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Oh dear?

It seems I was quite shocked that the opportunity to gain power slipped away from me.

All day, Jeber hasn’t shown his face at the laboratory. The Chimera harvesting machine is almost exclusively located in the lab, so the information is quite limited.

Or perhaps he’s simply busy.

No matter how high you rank, you still have to do the bare minimum to maintain that position, right?

So, I decided to take a look at the Chimera that was easier to find.

First off, warmth.

There’s almost none.

To be honest, it’s on par with bugs.

The only semblance of light and warmth is from the Chimera harvesting machine known as the tide, which resembles a rotting child in a slum.

Simple clones aren’t much help in gaining warmth.

Speaking of clones, if they’re harvesting machines, they might be of some use. Soldiers could go out and kill people at will, bringing back warmth.

I could make soldiers proactively, but instead, I could use their enhanced biology to gather warmth from the back without them noticing.

The responsibility would fall on those who start the war.

In that sense, I hope Jeber uses the harvesting machine well.

It would be great if he actively acted to gain the benefits the harvesting machine could provide. But what if this experience causes him to lose affection or he decides it’s too difficult to control, leading to it being sealed?

That would still be okay.

I have faith that one day the seal will be lifted. Just like in the Second World, they’ll call for me.

So, I will remain quietly like a part of a mechanical device.

*

In any world, the beginning is about waiting.

Given my nature, it’s hard for a good person to summon me.

It’s always the vicious and desperate crowd that calls for me. Especially Yasle and Daegon’s methods are like that.

It’s a summoning method that can only arrive after discarding the least bit of ethics.

So rather than being hostile for no reason, I act the part of a victim while observing.

After all, even if I don’t actively oppose other lives, they naturally provide warmth. In the First World, Yasle tasted the harvesting machine and ended up using it as a soldier without realizing the dangers.

In the Second World, I couldn’t create many harvesting machines, but that was because I couldn’t resist the chance to devour Daegon and the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign.

And I don’t regret it. Even though I didn’t obtain much warmth, I’m linked to the Third World along with a wealth of knowledge, right?

The Third World is quite stable.

The harvesting machines have been quite liberally released, and they haven’t increased to the point of being uncontrollable.

It’s fine if they have children and spread.

The children born from the harvesting machines are bound to a contract with me. But since I’m not included, even if they multiply, the world won’t break like in the First World.

Moreover, the body called Bell that I’m using in this world has settled into a respectable position.

There’s no income, but I can live without working. If I need property, I could just turn a few rocks into gold.

So one winter’s day, while I was leisurely spending time in front of the Royal Academy building.

I received word that I was to vacate my accommodation.

Finally, it has come.

“Vacate, huh.”

“Yes. That is correct, Lord Bell. From next year, several foreign royals will enroll in the Royal Academy, so you will be moving to another location.”

Ah, right.

Originally, this building is meant for such purposes. I heard someone dispatched directly from the royal family was working here.

Maybe it was because I stayed quietly inside the building all winter, but the maids became my conversation partners.

At that time, I learned several things.

Surprisingly, all the maids are of noble birth, and among those of high rank, some are from count families. Of course, not someone like an heir to the count, but rather those who struggle to rise like third or fourth daughters securing a job.

So even if a high-ranking person comes, there are those here who can comfortably converse or make proper judgments.

To put it bluntly, most of the people working here shouldn’t be treated carelessly, even if a nasty person shows up. I even found out that someone I thought was merely a common noble-born butler was, surprisingly, a collateral royal.

By the way.

“Foreign royals are coming?”

“Yes, indeed. Before explaining further, do you perhaps know about the current situation in each country, Lord Bell?”

I took a moment to recollect my memories. Confirming that I hadn’t seen it myself, I shook my head in denial.

“No.”

Then the butler seriously began to converse, bringing snacks and tea.

He briefly explained the surrounding countries.

Some countries have experienced a decline in civilization due to anti-machine movements, just like this nation, while others are in conflict between the common folk and the government because they’re suppressing three corporations too strongly.

And even just the aftermath occurring in large countries has severely impacted smaller nations, prompting serious economic crises.

The entire world is in chaos.

A few memories flicker with a sense of “I knew it would be like this,” with various information about economic depressions sparkling in them.

And because of that, some royals are fleeing to this country, as it has managed to control the chaos well. After saying this, he fell silent for a moment.

Some memories from the harvesting machines say that kind of silence is meaningful.

I’m not sure.

The butler said those royals would reside in the surrounding buildings. And this building would also fall into that category.

In other words, I was being told to leave.

“I’ve prepared several places for you to stay. Please go and choose one you like.”

Then a few memories shimmered.

This seems like it’s supposed to show respect by granting options, but in reality, it’s a method used when they want to send you to an even lower place.

I understand.

It’s not easy to maintain several places suitable for important people, is it? But at the same time, it could become burdensome to keep foreigners in the royal castle for a long time.

And any guest temporarily staying here must vacate.

“Yes, I understand.”

I nodded willingly. Then the butler waited until I stood up before calling someone.

It was a maid who had mostly been working in my room.

She took me outside. A carriage was waiting, and we rode it to tour several places.

They showed me six houses, from luxury residences in the capital to spacious mansions on the outskirts.

I chose the smallest one among them.

The maid wore a strangely sympathetic expression, but I was fine. Compared to when I lived in the Second World, this place really has civilization.

Moreover, there’s a commercial district right next door, making it convenient for back and forth.

There’s the immediate issue of having no money, but it’s not like I have no way to earn it.

“Are you really going to live here?”

“Yes. It’s not far from the Royal Academy, and I can manage everything here.”

It sounded like a hint that there were better places and asking why I chose this one.

But I truly am fine. I’ve gained countless memories from people who dealt with these kinds of tasks in the fallen First World. There are some adjustments I need to make once I move to another world because the material properties differ.

Especially in cooking.

I can follow along quite well simply from memory, but I don’t know how to use unknown ingredients to cook deliciously. All this is about following my head. They say I lack creativity.

If I had excelled in that regard, I might have been able to show off the cooking from the previous world in another world.

But what can I do, that’s out of my ability?

Nevertheless, I know well about everything else.

Not only the lyrics but also the things in my memories are manageable.

The one thing I absolutely cannot do is to use magic power, and that seals the deal.

“If you have chosen, my lord, then I have nothing more to say.”

Though there are many things I want to say, it means they’ll hold their tongue.

With promises to send all my things by tomorrow, I shook hands with her and parted ways. As the door clicked shut behind me, a dimly lit house came into view.

In an instant, my home has changed.

Now, I’ll be living alone.

Come to think of it, I’ve always been with someone. But now, I have a house to myself.

It feels strange.

Feeling that way, I stepped inside to thoroughly explore my new home.

As I entered, a neatly organized house came into view.

The interior design was tidy, and there were some pieces of furniture inside. Thankfully, it wasn’t completely new.

While I was at it, I checked places like the kitchen and restroom.

This place was quite empty. Yet, I knew where and what to buy.

Just like the maid took care of me while I lived in the accommodation, I could do the same. I checked not only the layout of the interior but also the plumbing structure thoroughly.

I also checked the hard-to-reach spots, pulling up the empty areas to inspect them.

Though it was quite aged, there were signs of repairs.

I searched every nook and cranny, but there weren’t any bugs, small mammals, or reptiles roaming around.

And thankfully, using water or fire didn’t require any magic power. No, to be precise, it means I don’t need my magic power to use the items.

The items themselves might require magic, but since I can’t feel any magic at all, I’ll leave that as is.

After inspecting all the intricate details, I cleaned the house once.

While cleaning, time flew by, and before I knew it, night had fallen.

And at that time, several people entered carrying loads of baggage.

Most of them were the maids who worked at the accommodation. No, I should no longer refer to them as maids.

“Um, did Lord Bell clean all this up?”

“Yes.”

No wonder everyone is examining the house with scrutinizing eyes. As they wandered around the house, the maid who had first brought me approached with a wry smile.

“I heard you could do it, but I never thought you’d do it so well.”

“I have specialized knowledge. But what about all this baggage?”

“Oh, we brought everything Lord Bell used.”

Everything I used.

Right, my clothes are all second-hand, so I have to either throw them out or bring them back. Looking around, I saw not just clothes but also accessories and various cosmetics inside.

Suddenly, I asked, looking at the people around me with a creepy expression.

“This is a housewarming, right?”

“Indeed!”

“Huh? Housewarming? What are we going to eat!”

These people seem curiously more lively than when we lived in the accommodation.

So when I mentioned it, it somehow led to meals being prepared here.

Thus, a small party was held.

After that, we shared remarks about how they’d come over to visit or whenever something happened, they could come visit, and it ended on that note.

In the space now vacant of the rowdy crowd, I sat alone in the quiet house.

Now, I just need to rest Bell’s body while organizing the memories attained from the harvesting machine.