Chapter 580 – Slicing Through The Tunnels.

“Please take a seat, Lord Arthur Valerian.”

The voice echoed through the chamber. Though it spoke with perfect clarity, something about it felt slightly unnatural.

“I was told Sir Roland would be unavailable, but is this construct actually safe?”

A woman responded as she stepped forward. Her orange cat ears twitched in discomfort, unsettled by the mechanical tone.

“He did assure us it would be fine. I’m sure everything is under control, Mary.”

Three figures were present in the memory chamber, though only two were humanoid. The first was Lord Arthur Valerian of Albrook. The second was Mary, his maid and personal bodyguard. The third appeared to be a man in a butler’s uniform, but his blank synthetic face revealed the truth. He was not human. His name was Sebastian, and he was a golem.

“Master Roland is still engaged in his investigation.”

Sebastian said while standing before the same chair Arthur had used before to take his first trial attempt.

“Due to unexpected complications, he has been unable to return. However, I am fully capable of fulfilling his role.”

“Unexpected complications? Is he fine?”

Sebastian’s glassy eyes flickered for a moment, processing the question.

“Master Roland remains operational and unharmed.”

The golem answered with mechanical calm, though Mary’s eyes narrowed at the phrasing.

“Operational…”

She wasn’t sure how to refer to this being. It looked like a man and spoke like one, but Sebastian was clearly nothing more than a runic construct, not a living being. Still, he behaved in a way that went far beyond what ordinary golems were capable of. It was as if he could reason, as if he truly understood everything they said.

“Was that the wrong word? Please forgive me. My empathy and speech modules are still in the beta testing phase. If you would like, I can adjust my voice. Would you prefer something warmer?”

“Uh… no, I think that’s fine…”

Mary shook her head, unsure what the golem meant. As far as she was concerned, it followed orders, and that was all that mattered. Arthur, however, seemed curious. Before she could say anything else, he asked a question.

“Oh, you can change your voice? Can you sound like Mary?”

“…Certainly.”

Sebastian replied without hesitation. A soft shimmer flickered across his throat as the rune embedded near his vocal area pulsed once. Then, in a voice eerily similar to Mary’s, almost perfectly matching her tone, cadence, and even the subtle rhythm of her breathing, he spoke.

“Is this more to your liking?”

Mary’s eyes widened. She stared at Sebastian as if he were a spy pretending to be her. He had managed to imitate a skill typically used only by highly trained infiltrators. The only thing more unsettling would have been if he could also take on her appearance. Arthur, however, let out a tired laugh at the voice change.

“That’s marvelous. I wonder if Roland could prepare some golems that look like you, Mary. Or maybe one that looks like me.”

At first, Mary wanted to shake her head and dismiss the idea. But then she paused. It might not be such a bad idea after all.

“Having a convincing body double might actually help us avoid future assassins. We should bring it up with Sir Roland the next time we see him. I wonder how realistic these golems could become.”

Arthur had only been joking, but his retainer was already considering the suggestion as a valuable addition to their forces. The idea was genuinely intriguing. Sebastian was capable of performing simple tasks and responding to orders. While the technology was not advanced enough yet, there was potential.

In the future, a body double might be able to carry out certain duties without anyone noticing the difference. Other nobles used magical methods to disguise other individuals, altering their appearance, but no one had yet succeeded in creating a golem that could convincingly pass as a real person.

“Let’s add this to our ever-growing list of tasks. For now, I need to face the trial again.”

“Certainly, Lord Arthur Valerian. Please sit down on the chair.”

Sebastian responded while still mimicking Mary’s voice, which made Arthur chuckle again.

“Just call me Arthur, and you can stop pretending to be Mary. The real one looks like she might be getting irritated.”

“I’m fine, Lord Arthur.”

Mary replied as if it did not bother her, but deep down, she found it unsettling. Something about the machine using her voice so precisely made her uneasy. Arthur settled into the chair once more, its surface warming slightly under his weight.

The runes beneath him flared to life as Sebastian activated them. Just like before, the chair reclined into a horizontal position, and the helmet was placed onto his head. While the memory capture would not be necessary if Arthur succeeded in the trial, it would become invaluable if he failed, especially with the next attempt scheduled for the day of their departure.

“I am ready.”

Arthur said quietly, and Sebastian, now speaking in his default voice, responded.

“Initializing memory capture module. Please begin the ascension trial when you are ready.”

Around the room, runes began to glow as the systems activated. Screens flickered to life, filling the space with faint light. The helmet on Arthur’s head emitted a soft buzzing sound as everything was prepared for recording. Arthur gave a slight nod, tightened his grip on the ascension crystal, and closed his eyes. In an instant, he was pulled back into the ascension space. In an instant, he was no longer in the room. The world melted away, replaced by the dreamscape of the trial.

Sebastian turned to the monitor panels in front of him. Runes lit up across the console, forming overlapping circles of light that hovered in the air. Although the trial lasted only a few seconds in the real world, time inside could stretch into months or even years. The longer Arthur remained within the trial, the more promising the outcome. However, if he failed, every critical memory had to be recorded and analyzed to develop an improved strategy for his next attempt.

One second passed, then another. After about five seconds, the panels began to flicker to life. The trial appeared to be over. Arthur’s fingers twitched slightly.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

******