The Evil Scientist is Too Competent

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“……So, you’re saying you’ll help me解除 my abilities—?”

“Right. Don’t worry. I won’t make you wear something like a bunny girl outfit.”

“A bunny…?”

In an instant, Six’s eyes filled with disdain. I realized she misunderstood something. Anyway, the people of this world just don’t get Earth-style jokes.

I waved my hand dismissively and laid out what I had learned about her abilities.

“You said your ability is to block presence, right? It has gradually increased to the point where people can’t even perceive you.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“At first, I thought it might be another ability, but after various investigations, it seems that isn’t the case.”

“……How do you know that?”

“Well, only humans can’t recognize you, right?”

Only humans fail to perceive Six’s movements. To be precise, it’s those creatures with a sense of self that can distinguish between themselves and others—animals, beastmen, and even advanced AIs.

In the CCTV footage, she was captured normally, and while she couldn’t pass through the automatic doors that use sensors, she could still open them by pressing the button. If they couldn’t recognize her, she would have surely flown through the Earth into outer space by now.

In any case, it was clear her ability pertained to presence blocking and perception alteration.

“It only affects human recognition, but the fact that you can interact with humans also plays a role.”

“……But people don’t even react when I touch them?”

“However, if you kick someone, they’ll fall down, right? Even if they don’t understand why.”

The fact that she can interact means humans can affect her as well. And if they can impact her, then recognizing her should be entirely possible too.

After all, even an invisible person wearing a cloak shows their outline. There are ways to recognize even entities that can’t be perceived.

“Well, there are easier methods, but….”

Of course, the easiest way would be to trigger everyone in the world about the existence of beings like beasts using the Fairy Queen’s powers to forcefully jam it into them…

The reason I wouldn’t do this isn’t just because it’s illegal; it’s genuinely dangerous. The difference between a few people like me, Aushilion, and Steil knowing versus billions of humans knowing is absolutely enormous.

“Don’t worry. I’ll return you to the arms of the world.”

“……Well, I think I’ll trust you this once—better than just sitting still.”

“Good. Six. The first thing you need to do is…”

I briefly scanned up and down Six’s body before speaking.

“Could you take off your clothes, please?”

“……You really are a perv—grabbing hold of someone’s weakness like that…!”

Six shot me another glare filled with disdain.

Honestly, I was feeling quite unfair about it.

*

Inside a laboratory covered on all sides.

A camera was photographing the air.

Not long after, a pure white tablecloth fell from the air suddenly. The AI, noticing the tablecloth rolling on the floor, immediately output what it saw across the monitor.

[2313. A pure white tablecloth suddenly appears in mid-air.]

[2313. The fallen tablecloth suddenly disappears.]

[2314. Vibration detection sensor detected anomalies from 10 minutes ago. No anomalies within the location.]

[2315. Sensor detected anomalies. Rechecking, no anomalies.]

After checking the scrolling text on the monitor, I sighed and glanced at Six, who was darting around on the other side.

“So, it can’t recognize her once it reaches a level of self-judgment….”

In other words, it can’t recognize her once it reaches a level where logical judgment is possible. The same goes for AI connected through mechanical devices. The sensors themselves might recognize her existence, but the AI managing those sensors fails to acknowledge that it was triggered.

Even if you go down to the mode where the machine operates only when detected by sensors, the same applies. Turrets that should immediately fire don’t notice the presence of intruders, and traps meant to block intruders don’t activate.

However, this ability wasn’t completely invincible. It was revealed as I gradually lowered the difficulty of the traps.

[Ahhh-!?]

As soon as Six stepped onto a simple trap that collapsed under a certain weight, she screamed loudly. The floor was equipped with soft cushions, so she wasn’t hurt, but she must’ve felt quite unnerved when falling.

Gasping and frowning, she tried to crawl up from the trap while putting her hands on the floor. The moment she climbed up, the trap activated again due to her weight.

From all sides, blunt rubber arrows flew at her. Hit by them, Six curled up and simply screamed.

“Damn it—! I’ll definitely kill you—!”

“Yes, yes, good luck with that.”

“I really will kill you!”

Ignoring her vengeance, I began sorting out what I had discovered. Her abilities worked flawlessly against advanced machinery. So, all machines that operated on signals made of 0s and 1s couldn’t perceive her.

On the other hand, all primitive, physical traps worked perfectly. If she stepped on one, it would immediately catch her, and arrows would attack her.

Why does this difference exist? Does this mean even low-level AI that only carries out pre-set commands possesses a self? If I could prove this, it would serve as yet another hypothesis for the anti-mechanist argument against granting civil rights to AI…

“Come over here right now—! You damn scientist!”

But just as I was about to concentrate on my research, Six burst out of the lab and immediately grabbed my collar, shaking me back and forth. True to her character as an apocalypse survivor, her strength was no joke.

After flailing my arms against her tightened grip, I finally caught my breath and looked at her.

“Cough, cough—! What kind of strength is this….”

“You try being a spy just once! Of course, I’m gonna be strong!”

“Ah, I’m not cut out for that kind of work… I’m more of a white-collar type.”

“You’re gonna die—! You damn scientist!”

Did she take my words as an insult? After a few minutes of her violence towards me, she finally calmed down and let go, stepping back.

While I had tolerated her rough treatment, I adjusted my rumpled clothes and spoke up.

“If you’re done, hurry and change. I need to analyze it.”

“……I’ll do it in a bit.”

“What? There’s no time for that. Hurry and strip down and bring it!”

“……Really, you perverted bastard.”

“No, why this time—.”

Feeling wronged for no reason, I watched as Six finally tossed her outfit at me and left the lab.

I then realized the reason behind her anger.

The inside of the bodysuit that clung to her body was soaked with the sweat that Six had shed. With a steamy scent accompanying it, it seemed like her sweat was rising too.

Worrying if the machine inside would break, I set down the suit and looked at the monitor. Indeed, as I moved further away from her, the bodysuit finally began to present the analysis results it had stored.

“Sure enough, is this the extent of her abilities… So, what size does the item I need to create…?”

The machine pieces pressed tightly against her body provided incredibly detailed information, nearly too detailed for me to feel it was necessary.

After organizing all that information, I started designing clothes for Six with the help of the AI. To be precise, it wasn’t exactly clothes, but something that would look like clothes to others.

“Hmm… this.”

After seeing the completed design, I rubbed my cheek slightly. The appearance of the finished product was quite awkward. I was already subjected to perverted accusations, and now I felt like I would hear it all over again…

After a moment of thought, I figured it wouldn’t matter that much, so I activated the 3D printer. After all, only she would see what she wore. It might be a bit embarrassing for her, but that wasn’t more important than not standing in front of others.

A short while later, the completed item was neatly packaged and placed in a specific location. In front of the place she said was her room.