Eve

“I would like to ask a question as well.
Do you register as a Master?”

“Yeeees!
Yes, I am.
I shall be your Master!”

I don’t know if the relic will do such a thing…
But I can’t afford to be abandoned by taking too much time to respond.
Without hesitation, I answered, “Yes.”

“Understood.
I will register you as a new Master.
Please tell me your name, Master.”

“My name is Asuru Lomb…”

Stopping mid-sentence, I fell silent.
I’m such an idiot…
Maybe, I still have some lingering regrets in a corner of my heart…

“I’m sorry.
My name is Asuru.
…Just Asuru.”

“It’s ‘Just Asuru-sama’, right? Understood.
Register as a master with that na…”

“Nooo! Wait a moment, wait a moment!”

While I was frantically waving my hand in the air, surprisingly, laughter spilt out from the relic.

“My apologies as well. That was just a joke.
I will register you as a master under the name Asuru.”

This relic is claiming it’s a joke…
Shocked by the fact that an ancient civilization wasted its technological prowess on something unnecessary, I wait for the following words.

“Well then, Master…
Right away, it can be deduced that you are in a highly unclean and unsanitary condition and also in a state of severe malnutrition.”

“I don’t really understand the meaning of the word’ nutrition,’ but I am indeed pretty dirty…”

While floating in midair through magic, I look over my body.
The garments worn for so long are tattered in various places and soaked with sweat.
…Honestly, it’s surprising that I managed to get through the past five years without getting sick.
All of this must be the work of my unwavering determination.

“‘Nutrition’ is the term for the vital energy obtained by the body from food consumption.”
Firstly, I propose that you board, cleanse your body, wear clean clothing, consume nutritious meals, and rest your body.“

I nodded in agreement to the clear words.

“If that can be achieved, then that is what I desire.
But…”

I look down at the relic below.
Apparently, it was indeed a ship, covered all across its hull with mystical shining metal plates…
I can’t even find a seam, let alone the entrance…

“Please come down to the ground.
I will open the entrance.”

“Oooooh!?”

When the ‘ship’ said so, part of the port side seemed to expand, and from there, a staircase extended smoothly.
That relic from the ancient past is impressive!

Filled with emotion and excitement, I descend to the ground and step onto the stairs!
And then, I end up tumbling down in surprise as the stairs move on their own!

…Amazing, that relic from the ancient past!

I ascended the peculiar stairs that made me suspect it was a mimic-type magical creature…
Inside the ‘ship’ was a confined space made of materials with an unknown texture, something I had never seen before.
It was abnormally narrow, considering the ship’s colossal size… A passageway where two adults can barely pass each other.
There, waiting for me, was an incredibly beautiful… woman.

In terms of age, she was in her late teens?
Her hair, which reached down to her waist, emitted a seven-coloured light, constantly changing its hue and never revealing its actual colour.
Her facial features were perfectly arranged, giving an artificial impression due to the lack of expression.
Her outfit… How can I put it into words?
Clearly distinct from things made of plants and animals, a strange glossy fabric…
It’s sewn with such precision that it’s hard to believe it was made by human hands. It was crafted into women’s clothes and clings tightly to the body.
Clearly revealing her figure, despite almost no exposure, it could be considered alluring depending on the perspective.

“I have been waiting for you, Master”

The voice that came out of those lips sounded the same as ‘ship’s’ voice…
So, she was the source of that voice?

“You are…?”

“I am the autonomous organic terminal of this ‘Mamiya’ vessel.”

She kept her expression unchanged in response to my question…
She was only changing the colour of her hair infinitely.
She answered, but… I have no idea what she’s talking about.

“So… What in the world is this thing called ‘organic something’ you’re talking about?”

In response to my question, the girl tilted her head with unique movements as if controlled by a string like a puppet.
After doing so for a while, her mouth finally opened.

“If I were to say that I am a doppelganger of the ‘Mamiya’ ship, would you understand?”

Ah, I somewhat get that explanation…

Doppelganger, doppelganger…
In other words, the main body is none other than this ship…
She is probably a being that can be called a familiar.

…It’s one thing if it were cats or birds, but turning a living human into a familiar.
Truly, the technology of this super-ancient civilization is remarkable.
But…

“That child… is controlling humans, huh?
It’s a bit… I feel sorry for you.”

“If you are mindful of humanitarian concerns, there’s no issue.
This body is artificially created, and its structure is completely different from that of a typical Homo sapiens.”

“Artificially created…?
Does that mean the ancient civilization had completed the homunculus!?”

To create a life that is beyond natural by human hands…
So, the technology of the ancient civilization had reached into the realm of gods…?

I ask the homunculus girl while being deeply impressed.

“So, does that mean you will assist me?”

“Yes.
As a vice-captain, or as a secretary, or as a maid, I will assist you in all your activities.
As such, please give a name to this terminal to distinguish it from the ship’s name ‘Mamiya.’”

“Give you a name.
So that’s my first task…”

“Yes.”

Urged by the girl, I thought of a name.
What emerged from my thoughts was a name that lay deep in my memory…

“…Eve”

“Is it ‘Eve’? Understood.
By the way, may I ask about the origin of the name?”

I hesitated for a while at those words, then resigned myself and spoke.

“It’s the name of my stillborn sister.”

“I understand.
I will be your strength in place of your sister.”

This was how Eve and I met.