Chapter 429: Student Dormitory.
Lucienne! What happened, you were gone for a whole day! The teachers wouldnt tell me where you were!
Margaret, please calm down, I cant breathe
Oh my, silly me~
Margaret released Lucienne from her tight embrace, her eyes filled with genuine concern. Lucienne, although slightly annoyed by the suffocating hug, couldn''t help but appreciate Margaret''s genuine worry. The other two girls in the room moved closer as they were quite curious as to where their friend had wandered off to.
Luci, are you okay? What happened?
A girl withrge gray ears resembling those of a wolf asked. She wore the school uniform, simr to Lucienne and the others, with a cutout for herrge bushy gray tail. In addition to these features and longer nails, she also had characteristic yellow eyes,mon among many wolven species.
Im fine Ata. Nothing happened.
Well something had to happen, you were gone for so long, was it that vile Vi again?
Asked the third girl, her features were moremonpared to the wolven girl. She had long straw-colored braided hair, freckles scattered across her face, and big circr sses that erged her brown irises slightly. The two girls continued asking the same questions that Margaret had, prompting a reaction from her this time around.
Hey, Atasuna, Marlein calm yourselves! Lucienne will speak when she wants to!
Lucienne sighed, trying to calm her friends down.
It''s a long story, and I''ll tell you all about it. But first, let me breathe a bit, and we can sit down.
The four girls settled into a circle, with Lucienne taking a moment to gather her thoughts before recounting the events of the past day. She shared the story of Vi''s plot, the unauthorized expedition, and the subsequent hearing. As she spoke, the room''s atmosphere shifted from concern to disbelief and anger.
That''s outrageous! How could they me you for something Vi orchestrated?
Margaret eximed, her fists clenched in frustration.
That''s not fair at all. We need to do something about it.
Atasuna dered, her wolf-like ears twitching in frustration.
We better not, Vi and her house are well-connected; they can bend the rules to their liking,
Marlein exined while lifting her big sses slightly, her expression indicating disappointment.
Well, I don''t want to make things worse and she has been punished already. She wont be attending sses for the next two months and that Knight of hers had been banned from the Institute.
Lucienne let out another sigh while ncing in Margarets direction. She knew that her friend had a more fiery personality. The two had met at the middle dormitory, and she feared that if Margaret did something to antagonize the high-nobles, she too would be sent to this lesser dormitory where she had encountered her two new friends and roommates.
Though, that is surprising Who was that Enforcer? He wasnt afraid to go against a Castene and even defeated that powerful Knight.
Margaret changed the subject, and the girls focused on the other prominent person involved in this incident, the new Assistant Professor named Wand. He was probably single-handedly responsible for the punishment of their biggest enemy, Vi. Considering that he wasnt afraid of confronting her, it was usible that he had some strong backing.
Do you know who he is?
He seemed like a good person, I dont really know much about him but it felt like I could trust him
The other girls in the room noticed that Luciennes face showcased a smile after she started talking about the new enforcer. She brought up how he even gave her some delicious food and helped her regain some of her stamina with an unknown spell.
If Luci says that he is trustworthy, then it''s probably true.
The girls started nodding, knowing that their friend had a certain sixth sense when it came to measuring people''s true inclinations. All of them smiled at each other, relieved that the incident had a good resolution. However, their smiles disappeared instantly as they spotted a strange person looking at them from a distance. The door was open, but they hadnt noticed that someone had appeared there.
W-who are you? asked Margaret.
Hide behind me, Marlein and Lucienne!
Said Atasuna, who started growling like a wolf. Marlein seemed slightly frightened, while Lucienne quickly moved forward to calm everyone down. It seemed that the girls identified her savior as a suspicious person who had somehow sneaked into the dormitory. Some of them were even going for a few of their artifact items that could produce magical effects quickly.
Um, Assistant Professor Wand, what brings you here?
A man stood there, clearly taken aback by the sudden defensive reactions of the girls. It seemed that standing like a statue in the doorway was not the correct approach. While he processed the situation, Lucienne luckily jumped in front of her friends to diffuse the situation. After the name Wand was mentioned, the expressions that previously showed fear and apprehension turned to curiosity.
So this is?
Margaret asked while looking over the strange man. He was quite tall and wearing a peculiar suit of armor under the Enforcement Department robe, making him appear like a powerful knight ready for war at any moment. Soon, from within the scary appearance, a magically altered voice that sounded quite imposing resounded.
My apologies for startling you. I''m the new Assistant Professor.I wont take much of your time. Lady Lucienne I wish for you to have this
Ah yes? Was there something more?
Lucienne seemed startled but also curious about the thing that Assistant Professor Wand wanted to give her. The other three girls remained silent, recognizing the presence of someone impactful. This was the man who had gone against Vi Castene and defeated her powerful bodyguard in singlebat.
Their eyes soon bulged as a strange magical urrence took ce before them. The armor he was wearing under the robe started glowing for a moment. Then, soon after, a strange bulge appeared in the middle of his chest, moving up towards his shoulder and traveling down his arm. Out of the robe sleeve emerged a mechanical spider that caused everyone, besides Lucienne, to jump back in fright.
Ack!
Eeek!
W-what is that thing!
... My apologies for startling you
The man replied, looking at the girls who had run all the way towards the dorm room wall. The metallic spider that he was holding crawled onto the palm of his hand, and for some reason, their friend Lucienne approached it without a care in the world.
Is this the same one?
Yes, it needed some repairs but it''s the same golem that helped you at the training ground.
The moment the man specified that this mechanical creature was a golem, the other girls seemed to rx slightly. In a world filled with various creatures, a metallic-looking spider could easily be mistaken for a type of monster or other suspicious creature. Knowing it was a magical construct like a golem reassured them, alleviating any fears.
I see that you are confused, let me exin then. Due to the recent events and that hearing, it would be better if you had this golem apany you. It will inform me, whenever you are in danger.
Apany me?
Yes, I wish that it was different but it will be safer this way.
Ah, I understand
The girls here were around the age of fifteen, with Margaret being a bit older. It didnt take a genius to realize what the man here was implying. He expected some other incidents to befall Lucienne after the hearing. They all knew that Vis influence extended within the Institute, and some other students might try to make life difficult for their friend.
The golemic spider here was meant to keep her safe and inform this Enforcer of any troubles. However, they all didnt know if they could fully trust this man either, as it could have just been an excuse to ce a monitoring device close to their friend. With the true reason for it being something entirely different.
Great, now let me exin a few things, do you know what a mana pattern is or signature?
Ah uh
Lucienne was startled by the question that sounded like a surprise lecture. Before she could reply by herself, her friend Margaret moved in closer to take a look at the spider golem that was sitting in the mans hand.
A mana signature is a pattern of mana unique to each person!
Yes, that is correct.
Margaret smiled at Lucienne who pouted slightly as she wasnt given enough time to respond to the question.
This golem will record your mana signature so that it can view it as its master. Thereafter youll be able to give it simple voicemands as to any other golem.
Oh
As the exnation continued, the other two girls started approaching while listening intently. Soon, all four of them were in front of the imposing man, looking at the chubby spider in his hand that now appeared a lot cuter than before. It didnt have the scary eyes of an insect, as they were reced by a golemic eye orb. It also didnt have any sharp teeth or ws; instead, the body was just oval-shaped with spider legs protruding from it. Soon the golem was ced down on the ground and even started speaking.
A new operator has been established as Lucienne Arden. Unlocking features to new operator.
Oh my, it sounds like a properdy! Is this golem a she?
The voice that the small spider produced was verydylike and it sounded like an older woman.
I dont think golems work like that
Marlein tipped her oversized sses while responding to Margaret. Everyone in the room was intrigued by the arachnid spider and continued to look at it while the assistant professor exined some of its features.
It can change color? Is it a chameleon spell of some sort?
No, it uses a special alloy in tandem with runes.
Oh! How fascinating! Quick, Luci, tell it to change to red!
I uh Mr. Golem please be red?
Affirmative, changing color to red.
The girls were ecstatic when looking at the metallic creature, which switched from a shiny chrome coloring to a bright red. While they didnt grasp the reasoning behind magical alloy and runes, they could see that it worked. The small metallic spider crawled around, showcasing its new red hue, changing colors a few times after beingmanded to do so. The girls were fascinated by the color-changing ability and bombarded the assistant professor with questions about its other features.
It can detect malicious mana effects like traps?
Yes
Can we give it a name? Like Buggy?
Yes you can do that
Oh, if it can document voices, does that mean that it can do the same for melodies?
I guess it could be used for ying music, yes
Can it give a massage? or maybe heat up water for tea?
I could probably heat up the water but it cant give you a massage and please dont ask it to do it
It seemed that the teacher was bewildered by some of the questionsing his way. It even looked as if he was contemting whether it was worth implementing some of the features into the spider golem. After a few minutes of questioning and the spider crawling around the dorm room, he finally wished to end it.
I have set up a basicmunication system between the golem and me. If you ever find yourself in trouble or need assistance, just give it a simplemand like ''Call Wand'' or Call Assistant Professor Wand,'' and it will ry the message to me. For now, you can just keep it in one of the closets, and while going through the institute, it will follow you around.
Lucienne smiled, expressing gratitude for the thoughtful gift. The other girls echoed her sentiments, their initial apprehension reced by a sense of security. Wand nodded and after being satisfied with their positive response prepared to take his leave.
I''ll be on my way now. If you need anything or encounter any issues, don''t hesitate to use the golem or see me at the Runic Department.
The Runic Department, not the Enforcement Department?
The girls inquired as it seemed that this man was an enforcer.
Yes, I mainly belong to the Runic Department, if you dont find me there, please contact Professor Arion instead. Take care, Lady Lucienne, and the rest of you as well.
With a courteous nod, the assistant professor exited the room, leaving the girls in a mix of excitement and curiosity about their new magicalpanion. As the door closed behind him, the girls were finally able to explode in excitement.
*****
That took a lot longer than I expected
Rnd felt more tired after having to talk to these teenage girls than having to fight against any of the Knight Commanders he encountered. Finally, he had given his sister the smaller spider golem to keep her safe. The idea was simple: it would follow her around, as news of him using mechanical spiders was already spreading. Even if the other students wanted to suck up to Vi, they would think twice about it after seeing the golem following her around. He expected it to be enough of a deterrent.
As he stepped out into the hallway, he couldn''t shake off the feeling of awkwardness that lingered from his encounter with the girls. Conversations with people of their age were somewhat of a mystery to him, and he wondered if it was a skill he needed to develop in this new world.
Guess I''ll figure it out sooner orter...
While walking down the corridor, he pondered the recent events. The hearing had concluded with a rtively lenient punishment for Vi Castene, leaving her suspended for just two months. Although Rnd expected some consequences, he couldn''t shake off the feeling that it was just the calm before the storm.
I should probably contact Robert, I wont be able to protect her here forever
He did not want to spend more than a month here, but with his sister''s fate hanging over his head, it would be hard to leave. Rnd didnt fool himself into believing that Vi, filled with venom, would just let it be. After those two months were over, it could be possible for the bullying to continue and get even worse. Then there were other situations where he couldnt always be there. The institute hosted expeditions into proper dungeons and outside to other parts of the kingdom. Outside these walls, it would be really hard to do anything, meaning that he would need to find a way to protect his sister when he wasnt there, either through some connections, Robert, or perhaps more golems.
How am I supposed to focus on my research like this I should probably go to Thorne and hear him out, maybe hell have something reassuring to say about this incident.
There werent many people that he trusted in this Institute besides Arion, but Thorne was a close second. He had shown himself to have integrity and would probably help Lucienne out, that is if there was enough incriminating evidence for him to make a move. For that to work, he would need to push for one of his inventions to be spread throughout the Institute en masse.
While leaving the dorm, he noticed that people were giving him strange looks, and this continued into the institute. He could hear them whisper about the recent incident, and it was apparent that the news had already spread throughout the entire campus. To no surprise, he was getting mixed reactions depending on the status of the student. Themoners were intrigued, while the nobles were appalled by the new Enforcer who seemingly didnt care about rank.
No one dared to confront him directly, but during his walk to the Enforcement Department, it became clear that his n of not sticking out had failed. Now he could only hope that his newest one would bear some fruit. Eventually, he arrived at Thornes office, but what he found there was not something he expected.
Enforcer Wand, good that you are here, we have a problem.
There is a problem Sir?
Yes, the Headmistress wants to see you, it would be wise not to let her wait, we will talk about other thingster.
The Headmistress? You mean
After returning to Thornes office, Rnd wanted to do nothing more than talk about the implementation of his recording devices, but he was taken by surprise. The Institute leader wanted to see him, and from what he knew, she was an Archmage, a tier 4 ss holder of unknown goals and standing. It was not someone that he ever wanted to meet during his stay here but there was no way of refusing this order, he needed to go there and do it now.