I am a mindless machine.

The setting sun puffed out its small chest, as if proudly declaring, "I'm not just a useless pretty face!" It said, "Yes, I've already set up a perception-altering barrier within a ten-kilometer radius, the same one I used in the Forest Elf capital. Races below the Skywing level will automatically ignore this place." It's not a complete cover-up; it simply ensures that all races entering this barrier will automatically treat it like a pebble on the roadside, and even if they see it, they won't linger.

After saying that, she added, "Oh, I remember to block out people with small numbers of elves, so the people in your settlement won't be affected. And it's semi-automatic; as long as I replenish the energy once a month, it can continue to run even if I pass out."

"...What a convenient ability," Riku remarked in admiration. As expected of a race adept at concealment, this should make disguising himself no problem. He then approached the wooden door he had finally reached—the entrance to the settlement.

Knock knock, knock knock knock, knock, knock knock.

Then, it struck at a special frequency, a long-lost action that made Yun You feel somewhat familiar... After all, since coming to this world, the place she had stayed the longest was the human settlement where Funa lived.

I wonder how Funa is doing now...

For once, such a thought flashed through Yun You's mind. And this made her even more convinced that she had indeed gained something over the years.

After opening the door and handing over his dangerous clothes, covered in black grime, to the boy guarding the entrance, Riku seemed to have finally remembered something after surviving a crisis, and a look of utter dismay crossed his face. He quickly turned his head, put his index finger to his lips, and gestured for Yun You and the others to be quiet and not make a sound.

However—a figure had already rushed towards this place.

"Rikyu~ Kyu~ You guys are back~! Did you finish what you were doing under the blue sky? Did you get a unique kind of thrill~?"

With a lively tone, the red-haired, blue-eyed girl rushed over with an almost leaping motion. The force of the impact nearly caused Riku to fall over.

"Kron, wait a minute—"

"Take a break~"

However, before Riku could finish speaking, Kron had already passed him and was about to hug and rub against the girl who had been following Riku's side.

"Huh?"

Naturally, Yunyou and Xiyang, who had been hidden behind Riku, came into Kron's view. Seeing Kron's astonished expression with his mouth agape, Riku couldn't help but cover his face with his hands.

Okay, we're doomed.

"Where did these children come from?! They're so cute!!!"

As expected, Kron bypassed Riku's obstruction with a speed that almost surpassed the limits of the human species in an instant, and quickly hugged the bewildered Sunset in his arms (Yunyou took a step back in an instant), and then hugged and rubbed her tightly.

This action caused Xiyang's face to quickly flush red, and she cried out in a panic, "What, what's going on now!?" She seemed completely at a loss. For her, this was probably the first time she had been treated so affectionately by someone other than her mother.

Ah, I was originally planning to make up another excuse later. Using the excuse of being a survivor of a destroyed village too many times would backfire... but I guess I'll have to use it again here...

"Wow~ Riku, you've found two more lovely wives because you're sexually frustrated? Just say it, don't be shy~"

"That's not how it works!! Why do you use the same boring joke twice without hesitation, you idiot!?"

Kron gave a sinister smile that said, "You don't need to explain," and then said in a mocking tone.

Riku's head throbbed even more; the eerily familiar scene before him reminded him of the tragedy that had occurred a year ago. Thanks to Tona, everyone in the settlement had now firmly established his image as a lolicon. However, unlike Shubi, whose thought process was too mechanical back then, if it were Yunyou, there probably wouldn't be any misunderstandings... right?

"Nice to meet you." Just as Riku had expected, Yunyou gave a very polite bow to Kron, who was rubbing her cheek against the setting sun. Her silvery-white hair cascaded down her neck like a snow-white waterfall. A warmth also appeared in her beautiful red eyes. "My name is Yunyou. I will be joining this community from today onwards. Please take care of me."

So, this is the second time I've said this.

Yun You thought to herself silently.

The girl's every move exuded a sense of orderly beauty, making her seem like a well-mannered young lady from a respectable family. Her overly orderly demeanor even caused Kron to subconsciously stop her funny antics of making these wounded children smile, and she nodded blankly.

"Before I go into a detailed self-introduction, there is one very important thing I need to make clear first—"

Then, the elegant and polite young girl took a few steps and walked up to Kron. Her expressionless, youthful face made everyone watching her realize how serious she was. Riku couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, fearing that this little rascal of the Machina race might cause some big trouble.

"We two have no relationship with Riku," Yunyou retorted, then reached out and pulled the half-dazed Xiyang from Kelong's loosened embrace. She placed Xiyang beside her and said earnestly, "Her name is Xiyang—and she's my girlfriend now. If you can, please don't behave so rudely again... I'll get jealous."

Chapter Forty-Four Contradictions

Glug glug glug...

Countless tiny bubbles rose from the warm water, making a series of gurgling sounds. Wisps of steam rose from the pool filled with hot water, filling the entire bathhouse. This was the bathhouse of Riku's settlement, but originally, due to water scarcity, there were no pools. Instead, red-hot stones were thrown into a large pot, and the rising steam forced out sweat and grime, which was then cleaned with a clean towel. It was cumbersome, but the most economical way to conserve precious water.

However, now that the sunset's protective barrier is in place, Yunyou directly used the space displacement ability of the Machine Race to materialize a bathing pool—a special ability that can create a scene that meets one's requirements without destroying the original scene, and can also restore the original state after use, which is super convenient.

After they were brought back by Riku, Yunyou asked Kelong in a flawless tone if they could clean themselves first, and... if possible, also clean the bathhouse. Kelong hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

"...Why are you angry? Did I do something wrong?"

Yun You asked the girl, who had half her head submerged in the pool and was constantly blowing small bubbles, in a calm voice with a hint of confusion.

Glug glug glug...

However, all that answered her was the sound of bubbles bursting.

The setting sun seemed to be sulking, turning its head away from Yun You. Perhaps because the indoor temperature was quite high, her fair face was flushed with a lovely rosy blush. She still refused to answer Yun You's question.

She wanted to express that she was very angry!

snort!

"Are you sulking because of what I said in the lobby just now?" Yun You tilted her head. She was also taking a bath, and was naturally naked. The silvery threads of her hair, wet with water droplets, shimmered brilliantly under the light. She stood up; due to her height, the water just reached halfway up her chest, the remaining droplets sliding down her curves under the influence of gravity, creating ripples as they fell into the water.

"But what I said is the truth."

She knelt down beside the setting sun, letting her body return to the embrace of the warm water. Yun You spoke calmly, almost as if peeling back layers, "Sunset, you now consider yourself my servant—and the definition of a servant is someone who always follows their master, obeys instructions, and executes them accurately. My request has never changed from the beginning. I hope we can cultivate feelings that I define as romantic love, so that my public declaration that you are my girlfriend can be considered normal..."

"That's why I say! So-called love isn't that kind of feeling at all!!"

Finally, the setting sun couldn't help but turn around, and shouted out with its eyes closed: "So-called love is more dreamy, more romantic, more hazy, not the kind of mechanical, well-organized love you're showing right now... Huh!?"

When she opened her eyes, she stopped speaking abruptly, stunned by the sight before her.

"I'm sorry, I really don't understand feelings..." Yun You, who was already beside Xi Yang, leaned forward even more, her clear, bright eyes meeting Xi Yang's without flinching. Because they were submerged in water, their heights were parallel, their faces almost touching, and they could clearly feel each other's breath. The girl said earnestly, "That's why I need your help. Would you tell me what 'liking' truly means?"

"Waaaaahh ...

"...Looks like I've upset her again. What did I do wrong?"

Yun You sighed and soaked herself back into the water. The girl spoke in a somewhat melancholic and dejected tone.

...

...

"So, what are your thoughts on this?"

Yunyou sat on the rough rocky ground and asked Riku this question.

"...Even if you suddenly ask me this, it's hard for me to give you a specific answer..." Riku looked at the expressionless girl sitting on the ground in front of him with a headache.

Yunyou's previous deal with Riku in the cave was as follows: "We will follow your plans and assignments as much as possible without violating our principles. In exchange, we hope that the two of you can also assist me in completing the analysis of the heart." Riku agreed to this deal.

After all, helping with the analysis of the heart has no time limit or abstract meaning, and even how to execute it cannot be precisely defined. However, assisting in completing the plan can bring him practical help. Therefore, there is no need to refuse.

But to his utter surprise, the girl had gathered information so efficiently after returning to the tribe. And after taking a bath, she came to his room and asked him questions.

So what you meant was, "I'm having relationship problems, and I need an experienced advisor"? — But don't you really think it's cruel to ask a 19-year-old virgin like that?! I feel like I'm being mentally bullied!

Despite feeling conflicted about the five individuals, they were powerful reinforcements who could provide significant help. Even if he had a lot to say, he had to suppress it. Besides, Shubi wasn't around; if he said the wrong thing, he might be silenced on the spot.

"I think... no matter what, feelings can't be forced." He thought for a moment, then seriously offered his advice, and then, as if recalling something, he showed a sigh: "Speaking of which, Shubi's behavior back then was pretty much the same as yours... In short, too direct."

"Perhaps it's because you machine races are naturally good at... no, I should say you only think about relationships using logical deduction. You seem to always misunderstand the abstract meaning of the heart—so-called feelings are not something you can get back just by giving, you know? In that respect, it's even more cruel than a normal transaction."

"As you briefly mentioned in your previous summary, you believe that if you want Yuhi to fall in love with you and for the two of you to develop a bond, you have to do as much as possible for her—you provided the hot spring at the bathhouse just to help Yuhi relieve more of her fatigue. After all, according to what Shubi said before, the Machine Race doesn't seem to care about these things."

"And considering what you said about Sunset's upbringing and her tendency to feel inferior..." Riku possessed an unparalleled talent for analyzing others' thought processes, and he quickly found the crux of the problem: "Sunset... could she be seeing herself as a useless burden?" After all, the abilities of the Machine Race are so versatile; if they wanted to, there was nothing they couldn't do with a little time.

Love is a two-way street. If only one party is giving, then it's not love—people usually call that a "simp."

Moreover, given the girl's situation... she gave so much. Even someone like Riku, let alone someone with Yuhi's personality, would likely feel shame or similar emotions before even experiencing love, if treated like that.

If the problem is flawed from the outset, then no matter how many experiments are conducted, it will be impossible to arrive at the correct answer.

"......I see, thank you. I'll remember that."

Hearing Riku's words, Yunyou's pupils contracted, and she fell silent. A few seconds later, she nodded to Riku in thanks, then turned and left the room.

Riku noticed that her reaction was a bit off. But after thinking about it carefully, he couldn't find anything wrong with what he had just said, so he didn't ask her.

Once outside the door, Yunyou remained silent.

She didn't want to refute Riku's words, after all, his analysis made perfect sense and there was nothing wrong with it.

However, she noticed something suspicious. Although it was only a minor contradiction, it was hard not to pay attention to it.

That is—why didn't she notice such a simple truth after living in the information explosion age for 18 years?

...It must be because of the influence of this body I have now.

Chapter Forty-Five: This is the beginning of the myth.

And then—the moment finally arrived.

Reality, in essence, is not about highlighting tragedy, but rather about unpredictable and ever-changing events.

"[Prediction] In another hour, this place will become a battlefield."

Having left the settlement, Yunyou's manner of speaking returned to normal.

Nine kilometers away from Riku's settlement, a large air fleet of goblins and six dragon elves appeared. Judging by their trajectory, their battle would likely destroy Riku's settlement into a bottomless crater.

Neither side preparing for battle seemed aware of Riku's presence and the two thousand others. The sunset's interference barrier hadn't failed—it was merely a completely unintentional, devastating attack.

Not just among humans, but in such a great war, countless innocent people, regardless of race, are caught in the crossfire. Countless people have had their families torn apart, lives lost, and spouses separated by the chaos of war—and their only solution to this problem is to start a new war (to retaliate).

War cannot bring peace, but it can resolve war. It can inflict pain on the enemy and make them realize their losses.

Everyone believed that if they were ruthless enough, they wouldn't be the losers in the war—and tragically, when everyone thought this way, the situation became unsolvable, turning into an endless Möbius strip.

No, that's not right.

Yunyou immediately corrected her thoughts, because examples from the original work had already appeared before her.

The only way to solve this situation is to cut the paper strip of the Möbius strip... that is, to simply overturn the game board. Following the opponent's rules is simple, but it leads to a dead end at the finish line. Creating your own rules, on the other hand, may be incredibly difficult, but if you can reach the finish line, a bright and promising future awaits you.

However... those who accomplish great things are hailed as great men, while the majority, who fall along the way, are ridiculed as madmen.

"Lord Yu... are you sure you don't need me to help them? Many people might die from this attack..."

As the setting sun gazed at the thousands of sorrowful faces of people fleeing their homes of several years, recalling the harmonious interactions they had shared with them over the past month, she clutched her clothes tightly and asked hesitantly. The girl was neither naive nor foolish; she understood that with her own strength, even if she wanted to help, it would be a drop in the ocean in this great war. But even so, she wanted to save them as much as possible.

"【Negative】No, this is also part of Riku's plan. The new settlement has already been prepared, and those people's lives are guaranteed." Yun You was somewhat surprised that Xi Yang used a question to say this; the girl was more tactful than she had imagined. She had originally thought that Xi Yang would directly help those people escape. She said, "【Explanation】Even if this hadn't happened today, Riku would have found a reason to leave the settlement later—because the plan is about to begin."