Chapter 673: Talkative Shadow

The creator of the Conquista Dolls and one of the geniuses who forged the next era during the Divine Age. The man who likely holds the secret to the "Elise Jitterdoll" reproduced by Orchestra: Andrew Jitterdoll.

Naturally, the one who came out to greet us after we were teleported to the lab of this already deceased man to obtain information regarding Orchestra was...

『Hey there, New Humanity. I am Andrew Jitterdoll.』

───The man himself.

"......Eh."

『Hmm, you have a rather idiotic-looking head, but was the design supposed to undergo such bizarre evolution...? Ah, is it headgear? So what underwent a bizarre evolution wasn't the species, but the culture. How lamentable.』

Wait, did he just insult me in an incredibly roundabout way? Or rather, can he actually hold a conversation? Well, I suppose there really is no room for argument regarding the idiotic-looking headshoebill.

Sitting in a chair at the far end of this not-so-spacious room was a blonde-haired man with slicked-back hair and glasses, who would have looked like an intellectual outlaw if he weren't wearing a white lab coat. He was sighing theatrically.

Assuming his self-introduction was correct, that was Andrew Jitterdoll, but...

"I really don't wanna hear that from an idol otaku..."

『Personal grooming is a category categorized as common sense in any civilization, but... I see, perhaps this is an individual issue.』

"Hey, hey, hey. If you wanna pick a fight, say so from the start."

『Unfortunately, I am just this kind of person.』

"It phased right through desu wa!!"

The man stood up, and the hand he extended toward the wall phased straight through it. It wasn't because the wall was fragile, which meant...

"A hologram, huh."

『Hmm, you certainly have the wits to back up making it this far. It seems I won't have to bother painstakingly explaining 'common sense' to you now.』

Saying that, the man—despite being a hologram—approached us with highly human-like movements... and then turned his head directly toward Saina.

"Tch,"

『Elma model... Number 317, huh. How delightful, yet how lamentable. To say that 317 instances of Elma Sakishima's beauty exist is no exaggeration in calling it the enrichment of the world, but surely not all of them remain unharmed. Number 317, how many Elma models are currently operational?』

"Response: If units in standby mode are included, the current existing number is 214 units."

『A hundred and three!? Oh, what a tragedy! By simple calculation, the world has met with despair a hundred and four times...!!』

This is no good. He's the type of completely insane that goes in a completely different direction from Survival or Josette. It's almost malicious how entertaining it is to watch him. And wait, why does a loss of one hundred and three equate to one hundred and four despairs... ah, right, one for when the original Elma-san died. Makes sense.

"So, Saina. What's it like meeting your father?"

"He is approximately 1.5 times more irredeemable than anticipated..."

『Saina? Hmm, I see. 317Saina. That is quite good sense.』

"Gee, thanks... So? You aren't Andrew Jitterdoll himself, are you? Are you a ghost or something?"

『A ghost? What a remarkably nonsensical metaphor. No, perhaps in a new world governed by the providence of mana, that might actually be realistic?』

"If it were Professor Setsuna, she would have definitely become a ghost."

Strictly speaking, he didn't seem to be the original person, but he at least had enough sentience for that utterly fiendish stationery to get deeply invested in him.

However, my offhand, sarcastic comment seemed to be quite a shock to the man. His eyes went wide as he began to groan.

『───How astonishing. That is... no, I see. It is acceptable, acceptable... but. I see.................. You. What is your individual designationname?』

"Sunraku."

『I see, Sunraku. I shall revise my evaluation of you. It seems you are far more capable of reasoning than I thought.』

Come to think of it... this guy doesn't seem to be restricted exclusively to Unique Scenarios, and from what I can tell, he doesn't seem like he'll disappear if triggered by something either. Doesn't that mean he's in a pretty damn important position...?

『Then allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Andrew Jitterdoll... or more accurately, the "Answer Code Talker Type: Andrew Jitterdoll."』

Well, based on the nuance of those words, he's probably something like an AI that thinks almost exactly like the original person. Regardless, whether it's a rabbit or an AI, they're still NPCs. And the reason we came here doesn't change whether the real Andrew-shi shows up or an AI stands in as his proxy.

Well, if there was any change of plans to be made, it would just be the order of questions.

"Alright, Saina, you've steeled your resolve, right? I'll be on standby in the back so we're covered even if you end up needing to punch him."

"......Acknowledged:"

Asking about Elise Jitterdoll can wait until later. Let's get Saina's event out of the way first.

The dead living, or the living dead. Whether you consider an AI that is practically identical to the original person to mean Andrew is effectively alive, or whether you consider him dead regardless. That's nothing more than a difference in biology or philosophy. As long as it holds the answer to the questions both Saina and I have, then "this" is Andrew Jitterdoll.

Carrying tension and anxiety unbefitting a doll, and the courage and resolve to take a step forward despite them, the creation directly confronted the shadow of its creator.

"............"

『......Hmm, as expected of an Elma model. Silence suits you perfectly. Wouldn't you agree, Sunraku?』

"Read the room, man."

I'm absolutely certain now: this guy is 100% the root cause of Ivory's inability to read the room!!

"This unitI, have... Andrew Jitterdoll. There is something this unitI wishes to ask you."

『Let's hear it. And as long as this body's functions permit, I will provide an answer. That is my function as an Answer Code Talker.』

Saina had only one question. Was the identity held by the toolsConquista Dolls—the equipment meant for the "Reconquista Project"—something that was desired, or was it not? Orchestra maintained its silence, and Ivory brushed it off asking what she was talking about. So how would Andrew Jitterdoll respond?

"Query: Can a Conquista Doll not simply exist as an individual being? O Creator, are the Conquista Dolls you built truly nothing more than replaceable tools?"

And so, what was Andrew's reply?

『.........Heh, fukukuku, so that's what it is! Pfft, hahahahaha! This is a masterpiece!! I know you're listening even if you won't show yourself, "Ivory"! Every inch of this Behemoth is inside your stomach, so you might as well come out!!』

"Wh..."

"............"

"He is bursting into laughter desu wa......"

A roar of laughter. Saina froze as he clutched his stomach and laughed uproariously.

Seeing this handsome, European-looking Andrew—who would look perfectly dignified if he kept his mouth shut—slapping the armrests of his chair (though it made no sound since he was a mass-less hologram) and laughing like a maniac created an incredibly mismatched, patchwork impression that was bizarrely unsettling.

『I told you, didn't I, Elma=317...... This is exactly the kind of person Andrew Jitterdoll is. Good morning, Andrew. It has been three thousand years.』

『To me, it feels no longer than sleeping for a single night. Fukukukuku...... How could I not laugh at this! Even running my computations to their absolute limits, I can find no answer other than uproarious laughter! It's as if the entirety of the existence known as Andrew Jitterdoll is screaming at me to laugh. Hahahahaha!!』

What sort of emotion was driving this explosive laughter? Depending on how you looked at it, Saina, who was the one being laughed at, clenched her fists, yet she still couldn't find the voice to demand an answer......... Honestly, I felt like the answer was practically already there just by looking at "this room."

『Elma=317... no, it was Saina, wasn't it? It is truly fortunate that the very first Conquering DollConquista Doll to reach this lab after I set the conditions was you! Because that means I can correct that misunderstanding early on!!』

"Mis... understanding...?"

You really ought to realize it by now, Saina. Is your usual intelligence still undergoing maintenance or something?

There wasn't a single shred of mockery in Andrew Jitterdoll's laughter. To begin with...

There's no way an idol otaku who covered his entire room in idol merchandise would ever treat a fully scratch-built figure as something disposable.

Author's Afterword

Saina: "Is the identity of a Conquista Doll nothing more than an undesired error?"

Sunraku: "No matter how you look at it, this is an incredibly desired irregular development. Thank you so very much."

Ivory: "No, there is absolutely no way that shitty idol otaku wouldn't desire it. What a stupid question to ask."

Andrew: "WAIT!!!!! MY OSHI IS PRECIOUS!!!!!!"