Agedia slithered as fast as her snake body could go for a full day, almost bowling over the border guards as they stopped her to check her identity. But as the sun began to set and the adrenaline wore off, she slowed to a jog pace…and then a walking pace…and then a crawling pace. Her face fell and she began to wring her hands.

Would Tiberius even be happy to see her?

She had been so focused on her own problems that she hadn’t even stopped to consider things from his perspective. He had moved to the rainy, backwater, monster and barbarian infested frontier all by himself because she was too busy moping to protect Aedinia’s daughter. He had spent a decade there now, alone and being rained on, while she and Vafum partied it up in Velusitum. He occasionally made trips to see them, but she had not once come to visit him in Turannia.

He nearly died, several times, as Turannia had to deal with multiple incursions by the Wulver and the Dobhar, among other tribes from the Wild Lands across the Northern Sea. The latest of which occurred when Turannia didn’t even have its legions, he only survived due to NSLICE-00P.

And for what?

Ateia moved away, out of his protection and into hers. And then Agedia had slipped up, and Ateia had nearly been killed. In other words…she had nearly thrown away a decade of effort and sacrifice by Tiberius, efforts and sacrifices that he had made on her behalf in the first place.

Her shoulders dropped.

Forget being happy to see her, she would be lucky if Tiberius didn’t attack her on-sight.

She stopped moving forward, slithering back and forth in a figure eight pattern.

“I-It’s fine…you can do this, Agedia. It’s Tibbers! He’ll grumble and drink but he’ll still be the same as always!”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“And…if not…if Tibbers hates me now…if he wants nothing to do with me and has run off with some young human girl…then that’s only fair. But…I will face him, either way. He deserves that from me. Mighty Victoria, please grant me courage…”

She slowly opened her eyes and faced the road forward again.

And froze. She blinked. She rubbed her eyes. She blinked again.

A man in the garb of the Exploratores was running down the road as fast as he could. He paused as he came within view of her and then ran straight towards her.

“Agedia!”

“T-Tibbers?!”

Tiberius ran up to her and gave her a hug.

“By the Aesdes, I’ve missed you, Agedia! I scarcely believed the border guard’s report, what are you doing in Turannia?! Are you all right?!”

Agedia sputtered and her face twisted between several expressions. She didn’t manage to get out a response. Tiberius frowned.

“Look…Agedia…I’m sorry. I…should have asked before I sent the girl to you. I didn’t have any other options to try and protect her, but it must have been very hard on you to see her again. And now I heard you went with her all the way to Corvanus, and now all the way here? I can’t imagine how you felt, can you forgive me?”

Agedia began to tremble. Her eyes moistened, and not from the rain.

She returned Tiberius’s embrace, gripping him tight. She closed her eyes and smiled.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s me who needs to apologize to you. But first…I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you, Tiberius.”

Tiberius’s eyes widened slightly at the use of his actual name, and patted her back.

“…it seems a lot has happened. Want to talk about it, or just drink?”

Agedia took a deep breath and then smirked.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“How about both?”

Ateia sat around the campfire, next to 00B. She was brushing her hand through 00B’s fur. She blinked as they looked at the other group of monsters in front of them. Ateia’s face scrunched up as she looked at the rat who seemed to be in charge.

“So…this is…”

B let out a soft grunt.

“Big Brother 01R? Wait, BIG brother?”

R turned. He stood straight up on his hind legs, with his arms crossed in front of him as he nodded.

“That is right-correct! I am among the first-initial of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen’s summoned monsters, yes yes! It is my honor-privilege to welcome you, the newest of our ranks! May you fight-strive with honor in the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen’s name!”

Ateia blinked, looking a bit nonplussed.

“Um, thanks? I’ll…um…do my best? Just to be clear…you’re talking about Seero, right?”

R frowned.

“There could be-exist no other that we serve. Your moniker-title for the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen is lacking in majesty and reverence, but as she is gracious enough to allow it, so shall I, yes yes.”

Just then, Ateia felt another rat monster crawl up her back. The rat monster crawled to her shoulder and squeaked in her ear.

“See see? They are all a bunch of crazy-insane fanatics, yes yes! We must find a way to flee-escape, yes yes!”

“I mean, they’re just enthusiastic?”

The rat-monster shivered.

“You have not felt-experienced their training-torture, yes yes.”

B scoffed and grunted. Ateia shook her head.

“Now now, not everyone can be as tough as you, can they?”

Ateia rubbed 00B’s neck. He snorted but did not resist. Ateia then paused.

“Wait a minute, 00B, you can talk?!”

B snorted again, indicating that it was a bit late for Ateia to make that observation.

“Explanation: Now that NSLICE-Ateia is linked to the NSLICE network and through the foreign system, automatic translation functions have been applied.”

““Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen!””

Ateia blinked as all the monsters turned to greet NSLICE-00P, who had just returned with Taog from a quick hunting trip. Taog stepped forward to join Ateia when all the monsters turned and either growled or hissed at him.

“See see what I mean-say?”

Ateia decided not to respond. She then tilted her head and turned to NSLICE-00P.

“Seero…I’ve been meaning to ask…why are you calling me ‘NSLICE’ Ateia? Isn’t that your name? Did you…did you adopt me or something?”

“Explanation: NSLICE is a model designation indicating a unit with sufficiently compatible cybernetic components to interface with the NSLICE network. NSLICE-Ateia has been upgraded with the same model components as this unit and integrated into the network, and so designated as an NSLICE unit.”

Ateia frowned and rubbed her chin.

“Wait…you’re saying that ‘NSLICE’ isn’t a name? It’s…some kind of description?”

“Affirmative. Addendum: NSLICE stands for Non-Standard Leashed-Intelligence Cybernetic Enforcer, a cybernetic combat asset built on an organic base to defeat non-standard opponents.”

Ateia rubbed her chin for another moment before her eyes widened. Her face twisted, transitioning from shock, to rage, and then settling on sorrow.

“Seero…so you’re saying…‘NSLICE-00P’ isn’t really a name…and Seero wouldn’t be either. This…translation says Seero just means zero…that’s…I…”

“Objection: NSLICE-00P is this unit’s unique identifier.”

Ateia shook her head.

“I mean…that’s just a description of what you are, right? With a number to keep track of you?”

“Affirmative.”

Ateia frowned and crossed her arms.

“Then it’s not really a name. A name is more than just something you use to keep track of things, Seero.”

NSLICE-00P’s robotic eye flickered.

“Requesting Elaboration: How is term ‘name’ in the context NSLICE-Ateia is referring to different from a unique identifier?”

Ateia opened her mouth, then paused, then frowned and rubbed her chin.

“That’s…um…”

Taog titled his head as he stood at a safe distance, prepping a rabbit.

“Maybe it’s not.”

Ateia turned her head and glared at him.

“Taog?”

Taog quickly waved his hands around.

“Ah, not like that. I mean…names are important because of the meaning attached to them, right? So...it’s not impossible for a number to be as meaningful as another name, right? Like, think of all the famous Legions. The Legio III that held Velus’s Pass against the Mélusine. Legion Arcanum XII that defeated a Sun Elf High Archon. The brash Legio Draco II and their daring wyvern assaults.”

Ateia pursed her lips.

“What are you saying, Taog?”

Taog took a deep breath.

“I’m saying…maybe NSLICE-00P wasn’t a real name at first. Maybe ‘Seero’ was just a number to start with. But…those names have meaning to us now, right? They aren’t just numbers any more.”

Ateia frowned, and rubbed her chin for a while longer. Eventually, she sighed, and turned to NSLICE-00P.

“Seero…what do you think? Would you…like a name? One that’s not just a number?”

“Negative Response: This unit’s current designation appears to suffice in all known use cases. Changing the designation is likely to result in miscommunications without any predicted benefit, and so is calculated to be inefficient.”

Ateia took a deep breath and nodded.

“Well, ok. We’ll leave it at that for now, then. But…let me know if you ever change your mind, ok?”

“Affirmative.”

Meanwhile 01R was frowning and pacing back and forth.

“The Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen’s name is sacred and powerful, it is insolence-heresy to question it, yes yes. But…is it sufficient to show-display the true majesty and might of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen? Are any words-names sufficient for that task?”

Meanwhile, the rat on Ateia’s shoulder, Snuan Covenwalker, crouched down, her ears flat against her face. The crazies were at it again. She could only hope that the terrifying man-thing that had joined their ranks would be normal.

Although, normal man-things tended to murder rat monsters like her.

For not the first time, Snuan regretted not fleeing from 01R when she had the chance.