My third year at the academy has begun.
I had received permission and visited the Seventh Weapon Factory.
I went to check on my beloved machine –.
"What are you guys doing?"
Many were nuzzling or hugging the completed Avido.
Nias, in particular, was clinging to it like a cicada.
Moreover, they didn't even notice me when I called out.
"Avido-chan, you worked so hard. Mommy is so happy."
– It seems the modifications to Avido were quite strenuous.
Nias had broken.
Looking up at Avido, it hadn't changed much from before.
However, the frame and armor were all made of rare metals.
Its performance surpassed that of current models.
– I was satisfied with the catalog specifications.
However –.
"I don't like it."
As I muttered that, Marie, who had spotted me, closed the distance in an instant and knelt.
"W-was there some kind of mistake?"
Is she a ninja?
Well, that's fine.
"I also sent gold bullion. Black armor with silver is nice, but I prefer gold."
Then, Nias turned around.
"Who is it! Who would make this child wear such a gaudy color scheme!"
She declared my taste to be gaudy.
Marie stood up and placed her hand on the hilt of the sword she wore at her back.
Then, the blade part emerged from the hilt.
Storage types seem convenient.
"Nias, you were an excellent engineer. For the merit of completing Avido, I will end it with a single strike."
Nias looked at me and screamed.
"Gyaaaa! Liam-samaaaa!"
Her reaction was like she had seen a ghost.
"Nias, get away from Avido. It will be stained with Liam-sama's blood."
"Stop."
I stopped Marie, who had a cold look in her eyes, from trying to slash Nias.
"Nias, I'll overlook your words for now, in exchange for completing Avido's modifications. Repaint the silver parts of Avido to gold."
Then, Nias's eyes welled up with tears.
"I won't!"
"You!"
Refusing outright is unforgivable.
Marie began to ready her sword, but I decided to hear her out.
"The silver parts are connected to the frame. It's all Mithril. It's the shine of Mithril, which is more valuable than gold! We worked so hard to process it!"
"Still, I like gold! Should I dye all the non-silver parts gold!"
"It's tasteless! You're crazy if you don't appreciate the beauty of Adamantite!"
All the family crests and patterns adorning Avido had turned silver.
I wanted to make them gold, but Nias was opposing me.
– If it were anyone else, they'd be executed immediately!
"If you paint this Mithril, its performance will drop! In numbers, it's a 2% to 5% performance decrease!"
– That much is not a problem.
"Then, repaint it."
"I haven't painted it in the first place! This black is also Adamantite! Ah, Avido is being defiled by tasteless paint."
Nias, hugging Avido, was crying.
Marie looked at me.
"Liam-sama, shall we torture her?"
"This unfortunate girl is my favorite. I'll forgive this much. But – if you dislike it so much, perhaps I'll make you do the painting as punishment."
I made Nias, who was reluctant, paint Avido.
"Waaah, Liam-sama is an idiot!"
It was fun watching Nias paint while crying, but after adjusting Avido, I returned to the academy a few days later.
Liam's absence from the academy.
Rosetta had been summoned by an official who was monitoring her family.
"– You want me to participate in the tournament?"
The officials said this to Rosetta, who looked haggard with dark circles under her eyes.
"It's the academy, after all. Why not participate and make memories?"
"Are you, the daughter of Duke Claudia, perhaps hesitant?"
"The rental fee can be borrowed. I can introduce you to acquaintances who will lend it."
I would just lose miserably anyway.
And the person I would borrow from would likely be a loan shark.
No reputable person would want to be involved with the Claudia family.
"– I understand."
But I couldn't refuse.
Rosetta couldn't endure their persuasion, which was more like prolonged detention.
They would persuade her, sometimes for days, without letting her eat or sleep.
They themselves rotated, so their burden was light.
"As expected of the next Duke! This year, besides Derrick-sama of the Barkley family, there's also Liam, who made a name for himself hunting pirates. It will surely be an enjoyable match."
They added "sama" to Derrick but called Liam by his name – that alone clearly showed their true nature.
They were corrupt officials friendly with pirate nobles.
(They probably want to laugh at me after I get injured in the match.)
The match itself is dangerous.
Sometimes, fatalities occur.
They probably want to make me participate with an outdated model and laugh at me.
Rosetta's spirit was already broken.
(I wish I could find peace in that match.)
Then, the official added a warning.
"Ah, and one more thing. It's better not to have strange dreams. Count Banfield seems to be considering marriage with you, but he'll surely run away once he knows about the debt the ducal family carries. That's right. How about getting Liam's seed instead? You should grovel to Liam, whom you dislike, and get his seed. We can handle that kind of negotiation for you."
To say that after knowing I dislike Liam.
Rosetta had already given up on everything.
"– Do as you please."
Liam wasn't the only one preparing for the tournament.
A pirate battleship was approaching the planet where the academy was located.
Derrick had gathered hundreds of thousands of pirates.
However, they weren't planning to attack Liam with this force.
"Is this all?"
Derrick was irritated, and the pirates looked uneasy.
"A-are you really going to fight Liam, the pirate hunter, Lord Derrick?"
"Even with the high reward, fighting that Liam…"
"Even renowned pirates couldn't lay a hand on him."
To these timid pirates, Derrick snapped his fingers.
The hangar lights turned on, illuminating a new model of Mobile Knight.
The pirates murmured in surprise.
"This is a new model from the First Weapon Factory. I requested it with great effort. I'll use this to kill that Liam."
Derrick's plan was –.
"The academy tournament, but even if I participate, I can only bring in one Mobile Knight. On the day, we'll descend from the atmosphere into the venue and surround Liam to beat him. Don't worry about any interference. The officials monitoring the Claudia family have agreed to help."
For the officials who took pleasure in tormenting the Claudia family, Liam's engagement was unacceptable.
Therefore, they would lend their aid to Derrick.
Derrick was impatient.
Besides the Liam issue, he hadn't recovered that item.
He couldn't even search for it in the Banfield family's territory because the Banfield family's army was in the way.
"If only Liam would disappear – then I too…"
At the academy, unlike before, the students were holed up in the dormitories, appearing fearful.
The students of the second building were the same.
They couldn't go to other buildings and act arrogant.
Because if they met Liam, they would be the ones bullied.
Their ability to act as they pleased was a thing of the past.
Now, they lived in fear of Liam.
"– Make sure you kill Liam. It's not scary to surround and beat one person with a new model, is it?"
He's just a bit stronger.
If you surround and beat him, it's not scary.
Derrick believed this and chewed on his thumbnail.
(That's right. It's okay. Although it looks like a Mobile Knight used by pirates, the inside is a new, expensive model. With this, that Liam – I'll kill him!)
In the academy's first building.
In the men's restroom, Kurt and Wallace were talking.
"Me? I'm not participating this year."
The topic was the tournament.
"You're a master of licenses, aren't you?"
Kurt, the heir to the baronetcy, had no intention of participating in the tournament.
"We don't have any spare machines at home. Besides, with a rented machine, I wouldn't even be able to compete with Liam."
"Your family must be having a hard time too."
"It's gotten much easier, even like this. I'm borrowing ships and other things from Liam."
Thanks to the support, the territory had become more prosperous than before.
However, it was only slightly better than before.
Kurt didn't have the luxury to indulge in extravagance.
Wallace looked worried.
"Hey, can't you stop Liam from participating? If Derrick of the Barkley family is going to make a move, it will definitely be during the tournament."
Kurt told Wallace that it was impossible.
"Liam doesn't easily change his mind once he's decided. Besides, he was eyeing Senior Derrick a while ago. I think – he's really going to do it."
"The opponent is a pirate noble! He has many allies besides his family!"
Especially many friends among the corrupt nobles.
"Then, Liam will be even less lenient."
Wallace was greatly troubled.
"I can't abandon the patron I finally found, and yet he's too pure and upright – damn it, my life is always full of difficulties."
Being born into royalty was troublesome, and the patron I finally found was also troublesome.
At the Banfield family's headquarters.
The previous head and the current head of the Claudia family were invited there.
Without any attending servants, they were invited to Liam's mansion, just the two of them.
Brian, the butler, and knights and servants were there to greet them.
"We have been waiting. However – you were invited as a pair, but…"
Brian smiled, but he saw the imperial officials standing behind them.
"We are like escorts for the Claudia family. Please don't mind us."
Even as he said that, he cast a sharp gaze at Brian.
They didn't look favorably upon the situation.
Serena watched this silently.
When she moved the two to the reception room, the monitoring officials tried to follow, so she decided to have them wait in a separate room.
"Brian, I'll handle those officials."
Brian nodded at Serena's words.
"I wanted Serena, who is of the same gender, to be present for the Duke and the retired head – but I understand. Please leave this to me."
Brian was determined to finalize the engagement talk no matter what.
In the reception room.
The current head – Rosetta's mother – supported the pale-faced previous head.
Brian rushed over upon seeing the previous head.
"A-are you alright? I'll call a doctor immediately."
However, the previous head shook her head.
"It's too late. For now, I just want to use this life for my granddaughter."
The previous head, who had lived a poor life in a harsh environment, was weakened.
"– Brian-dono, we wish to decline the engagement."
"W-why? Liam-sama is serious."
"That's precisely why. The kindness shown to the Claudia family is greatly appreciated. However, because of that, the Banfield family will bear not only debt. Don't you realize that, seeing those officials who call themselves escorts? They – are simply there to torment the Claudia family."
These are people who do as they please, using the orders of an emperor from generations ago as a shield.
They were a group that enjoyed gathering and could easily resort to inhumane acts.
They are the kind of people who enjoy seeing others suffer.
The current head – the Duke – bowed deeply.
"At the very least, we wish to receive Liam-dono's seed. For the continuation of the Claudia family, we implore you."
After hearing the Claudia family's situation, Brian felt like crying.
And he thought.
(Liam-sama – you wanted to help these people, didn't you? Brian is proud of the kind Liam-sama from long ago.)
Brian wiped away his tears with a handkerchief.
"– I must refuse."
As the two looked dejected, he quickly added an explanation.
"Liam-sama's wish is to take Rosetta-sama as his wife. I, Brian, will absolutely not compromise on that!"
The previous head shook her head.
"It's no use. They won't listen to reason. Their work, which has continued for two thousand years, carries that much weight."
The order of the now-deceased emperor.
Using that as a shield, they had done as they pleased for two thousand years.
When it continues for that long, everyone thinks.
– It can't be helped.
"Liam-sama is not the type to be defeated by such things. Moreover, we have obtained the empire's permission. The Claudia family's sins and debts will be borne by the Banfield family. Do the Claudia family members still have complaints about this!"
Brian's words did not reach the two whose spirits were broken.
Nevertheless, Brian desperately persuaded them for Liam's sake.
In a separate room.
Serena was talking with the monitoring officials.
"We already have permission for the engagement. Your duties are over now."
The officials, sitting on the sofa with their legs crossed on the table – their attitude was insolent.
"That has nothing to do with it. This is an order from the late Emperor. Even if our positions are taken away, we take pride in this work. This time, we will just be monitoring the Banfield family."
Over two thousand years, they had become a deeply rooted organization.
They were troublesome.
"– You intend to oppose the Banfield family?"
One of the officials said.
"In the first place, marriage is impossible. Liam-dono has gone too far. The empire's darkness will swallow him whole."
Serena narrowed her eyes.
"Do you think you can touch Liam-sama and get away with it?"
"He's just a kid who's a bit strong, that's all. What a shame."
Seeing this attitude, Serena also understood.
(It's no wonder the Chancellor struggles.)
Serena's shadow twitched slightly as she thought this.
Two red eyes – were watching the officials.
Brian (T_T) "Liam-sama trying to make Alistair's beloved machine gold – it's painful."