Quest of Automata King

The Nobles Scheme

Julius Xavon sit at one of the mess hall chair. In front of him are plate filled with food, cup, and one opened book. Julius focused on reading the page of that book one by one, while he let his food cold.

Once in a while, he did sips the liquid from the cup, a sweet drink from the combination of honey, tea, and lemon. For a moment it is enough to make his body forget it’s hunger while he read another page of the book.

He sit alone at that time, but not until someone slam their content of tray in front of Julius.

That commotion making he moved his gaze, and now in front of him, stands tall and buffed guy, with yellow blonde hair, and sour expression on his face. He is not only Julius’s classmate, but also roommate, and childhood friends since they are ten years old.

Challender moved his feet across the long chair and sit. Now he is eye-to-eye with Julius who have returned their attention for the book.

“How long you’ll held me up?” said Challender.

Julius rolled his eyeball to Challender. While that guy is chewing his food, Julius can sense the aura of hostility aimed toward him.

“I’ve said it already, we have to teach that brat a lesson!” said Challender again. His hand is tightly grip his spoon, filled with anger.

Julius let out a sigh. “It’s been a week since that match. You still haven’t get over it aren’t you?”

“How do you think I can!?” he shout. “That bastard not only mocking me, but us! Don’t you remember how smug Emmellia look when she used that bastard to trick the whole class!? Don’t you feel ashame?”

Julius finally closes his book and pull his plate. “Since the beginning, I never agree with you being the commander,” he said. Challender let out a grunt, and dig his food to his mouth.

“Althought I believe that Boris held the most fault that time,” Julius also dig his lunch. It’s cold, but he don’t care at this point. “After some investigation, turns out that teacher is enrolled one season before we arrived. Even more surprising, he’s recommended by your father himself.”

Challender stopped his jaw movement and swallow his food. “That’s mean whatever I would do, he will always be my ally isn’t it?”

“There you go, one less problem to worry isn’t it?” said Julius.

Challender goes impatient. He slams his spoon angrily. “What the point!? I’m talking about that Devil brat! Don’t you realize since that match, people are starting to getting friendly with him!? I’m not only talking about class F! Everyone, even the seniors are starting get curious with him! Do you want that to happen?”

Julius let out a sigh once again. He tilted his head to left and right. Right now there are only two of them in the mess hall, and he predict that more of the people will come soon.

“Like hell I would accept a dirty Devil to eat the same food as I am,” Julius said with a deep disgust whenever he heard the ‘Devil’ words. “Oliver does not know what he is doing, inviting an animal into the school. Why don’t he turn this place into zoo altogether?” said him again with a more hostile tone.

Smirk appeared on Challender face. He take another spoonfull of food, and quickly finish his meal. “We have to get him in quiet and empty place. If we did ‘it’ in the open, people will look down on us,” whisper Challender. Just like what Julius previously said, people are starting to get into the mess hall.

“You don’t need to worry about that,” replied Julius. “I have said it before aren’t I? There is one less thing to worry about.”

Among the students that come into the mess hall, Mui is also there. He is chatting with Karas as if Mui already forget about his problem with Challender and Julius.

Quietly, Challender and Julius get up and leave the room. They doesn’t clean up their plates, because people have used to those nobles doing whatever they wanted. Meanwhile, Mui glanced at that empty chair and plate, didn’t realize that two of those nobles have been here in the first place.

***

Julius and Challender went to the training and combat section of the academy, preciselly, to the weapon and equipment storage. When they opened it, they see instructor Boris with his leather clothes, polishing the training weapon.

“Hey! What I told about visiting the equipment room— Young Master Challender!!” Boris that have his back turned surprised to see Challender and Julius outside of the class hour.

“Good afternoon Mr. Boris, may we talk for a moment?” Julius precede the speech before Challender can talk.

“Of course, Young Master Julius too! Here, let me get you a chair to sit down!” Boris immediately get the simple chair from across the warehouse. For a place to keep weapons and training material, this room is strangely clean, as if someone have been cleaning it everyday.

“What a rare occasion for the sons of gratest warrior in the kingdom to visit me! Please do tel! Are there anything i can do to help?” asked Boris excitedly.

Julius scanning the room before he would continue his question. “Mr. Boris, you used to be the soldier, aren’t you?”

Suddenly, Boris burst out his huge laughter. “Yes I’am, Young Master! Boris Peon, member of 105th infantry unit, at your service!” Boris stand up, and give salute to Boris and Julius. Both of them only chuckling at him, and Boris returned to their ease position.

“How long have you been in battlefield?” asked Challender.

“You may not believe it, but I have been a soldier since the battle of the alliance ten years ago! I was young that time, and only a greenhorn private. That time is also the first i see your father, Young Master Challender,” said Boris.

“You did?”

“Yes! He stand on frontline during the siege of Goettia! I would never forget that time when he heroically blasting through the enemy armies! Without him, I would never been here in the first place!”

“Whoa, you’re the soldier at the time of the world war sir?” this time, Julius is the one speaking excitedly.

“I’am! But until now i was just a lowly soldier,”

“That’s not true!” said Julius. “Army are not formed only by commanders and elites! They need the foot soldiers! The one who actually get the job done!”

“Mr. Boris, the fact that you have survived until now, is proof that you are an exceptional soldier! True son of Foumoda Kingdom, and the one that shoulder all hope for humanity for the future!” said Julius again.

Boris mesmerized. He look at Julius with tear on his eyes. “Oh, Young Master Julius... That is the first time anyone ever said that to me! Your father is also the greatest tactician that I know. I... I still feel sorry for what happened that time...” said Boris.

After Boris said that, suddenly memory of the past flashing before Julius’s very eyes. Destroyed home, flame, and smell of corpses are recorded back right before his very eyes.

Julius feel heavily dizzy, he grunt and holding his head, while his breath is uncontrollable.

“Julius?”

“Young Master?”

Both of them seems worry, but Julius shake it off and just told Challender to continue the conversation.

“Mr Boris, the Devil when the time of war, you seen it with your eyes, aren’t you?” asked Challender.

“Indeed! Goettia arming them with weapon and armor that are very hard to destory! Not to mention all of the witchcraft and strange technology he used to strike our kingdom! Not even distance are holding them back to hit Foumoda with their fire spells!” said Boris.

“I agree! They harbor the mysterious knowledge that are not supposed to exist! Human are able to win because we have the blessing of the god!” Challender paused for a moment. “We supposed to use that blessing to make sure that those situation will never happening again, don’t you think?”

“I-I suppose you’re right, Young Master!”

“Yet, why did Oliver invite him to this place? He give him place to stay, food, books, and also teacher to study to. When he turns out can’t keep up with the lesson, Oliver did not kick him like any other students. No, he make the teachers tone down their lesson, so that dirty Devil could keep up his pace!”

“That is completelly unfair,” comment him.

“Too bad that I can’t do anything about this, because i’m just a student, and so does Julius.”

Finally able to went through his panic attack, Julius back to look at Boris. His eye is red and swollen.

“Maybe we can sent a complaint to your father?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! How can I complaint about trivial things like this!? No, I have to handle it myself, and on my way!” said Challender angrily.

“But for that to happened, I need your assistant as a teacher... sir.”