Chapter 13
Finally, we returned to Leventhesia.
As I stepped down from the carriage and looked around, a strange sense of nostalgia washed over me, as if I had returned to my childhood home in the countryside.
Of course, this place is technically rural, but having just come back from the capital, it feels even more so.
Still, it’s a village with everything you could need.
I even found myself hatching a small ambition: if I ever make enough money, maybe I’ll build a tall building in the center of the village. Wouldn’t that be something?
Linia, clearly happy to be home, stretched her arms wide and took a deep breath of the fresh air.
“Ahhhh! Home! I’m going to just lounge around all day today.”
“And you’re going to do that again?”
“Home is different!”
It seemed Linia was fully committed to her plans of idling.
“What about you, Raniel?”
“I’m going to laze around too.”
“What?! You scold me for saying that, but you’re doing the exact same thing!”
I mean, after finishing exams, getting caught up in a terrorist attack, and everything else, I’m just exhausted.
[Master? Are you saying you’re going to laze around?]
‘Yeah, that’s the plan.’
[Th-that can’t be! Where’s the real Master?! My Master would never do something as inefficient as lounging around!]
What the heck? What’s it going on about now?
[Once a person becomes idle, it’s the beginning of the end!]
‘Shut it. The only ones allowed to nag me are those funding my research.’
[Hmph! Master has become lazy! But… even so, I still love you, Master.]
‘If you love me, then leave me alone and let me relax!’
I walked through the streets of Leventhesia, once again exchanging useless banter with my AI.
“The air’s nice here,” I commented.
“Well, it’s the countryside,” Linia replied.
Leventhesia’s territory has a city-like center, but as soon as you step out of it, endless green mountains and fields stretch as far as the eye can see.
The air is clean, the water’s fresh, and the scenery is picturesque. That’s Leventhesia for you.
As we walked through the village center toward the estate, a massive castle came into view in the distance.
It was the ancient stronghold of the Leventhesia family, used long before the current mansion—now outfitted with modern magical engineering—was built.
In terms of size, it’s not bad, but it’s an incredibly old structure, with both the exterior and interior practically stuck in the medieval era.
No bidet, no hot water—heck, it doesn’t even have a proper shower.
[So, it’s a relic of the past?]
Pretty much. That’s why we abandoned it.
[What a waste. If it existed on Earth, it would’ve become a famous tourist attraction.]
I guess it could be used as a tourist site here too, but the investment required wouldn’t yield much of a return.
Setting aside those idle thoughts, I passed by the old castle and arrived at the familiar Leventhesia family mansion.
At the entrance, my family stood waiting to greet us.
My mother, father, and Tania, my older sister, were all there—but wait, where’s Raniel?
As soon as my mother saw us, she spread her arms wide to welcome us warmly.
“Raniel, Linia, you’ve both been through so much. You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
She pulled both of us into a tight embrace.
“No, everything’s fine,” I said.
Well, apart from that little train terrorist incident—but there’s no need to mention that right now.
“We’re back, Madam. With me by the young master’s side, do you think anything could’ve possibly gone wrong?” Linia chimed in confidently.
“I feel so reassured knowing you were with him, Linia. Thank you for always taking good care of our Raniel.”
My mother smiled as she patted Linia on the shoulder.
Sure, my mother can say that, but Linia, you shameless brat! Taking care of me? Please! Do you have any idea how hard I worked to keep your empty-headed self in one piece?
After exchanging greetings with my mother and the rest of the family, I finally retreated to my room.
The room was spotless, thanks to Tanya's diligent care, even though I had been away for quite a while.
"Alright, time to kick back and relax."
With every intention of lazing around, I flopped onto the bed.
But moments later—
"Get your butt to the training grounds with that hunk of junk on!"
My father barged into the room, shattering my plans for relaxation.
"Why?!"
"If you wear that scrap, you can learn our family's swordsmanship even without aura! No more excuses!"
"...Fair point."
It was a pretty logical argument. But I had absolutely no intention of wasting valuable operating time on pointless training.
"Oh, right, I left a task at the auction house."
"Don't you dare try to slip away!"
Despite my father’s scolding as I tried to edge out of the conversation, he didn’t stop me.
"Tsk, useless brat!"
Leaving my father clicking his tongue behind me, I made my way out of the mansion.
"Guess lounging around at home is out of the question."
[It suits you better not to be lazy, Master!]
"Whose side are you on?"
[Always yours, of course!]
Yeah, sure.
Having left the house with nothing in particular to do, I wandered out into the streets.
* * *
The streets were familiar and comforting after all the time I’d spent here, even with the allure of city life.
But something strange and oddly familiar caught my eye in the town square.
A black, damaged, rusted hunk of metal stood there.
[Master, that’s me! That’s me over there!]
It was a statue, a sculpture of the prototype, placed right in the middle of town.
Who thought it was a good idea to make such a monstrosity and stick it in the town square?!
[A monstrosity? Even in my current state, I’m still quite the looker once I’m repaired!]
Was the word "beauty" supposed to mean something terrifying enough to make kids wet themselves at night?
[You designed me with all your preferences in mind, Master. If that’s not beauty, then what is?!]
I *did* put a lot of my tastes into it. The prototype was certainly made to look like it could shred through monsters and anything else in its path.
Still, the craftsmanship on the statue was impressive. The high-mass blade slicing through goblins was rendered with vivid detail, showing the work of a skilled artisan.
"The Savior of Leventhesia, The Black Armored Warrior"
The name of the sculpture was boldly engraved at the base.
"The Black Armored Warrior, huh..."
“It’s not a warrior.”
Someone responded to my muttering.
Looking around, I couldn’t see anyone at eye level, so I glanced down to see a silver-haired little girl staring up at the prototype statue.
“That’s not a warrior, you see. It’s a creation of magical engineering.”
“…What?”
“Here, look at this footage. At first glance, it seems like the skilled swordsmanship of a warrior. But see this form of energy? There isn’t a single known type of aura that matches this!”
The silver-haired girl held up a tablet, replaying a video as she passionately explained.
I wasn’t particularly interested in her theory and was ready to brush it off when...
Passersby, hearing the commotion, began to gather, curious about what was going on.
“Excuse me, young lady. I couldn’t help but overhear something peculiar. What exactly are you saying?”
“How many times must I repeat myself? I’m saying that it’s not a warrior, but rather a creation of magical engineering—”
“So, you’re claiming that our village’s savior, who saved all of our lives, is a fraud?”
“….”
Sensing danger, I instinctively started to edge away from her, silently screaming, *I don’t know her! We’re absolutely not together!*
"Well, it seems there's some misunderstanding. What I was trying to say was..."
"So, you're saying our savior isn't human?"
"According to my analysis..."
At the villager's words, the little girl shrank back in fear. It didn't even seem like they were trying to threaten her, but judging by how she was reacting, she had quite a timid nature.
"Villagers! Listen here! I can’t believe this! Some outsider is calling our savior in the black armor a fake!"
"What?"
"Is that true?!"
"Someone's insulting the savior of our Leventesia?!"
The villagers began to gather in a crowd.
"Hey, little lady, watch what you say!"
"Is it true? Did you really insult the savior of Leventesia?"
"N-no! I didn't mean it like that... G-grandpa! Grandpa, where are you?"
I had no idea who she was so desperately looking for, but it seemed he wasn’t anywhere nearby.
Desperately glancing around for help, her gaze finally landed on me.
"You there! The boy over there!"
"Huh? Me?"
"Yes! You! The boy over there! Yes, you!"
At her desperate shout, the crowd surrounding her turned their attention toward me as well. They began stepping back a little, giving me curious looks.
"Raniel, the young master? Weren't you off to the academy? When did you get back?"
"It's Raniel! Bro!"
"Young master, how was your exam? Well, you're not much for physical stuff, but you've got brains, so you must’ve done fine."
"Wait a second. Do you know this girl, young master?"
Taking advantage of the villagers’ sudden focus on me, the silver-haired girl scurried over to me.
Hiding behind me, she tugged on my sleeve with an imploring look and whispered desperately.
"Please help me. Just say you know me and help me out here!"
"For free?"
"What do you want?"
"Money!"
Honestly, it wasn’t like this was some big dangerous situation where I had to help, and those innocent villagers probably weren’t planning to harm her in the first place.
Still, if someone asks for help, it's only right to extort a fee in return!
The girl nodded frantically, and with that, the deal was sealed.
I gave a sly grin and addressed the villagers.
"Alright, alright, everyone. Seems like there’s been some misunderstanding. This girl is a guest of our family, so let’s clear up any confusion here. I’ll take her with me."
"Raniel! Tell us about the capital later!"
"Did you pass the exam, young master?"
"I’ll tell you all about it next time. For now, I have to take care of my guest."
Quickly scooping up the girl, I made my way out of the scene.
"Young master! Stop by the shop later!"
"Bro! Tell us about the Empire’s capital sometime!"
It was nice to feel so welcomed in my hometown, but I had other matters to deal with now. Leading the silver-haired girl, who was tagging along behind me, we headed to a quieter spot.
---
Once we were away from the crowd, the silver-haired girl finally relaxed a bit and asked,
"So, you’re Raniel Leventesia?"
"That’s me. Do I know you?"
"I’ve heard the rumors about you. They say there’s a skilled artisan in Leventesia."
Well, even though Leventesia is a small town, the goods sold at our auction house do occasionally make their way to the capital, so it wouldn’t be strange for someone interested in magical engineering to have heard my name.
But... I always used an alias at the auction house.
So even in this world, personal information leaks are a thing, huh? I’ll have to be more careful in the future.
“Oh, by the way, I go by El.”
The kid who introduced herself as El looked every bit like she came from a noble family. Still, the fact that she didn’t mention her family name likely meant she didn’t want to. Well, if she’s not keen on revealing her identity, my best course of action is to take the money and disappear as quickly as possible.
“How about we settle up on the payment we discussed earlier?”
“Very well. Here you go.”
*Jingle.*
The kid placed a coin pouch into my outstretched hand without hesitation. Isn’t this a bit much? Not that I was going to say it out loud. If someone’s giving, you take.
*Jingle.*
*Jingle.*
*Jingle.*
Wait, why does she keep handing me more? Even I’m starting to feel uncomfortable.
“Isn’t this a bit excessive?”
“The value of my life isn’t small, you see. Also, I’d like to hire you as a guide around here.”
“I’m busy, so…”
*Jingle.*
“Are you trying to bribe me…?”
*Jingle.*
“…Fine. When it comes to this region, there’s no one more knowledgeable than me. It’s a sensible decision.”
The sheer amount of money left no room for refusal.
“I thought as much. You seem to have quite the reputation with the locals,” El said with a calm expression, far too composed for her age, as she placed a few more coin pouches into my hands.
A glance revealed all of it was gold coins.
Good grief, how much is this all worth?
[Master, your mouth is starting to curl up into a smile.]
‘Wouldn’t yours?’
[Money doesn’t interest me as much as parts do.]
‘I plan to use this money to buy your parts.’
[Now that’s fantastic news!]
Fair enough. Preferences differ, and I can’t argue with that.
It seems I just really like money. For now, I schooled my expression and discreetly slipped the coin pouches into the dimensional storage.
“You said your name was El, right? Judging by your demeanor, you seem like a noble, so I’m guessing there’s no need to be overly formal since you didn’t bother with your family name?”
“Correct. We’re the same age anyway, and we’ll likely see each other at the academy, so you may address me casually.”
“The academy? I don’t recall seeing you at the entrance exam.”
“There’s a system for early admission, you see.”
Ah, early admission.
[Like those who get into universities on early decision back on Earth?]
‘Pretty much. Though in this case, you’d need a certain status instead of taking a test.’
At any rate, this El seemed far from an ordinary noble’s child. Still, I had no intention of extending unnecessary courtesies she didn’t want.
“Well, since I’ve been paid, I’ll do my job. You mentioned wanting a guide earlier—where exactly do you want to go?”
“Hmm. Rather than going somewhere, it’s more about finding someone.”
Makes sense. There’s nothing interesting to sightsee in this small, dull territory.
“Are you looking for someone specific?”
“That statue we saw in the plaza earlier—of the black armor. I want you to track down its creator.”
Not exactly your typical sightseeing request.
The creator of the black armor?
That’s me.
[Piece of cake, then, since it’s you.]
True. But still—
“I don’t have any idea who that might be.”
“Really? That’s disappointing. I thought you, of all people, would know.”
“I don’t know what gave you that idea, but if I say I don’t know, I don’t know.”
This kid—
Though she looks like just another child, I could feel the aura of a high-ranking noble. On top of that, she seemed to have a solid understanding of magical engineering.
That kind of person coming all the way to the countryside just to look for a magitech engineer?
"This is 100% going to drag me into some kind of trouble."
[As expected, the world wouldn’t just leave a genius like Master alone!]
Shut up.
Right now, I need to quietly focus on gathering research funds and finishing your repairs first!
If some crazed high-ranking officer were to lose his mind and kidnap me, mass-produce prototypes, and start a world war, that would be a disaster.
Until I fully complete the repairs on this prototype and ensure my own safety, I can't afford to reveal its existence openly.
Of course, I highly doubt there's another person besides me capable of creating a top-tier powered suit like this prototype, but you never know. I should at least take some precautions.
"You there, why aren't you saying anything?"
"Oh, just thinking about something."
"So you do have an idea!"
"No, I just have no clue where to even start looking."
I paused for a moment, organizing my thoughts.
Then, I recalled the situation from earlier when the kid was surrounded by people.
Good. In times like this, acting shamelessly is the best course of action.
"I'm telling you, that black armor you're talking about isn't some magitech creation—it's the savior who protected the village."
"Hmm."
The kid, who had been on the verge of tears earlier, now gave me a sly smile.
Did he figure something out?
"Well, anyway, I actually wanted to search the Leventhesia estate first, but since the heir himself claims to know nothing, I suppose we'll have to start elsewhere. Do you have any suggestions?"
"How about the old castle? If someone were to hide something, the sheer size of the place makes it a perfect choice."
"Hmm, that's a solid suggestion. I'll go with your idea."
That castle is ridiculously large—searching it will take at least a full day or two.
If I keep him running in circles there, he'll probably exhaust himself and give up soon enough.
A small tavern in Leventhesia.
During the day, it served food, and at night, it sold alcohol. Now, as evening approached, it was time to prepare for business.
However, the tavern owner had already placed a sign outside that read: "Closed for today."
Then, pulling a small cart, he quietly moved through the back alleys of the village.
"……"
"……"
He moved discreetly, staying out of sight.
Yet, in various corners of the village, people cast meaningful glances in his direction.
One among them muttered under his breath.
"So, it's that day already."
At his words, a jittery-looking man beside him let out a chuckle.
"Keh-heh-heh! Time sure flies, huh?"
"Some may have forgotten. We should spread the word."
"Of course! We've been waiting for this night—how could we just let it pass? Hee-hee-hee."
The man’s eerie laughter was met with a cold response from another, a short-bearded man.
"Keep your laughter to yourself. You should know how crucial secrecy and security are for this."
"…I'll be careful."
After finishing their conversation, the two men split up, scattering small notes across Leventhesia.
"Tonight, we go to the ‘castle.’"
Each person who received the note read it, then immediately burned it in secret.
All of them donned robes or hoods to conceal themselves before vanishing into the shadows.
And just like the tavern owner before them, they walked quietly through the deserted backstreets of the village.
As if embarking on a pilgrimage.
Thus, an unknown event began to unfold in Leventhesia.
