It was in the year 3101 that the design templates for the automata left behind by the legendary Magi Craft Meister, Adriana Barbora Tsetse, were finally discovered.
That year marked a monumental turning point for the world of magi-craft.
Until that time, ninety percent of all automata and golems had been constructed using magi-resin. In essence, a golem was simply "clay" magically formed into a humanoid shape and encased in metal armor; an automaton was much the same, merely covered in imitation skin.
Internal skeletons were rare, found only in a handful of units that served as experimental prototypes or as status symbols for the wealthy and the nobility. However, the discovery of Adriana’s templates ushered in a period of great revolution.
"A skeleton that simplified the human form." "Muscle placement closely resembling that of a human."
These two innovations allowed for movements and gestures that were far more natural than anything seen before. The benefits were immediate and profound. Golems became capable of fully utilizing sword techniques, martial arts, and other skills developed by humans. Automata gained a newfound sense of humanity.
As a result, the demand for automata skyrocketed. Factories and workshops, both large and small, began springing up like mushrooms after a rain. Most were weeded out within three years, and by the five-year mark, only those producing the highest quality goods remained.
The factory in this story was one of the survivors of that culling. After a series of prototypes, they finally completed their first batch of new-model automata. They were masterpieces—so lifelike that they seemed less like dolls and more like human beings themselves.
As a matter of self-regulation, the factory decided to give them hair in a color that could never naturally occur in a human: blue. They also decided that their names should consist of as few syllables as possible.
The first automaton was named "Anne" (ANN), the second was "Bell" (BEL), and the third was "Cas" (CAS). There were twenty of them in total, ending with "Tim" (TIM). The eighteenth unit was given the name "Loll" (ROL).
"Your name shall be Loll."
"Yes. My name is Loll. I look forward to working with you."
Loll was purchased by a young scholar. He had high hopes for the new-model automaton as a research assistant, and Loll worked tirelessly to meet those expectations.
"Master, it is almost noon. Please take a break once you reach a natural stopping point."
"Master, I have finished organizing the new research materials."
"Master, pushing yourself this hard will harm your health. Please, rest for the remainder of the day."
The scholar adored Loll and treated her with great care.
"I see. Thank you, Loll."
But tragedy struck without warning. The laboratory, which was usually bustling from early morning, remained silent one fateful day. A concerned neighbor went to check on the situation and cried out in horror.
"W-Whoa! What is this?!"
The neighbor found the scholar kneeling in a daze, head bowed before the sight of Loll—her limbs torn off and scattered across the floor.
The culprit behind Loll’s destruction was never caught. The scholar visited the factory where she had been manufactured, only to find that tragedy had struck there as well: the technical director had been murdered. However, because the production manager was unharmed, he was able to have Loll repaired. Taking this as a sign, the scholar decided to move to the countryside.
It was a wise decision. In the time that followed, a wave of incidents saw blue-haired automata identical to Loll targeted for destruction. Even before this, the magi craftsman who had first discovered Adriana’s templates had been murdered, though the connection between these events remained a mystery.
In their new home, Loll and the scholar lived in peace. It is said that Loll served him devotedly until the scholar grew old and eventually passed away.
Afterward, Loll, who no longer had a master, was taken in by the state according to the customs of the era. After undergoing minor maintenance, she was placed into a standby state.
Shortly thereafter, the Great Magic War broke out. Most of the remaining automata that had escaped the mysterious destruction incidents were pressed into service. Their primary purpose was the "comfort of the soldiers." While many units were modified to serve as "nighttime companions," Loll narrowly avoided such a fate.
She was deployed not to a frontier outpost, but to a fortress regarded as the final line of defense. Despite being stationed there while the fort was still under construction, Loll’s duties went beyond daily support like cooking, cleaning, and laundry; she handled all manner of odd jobs, including the transport of heavy materials. The war had become so fierce that labor shortages were universal.
Due to the wartime situation, she was considered a valuable asset and was placed under a mana linkage with the fort’s magi-brain, allowing the core to issue her orders in case of an emergency.
Then came the Ether Stampede. Along with the rest of the fort, Loll ceased all functions.
"..."
Loll rebooted. One of her basic commands dictated that the human before her eyes upon awakening would be her master.
"ARE YOU MY MASTER? MY NAME IS loll."
Her new master appeared to be a technician. Loll should have been able to support him with all her capabilities... or so she hoped.
"MASTER, PLEASE GIVE ME ANY ORDERS YOU MAY HAVE."
But reality was cruel.
"Hurry up, you slowpoke!"
"I AM TRULY SORRY."
Three hundred years of neglect had taken their toll on Loll’s body, and her new master lacked the skill to repair her.
"TEA IS READY."
Because of her condition, Loll’s movements were incredibly stiff. Her fingers would not move as she wished, and her gait was unstable. Even though she possessed the knowledge of how to brew tea, the sensors required to monitor the water temperature had deteriorated.
"It’s lukewarm!"
"I AM TRULY SORRY."
Her master was a man of constant frustration, frequently throwing the tea—cup and all—at Loll. Even so, she did not resist, continuing to serve him wholeheartedly. Seeing her master agonizing over his inability to repair the fort, she told him about the fort’s assistant automata.
"THERE SHOULD BE ASSISTANT AUTOMATA FURTHER INSIDE."
This allowed the maintenance of the fort to progress. The assistant automata were eventually maintained by repair golems, but because materials were scarce, they were prioritized for the fort’s facilities. Loll’s repairs were always pushed to the back of the line. Still, Loll served her master without a single word of complaint.
The assistant automata eventually pointed the way to the magi-brain. This brought about a turning point for them all.
Several days after the magi-brain had awakened, a certain incident prompted it to issue an order to stun all humans within the fort. The Brain had permitted attacking in a non-lethal way if it meant protecting humans from a much greater threat. However, since Loll’s master had already fallen into a deep sleep, she simply applied a second layer of Sleep magic over him and confined him.
And then, she was deactivated once again. Just before her consciousness faded, a faint sense of loneliness crossed Loll’s control core.
(With this, I may never wake up again... I have no complaints, but... ah, just once more... I wanted to meet a master whom I could serve with my whole heart and soul.)
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Master."
Loll was inwardly astonished. The words that left her lips were incredibly smooth—as fluid as they had been the day she was first created.
"How are you feeling?"
The one who spoke was the young man Loll now recognized as her master. He possessed an impossible amount of magical power, and beside him stood an automaton of incredible precision and hidden strength.
When Loll stood up, she realized her physical condition had been restored—no, it was better than it had ever been. She performed a beautiful, fluid bow.
"Yes, I feel wonderful. Thank you very much."
To her further surprise, she noticed another automaton standing behind her master, Jin. The characteristic blue hair was unmistakable; she had been made during the same period as Loll herself. Units manufactured later in the series possessed knowledge of the "elder sisters" created before them.
"...Might you be Anne?"
The unit matched every detail of "Anne" within Loll’s records.
"Yes, I am Anne."
Thus, after more than three hundred years, the automaton sisters met once again. And from that day forward, happy days began for Loll.