Chapter 6

“…Just to confirm, you’re not planning to step aside, are you?”

“If you hand over the basket you’re holding, I might consider it. But if not, well, I’ll just have to take it by force. It’d be wise to make the right choice, little Maid Automaton. If you try anything funny, that cute face of yours won’t be so recognizable anymore.”

As expected, the beastmen showed no intention of stepping aside and seemed fully intent on stealing the groceries I was carrying.

At that moment, I recalled what the wolf uncle from the general store had said. He’d been lamenting about the recent surge of thieves causing trouble in the commercial district.

I couldn’t be sure if these were the same thieves who’d robbed his store, but it seemed they were part of the same criminal group causing havoc lately.

And, as it turned out, the majority of criminals in Tracion were overwhelmingly beastmen.

While demons, with their pride, honor, and strict early education, had low crime rates, most beastmen who came from outside tended to rely more on violence than laws and order.

Not to mention, aside from the Automatons created to serve the Demon Folk, and the few powerless humans, the remaining population was mostly beastmen. Naturally, their crime rates were higher.

Of course, there were many beastmen like the wolf uncle who worked hard and earned their living honestly, but these guys clearly weren’t part of that group.

“Hey, looks like this one’s frozen in fear!”

“Idiot, how can an Automaton feel emotions? It’s probably just calculating what to do next.”

Wrong.

Unlike other types of Automatons, humanoid Mechanical Dolls like me could feel emotions just like living beings.

Joy, fear, sadness—most emotions that living creatures could feel, we had them too.

This was another brilliant achievement of Magical Engineering, designed to improve interaction with our masters and reduce the sense of alienation.

And it was also the part most misunderstood by those who didn’t know much about Automatons.

In any case, the way to handle this situation had already been decided long before.

If I handed over the basket right now, I could probably pass through safely. But for the sake of my precious master waiting at the Blue Palace, myself, and Mark, there was only one choice from the beginning.

So, after setting the basket aside for a moment, I stretched my body with a cold, hardened expression. The beastmen, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected situation, soon burst into even louder laughter.

A fragile Maid Automaton, half their size and shaped like a human girl, trying to resolve this situation with force? Naturally, my attitude seemed more like a cute tantrum than a threat to them.

But their unpleasant laughter didn’t last long.

Despite their continuous jeers, I maintained a chillingly expressionless face, quietly staring at them. This was enough to make them feel an inexplicable sense of unease.

By the time their laughter had completely faded and a tense standoff ensued, the largest of the three, who seemed to be the leader, stepped forward.

“Looks like those items are pretty important to you. Or is it just that your loyalty to your master is unusually strong? I’ll give you credit for that spirit. But you’re still just a hunk of metal. No matter how much you resist, you can’t lay a finger on us living beings. You haven’t forgotten the First Principle of Automatons, have you?”

The man, spreading his arms confidently as if showing off his knowledge to his ignorant underlings, stepped right in front of me and muttered.

He wasn’t entirely wrong.

The three unbreakable principles ingrained in every Automaton in the Empire, etched into the core of our Ironhearts, were absolute shackles that existed in the foundation of our subconscious.

**First Principle: An Automaton must not harm a living being.**

**Second Principle: An Automaton must obey its master’s orders, as long as they do not conflict with the First Principle.**

**Third Principle: An Automaton must protect itself, as long as it does not conflict with the First and Second Principles.**

These principles were created to prevent Automatons from going rogue and to ensure the stable integration of society.

And as a Mechanical Doll, I knew these principles better than anyone.

Yet, I stood before these living beings without a hint of hesitation, not out of desperation or futile struggle.

Because, though I hated to admit it, I belonged to the only group exempt from such constraints.

“Even if you weren’t bound by those constraints, a little doll like you wouldn’t stand a chance against us. If you want to blame anyone, blame the idiot master who sent you out alone.”

The beastman, spouting insults about Lady Yuria that I couldn’t tolerate, reached out with a massive hand toward my face.

His intent was clear—to grab and crush the small head with the unsettling golden eyes staring at him.

But his malicious hand never reached me.

Because in the split second before it could, I had already vanished from his sight like a mirage.

Stunned by the sudden turn of events, he blinked in confusion, only to soon pay the price for his carelessness.

*Thud!*

“?! Ugh—!”

A clear sound of impact echoed through the narrow alley.

At the same time, the leader beastman, struck by an immense force in his abdomen, let out a short groan and was sent flying to the entrance of the alley. The other two beastmen, dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events, could only stare in shock.

Meanwhile, I, the cause of this shocking situation, remained calm, my eyes fixed ahead.

And my demeanor only deepened the confusion of the remaining two beastmen.

“Hey, snap out of it, boss!!”

“…What the hell! Isn’t she just a regular Maid Automaton?!”

“Ugh, damn it, you idiots… Don’t just stand there, kill her!!!”

Though the leader was the most shocked, he quickly regained his senses and ordered his underlings to attack.

Despite the lingering confusion from the bizarre situation, the two beastmen, now devoid of their earlier playfulness, revealed sharp killing intent.

Pulling out hidden, deadly tools, they charged at me, showcasing their beastly combat instincts.

A coordinated attack from two armed beastmen.

In a pure physical fight, even a sturdy adult demon wouldn’t be able to ignore such a situation. The beastmen’s momentum was overwhelming.

But their determined strikes didn’t even graze my clothes.

Instead, I effortlessly formed a large black scythe in my hand and began to push them back.

With movements far more agile than their beastly reflexes, I easily dodged or blocked their sharp attacks. Wielding the scythe like a broom, I struck every part of their bodies with precision.

No matter how fiercely they charged, they couldn’t land a single hit and only continued to be battered.

The frustration of an undeniable skill gap.

At first, they could endure, but as the relentless blows continued, their bodies began to fail, and panic set in.

Finally, as fear of the mysterious Automaton before them rose to their faces, and the two beastmen collapsed to their knees, the leader, who had been quietly approaching from my blind spot, launched a powerful punch at the perfect moment.

*Boom!*

A deafening explosion-like sound echoed through the alley.

The force was enough to easily shatter the body of a normal Automaton.

And the leader, well aware of this, was almost certain of his victory the moment his fist connected.

But the sight that followed completely betrayed his expectations.

“!!!… How is this possible…”

Not only had I taken the punch head-on without moving an inch, but I had also caught his fist with my free hand, completely unharmed.

With his last hope shattered, the leader’s eyes filled with resignation and despair.

What followed for the three beastmen was a relentless barrage of precise, bone-cracking blows.

This is punishment for all the bad things you’ve done!

This is punishment for robbing the wolf uncle’s general store!

And most importantly, punishment for insulting Lady Yuria with your filthy mouths!

After a long, merciless beating, I finally let out a deep breath, the scythe disappearing from my hand. I glanced at the thoroughly beaten and unconscious trio, snorted lightly, picked up the basket, and hurriedly walked away.

With all the noise from the fight, it was best to leave quickly before anyone noticed.

Besides, I was already late, and this unnecessary trouble had wasted even more time.

I should’ve just dealt with them quickly and left, I thought, scolding myself for getting swept up in anger.

But just then, a weak voice from behind stopped me in my tracks.

“Heh heh heh… I see now. I thought something was off… So that’s how it is.”

“…”

The leader, sitting against the wall with a strained laugh, struggled to move his injured body.

I reflexively stopped and glanced back, but thinking he was just spouting nonsense, I frowned.

After all, I’d just thoroughly beaten him, and he still hadn’t come to his senses.

I decided to ignore him and leave the alley, but that resolve didn’t last long.

For one simple reason.

What came out of his mouth next was something I absolutely couldn’t ignore.

“…Back when I was in the military, I heard rumors. About a top-secret project being conducted within the army, kept completely hidden from the public.”

Stop.

“A project to dramatically bolster the Demon King’s army, with combat power far surpassing that of ordinary soldiers. A relentless will to win, even at the cost of death.”

Stop it.

“Durability far beyond that of normal Automatons, overwhelming combat sense, and the ability to instantly create appropriate weapons using mana. And most crucially, the ability to harm all living beings except demons—a special principle for a mass slaughter weapon.”

“……”

“I never thought I’d see one here… You’re a Military Automaton, aren’t you?”

———

**Special Principles of Military Automaton**

1. This Automaton must absolutely obey the orders of its superior command authority.

2. This Automaton is permitted to kill all living beings except ‘Demons.’ However, this principle may be modified based on the judgment of the highest command authority.

3. This Automaton must willingly sacrifice itself for the peace and prosperity of the Demon Emperor’s Nation.

……

———–

(Here’s a rough impression of Kaya from this episode!)

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