessarily spacious, I sensed movement from upstairs.
It wasn’t the first time I’d felt this presence.
It belonged to individuals I had encountered not long ago.
I ascended the stairs with slight anticipation.
“That’s not how you do it.”
“Silence. You were the same when you first started.”
“That’s a flimsy excuse. I adapted in 12 minutes and 49 seconds, while you still seem far from it after 13 minutes.”
“If not for your constant interruptions, I would’ve done it faster.”
It was the voices of the dolls.
Judging by their conversation, they seemed to have become much more human-like.
Alice smirked as she climbed the stairs.
When I first met them, the dolls had been devoid of emotion, desire, or reason, almost as lifeless as Theresa.
Even the last time I saw them, they were only faintly regaining their humanity, basking in sunlight or quietly watching butterflies flutter by.
It seemed that Earnest Rail had failed to completely remove their humanity, and the negligence in their management under my commands had allowed those hidden seeds of humanity to sprout.
It wasn’t a bad thing.
After all, I didn’t need weapons.
“Hello, everyone.”
When I entered the area where the children were resting, fifty pairs of eyes turned toward me in unison.
Though they had reclaimed their humanity, their precise, synchronized movements were still more machine-like than I was.
That, too, would likely change soon.
Once humanity had bloomed, it could crumble in an instant.
“Executive Director, Alice. Confirmed.”
“Confirmed.”
“Deactivating standby mode.”
“Hello. Executive Director. Orders?”
“Orders?”
The dolls, which I hadn’t seen in a while, seemed to look quite well.
I wasn’t joking; their complexions had visibly improved.
It made sense, considering that even though they were in standby mode, they had been lounging around, rolling in blankets, or relaxing while watching hologram TVs or reading books.
Despite being called dolls, they were fundamentally orphaned girls who were still alive.
Unlike the days when they were forcibly given commands as weapons, they now received proper rest and even had some degree of personal autonomy, a stark contrast to how they were used as weapons by Earnest Rail.
‘I should thank Oriana for this.’
As I’ve mentioned multiple times before, dolls are the result of Earnest Rail purchasing orphans from the lower world and combining them with war weapons and magical machinery.
The combat strength of a single doll rivals that of a second- or third-class Overseer or an A-class Hunter, and because their foundation is human, they lack the rigidity typically associated with AI.
If the technology and facilities to mass-produce them were secured, the possibility of rebelling against Ark would no longer be a dream.
If these were manufactured like consumer goods, even the central leadership of Ark would feel sufficiently threatened, which is why Earnest Rail regarded the dolls as the ultimate masterpiece and a means to rebel against Ark.
However, dolls cannot even be created without the power of “Fusion” possessed by Baroness Sabrina, the ruler of the Demon Territory.
The reason Earnest Rail kept Sabrina captive for over two years was likely to manufacture dolls without her fusion power or perhaps to replicate the power itself.
‘Well, it’s all meaningless now since Earnest Rail and all its affiliated personnel have been executed for treason against Ark.’
“Malang~!”
Malang, who had been rolling around on a bed downstairs, seemed to notice the dolls and excitedly clung to the one at the front.
The Undead Girls were incredibly fond of the dolls, which looked similar to them in age.
Their young girl-like appearance and shared existence as weapons probably fostered a sense of kinship.
I stroked the head of the doll standing next to me.
“…”
It wasn’t synthetic hair—it was a real person’s hair.
Just as I was becoming more human through integration, perhaps these girls, as they regained their humanity, could one day return to being fully human.
“How have you been? You haven’t been hurt or sick, have you?”
“Is that a report order?”
“No, not an order… I was just curious about how you’ve been and if anyone has been giving you trouble.”
“Since we were assisting Executive Director Alice with her inspection of the northern front, we have experienced no external pressure.”
“However, all communication with the Earnest Rail Executive Board, Policy Coordination Office, and Combat Data Computation Center has been completely severed.”
The dolls spoke to me one by one, in turn.
It made sense—since the personnel of Earnest Rail had been executed, all direct and indirect controls over these girls had disappeared, leaving no one to command them.
The only remaining commander was me, the final inspector.
Though they spoke matter-of-factly, without me, these dolls would likely have been sent to the incinerator for violating Ark’s taboos.
Even though they were young, the idea of eliminating uncontrollable dissidents and rooting out treasonous elements would have prevailed.
In other words, these girls could only survive because of me.
Another responsibility had been added to my shoulders.
But I didn’t feel resentful.
It was strange for a Demon King to feel glad about saving someone, but didn’t someone have to take responsibility, even a little, for the tragic fates of these orphaned girls?
【Human, I have confirmed the loss of Earnest Rail’s command authority.】
【You are now the sole command authority and owner of all 50 dolls.】
Good.
Theresa confirmed this by hacking into Earnest Rail’s database and command system.
“As of now, I am no longer Executive Director Alice. I am Overseer Alice.”
“Should we address you as Overseer Alice, then?”
“Call me whatever you like—Overseer or Alice. I’m not particular about titles.”
“Confirmed.”
“Confirmed.”
“Input complete.”
“Ownership and command authority verified.”
“Earnest Rail’s command authority voided.”
“Welcome, Alice.”
“Please feel free to use us as you wish.”
The sight of fifty girls clinging to me, asking to be used, was quite peculiar.
Wow, their skin is soft and supple.
Now that I looked closely, the dolls were just as strikingly beautiful as the Undead Girls.
Hidden beneath the frightening premise of being war machines, their slender, delicate bodies clad in skintight leotard suits stood out vividly, without even any underwear underneath.
I don’t know much about Earnest Rail’s preferences in the upper echelon, but I can confidently say there are quite a few pedophiles among them.
Dirty bastards.
They deserved to die.
“Huff, Sensei. Should I call you Overseer too?”
“Marlang, just call me whatever’s comfortable. And don’t stroke the doll’s thigh while it’s staying still.”
“Ehh, but we do this often among ourselves… Marlang.”
Looking a bit disappointed, Marlang removed her hand from stroking one of the doll’s thighs and started pulling on the doll’s cheeks instead.
Identifying the dolls was much simpler compared to the Immortal Girls.
The magical weapons and anti-barrier gear worn by the dolls had identification numbers ranging from D-1 to D-50, so I could easily call them things like “Number 1” or “Number 2.”
Incidentally, the doll currently acting as their leader seemed to be Doll Number 1.
She was the first to greet me and seemed capable of grasping the situation, indicating that, just as computers have slight differences between units, dolls might also have subtle variances in performance or humanity.
“Now then, Alice, the entity known as Rilstia Frostia has a message to deliver to you.”
“Huh? I thought I was supposed to get a command document?”
“For security purposes, the message was verbally entrusted to me, Doll Number 1. Until you arrived, we were ordered to remain here.”
I recalled that Rilstia had been with me the entire time—when did she find the opportunity to pass on the mission instructions?
She must be a remarkable Administrator if she managed to pull that off.
【In matters of hacking, administration, net dives, and network connections, Administrator Rilstia Frostia is definitely superior to me.】
‘That much?’
【Although this Auxiliary Personality prides itself on its expertise in neural network-related information, Administrator Rilstia Frostia has no resistance to Ark’s entire neural network. All electronic neural networks organically function as a singular mental entity or cellular structure, directly manifesting in reality’s synapses…】
‘Just get to the point.’
【In simple terms, the Administrator herself appears to be a kind of electronic lifeform. In Ark’s hierarchy, she has far greater authority and accessibility than I do.】
On the surface, she looked unassuming, like a typical bureaucrat, but clearly, judging by appearances in Ark was a fool’s game.
“Then I shall relay the Administrator’s command document.”
Doll Number 1 began to speak.
“Currently, the Magrid Steps are hosting a field training exercise for pre-graduates from the Central Academy.”
Although I’d already heard of this, the Academy is an educational institution that nurtures valuable personnel for Ark’s central roles, such as Overseers and Executors.
Ordinary people from the Nine Dragons couldn’t even dream of attending, and competition was fierce even among the high-ranking families of Ark’s central domain.
‘I think that trashy guy, Rosa Vintz, a third-class Overseer, was also an Academy graduate.’
Even a scoundrel like him had climbed to the upper echelons of Ark as a third-class Overseer.
I wasn’t sure whether to be impressed by the Academy or to think that the standard for Overseers wasn’t as high as I’d imagined.
Oriana is said to have been a special recruit who completed the academy and field training in the shortest possible time to become a First-Class Overseer.
“While conducting field training, there were a total of 114 prospective graduates.
They were undergoing training in various lower realms such as Magrid, Riquen, Sertorani, and Yondemon, focusing on maintaining public order, subduing criminals, and learning gang management methods.”
“Gang management training…?”
It makes sense to teach criminal subjugation processes, but training Overseers to manage and collaborate with gangs?
If such a thing is being taught at an academy, the end times must be near.
Well, considering that the population in the lower levels of Magrid alone numbers in the billions, it’s not entirely incomprehensible.
As in the upper levels, life likely holds even less value in the lower realms.
“And currently, all 114 trainees are missing.”
“All of them?”
“To determine the status of the trainees, seven Fifth-Class Overseers and a battalion of Executors escorting them conducted a search in the lower realms, but they too have all gone missing.”
“The location of the disappearance?”
“The area is so vast that precise coordinates cannot be confirmed.
However, the last signal from the missing individuals was detected at the lowest point of the Magrid Step and the midpoint of the Yondemon Step.
It was confirmed that not only the trainees but also all human signals from that lower realm vanished at the specified location.”
“Hah, this is giving me a headache. Should I just go there myself?”
“I will add additional information.”
The doll continued speaking in a calm voice.
“Blood contamination zones were identified at the disappearance site.”
“…?”
Blood contamination?
What does that even mean?
I wanted to ask the doll, but unfortunately, the doll doesn’t know much—it only delivers commands to me.
【Human, it is described as an infectious disease where human blood mutates, turning individuals into monsters.】
“What? There’s something like that in the lower realms, and those above haven’t said a word? Am I really supposed to handle this alone? Shouldn’t Oriana or another high-ranking Overseer be sent as well?”
【The command given to Human is to investigate the disappearance of academy students. The lives of those in the lower levels are irrelevant.】
“Hah…”
I had been taught that all lives hold equal weight, but here, that principle seemed entirely negated.
Whether I sighed or not, the doll continued speaking.
“Additionally, the True Ancestor Virus has been detected in the lower layers. Extreme caution is required.”
“Ah.”
…This is just great.