7 – Rustila (2)
I started studying after having the breakfast prepared by Sonia.
I quickly solved the workbook and took a 10-minute break. Normally, I would have immediately opened the next book. But today, I needed some time to pull myself together.
“Master, I mean Miss Rustila from the Kerchil family.”
Sonia approached me during my break to tell me this.
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“Huh? Are you talking about Rustila?”
“Yes. Wasn’t she truly beautiful?”
Rarely does Sonia compliment someone else’s appearance. She’s clearly trying to make me jealous.
“Well, yes, she was pretty.”
“I thought you might give Miss Rustila a compliment.”
“Why? Should I?”
Sonia responded with disgust.
“Do not.”
I nodded. I didn’t have the time or the reason for that.
What I need to care about is not her face. It’s her background.
The throne contracted with Rustila reads the malice of others. It even notices the types of thrones it contracts with. Since she met my eyes, she must have felt the presence of Cartesia for sure.
…I wonder if she’s okay.
“It’s amazing. You didn’t even cast a glance at such a pretty girl.”
Sonia spoke in admiration. Aidel was famous for revealing women.
I dodged the comment lightly.
“…It’s not that I’m not interested.”
“Is that so?”
Sonia blinked several times as if it was interesting, then pulled her hand up to her head.
I get it. She’s making a move, disregarding principles of robotics.
“If you’re going to cause trouble again, stop.”
“Hey, wait! I’m not interested as a woman!”
“……?”
[— ‘The god of wisdom and curiosity’ tilts his head at your remark.]
Sonia put down the fist she was holding up.
Something seems to be twisted in my speech.
“What I mean is, it’s interesting as a fellow.”
“…A fellow, you say?”
I nodded my head.
“Yes, a fellow. Or in other words, a friend. I have a bit of an eye, you know? I’m sure she will be entering Stellarium next year. And it’ll be the same for me.”
He shrugged his shoulders and began to speak.
“You clearly said that my academy entrance could eventually lead the Reinhardt family. To do that, there’s nothing wrong with being close to someone from the Kersil family. There’s also something called academic connections.”
In fact, he was accepted into the Stellaryium Rustila. And he becomes a military commander who watches over the federation’s front lines in the future. He wields a plasma sword like his own body, and even earns the title of Sword Saint, which is considered out of date.
“It’d be comfortable to have her around. There’s no one like Rustila to fend off monster attacks. Buying time could reduce interference in gravity bullet development.”
I stroked my chin thoughtfully.
“I originally intended to simply immerse myself in my studies here…”
But plans changed.
Even if I had to take drastic measures, I needed to take a more proactive approach.
I opened my mouth.
“Sonia.”
“…please, say it.”
“Do a play with me.”
“A play? What kind of play are you talking about?”
“Lend me your ears for a bit,” I whispered.
Upon hearing this, Sonia quickly leaned toward me. She squinted her lashes until they crinkled.
“Do you think you’ve lost your sanity, young master?”
“I’m envisioning a bigger picture. Please cooperate just this once.”
I sincerely asked Sonia. Reluctantly, Sonia sighed and nodded her head.
“Understood. I will follow you, believing in the actions you have shown for the past three weeks.”
We briefly discussed the plan.
***
Rustila’s shoulders trembled slightly.
‘That… was not human.’
Ruler of darkness, death and chaos.
Rustila truly saw madness in the dark haired, golden eyed boy she encountered at the docks.
“Sis, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
Seti asked worriedly. Rustila shook her head weakly.
“Ugh….”
She retched.
“…Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine, I’m okay…”
Rustila took her time to regain her composure and organize her thoughts, then she went over what she had seen.
Her head ached. Her mind was filled with tentacles which she saw through their psychic link.
They were white tentacles, clearly glowing. They moved randomly in the dark space, soiling Rustila’s sight and gastric senses. It was something she shouldn’t have seen.
However.
At the same time, those tentacles couldn’t rampage freely. There were sturdy locks hung on each suction cup. These locks were tied again with several chains, and at the end of these chains, there was a book.
‘It was very big….’
Rustila had the ability to interpret others’ mental images.
‘But that… was indescribable.’
Tentacles symbolized foreign gods, and white signified virtue.
Contracting with a foreign god, that too a virtuous god?
‘Is that even possible?’
A human who has contracted with a foreign god would go mad.
Yet the boy continued to seem normal.
In the first place, it was difficult to judge whether the boy was good or evil. This was because I couldn’t see the boy’s true nature.
‘I don’t know.’
Lucilla shook her head.
Should she report the boy to the federal authorities? Or should she not? She did not have a firm conviction. if she were to report and it turned out to be unnecessary, she would be regarded as the bad one.
‘Let’s not overthink it.’
Lucilla shook her head back and forth. Her tied-up ponytail swung back and forth like a pendulum.
“Wow! You shocked me!”
Seti, who was unintentionally hit by her hair, grumbled.
“I, I’m sorry!”
“No, it’s all right.”
Seti laughed bashfully.
“Are you really okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay.”
Their meeting was only briefly dim disoriented. Lucilla felt dizzy.
Lucilla lowered her head. The physics workbook, which she and Seti agreed to solve together, was laid out in front of her.
Then she raised her head. A semi-transparent window. Beyond it, many robots, including Jermel, her exclusive butler, were on standby. Their eyes were staring at Lucilla.
They are even scarier than the foreign god. I don’t like it! Lucilla sighed.
She fiddled with her packed belongings. Between the bundle filled with workbooks, she felt something made of wood. It was a wooden sword.
‘I can’t even train here….’
She wanted to release her built-up stress. She wanted to keep practicing for her dream of becoming a soldier.
However, her circumstances did not allow for it.
Lucilla’s face stiffened.
Knock knock.
– Miss Seti, this is Sonia. I hope you’re well.
“Sonia? Come in.”
Vrrrng.
A female android with navy blue hair entered.
A stately expression, stiff posture. A headband with frills flaring out, and a white ribbon tied around her waist.
It was the maid who had been with the boy.
“I have brought some tea for you two, Misses.”
“Tea? You’ve brought it?”
“To ensure Miss Seti wouldn’t be uncomfortable while studying, I, Sonia, have prepared in advance.”
Sonia neatly laid out cookies and juice in the middle of the desk.
“Wow.”
Seti and Lucilla widened their eyes. They all looked delicious.
“Then, I hope you have a good study.”
With a bow, Sonia quickly left.
She returned to Aidel’s room and reported.
“How was it?”
Aidel asked.
“The two young ladies were just studying locked up in their room. Outside, there were five androids of the Kersil family. They all seemed to be watching Miss Rustilla.”
“Really?”
The situation seems good. Aidel muttered as he stood up.
“Are we really going to do this?”
“We must.”
“If we do wrong, not only Miss Rustilla but Miss Seti may develop a bad impression of us.”
“Even if Seti doesn’t, Rustilla won’t.”
Aidel walked ahead. Sonia followed at a distance.
“Huff.”
Aidel took a deep breath in front of Seti’s room.
He opened his mouth to the robots standing around idly.
“Hey, you bastard.”
It was the obscene appearance of Aidel.
***
Zermel was a semi-automatic android protecting Rustilla. He was equipped with a fourth-generation artificial intelligence core, capable of detecting changes in both danger level and emotion of his subject.
“Why are you blocking the hallway, huh?”
It was now a clear crisis situation.
“You are…?”
“Don’t you know who I am? Huh?”
The black-haired, golden-eyed young man snarled as he approached. Zermel narrowed his gaze sharply.
There was a pompous air in the boy’s eyes.
“If you don’t know, listen and remember all at once, you scrap. I am Aidel von Reinrandt, the third son of the great Reinrandt!”
The boy, Aidel, tensed and swung his fist. It was an unexpected attack without warning.
But the movement was clumsy. Zermel twisted his body to avoid it.
“You ain’t moving, huh?”
“I did step aside.”
He could not hit a human. It would violate federal law.
Zermel started searching the moment he heard the name ‘Aidel.’
‘Aidel von Reinrandt.’
A ruffian infamous for his bad attitude from the Reinrandt family. Lewd, gambling addict, dregs of humanity.
‘Must not approach Miss Rustilla.’
Zermel called his fellow androids through signals. All of them were robots guarding Rustilla. They formed a protest in front of Seti’s room.
“If we have been rude, please accept our apologies. The walkway is now clear, please proceed.”
“No, I changed my mind.”
He dithered, dithered, and beat about the bush.
Aidel snapped each of his fingers and pulled something out.
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‘…Why a wooden sword?’
Without a word, Aidel wielded the wooden sword.
Kang! A loud metallic sound echoed as he scraped the wall.
“I’ve had enough of being scolded these days so this is perfect timing. I need to beat someone up even if it’s you!”
Kang! Kang! Kang!
Aidel pushed the androids back, brandishing his sword.
Zermel backed away in confusion.
‘We are the property of the Kersil family and should not be damaged. But we should not beat up humans either.’
The Robot Engineering Principle. There was no choice but to adhere. The robots had to stay far away from the door.
“Where are you off to?”
The five androids were herded to the end of the corridor like sheep being whipped by a shepherd boy.
Hoong, Hoong!
Aidel’s grimace twisted as he brandished his wooden sword.
“Tin cans!”
Whining.
The continued commotion led two girls to open the door and poke their heads out. Gold and silver. They were Rustila and Seti.
“What is going on, what’s all this noise!”
Realizing the situation, Seti shrieked.
“That, that lunatic…!”
I thought he was a bit better these days!
Seti outbursted and hastily ran out from the room. She had to stop Aidel. That was her immediate thought.
Then.
Screeeak!
Purple hair darted out in front of Seti.
“…Sonia?!”
A hairpin fell right in front of Seti’s nose. Sonia threw herself towards Aidel, landing a dropkick on Aidel’s back.
“Cough!!”
Aidel rolled out a full two and a half rounds in front of Zermel. There was a faint sound of breaking.
Drool spilled from Aidel’s mouth.
“Son, Sonia…! Y-you…!”
Aidel staggered up from the ground. His sinister golden eyes glared at Sonia.
“My lord, it seems like you are causing a ruckus again after some calm.”
“Step aside when I tell you nicely.”
“I am serving under the command of the Reinhardt family. I will not let you harm the family’s reputation any further.”
“I said step aside when I tell you nicely!”
Sonia sighed and adopted a fighting stance.
‘What’s going on…?’
The repeated disturbance attracted Rustila to the hallway. A dazzling maid and a boy were in standoff.
‘Isn’t it that boy?’
A kid who appears to have signed a pact with a foreign spirit. He clearly introduced himself as ‘Aidel.’ Aidel was currently a famous troublemaker within the Federation.
“How much of a menace could he be for everyone in the world to know his name?”
Rustila suddenly became curious.
‘I will have to verify.’
[— ‘The god of purity and tenacity’ grants you the Deep Eye.]
Unique ability, Deep Eye.
It was different from ‘Speed Eye’ which she had used earlier at the dock.
Color, smell, taste, sound, texture.
Deep Eye made the ‘human’ emotions more certainly known through senses. Regardless of the existence of a pact-making foreign spirit or a divine throne.
“Please get hit.”
“Ahh, ahh! Ahhhhh!”
With the Deep Eye, Rustila examined Aidel’s exact emotional state.
“Aren’t you embarrassed in front of our guests?”
“Ugh, sh*t! Ugh, uh, ugh!”
And as a result, Rustila couldn’t suppress her surprise.
She had no choice.
“It hurts, you bastard! Arghhhhh-!!”
Contrary to what could be seen on the surface, the boy’s heart was quite pure.
