The three strangers explained their situation, carefully hiding many details.

  After introducing themselves, they also learned the name of the man who had guided them here: Stephan.

  Following Orion’s method of handling such encounters, they approached the conversation with caution, especially when speaking to the robot.

  Still, they managed to learn a few things.

  It—or rather, he—was an old man trapped inside a tin-can armor. All of his flesh had been replaced long ago, making him one of the first experimental subjects.

  "The memories always come back when I see the others," the robot said, his voice hollow. "The smell of blood, soldered metal, and death."

  "Seeing the piles of dead abominations thrown into the corners of the lab disgusted us," he continued, his glowing eyes wandering as if pulling the memories back to the surface, "but all we could do was close our eyes and pray for a quick and painless death."

  His body creaked and groaned with even the slightest movement. The strangers stared at him—the clunky, rusted shell that remained—knowing they didn’t need further explanation to imagine the horrors he had endured.

  He lifted one heavy arm slightly.

  "As you can see, I was especially unlucky."

  Even without his words, they could feel the weight of the suffering etched into every bolt and joint of his body.

  "I have one question," Amelia said, crossing her arms and studying him with a doubtful gaze. "There's something I can’t wrap my head around. How are you still alive if your mind is trapped in that body? What about your brain?"

  "I was wondering the same thing," Senia agreed, raising a hand thoughtfully to her face.

  Heto watched silently, his expression clouded with concern.

  "Your question is legitimate," the robot replied, his voice slow. "Very few of us survived long enough to reach this state."

  Lifting both arms in a mechanical, rotating gesture toward his head, he pressed two buttons on either side of his helmet.

  With a loud click and a burst of steam, the seals broke.

  "I cannot leave this open for long," he warned. "Dust could damage it."

  "As you might have noticed," he added, glancing around the room, "this place isn’t as clean as it used to be."

  The top of his head opened with another faint hiss, and the mechanized man leaned forward, revealing a small orb embedded deep within the center of his skull.

  The orb pulsed with a bright red hue, rapidly flickering—as if warning of something dangerous in the air.

  Inside the orb, the circuitry was clearly visible: thousands of fine, tightly soldered strands linking to other parts of his body, mimicking the function of nerves.

  "This is... circuitry," Amelia muttered, frowning deeply. "I saw something similar while visiting Stella and Reon’s workshop."

  Disgust twisted her features as she looked closer.

  "So this orb replaces the brain," Senia observed, studying it carefully. "And it seems to function independently of magic."

  "It appears to generate its own autonomous energy," she continued. "It doesn’t need a magic supply to stay operational."

  The robot nodded once and closed the lid quickly, straightening his head again.

  "I was merely an experiment," he said. "The amount of knowledge I possess on the subject is minimal."

  He hesitated for a moment, then added, "All I remember are the words of our 'Master'... working tirelessly on us."

  "Could you recognize their features? The leader behind it all?" Amelia pressed.

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  He shook his head slowly, the movement deliberate and restrained.

  "We were always blindfolded," the robot said, his voice mechanical yet weighed down by memory. "Even after we lost our true eyesight. And even then, we were kept unconscious through the operations."

  "All we ever knew were the cages we were put into."

  Linking his metallic fingers together, he straightened the metal bar that served as his spine, a faint creaking sound accompanying the motion.

  Amelia’s face softened, as did Senia’s. They finally lowered their guard, accepting the man’s story with sadness weighing on their hearts.

  "We're going to take a look around," Heto said, stepping forward and speaking calmly. "There’s a lot to process, and we need time to prepare for what’s coming."

  Both women nodded in agreement.

  "That is perfectly fine," the robot replied. "I will ask someone to assist you and make your stay as comfortable as we can manage."

  But Amelia shook her head.

  "We can manage ourselves," she said. "Do not worry about us. We appreciate the hospitality, though."

  Smiling elegantly, Senia added, "We wouldn’t want to impose—especially when those around us already live in hardship."

  Leaving their spot, the three of them made their way toward the door.

  "We’ll do what we can not to be a burden," Amelia said. "If you require anything, we’ll be easy to find."

  The mechanized man nodded once, waving his hand as they walked out into the settlement.

  ...

  A few minutes later, walking through the middle of the village:

  "What do you think of the situation?" Heto asked quietly, glancing around to ensure no one overheard them.

  "Right now, I can’t speak freely," Amelia whispered. "Wait until we’re somewhere completely sealed from prying ears."

  "You never know," Senia murmured, "walls have ears—whether it’s in our world or this one."

  "Believe me," Amelia said, thinking back to her early discussions with Orion, "we’ve experienced it before."

  The bitter memory of how easily Henrietta’s magic had spied on them resurfaced—an unwelcome reminder that no place was ever truly safe.

  "I understand," Heto said, nodding firmly and falling silent.

  "This place is a dump," Senia muttered, scanning their surroundings with a frown. "How can people live in such squalor?"

  Lifeless eyes stared out from the makeshift homes. Bodies—half flesh, half machine—dragged themselves through daily survival. It was a heavy sight.

  "If Olivia and her maids were here," Amelia said, her voice quiet, "they would give you the perfect answer. They know what it means to possess nothing… and to survive through the hardest challenges life can throw at you."

  "While people like Olivia created their own opportunities," she continued, "the ones here weren’t given the same luxury."

  "If we trust Stephan’s words," Senia said, frowning deeply, "then the leader experimenting on these people is none other than the monster we’ve been looking for."

  Heto muttered under his breath:

  "Levirosrepta..."

  "Most likely," Amelia agreed, glancing over her shoulder. "In fact, I’d bet everything on it."

  "..."

  "This place should be safe," she added.

  After walking through the entire settlement, they finally reached the inner walls, where they could speak more securely.

  Lifting her hand, Amelia summoned a metallic structure from the earth, merging it seamlessly with the existing wall.

  Thick plates of titanium fused into place, forming a protective shell around them—ready to endure whatever might come.

  "Let’s move inside," she said.

  Opening a massive door that sealed the small building completely, Amelia pointed inward.

  "I’ll always be amazed by your control over earth magic," Heto said, admiring the craftsmanship.

  "I worked hard to reach this point," Amelia replied, smiling. "I’d say it’s not that incredible—but I also know how to recognize my own worth."

  Accepting the praise with a small nod, she closed the door firmly behind them.

  ...

  Inside, the building was starkly simple.

  Amelia had shaped it into four rooms: two tiny bedrooms furnished only with metallic beds, a compact bathroom, and a main room containing nothing but a table and three chairs—all forged from the same gleaming steel.

  Sitting at the table, Amelia checked one last time for soundproofing.

  "Seems fine," she said. "No one should be able to hear our conversation anymore."

  The casual politeness dropped from her face immediately as she issued a cautionary warning.

  "I don’t trust that guy."

  Senia nodded instantly.

  "This place looks like a refuge at first glance," Senia said, "but I have this strange feeling it's actually a monitoring center."

  "I had the same feeling," Amelia admitted. "If this truly were the last sanctuary for these people, the steam humanoids would’ve found it already."

  "And those machine parts... there’s no way they aren’t being used to track or spy on them."

  Senia nodded again, grim-faced. Meanwhile, Heto seemed less convinced.

  "Why think that?" he asked. "Wouldn’t it be more natural to assume it’s simply well-hidden?"

  Amelia didn’t answer immediately. She let the silence stretch, giving Heto time to catch up.

  "..."

  The tension in his brow showed that her point had landed.

  "You’re starting to understand," she said. "This is not our world. The same rules don’t apply."

  "And the monster you call 'Levirosrepta'... it isn’t some mindless beast. It’s smart. Smart enough to create those abominations we’ve seen. There’s no way it’s unaware of this area."

  Heto finally nodded, understanding dawning on his face.

  "We’re most likely being watched already," Amelia said. "We need to be careful."

  "That’s why you avoided revealing too much about us," Heto realized aloud.

  Amelia nodded firmly.

  "We can’t afford to disclose anything beyond who we are. Speaking about Orion or the others could endanger all of us."

  "And..." She paused, a fierce light entering her eyes. "We’re a family. We don’t betray each other."

  Senia gave a faint, warm nod—recognizing the woman they had chosen to believe in, even through the harshest times.

  With the tension still thick in the room, they began quietly planning their next moves.