Iserlohn island, Territories of Liam
The hangar was filled with over 150 odd mixes of late-twentieth-century F-14 Tomcats and early-twenty-third-century multirole space-use 3rd generation stealth aircraft, VF-141 Apache III. I am currently in my default appearance as a human-looking android, currently strolling around as I dragged Noel for a walk.
"Why I am here?." (Noel)
Noel frowned as I dragged her out without a warning from her room, and now he is completely displeased by it.
"For a walk, you need exercise." (Liam)
"Seriously, Liam? Is that supposed to be a joke? Playing games is more important than exercising." (Noel)
I joked, but Noel didn't like it. Did I make it sound like I was serious? Obviously, as if an abnormal dragon who has stayed for thousands of years in the vacuum of space needs some exercise and this damn idiot has different priorities.
"Can we go out for a sec?." (Liam)
"Are you asking me for a date? Is that a date right?." (Noel)
Noel, who learned some strange words from the games she played, playfully tried to tease me. Unfortunately, I'm an AI. I don't have feelings. I can't really feel anything from your teasing just now.
"Don't dream." (Liam)
I expressionlessly shut her down, which made her pout. Then she stretched her arms like wings and she gracefully turned around like a kid.
"Now we're we going?." (Noel)
"Outside to let you get some fresh air." (Liam)
"I don't really need to breath." (Noel)
"You're a living thing." (Liam)
"Then what about you?." (Noel)
"I'm not." (Liam)
"Then we're the same." (Noel)
"You have flesh, blood, sense of feeling of a living thing, alive, and not like me, a mere computer built from various metallic compound and what so ever ." (Liam)
"You're such a pessimistic guy." (Noel)
"I'm not, I merely stating the fact." (Liam)
"Did I say something uncomfortable?." (Noel)
"Nope, not a bit." (Liam)
The ground trembled slightly as I was dragged unwillingly Noel outside my territory. Then, on the horizon outside, one of the mountains began to split apart, and something noticeable extended in the middle of it, a long dark metallic pillar that towered over 500 meters.
"Your territory is really weird." (Noel)
Noel exasperatedly looked at the mass of unknown structures that were hidden under the mountains of my island.
"Don't call it weird, call it unique and sophisticated." (Liam)
"So what the hell is that?." (Noel)
"You missed it quite a lot of times, I already used it since you arrive here, it was called mass drivers, designed to accelerate my spacecrafts without a need of rocket boosters." (Liam)
"I don't understand a thing." (Noel)
Still, despite my explanation, Noel looks at my mass drivers with curiosity. Well, even people from early 21st century civilization would likely gawk at this structure. Much more so against a race that has yet to know what a rocket is, but ironically, they are pseudo spacefaring kin due to their weird racial trait boosted by the so-called magic.
"I didn't ask you to understand it in any case, and on top of that, you could use teleport to move around in space, right? There's no point in understanding it, so let's go there." (Liam)
"Are you treating me like a kid!?" (Noel)
"Yeah, you're mentally like a kid." (Liam)
"Mou! I'm older than you!." (Noel)
She protests while puffing her cheeks as she pouts at my treatment of her. At the same time, a Dagger class Multipurpose Deep Space Exploration Ship began to be catapulted into the air as it was gaining speed and fired up its Millennium X723R thermonuclear engine, accelerating towards space at over Mach 45, which was enough speed to escape the atmosphere towards space, and within 5 minutes, it finally reached low orbit and began to vector towards my under construction space station. Of course, I can't see anything on ground but only a white trail of smoke in the sky, with the exception of my internal cyber systems, on which I could see the live footage of the flight towards space.
"Isn't you're making a city in the outer world? For what?." (Noel)
Noel asked me while we were strolling in the artificially made forest. I can't remember letting her go, or nether she being absent for a short amount of time, so my only conclusion is that I think she can see my structures being built in space from the ground. Are you a fucking astrophotography telescope?!
"Many usage, mostly for my utility." (Liam)
"Are you planning a world domination?." (Noel)
"Sounds a drag." (Liam)
I didn't think a thing about being an overlord or conqueror here. I must admit, I have the ability to become one, but it's not my taste of doing things.
"Really? You could bring those large stones from the outer world and push them back onto the planet, and the natives couldn't do a thing. It's easy to make them kneel before you. " (Noel)
"Oh? Asteroid bombardment, huh? That's tempting, but a pain in the ass at the same time. I'll also garner unnecessary attention from your race, right?." (Liam)
Did you forget that your freaking race could go and live in outer space? I look at her dubiously as she doesn't seem bothered by those things, as if they were insignificant information to her.
"Hmm? Well, there are only about 40 or 50 ancient dragons that could go and live outside the world. I don't have the knowledge if they increased because I haven't been around for sixty thousand years on the planet. I haven't visited them either, so I can't confirm, I rather sleep than talk to them." (Noel)
"I see... Here we are." (Liam)
We finally reached our destination. There was a huge umbrella while having a pair of seats and a table facing each other. There's some desert as she likes sweets which unique for a being that doesn't need to eat at all and lives through so-called photosynthesis but using the shade of darkness instead of sunlight.
"Why did you call me? Care now to explain?." (Noel)
She sat down first and began to question me, while also grabbing some cookies and shoving them in her mouth, destroying her serious face as she giggled at the taste of the cookies she munched.
"I'm just asking for something that I can't really explain. It's too shocking to me, you know." (Liam)
"There's something that shocked you in this world? That must be amusingly entertaining. " (Noel)
She sneered at me while I was setting up the holographic image in the air. A large wolf and something that looks like a small dot but is clearly a humanoid being square off.
"Oh? That's rare, a Fenrir. " (Noel)
"Rare?." (Liam)
I look at Noel as she plucked her tongue in disinterest.
"I mean by rare, it's wrong and an understatement, because it's very very rare, as it might be the last of its kind." (Noel)
"Pitiful creature, eh?." (Liam)
Then I noticed her looking at me intently, what are you...?
"What?." (Liam)
"Nothing really... You're just ugly." (Noel)
"Wow, thank you for hurting my feelings." (Liam)
Being called ugly by a beautiful girl is quite devastating emotional damage, but as a machine I can't feel a thing, so I can't really tell if I should explode myself by throwing her out of my territory. Still, she is pointing at something. It's not just my face, but I can't discern as I'm not good at understanding other people's minds and hearts, so she may mean my face is not that ugly but pointing at other matters that she can't bring up.
Furthermore, Noel isn't particularly chatty as long as you don't bother her in her private time or threaten to remove the game consoles from her room. She won't really bat an eyelid to anyone. She even ignores my Android when they periodically clean her messy room or fix and change the game consoles she destroyed because she was either so pissed she obliterated them or overheated due to constant and non-stop playing for several days.
"All right, let's get to the point, you didn't call me here to watch a fight between an oversized wolf and a powerful humanoid creature, did you?" (Noel)
As usual she is sharp in some matter and an idiot on others.
"Yeah." (Liam)
"Then what it is?." (Noel)
"I want you to escort me in those mortal realms you called, basically in the Ver'z continent." (Liam)
"What the hell Liam? I can't play if I don't have my computers and Xbox you know? Will you bring them in too? If not I won't go." (Noel)
This stupid dragon. The gal she talks on the owner of this land, I want to sigh.
"This is my answer, you could still play on this mobile phone." (Liam)
"What the heck is that?." (Noel)
"Portable personal computer, you could play games anywhere you wanted." (Liam)
Then, I let her sneak peek of a mobile phone.
"Huh?! There's still things you've hiding from me?!." (Noel)
"There's also Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality sets to let you play outdoors and indoors without being troubled where and when you will go." (Liam)
"You're so meanie! Gimme them now!." (Noel)
"You can play games while going in or out, anywhere and anytime, without any inconveniences. Of course, you need to follow my orders if you want to get these toys. " (Liam)
"Eeeeh." (Noel)
Noel became more hesitant and faltered in my advances. With a little more push, I could finally pull an invisible guard here. "It has a wider variety of games than the computers I lent to you." (Liam)
Of course, computers were the best choice when playing if we made a comparison with smart phones. However, Noel, without knowing that, would definitely jump to the conclusion that phones are better than computers, not mentioning it is somesort of new experience for her. I smiled as she hung her head in defeat, I won.
"You can flew in the space right?." (Liam)
"Space? Do you mean the outside world? I can instantly teleport out of the planet if I wanted to, straight towards the moon. " (Noel)
"Good, I'll have a fleet to direct you where my other body is." (Liam)
As if she was a bit angry, she pouted, probably thinking I bested her to submission by extorting her with phones and games. Sorry Noel, in return, I'll give you the best games and gaming phones I can provide.
Sistiene POV
"Are you sure, Dad?" (Sistiene)
In my personal suite, my dad visited me early in the morning. I have a complicated face after hearing my father's words. Liam, really?
"He is not a human, that's what I felt the moment I saw him, and probably that was just a mere golem, or called an android, from the world where your mom came from. They were extensively used by military or commercial systems back in your mother's homeland, and my guess was that the body was a military grade android." (Mikael)
"Liam... how could that even happen?" (Sistiene)
"Well, I can't also confirm whether he has an organic body that is controlling this husk somewhere, so don't be creeped out by it... Right, EZ8?." (Mikael)
Then, a ball flying over my dad's shoulder emerged. I saw it a couple of times. They said it was my mom's familiar or support weapon. One of my mother's legacy weapons and armor, under the keeping of my family.
"Yes, without a doubt, that android is being controlled by a fairly powerful quantum supercomputer that shouldn't exist in this world, and there's a possibility that this human, flesh and blood Liam, exists somewhere in this world." (EZ8)
"You...." (Sistiene)
I can't understand what was a quantum quantity... something, but if it said it shouldn't exist, then Liam must have come from the continent where my mom came from.
"If you're asking what I mean, let me simplify it. Like your mother, 2nd LT. Shirogane Kanami, that person, perhaps a quantum computer, was sent from another world. However, for some reason, those androids IFF bear striking similarities to the androids used by UNE a hundred years ago, in cosmic era 523, quite intriguing.... There's a high possibility, that those said equipment came from earth origin." (EZ8)
Then this thing grumbled for more unintelligible, confusing, and perplexing words for me. This time, my dad intervened, probably seeing me completely clueless.
"In conclusion, that which Liam, you, and I meet at the party is not a living thing...." (Mikael)
"...." (Sistiene)
I already heard he's some kind of golem or Android of what they're talking about, but Liam? That Liam I came with wasn't a living thing? Is he a fake? I was contemplating as my father and this thing called EZ8 looked at me.
"I believe you shouldn't jump to the conclusion that it was a super computer of the cosmic era of 532, a hundred years ago. There's a rampant trend of having a living body inside that quantum computer. There's a high chance that Liam was alive but inside a cryogenic tank, undergoing hibernation." (EZ8)
"...." (Sistiene)
"The answer is maybe yes. He is alive and living somewhere else." (EZ8)
Still, my face was dark. Liam lied to me. He is a fake.
"However, based on your stories, he genuinely saved you, right? He should not have accepted your proposal of being a fake fiance because, based on the goods and services he offered at the party, I believe you had no value to offer him and yet he played along and even fought to protect you several times. That was so-not-very-typical-of-what-a-quantum-computer could do and process. Thus, I concluded he may be a human or being controlled by a human, because a quantum computer pursue efficiency, and 100% won't perform those unnecessary steps and procedures." (EZ8)
After letting those words out, an awkward silence dominated the atmosphere as we didn't say a thing.
"Ahem, then why not ask him?" (Mikael)
"Dad?." (Sistiene)
"I don't think he will lie to you out of malice." (Mikael)
My dad broke silence and suggested confronting Liam about this matter. But that was not..., so it's what they called It's easier to say than done, huh?
"Yes, I'll try." (Sistiene)
"I'll escort you." (EZ8)
Without a word, I nodded at this thing. Next, I called my coachman and my retainer then began heading to Liam's place.
Oriental Laffan
"Ma-master!."
"Who the... are you Xia?." (Liam)
In front of me, an unfamiliar person appeared, but I immediately noticed her stature and hair color. It's been a week since I saw her. Her face has somehow been revamped by the request of Serene to not be easily recognized by the edgy clan where Xia came from, thus saving us from a troublesome affair with her organization. Of course, I never really consider them as a threat, just a mere troublesome bunch, that's all.
"So how's the training going with Serene?" (Liam)
"It was hell! Please do not subject me to her again! I'll die from her regimented training, it's not made for humans!." (Xia)
You're partly right, it's not for humans.
"Haha, so be polite and be normal, so I won't be forced to throw at her once more." (Liam)
Xia puffed her cheeks as she stomped her feet on the ground. The butlers and maid androids around me were bothered by her as they steadily stood there like a rock.
I stood up and walked, then, followed by Xia and others without a word, I moved towards the third floor, where a dedicated recreational area was built. There, several maids with animal traits or simply humans, are being pitted against Serene, my custom maid, and the result is as if it was outright bullying.
The maids, unarmed and armed, attack her on all sides. Serene, without a warning, swipes the legs of the first row of attackers. Immediately putting them down on the ground, she then twisted her body and shot a kick that caused bone-chilling shock waves in the second row, freezing them on their feet, thinking being hit by that kick head on could kill them, even though this was a mock battle. Faltered by the android's strength, only a few remained to appear to have the will to fight, but all of them would soon be incapacitated by serene, one after the other. From 15 attackers down to 0.
"Eh...It's not even a minute." (Xia)
Xia let out her opinion as she was currently looking at the pitiful state of my maids. They were the slaves I bought, and now they are trained to fight. However, being pitted against a military grade android is extremely unfair.
Then the next matchup caught me off guard. Serene against... that guy? An unarmed maid, with a very petite body with a well-defined and big... Ahem, she was a he before, Zyrian. What the hell is happening here? However, I can see an insubordination collar on her, and my scanner says there's a C09 explosive nanomaterial on her body right now. Those C09s were used by the spies on earth if they got cornered. Those very small nanomaterials won't actually explode, but they will destroy your body from the inside and will kill you within 2 minutes. The reason why they are called explosive nanomaterial is due to the aftermath of the veins exploding from the internal damage and sabotage of the nanomaterial on the blood flow or organs of a human being that explodes like a dead sperm whale. It was painful and gruesome death for spies.
Let's see how this will conclude: a former male hero turned into a cute female petite maid against a military grade android. Oh, also, let's see what the new body of Serene could do. As I asked Noel to strengthen the bodies of the androids and equipment I have, it seems we managed to get a high magical resistance akin to a modern anti-laser coating back on earth by carrying a small portable crystal that acting some sort of barrier to lessen the impact of magic attacks, which later we integrated on our body for more convenient use. Furthermore, the metals we are using as a frame are currently adamantium and orichalcum, produced by Noel. All of them rival the tensile strength of the Luranian composite armor being used by Earth nations in the second quarter of the 23rd century. They are very sturdy and lighter than the Y19 supercarbon steel that I currently produce cheaply as a result.
My butler, whose name is Doce, which means eleven, tossed a coin into the air. This signals Zyrian and Serene to get into combat posture. Everyone gasped, then a light thud landed and began to ungracefully spin around, and when the spinning coin noise died down, both of the maid-wearing combatants in the middle disappeared with a powerful shock wave and immediately appeared in the middle. Serene was punched in the face while she gutted Zyrian below. Both recoiled in the exchange.
"What the fu... is this exchange? I can only barely see anything. How about you, Xia? " (Liam)
I gave my honest impression. I barely see them moving, especially Serene. With her specs, she shouldn't be able to keep up with Zyrian and will go down to lose, but the heck is this? Meanwhile, Xia, on my side, is looking at me with wonder and confusion at the same time.
"Can you see them, master? I can't even see a thing. All things disappeared, and then something exploded. The next moment, both of them were in the middle, then thrown to, what so ever that happened, it's confusing." (Xia)
Xia frowned as she sweated nervously in the fight. The battle resumed with both exchanging blows, and the building began to tremble a little with each blow they threw at each other. Meanwhile, my slaves are looking at this fight agape, with their mouths wide open.
The carnage continued, as both sides didn't give a single inch of ground without hitting each other with heavy hitting blows. A few moments later, Zyrian launched a surprising counter to Serene, putting her down on the ground. She jumped at Serene with a somersaulting maneuver to nail her to the ground with a drop kick, but Serene got up and evaded, then retaliated with a very close-up right hook on the face of Zyrian, sending her flying on the right side of the recreational area.
Is it just me, or has Zyrian become weaker? My instincts telling me she became weak. This is not a realm that could be considered a hero. I should ask Adel or Noel later why zyrian is weak to the point where Serene could go to her toe to toe?
After two minutes of intense combat, the timer rang, ending the battle between worn out maid fighters, none of them had lost, but I scanned Serene's body, she was already at her wits end. A minute longer, and she would probably be destroyed by Zyrian.
At that moment, Zyrian saw me. Her sight became distorted. Is she angry? But soon after my question was answered, she began to drool, dangerously. Then, she put her hand on her thighs as if squeezing something as she looked at me with predatory eyes. "Master!" She dashed at an exceedingly fast pace, taking me by surprise, but my android butler and maid in the vicinity, acted synchronously to pushed her down onto the ground. With blades, guns, and even an Electromagnetic Launcher Rifle or EML-R charged at 120% pointing at her like a reaper who is about to claim her life, also, Xia on my side jumped on my front and drew her knives, with some shadows engulfed her body, fully prepared to attack Zyrian if she managed to break free from the restraints of my androids.
As I piece together what the hell is happening, I'm thinking of questioning her why she attacked me. If it was out of hostility, then I'll eliminate. However, something inside me, a strong urge to run away from her and not question why she attacked me, came into my mind.
"Bold of you, attacking our master, is the greatest transaggression of a slave of Iserlohn family could commit, answer my question, why did you attack our master!." (Serene)
While I was contemplating of not questioning her, Serene cut it off, as she began questioning Zyrian without my authorization. Well, it might be the common sense of a supposed servant, I guess. But still, that's not the damn question. Heck, stop that, Serene!
"Like everyone else here! I want a Young Master's seed! " (Zyrian)
Then, she said something shocking.
You damned idiot! You're a former man! What the hell are you saying? I turned my back as I felt she would continue saying another word. I can't stomach being attacked by a gender bender, no matter how cute and beautiful they are. Even with those large badonkers, is a no go!
I ran away from this place as it was too dangerous. The heck? Even though I can't feel disgust, my internal system is still warning me about those risky and troublesome internal issues when facing those kinds of people. As I explored the place, I saw a familiar carriage. It was from Sistiene.
"Why she..." (Liam)
She stepped out of the carriage with a solemn expression that I rarely see on our journey. Of course, I moved out to meet her.
"Yow Sistiene, what's the matter... eh?"" (Liam)
While I was asking why she was her, she closed the distance and slapped me. surprising me in that moment.
"...Ouch?" (Liam)
"We need to talk." (Sistiene)
"Umm, does slapping me have something to do with the talk?." (Liam)
"Yes, now let's talk privately." (Sistiene)
Without caring about my response, she one-sidedly demanded. Well, if this is a joke, I wouldn't think twice about leaving her and pranking her, but it seems it was urgent, and I am curious about it.
"This way." (Liam)
"I may humbly ask to join this private conversation between Sir Liam and Lady Sistiene."
I was thinking of leading her towards my soundproof room for privacy purposes, but to my surprise, someone entered our conversation. It was something futuristic, like a flying ball with lights. It's not magical at all. Definitely made by technology, not magical civilization here.
"Let me introduce myself before I start rubbernecking the conversations. I am combat support system EZ8, serial number: 40832XF72AE13JLW9 of the United Nations of Earth, 920th Orbital Diver Corps of UN Colonial Marines, formerly assigned to the now deceased 2nd Lt. Shirogane Kanami, may I ask for your affiliation, Sir Liam?." (EZ8)
"What the heck?." (Liam)
I turned into Liam.exe the moment I heard this thing was a support unit for the mother of Sistiene, at first glance I knew this was a genuine technology that wasn't created by magic in tandem with me when I was reincarnated here in this world.
"Can we continue to talk inside? If only I am allowed to join too." (EZ8)
"Well yeah." (Liam)
<<Serene, there's another AI thing here on the premises, and I can't see him in the scanners nor can I access him in my inventories>>
<<Affirmative Administrator, we're formulating countermeasures about this unaffiliated AI>>
Inside me, at the moment I responded I asked Serene to help me in a heartbeat, as my androids began to move somewhere, while my flesh and blood servants are the ones who are doing the work of serving us.
We entered my private room and sat face to-face, and I waved the servants and Xia, who were inside my shadow, to leave. Once, we only had one remaining, Sistiene, opened her mouth but stopped it before continuing as if hesistant.
"Hey Liam, answer me truthfully. Be honest. Are you a human?." (Sistiene)
Those words made me internally frown, as Sistiene's words are serious and heavy. I don't think she will be happy if I return it as I joke or lie here. I was confused about what to do. Should I answer?
______________________________________________
This book was essentially dead without the publisher's intervention. As the co-author was too busy at work, the same goes for the publisher. As I had two other fics to work on, I'll only limit it to once a month, if not, twice if I had extra time.
The original chapter will be transferred to another chapter as it doesn't fit the current setting flow. Thus, I made a new chapter 15 from scratch.