Chapter 18: Mom’s Past and Family History.

[] Speaking English

{} Speaking German

Everything else is Japanese unless otherwise specified. (I won't be doing honorifics)

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As the seconds ticked by I couldn't help but wonder just how low I was going. Creating a depth sensor I saw that I was already 5 meters down and climbing. Finally it stopped at 15 meters down and the door opened. Immediately the space in front of me lit up. Before I could get a view of everything a holographic panel popped up in front of me.

["Hello Ms. Zara, welcome back."]

["Error, Your not Ms. Zara but you share her DNA… a child perhaps?"]

["Uhm, yes I'm her daughter Ayah.."]

["Interesting, does your mother know your down here?"]

["Yes"]

["Okay, well if you need me simply call."]

And with that the panel dissipated revealing a large circular room. A black skin suit with a mask similar to the assassins alibi mask sat in a glass container. A large bank of computers sat of to the side while the walls were lined with more artifacts, although wether they're real or not I couldn't tell, an extremely old fashioned jeep was parked over against a wall with a large door in front of it. Walking over to the nearest artifact and using a scanner dated it to 1173, so they were real…

A quick walk around the room confirmed that they were all real. Turning on the computer, I saw the last page pulled up was about a nice cafe in Berlin that had been around since 1894. Continuing through the pages I saw countless articles about this cafe, and more specifically their prized musket that belonged to Prussian royalty from the 1700's. A musket that now sat on the table next to the computers. Looking more in depth at the computer I saw huge lists of artifacts and their locations. Moving through the stored files I found huge sections on the topic of quirk artifacts.

The only confirmed quirk artifact in history was the quirk book. But many items had weird effects that couldn't be proven nor disproven, like a necklace whose owner always died in a household accident within 5 years of ownership. There were also permanently summoned quirk made items, like a Nepalese man whose quirk summoned a set of nine flying orbs for defense and attack, following his untimely death to a villain attack it was discovered that his orbs didn't dissipate but instead could be used by anyone who had heroics in their heart.

This computer on the other hand was focused on the idea of culturally and historically significant items gaining quirks or even limited sentience. Which sounded like some cultivation novel BS if you ask me, but whatever.

I realized that none of these artifacts had been lost or recently discovered but rather stolen from museums and collectors all over the world. My mom wasn't any kind of treasure hunter, she was a professional thief?

Moving past the revelation of my moms troubled past, I found out what the S floor in the elevator was for. Right beneath me was a huge storage room for artifacts she didn't find promising or worth returning… wait returning?

Reading deeper, I realized that any artifact she stole that didn't hold promise of being a quirk artifact, and she considered the owner worthy, was returned. I was really going through a rollercoaster of emotion right now. So…mom was only kind of a thief? A partial thief? A Robin Hood but without the giving to the poor part?

Ignoring that vexing conundrum, below me was probably the worlds largest collection of ancient artifacts. All sitting unused and seemingly forgotten beneath a Victorian manor. As for what I was going to do about this…. nothing. I may have a laugh and make fun of mom when I get home but otherwise this information meant nothing.

I skimmed through the storage list to see if there was anything interesting down there but as far as ancient artifacts went it was all fairly boring. Heading back to the elevator I paused halfway across the room as it clicked in my head that an AI of some sort was still watching me.

An AI… there was AI in this world but it wasn't supposed to be as advanced as the one that just spoke to me. Nothing like the AI in my old life but still to advanced for what I'd been told exists in this world.

["Uh, hey AI are you there?"]

["Yes, what can I help you with miss Ayah?"]

["Who made you? Was it mom?"]

["I was created by your mothers quirk upon its awakening. She wanted, no, needed a friend and companion and so I was created."]

Well that was sadder then I was expecting…

["Oh? Was mom lonely as a child?"]

["No, many people wished to befriend her. But only due to her status as the heir to the Crawford family. This made her isolate herself, so when her quirk manifested during a time of pain after finding out her best friend was simply using her for money I was created out of the need for a friend that would never betray her."]

Wow, this AI must not get out much to just spill that sort of thing with little to no prompting. Like seriously, that's a little to much information. I mean thanks for telling me I guess, let's me know why mom was always so insistent on testing Toru.

Mom did test Toru a lot, constantly mentioning that dad owned a company. I always thought she was just a bit to paranoid, but if that's her story I guess it makes sense.

["Okay, well if your her friend did she give you a name?"]

["Yes, yes she did. My name is Nathan."]

["Okay, well I'll be heading back up. See ya Nathan."]

["Goodbye miss Ayah."]

Getting back in the elevator and hitting R, stands for room I suppose, I went back up top. Unpacking my suitcase into the dresser nearby I quickly took a shower and changed in the attached bathroom before turning in for the night. I didn't know what Nana had planned for tomorrow but I wanted to be rested and prepared for it.

Waking up the next morning I walked out the room only to immediately realize I had no idea where to find the kitchen. Looking around I decided to take another quick shower and get dressed. Normally I went jogging in the morning but I didn't know what Nana had planned and I didn't want to mess up. Plus, without knowing where to get anything to eat or drink I didn't really want to go out.

After my shower I headed out of my room and saw grandpa standing right in front of my door hand up as if to knock. He looked momentarily startled before putting his hand down and smiling slightly.

"Good morning Ayah, did you have a good night?"

"Yes, I did thanks. Can you please tell me where the kitchen is? I'm very hungry."

"Oh, yes I suppose you wouldn't know. We don't make breakfast we get it delivered to us. I wasn't expecting you to be such an early riser so I didn't brief any of the servants. I'll have Thomas come and get your schedule and preferences later today. In the meantime why don't you walk with me down to the dining room."

"Alright."

We walked down to the dining room and as we passed by art or gear on the walls he would give me a quick briefing. I learned that the Crawford family was a long line of martial artists and military officials.

Grandpa claimed that they could date the Crawfords military standing all the way back to the First World War, and that they had held high positions in the British military and government since then. He told me that later, assuming I never told Nana he took me there, he'd take me to the family martial repository. He said that they had a ridiculous amount of martial techniques recorded from all over the world.

What he was clearly the most proud of however was the Crawford family blade technique. He said that mom never felt like inheriting it and just how happy he was that I would be able too.

By the time we'd reached the dining room, which should have been called a dining hall judging by the size, he had gone over large amounts of the Crawford family history. But most importantly he had hyped me up about this technique and the repository. I could barely wait to visit, and could only curse the fact that I'd have to wait for Nana to be distracted.

Sitting down as one of the staff came over to take my order, I could barely wait. After all who knows what kind of new techniques could be in that repository. Techniques of a different world….

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!