The Artificial Lifeform had no idea how he had ended up here.
He only remembered searching the castle corridors for a way out after leaving the underground workshop. In the end, defects in his bodily functions had caused him to collapse in a corridor.
And the last person he had seen before losing consciousness was...
"Ah, you're awake!"
The pink-haired boy, who looked like a girl, took his hand in delight. The Artificial Lifeform compared that face with his memories and confirmed that this was the person he had seen-and most likely the one who had brought him here.
"My name's Astolfo! I sort of rescued you!"
"Mm... thank you..."
After introducing himself, Astolfo explained who the young man on the other side of the bed was:
"This is Chiron. This is his room, you know, so you should thank him properly too."
"You should address me by my Class, Rider."
Only after Chiron's reminder did Astolfo realize that he seemed to have just let something terribly important slip. With a sheepish laugh, he waved his hands at the Artificial Lifeform:
"Ah, no, no, that doesn't count! Forget everything I just said-he's Archer."
Chiron sighed. Having a Heroic Spirit with Reason Evaporation as a teammate really was exhausting. Combined with the fact that he had unleashed his Noble Phantasm that morning and achieved nothing, he felt as though he had aged ten years:
"The situation is complicated, so I'll keep this brief-
"Under ideal conditions, your maximum remaining lifespan is three years.
"If you were an infant, I would feel sorrow and sympathy for you. But as an Artificial Lifeform born with innate knowledge, you could be described as approaching a certain degree of 'perfection.'
"So you should give this some serious thought."
"Think about... what?"
At the Artificial Lifeform's