Quest of Automata King

Team Assignment

“Finally! A proper meal!” Goettia shout telepathicaly to Mui when they are in the middle of dinner. Wearing new uniform and sling bag from his room, Mui hide Goettia so that book could still within their range to communicate.

Previously, Goettia have told him to watch out for their range, since a magic item and it’s master have to stay close to each other. The farther Goettia to Mui, means that the mana exchange between the two will take even longer, it have huge possibility that Mui will suffer from certain side effect because of this.

Because he haven’t eat since the whole day, Mui’s plate is filled with foods that he could get from the serving tray. Meat, salads, rice, and even desserts are lying on the table, as he gobble it all down like an animal.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, all of his roommates are looking at him with confused face, especially for Robert, who rarely get together outside of their room.

“Mui! Since when did you eat this much?” said Karas beside him.

“fori, fi fus, feri fungry!” said Mui with mouth full of foods.

“Don’t talk while you eat, that’s a bad manner. Finish it all first!” said Robert.

Mui stops the movement of hand that spooning his mouth, he chew swallow, and then explaining to his friends that for a whole day, he haven’t eat anything.

“Yeah, I thought that this school will automatically know about the student that got sick in dorm... I mean, they have all kind of magical stuffs right? Who knows? Maybe they are also monitoring our health without us knowing it?” said Karas. In reality, the three of them also wake up late, so none have time to get to the infrimary and report about Mui’s condition.

“No way, even with Master Oliver’s ability, none of his machines are able to reproduce such function,” said Robert, “While on the other hand...” he changed his gaze to Mui, and his transformation.

Knowing that he is being spied upon, Mui gulp down foods to his stomach, his eyes rolled up for excuses that he made in other day.

“Uh... Growth spur?” he said with an unconfident tone. Both Karas and Raul giggle for some reason, that makes Mui also smiled. But Robert just gazing at him as he eat the piece of meat.

“Oh! By the way, have you gotten the team for Miss Chiro’s assignment yet? I heard that this time she gives a little leeway for the submission,” asked Mui to his fellow classmate, Karas and Raul.

Robert is in different class, so he is out of this conversation.

“Ah yes! The assignment!” said Raul, slapping his forehead with his palm. “We’re too focused with other deadlines, that we forgot to ask our friends!” complaint him. The same reaction given by Karas.

“Well, then you should start moving. Miss Chiro is scary if they angry you know?” advised Robert.

“That’s fine! Karas, Raul, let’s forming up a team, I have another person joined with her friend too, that’s mean five person,” said Mui.

“Well, ask, and you shall receive,” Raul smiled to his other friends. Followed by Karas and Mui that laughed with friendly manner. Robert lift his shoulder for their reaction, letting his friends do whatever they wanted to.

“By the way, whose friends is this? I thought it is kind of rare that someone else is inviting you to their group,” said Raul, he noticed that his words sound scorning Mui, that he changed his phrase. “I mean, I know it is someone in our group, but to be honest, they are usually went by their own roommates,”

Mui smiled as he spoon the last rice to his mouth. Between their conversation, he managed to finish his meal.

“You’ll see soon, let’s go to the library after you finished dinner,” said Mui. He took his tray and cup, and went to the spot for used dinnerware. Both Karas and Raul looked at each other with confused face and whispering.

“Is it the first time we see him like this?” asked Raul,

“Yeah, probably. Maybe something also happened after his ‘transformation?’” replied Karas.

“If you’re curious why don’t you guys check for yourselves? Who knew, maybe some of his effort will rub off to you too,” said Robert half-mockingly. That joke was answered with sharp gaze coming from Raul and Karas.

“Here we go, another day for the grumbling Robert,” Karas finished his meal, he take his tray to the direction Mui went. So does with Raul.

In the end, Robert is the only one left in the table, eating his dinner little by little. His eye looking at Mui who is surrounded by Karas and Raul, who is excited to meet the other member of the team.

“How?” asked Robert inside his mind. He swear that he have read the book that completely explain characteristics of other races. But sudden growth spur that also increase his magic and intelligent capabilities? That is one thing that he have never heard in his entire live.

In the end, Mui looked at him and waving his hand. Apparently, they prepared to leave the dinner hall, to the library. Robert answer by waving and showing the best smile he can give, but inside his head, he still curious of what secret could be hidden inside Mui’s bag.

***

“Come on Mui, what is the secret?” Raul keep asking as they keep walking to the way of library.

“I said it before, you’ll meet her shortly,”

“Her? Wow! A girl eh?” tease Raul, “Are you sure she is not making fun of you?”

“Calm down! This is not a joke. You will understand when you meet her.”

“You really put your trust in her, who is she? Your girlfriend?” This time Karas’s words surprised Mui, ‘girlfriend’ is a word that he never expected, especially when he knew who is that supposed to be addressed to.

“Gi-girlfriend? What are you talking about? There is no way such person could been there!”

Mui avert his gaze, he smiled bashfully, and even his face turned red after he heard that. Both Karas and Raul looking at each other and giving weird face, Karas speak without letting out a word, he pointed his mouth so Raul would read his lip.

“I told you so!” said Karas, and both of them giggled silently while Mui is walking in front of them.

Soon after that, the three of them arrived at the library. Different from the day, this place is quiet empty at night, there is only some light that have been turned on, and one of them happen to be the brightest.

Mui, Raul and Karas walking past the bookshelves to the table in the middle of the room. There, the artificial light shining on top of the table where two people have seated with opened books in front of them.

“Hey, sorry we are a little bit late,” said Mui.

Karas and Raul quickly get to the front, wondering who is the mysterious girl who (probably) Mui’s girlfriend.

Under the light, they see the glimpse white hair, followed by blue ruby eye. Those eyes looking at them, and then a smile appeared. Both Karas and Raul almost held their breath.

“P-Princess Emmellia!?” said both of them at the same time.

Emmellia quickly move her index finger to her mouth, making the sign of ‘be quiet!’ as she pointing to the reception desk. Over there, the old librarian teacher with white hair and glasses with weird frame. They glaring at them with disgusted eyes, as they wanted to eath those fives alive.

Karas and Raul quickly cover their mouth, and back to their previous position beside Mui.

“Please take a seat,” said Emmellia, Beside her, Betty is looking at those three. She seems neutral, but Mui hope that she don’t mind a Devil sitting beside her.

“Princess Emmellia, are you really wanted to be in the same team as Mui?” asked Karas.

“Please just call me Emmellia. Of course, in fact, I was the one that asked Mui to form a team in the first place,” she said. Karas and Raul putting a surprised face as they looking at Mui’s direction. The boy lift his shoulder, signaling that what is she says is true.

Karas and Raul looked at each other, can’t believe of what she is saying.

“Come on guys! Enough with the surprises, there is a lot of task we have to prepare before this assignment is finished.” Said Emmellia. Obeying her command, those three quickly focused to the books on top of the table.

“Alright, then. The task that Chiro asked is making The Caitsih right? And the challenge is that we haven’t know about the last ingredient to make medium-grade potion,” mention Karas.

“She said that the previous ingredient contain carrot right? Those are vegetables that rich in nutrients that good for your eyes right?” asked Raul. “Then the last ingredient must be some kind of vegetables or fruit that is good for your eyes too, isn’t it?” guess Raul smugly.

Those answers are responded by Betty with a smirk, Raul who notices it glaring toward her.

“What are you laughing about? Is something funny?” asked him angrily.

“While you boys are wasting their times playing games and messing around, Madam Emmellia and I spend our time productively by researching the possible ingredient of shape-shifting potions,” said Betty, she handed over the book with detailed explanation of it.

Karas and Raul reading that page, especially the part that Betty pointed with her finger.

“Shape-shifting type potions are relying to the source material given to them, the better the material, the better result will be,” read Karas.

“When it comes to making shape-shifting potion, first the mage have to set their intention. Are they wanted to use it to change their entire body, or the potion only meant to gain the ability of another living being?” continue Betty, she take another book, and handed it over to both of them. That book is a bestiary of monsters that usually lurking around the continent.

“Byakko?” asked Karas “The monster-tiger that usually appear on the eastern mountain range?”

“Yep, what do you think the word Caitsih come from?” asked Betty.

Mui, Karas and Raul looking at each other before coming to realization. “The cat... Is that mean felines eyes?” asked Mui.

Betty snap her finger, signaling that Mui giving a right answer.