The Girl Who Hacked The Magic System
Chapter 47 - A name to make her smile

Chapter 47: Chapter 47 - A name to make her smile

"A new name for you, huh?"

That’s unexpected. And a great responsibility, as well. How do you choose the name of a person like that? An adult person.

More than simply adult. She’s at least thirteen hundred years old.

Her being a scorpion person makes me think of the Orion myth, but in the myth, the scorpion has no name, and it kills the hero, Orion. Not exactly a solid reference.

"Can I have some time to think about it?"

"Of course. Take your time."

So it’s decided.

:::

It’s customary to bring a few spare clothes between the group when dungeon delving. After all, monsters slashing clothes apart are not a rare occurrence.

That means that we quickly had a set of clothes for the ’awaiting new name’ girl and for myself. Including a new boot so I won’t have to brave the Barrens barefoot on our way back.

I’m getting really tired. I don’t know for how long I’ve passed out down there in the chamber with her. I didn’t ask, but from Yaci’s reaction, I guess it was a long time.

But it isn’t like I was properly sleeping down there. I was brought back from the throes of death itself. Not exactly a refreshing experience.

And, in any case, it’s already dusk outside, as our scouts reported. So, as soon as we set up camp, I hit the hay. Or, in this case, the hides.

:::

The following morning, I wake up feeling a certain pressure on my chest.

I look at the side, and it’s Yaci, hugging me. She must’ve been worried sick while I was down there. I would’ve been if our places were switched.

Though there’s the thing about her seeing me as a child who needs protection. I’m only seven in this world, after all. So this hug is the one of a worried old sister, nothing more.

So stop thinking funny things, Aurea. She’s my foster older sister, that’s all. Period.

Around us, most people are still asleep. The ones on guard duty are alert in their positions, so I guess it’s still early.

I open my stats screen. My MP has recovered up to more than half its max value, which is good. I’m able to fight again.

The one I need to name is sitting on a corner of the camp, fully awake. She seems to be mulling over something, so I won’t disturb her.

Instead, I shall use this time to think of a name for her.

I want something meaningful and auspicious. Something that reflects who she is.

But who is she? What do I know about her?

She is someone who can create extremely refined algorithms, to the point of creating the whole Adventuring System.

Someone with a lot of pain from her past and who likes goth fashion, or at least used to like it.

But who at some point have had the capacity for genuine smiles. Capacity that I want to bring back.

She immediately brings to my mind the founder of modern algorithm thinking, who happened to also be the daughter of one of the most prominent writers who influenced goth culture.

Yes, I’m talking about Ada Lovelace, the daughter of Lord Byron.

Ada... it’s too short. Maybe Lovelace? As an English name, nobody on this world would be able to understand the meaning of the words that compose it.

But if she saw my memories, maybe she would be able to understand it?

I carefully take Yaci’s arm from over me and sit up, looking at her. And she immediately looks back at me. Yaci mutters something in her dream. I’m glad she didn’t wake up.

I get up and walk to the girl, sitting at her side.

"Good morning, Aurea."

"Good morning. Did you get any sleep?"

"Actually, yes. I don’t need to sleep much, and now that I’m free and lucid again, there’s too much to think about."

"I understand... It must have been too lonely, all those years."

She shakes her head.

"No... I was too overcome with hunger and anger to feel anything else."

She pauses for a moment before continuing.

"I fear the version of me I become when I’m in that form. It doesn’t feel like myself at all."

"I thought that that was the more natural form for you, and your human form was just for interacting with us."

"No... Ever since I gained a human form, it became the only me capable of thinking. The other form is just a mindless animal."

She again pauses, but then she speaks before I can say anything.

"No, animals aren’t mindless. They have their own reasoning and are capable of making decisions. That other me is even less than that. Just an automaton moved by pure hunger."

"And you don’t like being like that."

"I hate it. But, on the other hand... I don’t think I would be this lucid if I hadn’t stayed in that form during all that time."

"Its madness was so big it swallowed the loneliness and everything else, after all."

"Yeah... Tell me. How long has it been?"

Her face was grimacing in pain. We didn’t talk about it before, and it seems that it took her a lot of courage for her to be able to ask that question.

"One thousand, three hundred, and twenty-eight years. At least, that’s the information that was on the results of the Appraise Object."

"One thousand and three hundred years..."

She got lost in thought for some minutes, while I waited without interrupting her. I knew it was hard-to-digest information.

"Have you decided on my name?" She then asks suddenly.

"I have thought of one. There was a woman on Earth who was one of the main people responsible for the development of computers and algorithms. And she was the daughter of a great poet."

She was looking at me in silence, with keen interest.

"Her name was Ada Lovelace. So I was thinking of giving you the name Lovelace. What do you think?"

"Lovelace... Lovelace..." She kept repeating the name, as if savoring the word in her mouth.

"I like this name. It feels good on the mouth, and it has a beautiful meaning. Both because of the original bearer and because of the direct translation of the words."

"Oh. So, do you speak English?"

"Not exactly speak... But I understand some words and concepts. I used to be more fluent before, but now most of those memories are gone."

I don’t need to ask why the memories are gone. They are probably related to the programming of the system.

"So, you are Lovelace from now on."

"Yes. My name is Lovelace. I’m pleased to meet you, Aurea."

"I’m pleased to meet you as well."

This time, her smile was genuine.