A short while after I found the road, we found a small camp on the edge of the forest.

It was just an extinguished campfire and some logs, but it was our first discovery of a place that is close to the civilization. The camp was looking well-maintained and frequently used, so there would be a settlement nearby.

While I was optimistic about it, the kitsune goddess was less than indifferent.

“Just what is wrong with you? Does it not mean that we’ll find that artifact soon? If you’re going to just wander around, then when are you even going to find it?”

“There is no single reason to hurry, do you not think so?” Akagi-sama glanced around the camp, and headed in the exact opposite direction, back where we came from.

“Seriously…? Hey, come back!” I had to hurry after her, and almost drag her back the way we were going.

The way she was so apathetic towards everything made me suspicious. It was as if that fox had something on her mind, and was deliberately doing it to waste the time.

I was not feeling any need to pay attention to her 50D chess game, so after I checked everything in the camp and confirmed it was of absolutely no interest, we continued walking. This time, where I wanted it.

When we left the forest behind, I noticed that the area around was covered in fields. Crops were planted to the very edge of the forest, and the fields were clearly made to cover as much land as possible.

The rural scenery soon turned out to be the outskirts of a town.

As I was looking at the town I noticed that it was densely populated, and even had a wall. It somewhat reminded me of the starting towns I saw before.

But when I was about to head there, I was gripped by the tiny hands of the loli. With the strength that could crush steel.

“What is wrong this time?”

“Spare more than a glance, and even you would notice it.” At the goddess’ implication, I examined the town again.

This time, I indeed noticed that something was off.

There were no bustling queues in front of the gates, like there were in normal towns. There was a queue of wagons and people, but all of them were patiently waiting, without striking conversations with each other, without a chaotic moving around, and even without occasional guard patrols to keep the line in check.

It was hard to see what was going on behind the walls, but what I could notice was also not appearing to be normal. The town inhabitants were exiting the gates regularly, almost with an interval of sorts. I could not see any usual activity through the few openings, and usually the towns are much livelier, to the point one could notice it from afar.

And the worst part is, there were more guards on the walls than I would normally expect.

“You see it? That is why this watchful Akagi-sama doesn’t like this place.” (A)

“Well, yeah, it’s weird, but couldn’t Your Watchful self tell it?”

“Why? It is not much of a hassle to deal with. Not to mention, I brought you exactly to kill time.” I sighed, and glanced back at the town.

“So, you’re saying it can be dealt with, but what exactly is going on in there?”

“Some idiot animated an automata. A magic doll. From there, one created another, and the entire town was overtaken by the machines.” (A)

“Skynet?”

“Whatever you call it. They are as living as you are, but they are not a normal lifeform. Not to mention, a living mechanism with a grudge against humans… What do you think about this place? How about razing it to the ground?” She gazed at me, waiting for my response.

“Do they pose a threat to living beings?”

“They too are living beings. They remain automatons, but they gained what you can call a ‘soul’. And just like humans, they are cruel and selfish creatures. Whatever you choose, you too would still be a cruel or a selfish creature.” The loli kitsune giggled, and put her flute closer to her mouth.

I glanced at the town, and I could see myself that they were trying to replicate what the town looked like back when it was populated by humans. But I also couldn’t help noticing that it was fortified and turned into a military base.