Chapter 758: -747- Who
Now, Rozen finally understands why Komurasaki was so scared that she directly pounced onto him, hugging him. Even Irori, who is usually calm and composed, couldn't avoid being shaken.
The reason is that there are signs of infiltration and alteration in their heart circuits.
"Even if you haven't read my secret books, any qualified puppeteer would know how crucial the heart is for automatons," Karyusai Shouko's voice echoed as if coming from a distant place, sounding ethereal.
"It doesn't refer to the organ everyone has in their bodies but specifically to the magic circuit, 'Eve's Heart,' the miracle that gives automatons life."
The reason why automatons in this world appear so lifelike, almost indistinguishable from humans, is because of it - 'Eve's Heart.'
Generally, an automaton's self and life are entirely preserved within it, including their soul and consciousness.
Therefore, once the heart is damaged, no matter how powerful the automaton is, it will undoubtedly die.
Conversely, as long as the heart is unharmed, an automaton can recover to its original state, no matter how severe the damage.
This is why Charl bought back the hearts of those automatons she once considered family and hoped to give them new bodies, allowing them to be resurrected.
So, for automatons, the heart is undoubtedly the most crucial thing.
And what does it mean when such a thing is infiltrated and altered?
It means that the very "existence" of automatons might have been rewritten.
It could be memory modification.
It could be disturbance of the mind.
It could be an impact on the soul.
It might even be a self-replacement, turning into something completely different.
Just imagine, if such a thing happened to humans, who wouldn't feel fear?
Irori and Komurasaki have encountered such a situation, so how could they not feel uneasy, how could they not feel afraid?
Rozen could even sense that Yaya, standing behind him, had also stiffened.
Evidently, Yaya was equally feeling fear.
But...
"If that's the case, I finally understand why Yaya and the others were interfered with by magic," Rozen muttered.
Undoubtedly, the anomalies in automatons occur because of magical interference. Rozen personally observed the abnormality using his "Mind's Eye," confirming the fluctuations of magic and changes in sound. Even Frey confirmed it as singing, proving Rozen's observations to be accurate.
Perhaps it's a kind of magic that uses singing to directly interfere with automatons' abilities.
However, as mentioned earlier, due to the "Principle of Incompatible Magical Activity," two different magics cannot take effect on the same individual. Therefore, magic directly affecting the automaton itself should not exist.
It's precisely because of this that when Rozen broke this principle, Alice was so shocked.
Now, there seems to be some unknown magic that can directly impact automatons, causing them to become chaotic and lose control. This led Rozen to suspect that there might be some hidden secrets he doesn't know.
Finally, Rozen understands what's happening.
"Because the effect of this magic is to directly infiltrate and alter the heart. Once the alteration is complete, it withdraws and no longer affects the automaton."
This way, even if automatons use their own magic, it won't counteract this effect. The magic is a direct manipulation of the heart and leaves the automaton's body once the alteration is complete, with no possibility of two magics acting simultaneously.
Banned Dolls are less affected because they can generate magical power on their own, using their own magic. Any external magic trying to infiltrate them would naturally be nullified.
The problem lies in...
"Who is using this kind of magic? And what are their intentions?"
This is Rozen's current question.
When in the infirmary, Rozen initially thought it was someone, possibly related to the Night Party, unwilling to give up the throne of the Wiseman, secretly targeting them.
However, now it appears that if Shouko Karyusai's words are true, all automatons in the entire Machinart City of Liverpool are affected. Thus, the idea of someone targeting Rozen's group, let alone Night Party participants, can be ruled out.
The target isn't Rozen and his group but the entire Machinart City of Liverpool.
"And, it's happening right now."
The Automaton Expo.
This upcoming festival, gathering outstanding automaton creations from all over Europe, will showcase a vast number of automatons, surpassing mountains in quantity and rivers in width.
And this magic targets nothing in particular, precisely aiming at automatons.
"If, during this Automaton Expo, all automatons lose control..."
At that time, Rozen is certain it will lead to something disastrous without the need for much thought.
"Danger is approaching Liverpool, approaching the Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machinart."
Someone is scheming in the shadows, attempting to use this unknown yet formidable magic to make a stunning move.
"Can you analyze the specific effects and scope of this magic, Shouko?" Rozen asks Karyusai Shouko.
"Currently, it cannot be confirmed," Shouko Karyusai shakes her head, saying, "However, the opponent's magic probably hasn't been fully completed; that much is certain."
If the opponent's magic has already been completed, the hearts of automatons affected by the magic would be thoroughly altered, never to return to normal, perpetually running wild and out of control.
But Karyusai Shouko has already mentioned that the abnormalities in automatons only lasted for a short period, proving that the opponent's magic is still in the experimental stage.
"After all, it's such a terrifying and fantastical magic, with such a broad scope that it can influence the entire Liverpool. Not to mention, the amount of magical power needed is immense. To reach the practical stage, it's impossible without continuous testing and adjustments."
Karyusai Shouko's implication is...
"If you want to stop it, now is the only time."
Karyusai Shouko looks at Rozen.
"What do you plan to do, little boy?"
Shouko Karyusai hands over all control to Rozen.
Rozen falls into silence.
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