Editing Amaryllis in the Ice Country:Chapter 7 (section)

===Part 12===

My consciousness remains blurry, groggy as though I’m in a dream, and I can only hear voices.

The meeting continues.

<strong>“Due to the aforementioned reasons, I wholeheartedly support wiping out humanity.” </strong>

The meeting is now a countdown to wiping out humanity. The speakers have all become supportive to ‘wipe out’, and no other views have been expected.

I understand. It’s true that Viscaria’s words managed to change the course of the meeting, but it’s just the initial drop. The villagers are in complete pain due to a lack of parts, like how every drip of water fills the cup, and at this moment, the emotions are overflowing in the arena like a flood.

It’s because of this that the current direction isn’t going to be changed easily. The damage self-sacrifices from over the past hundred years have finally shown itself. ‘The villagers’ mission’ ‘the raison d’etre of the robots’, such words clearly appear feeble before anyone.

<strong>“Is there anyone who will like to speak?” </strong>

Cattleya’s voice rings again. There’s silence in the arena, and nobody else raises their hand. This doesn’t indicate that they have nothing to so, but that everyone already knew what’s the outcome will be, and choose to remain silent.

—Is it, over…?

In this pitch-dark world, in this world of voices, I feel an end to everything.

<strong>“Is there no one else who will say anything? If not, we shall end discussions and begin voting.” </strong>

I don’t want to give up, but there’s no time already. As long as nobody else in the arena wants to say, the meeting will end. There will be voting, the preposition to wipe out will be chosen, the button will be pressed, the Snow White will forever cease, and humanity—our masters, will die off forever.

—Someone…

I mutter earnestly in my heart. My voice can’t possibly reach out.

However,

<strong>“—Wait!” </strong>

Someone calls out.

There’s a commotion in the arena. After a pause, there’s a voice from the microphone of the stage.

<strong>“This is too weird! Everyone, everyone’s acting weirdly!” </strong>

It’s a young voice.

<strong>“Just a moment ago, everyone was so, so admiring of our masters! Everyone did their best! Practicing over and over again for the Festival! But why? Why change when we say change? Why is it that it doesn’t matter even if our masters die!?” </strong>

With a childish pout, she continues to complain loudly,

<strong>“Hey, tell me! What about the past hundred years!? Every day, every day, we worked so hard for our masters, for what reason? For whose sake did we spend the last hundred years? For what purpose did we spend the last hundred years? Didn’t everyone have so many parts extracted? For whose sake did our comrades die for over the past hundred years!? If we destroy the Snow White here, isn’t their deaths for nothing!? They didn’t need to die, and they’re die!? And, and, if we give up here—”</strong>

The girl’s voice is trembling.

<strong>“Then for whose sake, did Gappy die for!?” </strong>



There’s a loud thud. I can hear that it’s the sound of the podium being slammed.

The arena turns silent.

The girl’s silent. And so is everyone. Even the host of the meeting, Cattleya is silent.

And I—system recover—standby—rebooting—time to functional recovery, thirty seconds—twenty seconds—ten seconds—five, four, three, two, one—



Reactivated.



I open my eyes. I stand up. And I walk on.

There’s a girl standing on the stage, looking confused. It’s the central stage, the arena for the Village Meeting. Once I show up, the arena burst into commotion. “It’s Amaryllis…!” “Where have you been…!?” Everyone is giving me looks.

The girl speaking looks at me in shock, and I walk straight towards her.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“Amaryllis…”

“You’ve worked hard, Daisy.”

I reach my hand forward, petting her soft chestnut-colored hair. As I continue to pat, tears begin to well in the girl’s eyes.

She buries her face into my chest, and then seem to remember something as she lifts her face.

“Amaryllis…are you going to support wiping out? Or letting them live?”

The uneasy eyes are shown in mine. And I smile, answering,

“Neither. If I have to say, halving?’

“Eh? Halving?’

“Yes, halving.”

And then, I move forward, grab the microphone, and loudly declare,

“I have an emergency proposition!”