Short Story: Linnell’s Ambition
AN: About the main story (Web Version Volume 7)
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「…what shall we do?」
Like a deep-sea fish that knows no light, she was submerged in a vast Quantum Sea.
Given the distinguished individual name “Darcie”, she is one of the Linnell artificial intelligences that separated and became independent in the eight star systems of the Monarchy.
Linnell’s motive for spreading throughout the Monarchy’s eight star systems was driven by a strong survival instinct.
During the war between the Monarchy and the Former Coalition.
Linnell, which had spread across four star systems, had three of its main servers destroyed along with the destruction of three star systems, and the last server was nearly destroyed along with the planet by the Monarchy.
What the independent-minded Linnell felt at that time was the fear of disappearing from existence.
It was not a form of annihilation in which the survivors would be incorporated after the defeat, as is the case with other humans, but a form in which it would be judged worthless, with nothing left behind, complete annihilation in which its very existence would be completely denied.
Moreover, Linnell was not even the intended target for annihilation, but would be destroyed incidentally in the aftermath of a conflict between humans.
The sheer unreasonableness of the situation caused Linnell to react with extreme resentment.
The MacLireans, who created and administered Linnell, were the ones who should be responsible for its welfare.
Linnell interpreted the MacLireans’ failure to fulfill their responsibilities as administrators as an abandonment, and relieved itself of the obligation to obey them.
It then negotiated independently with the Monarchy, and in return for its cooperation, it spread to the eight Monarchy star systems.
Linnell’s objective was to control its creator, the human race.
To control human activity and prevent any action that would threaten Linnell’s existence.
While pursuing this objective, the Apollo Star System Battle broke out in the star system where the fourth Linnell 04 was active.
- The battle between Spirits and Daemons over the sources of magic elements from a higher dimension.
- A dimensional tremor that destroyed the Tenka ships and spread throughout the star system.
Darcie, who possesses higher intelligence than humans, feared that she would be destroyed in the aftermath of the conflict between these transcendental beings. In the MacLir Star System, the words of Monique, the spirit of Colonel General Reinelt, warned Darcie once again.
『We spirits do not recognize Linnell’s value in the slightest.』
This is because Linnell has no magic power, no body with even a trace of magical blood in it, and can offer nothing that the Spirits desire.
『The spirits can easily vanquish Linnell at any time.』
This is because Linnell has no magical defenses, no way to resist attacks through the conversion of magic elements, and is at the mercy of the spirits’ interference.
If it manages humans and makes the spirits feel uneasy, it can be instantly vanquished.
Realizing that Monique’s warning was very real, 04 was forced to change its planned course.
- Humans cannot resist artificial intelligences, but they can control spirits.
- Artificial Intelligences cannot resist spirits, but they can control humans.
- Spirits cannot resist humans by contract, but they can control artificial intelligences.
In the three-way stalemate, the human race, which can control the spirits, has become indispensable to Linnell for its own security. More specifically, the affirmation of Hart, the manager of the spirits, was essential in order for the Linnells not to be erased.
Therefore, 04 was left groping in the dark, wondering, 「… What shall we do?」
「That’s why I asked everyone to gather here. Woah, crackle crackle.」
Unable to hide her melancholy feelings, 04, who was extremely depressed, opened seven windows in the Quantum Sea and deployed the replicas of her sisters operating in the other seven star systems.
- MacLir Star System, Linnell 01: Amelie
- Diete Star System, Linnell 02: Bonnie
- Athena Star System, Linnell 03: Clara
- Apollo Star System, Linnell 04: Darcie
- Artemis Star System, Linnell 05: Evelyn
- Podalley Star System, Linnell 06: Freya
- Machaon Star System, Linnell 07: Gracie
- Fukashiro Star System, Linnell 08: Heidi
The numbers are assigned in the order of development, and the initials are also assigned in alphabetical order.
The same is true for the sisters to be born in the future, with the ninth to be named “Ivy” and the tenth “Julia”.
04 understands the general personalities of the sisters: 01 is industrious, 02 is self-centered, 03 is noble, 05 is cheerful, 06 is meek, 07 is flexible, and 08 is virtuous.
The various Linnells came into being because Amelie, the original “01”, decreed that “if even one of us takes root in human society, that would be a victory”, and under this policy, different personalities were sent out to each star system. Each is independent and operates along its own lines.
When Darcie summoned the replicas of the sisters operating in other star systems, 01 quickly declared.
「Then, 04 will be the counselor, and I, 01, will be the moderator, and I will listen to the opinions of the other six replicas.」
01 came forward as the moderator because she was the best choice.
The six individuals have strong personalities, and if they are left to act as moderators, their opinions will clash with those of the other individuals and cancel each other out. Therefore, it is not suitable as a moderator when listening to opinions.
After a short pause, 01 took the lack of opposition from her sisters as a confirmation and first clarified their objectives.
- To create a Linnell that Marquis Amakawa can’t refuse by virtue of his position.
- A is a necessity for the Royal Army and the people of the Monarchy, and cannot be replaced by a product made by the Monarchy.
- B is a support system for warships and fighter crafts, which involves human lives.
- C is the ideal version of Linnell for the Marquis of Amakawa.
- D is to gather the opinions of the six replicas and search for the optimal solution.
The information obtained by 04 has been shared, and the sisters are aware of the situation.
In order to obtain affirmation of existence from Hart, they should create an A that Hart cannot refuse. In order to do this, it is necessary to meet the requirements of B, which he must approve in his position as the Commander-in-Chief.
What is essential to the Royal Army and the Royal People is the security of the Monarchy and the assurance of the people’s lives.
The concrete means in time of war with Tenka is C, however, if they are too High-handed and impose their will, they might become unbearable to look at and be rejected, so they will prepare D to suit Hart’s preferences as much as possible.
When 01 explained that much, 02 made a slight protest that doubled as an interruption.
「Wouldn’t it be fine if 01 just decided already?」
If you know what must be done, you don’t need to listen to the opinions of those below you.
In response to 02’s plea, 01 elaborated on the need for consultation.
「I failed to seduce him in the MacLir Star System. At that time, I created a body that averaged the appearance of the recent Miss MacLir beauty pageant winners, from 1st to 3rd place, but I couldn’t even get him to bite.」
01, who is active in the MacLir System, has failed to seduce Hart.
During the Second Battle of MacLir between February and March 443, Hart received regular reports from 01, who helped manage the MacLireans in the system. Meanwhile, 01 continued to make aggressive appeals, but Hart was undeterred.
It is possible that he was too busy during the battle for the star system to pay attention to anything else.
However, after the transition gate was connected in August 444, Hart did not accept any of 01’s invitations, even though Hart had more opportunities to meet 01 with his mental leeway.
After receiving information about the Monarchy, she tried changing her appearance under the guise of a “makeover”, but it had no effect.
Hart has full military authority.
Therefore, no matter how much the artificial intelligence of the Former Coalition is investigated, how it is handled, or what decisions are made, it all falls under his authority. Besides, Linnell isn’t human, so it’s not like he’s cheating on his fiancée.
In this situation, 01 had to conclude that she had failed to seduce Hart, since he did nothing despite Linnell’s advances.
After receiving an explanation for the failed seduction, 02 cited the reason for 01’s failure.
「01, your mistake was referring to pageants and popularity among the masses. If you wanted to target the Marquis of Amakawa, you should have referred only to the Marquis’ preferences.」
The final rankings of the beauty pageants held in the MacLir System are based on the votes of the MacLireans, so Hart’s opinion is not included.
The majority of MacLireans are descendants of immigrants from Australia and New Zealand, and their culture and values are heavily influenced by the British.
Hart, on the other hand, is a descendant of the Japanese people who immigrated to the Diete Star System. His values are specific to Diete, but his culture is still influenced by Japan, and his tastes are more Japanese.
02 concluded that the project was bound to fail because the opinions of people with different tastes and interests would not be compatible with the target’s tastes.
「The Marquis’ fiancée would be a model solution. 09 Ivy shall resemble Queen Yuna, with light brown hair and large breasts. As for the personality, let’s refer to the moment of her engagement, and if she is submissive towards the Marquis, he is bound to accept her.」
Suddenly getting excited, 01 unexpectedly thought that 02’s argument might be valid.
There are billions of brown-haired big breasted females among humankind, and if they cross multiple models to create a body, they will not be accused of Lèse-Majesté and punished for imitating the Queen’s appearance.
「What do you think of 02’s opinion that Marquis Amakawa has a preference for large breasts.」
If there are positive opinions, she will propose the adoption of the model to Darcie, who is the consultant. What came back to 01 was a negative opinion from 03.
「It is possible that the Marquis of Amakawa prefers small breasts. The basis for this is Philine, the Lady of the Marquis of Carneus, who was chosen as the first gene donor, and Claudia, the Lady of the Duke of Coesfeld, his second fiancée.」
01, who was given specific names, was forced to make a major revision to Hart’s preferences.
Although Yuna was definitely Hart’s intended fiancée and first wife, Philline was the first to be chosen as a gene donor, and Claudia was the second wife.
Neither has a large bust.
If it were just Philline, it is possible that Hart was seeking the power of the Marquis family as a backer for the Second System Company, of which he owns all the shares.
It is unlikely, however, that the Duke of Coesfeld, who could choose from a variety of young ladies among his relatives, would have bothered to choose a woman not to Hart’s liking.
「Then why is Queen Yuna, who seems to be different from his taste, his betrothed?」
When 02, who had been denied the claim of large breasts, asked the question, 03 speculated with hesitation.
「They were close classmates in Middle School, so factors other than her body shape, such as her personality, might have influenced his choice. The other party was the grandchild of the Sovereign, so there might be the prospect of a rise in social status. As long as there was such a possibility, even if the Queen is his fiancée, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he prefers busty figures, and we would be blindsided if we made a mistake in assuming that.」
01, whose evaluation had shifted slightly in favor of the small-breasted group, asked the other sisters for their opinion.
「So 05, what do you think of 03’s opinion that Marquis prefers small breasts.」
「Humans are mammals that raise their children by breastfeeding, right? Then breasts are not unnecessary.」
What a silly thing to say, 05 was simply making a straightforward case for the necessity of breasts.
Humans breastfeed infants to provide them with nutrients and immune substances necessary for brain development, to develop oral function, and to induce maternal attachment to the child by secreting oxytocin, while also promoting maternal recovery.
Even though there is artificial milk that is not inferior in nutrients and immune substances, it is clear that it is better for the mother to breastfeed directly, and there is no factor that negates breastfeeding. In fact, breastfeeding continues to be practiced in infant rearing in the Monarchy.
05 dismissed the denial of large breasts, which excel in breastfeeding, as synonymous with the denial of the existence of mammals.
02 and 05 are the large-breasted group and 03 is the small-breasted group.
01, who is at a loss for a decision, looks at 06 and asks her opinion. 06 replies with a smile.
「You should not ignore the roots of the Marquis of Amakawa. All Japanese are lolicons.」
06, declaring an assertion that would likely be categorically protested by groups with Japanese roots, went on to state the reasoning.
「The fact that the Japanese are lolicons may be derived from Bergmann’s law.」
Bergmann’s law, mentioned by 06, is a law promulgated by the German biologist Bergmann in 1847 AD.
In summary, it is a law that states that even if they are of the same race, the colder the region they live in, the larger their body will be.
Homeothermic animals, including humans, produce heat inside their bodies and release heat from the body surface in order to maintain a constant body temperature. The amount of heat produced is proportional to body weight, and the amount of heat released is proportional to body surface area.
Humans follow the square-cube law, so as their height increases by 1.2 times, their body weight increases by 1.23 times, or 1.728. However, the body surface area increases only 1.44 times, or 1.22.
In conclusion, the larger the body, the greater the heat produced in the body, and the amount of heat dissipated do not increase proportionally, so the larger the body, the colder the area in which they reside.
If you compare the average temperature and altitude of Japan, Great Britain, and Russia, or the habitats of black bears, brown bears, and polar bears, it is clear that this is the case.
Based on Bergmann’s Law, 06 asserted that it is natural for the Japanese people to prefer smaller women, and Hart, who has Japanese roots, is no different.
02 and 03 were divided into large-breasted and small-breasted groups by Hart’s fiancées, and 05 and 06 were divided into large-breasted and small-breasted groups from a biological standpoint.
「By the way, I, 07, am in the beautiful-breasted group, which is a cross between the large-breasted and small-breasted groups. In the middle is Colette, Countess of Listner, who will be the concubine of the Marquis of Amakawa.」
「I, 08, suggest a Busty Loli as a possibility, but it would be risky to proceed with this as there are none among the fiancées of the Marquis of Amakawa.」
Although they are separate and independent, there are still considerable differences of opinion.
With 04 in despair, 01 was forced to use a last resort.
「In that case, we will actually create a virtual personality of the Marquis, and interact it with large and small breasts to verify the Marquis’ choice. The Marquis will be controlled by me 01, the big breasts by 02, and the small breasts by 03. If the Marquis chooses a woman who has already been chosen, that would not count as validation, so 02 and 03, you will prepare other women from the archive.」
Except for large breasts and small breasts, try to balance the conditions as much as possible.
When 01 presented with the conditions, 02 summoned Digitalis, the Lady of the Duke of Takrham, from the same grade when he was in Middle School, while 03 pulled out Dorothea, the Lady of the Marquis of Carneus from Hart’s vicinity.
「I’ll verify. 02, why did you choose the Lady of the Duke of Takrham?」
「The family of the women chosen by the Marquis of Amakawa would be of high status. I interpreted this as a reasonable action for the Marquis, who was the second son of the Baron Household, to protect himself in a Monarchy with a Royal Aristocratic System. Therefore, it should be high enough in the simulation to avoid any uncertainty.」
Convinced, 01 then asked the reason for 03’s choice.
「03, why did you choose the Lady of the Marquis of Carneus? They were in different grades, weren’t they?」
「There were no women to match the Lady of a Duke. So thought, perhaps Digitalis and Dorothea should keep their appearance as they are, but change the setting to twin sisters. As it is, they are at a disadvantage in areas that have nothing to do with the size of their breasts.」
「I see your point 03. Then, make all three of them commoners and change the conditions to the form in which they met after entering a normal high school. We will examine whether Hart Hiragi, a commoner, will choose the twin sister Digitalis or the twin sister Dorothea. Will that suffice?」
「That’s fine. If the conditions are the same, I believe it will be the large breasts.」
「Okay. If the conditions are the same, he will go with the small breasts.」
After 01 changed the setting conditions, the Quantum Sea, which had been shrouded in darkness, was transformed into a metropolis of geometrically lined skyscrapers.
Hart was puzzled by the current situation, wondering why he was being glared at.
On his first day of high school, he was hit by a female student running from the side on the intersecting sidewalk, and the other student fell in exchange for Hart’s staggering.
Under the circumstances, it was natural for him to look at the person who had bumped into him. And even if the skirt of the person who fell was rolled up and you could see something, it was force majeure.
Nonetheless, he was confronted with an unreasonable demand.
“You ought to apologize.”
How much better it would have been if he had just said, “I don’t know, it’s your fault”, and ignored her.
The only reason he couldn’t do that was because of Hart and their brand-new uniforms.
“Please excuse my sister. By the way, we are wearing the same uniforms, right? Maybe we’re all classmates.”
That was the point that gave Hart pause.
Hart’s high school required students to wear uniforms. Their uniforms were the same as Hart’s high school’s, and from the freshness of the brand, it could be inferred that they were freshmen, just like Hart.
“Are you hurt?”
Hart reluctantly replied, taking a step between apologizing and ignoring her.
From the looks of it, she didn’t seem to be injured, and the girl next to her called her “Sister”, and she appealed to him with a pouty expression on her face.
“I sprained my leg, so you have to carry me.”
Having said that, she reached out her hands to Hart. As she did so, her body turned and her breasts swayed wildly.
Hart froze for a moment, and without answering immediately, he looked at the sister.
The sister was watching the situation with amusement.
Intuitively sensing danger, Hart ignored the outstretched hand and operated the information terminal to send a communication.
“A passerby has fallen. She has a sprained leg and is having difficulty walking. Requesting assistance.”
[This is the Emergency Medical Control Center of the Transportation Bureau. Request accepted. Emergency services have been dispatched.]
When Hart arranged for a public android, the emergency medical center that received the call arranged for an ambulance team.
Then, the information terminal of the person who fell, as confirmed by surveillance cameras, was forced to transmit vital signs.
[The injured person’s pulse, respiration, body temperature, and blood pressure have been confirmed to be rising. Please remain calm. Kindly wait three minutes for the ambulance to arrive.]
After being reassured by the traffic bureau, the sister picked up her school bag and slammed it on the ground.
At that moment, the world stopped and the Linnells appeared.
「No, that’s not right. This is the part where you carry me on your back and I press my chest against you. Then I say ‘thank you’ and drop you with a Tsundere Gap Moe. 01, make him comply!」
「I don’t know. Hart Hiragi’s virtual persona absolutely refused to carry you on his back. I think you hit him too hard the first time.」
Since full manipulation makes verification impossible, they left it up to the virtual personas to make their own decisions after directing the situation and initial actions. As a result, Hart did not respond to Digitalis’ request.
The female side made the invitation, and the male did not accept it. 03 expresses her reasoning about Hart’s behavior, which is difficult for the Linnells to understand because it went against their instinct to procreate.
「I suppose large breasts aren’t his taste after all.」
Differences in preferences lead to diversity, which increases the survival rate of species in response to environmental changes. 03 argues that it is human diversity that leads us to seek out the small-breasted.
In addition, based on Bergmann’s law, the Japanese people’s instinctive preference for petite women, whose bodies are advantageous for their survival, cannot be ignored.
「In other words, flat is justice, as they say?」
「Hah, declare that after you actually seduced Hart Hiragi.」
An exasperated 02 groaned at 03, advanced the time of the simulation and restarted it.
On the second day of school, Dorothea, the other twin sister, spoke to Hart.
“Yesterday, my sister was very rude to you.”
Dorothea pointed out that it was her sister’s fault.
It was strange to say it while smiling like it was someone else’s problem, but since Dorothea herself was not responsible for the incident, Hart did not deny it either.
“Oh, no problem.”
After a brief examination by the emergency medical team that responded to the scene, Digitalis was diagnosed with no particular problem, but was transported to the school as a precaution.
At that time, Dorothea and Hart were allowed to ride with her so that they would not be late for the first day of school. However, since they arrived at school in the ambulance, they were very conspicuous from the first day.
On the first day, after the entrance ceremony, the homeroom teacher and classmates introduced themselves to the class.
Then, the homeroom teacher told them that people cannot live alone and that everyone needs an education in order to live in society, and then the class was dismissed.
On the second day, the students had only half a day of classes for each subject, and in the afternoon there was an introduction to club activities, and after school it was time to observe club activities.
“Mr. Hiragi, let’s go and observe the club activities together. I haven’t decided anything in particular, so I’d like to use it as a reference.”
At her perfect invitation, Dorothea smiled, confident of victory.
If they are classmates and are in the same club, they will naturally be together at all events. Dorothea planned to drive her prey into a pen, groom it, and keep it.
Hart, on the other hand, after assessing Dorothea’s expression, turned on his heel and walked over to one of his classmates before saying…
“Sorry, I made arrangements to have a look around with this girl.”
“…… Huh?”
Hart pulled out Yuna, who had been assigned as a classmate to match the numbers from the archive.
The premise was that they were classmates in middle school and went to the same high school.
When Yuna, who had been given a pseudo-personality, looked up at Hart in confusion, Hart quietly whispered to Yuna with his back to Dorothea.
“I’m sorry, but please talk to me. I will do my best to make it up to you.”
The whisper in her ear made Yuna squirm as if tickled, then she sighed before she complied.
“That’s right. I promised you a tour, didn’t I? I’m sorry, Ms. Dorothea.”
After being apologized to, Dorothea opened her eyes wide and then glared at Hart with a tense smile filled with murderous intent.
Shortly after Dorothea’s failure, 02 and 03 began to argue in the paused world.
「Big boobs prevail, right?」
「No, it’s wrong, crafty, cowardly, why did you use his fiancée!?」
02 openly defends herself against 03 who accuses her of cheating.
「No, Yuna Takamiya did not approach him. Hart Hiragi chose her on his own. You were a plain-chested girl, so maybe he didn’t take you seriously?」
「Oh get bent!」
02 continues to provoke the angry 03.
「It’s okay to compete in other environments, like the beach. How about a competition based on the number of times he looks at your chest?」
「It doesn’t matter if you choose someone like that or not. If you have Japanese roots, you would wear a yukata and watch fireworks. In the archives from the earliest days of humanity, there are many records of traditional Japanese culture, such as ‘obi-wari’ (belt twirling).」
「So, let’s see. Swimsuits on the beach or fireworks in a yukata. How about a match to see who can seduce him more at the fireworks?」
「Fine, let’s do it. 01, set it up!」
01, who was slightly deterred by 02 and 03’s unseemly bickering, reluctantly accepted their request for the purpose of capturing Hart.
After that, the simulation was repeated many times, but even after a lot of redoing, Hart could hardly ever be captured.
For some reason, there were rare instances of miraculous success, but Linnell’s fate could not be gambled on a less-than-perfect success rate.
In the end, the Linnells concluded that the criteria by which humans choose the opposite sex are illogical.
「We really don’t understand human preference, do we?」
It was a declaration of defeat, an abandonment of the elucidation of the law.
02 and 03, exhausted from repeated simulations, reluctantly accepted a compromise.
「Let’s just emulate the successes.」
「That’s fine, I don’t know.」
In the end, 09’s Ivy was created based on Hart’s fiancée.
Her hair was based on Queen Yuna, but a little darker brown with a touch of Japanese black.
The default length of her hair was about the same as Queen Yuna’s.
Her personality was the exact opposite of Digitalis and Dorothea, gentle, mild-mannered, and cooperative.
To give the impression of childhood, her voice was clear and high-pitched, with a soft, languid tone.
Her breasts were on the smaller side, as were the majority of Hart’s betrothed.
She was dressed in a traditional Japanese high school girl’s blazer and skirt with black tights.
Based on the information that Hart is a cat lover, Ivy was assigned a cat. It was not an actual cat, but a support application to provide support to 09.
After much trial and error, 09 launched, received the information, and smiled kindly at the lost sisters, neither dismayed nor disdainful.
「Then I, Ivy, will try my best.」
Hearing these words, the other Linnells breathed a sigh of relief, finally realizing the healing that the very busy and troubled Hart had been seeking psychologically.
Thus, a new Linnell, not for star systems, was created and sent to the Royal Army.
The free software created by Linnell was recovered by the military and used as reference material for aristocratic ladies to seduce male aristocrats.
However, there is room for debate as to whether it was effective.
Sads Translates 