Chapter 220 – Restaurants and Guard Dogs
When I first met Artemis in the past, I was intimidated by her overwhelming intelligence.
He gave perfect answers to all the questions I asked without even a moment of hesitation, and he was flawless and never made any mistakes.
But who said you get used to everything? The longer we knew each other, the more the pressure faded.
Artemis was surprisingly talkative, and she was the type of person who talked a lot but also took care of things. Looking back, it seems like it was only shown to me.
Recently, when she got her own body, she looked not only comfortable, but even cute.
Unlike cyberspace, where thought and existence coincide, in real space she often showed a vain side.
However, it did not take long for these unholy thoughts to be corrected.
This happened when we had a meal together at a restaurant in the upper cultural district.
While the food was being served, Artemis headed towards the piano and microphone that were in one place.
If the shelter had received all the people as planned, there would have been a famous singer specially selected for the dignitaries.
Artemis sat on the small stage. The clothes she is wearing are an old-fashioned dress, so they match very well.
-You know, I actually noticed it.”
And sing a song. She lets out the melody quietly with her eyes almost closed.
It was a perfect vocalization that could not be compared to the clumsy body movements.
-I don’t really want to remember what you said before.”
A deeper tone than when she completed her second growth period.
Would this be what the siren of her mythology would do if she sang her own lullaby to her child?
A magical song that bewitches and kills people. It sounded enchanting, as if the malice had been cut from the sweetness.
-How should I convey that the sky is blue?
While she was immersed in her beauty, she suddenly felt something strange.
The song Artemis sang was in Japanese. I’m good at English, but I don’t know Japanese at all. Nevertheless, I just understood the lyrics.
Not only that, I could feel what kind of emotion she was singing.
Language in general, and foreign languages in particular, are understood through mental work called interpretation.
But the song that came from Artemis’ lips defied all those laws.
It’s as if it bypasses the eardrums and seeps directly into the brain. I no longer feel like this situation is awkward. I just focus on her beautiful song.
‘You just have to accept it naturally.’ I whispered somewhere in my heart.
“What did you just do?”
When her song ended, and she got up from her seat, I asked her, forgetting to applaud her.
“It’s magic that can only be achieved through moist lips, soft tongue, and sacred vocal cords.”
Artemis crossed her arms and looked up at the speakers on the restaurant’s ceiling.
“Because it is impossible with copper wire and a vacuum plate.”
They say that highly advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, but what I just experienced was truly magical.
“Is an encore possible? “I want to hear it one more time.”
“It’s late. “You should have applauded and requested that right away.”
Artemis snorted.
Her own beautiful song. It seems that she did not like the fact that there was no applause for such a precious gift that no one could dare ask for and that could not be bought with a thousand gold coins.
The attitude is that they are paying attention because of my reaction as I listened with fascination.
“And the food came out.”
Artemis pointed to a waiter robot pushing a cart towards us.
* * *
The luxurious plate contained medium-cooked steak, some tomatoes, herbs, and mushrooms.
When you cut a knife into a steak, it digs in smoothly without any resistance.
The meat juice trapped in the reddish cross-section mixes with the sauce, so you can guess the texture even without putting it in your mouth.
Even by the standards of the past, it was a luxurious food, but now there are only a few people in the world who can afford to eat something like this.
Artemis, across from me, placed her chin on the back of her clasped hands and smiled. At that sight, the knife cutting the meat stopped.
“Why are you doing this? Hurry up and don’t lift it.”
“Should we call it a promise between an adult man and woman? “It’s been a long time since I felt this way.”
When I was deployed, I was busy risking my life, and even after I was scouted here, I always ate alone.
Even after Artemis gained her own body, for a while, all she felt was her uncle going out to eat with her nephew.
When I put a piece of meat into her mouth, she smiled happily.
Basically, she enjoys watching me eat and drink, but she especially enjoys eating meat.
“Looking at us now, it reminds me of a movie scene I saw before.”
“What movie? “Is this a movie I know?”
Artemis, who seemed somehow in a good mood, lined up a list of movies she had predicted. All of them are melodrama films depicting the passionate love between a man and a woman.
But what came to mind was an action movie.
“Not even this?”
She got 5 things wrong in a row and I tilted her head, so I told her the correct answer.
“The Matrix.”
The Wachowski sisters’ masterpiece.
“There, traitor Cypher and Agent Smith eat at the restaurant. There was only a stake placed in front of Cypher, the human, and nothing in front of Smith, the program.”
We are similar now. The steak dish is placed only in front of me, and there is nothing in front of Artemis.
Well, I have a basket of flowers, but she won’t chew on them.
“… So I’m Smith?”
“I mean figuratively, figuratively.”
The atmosphere that had been cozy until just now suddenly became cold.
“This is delicious.”
My hand movements when using steak have become faster.
* * *
After finishing our meal, we headed to the guard dog training center for the first time in a while.
Four shepherd dogs rescued during a past shelter restoration operation. They have now grown to 11.
“Kung! “Knock!”
The color of the fur and the sturdy body that has been well-fed and well-trained have changed noticeably compared to before.
While the other dogs politely welcome the dog, only one dog maintains a solemn, immobile posture. Even the tail is neatly lowered. This is Rex, the leader of the guard dogs.
“It’s been a while, Rex.”
As I sit in front of him and stroke his head, I see his tail start to twitch, but he tries desperately to suppress it.
“Ahahaha!”
Beside her, Artemis is smiling, surrounded by shepherd pups.
These baby puppies seem to think they are drills, so they recklessly stick their heads into Artemis and dig into her. Her tail spun as if it had a motor.
“Aiko, kong! Do you steam it?”
She was comforting her dog, who had rolled over and hit her head at her feet.
Artemis in Greek mythology is depicted as a tall goddess who holds a bow and drives hunting dogs.
There was no tradition describing the breed of the dog, but now no matter what anyone says, we can say for sure that it is a shepherd.
“Kung! “Knock!”
The guard dogs barked at us as we left, as if they were disappointed. As I was being seen off, I suddenly became curious.
“Artemis.”
“Huh?”
“Shall we play a game? “The losing side does one favor for the winning side.”
“Why?”
There was something I really wanted to order, but it seemed like they would never listen.
“You don’t like it?”
“No. Have you decided what to do?”
Artemis does not refuse when asked to play a game. After receiving permission, I mentioned the sports I had decided on in advance.
“How about bowling?”
* * *
The game ended with my victory.
But it wasn’t easy, and Artemis worked harder than billiards.
Rather than indirectly hitting the ball with a tool, touching the ball directly with one’s fingers seems to be a better fit.
Still, it wasn’t enough to get the win from me. Even though she lost, she looked refreshed, and I told her my request.
As a result.
“Woof!”
Artemis barked.
“Huh? “What?”
I placed my hand on her ear and tilted her head towards her.
“… Woof.”
She barked again.
The elegant face is turning red in real time.
“I can’t hear you.”
“…”
I put my ear close to her so that I could almost touch her lips. I can feel very hot breath on my ear, and I think 90% of the heat source is probably angered.
Let me tell you in advance, it is in no way my intention to ridicule her.
“Woof.”
Artemis barked.
“Stop babbling and talk straight.”
“Hey!!!”
In the end, she exploded.
I have no intention of insulting her. The fact that I just put my hand on her ear and said I couldn’t hear wasn’t a provocation, it was because I really couldn’t hear.
“As expected, doesn’t the sound of the animal barking give you the same feeling as before?”
When she sang in Japanese at her restaurant, her lyrics seeped into my soul, transcending the language barrier.
It was an experience that made me feel like the woman in front of me had been reborn into a truly special body, something transcendent.
Maybe that’s why, while I was having a good time with the guard dogs, a question suddenly occurred to me.
‘Wouldn’t it be possible to communicate with me even through the sound of a dog barking?’ Or the sound of another animal.
“You really have a limit to insults, are you abusing the results of a sacred game like this?!”
Artemis was angry all the way to her head! She screamed. That’s right, for her, her games go beyond the concept of simple entertainment.
But now I have a cause.
“I guess I have to accept the outcome of that sacred game, right?”
Her double core, which had risen to its limit, trembled and slowly came down.
“What is the answer?”
“… Woof.”
“You did a great job.”
She stroked her head. My straight forehead was not only warm, it was getting hot as if steam was coming out.
“Hmm, I still can’t feel anything. Can’t you put something into the sound of a dog barking like you did when you were singing earlier? Would it be possible with another animal? Moo! “How about ?”
“Woof! Woof!!!”
Haha!”
Now she seemed to be desperate and started barking angrily. When she looked at that, she felt so funny for some reason.
Artemis lunged at me like a wild cat, clutching her stomach and giggling.
