Ame no Hi no Iris

Chapter 4 - Letters Part 6

Iris Rain Umbrella's Letter

Dear Professor:

Professor wrote a letter for me.

That's why I'm writing a letter for you as well.

Though I'm saying that, I'm actually writing the notes for the 'special talk'.

Professor.

First, I'm writing down what made me happy.

Lilith woke up last week.

Ah, Lilith is my new friend.

She's good at talking, is brave, and is very reliable.

When I found her in the bushes of the courtyard, I heaved a long sigh.

Was that the guidance of the goddess statue? Or was that Professor's power?

After recovering this body, I realized that the color of her hair is gold. My vision was single colored before this.

The gold haired Lilith is much cuter. However, she still hates to wear a maid costume. I think that it suits her instead.

Professor.

Apart from Lilith, I made a new friend as well.

He's called Volkov.

To protect Lilith and I, he passed away in a battle with the military.

Because of Mr. Ralph's help, we obtained a piece of his black fragment.

A part of Volkov's body was sent to the research centre as investigation information.

Now, Lilith solemnly keeps the fragment of Volkov in her chest.

Professor.

After losing Professor, I didn't know what my meaning of existence is.

However, after I came in contact with the outside world, working frantically, and meeting Lilith and Volkov, though I'm still somewhat confused, I think I found what I need to do.

Professor, do you know the children's literary book 'Third-Rate Demon God Visa Darke'?

The book tells of the stories of the demon god Darke who like to fool around and his magical ring Flo Snow getting into various troubles because of magical tools.

Ah, that's right. Darke is rather similar to Professor. Both of you look cold on first sight, but are actually quite gentle. Darke gave Flo Snow a new ring in the end. Professor gave me a new body as well.

The gentle demon god died before the last volume, while Flo cried in pain for a long time because of his loss. However, as she recovered from her sorrow, she started to challenge new things again. Like what Darke would do in the past, she would collect broken magical tools to fix them, creating a new 'home' for the magical tools that lost their power. She inherited the deceased Darke's will, and found a new meaning for her existence.

That's why I want to create a 'home' like her. Simply said, it's a 'shelter' for robots. I want to bring the robots who lost their owners, were abandoned, abandoned form the battlefield or those who can't continue to work at construction sites to this mansion. Then, we'll work together and get money. The money earned would be used for the fees of repair and charging.

Mr. Ralph agreed with my idea. He would repair and maintain my functions during his spare time as well. He's a nice person.

After I mentioned the idea of the 'robot shelter' to Lilith, the first thing that she said was "It'll be neverending if things continue, so you better give up". She told me that tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of robots would be abandoned each year, and my actions are just inadequate, wasting time and money.

However, after I put up the advertisement of the shelter, numbers Twenty Eight and Fifty Five— ah, err, those numbers were what my previous colleagues were called, called the Umbrella residence in three days. Lilith who picked up the phone was the most surprised. Number Eighty Six contacted us the day before yesterday as well, and unfamiliar robots came straight to the Umbrella residence yesterday. Since things turned out like this, just let them work here— that was what Lilith decided. She wants to work hard at construction sites to earn money.

I just feel that we would be quite busy.

Do you remember the robot at the junk parts store? The large robot that appeared in the news that went on a rampage at the fountain plaza.

Lilith told me that his name was Lightning o' Milber.

Why did he go on a rampage?

I wanted to know the answer no matter what, so I asked the shopkeepers at the commercial street for this. The grocery store shopkeeper told me this.

The owner of the junk parts store passed away a few days before the robot went on a rampage. The relationship between the robot and its owner was really good as well.

Professor said this, right? The robot might have saw a hallucination.

So, though the assumption might be too blunt, I couldn't help but guess.

The day that he ran over to the plaza, he's probably looking for his owner.

I have experienced his feelings of losing his owner. Whenever I think about Professor now, I would feel an overwhelming loneliness and sorrow, and my chest would tighten. When I'm writing this letter now, my hands are trembling as well.

Then, Professor. Let's stop here.

I'll write to you again next time.

Yours Truly,

Your Iris.

Oh, and

Professor, Professor!

Look outside the windows right now!

It's a really, really beautiful blue sky……

I love warm sunny days like this.

But Professor.

I like rainy days as well.

Why, you ask?

Heh heh, isn't that obvious?

Because I met my beloved Professor on that rainy day.