Quest of Automata King

Snow Queen

From the left side of the train a figure walked into the ruckus. Most of them are female student, and the person that lead those group is also a girl with short white hair. Suddenly, everyone is gasping as she apprach them.

“Wait, is that... Don’t tell me...!”

“It’s... Really her! Princess Emmellia!”

People around Mui and Challender started murmur as the mysterious white beauty is approaching them. Mui could only see from the side of his eye that swollen after Challender’s rough treatment.

The sigil that shield from Mui started to dissapear as the so-called princess walk closer to them. The only person that her eye focused to is the cocky blond that tried to hide his weapon at the side of his body.

“Oh, hey! Emmellia... Didn’t expect you’ll board the train with us, I thought you’ll arrived tomorrow with your private carriage.” Challender tried to ask casual, He wipe his sweat, and put on a big smile as if pushing his lip to tear a quarter of his face.

“What is wrong with a citizen using a public transportation? Don’t you realize that you’re now also using your so-called lesser vehicle? Where are your fancy carriage pulled by pegasus?” replied Emmellia angrily. Her arm is folded in front of her chest, and her posture is laid back. Clearly shown that she have no fear when facing toward Challender.

“Anyway, don’t try to change the subject! You’re always like this, practicing your weird hobby upon other! Is this how a noble behave!” Emmellia reached Challender’s hand that he tried to hide, showing a baton stick that he still held frimly.

In response Challender rolled his eyes. “This... This is not my hobby! I just disciplining this Devil rascal so he he won’t make a mess in our country!”

Mui finally catched Emmellia’s attention. The girl turned her head toward the Devil that is bleeding all over his face, but Mui is ashamed and turned his face away.“What did he do in the first place?” asked Emmellia.

“He sneaks to this train without ticket.” accuse Challender, but Mui quickly deny it.

“No! I have the ticket in my pocket!”

“Shut up will you!” said the fat crook. He land his fist straight to Mui’s stomach, making that Devil feels a hard impact under his ribs.

“Stop it you two!” shout Emmellia. She turn to Challender again. “The disobediance of one’s underlings lied to their leader.”

Challender clicked hos tongue and squint his eyes. “Hey, you two! The princess is talking here over here, show some respect!” shout Challender. Both of them nod quietly, but Mui is still being held by them.

“Let him go,” said Emmellia, making the crooks looking at her with confused face.

“I said, let him go!” This time, Emmelia shout, and make them surprised a little bit. The crooks follow her instruction, and let go of Mui’s hand, making he almost fell to the floor.

Mui lift his head and starring at Emmellia and Challender. He realize that his body is shaking, afraid to what both of them will do next.

“Don’t be scared, now, it’s time to prove your innocence,” said Emmellia.

Although he is afraid, Mui answer with a nod. He reach out the posket of his left suit, and showing a piece of carton paper that had been holed by the previous train officer.

Emmellia take the ticket, and showing it to Challender with a judgemental eyes.

“The prove is right here,” she said.

“Th-that ticket must be stolen! There is no way that the filthy Devil would have enough money to pay for it!”

“No, I have,” again, Mui right away deny all the accusation that had been given by that arrogant kid. From the other pocket, he showed that metal brooch that he get from the package he received. “I was invited... By the school themselves,” Mui speak while still holding back the pain on his torso.

The owl statue with shining jewel on their eyes quickly caught Emmellia and Challender attention.

“Where the hell did you get that!?” Challender stepped forward, intending to snatch the brooch from Mui’s hand.

Realizing that once again he being threatened, Mui quickly took that brooch away from their sigh. “No!” squeal him, but not before Challender able to catch his wrist.

“That thing is not meant for you, horn-head!” shout him again, as he tried to make Mui opened his clenched fist.

The aura around this crowd turned from bad to worse. Students that come from Challender’s car, now mixed all other kids that also boarding the train, they are all curious, and some are also worried about the ruckus that happened on the platform.

“Challender! Stop this instant!” Emmellia, but that boy is too focused with the Devil in front of him.

“Just spit it out thief! Where did you get this symbol? Stealing from a noble? Oh, maybe you also killed them before taking this aren’t you?” asked Challender with mocking tone.

Mui’s thin hand trying his best to stay away from Challender’s grasp. But there are not much he could do, since Challender is much stronger and healthier than malnutritioned Mui. Eventually, that blondie is starting lift his finger one by one, where they could see the owl’s head.

“I didn’t steal it, I swear! It was come from the letter that invite me into the school!” shouted Mui, as if he almost crying.

Challender deaf to that plea, and still pushing himself to get that suspiciously splendid accessories. Having run out of option, Mui try to look anywhere where he could ask for help, but every other students just watched, clearly not shown any intention to stop Challender’s behaviour.

In the end, his eyes stopped at the girl, Emmellia. From their conversation with each other, Emmellia and Challender is not a stranger, that’s why he hope that at some point, she will step in once more to stop him.

White short hair, and blue eyes. Her skin is also smooth as a porcelain without any damage. That the thing that Mui notice when starring at her. Although he is in a pinch right now, for some reason his brain is starring at the beauty he have never seen in his entire life.

“That’s enough, Challender!” said Emmellia sudenly. He grabbed Challender’s hand that is holding Mui’s wrist.

One second after that, Challender feels a freezing sensation running through his arm. But they’re not an ordinary cold. It’s a freezing sensation that ruptured through his skin and blood vessel, bringing pain into the layer of his hand.

“Argh!!!” growl Challender as he letting go of Mui’s hand. The spot where Emmellia touching is shows a shade of dark blue, before it returned to the normal color of human skin.

“Emmellia! What is that for!?” shout him angrily, Challender rub the spot on his arm with his other hand. He squint his eyes to her, feeling upset to what she is done.

“You should have known yourself, the insignia of Oliver is not something to be taken lightly. It is unique, and no craftmans in entire continent is able to replicate of what the original does. You know it too don’t you? Just with a glance, you can feel the magic power flowing out of that brooch?” asked Emmellia.

“Yeah! That’s why he does not deserver that brooch!”

“Be quiet and try to listen to him!” snap Emmellia. “Did he seems like someone with skills to steal from the Great Magus? If that’s even possible, why would he went here in the first place?”

Challender does not answer, he just grit his teeth, and giving Mui a sharp glare. Mui himself can’t reply anything beside putting a defensive stance, he don’t want to stranded here because of some mistake that happened outside of his plan.

Eventually, Emmellia turn her face to Mui. When she walk closer Mui take a cautious step backward.

“...I wanted to apologize from what he have done to you... May I?” Emmellia lift his finger toward Mui. The Devil does not understand what is that gesture mean, and he just stare at her dumbfounded.

Without further explanation, Emmellia started to run her finger through the air. A transparent green light appeared from Emmellia’s index finger, and started to form some sort of letter. Emmellia also speaking a languange that he never heard before, but each words that she write and said have some sort of strength that Mui could feel.

“Heal!” Emmellia finished her casting with the spell’s name. The magic words that floating in the air suddenly fly into Mui, and come into his body. After that very moment, the bruises and swolen caused by Challender started to heal. Mui also feels refreshed, the pain that he have been holding suddenly gone.

Astonished, Mui rubbing his face and body, and he just realized what is she have done.

“Th-thank you,” Mui stuttered. But Emmillia replied it with a smile.

“Tch!” Challender clicked his tongue for the last time. He took the bag that he previously dropped, and walked to the crowds.

Both of his crooks also decide to leave, followed by the crowds that disperse themselves. Finally, Mui have a space to breathe. That was until he realize, that Emmellia, the short-haired princess is still standing in front of him.

“Oh, um... Thank you again... For your help,” said Mui, hanging his head a little to hide his shyness.

Emmellia put on a thin smile. “I’m sorry again, for what Challender done to you. He have huge ego, and can be rude. It’s always been that way since we’re little.”

Mui nod, and slowly lift his face to look at her. “Is it okay... for you to talk to me?”

“Ah...” Emmellia looked around her, and noticed the group of girls that she previously walking together with. Patiently, they wait for her to end those commotion, and then proceed their way to the academy.

“You’re right, maybe I have to go too,” Emmellia noticed that some of her friends are glaring at Mui, with disgust on their face. “But, before I go, I just wanted to say that brooch is very special.”

Mui shown his hand, and lift the finger that protecting the brooch this whole time.

“You received it from the letter right? Is that signed by the name of Magus Oliver?” asked her again. Mui answer with a nod, and slide the paper that he put inside his chest pocket.

“I see, there must be a reason for him to invite you to the academy,” said Emmellia, she turn around, and walk away to rejoin her friends. “Oh, you also should hurry, the carriage into the academy might be gone at any minute now!” she said, before finally leaving the platform with her friends.

Once again, Mui left alone. He quickly gather his belonging, and then walked to the direction of where the students go.

“I just wish I won’t face the same thing again...” whisper Mui, full of hope.