The fox girl, Eve, was still playing with Tito like a curious child.
Her inexpressive face, though, made it hard to know what she was thinking.
She even seemed to forget that Bloed and Regina were there. In fact, she seemed to have forgotten that the little puppy belonged to someone else.
"Miss Eve, can you please release Tito? It doesn't look happy." Bloed could not help but remind her.
Eve was startled before nodding. "You are right… How strange, it's obviously man-made but it can show such a degree of emotions. Moreover, I can't feel it doesn't have a soul… Where are its emotions coming from then?"
Eve then put Tito on the ground and stared at Bloed (Tito ran to hide behind Bloed as soon as it escaped from the fox's clutches).
"Mr. Bloed, was it you who made them?" Eve asked pointing to Tito, Leto, and Liu Liu.
Bloed hesitated before nodding. "It was me."
Eve's eyes stared at Bloed curiously, her inexpressive face seeming to become more alive. "How do they work? How did you manage to give them feelings? What is an AI? I can feel a mental connection between you and them, where does it come from? What is their source of energy?"
Bloed was feeling a headache. This fox girl was definitively the kind he was no good with.
Looking at Regina, he could see that her expression was awkward as well. It seemed as she was not good with this kind of person either.
Bloed thought for a moment and decided to give Eve a brief explanation about AIs, but before he could start, he saw the ears of the fox girl twitch.
Then, her expression changed.
"… Oh no, they are already coming for me. Mr. Bloed, Miss Regina, help me to hide."
Upon saying that, Eve's body turned illusory and she disappeared.
"She disappeared?" Bloed was surprised.
"No. I can feel her around her." Regina answered. Bloed thought for a moment and tried to use his eyes and other enhanced senses to find her, but he could feel nothing.
'Well, she is a demigod after all. It's normal.'
Not even three seconds after the girl disappeared, Bloed heard someone knocking on his door.
He stared at Regina and she nodded, indicating she was going to keep an eye on the girl. Bloed nodded back and went to open the door.
When he opened it, he saw three serious-looking beastmen standing outside.
In Bloed's eyes, none of the three beastmen were very strong, but they were not weak either. Two B-Ranks and one A-Rank.
"Yes? Can I help you?" Bloed asked.
"Hello, young man. Sorry for bothering you. Have you seen a fox girl around here?"
"A fox girl?" Bloed asked with a curious expression. "One with golden hair and golden eyes?"
The beastmen were startled. "Have you seen her?"
Bloed nodded. "She was here until just now. But she then said someone was coming for her and ran way."
Bloed saw the three beastmen smiling wryly. Judging by their reactions, it seemed like something she did often.
"Young man, please if you see her again, tell her that she needs to return to the headquarters."
"Headquarters? Okay, I'll do it."
The beastmen nodded gratefully and left.
When the beastmen were gone, Bloed closed the door and returned to the courtyard.
He did not deny seeing the girl for two reasons. One, to not look suspicious, and two, to get more information about her without raising suspicions. And judging by the three beastmen's reactions, she is at least not a dangerous criminal.
'Well, a thing less to worry about.'
When Bloed was returned to the courtyard, he found Regina looking around with a frown.
"Regina?"
"Master, she is not here anymore."
"Did she leave?" Bloed asked curiously. But at that moment, his expression changed.
One of his alarms had been activated.
The one in his laboratory.
"Dammit! How did she get there!?"
Without hesitation, he ran towards his laboratory and opened it. When he went inside, he found the fox girl looking around with a curious expression.
"Oh, you are back? What is this place?" The fox girl asked with a blank look.
Bloed's expression turned dark. "How did you enter here?"
"Mm? Oh, that. I went through the walls." The fox girl said as though it was nothing important.
Bloed wrinkled his brows in exasperation. This girl.
"… Please leave, this place is private."
The fox girl was startled. When she turned around, she realized that Bloed and Regina were looking at her with an unkind look.
"It looks like I did something wrong... I'm sorry." The fox girl bowed and apologized expressionlessly.
What she did, though, was not something that Bloed could let slide with just an apology.
"Miss Eve, I don't know who you are, but this place is my laboratory. If you are going to sniff around my things without my permission, then you are not welcomed here."
The fox girl was dazed. She then nodded and bowed even deeper than before.
"… I'm sorry. I was just curious. My intention was never to offend you. If there is something I can do to get your forgiveness, then please tell me.
Bloed stared at her and sighed. Looking at Regina, he could see that her expression was the same as his.
This girl… What kind of oddball was her?
"Just… Let's go outside, okay?"
"Okay." The fox girl nodded. She then followed Bloed and Regina outside the building.
When she left the laboratory, she turned around to look at it again before looking at Bloed.
"Mr. Bloed, you said you made these… robots was it? Can you make one for me?"
"Do you want one? Why?"
The fox girl tilted her head. "They are cute?"
Bloed was speechless. Girl, you are a demigod. Act like one.
He then stared at Eve's face and fell deep in thought.
If he was going to follow Charise's instructions, the best option was to make one for the fox girl. Anyway, it was not as though she could use it to learn how to make them.
With such a huge gap in technology, it was impossible for anyone in this world to learn the method to create a pet like Tito or Leto just by seeing them. They needed a very high psychic, mechanical, and logical computing knowledge at the very least, something that in this world was almost inexistent.
While Bloed was hesitating, Eve spoke up again.
"Is it a problem of money? Don't worry, Mr. Bloed, I will pay you an appropriate price. Also, I'll owe you a favor, how about it?"
Bloed looked at Regina to ask for her opinion. Regina wanted to refuse, but when she thought about Charise's words, she hesitated.
After all, the words of a saintess of fate were surely not baseless.
After a few seconds, she sighed and nodded before speaking in Bloed's mind.
[Master, there is nothing to lose.]
[… You are right.]
After another sigh, Bloed nodded.
"Okay, but you will have to supply the materials and I will need to collect some of your data. I will give you a list."
"Great!" The fox girl exclaimed happily. And for the first time since she appeared here, Bloed saw her inexpressive face showing a small smile.
"Can you make a fox, please?" Eve asked.
Bloed nodded helplessly. "… I can."
...
P4TRE0N: patr-eon.com/aidnovels