The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 289

Terun Sitrea.

A legendary researcher who initiated AI magic studies 100 years ago.

She left behind great achievements that everyone acknowledges and passed away at the age of 106.

…Or so the world knows.

But that’s not true.

Terun Sitrea did not die.

“In her past life, 63 years ago, Terun Sitrea succeeded in digitizing all of her brain’s memories. And she left that data in a special AI and passed it on to her son.”

Terun Sitrea failed to overcome her physical limitations, but she succeeded in developing a technology to transmit her memories to the future.

Her 106 years of life were passed on to the future as data.

“That data is in my brain. I remember all 106 years of life that I lived as Terun Sitrea. That’s why I call myself Terun Sitrea.”

Even though her physical body disappeared, everything she left behind remains intact in her brain.

That’s why she calls herself ‘Terun Sitrea.’

Even though her body is different, her brain is almost identical to Terun Sitrea’s.

“Memories and the body. It reminds me of the definition of a clone.”

Shin Hayul, who had been quietly listening to Terun, casually interjected.

“The definition of a clone. A debate about which is closer to the real thing, a clone with the same appearance or a clone with the same memories? It’s been a while since I’ve heard that.”

Is appearance or memory the priority in distinguishing a person as a person?

It was a study that raised questions about that.

“That’s quite an obscure study. I didn’t expect you to know about it.”

It was a paper that surfaced about 40 years ago and then sank back into obscurity.

I didn’t expect her to know about something like that.

“I recently looked into it separately, so I know about it.”

“Recently… because of this research?”

“Yes.”

She glanced at the paper on fully autonomous AI that Terun was still holding.

“A fully autonomous AI is, when you think about it, the same as creating a person. It’s somewhat related to cloning technology. Of course, cloning technology was concluded to be an impossible study. Hmm. I think it’s a good approach.”

Terun Sitrea’s eyes lit up as if she was quite surprised.

She had never thought of combining this research with cloning technology.

As expected, a genius is a genius.

“No. I didn’t look into cloning technology for that reason.”

“Then why?”

“Which is more directly related to the soul, the body or the memories? That’s what I was curious about.”

“…The soul?”

“Yes. The soul.”

Terun Sitrea tilted her head.

“You believe in strange things? The soul is a figment of imagination that hasn’t been scientifically verified at all…”

“No. The soul exists.”

Shin Hayul interrupted Terun and stated definitively.

Her eyes showed no hesitation.

Shin Hayul’s eyes were full of conviction.

“…Interesting.”

She wasn’t just putting on a show. Shin Hayul had actually confirmed the existence of the soul.

“Okay, let’s say the existence of the soul is true, but why were you curious about it?”

“……”

Shin Hayul was silent.

‘I was curious whether Mimir’s spiritual data was real or fake.’

Since she couldn’t answer that, she had no choice but to remain silent.

“If it’s hard to say, you don’t have to. It’s not that I’m that curious. Of course, the fact that the soul actually exists is very interesting.”

“I’ll show you later when I have the chance. What the soul is.”

“You promised? Don’t you dare change your mind later?”

“I won’t.”

From the beginning, the existence of the soul is indispensable for this research.

It is essential to confirm and teach Terun Sitrea about the reality of the soul.

Terun smiled brightly, looking like she was already looking forward to it.

“Ah.”

Then, she suddenly realized that the conversation had gone off track and let out a small exclamation.

“Somehow, the conversation went all the way here. Anyway, I’m saying that I’m a descendant of Terun Sitrea who fully possesses Terun Sitrea’s memories. Do you understand up to this point?”

“Yes. I understand.”

“…I thought you’d be suspicious. You believe it so easily?”

“Because there’s no reason to doubt it.”

It was just her own claim without any evidence.

But there’s no reason to lie like that in this situation.

It’s probably true with a high probability.

“You. I really like you. We understand each other so well.”

“Thank you for seeing me in a good light.”

Shin Hayul bowed her head briefly, and Terun smiled with satisfaction.

“May I ask you one question?”

“What is it?”

“Why didn’t you tell the other researchers about this?”

The fact that Terun Sitrea is continuing the memories of the past Terun Sitrea is something I’m hearing for the first time.

Usually, if it’s such an unusual claim, it would spread as a rumor.

The fact that there’s no such rumor at all means that Terun Sitrea simply didn’t tell anyone else.

Why is that?

“If you had told them and succeeded in verification, you would have been invited by all sorts of countries, and you could have focused on research without worrying about money or manpower.”

Why didn’t she do that?

“…You’re still young. Well, I guess you’re still 18.”

Terun smiled bitterly.

“If I had said this, I would have been a guinea pig, not a researcher.”

Guinea pig.

A test subject.

“Memory transfer is a kind of immortality, right? If I had publicly revealed this technology…”

“All sorts of people would be after you.”

“Yeah, that’s right. And the Black Magic Tower would definitely be among them.”

“…Yes.”

The Black Magic Tower would not leave someone with such great technology alone.

They would have kidnapped her by any means.

Then, as she said, she would have been used as a research material for the Black Magic Tower.

Under the leadership of the now-gone Doctor, cruel human experiments would have begun.

“I was short-sighted. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. You don’t have to be sorry.”

Terun waved her hand as if it was nothing.

“So, are all your questions answered?”

“No. Just one more…”

I understand why she hasn’t told anyone about this until now.

Then.

“Then why did you tell me so easily?”

“Hmm…”

Terun was lost in thought for a moment.

She was thinking about how to say it.

“There was a limit to doing it alone.”

“A limit?”

“Yeah. The research I’m doing now hasn’t progressed for 12 years. That’s why I wanted to tell you. I thought a genius like you might discover a new approach.”

“That was the reason.”

“And… also, well, my funds are completely depleted…”

Terun scratched her cheek, looking a little embarrassed.

“Someone like you wouldn’t be able to not know how valuable my research is… If I told you… well, you know.”

She thought she wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore.

That’s what she meant.

“I understand.”

Shin Hayul nodded, looking like she completely understood.

“Ah, of course, I didn’t intend to tell you everything like this at first.”

A different light flashed in Terun’s eyes.

“Originally, I was only going to tell you about half of it. That I didn’t have all of Terun Sitrea’s memories, but that I had been passed down a certain amount of knowledge. I could have gotten support just by saying that much.”

That was true.

Rather, she might have received more support because it wasn’t complete.

“Then, the reason you told me everything like this now is…”

Shin Hayul’s gaze turned to the paper Terun was holding.

Terun chuckled and held up the paper.

“Yeah. It’s because of this paper.”

A bright light appeared in Terun’s eyes. It was a gaze like the sun, full of joy.

“The theory used to pass down my great-grandfather’s memories and the theory in this paper have a lot in common.”

“You mean with fully autonomous AI?”

“Yeah.”

Terun slowly answered, turning the pages of the paper one by one.

“Digitizing memories. And the transfer of that data. This is already a great achievement, but it’s not my great-grandmother’s ultimate goal.”

Terun paused for a moment and said.

“The transfer of memories is just a side project. While doing research, my great-grandmother, who felt the limitations of lifespan, tried it by chance and it was just a product that she succeeded in by chance.”

Terun took her eyes off the paper and met Shin Hayul’s gaze.

“My great-grandmother’s goal from the beginning was to complete a fully autonomous AI.”

Shin Hayul’s eyes widened.

“So, you’re saying that she was thinking about the complete autonomy of AI from 63 years ago?”

“Yeah. My great-grandmother thought that was the new direction that AI magic should take.”

“……”

To think that she was thinking about a fully autonomous AI that no one has even attempted to do even now, 63 years later, from 63 years ago.

“She was more amazing than I thought…”

“Of course. It’s Terun Sitrea, the mother of AI magic, not just anyone else, right?”

Terun smiled brightly.

“Anyway. That’s why I told you everything as it is.”

Terun handed the paper to Shin Hayul.

“To pay my respects to the genius who instantly produced the results that I had been researching for over 100 years since my past life. And…”

She winks playfully.

“Also, to try to win you over. I thought it would be good in many ways to do research with you. I’ve been feeling lonely doing research alone for the past few years anyway.”

Terun leaned back on the sofa, bent her back like a bow, and stretched out her hands.

“Trust is originally created by someone taking the first step, right?”

“That’s right.”

Shin Hayul was impressed.

She was a person who had no flaws from head to toe.

“So, how is it? Do I pass?”

“Is there any need to say it?”

If someone like this fails, who else could pass?

“I look forward to working with you.”

“Great.”

Terun smiled brightly and jumped up from her seat.

Then, she stood in front of Shin Hayul and held out her right hand.

“I look forward to working with you too.”

“Yes. Please tell me anytime if you need anything. If it’s something our family can do, we’ll do anything for you.”

Shin Hayul said, shaking her hand.

“Really? Then I’ll ask you for a favor right away. Please prepare a room nearby. A size suitable for a research lab. And I’d appreciate it if you could move all my research lab items here. Here. My research lab address and key.”

“Yes. I’ll take care of it right away.”

Terun licked her lips with an excited expression.

“And let’s talk about this paper first.”

“Talk?”

“Yeah. I’ve already approached it to some extent. To move forward from here, we need to brainstorm first. So…”

“Ah. Come to think of it, I haven’t told you yet.”

“…Huh? What?”

I was so busy listening to her that I hadn’t said anything about my side.

“Just a moment. I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?”

“No, I just have something to get…”

I can’t take out Aeus in front of Terun.

“…Ah. Is it okay?”

But now that I think about it.

There’s no reason to hide it.

It would be better to let her know about Aeus’s existence in advance to provide more efficient help in future research.

“No. I’ll just take it out here.”

“…?”

Terun tilted her head even further. She had a look that said she didn’t understand what I was talking about.

Shin Hayul smiled slightly at Terun and then took out Aeus and put it on.

“You, where did you get that…”

Terun’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.

“Would you understand if I said it’s a subspace magic?”

“…What? Sub, subspace? You mean space magic?”

“Yes.”

Shin Hayul put her hand inside her robe and took out the bundles of paper she had prepared in advance.

“……”

Terun’s eyes lit up with an expression that said, ‘What is this again?’

It was a look that was a good mix of bewilderment and curiosity.

“You, how did you do something like subspace magic…”

“That’s a story for later. Could you please check that first?”

“This? What is it?”

Terun grabbed the bundle of paper.

“A paper? Isn’t it the same as the one I read earlier…”

At that moment, Terun’s eyes widened like lanterns.

“Hey, you. Th, this…”

She had an expression that said she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“Yes.”

Terun was as dazed as if she had seen a ghost.

Shin Hayul casually answered, looking at Terun.

“The one you saw earlier was a fake with only about 30% written down. That one is the original.”

“This, then it’s really…”

“You’re amazing as expected. You’ve already noticed it even though you haven’t seen many pages yet.”

“Really, really…?”

Terun dropped the bundle of paper from her hand.

She was so shocked that she lost strength in her hand.

“The theory for fully autonomous AI… is already complete?”

Terun looked down and checked the name of the paper again.

[Mimir Paper]

That was the name of the paper.