The situation was confusing to begin with, but this... well, this simply didn't make any sense. Why didn't X recognize who he was? He wouldn't have admitted it out loud, but... that stung, just a little.
It couldn't have been a case of mistaken identity; this man looked more human than machine, yes, but he clearly responded to the name X. Another copy, maybe? No, there would have been no point building one who didn't know something as basic as the identity of his Guardians. Some sort of alteration to his memory banks? But what would that accomplish? One by one, he ran through possible explanations, and one by one, he shot them all down as irrational.
"My name is Harpuia, Master X. Formerly Sage Haruia, one of the Four Guardians of Neo Arcadia." Formerly! What a bitter, painful word! This conversation already didn't sit well with him. Nothing about it did. He remained in a kneel, decorum still ingrained into every inch of him, head bowed down to the floor. His expression remained rigidly fixed into its usual stern poker face, but nevertheless, he kept his eyes averted -- not just in acknowledgement of a superior, but as a precaution, lest his eyes betray any of that inner turmoil. "My life was spent in service to you. You're certain you don't know me...?"
Pfft, that was hardly any edits at all!
It couldn't have been a case of mistaken identity; this man looked more human than machine, yes, but he clearly responded to the name X. Another copy, maybe? No, there would have been no point building one who didn't know something as basic as the identity of his Guardians. Some sort of alteration to his memory banks? But what would that accomplish? One by one, he ran through possible explanations, and one by one, he shot them all down as irrational.
"My name is Harpuia, Master X. Formerly Sage Haruia, one of the Four Guardians of Neo Arcadia." Formerly! What a bitter, painful word! This conversation already didn't sit well with him. Nothing about it did. He remained in a kneel, decorum still ingrained into every inch of him, head bowed down to the floor. His expression remained rigidly fixed into its usual stern poker face, but nevertheless, he kept his eyes averted -- not just in acknowledgement of a superior, but as a precaution, lest his eyes betray any of that inner turmoil. "My life was spent in service to you. You're certain you don't know me...?"