## Chapter 374 – Reapers of the Machine (1)
“I’m… ba… ack…”
“Lanie… you should wash up first…”
“I have… no strength…”
I looked at the two of them, who had returned exhausted, wondering what they had been doing today. It had been a long time since I had seen them, and I wrapped my tentacles tightly around them, expressing my affection.
And they, too, seemed so happy to see me that they rubbed their faces against my tentacles, beaming.
“Waaah!! Darling!!♡”
“We’re back. Did you miss us?”
I had heard the story roughly from Aurora.
She seemed to know something, and after I prodded her a few times, she couldn’t disobey her master and eventually opened her mouth.
The reason I couldn’t return to my main body, and why Vivian and Lanie were also trapped in the dungeon, was because of a mana instability event that had made the dungeon inaccessible for a while.
So, in the end, we were trapped in the dungeon together, but now we were seeing each other after a very long time.
I used my tentacles to embrace them and comfortably escort them to the bathtub.
“Ahaht♡ That tickles…!!”
It was called a bathtub, but it was actually a flowing stream of water next to the bed.
“Will you sprinkle water here too? Ahng…!!
Not there…!! You’re so naughty!!♡”
After enjoying the joy of reuniting after a long time, splashing water with them, they used Nemea to quickly absorb the moisture from their skin, and then changed their clothes with regretful expressions.
“It’s a shame, but we have to be patient for a bit…
Because we have to go to work at Floraz.”
I was mesmerized by the elegant dress that unfolded as Nemea spread out.
Unfortunately, I realized that it was a preparation for work, and I had no choice but to let them go.
Compared to me, who had been dealing with the healthy(?) girls and fanatical elves and had used up a bit of my strength, their expressions seemed much more regretful, as they had been waiting for a long time.
Then, at Lanie’s sudden question, I wiggled my tentacles in confusion.
“Ah, Darling!! By the way, did you see Aurora?
I haven’t seen her at the academy either?”
Aurora must be…
She had been knocked unconscious by my tentacles and had barely woken up from the bed late in the evening.
As soon as she woke up, she checked the calendar and frowned, saying that today was the academy’s opening day. I asked her if she would be okay on the first day.
‘It’s okay. I still have plenty of attendance left.
You two would probably be rushing to attend…
The mana instability is already resolved, tsk……’
After giving me that answer, she clicked her tongue with a frustrated expression, as if she was disappointed, and went straight to work at Floraz Branch 3, where she used to be a Mademoiselle.
I heard that she had tried to monopolize me by using tricks, but it was a comedy that even I, whom she was trying to monopolize, had been kicked out.
‘I’ll have to give her a good scolding later…’
With the thought that the tentacle sofa punishment that made her flinch every time she saw it would be good, I was slowly seeing them off.
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Two elegant and beautiful, charming young ladies emerged from a hidden entrance, passing through a long underground tunnel connected to somewhere in the royal capital, which no one could easily find.
As they grabbed their dress hems and stepped onto the road, the gazes of the surrounding men were focused on them.
But they didn’t seem to care, as they were chatting among themselves.
“Uwooo… Darling……!! Hing!!
Vivian-nim… can’t we just not go to work today…?”
“No. We don’t know what happened while we were gone.
If you think about it, Floraz endured for several weeks with only a dozen or so Henias without shifts.
The kids who went to relieve them are there now, but we have to show our faces too.”
“Heehing……”
“And as you heard, something quite interesting will happen soon.
We have to prepare for that as much as possible from now on.”
“Eh… what was that…?, Vivian-nim?”
“……”
It was just like Lanie, who couldn’t do anything but use her body.
Vivian frowned slightly and let out a dumbfounded laugh as she looked at her, who didn’t seem to be very impressed even after hearing about such a big event.
“The Barmhausen delegation is visiting.
As state guests.”
As a result of this dungeon situation, a kind of international exchange event was held between Barmhausen and Groden.
The news that Barmhausen had dispatched an investigation team under the guise of a state visit had also been conveyed to the academy.
“Aren’t those machinists irrelevant to us?
Groden is a magical nation…
And we’re in the swordsmanship department…?”
Moreover, the visit of those state guests was usually connected to a tour of St. Flansina Academy, which was always included in the schedule for state visits.
Vivian sighed softly, stretched out her hand with her fingers pointing down, and taught Lanie by depicting a person walking with her index and middle fingers.
“Lanie. Would a sparrow pass by a mill?
There will definitely be men among them, and people get lonely when they come to a foreign land.
There will definitely be people who visit Floraz after hearing the rumors.”
“Ah…!! You mean you’re going to manage your reputation?”
“That’s right. So I’m going to pay attention to it.
In the meantime, the nobles of Groden have also set foot in Floraz quite a bit.
If we bring in the nobles of Barmhausen, it will become more famous by word of mouth.
Later, let’s take some time to collect information about the investigation team members who are likely to become guests.”
Vivian, who was walking forward while predicting the future, smiled and put her arm around Lanie’s arm. She smiled and moved her steps with her half-hanging on her.
Then, Lanie’s face was slightly hardened by a word that she took out while thinking for a moment.
“Barmhausen… Ah… come to think of it.
Isn’t the eldest son of the Berdran family in Barmhausen?”
“Uheueum… maybe if he hasn’t returned yet?
It’s been a while since I broke off ties with my family…”
Vivian, noticing her atmosphere, hugged the arm she was holding with her other hand, and whispered to her.
“Lanie… I’m just saying this in case…
Just because I broke off ties with my family doesn’t mean you have to do that too.
My future just wasn’t in Grenot.
Unlike me, you have a place to return to…”
“No? I’m just not going back because I don’t want to go back either?
Just like Vivian-nim has family matters…
It’s not like my family is any different…
That’s all……”
Lanie, who answered cheerfully to Vivian’s words, was just smiling brightly as if nothing was wrong.
“Lanie……”
“Ahaht!! Did you know that?
Actually, if things hadn’t turned out this way, I would have gotten married this year?”
“Marriage…?”
“My brother wanted to have a human that he made friends with as his brother-in-law?
He said he had connections and was a promising person.
I’ve never even seen his face, so who knows what he’s like…
But the adults believed it and immediately proceeded with it, you know?”
Lanie rarely talks about her personal life.
Vivian’s ears perked up at her own story, which she brought up as if she was trying to change the subject.
From her, who was a loyal subordinate and her only friend, she had heard about her tastes, hobbies, and sometimes swordsmanship or girly lewd jokes, but this was practically the first time she had heard about family matters like this.
Moreover, it was about a part of her life that was important, marriage, so she couldn’t help but be interested.
“It’s probably been canceled now that I’m gone, but…
Eueum… who was the other person back then…?
Shu… shu… shush……”
“It’s not Shutzranova, is it?”
“Eeeh!! There’s no way!!
I hate Serkov, that bald head, too!!
He’s a well-matched couple with Verdi, so let them live happily together!!
He said he was a Barmhausen nobleman, not a Groden one…
Shtarobe? Shtrove? Anyway, there’s a human like that?”
“Shu… shush……”
“So when I first entered the academy, I secretly peeked around the engineering building.
I wondered if he was in here.
But I felt like I was losing if I kept worrying about it, so I quit later.
I don’t really care now that I have our Darling?”
Lanie, who was smiling and giggling at Vivian, stumbled as she collided with someone who suddenly popped out in front of her.
Unfortunately, she was looking to the side, and even her shoes were high heels, so at the very moment she lost her balance and was about to fall to the ground.
– Chiririchik! Click!!
With a strangely reassuring sound of precision machinery meshing neatly and scratching smoothly, someone wrapped their arms around Lanie’s waist and supported her.
“Y… you… perver…!!”
Lanie was about to slap the shameless person who had given her medicine after giving her poison, arbitrarily touching a lady’s waist to help her after she had bumped into him. She was about to put strength into her outstretched palm.
“Are you alright, Lady?”
But before her hand could fly, Lanie’s eyes widened at the sight of the handsome man in front of her, who had turned his head first.
Lanie’s hand stopped in place, and her lips began to move on their own.
The young man was wearing a neat suit and coat, not a Groden-style handmade leather shirt and robe.
And the mechanical bird the size of a head sitting on his shoulder was enough to give her some idea of the other person’s origin and identity.
“I’m sorry for not looking properly.
I was on my way to an urgent appointment…”
“A… an accident happened…
Ah… no…… th… th-that’s alright……”
It was rare for Lanie to even stutter, and when did her usually loud tone feel so delicate?
“Aah!! I suddenly feel dizzy…”
“Be careful, Lady.”
Seeing her still staggering and pretending to be dizzy, Vivian was looking at her with a dumbfounded look.
‘Who said she wouldn’t care about anything because someone was here?’
“Then. Have a good day, Lady.”
Perhaps Lanie looked alright, the man smiled and handed her his handkerchief as an apology, and then went his way.
Lanie, who received it, looked back with sparkling eyes, chasing after the man’s back as he passed by.
“What did I just hear…”
“Vivian-nim!! Vivian-nim!! Did you see him?
Waaah!! How can a man be so handsome?
His arms wrapped around my waist so tightly!!
I thought my waist was going to break…!!
And his muscles were so firm!!”
“You… don’t you know who that man is?
You’ve seen him before.”
“Huh…? Who is he?”
“Who else could it be? During the special evaluation, don’t you remember?
He was in the 1st place team, that man?
A nobleman from Barmhausen, in the smithing department.
Antonio von Stern…ben…?”
Vivian trailed off and looked at Lanie with a horrified look, as a chilling scenario flashed through her mind.
“Honestly, everyone looked the same during the special evaluation, didn’t they?
He was too far away, so I couldn’t even see his face properly…
Eh? Eeeh…? Why are you looking at me like that?
I still have pretty good eyesight, though!?
I think it’s gotten better lately…?”
As Lanie’s words from earlier swirled in her head, Vivian stared blankly at Lanie for a moment.
‘He said he was a Barmhausen nobleman, not a Groden one…
Shtarobe? Shtrove? Anyway, there’s a human like that?
He has connections and is a promising person.’
‘Shu… shu… shush… Sternben……?’
‘Vivian-nim!! Vivian-nim!! Did you see him?
Waaah!! How can a man be so handsome?
His arms wrapped around my waist so tightly!!
I thought my waist was going to break…!!
And his muscles were so firm!!’
“Vivian-nim…?”
Vivian coughed and regained her senses, nodding as she watched Lanie waving her hand in front of her.
‘Surely… it’s just a pointless exaggeration.’
“Well, there was someone like that…
Forget it if you don’t remember… it’s nothing to worry about…!”
“Neeh? What kind of person was he!? Vivian-niim…!!”
Vivian ignored Lanie’s words and moved her steps, and Lanie followed behind her, whining.
As soon as the figures of Vivian and Lanie, who were moving away while ignoring her, disappeared into the distance, someone appeared from behind them.
“……”
A black-haired woman was peeking out from the pillar next to a store in the corner of the alley.
She was wearing black night clothes with few features, not her usual oriental-style clothes.
She tucked her flowing black hair behind her ear, and then slowly lowered her black eyes, which seemed to be covered with black pearls.
‘He just needs to be confident, dignified, and good to our family…
Women like that are popular everywhere……’
“Then… would he hate a woman like me……?”
She hid behind the pillar again and leaned her back against the wall. A deep sigh and a low murmur were muttered from Dang Hyeryeong’s mouth.
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“Antonio, over here!!”
“Ludwig. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?
Welcome back to this distant Groden.
You’ve become quite the gentleman while I haven’t seen you?”
Antonio smiled at the man who was waiting for him, and then slowly sat down in his seat.
“Haha!! How can I compare to an original gentleman like you?
I heard you’re postponing your return home and fostering younger generations.
Do you like my country that much?
Where is it, does Regulus like it here too? Ike!!”
Ludwig reached out to stroke the head of the mechanical bird, Regulus, sitting on Antonio’s shoulder.
Antonio watched Ludwig playfully avoid the beak that was pecking at it, and nodded roughly with a faint smile.
“Even after graduating, you haven’t lost your humor.
Your future wife must be having a hard time.”
“Instead, every day will be happy, so that’s fine.
Can’t I ask her to eat this face a little?”
“Oh my… hahaha…!!”
Seeing that the food was coming out soon, as if the order had already been placed, Antonio gently stroked the head of Regulus on his shoulder and answered Ludwig’s question.
“Well, Carla still has a long way to go before graduating.
And there are still many studies I want to do.”
“Seriously… you’re just letting your sister grow up on her own? You’re such a siscon.
Besides, engineering research in Groden, not Barmhausen?
You’re still bad at lying, aren’t you? Kikkil……!!”
“The academy has good facilities and provides generous support for research, so…”
“Aren’t I studying in Barmhausen right now?
Mechanical engineering and materials engineering should be done in the homeland, shouldn’t they?
When other guys graduate, they have girlfriends and fiancées in their home countries.
They somehow make excuses to go see them and are busy being lovey-dovey.
How about you? Do you have any pink news like that? Don’t you?”
“Wh… what are you talking about…?
I don’t know anything about that…!!”
Ludwig, who was playfully accepting Antonio’s answer, patted him on the shoulder with a chuckling laugh.
“Ha!! I guess so, my friend.
What’s the point of having so many ladies flocking to you if you can’t pick one?
That’s why I learned a good word in Barmhausen for you, didn’t I?
‘The cogwheel does not turn backwards.'”
“It’s a proverb that time cannot be turned back.”
“That’s right. That’s your time.
Sometimes you have to live while enjoying yourself!!
What’s the point of being a neat gentleman if you can’t make a woman laugh?
In that sense, the marriage thing is a shame.”
“Looking at this, I thought you were cursing me to be tied up instead of enjoying myself?
It’s ridiculous that I’m going to have you as my brother-in-law.”
As the atmosphere became one of getting up after finishing the meal, Ludwig wiped his mouth with a napkin and slowly got up from his seat.
“Still, I’m three or four years older, so it wouldn’t be bad to have me as your brother-in-law, would it?
There, charge the bill to the family.
Ludwig de Berdran.
Then, shall we explore your tastes in detail?
I might know some young ladies who are to your liking.”
As the two men who had gone out into the street walked side by side, Ludwig put his arm around Antonio’s shoulder, expressing his friendliness.
“I told you, I don’t need that…?”
“Antonio von Sternben is not the kind of young man who would react like this…
You… you have one…? Right?
I’ll keep it a secret from the other guys, so tell me now?
If I find out later, I’ll spread the rumors all the way to Chao Xing, beyond Barmhausen.”
“The ladies of Barmhausen asked me to ask about you.
I might accidentally tell them something…?”
“Sniff… lick… this taste is…
The taste of lying!!
Antonio von Sternben!!”
In the end, Antonio, who had been pushed and pushed, nodded weakly, and Ludwig, who had properly grabbed the bait, exclaimed and looked at him with surprised eyes.
“Wheeew!! I can’t believe it!! That Antonio!?
After all, no one knows how things will turn out?
Hahaha!! This won’t do!! I’ll buy you drinks too, huh?
Let’s talk about that lady!!”
“I didn’t say anything that great.
She’s just confident, dignified, and good to my family.
Women like that are popular everywhere……
Ooh!! You’re going to fall, my friend!!”
“Regulus!! Your master is getting married soon!!
It’s a celebration, isn’t it? Heuhat!!”
Regulus flapped its wings to balance itself on Antonio’s shoulder, who was staggering because of Ludwig, who was jumping up and down with his arms around his shoulders.
As soon as the figures of the two men who were disappearing along the alley disappeared, someone appeared from behind them.
“……”
A black-haired woman was peeking out from the corner of the alley, next to a store.
She was wearing black night clothes with few features, not her usual oriental-style clothes.
She tucked her flowing black hair behind her ear, and then slowly lowered her black eyes, which seemed to be covered with black pearls.
‘He just needs to be confident, dignified, and good to our family.…
Women like that are popular everywhere……’
“Then… would he hate a woman like me……?”
She hid behind the pillar again and leaned her back against the wall. A deep sigh and a low murmur were muttered from Dang Hyeryeong’s mouth.
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