CHAPTER TWO Kawaii Culture Protocol Awkward. Actually, awkward wasn’t even the half of it. Why?! What are these three doing here?! Hizuki was sitting down at the maid café where she worked, head down and gripping her skirt. I just told him to stay away from me! She kept her head down, turning only her eyes upward to look at her customers. Takahashi was sitting beside her, gaze flitting between the menu and Hizuki. Across from Takahashi was Machina, fidgeting. And across from Hizuki was Veltol, leaning back haughtily. “By the way, Hijiki.” “Hizuki! And what is wrong with you guys, seriously…?” “Oh-ho, are you sure you should be talking to us like that? We are not fellow students right now, but your customers… Nay, your masters. You shouldn’t be treating us as classmates. In this café, we are lord and servant.” “Rrgh…!” She had no defense. It didn’t matter that they were classmates; here, they were her masters, and she had to follow through. They’d even summoned her through the special-request system, paying an extra fee to have their chosen maid stay at the table for personal service. “I-I’ll have you know I’m quite popular here! Most times, you can’t even request me. You just got lucky…!” She puffed up in a desperate show of pride. “Makes sense. You’re real cute,” Takahashi said. “I would request you all the time,” Machina added. “Bwuh? Sheesh… You guys took me seriously…” Hizuki looked away, embarrassed. “Anyway, what can I get for you…Masters?” “Yes, let’s see… I’ll have that.” Veltol pointed at a group in one corner of the café. “Tasty, yummy, just for you! Moé, moé, kyun!” “Mmm… Ms. Mananan’s moé-kyun omelets just hit different… Now this is what maids are all about…” “You honestly can’t have a maid café without moé-kyun omelets…” “So true… And these maids are triple than normal… Oh, did you catch that reference, Ms. Mananan? Triple than normal is from this classic robot anime…” Veltol was pointing at a tall ogre maid chanting a mysterious spell as she wrote something with synthetic ketchup on an omelet. Her orc customers with visor-type artificial eyes watched, captivated. “Ah! Huh?! Oh… U-um…,” Hizuki stammered. “Hrm… I guess that’s a no…,” Veltol said, disappointed. She absolutely could do it. Hizuki had been working there for three years, so actually, she was confident she was more capable than any other maid at the café. However. Still… Doing it for acquaintances is a whole different deal! “You don’t have to force yourself…,” Machina said to help calm her down, but it only added fuel to the fire. “I’ll—!” “Huh?” “I’ll do it. I’ll show you how a real maid does things.” She pulled all her brain’s resources to switch to perfect-maid mode. “Oh-ho, now she’s serious,” Veltol said. “She’s going to do that move,” Machina commented. “Does this sound like battle dialogue to anyone else?” Takahashi said. The trio’s banter didn’t reach Hizuki’s ears. Her mind was in complete focus. She had to deal with this robotically, but softly. Emptying her head of worldly thoughts and reaching a maid-Zen state was fundamental for customer service. Their food arrived a couple minutes later: three sodas, a serving of pancakes, a parfait, and an omelet. “Here I gooo!” Hizuki said in the cutesiest voice she could muster, smiling broadly as she grabbed the ketchup bottle. Not an ounce of embarrassment. Her mind was steel, laser-focused on doing her job. “Tasty, yummy, just for you! Tasty, yummy, just for you!” She did a little dance as she sprinkled the omelet with the stuff of dreams. This was peak maid. The traditional CKAMS: Classic Kawaii Akiba Maid Style. It was the first skill a senior maid taught Hizuki when she was first hired. Unfortunately, the aforementioned maid was a no-show the following week and then quit. “Moé, moé, kyun! There we go! Enjoy your meal!” She had drawn Veltol’s face and written Lord Veltol next to it along with a heart symbol. Hizuki felt she’d done an exceptionally good job this time. “Oh my! Hizuki sure is deft,” Machina said. “W-wow… Now that’s craftsmanship…” “Marvelous. It is a work of art. Easily on the level of the works of Leo Velbadore.” “Yes, yes, now pleeease dig in already, Maaaster!” Hizuki urged, a vein in her temple visibly throbbing. “Almost seems a waste to eat it.” Veltol grabbed a spoon and took a bite of the omelet. Hizuki gulped as she waited for a reaction. “…Mm, delicious!” Veltol gleefully tucked into his meal. Hizuki was relieved. Wait, what the heck?! Why am I acting like a real maid?! “Heh, see now, Velly? This is one of those dreams I was talking about.” “So this is what dreams taste like…” “Oh! Th-then I’ll make you one at home, Lord Veltol. M-moé, moé, kyun!” Machina exclaimed. “No, that’s quite all right.” “H-huh…?!” With that, he finished the food. “That was scrumptious. You have my praise.” “Thank you very much! I’m sooo glad!” Hizuki said in a saccharine tone. “Mm…you can go back to acting normally.” Hizuki swiftly looked around. They were at the café’s innermost table, and the customers who had been near had since left. “Phew. It’s been a while since I went all out… Geez…” No longer in maid mode, Hizuki plopped down on her seat, crossed her legs, and grabbed the glass of synthetic orange juice in front of Takahashi. She inhaled the entire contents through the straw. “Hey, that’s mine!” Takahashi whined. “Hmph!” Hizuki snorted before slamming the glass on the table. Not a trace of her maidly attitude was left. She had no use putting airs in front of them anymore. “So what are you guys doing here?” she asked. “Ummm, well, we’re investigating something…,” Machina answered. “Investigating what?” “None of your business,” said Takahashi. “Anywho, we never expected you’d be working here. I didn’t even know your school let students work part-time jobs. Mine doesn’t, not that it makes much difference to me.” “Actually…the school forbids working over here in Electric Town. I’m doing it in secret, under a fake name and record, too. I can’t work in Magic Town due to, well, other reasons, as you might guess.” Hizuki considered lying, but she decided to tell the truth. It was no use anyway—they could easily find out if she was being honest. “I see…,” said Veltol. “…What, you’re gonna rat me out?” She was keeping a cool front, but internally, she was sweating bullets. This maid job was barely keeping her afloat; she couldn’t afford to quit. “Such trifling matters don’t bother me in the slightest.” “Oh, that so?” Hizuki felt relieved. “Moreover, there is something I want to ask you, Hizuki Reynard-Yamada. You are the current head of the Reynard clan, correct?” Hizuki hesitated for a moment. “…So you knew.” “I simply heard that buffoon mention it during lunch. So do you know of the regalia?” “The regalia…” “I need it.” “…Why?” Veltol replied calmly, directly, frankly: “To take over the world.” He showed no hesitation. His voice was strong, enough so to not make her dismiss the statement as a mere joke. She felt the same aura that she had sensed during the duel earlier. “What? Are you all right in the head?” “Very much so. I am serious. Akihabara is but a stepping-stone on my way to world domination. I want to gather the regalia to open the School of Magic’s underground treasury and verify its contents.” “That won’t be happening, unfortunately.” “Because you lost the regalia?” “You knew about that, too……” “Yes, Tratte told me.” “Oh. Yes, the Reynards lost their regalia, and that brought about my house’s downfall. Now I’m just a deadbeat student, part of the Three Great Houses in name only. I don’t have the power of one, not without my house’s royal symbol.” “Question for you!” Takahashi raised her hand. “Did you have to interrupt the conversation, though?” Hizuki asked. “So what’s this whole regalia thing anyway?” “…You don’t even know that much, and you still want it?” “I’m just along for the ride! I don’t actually want the regalia myself.” Along for the ride? As in, an exchange program? Hizuki had questions of her own, but she decided to answer Takahashi’s. The girl’s friendly, laid-back demeanor loosened her lips. “Basically, it’s a symbol of sovereign authority. Proof of the owner’s kingship.” “Ooh, so that’s whatcha mean.” “That’s it.” Hizuki thought back to what her parents had told her long ago. “I’m sorry.” She always heard that voice whenever she looked into her memories. “Five hundred years ago, when the Hero Gram defeated the Demon Lord at the end of the Immortal War, the goddess Meldia bestowed him with the regalia, the territory of Lu Xel—present-day Akihabara—a wealth of treasures, and a blessing,” Hizuki said. “That’s the beginning of Lu Xel and the regalia.” “Lu Xel… Translated literally, it means brave one, and so it came to mean hero. Meldia must have chosen the name. Sounds like something that happened after I lost to Gram.” “You’re right,” said Machina. “Back then, we were enemies to many nations, and after our defeat, they began fighting among themselves. I don’t recall the particulars, but I do remember that much.” “’Nother question! Is this Meldia the one I’m thinking of?” Takahashi asked. “Indeed… One of the Six Great Gods, the goddess of joy and misfortune.” There was disgust in Veltol’s tone. “Pure yet lustful, serene yet delirious, fickle yet possessive. Capable of ruining an entire nation out of jealousy but expects everyone to adore her, she uses her godly powers to bring about a fated encounter with her target, then destroys those who threaten her love for them. Easily provoked and difficult to mollify, Meldia is undoubtedly the most tyrannical romantic in all Alnaethian mythology.” “Sounds sorta typical of mythological gods, but…seriously?” Takahashi said. She was also the one responsible for granting eternal youth to the Hero Gram after the Demon Lord’s defeat, but Veltol didn’t state that. “Moving on,” Hizuki said. “After receiving the goddess’s gifts, the Hero Gram’s fate was just as the epic poems say: The famously foolish king Araquel III exiled him, and he disappeared.” Machina noticed Veltol’s expression stiffen as Hizuki talked about Gram. “Before absconding, Gram gave the regalia to someone. This person governed Lu Xel while Gram was fighting in the Ohm Kingdom’s Unification War,” Hizuki went on. “That was the ancestor of the Three Great Houses. He was a magnificent ruler of Lu Xel in Gram’s stead…but his three heirs weren’t as talented. He gave each of them one of the regalia and directed them to collaborate and rule the land… That’s how the legend goes.” “So they joined hands and lived happily ever after?” Takahashi asked. “If only…,” Machina commented. “They didn’t. They couldn’t possibly share that fortune and power diplomatically. Not only did they not cooperate, but the three factions were also literally at one another’s throats,” said Hizuki. “That eventually led to the creation of the Three Houses and a parliamentary system to manage Lu Xel, which was the mold for present-day Akihabara. The rivalry’s still there, but the current generation gets along relatively okay.” Hizuki regretted saying so much. She didn’t usually get the chance to speak with people her age, and these three were somehow easy to talk to, so she unconsciously got really into it. “Hmmm… So that is why Tratte said the seal hadn’t been broken for five hundred years. An utterly nonsensical reason, but I suppose this is expected to happen when money and power are involved,” said Veltol. “Thanks for the deets! You’re so nice, Hizuki. Attagirl.” Takahashi beamed and rubbed shoulders with Hizuki, who instantly blushed. “Hey… Keep your distance!” She looked away, unused to so much physical contact. Then she cleared her throat and straightened her back. “We kind of went off on a tangent there, so let’s get back on topic. I don’t have the regalia, and I don’t know where it is. There’s no use asking me for it.” “Yes, we know. What I want to ask of you is something different.” Veltol recrossed his legs and stared right into her eyes. “I want you to get us in contact with Korneah Seburd, head of the Seburd clan.” “Mmm… I guess that’s not totally impossible. Good thing you asked me instead of Principal Tratte. The Götels and the Seburds are kind of rivals, being leaders of the west and eastern sides of the city and all. Korneah’s more likely to listen to me.” “Then…,” Veltol began. A cute tummy growl interrupted him. “…Hizuki, you hungry? Wanna order something?” Takahashi asked, grinning. “Agh! Shut it! Okay, fine, I don’t like being in your debt, so I’ll help you out! But on one condition!” The whole debt thing was very clearly an excuse to divert the topic. Her real reason to help out was quite simple: She liked being around them. Though she would never dare say it, Hizuki felt like they could turn out to be friends. “Treat me to a meal right now.” “It’s not Akihabara without some good meat!” Hizuki slammed down her third beef bowl. “You have quite the appetite, Hizuki…,” Machina commented. The group had moved to the restaurant area in the second level. Hizuki had already changed into her school uniform and called Korneah Seburd, and they were now killing time until they met with him. “Man, it’s pretty awesome that you managed to snag a meeting with the head honcho of Electric Town on such short notice,” Takahashi said. “There’s nothing particularly awesome about it,” Hizuki replied. The four of them were in one atrium-esque corner of the cramped building. The simple tables were made of scrap materials while the chairs were just upside-down bottle crates. Surrounding the seating area were food stalls. This was, in essence, a food court. The main offerings were meat—beef bowls, kebab, gyoza, kushiyaki. Some stalls sold noodles and bread, too. “It’s no wonder they call this area beef town. The meat industry is clearly booming here. Also, this yogurt sauce is so good,” Machina said while munching on her kebab. “Cultivating genetically modified pork and chicken is expensive, but GM beef’s actually cheaper than the real thing,” Takahashi noted. “Securing land for livestock must be difficult these days, hence the strides in developing lab-grown meat and meat substitutes made from soy,” Veltol said as he reached for his third beef-cutlet sandwich. “Yeah, ’cause there’s still demand for pork and chicken, if you’re willing to overlook the cost.” “What are you eating, Takahashi?” Machina asked. “Pork liver.” “…Raw?” “Yeah, no need to worry about food poisoning! Wanna try?” “No, thank you…” Modern alchemic engineering made it possible to cultivate genetically modified pork cells suitable for raw consumption, without any worry of parasites or infectious disease. Nonetheless, Machina was under the impression that not even immortals should eat raw pork. She couldn’t bring herself to do it, despite knowing it was safe. “This is leagues better than the synthetic meat in Shinjuku,” said Veltol. “They’re both artificial, but for some reason, they taste so different.” The food court was packed—they were lucky to have found an empty table. “What meat do you have there, Hizuki? Skewered beef?” Machina asked. “This? Dragon kushiyaki,” Hizuki replied. “…Dragon?” Veltol muttered. “Dragon…?” Machina repeated. They looked at her with slight disgust as she stuffed her cheeks full of dragon meat. “Huh? Why are you looking at me like that…? What’d I do?” “It’s just, well…we happen to know a dragon…,” Veltol responded. “Hence why we’re a touch put off…” “Wait, what?” Hizuki didn’t know their true identities, so she was uncomprehending. Only Takahashi was nodding in understanding. “Ohhh, Sihlwald, the Black Dragon…” “Indeed… I don’t want to eat my vassal’s brethren.” “That’s great and all, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it,” Hizuki said while taking some pieces off the skewer, then she held them out to Veltol and Machina. “Heh. You say you want to take over the world, but you’re too scared to eat dragon meat?” “Rrgh… You insolent girl, I’ll show you!” “It’s been a while since anyone spoke to us like that…!” They grabbed a couple of disposable chopsticks from the table and picked up the meat with apprehension. They squeezed their eyes shut, as though they were about to eat something inedible, and took the cultivated meat to their mouths. They chewed, then swallowed, and their expressions softened. “Oh, this is surprisingly good,” Veltol said. “It’s like beef that tastes like chicken. Very nice texture,” Machina added. “Perhaps we should have tried this all those years ago.” “We wouldn’t have run out of meat, either, since Sihlwald is an immortal.” “Machina, Velly, that’s a joke, right? Like, another of your immortal jokes, right? Oh, by the way, Hizuki, gimme your Familia ID. You’ve gotta be wearing yours now that we’re out of school.” “Huh? No way.” “Aw man, ice cold!” “I’m joking, I’m joking. I’ll give it to you.” While this was happening, in another corner of the food court, a group of hooded Magic Town residents were arguing with Electric Town’s magiborg workers. “What’re you scrawny Magic Town bastards looking at?!” “Eh? Don’t try picking a fight. Unless even your head’s full of metal, too? Actually, I guess it would function better that way.” “Don’t think you can get away with actin’ all high-and-mighty, you clown!” The argument started heating up and was about to break into a fistfight. “Oh man, they’re sure having fun over there. Those guys in the robes are from Magic Town, right? They’re like cats and dogs, them and the Electric Town folks. Also…” Takahashi looked around while taking a bite of her skewered chicken covered in lightly seasoned soy sauce and artificial yuzu kosho. “…I’ve kinda been feeling for a while now like we’re being watched.” “Oh, you noticed, too, Takahashi?” Veltol asked. “You didn’t seem worried, so I figured you hadn’t,” Machina added. “Who the hell do you take me for?!” Takahashi was right; they were being watched. The observers weren’t uniform in species, age, or gender, and they did nothing but watch them, but they weren’t friendly glances. “That’s a Magic Town uniform, right? What’s a Magic Town student doing here?” “Hey, check her out. She’s a Reynard…” “Blegh, that opportunist’s daughter. Why’s she here?” “That her entourage or something? Must be nice.” Hizuki could hear the whispering, but she was used to that. She wasn’t welcome, not in Electric Town nor in Magic Town. But that was her problem and no one else’s—she didn’t want the others getting bad-mouthed because of her. She didn’t show the pain on her face, though. “The people here in Electric Town don’t get along with the Magic Town people,” said Hizuki. “You’ve got the Magic Towners walking around in their flashy robes, and then there’s us in our school uniforms… It’s easy to see how arguments break out. There’s even some shops here that don’t allow Magic Towners in. The same happens to Electric Towners over in Magic Town, though.” “I mean, the cultures are pretty different,” said Takahashi. “No wonder there’s friction.” “I wouldn’t go so far as to say Akihabara’s like a powder keg…but the power struggle between the two sides is very real, and it feels like the city’s about to split down the middle.” “Wha—? I didn’t see anything like that when I searched the net, though.” “A lot of information’s restricted on Akihabara’s aethernet these days.” “Oh, right, right. You gotta bypass the filter to access the global aethernet. It’s a pretty common barrier.” Then the arguing groups finally broke out into fists, turning over a nearby table. An uproar ensued. Tableware flew this way and that, while Hizuki very calmly kept taking bites of her beef bowl. “They don’t want rumors spreading, since tourism brings in a lot of money. But lately, a lot of powerful people from both sides have been disappearing or dying under mysterious circumstances. Not that this stuff is anything new…” “Hey, can we have a second? Are you students from Magic Town?” Someone brazenly opened a path from the crowd to speak to them. “What are you kids doing here? Where are your parents? Think you could take a moment to talk with us?” It was a pair of guards, from the Electric Town side of Akihabara’s City Guard. One was an ogre, and the other was a human. They wore black uniforms and black caps, and both of them seemed well-built. “…It’s her,” the human guard said while looking at Hizuki with contempt. The City Guard was a lower branch of the city’s army, so all guards were military personnel. Akihabara’s had unusual circumstances, however. Despite being a single city, Electric Town and Magic Town each had their own Municipal Army and City Guard. Very exceptional and inefficient. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, you guys should be stopping that fight there, not us!” said Takahashi. “You, the blond girl—you’re from the Reynard family, aren’t you? What are you doing in here?” The guards didn’t even glance at Takahashi—fights like this were common enough to ignore her objection. They kept on menacingly approaching them. “Magic Town students shouldn’t be wandering about these parts, you know.” “Yeah, people will report you.” “Uh, u-um… We’re just doing some sightseeing…,” Takahashi stammered, then glanced at Machina, whose eyes were saying, What a bother. Let’s just burn them. As for Veltol, he was still feasting, completely disregarding the situation. They shouldn’t cause problems before meeting Korneah, and Machina knew that, hence why she didn’t actually intend to use force. “Anyway, mind following us over there for a little chat?” The ogre guard tried to grab Hizuki’s arm with his huge hand, but then… “That’s enough. Stop.” …someone standing behind the guards spoke up to help them out. “Such dedicated guards, forcing an interrogation on some students.” She was a full-borg elf, carrying a golden blade at her waist: the principal of Akihabara School of Magic. “Tratte Götel…” The guard leered at her. She was the top dog of Magic Town, and the head of that side’s Municipal Army—no way he didn’t know her. Her mere presence there should have stood out, but everyone’s attention seemed to be on the fight. “We’re only doing our job. It’s none of your business. May I remind you that we still have the authority to arrest even the likes of you in this town?” The ogre guard took a step forward. Tratte looked unfazed, however, her face still as cool as ever. “Did you not hear me? I told you to stop. That wasn’t a request. It’s an order from the top commander of Akihabara’s Municipal Army.” “We are under no obligation to hear orders from a Magic Town member. And even if we were, who’d listen to your crusty old—?” Then a golden glow flashed. The ogre’s cap flew off his head and, in midair, split in two. “Nice clean unsheathe,” Veltol muttered, only Machina and him realizing what had happened. Tratte had sliced the ogre’s cap by unsheathing her sword at lightning speed. She fixed him with a cold, piercing glare. “You were saying?” “Tch… Let’s go.” The guards gave up and left after giving Hizuki one last stare. Finally free, all four turned to look at Tratte. “Sorry about that,” she said once the guards left. “It pains me that out-of-towners like you three had to see the sad state Akihabara currently finds itself in. Magic Town and Electric Town should be joining hands, but the city is far too deep in chaos. At this rate, Akihabara might actually fall apart. I’m doing everything I can to unify the city under our long-lasting traditions…but too many people only look for immediate profit.” Tratte flashed a self-deprecating smile. “Thank you, ma’am,” said Machina. “For real, you saved our bacon. I was scared Machina might go berserk…” Hizuki stood up and approached Tratte. “Good evening, Principal Tratte.” “Good evening, Ms. Reynard. So what are you all doing here?” “We figured we ought to do a little sightseeing while we’re here, and so we asked Hizuki to show us around,” answered Veltol, the only one who’d kept on eating during the entire encounter. “Oh my, is that so? Good for you, Ms. Reynard. Glad to see you have new friends,” Tratte said, putting a hand on her cheek. “W-we’re not friends!” a flustered Hizuki objected. “Hey, Takahashi—Hijiki’s acting the same way Machina did with you,” Veltol whispered. “Some folks just aren’t honest with their feelings.” “What are you two whispering about?” Machina asked dubiously. “Ms. Reynard here tends to isolate herself too much,” said Tratte. “Please be good to her, okay?” “Please, Principal Tratte, quit it already,” Hizuki begged. They seemed somewhat close, like aunt and niece. “I’m always telling you not to wander around Electric Town in uniform, Ms. Reynard. This place is dangerous for Magic Town students. We were lucky those guards were understanding, but not everyone will be like that.” “I know, I know. And what are you doing here, Principal Tratte?” “I’m meeting Mag. She wanted some help with swapping out borg parts, and our clinic is near here. Have any of you seen her around? I can’t get a hold of her…” “Mag? Ohhh, you mean Santa!” said Veltol. “No, I haven’t seen her.” “Nor have I.” “Me neither.” “Hmm…I see.” Then someone from a nearby stall hollered, “Get your fried cockatrice, fresh!” Veltol’s eyes twinkled when he heard that. “Heh… It seems a new challenger has appeared!” “Oh, you’re going?” Takahashi asked. “I’m coming, too!” Machina exclaimed. The three of them hurried to the stall. Tratte watched them go with a smile. “They better buy some for me, too…” Hizuki tried somewhat belatedly to follow, but Tratte stopped her. “Hizuki, can you come with me? It’ll only take a second.” Tratte and Hizuki headed to a magiroid shop, in front of the stairway near the food-court tables. This was no regular store; it catered to customers in search of special operations not intended by the manufacturer. They turned their back to the garish pink aether neon sign, and Tratte looked around to make sure no one was listening before speaking. “Sorry, Hizuki. It’s just that they probably shouldn’t be hearing this…” Her voice was tender and rife with concern. Full-borgs lacked natural vocal cords and thus spoke through a synthetic voice processor, but Tratte’s perfectly captured her emotions. “I didn’t mean to ruin the fun you were having with your new friends.” “I told you, we’re not friends. Anyway, what’s this all about?” “Have you considered my offer?” “Uh…what offer?” Hizuki scratched her cheek awkwardly. “Don’t play dumb… About me adopting you. I’m ready whenever you are.” “Oh, that… Honestly, you shouldn’t, given your standing in the Three Great Houses. The other nobles will turn on you if you take me in.” “Don’t worry about me. I’ll change their minds, you’ll see. I just want you to be happy.” Hizuki knew full well that Tratte was doing this out of genuine concern for her, without any hidden intentions, and that was what pained her so much. She struggled to trust love from other people. “I can’t get rid of my name… I have to protect House Reynard. That’s my duty… And I owe it to my parents, too…” “Hizuki…” Tratte cut herself off, shaking her head. “I get it. But please remember I have always been on your side, ever since you were born. I was close friends with your mother, I can’t just abandon you.” “Thank you for everything, Ms. Tratte, but I’ll be fine.” Tratte smiled sadly. “I have to go, then. Have fun with the exchange students.” “Yeah.” “Friends will bring you strength.” Tratte turned around and left. “I’m sorry.” She heard the voice. “Wait, Ms. Tratte!” She got a bad feeling and called out to her. “What is it?” “U-um…nothing. See you tomorrow.” “Very well. See you tomorrow.” Hizuki convinced herself it was just her imagination and let Tratte go. However, the bad feeling inside her didn’t disappear. Then her Familia notified her it was almost time to meet Korneah Seburd. Veltol was at the top level of Electric Town, along with Hizuki. Their meeting time with Korneah Seburd was drawing near. Akihabara Electric Town was divided into four levels: The bottom had all the factories; the second had various electronics, both old and new; and the third was relatively safe, although not as much as the top level, which was a medley of the corporate head offices. Having clear level divides in this chaotic aggregation of structures was impossible, though. The distinction was merely something residents unofficially came up with. The highest level had the largest buildings of all, and built atop their roofs were giant mansions. The Seburd Company’s offices were also Korneah’s home. His mansion had a big garden, and Veltol and Hizuki were standing in front of the large gate to it. They had decided there was no point in having the entire group visit, so Machina and Takahashi were elsewhere killing time. “Thank you for waiting,” a voice said as the gate opened. Three people greeted Veltol and Hizuki on the other side. An elven man, bespectacled with an intellectual appearance, bowed his head. Behind him were two high-powered full-borg orcs clad in black suits and wearing sunglasses. Their borg bodies were naked, with the intention of appearing more imposing as guards, Veltol assumed. “It’s been a while, Lady Reynard.” “Long time no see, Mr. Meral.” “Hizuki, who is this man?” Meral kept his smile despite Veltol’s rude tone. “Pardon me. I am Korneah’s assistant. My name is Meral. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” “I’m Veltol. Very nice mansion you have here. Your master has exquisite taste.” “Thank you very much. Forgive the discourtesy, but we’ll be performing a pat down before your meeting with Korneah for security purposes.” Hizuki raised her arms, and Veltol did the same. The men in black felt them around in search for any weapons. Once they were clear, Meral held a white tray up to them. “Apologies; this, too, is part of the rules.” “It’s fine,” said Hizuki. “I understand.” “Thank you. Please leave your Familias and other electronic devices here.” Hizuki took her metallic-pink device off her nape and placed it on the tray. Veltol had no Familia, so he took his PDA out from his pocket. “Please follow me.” They walked through the garden, through a luxurious door, and entered the mansion. It was completely quiet inside and utterly magnificent. Meral stopped before an automatic door at the end of the long hallway decorated with paintings. The door was made of black adamant, far too solemn to fit in the otherwise exquisite mansion. It stood out like a sore thumb. Beyond the door was a white room, where they underwent further inspection inside a machine. The automatic door at the other side opened once they were finished, letting them into the drawing room. “I will go fetch Korneah. Please take a seat and wait for us here,” Meral said after entering through a door connected to the inspection room, then went into a room farther within. The drawing-room interior was very reminiscent of a hostess club. Pink aether neon dimly illuminated the room, and there were two black, fake dragon-leather sofas facing each other, with a low lanon-mythril crystal table in the middle. On the table was an ashtray, an ice pail, a bottle of whiskey, and cups. The shelves were also lined up with a variety of drinks, and between all that was a single book, clearly standing out. Physical books were rare in this era. Veltol read the title out loud: “Joy and Hunger…by Korneah Seburd.” The sticker on the cover read The first step to happiness: Fill your belly. Veltol nodded repeatedly. “Indeed. Anyway…rather strict security measures Korneah has here.” Veltol sat down on the sofa, letting himself sink into the cushion. “You went through this sort of thing when you visited the principal’s office, didn’t you? It’s the same deal. The office won’t open unless it detects the principal’s mana. It also has the other two Great Houses leaders’ mana patterns registered. That way, the system can make sure it’s not an elaborate disguise.” “Tratte is a full-borg, though. Couldn’t someone trick the system using the same type of borg body and engine?” A full-borg’s heart—their mana engine—was also a machine, and mana patterns from these engines were standardized by type. It was not impossible to impersonate someone by copying their face and other parts. “Hers is custom-made, so getting a replica is basically impossible. You might be able to replicate her appearance, but not her mana pattern.” “How very cautious. At any rate, I wasn’t expecting Korneah to answer our call so quickly. I can’t imagine he has much free time on his hands.” “Well, you can thank me for being the head of one of the Three Houses. The other two have always been fond of me.” “Your intimacy with this city’s rulers only makes your isolation at school even more surprising.” “Y-you sure don’t mince words… The younger generations who aren’t very attached to the city wouldn’t feel the same way, but the title still means a lot to the older generations.” “I see. So the adults know their place.” “Yep. The other two heads can’t publicly support me due to their standing, but they’re good to me in secret. Getting them to meet me for a chat is no big deal.” Then came silence. They didn’t talk anymore until the door opened. “Hey, hey, sorry for making you wait.” It was a small-framed man with cylindrical artificial eyes and amber lenses who spoke in a shrill voice. He was about one hundred centimeters tall; his skin was an ashen green, his nose hooked, and ears pointy. He was a goblin. And this goblin was wearing a lot of gold. Golden earrings, a thick golden necklace, golden bracelets too big for his thin wrists, and countless golden rings. The buckle on his belt was also golden, and he wore white slacks and black dress shoes. On the top, he was wearing only a baggy red coat. All his gold reflected the aether neon’s pink light, dazzling the eyes in aggressive, almost toxic manner. He was the head of one of Akihabara’s Three Great Houses: Korneah Seburd. The head of the Seburd Company and de facto ruler of Electric Town. Korneah sat down on the sofa with a thud. Meral stood behind him, and behind Veltol and Hizuki stood one of the full-borgs clad in black. “Now, what a surprise.” Korneah grabbed the tongs from the pail and got some ice for his glass. He poured himself whiskey, gulped it down, then burped. “It’s not every day you come visit, Hizuki.” “Sorry for calling you on such short notice. Thanks for taking the time to meet me, Mr. Korneah.” “Please, I’ve always got time for cute girls like you.” He grinned, showing his gold teeth. “So who’s this fella?” “He’s an exchange student at my—” “I’m Veltol Velvet Velsvalt.” “Veltol… Hmm…” “I was under the impression that the Three Great Houses were all elves. I did not expect you to be a goblin. Or to have such garish taste.” “Hey! What’re you saying?!” Hizuki panicked. It was fairly obvious that any talk of species could be quite delicate. Statements might come across as discriminatory, even if one didn’t intend to. Modern common sense said it was best to be discrete. Common sense was of no matter to Veltol, though. Even if he did possess it, he would still ask any question that came to mind. That was the kind of man he was; he made his own standards. As far as he was concerned, the whole world revolved around him. “Wow, that’s quite the attitude to take with someone you just met.” “Heh. I simply speak my mind, that’s all.” “Y-you little… I’m sorry, Mr. Korneah… He’s kind of weird, as you can see.” “I don’t mind. Lineage doesn’t mean a thing to me. I’m just a humble merchant, through and through. Started from the bottom, scrounging for scraps in the trash and drinking mud, but after a li’l blood, sweat, and tears, I turned out all right. Might not’ve had the best upbringing, but now I can eat my fill, so I’m happy.” He chuckled. “Took care of old man Seburd, who was childless and basically at rock bottom, rebuilt his house, and got ’im to adopt me. I know there ain’t no Lu Xel royalty in my blood.” “So an outsider inherited a noble’s name… I gather you pulled some mischief?” “Ha! Nah, it was all legal. The mischief came later. Anyways, what’s an exchange student doing here? Not every day you bring someone along, Hizuki.” “I am here to talk about the regalia.” “Oh-ho, the regalia?” Korneah snapped his fingers. “You mean this?” A golden crown appeared on his head with a flash. “This is the Seburds’ regalia. The Crown.” “A soul armament…?” Veltol whispered upon seeing the Crown appear without proclamation. A soul armament was a type of tool or weapon forged from one’s soul, manifested using mana. Korneah shook his head in response. “Similar deal, but that ain’t it. It’s not forged from my soul. The regalia were given form through a piece of the goddess Meldia’s divinity. You could say it’s a materialized fragment of her soul, stored in its owner’s soul.” Divinity was a power outside physical and magical law, a god’s power beyond the reach of any technology. “If you wanna classify it somehow, it’d be a type of armament of legend. It’s newer than most, but still, a goddess created this, so that’s mythic level regardless.” “So an external aether-type armament of legend?” “Pretty much. Can’t get rid of the thing unless I give up ownership myself, or if somebody forces me to forfeit it. I could keep it materialized at all times…but crowns ain’t my thing. I usually keep it hidden away.” “So would we take that as, if you give up ownership, it would stay materialized until a new owner shows up? And by someone forcing you to forfeit ownership of that regalia stored in your soul…does that mean I can obtain it by killing you?” Tension filled the air after Veltol’s words. “Y-you’re not serious, are you…?” Hizuki was confused. The full-borg behind him, and Meral, immediately braced themselves. They were ready to attack him at any moment. “Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” Veltol cackled. “I won’t do that here. It was mere jest.” “Seriously… Stop it with the jokes already…” “Bwa-ha-ha! Oh, I’m always serious.” “Seriously insane…” All that tension flew out the window within moments. Then Korneah, the only one who had kept calm and collected besides Veltol, smiled with amusement. “This guy’s a riot.” “I didn’t come here to kill anyone. I simply want to borrow it.” “Okay, I’ll bite. What for?” “There’s a chance something I am looking for is inside the treasury, and I want to check.” “You don’t seem to be after treasure, at least.” “Not at all. My objective is world domination.” That seemed to baffle Korneah, who laughed again. “M-Mr. Korneah, I’m so sorry… I know he’s really weird, but if you could please hear him out…” “Ha! He’s got at least three screws loose, this one. All right, I can tell you’ve got some sorta situation. Hizuki brought you here, so that’s enough for me to trust you. I won’t go digging into it.” He took a natural cigarette out from his breast pocket. “May I?” “Ah, yes, go ahead,” said Hizuki. “It’s your mansion. Do as you please.” “Thanks.” He lit a match, then the cigarette, and let out a puff smoke. Natural tobacco was a high-class luxury item, and smoking it was a status symbol among the top earners. “The city wouldn’t be as messed up if there were more people like you. Akihabara’s bound tight by ancient tradition, barely keeping order, but it’s gonna get left in the dust soon. We gotta get rid of the status quo, dump the traditions, and let the city be born anew…but the Magic Town folks’ve got vested interest. They’re too dense to understand.” Korneah’s statement was the complete opposite of what Tratte had said at the food court, but they were both united in their concern for the city’s future. “Heh, guess the excitement of you bringing in a man’s got my tongue loose. Anyways, about the regalia…doubt it’s gonna do any good even if I lend it to you.” “Because we’re missing the Orb?” said Veltol. “Yeah. Should’ve expected you to know that already.” “Ms. Tratte told him.” “Makes sense.” Korneah exhaled a plume of smoke. “We Three Houses want to open that treasury more than anything. Maybe you’d tell us to just play nice and share what’s inside, but well, there’s a reason it hasn’t been opened yet.” Korneah placed his cigarette on the ashtray before continuing, “I don’t think getting ’em all in one place’ll be enough. Pretty sure what we’ve gotta do is get one person to own all three regalia—to become the true king of this city.”
Chapter 20
35 min read