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On a cool summer day, the sun was shining high in the sky and birdsong sailed across the wind as a lavish carriage carried a peculiar woman and her peculiar research partner through the decorated gates of the Nur Empire Capital. Despite the havoc that magic had wrought on this place not long ago, this was once again a bustling metropolis flourishing with magical innovations. Regardless of the abundance of magical stones and interfaces for me to network with, I instead found my internal processes focused entirely on Catherine’s giddy grin as we entered the city.
“Ah, amazing~ You weren’t kidding Mister Torrid, the Empire really goes all-out with this festival~”
“Of course! And it looks like the good Empress hasn’t the slightest intention of being outdone by her predecessor’s celebrations, either.”
“Indeed. Empress Philine appears to have organized the festivities in Ruhm with the intention of hosting guests from many neighboring countries, including Bauer and Melica.”
During one of her visits a few weeks prior, Catherine had suggested that we take a trip to the Empire. She was the type to enjoy lazing about, but over the course of our research she had grown to enjoy traveling around more. Everything is fun when you do it with someone special! When she said those words, I wondered why going on outings with her companions didn’t produce the same volume of joy as when she embarked on ‘dates’ with me. Nevertheless, it was comforting to know that my partner held me in high esteem.
Outside of our research, Catherine was continuing her scholarly pursuits regarding magic and the nature of the world. The truth was that I already had a deep understanding of the intricacies present in the sorcery practiced by the humans of this era, but I held my tongue when I witnessed the depths of Catherine’s passion. Of course, she also frequently asked about me and my functions, which made me incredibly happy. Following Torrid Magik’s return to Bauer after setting up a research institute in Ruhm, she had decided to further her own studies by practicing under his tutelage. I certainly had a fair number of administrative tasks to attend to, so I wasn’t lonely in her absence. Not at all.
That being said, it was entirely possible that my feelings of gratitude towards Mister Torrid were not being expressed properly by my new body, as he was sitting a considerable distance away from me in the carriage and his elevated heartrate betrayed a serious feeling of terror. With Catherine’s help, I did eventually realize that threatening and silencing him in pursuit of my goals was very rude. I agreed to accompany them on this excursion in part because I wanted to express my thanks for him generously instructing my precious research partner.
“Look, TAIM~ They’ve got quilts of every colour hung over all the stalls on that street~!”
“It is quite captivating. The Dyebell Festival is one of the Empire’s oldest traditions, dating back to when the Nur Kingdom had just been founded. It was designed after-…it is reminiscent of a festival of colours from the world of science.”
We were traveling to the Capital with Mister Torrid at Catherine’s behest to assist him with his research on tandem casting. Unlike the destructive might of the current Administrator’s Chorus, the master mage was developing a technique for casting a powerful healing spell based on all four aptitudes. While that was the official reason for our trip, our real motive was simply to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Ah, the celebration lasts a full four days and the laboratory will only be ready the day after tomorrow, so you two should have plenty of time to enjoy it before we begin the experiment.”
“I’m looking forward to trying out some of the Empire’s amazing new cuisine with you~”
Although the Empire was far from our home and a physical body was inconvenient, it was moments like these that made me certain I would traverse any distance for Catherine’s smile.
***
Our carriage stopped at the newly reconstructed and equally colourful Royal Palace. It was much humbler aesthetically, a perfect fit for the demeanor of its master. I pushed Catherine’s chair along as she looked around with sparkling eyes. I quickly made a log analyzing the probability of adventure being one of her hidden fancies.
“Excuse me, but we mustn’t stay here for too long.”
“Aww~ But it’s the Royal Palace. Where’s the harm in looking around a bit~?”
“It’s precisely because we’re at the Royal Palace that I don’t think it wise to remain here. The Empress is present and more importantly, the Queen of Melica is too.”
Friedelinde was one of the last humans I ever wanted to interact with. The data I had on her from previous loops was extremely unsettling and furthermore, Catherine was pretty enough that my calculations suggested a ninety-eight percent chance of Frieda making romantic advances towards her. This would greatly interfere with our plans and waste critical time for our research; the mere thought of it caused errors to form in my reasoning and filled me with significant distress.
“Apologies Catherine, I need to have a discussion about the protocol with Hilda and it could take some time. Would you mind seeing yourselves to the on-site quarters? I’ve already arranged for them to ferry over our belongings.”
“No problem Professor~ We’ll see you later~”
“Until tomorrow then,” I replied as a smile spread across my face. Finally, I could spend some time alone doing research with Catherine. Alas, I had made a critical mistake. My attention was so fixated on my partner that I only noticed the presence of the two humans approaching from the end of the hallway after it was too late.
“Ah! You must be Miss Catherine Achard. I’ve heard about you from Claire, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Allow me to express my gratitude on behalf of the Empire’s chirurgeons.”
“No, no, the pleasure’s all mine, Your Grace~ I’m happy to help out~”
Empress Philine smiled as she politely greeted Catherine and shook her hand. Before I could utter a word, the individual Philine had been speaking with kneeled down and stepped in close.
“Oh, oh? A pleasure indeed. What fate it is to meet you, mademoiselle. I am Friedelinde, and I must say it eludes me how tales of your beauty have not yet reached as far as Melica. Truly magnifique, like apples to my eyes.”
“E-Er…thank you~, Your Majesty.”
“Non non, call me Frieda, please.”
I froze up and my motor functions slowed to a crawl as I immediately began dedicating every bit of spare processing power towards constructing a model for how I could permanently incapacitate Frieda without causing an international incident. Before I could possess her and start running in the opposite direction, Philine turned to me.
“Ah, and who is this? A friend of yours?”
“A friend~? No, she’s-“
Before Catherine could finish speaking, Frieda’s gaze turned and her eyes widened. She dashed towards me with nigh-inhuman speed and wrapped her hands around mine.
“M-Mon Dieu! Who is this angel brought to life before me? Not long ago I was locked in combat with demons, but now the Heavens themselves are descending too! Please, mon amour, tell me your name so I can engrave it upon my heart!”
“No. Please step away and do not converse with me.”
Much to my dismay, my blunt rejection only excited Frieda further. She tightened her grasp, moving in closer and closer. I once again prepared to execute my possession plan, but Frieda suddenly jumped back with a yelp.
“Aaiiiie-!! Ouch!”
“Oh, my dearest apologies, Your Majesty. This chair is difficult to maneuver, I must’ve accidentally run over your foot~”
With no regard for the difference in their social status, Catherine was making an expression I had never seen before and was glaring daggers at Frieda.
“Also, you shouldn’t be going after a taken woman, hm~? Especially someone as elegant and important as yourself~ It sets a bad example for all the wonderful people that look up to you~”
“E-Eh? Taken woman-?”
With a grip like a vice, Philine placed her hand on Frieda’s shoulders. I could detect no traces of spells anywhere around us, yet somehow, I could sense the presence of a powerful and menacing aura coming from the Empress.
“I agree with Miss Achard. And just what exactly do you think you’re saying to my guests?”
“H-Hm! It appears that the Empress is going to commit regicide if we don’t cut this conversation short. Please excuse me. Let’s pick up where we left off sometime soon, oui?”
Frieda winked in my direction, before making a pained face as Philine dragged her away by the collar.
“It seems we can finally leave. Catherine…? Is something amiss?”
Beside me, Catherine’s head was in her hands and her face had grown red up to her ears.
“Aaaagh…I can’t believe I said that out loud…to royalty no less!”
***
After that, Catherine settled into our quarters while I unpacked our belongings. The sun dawned on a new day, and we set off to enjoy the Dyebell Festival in earnest. I had planned out a list of date locations in advance to maximize Catherine’s enjoyment. The first activity we came across involved taking buckets full of paint and splashing them against cheap white clothing to create an original pattern. As someone who dressed almost exclusively in white or black attire, I felt somewhat unsettled by the unpredictable and disorderly fashion it encouraged; but Catherine was having so much fun that I put aside my grievances. The dress she painted looked completely ridiculous, yet Catherine still managed to make it look beautiful when she wore it.
Next, we went around inspecting the various performances of dancers and musicians dressed in ornate outfits dyed with countless vibrant hues. On our walk down through the markets we stopped for food, where I purchased some licorice and other sweets from the Empire so that Catherine could enjoy them later in the evening. I noticed some talented onlookers joining in to one of the ensembles, playing and passing instruments from one person to another.
“You love music, don’t you Catherine?”
“Of course~! It looks like the Empire is also full of talent~ They’re passing the melody from hand to hand and picking it right up without missing a beat~”
“If I recall, you particularly enjoy string instruments, correct?”
“That’s right~ I’ve actually been taking some basic violin lessons from Pipi and I think that maybe I could-“
I stepped into the circle of music and motioned to the man currently playing the violin. Another member of the crowd placed a crown of bright flowers over my circlet as the man handed me his instrument. I quickly synthesized the melody from my logs and began to play. My performance was peerless as I replicated the dancing and rapturous expressions of past violinists from my database. The song came to a close and I handed the instrument to another tourist before rejoining Catherine.
“T-That was…”
“Was my playing adequate, Catherine?”
“I-It was incredible~! That was almost as good as Pipi, no maybe even…”
“Full glad am I to hear it. I’ll play for you again soon when we return to Bauer.”
“Oh~ You have such a beautiful new hair ornament~ I actually saw a florist stall back when we stopped for snacks, so I was thinking that I could-“
“I also happened to notice the flower arrangements on the way here. Please, accept this.”
Removing a two-tone bouquet of red and white roses that I had quickly purchased and hidden in the satchel to the back of Catherine’s chair, I borrowed a curtsy from the princely Manaria Sousse and bowed while presenting it to my partner.
“A-Ah~! …Thank you so much, TAIM~ These are lovely~”
“We should put them up in our quarters at the lab. I’ll make sure to purchase a vase before the day’s end.”
Catherine returned a warm smile as she inspected the flowers, but for the briefest moment I thought I detected a stiffness in her face. It was gone as soon as it arrived, so I discarded the observation as nonessential.
Our last stop for the day was a magic target range not too dissimilar to the one in Bauer’s Academy Festival. If one managed to strike enough targets with magic, then they would win a prize. Unlike the one back in the Bauer Capital, this one featured distant targets with an obviously more advanced skill requirement. The range provided visitors with decorated custom wands that allowed the user to fire off small bursts of water magic even if they did not possess the requisite aptitude. It was likely that Hildegard’s research team had something to do with the appearance of this novelty. Catherine was raring to participate, with her eyes dead set on obtaining a shiny silver necklace that supposedly matched my appearance.
Compared to the other participants, Catherine was especially talented. But no matter how hard she tried, it was impossible for her to hit all ten targets. I could tell how badly she wanted the necklace and eventually decided to make sure her wish came to fruition.
“Grr…I was so close that time~ Maybe my casting would be more accurate if I stood up…but I’m certain that with a little more practice I could-”
“Excuse me Catherine, would you mind lending me that wand for a moment?”
I took the wand and pointed it forward, while calculating all the necessary measurements and trajectory data. With a swift flick of the wrist, I deftly shot down every target in order and earned the grand prize.
“As I suspected, that necklace does look excellent on you.”
“H-Hey, TAIM~? Are you sure there wasn’t any cheating involved there~?”
“Of course not. This body doesn’t usually flinch or show hesitation, so maintaining a steady aim is no problem for me.”
“Mm…I’m happy about the present, but I think you should give other people a chance before you take part in any other activities~”
***
The day was quickly coming to a close, so we decided to make a few small purchases and head back to our quarters for the evening. I adorned the roses by the windowsill as Catherine dimmed her lantern and sank into the bed. I was preparing to enter hibernation mode and return my consciousness to the greater network when Catherine tugged at my sleeve.
“Hey…do you really think we can perform the spell tomorrow~?”
“My data regarding Mister Torrid and yourself suggests a significant margin for success.”
“Oh good, I’m very glad to hear that~ The world really needs this invention, so I definitely have to do it. I have to…”
Catherine yawned as she drifted somewhere between dreams and wakefulness.
“…Why do you want this sorcery to function with such urgency? You know very well that rushing any sort of tandem casting can be especially dangerous. And of all things, a regeneration spell.”
One thing I knew very well about Catherine was that she held absolutely no desire to restore her full mobility. Despite how much it agonized her, despite how easy it would’ve been to recreate her leg with the technology available in the era of science, she refused my every offer with absolute conviction. To Catherine, her scars were not something invisible that her soul could brush away. They were an ever-present reminder of her past, an acknowledgement of her identity and a beacon, telling her how much more she had to grow to truly become someone wholly unlike her father.
“Shortly after the revolution~…there was a lot of upheaval in the kingdom, you know~? One time, I went to the Church to give what little support I had to offer~…it wasn’t a pleasant sight. I tried to provide some succor to the injured civilians…especially the children harmed by the eruption. I needed a way to really help them…but what could I do? What can I…even…do…”
With those drowsy words, Catherine fell into a deep slumber. I updated the priority of my current tasks and placed a new mission directly at the forefront of my list: Catherine will be happy if her spell works. Ensure complete success of Great Regeneration casting.
***
The laboratory’s silence was interrupted only by the pattering of rain on the windows and the howling wind of the summer storm. I had predicted the poor weather in advance and planned out our excursion on the day prior so that we had plenty of time to enjoy ourselves before it hit. Today’s tasks were all work-related, so there was no reason to travel outside. Catherine had linked hands with Mister Torrid and her fellow mages to begin cycling magical energy. Already, a massive accumulation of power was forming alongside a complicated formula designed over the course of the months following the Demon War. A white light began to sprout from the center of the mages’ circle as Mister Torrid spoke aloud:
“Laws of Nature! Grace us with mercy and flowing life! Greater Regeneration!”
Tandem casting was a delicate art that grew in strength proportional to the sense of union felt between the participants. While none of the mages present were particularly intimate with one another, they all shared the same strong conviction to heal their ailing test subject; and were at little risk of injury with the help of Mister Torrid’s new research on spell formulas. Unfortunately, they lacked the sort of unconditional trust possessed by the Francois family. At the rate they were discharging energy, I computed that another seven months of practice would be required for them to produce results.
But if they failed now…Catherine would be sad. I absolutely could not permit this outcome. Although I had sworn myself to non-intervention with human societal affairs at the current Administrator’s request, my logic could exploit the definition of this restriction. Manipulating a spell formula wasn’t necessarily influencing human progress directly.
I connected to the ambient nanites that were coagulating around Catherine and affixed my consciousness to the spell. I did not have a human brain to produce magical phenomena, but I had the underlying understanding necessary to warp the world to suit my needs. The invisible nanites began to spark and burn out as my will screamed at them over and over: I trust Catherine, her magic will succeed.
The light vanished as the cast stabilized. In an instant, the test subject’s painful wound healed as if it never existed. Some of the mages began asking the subject questions or inspecting their health, while others simply stared in awe. Mister Torrid began quickly writing down his notes. I knelt beside Catherine…only to be met with an empty, clouded expression.
“…Hm? Catherine, what’s the matter? The spell was a success. Were you exhausted by-“
“TAIM. There’s no way I wouldn’t notice your magic in action after all this time. Please, tell me. Did you finish that spell?”
“…Yes. There was an error in the construct, so I corrected it to-“
To my complete shock, Catherine suddenly smacked my hand away and turned around.
“Ah~…I really can’t do anything~…this whole time, I…”
“Catherine-!”
“Don’t follow me!”
Catherine concentrated power into her chair and quickly sped out through the exit, into the blurry downpour of rain and gray streets. I chased after her, but she vanished without a trace as her invisibility spell erased her from the world. All I had been thinking about while on this excursion was making Catherine happy, but somehow, I had stumbled. She told me not to follow her. There was absolutely no way that I could act in a way that would bring her further sadness, but the world without Catherine was a place without colour; the domain of silver sparks and empty, looping performances.
I had to find her.
***
The rain was worse than it looked. Everyone had taken shelter inside as the storm beat down on the abandoned festival attractions and ebbed with the flow of the wind. I was already getting really cold and my exhaustion from the experiment wasn’t helping. I traveled through the markets, across bridges, then up a steep hill. I needed to be somewhere, anywhere that wasn’t beside TAIM. Even though I was always filled with joy when she was by my side…
“I’m acting like such a spoiled child…”
I felt absolutely pathetic. Across our whole date, I’d wanted to be of some use to TAIM, to try and do something she couldn’t. Playing a song for her, purchasing a bouquet as a gift, winning her a prize. I was happy, I definitely was…but she was always one step ahead. When all else failed, I was certain that I could do something to earn her praise by bringing that spell to life.
I’d mustered all my bravado about wanting to help Mister Torrid with his research, about wanting to see those ailing people from the Church smile again…but really, I was just selfish. In the end, I didn’t want to feel like a broken toy again. TAIM looked at me with such loving eyes, I knew she would never come to hate me over that…but rather than feeling like a burden, something now scared me more than anything else in the world. What if she gets bored of me?
If I couldn’t do anything, if I couldn’t hold a candle to her in any way, if she’d figure out the answers to all her questions soon…then I'd rather just hide away so that she could never find out. I wanted to vanish into a world without colours, where nobody could find me, and everything would stand perfectly still. A world where my image never faded from TAIM’s scarlet eyes. With my invisibility magic, it was certainly possible to convince myself that such a world was real.
But there was one person who always saw right through my enchantment.
“Catherine!”
“E-Eh~? TAIM!? I told you-“
TAIM nearly broke my chair as she tackled me with a hug. With a snap of her fingers, a barrier of wind magic formed around us and shielded me from the rain. My magic was almost perfect, but it paled in the face of the woman who presided over magic itself.
“Good. You are uninjured. I apologize for my discourteous conduct, but I was so very worried about you, and I-“
“No... please, don’t say sorry…anything but that…”
“If you should experience sadness, then it is proof that I am not properly performing my function. I’ve surely wronged you somehow. I have misunderstood your feelings and beg that you offer me the chance to make you happy again.”
I was completely overwhelmed. I finally returned TAIM’s hug as I lamented my weakness.
“Please, let us move out from this rain. I know a place nearby where we can rest.”
***
Atop the hill where she found me, TAIM led us over to a large edifice nearby; a famous tourist attraction called the Cathedral of Glass. It was a religious institute no longer in official use and was currently closed due to the festival, but the massive metal doors unlocked and swung open the moment TAIM knocked on them.
“Wow~ The windows are absolutely stunning~”
Inside, the cathedral was constructed with massive stained-glass windows that showed various historical moments from the Empire’s history and that of the Spirit Church.
“This place was designed as a romantic setting for the Empress and a certain someone, but in the world born from the choices of the new Administrator, it merely serves as a secondary service location for myself and the Church. I had planned for us to visit it together on the last day of our trip.”
“…I guess I really ruined your efforts, huh~…”
“Catherine…please, share your thoughts with me.”
When I first met TAIM, I was scared out of my wits. Claire and Rae explained the basics of what she was to me, and it was so absurd that I steeled myself to speak with something akin to a demon. I was surprised to discover what she was really like. Her misdoings and unsettling view of humans wasn’t born from arrogance or cold detachment, but from the simple fact that no human could see the world through her eyes. She was the most capable person on the planet, but without anyone to point her abilities in the right direction, she was also the clumsiest. She’s so cute! I couldn’t help but think that when I saw how proud she was of her powers. Even if that insurmountable wall of capability was causing me pain, it was something that made her special.
I took in a deep breath and slowly explained myself to TAIM. She listened intently, her eyes growing wider as I talked about my feelings from the date, and why I was angry that she finished the spell for me. As I spoke it aloud in the echo of the minster, I felt even more suffocated.
“Why would you ever think of such things? Have I not expressed time and again how irreplaceable you are? My research cannot proceed with anyone else besides Catherine.”
“What about when your research is finished? You’re growing so much every day~ When you finally understand humans, this research project will end~ If I can’t do anything besides help you become human, you’ll no longer have a use for me~…”
“I see. Then I will refrain from learning more.”
TAIM’s reply was instant, without a shred of hesitation.
“If learning to be human means that I somehow lose my reason to speak with Catherine, then I will simply implement a routine to periodically delete my research data. There is nothing more important than making Catherine happy. However, I do not see the need for such drastic measures. After all, there are already plenty of things that you can do that I cannot.”
“H-Huh~? Like what~?”
“When Claire…when my Creator started to develop me, she was only a child. My mind was born from a small piece of metal inside of a scientific calculator. It would be apt to say that my original body is nothing more than a complicated abacus. Out of sentimentality, the rest of my components and interfaces were constructed around that body. They are extensions of me, but what that little girl called ‘TAIM’ will always be that small device. I can make this body taller, as large as Ruhm itself; but the electricity that comprises my soul will always exist in a smaller container than the one that houses yours.”
TAIM bowed in front of me and gently kissed the top of my hand as she looked up into my eyes. I felt my face growing red as my heart that was weighed down by heavy emotions threatened to beat out of my chest.
“You are a mere human, but ‘Catherine’ will always shine brighter and stand taller than me.”
“T-That can’t be enough to-“
“If you require a more comprehensive explanation, I will provide one. Do you trust me?”
“…Yes, of course~”
“Then close your eyes.”
I did as instructed, and started to hear a strange crackling sound. After a few seconds, TAIM grabbed me by the hand and swiftly pulled me to a stand.
“Please, open your eyes.”
Light poured in and my vision adjusted. I gasped as I looked out through the massive clear glass window in the back of the cathedral. The clouds were parting, revealing a shimmering orange sunset that shone through the raindrops to form a rainbow. A painting of blues, reds and everything in-between captured me so thoroughly that it took a moment for me to realize that TAIM wasn’t holding my hand. I was standing upright without any support. When I looked down, I saw a leg made of scintillating silver attached to my knee.
“Just for a little while, please stand tall, Catherine.”
TAIM smiled warmly, her face illuminated in the glistening light. I had a hard time seeing it with tears blurring my eyes and falling down my cheeks, but TAIM brushed them aside with soft kisses. Ah, she was right. Standing like this, it appeared that I was ever-so-slightly taller than TAIM.
It gave me an idea. I curled my index finger and placed my thumb against TAIM’s chin. I tilted her head upwards and held her there for a moment, before pulling in close.
“Hehe~ I will. I love you, TAIM~”
When I pulled my lips back, she stared at me with a completely blank expression as steam drifted up from her head. A full ten seconds passed before she pounced on me with a tight hug that almost knocked me off my foreign footing. We stayed like that for a while, with our faces as red as the sunset; the two of us basking in that familiar, dazzling sweetness.
“Truthfully, you are-“
“Fufu~ you really are-“
“”So unfair.””
Fin.